AN award-winning wine producer has seen its grape crop wither drastically because of the wet weather.
The annual harvest is underway at Three Choirs Vineyard but bosses only expect to gather 80 tonnes – less than half of the usual 200 tonnes.
As a result, the Newent company will have to put a stopper in some of its wines this year.
Managing director Thomas Shaw said: "It's been a bad year all the way through.
"I'm actually surprised we have got what we have.
"It's one of the worst crops we have seen and will affect business without a doubt."
The vineyard, which sells to Waitrose, Tesco and the Wine Society among others, has 75 acres of vineyard with 16 varieties of grape.
It usually takes 30 part-time workers about eight weeks to harvest the fruit but this year it has employed just 15 people.
More than half the crop will be left to wither on the vine because it is not ripe enough to use.
The huge loss of their crop means not of all its 12 varieties of wine will be produced.
Mr Shaw said: "Surprisingly it is the white grapes that have not done so well.
"There will be some wines we don't make."
The winery normally produces a total of 250,000 bottles but Mr Shaw only expects to make 100,000 from this year's crop.
The 52-year-old who has worked there for 18 years, added: "It's not going to be a stellar vintage but the quality will still be good.
"We are not suddenly going to produce awful wine. We will just make less of it and have to reduce the amount we sell to the trade so we can make sure we keep our restaurant and shop stocked."
The full effect of the poor crop will not be known until the grapes are all picked and fermented.
They will be tasted around Christmas time and bosses will decide which wines to produce. Mr Shaw said wine makers across the county have been affected by the weather but he is not too concerned.
"The English wine industry is doing very well. I think we are up there with the rest of Europe but we just don't produce as much as they do. And we haven't got the same reputation as somewhere like Bordeaux – but that takes time to grow."
