A second wet summer has failed to dampen the spirits in Oxfordshire's vineyards.

Wine makers remain optimistic, despite experts predicting months of wet weather will result in another year of low yields.

But vineyards have said they still hope autumn sunshine will deliver quality grapes in October.

Producers of Oxfordshire's sparkling wines reckon there may be even cause for celebration, once the corks of the 2009 Oxfordshire vintage start popping.

Vineyard owners Carol and Bob Nielsen, of the Brightwell Vineyard, near Wallingford, were hopeful for the future of the English wine industry.

Carole said: "It is not all doom and gloom. It has been a difficult year and you have to do what you can to keep your crop clean. The wet weather is very conducive to mildew. Yields will be down. In 2006 we picked 30 tonnes and this year I think we are looking at 20 tonnes. But the grapes are slowly ripening."

Steve Callaghan, who owns the Hendred Vineyard, in East Hendred, said: "It's never going to be fantastic all the time in the UK.

"Last year, because of the heavy rain in July, we were not able to produce grapes for our sparkling varieties.

"But it was a fantastic year for our other variety, Madeline Angevin.

"This year has been completely the reverse. The cold weather was not bad enough to impact on our sparkling varieties Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc. This year we will be looking to produce 5,000 to 6,000 bottles."

David Ealand, of Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery, in Henley, said: "This has been a year when you couldn't afford to make a mistake and needed to keep up with a spraying program- me.

"In a way, I think the recession is helping the industry with people preferring to go for quality rather than quantity."