#makewineyourcareer

On Wednesday 16th January, Plumpton College hosted Australian sparkling royalty: Mr Ed Carr, group sparkling winemaker at House of Arras. With over 300 international awards, Winemaker of the Year (twice), and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about sparkling wines!

Originally a winery microbiologist, destiny called when Ed was asked to fix a fermentation. Today, he oversees all of the Accolade Wine group's sparkling wine production. In his quietly spoken and down-to-earth manner, he revealed the joys and challenges of his job. His is a crafting process that needs to be continuously fought for, especially as part of a more extensive commercial business. But getting good feedback on his wines makes it worthwhile. He confessed that he's not great at numbers, so it's important to surround yourself with a good team who is passionate about the product. 

He brought with him the Arras Rosé and the Grand Vintage 2006. Both made by the traditional method, they offer bright, fresh, rich and complex flavours, with maritime and savoury notes to accompany a long finish. The '06 was fresh and vibrant for its age, with an almost extra brut dosage; Chardonnay dominance provided citrus, red apple, and creamy brioche. The rosé had aromas of strawberry, bread and savouriness, with enough sweetness to round off the tannins. The eight years on lees and two in the bottle had turned it a noble copper colour. 

To finish, he offered us two pieces of advice: When making wine, know where it sits on the global wine stage, and keep the oak well away from Brettanomyces!

Recently we were fortunate to have Plumpton alumni Sergio Verrillo share his well-traveled wine experience. After many years of serving wine in some of London’s Michelin star restaurants, Sergio felt like there was something that drew him to winemaking. In 2010, he enrolled at Plumpton College and completed his BSc in Viticulture and Oenology, followed by harvest work at some of the world’s most sought-after wineries. Never being one for doing things the easy way in life, Sergio had the idea to start an urban winery in London last year. This sums up Plumpton alumni’ ‘get-go’ attitude, and, going by what he has achieved so far in his career, Blackbook winery will be a great success.  

How did Blackbook winery go from idea to reality? 

The idea of an urban winery popped into my head back in 2011; however, at that point, I felt that I hadn't gained enough experience in winemaking to confidently execute such a project. Fast forward five years to 2016. I was on vintage at Ata Rangi in NZ with my family, and, as the end of harvest was fast approaching, my wife and I had a serious conversation about where the future would take us. Part of that discussion was creating our own wine brand, focused on quality English wine. This was when the conception of Blackbook Winery came. We began exploring, and the further down the rabbit hole we went, the more it became clear that we could do this. Some of our grander plans had to be scaled back when we realised the costs and requirements, but we feel we've settled on a strong and sustainable business model with plenty of scope for growth.  Finally, in April 2017, Blackbook Winery was born. 

Describe a typical day running an urban winery in London? 

Year one has been a rollercoaster. I wouldn't say that I have had a sense of daily normality in some time. Every day is different, with new challenges and small celebrations. The first part of 2017 was focused on securing grape contracts, sourcing equipment and making sure that all the boxes were ticked to be compliant. This meant many phone calls, emails, and visits. By the summer, I had become a DIY expert, getting the winery site ready as well as going on vineyard visits. The autumn was harvest time, filled with pressing, cleaning, digging out barrels and monitoring. Did I mention cleaning?? The rest of the year is typically filled with the mundane ‘behind the scenes’ logistical work. For the past few months, we have been racking, filtering and bottling, getting ready for our inaugural release. As well as ensuring our finances are in shape, our marketing and brand are looking good, and our sales pipeline is getting filled. 2018 will hopefully be a bit more predictable. 

Tell us about your harvest experience? 

My first experience was for D66 in the Roussillon, working in the vineyards and winery in 2011. There, they focused on big wines made from old vine Syrah and Grenache. It was a great experience, but from that point forward, I decided to focus on high-quality cool climate Pinot noir and Chardonnay. In 2012, I had my first real harvest experience with Flowers Winery in northern Sonoma. It was fantastic, and I wanted more. The next few years I spent as a traveling winemaker, alongside my studies at Plumpton. I've been extremely fortunate with my internships, learning from some incredible producers from California (Flowers & Calera) to Burgundy (De Montille) to Surrey (Greyfriars) to Stellenbosch (Mulderbosch) and then finally to New Zealand (Ata Rangi). 

A highlight in your career? 

