{"podcast":{"title":"Vineyard Underground","slug":"vineyard-underground-6280933","podcast_index_feed_id":6280933,"rss_url":"https://f364ccd0-b8ab-4504-aea4-3e21b899bc22.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://www.vineyardundergroundpodcast.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/a/b/3/9/ab390a1f09536c4d27a2322813b393ee/Final_Vineyard_underground_1.jpg","author":"Fritz Westover","episode_count":100,"summary":"What if you could hang out with experienced grape growers, ask them about the science of grape growing, vineyard operations, and more; then take an insight or two to improve your vineyard and ultimately the quality of the wines you produce? That's what we do each week on the Vineyard Underground. Hosted by Fritz Westover –– viticulture expert more than 20 years of experience in the vineyard industry –– every episode is an in-depth look at grape growing methods, care, and even complicated matters of fertilization and pest and disease management? The goal is to provide you with an understanding of the complicated aspects of viticulture science so that experienced and even first-time grape growers will be able to understand and implement new practices in their vineyard.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-09T18:17:07.711312+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933"},"episode":{"title":"076: Growing Grapes Around the World – England with Dr. Belinda Kemp","slug":"076-growing-grapes-around-the-world-england-with-dr-belinda-kemp","published_at":"2025-07-22T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933/076-growing-grapes-around-the-world-england-with-dr-belinda-kemp","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933","url":"https://f364ccd0-b8ab-4504-aea4-3e21b899bc22.libsyn.com/076-growing-grapes-around-the-world-england-with-dr-belinda-kemp","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/f364ccd0-b8ab-4504-aea4-3e21b899bc22/VU_Ep076_Master.mp3?dest-id=3650511","summary":"In this episode of Vineyard Underground, we welcome Dr. Belinda Kemp, viticulture and enology researcher at NIAB in East Malling, England, to explore the evolving wine industry in the UK. With a background in theatrical arts and a PhD in Pinot Noir, Dr. Kemp brings a dynamic perspective to the scientific and practical aspects of cool climate viticulture. The conversation covers England's emerging reputation for sparkling wine, the impact of climate variability on grape production, and the country's increasing focus on sustainability and innovation. Dr. Kemp discusses the shift from traditional varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir toward disease-resistant hybrid grapes, including the introduction of PiWi varieties. She shares the challenges of managing common diseases like downy and powdery mildew and emerging threats like black rot. Listeners also get a glimpse into the latest research projects at NIAB, including the effects of pruning methods on yield, the role of calcium in sparkling wine stability, and the use of companion plants to improve vineyard biodiversity. Dr. Kemp explains how NIAB integrates technology and sustainability — from acoustic soil monitoring to underground rhizolabs — to support growers and improve wine quality. Whether you grow grapes in England or a similar cool, wet climate like the eastern U.S. or Canada, this episode offers applicable knowledge for tackling vineyard challenges and embracing innovation. In this episode, you will hear: England's wine industry is expanding rapidly, with a strong focus on sparkling wines New disease-resistant grape varieties are being trialed to meet climate and production demands Variability in spring weather creates challenges for cover crops, planting, and pest pressure Calcium stability is becoming an is…","meta_description":"In this episode of Vineyard Underground, we welcome Dr. Belinda Kemp, viticulture and enology researcher at NIAB in East Malling, England, to explore the…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3078,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/vineyard-underground-6280933/episodes/076-growing-grapes-around-the-world-england-with-dr-belinda-kemp/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933/076-growing-grapes-around-the-world-england-with-dr-belinda-kemp.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}