When Rathfinny Estate needed to upgrade its existing vinepost collection, the Sussex-based winery turned to Hadley Group for help. In doing so, they joined a long list of wine growers to have had the company’s industry-leading units installed across its fields.

Set in the sprawling fields of Alfriston, East Sussex, Rathfinny Estate is a RIBA-nominated winery, which has been in operation since 2010. During this time, the winery has made its name on growing Sussex sparkling wine using traditional methods, but also produces a limited amount of still wine and a number of grape-based spirits, gins and vermouths. Situated on a perfect south-facing slope, the vineyard is only three miles away from the sea making its climate, soil and aspect perfect for wine production.

With preparations for this year’s harvest fast approaching, estate manager, Cameron Roucher decided the farm needed to upgrade its existing vinepost collection. As such, he contacted a number of suppliers to assess what represented the best solution for his site. During this period, Cameron connected with Hadley Group Sales Manager, Adam Lyness who explained why the estate should consider specifying UltraSTEEL® vineposts. The vineyard was already familiar with the advantages of the product, having installed Hadley Group’s end-posts across its plantings since 2012.

Cameron said: “We wanted to upgrade our vinepost collection, which had started to show the signs of wear and tear after a few years of use. I spoke to a number of suppliers, but Hadley Group’s products stood out to me on account of their strength and competitive pricing. Once I met with Adam, it became obvious that this was the right solution for us. I’ve always been impressed with the performance of the company’s end-posts, which have been installed on the farm for some years. I believe we’ll see further improvements now that the company’s intermediate units have been fitted too.”

Hadley Group’s vineposts deliver a unique combination of durability and performance, which outperform traditional wooden vine pickets, or alternative metal vine supports on a number of levels. Staff at Rathfinny Estate immediately noticed the enhanced durability of the posts when installing them throughout the fields. Unlike in previous years, the units didn’t break when forced into the ground, making the installation process far easier. In turn, this reduced how long staff had to spend going back through the fields replacing and fixing posts.

Cameron concluded: “Straight away we noticed that the level of breakage across the vineyard was well down on previous years. This was a big change and it allowed us to get on with more important aspects of our operation, like growing the grapes! In previous years, staff have had to take time out of their schedules to go through the fields finding broken posts and mending bent ones. Thanks to the strength of Hadley Group’s products, we were able to just force them into the ground, helping us save time across the estate.”

The result of extensive product development, Hadley Group’s UltraSTEEL® vinepost range is helping some of the nation’s leading vineries to achieve more of their wine growing objectives. As shown at Rathfinny Estate, the company can provide solutions that deliver better grip in the ground, saving winegrowers time and money. What’s more, the company’s innovative vinepost solutions can be designed and custom-made to suit all applications and can either be powder coated, pre-galvanised or chromed in a range of colours.