Working in Burgundy was an epic experience.  After months of emails and sending out CV's with no positive outcome, I was connected with Domaine de MontilIe, one of the most iconic Burgundy producers. Luckily, they brought me on board. I was over the moon. I learned a lot there, and the crew was fantastic too! I now embrace reduction as a complexity, gained an understanding of how to create nuances in wines to bring them from good to great, and have a much better understanding of barrel selection and its impact on wines. Not to mention, we drank some incredible juice alongside some producer legends!

The biggest mistake made in the winery so far? 

There are always small screw-ups that lead to beer penalties. Overall, I have not exploded/imploded any tanks, no significant mathematical errors to destroy single vineyard wines or blending mishaps. I think the worst thing I did was probably mix work orders around for acid additions in California. Luckily, there was only a gram difference in the acidification, and both wines were going into a larger blend. Saved by blending!  At Blackbook this past year, my schoolboy error was relying on the European weather, the early harvest in 2017 resulted in a big rush of demand for equipment resulting in a delay to my tank delivery where it was a race between the grapes and the tanks arriving!

What do you look for in an employee? 

The fundamentals I look for in prospective hires are a passion for wine, a willingness to learn and a positive attitude. Harvest demands mean working closely with people for long hours. The wrong person can be a thorn in the side, especially when working in a small team. On the flipside, the right person can make long hours seem short and hard work easy.

This week, Luke Wolfe, vineyard manager at Chapel Down, came discuss his career in wine with Plumpton students. Luke previously worked in finance, before studying for a degree in viticulture and oenology at Plumpton, graduating first class in 2012. He held a number of winemaking jobs in the UK, New Zealand, California and France, but working in viticulture was always in the back of his mind. There came a point when he decided it was time to settle down in the UK, rather than being away three to four months at a time. He’s now been at Chapel Down for four and a half years.

Tell us about your job and describe a normal day

It’s awesome. We’re growing rapidly in terms of hectares under vine, so I’m managing multiple sites. I have four to five managers working under me, with 13 additional workers. A normal day begins at about 6am, checking emails. I then try to visit two vineyards per day. The afternoon is often dedicated to paperwork, as I need to ensure managers have adequate staff and resources, and quality assurance is also a part of my role. Sometimes tasks aren’t enjoyable: there’s the unpredictable weather, and managing 50-60 contract workers can be fraught on some occasions. This role is about managing relationships, being prepared, and ready to adapt.

From Lukes time as a student 

A highlight?

Harvest is my favourite time of the year, you see the culmination of a year’s work. It’s a time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t. I enjoy collecting data, analyzing it, and seeing how it can help us improve. I have a background in finance, so I enjoy working with numbers. For example, I’ve kept records of my own pruning speeds as well as those of others, so I have an idea of what I’m looking for. I can use this to inform the targets I set for staff.

What do you dislike?

Logistics at harvest are difficult. And then there’s mud, rain, maintaining staff morale, long days, machinery breaking down, thefts of equipment (security is undoubtedly part of the job), and, of course, invoices and paperwork.  It’s incredibly important, as vineyard manager, to be familiar with every job you expect your staff to do so that you can appreciate what it involves, and know what you can expect from them. That even means cleaning the staff toilets. I had management experience from my previous career, and motivating staff is very important.

Advice to students?

Demonstrate dedication and passion. I started as Assistant Vineyard Manager at Chapel Down. I took on new responsibilities, new sites, but it was as a result of proving my skills, working hard, getting stuck in. The degree you’ll earn from Plumpton will offer a great foundation, but don’t expect to just walk into a top job. You need to start at the bottom, gain as much experience as possible. And then as you gain experience, the knowledge from your degree will help you progress faster. There’s a shortage of skilled vineyard labour, not just in the UK but abroad. Everyone wants to be a winemaker, but if you look at salaries, those for vineyard managers are catching up with winemaker incomes. I’d also say that, regardless of whether you want to be a winemaker or work in wine sales/buying, it’s important to know about viticulture, so you can build rapport with the growers, and understand what they’re doing.

Luke returns to Plumpton College

A mistake you made in your career?

I rolled a 1500L sprayer full of chemicals: that took a while to clean up and fix. There wasn’t even much of a slope, it happened because I was going too fast. There’s an important lesson there: speed isn’t everything, don’t rush. Admit mistakes when you make them. There is nothing worse than people not admitting or not reporting mistakes they make; it can lead to those mistakes being amplified.

