Renishaw's vineyard was planted in the upper pasture in 1972.
Until 1986, it was certified as the most northerly in the world at 53 degrees 18 minutes North.
Received wisdom at the time of planting was that grapes would only succeed south of a line from the Wash in the east to South Wales in the west.
However, now due to global warming, or man's adventurous spirit, there are vineyards planted near Leeds, in the Lake District and even in Norway!
Two consecutive hot summers are needed for the best crops, the first to ripen the fruit bearing wood and to initiate flower bud formation, the second to ripen the grapes themselves.
This, however, is a course of perfection and grapes suitable for wine making are produced in even typical English summers.
2001: Renishaw Hall Wine achieves Regional Wine Status.
2003: a record year, about 2000 bottles.
The first harvest was on 3rd October with subsequent harvests on the 6th and 7th.
2006: Renishaw Hall Wine 2004, the still variety, wins a Bronze Medal at the Mercian Vineyards Association wine competition.
Of the many varieties planted in the 1970s only Seyval remains, a vigorous, disease-resistant vine ripening mid-late October. Seyval blends well and is often used as the base for sparkling wines.
In 1997 a programme of replanting was started. New Seyval vines are being planted with Madeline Angevine, a sweeter but more demanding vine ripening late September to early October, and Phoenix, a promising new hybrid.
The planting was completed in 2002 and the first full crop went on sale in 2006.
Prune vines and train new growth, weed vineyard and repair post and wire system.
Vines start growing. Worry about late spring frost which will kill all new growth, the vine has 2 or 3 buds in reserve in case this happens, but these are not as fruitful.
Vines flower. Those in the open should be pollinated by insects, those under glass may need shaking to disperse pollen.
New growth is trained between wires and trimmed with shears when it has grown two leaves above the top wire. Five or six feet of vine is needed to feed the growing bunch of grapes.
The bottom leaves are removed from the vine to expose the ripening bunches to autumn sunshine to produce sugars and flavour.
The grapes are picked by all the estate staff as late as possible, but before frost and winter weather takes over.