On a tightrope

Wine growers have not escaped the challenges of recruiting staff for tending and harvesting their vines, and, as with other aspects of modern agriculture, mechanisation is providing an answer. But coming up with a machine capable of navigating steep slopes that drop 4.0m for every 5.0m you move forward, with a mix of clay and gravel and wet grass sods, has proved a challenge.

Last autumn Peter Hoffmann from CH Engineering delivered what is reckoned to be the first harvester capable of tackling this steep terrain to contractor Mark Sanders, who together with his wife also runs Sanders and Sanders winery.

Viticulture and its challenges

The vines require attention throughout the year. In January/February, growers start to prune, which encourages