What do you look for in employees?

Employees at Chapel Down are diverse. Aged between 21-55, with different backgrounds. What they have in common is passion, interest in wine, and they enjoy working outside. I advise students to gain as much experience as possible: attend wine tastings, talk with producers, ask them how they make their wines, what the challenges are. The connections you build up will be worth it: perhaps not immediately, but maybe on graduation, or even further down the line.

Luke’s Wine

Kit’s Coty Chardonnay from a key vineyard site on the North Downs. Luke helps to identify the sections of the vineyard where the specially chosen Burgundian clones of Chardonnay perform the best for this still white wine. They are then harvested and processed at the winery to produce a wine with great depth and intensity.

We were joined this week by Nicola from Sandhurst Vineyards, the second of three generations of vignerons.  Nicola outlined the history of her vineyards and their progression towards the current business model of hop growing and contract grape growing for various English wine producers. Nicola gave some very useful thoughts on the practicalities of vineyard management in the UK.

What is the best part of your job?

- Getting to know the different team members. The worst part of the job? - Bud-rubbing vines.  Otherwise, anything to do with hops or sheep. Any mistakes you have made that we could all learn from? - Human error is natural and inevitable. - Vehicle maintenance is essential - especially the handbrake! What do you look for in employees? Enthusiasm, spray qualifications and decent tractor skills. Also, interest in box sets and being sociable while out in the vines, it makes the job more enjoyable for everyone Tasting Note:  Chapel Down Albariño 2014, fruit from Sandhurst vineyards - Clean and bright, light lemon yellow in colour. - Dry, high, yet balanced acidity, light body and well-concealed alcohol. - Medium intensity aromas and flavours of green apples, grapefruit, greengage and quince; joined by a subtle lees note.  Very long and persistent finish.

Delightful stuff!  If you are a fan of Spanish Albariño or Portuguese Alvarinho, then you have to try this.

Background

Art Tukker comes from a farming background and completed his own degree in agriculture at Wye College ten years ago. During his studies, Art was persuaded that his family farm’s chalk and flint-laden soil (near Chichester, West Sussex) could have the potential for cool climate viticulture. Up to this point, Tinwood farm was managed by Art’s father, who grew lettuces for Asda year on year and consequently entertained very few visitors to the site!

Art decided to spend a year working at vineyards and wineries in New Zealand, before returning to the UK to apply his learnings and establish a 65-acre vineyard on the site of the old farm. A total of 55 acres were planted in the first two years (2007/8) with three principal varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. Every year, the entire crop is sold to Ridgeview for wine production. The estate then receives 20% of the harvest back as Tinwood own-branded sparkling wines for cellar door sales and for supply to approximately twenty local hotels and restaurants.

Concurrently, Art has overseen the development of a “wine tourism” business and the estate now employs nine staff, including Art, with five working in the vineyard and four dedicated to on-site hospitality, wine tours and tastings. These offerings provide year-round trade to complement the seasonal income that is derived in the few weeks after harvest and is as crucial to the overall business as the grape harvest itself.

The Day Job

As vineyard manager, Art’s day is busy and varied. The mornings are dedicated mainly to vineyard issues while the afternoons involve more interaction with the public, selling wine and developing the tourism angle. Vineyard tours are now available seven days a week, and Art is a firm believer that investing time in discussing the expression of terroir with visitors leads to both repeat and new business.

Challenges

Art was keen to point out that, unlike most forms of agriculture (including the lettuce business!), viticulture is more about quality than quantity of yield. This means organising time and budget in the most efficient way to ensure that pruning techniques, canopy management, and keeping the vineyard free from disease all receive equal priority. Viticulture is a high-risk business, and you must understand from the outset that it could take at least five to eight years to see a proper return on investment. The Tinwood site benefitted from four decent years of consistent weather from the start (2007-10), but conversely suffered setbacks in 2012/13.

On the hospitality side, the logistics of washing up large volumes of glasses on a daily basis have now been overcome.

Advice

To potential employees, Art advises that communication is vital. Always ask questions and show interest, as this sustains the learning process for everyone in the team. He also is a big believer in punctuality: a 7am start does not mean 7.10!

He also recommends that everyone tries to gain experience in, and knowledge of, other markets. In particular, consider visiting the southern hemisphere during the less busy periods in the UK cycle.

