Heat and sun sparks 'supercharged' wine year

53 minutes ago

David Gregory-KumarWest Midlands science environment and rural affairs correspondent

News image — The Midland Press Urban Winery is based under the railway line heading into Moor Street Station in Birmingham

BBC Two men use shovels to put grapes into a large industrial machine. — The Midland Press Urban Winery is based under the railway line heading into Moor Street Station in Birmingham

Over a tonne of grapes from a Herefordshire farm are crushing themselves under their own weight in a massive tank in Digbeth.

They're producing enough juice for wine, and enough carbon dioxide to set off a small personal alarm clipped to the belt of Richard Stenton, the wine maker.

"Asphyxiation by CO2 is the leading cause of accidental death for winemakers", he tells me. "That's why we have the alarms."

Fortunately we're safe today. The Midland Press Urban Winery is based under the railway line heading into Moor Street Station and it has a massive industrial door to keep fresh air flowing.

Making wine in Birmingham might seem unlikely too, but with a changing climate more and more people are growing grapes in the Midlands and they need somewhere to turn them into wine.

Richard takes me through his approach to winemaking.

"These are the final grapes of the 2026 season," he told me.

"They've sat in their skins for a month, taking on the colour and flavour from the skins. Now we'll press out the juice and put that in a steel tank, and then in five or six months we'll bottle the wine."

A close-up of a man in a blue gilet, with industrial machinery behind him — Richard Stenton says this year's weather has supercharged the wine

This is natural winemaking, so Richard is making wine with as little intervention as possible.

In a year, he produces about 10,000 bottles which people buy directly from him or which ends up in restaurants in Birmingham and London.

All the sunshine and heat of this year has caused some issues for vines, but overall this will be a "supercharged vintage" because of the weather.

"We're going to make some great wine this year," Richard smiles.

Dozens of bottles of red and rose wine are lined up. They have a white label with geometric patterns on it. — Richard produces about 10,000 bottles of wine a year

Now its time to be put to work. As well as being dangerous if you aren't prepared, winemaking is physical work.

Using a bright blue plastic shovel, I help move the crushed grapes from the tank to a wine press.

A huge cylinder, about twice the size of a domestic boiler, squeezes the juice out of the wine, pouring out of the bottom in a flood.

The smell filling the air is amazing, the scent of high-powered boozy Christmas fruits.

Having helped shift a tonne or more of grapes, I'm allowed a little sip of an orange wine from last year.

It is aromatic and sweet smelling but surprisingly dry to drink. I know nothing about wine, but I'd happily drink a glass or two.

A close-up on some bottles of orange wine, with barrels in the background. — The Midlands Press Urban Winery makes orange wine, as well as red, white and rosé

Richard says its not just the taste, it's the story behind these wines people and restaurants love. Like small farms with a field or two of grapes in Herefordshire, being turned into wine under a Digbeth railway arch.

As the climate continues to warm, for now at least making wine, and growing a field or two of grapes could be a nice side hustle for farmers.

Although if you are thinking along those lines, Richard has some extra advice.

"There's a lot of pinot noir and chardonnay planted for sparkling wines," he said.

"And there's just too much of that. So its better to work with someone from the outset so you know who you will sell your grapes to, its not really enough anymore just to have some grapes."

But as the climate changes, the Midlands, once considered right at the edge of viable grape growing range, is now firmly turning into winemaking country.