25/06/2026
It’s Helen here from The Secret Vineyard with a little update on how 2026 is going so far.
We’re thrilled to be supplying The Crown again this year for English Wine Week.
The Crown has been one of my family’s favourite pubs for many years, thanks to its wonderful ambience, food, and wine. I also really admire how much Tess and the team do for the local community through inspirational events, charity work, and their commitment to using local suppliers.
This year has been quite challenging in the vineyard so far, mainly due to the frost damage we experienced back in May. Some vineyards were able to mitigate the damage by using frost candles to warm the vines. As a very small vineyard, however, we’re not able to justify that investment. Fortunately, we don’t usually suffer from frost damage and, so far, it looks as though the impact hasn’t been too severe. Fingers crossed we still have a good harvest this year.
The hot weather we’re experiencing now is mainly a challenge when it comes to working in the vineyard—I did try yesterday, but I didn’t last very long! Drought could become a risk if the heatwave continues for two or three weeks without rainfall. As we are on clay soil, it retains moisture better than chalk soils. We do have a strip of sandstone running through the vineyard, however, and those vines will be more vulnerable.
We are fortunate to have a lake on site, where guests can enjoy wild swimming, as well as an irrigation system. If we notice signs that the vines are struggling, we can use lake water to irrigate them when necessary.
The irrigation system was originally set up by our late father to water the conifers that have been grown here for the last 50 years. He dug the lake around 30 years ago and, interestingly, the disease rate among the conifers reduced significantly after we switched to using lake water. The lake is home to freshwater mussels and a variety of aquatic plants and reeds, all of which help naturally filter and clean the water.
We are always looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly. Our sheep, alpacas, and ponies graze the grass between the vines right up until April, meaning we don’t need to use w**d killers between the rows and can simply mow instead.
We also work closely with our agronomist, Tim, to select more environmentally friendly sprays to protect the vines. As the vines become stronger and our soil health improves year after year, we are gradually reducing the number of treatments required.
A big thank you to our friend Phil of Phil Harris Wines for all his help and advice this year.
We’ve also been busy with our new Secret Spa events, where guests can enjoy wild swimming, Pilates or yoga, followed by time in our lakeside sauna and hot tub, before relaxing with wine and tapas by the lake.
In partnership with Music Box Wealden, we’ve recently hosted a Tango Concert and an interactive performance of Peter and the Wolf for children. On 10th of July, our friends The Dot Collective will be performing an open-air production of Romeo and Juliet, accompanied by Secret Vineyard wine and sharing boards.
We are also proud to be part of the Wealden Wine Trail, which showcases some fantastic vineyards across the Weald. We’ve loved visiting neighbouring vineyards on our days off and experiencing the variety they offer. My daughter especially enjoys taking our ponies down to Henners Vineyard for Ibiza tunes, rosé, crisps, and ice cream! Last weekend, we visited Tilsmore near Mayfield, which is such a beautiful and relaxing place to spend time- you can also try their wines at The Crown.
Thank you to The Crown for their continued support, and we hope to welcome some of you to the vineyard this summer.
Happy English Wine Week!