Tasting

The Tinwood Estate sells three styles of own-branded sparkling wines from 2015 – a blanc de blancs, a rosé, and a brut. Art brought the brut version to sample, a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot noir and 20% Pinot meunier. The audience feedback was that this represented a dry, elegant style, lower-dosage sparkling wine with hints of citrus and melon.

“Don’t stand still. You’re unlikely to have just one career in life, so be open to change”, says Sussex Wine School owner Jonny Gibson about working in today’s fast-paced world. This is welcome advice to many Plumpton students, now following their second or even third career path and hoping to break into the competitive and close-knit wine industry. Jonny himself is an excellent example of someone who has forged several successful careers in different areas.  

Having caught the wine bug picking grapes as part of a stint abroad during his German and Drama degree, Jonny started out in brand marketing for IDV (now Diageo) in London. Here, he gained experience in advertising and packaging design before teaming up with some colleagues to set up a business in brand strategy consultancy. In the 2000s, Jonny moved out of London and established a new company in online wine retail, selling European wines which had previously had no representation in the UK. Jonny recalls somewhat regretfully how he eventually sold the business when obtaining further investment was not feasible; however, this certainly didn’t hinder his success and in fact, opened the doors to his current career in wine education.

In 2012, Jonny opened Sussex Wine School, part of a UK-wide franchise model and ever since the business has gone from strength to strength, running WSET courses and specialist tasting events. Now in its sixth year, the school has bases in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells and very healthy cash flow to boot. Proving that his drama studies have not gone to waste, Jonny views presenting tastings and delivering classes as the most rewarding part of his job, and advises students to focus on what they are naturally good at and turn it into a living. Sound advice indeed and having recently attended a Barolo masterclass hosted by Jonny, I can vouch for his engaging and interactive approach. Of course, a considerable amount of organisation goes into every class his company presents, and he lists admin, compiling tasting notes and the logistics of getting wine to the right places as some of the more time-consuming elements of the job. Alongside his role at Sussex Wine School, Jonny has also worked as a brand ambassador for Moët et Chandon, and judged several wine competitions, supporting the notion that there’s always something else to learn and explore in the world of wine.

So what does a wine school owner look for in his employees? Trust is a crucial factor, alongside finding the right personality fit for the brand. Qualifications are necessary, naturally, but for Jonny, it is less about the CV and more about enthusiasm and innovation. Speaking of bringing new ideas to the table, Jonny concluded his insightful talk with an enjoyable fresh, citrusy wine with flint undertones. Guesses around the room included Chablis, Marlborough Sauvignon and Riesling. In fact, it was an English wine made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Bacchus, at present a non-commercial venture by a friend of his and a timely reminder to us all: don’t stand still.

Gareth Davies is a Plumpton alumnus who graduated in 2010, since when he has travelled the world; working in France, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Serbia. He has now returned to the UK to work on a sunny Worthing industrial estate. During his travels, Gareth successfully completed 11 vintages, the first of which was his favourite at Domaine de la Solitude south of Bordeaux.

Domaine de la Solitude

The most unexpected task Gareth had to undertake while winemaking was a crash course in herpetology in Australia as he wrestled snakes and frilled dragons out of the vines to ensure they didn’t get eaten by the machinery.

Before returning to England, Gareth was working for Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan in Subotica (Serbia) for two years as head winemaker. There he introduced the winery to a wine tiering system, allowing the winery to diversify and create different wine styles using different techniques.  He found that being head winemaker meant being more of a manager than being directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the winery so decided to head home.

Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan

Now back in England, Gareth is working for Divergent Drinks, creating English sparkling wine via the Charmat method with Reichensteiner, Seyval blanc and Pinot blanc, with a view of making English sparkling wine more affordable and accessible. The travelling hasn’t stopped for Gareth though as he still makes trips to learn more from the Prosecco masters of Northern Italy. The winery was set up in April 2017 and hopefully, the first release will be out around May 2018.

Divergent Drinks HQ in Worthing 

Having started his working life toiling away in professional kitchens, Gareth’s advice is to treat winemaking like cooking; cleanliness, methodology, creativity and the importance of good ingredients are the skills required, as well as having a good amount of (un)common sense. He also recommends travelling around trying different places, styles, and techniques to improve yourself and exchange ideas.