Vinescapes viticulturist in Southwest England
Graham has been working in the wine industry both here in England and abroad for more than 20 years. His knowledge of the Southwest sets him apart in our industry.
Graham sat down recently to tell us about his journey in wine and what keeps him motivated and engaged with the world of viticulture.
1. Tell us about your journey in viticulture?
Back in the late 1990s I quit my job to go travelling and ended up in Hawkes Bay New Zealand, where I stayed longer than planned.
I had a job on an orchard as a seasonal picker, starting with apples and going right through to plums and peaches as the season progressed. I had always been an outside kind of person anyway but working with a great team of passionate growers reminded me of what I was missing. We were surrounded by vineyards and when time allowed I’d chat with the vineyard guys and ask them tonnes of questions about what they were doing.
I later worked a couple of vintages as a cellar hand overseas. The first was for a small producer in New Zealand called Odyssey Wines, giving me a taste of winery work. It was a real eye opener in terms of how to make wine and how much cleaning was involved! During my degree studies I worked a vintage in South Africa for Jordans Wine Estate owned by Gary and Kathy Jordan who are fabulous people and heroes of mine. Every vintage I have worked has been incredible for developing my skills and understanding of wine production, however it was the vineyard where I knew I needed to be.
At the start of my studies, I was offered the job of vineyard manager by the late/great John Leighton at Thames Valley Vineyard now known as Stanlake Park. John was fabulous and an absolute mine of information – it was a privilege to have worked for him.
I completed my degree at Plumpton College and moved onto working for Nyetimber. I was their man in Hampshire when they first started branching out from Sussex. I oversaw the establishment of two sites, just shy of 250,000 vines.
In 2012 I took the job as vineyard manager at Bride Valley Vineyard owned and established by the legendary Steven and Bella Spurrier. I oversaw the expansion of the vineyard and also took on a wider ranging role representing Bride Valley at trade and tasting events.
Working for Steven was incredible, it taught me a lot about wine appreciation and I also got to meet some stars of the wine world as well. Sadly, Steven passed away in 2021, and Bride Valley was sold. Next stop – Vinescapes as viticultural consultant.
2. Do you recall having a moment of epiphany which confirmed wine as the career for you?
Ngatarawa Glazebrook Chardonnay! I still have a taste memory even after all these years.
I discovered it on a day off. I went on a wine tour with a guy called Vince Picone of Vince’s Wine tours. Vince was fantastic, so knowledgeable and passionate. I even stole his catch phrase “A good wine is a wine you like.” His son I believe ended up as Head Winemaker for Villa Maria. I kept in touch with Vince over the years and visited him on a number of occasions and he would always say, when are you going to move to Hawke’s Bay and work in wine? I almost did…
I think he was a bit puzzled when I said that I had got a vineyard managers job in England instead!
3.What brings you joy in wine and viticulture today?
I cover the Southwest of England from my base in Dorset, providing management and consultancy advice from Cornwall in the west all the way over to the Isle of Wight in the east. I am involved in everything from site assessment to planting, as well as day-to-day management and advice for established vineyards
I really enjoy the changing of the seasons. Being outside and living through each seasonal change within the landscape is a thrill for me, especially in all of the territories I cover. I am there with our clients as the vines start to grow, begin flowering and then take part in the culmination of the years’ work at harvest time. Vineyard work is never dull.
Like a lot of my colleagues, I’m at my happiest when pruning, just being able to influence the growth and fruitfulness of the vine is very satisfying and rewarding.