Last autumn we went behind the scenes to investigate the effect of our record-breaking summer on British vineyards, but how does the winter impact our wine?

Despite much of the bad news that comes with unprecedented hot weather, it comes with a rare benefit for British vineyards, who are trying to run in the big leagues.

Our autumn and winter followed remained above average in terms of temperatures, but largely still below average with precipitation. The exception being our cold spell in early December and again in early March.

A warm, dry winter can confuse the vine though, because it will begin to believe it is time to break and bloom, and if it does too soon, it becomes vulnerable, especially to any late-season frost.

A mild winter followed by a cool, wet spring is a particular concern, so the next few weeks could be vital for determining the quality of this year's harvest.

Natural sunlight is also a huge factor to the plants health and growth, and thankfully we've had quite a sunny winter, with January amounting to the second sunniest on record after 2022.

When the weather brings wet, inclement and foggy weather though, this reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the grapes, which can then impact their ripeness.

So will this year's harvest be as good as the last? Well, that all depends on the coming months. With a brief, upcoming cold spell at the end of the month, farmers will want to keep watch on their vines.