This year's weather has boosted the British grape harvest.

Grapes produced this year are small and sweet - ideal for wine production.

The hot, wet weather of August followed by a warm, dry September has created the perfect growing conditions for grapes, the managing director of the Three Choirs Vineyards near Newent in Gloucestershire has said.

It means an extra 30,000 bottles of wine will be produced this year from the 100-acre vineyard.

The grapes have grown small and sweet

Managing director Thomas Shaw said: "I know a lot of people feel that the weather was pretty lousy but, as far as grapes at Three Choirs were concerned, it was brilliant.

"August and September provided the ideal conditions for growing grapes.

"August was warm and wet which really helped the vines to produce a good crop.

"Then dry and warm weather in September was also absolutely ideal because they carried on ripening but did not get too big."

He explained that the wine revival in England had been going on for 30 years and the weather this year had come at the right time.

He said his vineyard had 20% more grapes than last year and would be producing 250,000 bottles of wine.

Most of the wines from the 2002 harvest will be available in 2004.