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A Powys vineyard is appealing for volunteer pickers to harvest around 10 tons of grapes in the coming days.

Sugar levels are rising in the three grape varieties at Kerry Vale Vineyard and owners Geoff and June Ferguson are looking forward to a high quality crop.

A cold spring dampened expectations for this year’s harvest in France and southern England but the Fergusons expect to pull the same quantity of grapes from their 6,000 vines as they did in 2016.

Harvesting at the six-year-old vineyard, one mile south of Churchstoke, is likely to be spread over a number of days or weeks as the three grape varieties - Rondo, Phoenix and Solaris – each ripen at different times.

“Due to the variation in the seasons, harvest time varies from year to year,” said Geoff, who is continuously monitoring grape sugar/acidity levels to ensure they are picked at the right time.

“This year, we will start harvesting on September 18-19. We will pick again on September 25-26, as the different varieties ripen.”

Volunteers are essential at this time of year to bring in the vintage at this small, family-run vineyard.

Much of Britain’s fruit harvest is picked by east European migrants but Brexit, and the fall in Sterling, has led to a shortfall in overseas workers this season.

The work is hard but satisfying for those who enjoy the outdoors.

Volunteers hand pick the grapes, cutting them off the vines in bunches. These are then put in trays for transport to the vineyard’s winery.

“There’s nothing nicer than working at the vineyard on a sunny day,” said June.

“If you have an interest in wine and wine making, what better way to understand how the process begins than on the vineyard where the grapes are grown?”

Volunteer pickers will be asked to start from 8am with a 10.30am break for coffee, biscuits and cake.

At 1pm they will be rewarded with a “hearty” lunch and a glass of wine.

The more enthusiastic volunteers can then choose to pick for the rest of the day, with a break for tea and cake at 4pm.