We’re used to drinking vino from , Spain and even further afield, but could we soon be filling our glasses with Scottish wine?
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These trenches help protect the vines from the worst of the weather
The home-grown British wine industry is mostly located around England’s southern counties where warm weather encourages abundant grape growth.
So it may be something of a surprise to learn that the country’s most northerly outdoor vineyard is located in deepest Aberdeenshire.
Despite it being further north than Moscow, entrepreneur Alan Smith believes his site in Strathdon is the right location.
He grows Russian grape varieties, such as golubok, because they’re hardy and ripen quickly.
But even these must be protected from the north-east’s cold climate.
He told Radio 4's Farming Today programme, “We grow the vines in trenches that are two feet wide and one foot deep so we can cover them on days when you get frost”.
“You can get frost down to about minus seven here.”
