Wine at Plumpton College

lthough viticulture was introduced into Britain by the Romans, UK wine producers are very much ‘New World Winemakers’, as they are still experimenting and have no established traditions. There were over 60 vineyards in the UK in medieval times, but factors such as the mini-ice age of the eighteenth century and the introduction of grapevine powdery mildew (first identified in Europe in Margate!) from the US, resulted in the abandonment of commercial viticulture in Britain in 1920. A group of intrepid enthusiasts re-launched the industry in the 1950s and we now have more than 300 commercial vineyards with a total surface of about 1500 hectares, producing around 3 million bottles of wine. The rapid current rate of growth of our vineyard is partly due to climate change; some experts believe that we currently have a similar climate to that of the Champagne region in the 20th century. In fact, many of our producers are planting Champagne varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier), with a view to producing sparkling wines to rival our nearest wine-producing neighbours. It’s interesting to note that the chalky soils of the South-east of England were formed at the same time as those of Champagne. Together with the strong market for quality sparkling wine in the UK and some excellent producers (including Nyetimber, Ridgeview, Camel Valley and Chapel Down) winning lots of prizes in international competitions, it’s not surprising that the English (and Welsh!) wine industry is thriving!

During this recent development stage Plumpton College has been very involved in supporting the industry through education and training.

Situated near Lewes in Sussex, at the foot of the South Downs, Plumpton College manages an 850-hectare estate and teaches around 1500 full-time and 3000 part-time students. A wide range of land-based courses are offered in subjects such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Equine Studies and Forestry, but Plumpton College, in association with the University of Brighton, is unique in the UK in offering undergraduate courses in Wine Production and Wine  Business.

The principal course is the BSc (Hons) Viticulture & Oenology, normally studied as a three-year full-time course. In the first year, students attend modules on Vineyard Establishment and Maintenance, Vine Biology, Chemistry, Wine Analysis and Wine Tasting, which provides them with a varied diet of lectures, tastings and laboratory practicals. They also learn to drive a tractor and spend one day a week in the College vineyards. The second year focuses on winemaking, and all the students contribute to the production of the College’s award-winning wine, which is sold in local Waitrose supermarkets, and through some of the best restaurants in the region. The third year starts with a commercial vintage, often abroad, and then follows with top-level modules in subject such as Wine Microbiology and Sustainable Wine Production. The students complete a study tour to Champagne, then organise a conference to present their findings, which is well attended by members of the industry. They also have to complete a major project, usually based in one of the Department’s research areas.
Students who wish to focus on the practical aspects can choose a slightly different route and leave the course at the end of two years with the Foundation Degree in Wine Production. This can lead to careers in vineyard management and winemaking both in the UK and the rest of the world.

Each year, about 20 students obtain the Foundation Degree in Wine Business, which prepares them for a career in the wine trade and associated industries, such as wine tourism and journalism. This programme includes the syllabus for Wine and Spirit Education Trust courses at levels 3 and 4, thus enabling them to gain additional professional qualifications. The close proximity of London allows the students to benefit from a range of enriching activities, such as wine trade fairs, professional wine tastings and contact with some of the leading lights of the world wine trade.

Of course, the wine students benefit from a range of study tours, including to Champagne, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Beaujolais. This year, for the first time, we are organising a visit to Germany (through our links with the Geisenheim Institute) and are sending a tasting team to participate in the World Sparkling Wine competition in Dijon.

Once they have completed their studies, our graduates develop careers as vineyard managers, winemakers and members of the wine trade, not only in Britain, but also in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada and the United States. Their strength lies in their international perspective on wine production and their strong blend of both practical and theoretical wine production skills.

To enable it to deliver these courses, Plumpton College manages an 8-hectare vineyard on three different sites and a well-equipped modern winery. This winery is situated within the ‘Plumpton Wine Centre’ which also houses laboratories and a state-of-the-art tasting room. Staff members include Chris Foss, the Head of Department, who has a French background and training, and Tony Milanowski, the Winemaking Lecturer, who hails from Australia and was trained at Adelaide. Matthew Hudson, Lecturer in Wine Business, has 27 years of experience in the London wine trade. There are six other members of the Team; Paul Harley (Wine Business Lecturer), Peter Morgan (Winemaker), David Perrin (Vineyard Instructor) and Jo Cowderoy, Andrew Atkinson and Alistair Nesbitt, who work on the WineSkills project.

The WineSkills project, launched in February 2010, is a new and innovative training initiative for the UK wine industry. Jo Cowderoy organises regular one-day practical and theoretical workshops in every wine-producing region of the UK in areas of vinegrowing, winemaking and wine marketing. Once a month, Jo invites an international specialist (from countries such as New Zealand, France and the United States) to present a Masterclass to the industry. Alistair Nesbitt runs a mentoring scheme, which employs five experts in their fields (vinegrowing, still winemaking, sparkling winemaking, wine business, sustainable wine production) to make visits to wine producers, offering advice not just for these individuals, but for the industry as a whole. Alistair is also working with wine producers to develop sustainable production guidelines and information for the UK wine industry. All this information, and more, will be published by Andrew Atkinson on the website www.wineskills.co.uk , which will be a real mine of information for our industry.

Last, but not least, the Wine Department is organising its research activity, under the direction of Dr Belinda Kemp. Belinda is directing staff and students towards research areas such as the identification of ideal sites and varieties for wine production in the UK and the selection of native micro-organisms to carry out the malo-lactic fermentation in our wines. She is working in association with the universities of Reims, Geisenheim and Saragossa, and with companies such as Marks and Spencer.

The College is gaining an international importance in the world of wine, principally due to three factors. Firstly, it is the only provider of undergraduate courses in wine in English in Europe. This is why our students come not only from Britain, but also from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and New Zealand. Secondly, our students can benefit from interacting with the London Wine Trade, the most important and innovative in the world, providing them with the possibility of regularly tasting a very wide range of top wines. Finally, England is the ‘New World’ of winemaking in Europe, offering a potential point of convergence for the world in wine production, education and research.

To Download the Latest Plumpton College Wine Autumn Newsletter 2011 Click Here

Chris Foss
Head of Wine Department
Plumpton College
www.plumpton.ac.uk