Le Tasting Room

I began my working life in agriculture and prior to becoming involved in the wine business I spent several years in agricultural research. In 2001 I decided to look more closely at a subject which had fascinated me for some time, that of wine, and enrolled on the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits.

This allowed me the opportunity to take a vinegrowers course at Plumpton College in East Sussex, where I studied a range of subjects from botany and soil science to vineyard establishment.

In 2004, having fortified my passion for wine, and in particular the viticultural aspect of it, I started working under the guidance of Peter Hall at Breaky Bottom Vineyard.  Breaky Bottom lies in a hollow of the South Downs close to Lewes in East Sussex and is primarily devoted to the production of award winning, traditional method, quality sparkling wine, as well as small quantities of Crème de Cassis.  I was responsible for the general maintenance of the vineyard, to include pruning, canopy management and harvesting.  I also assisted the proprietor in the winery in all aspects of the winemaking process, from the first fermentation in tank through to the secondary fermentation in bottle.

During this time I also worked part-time for a small, independent wine retailer selling specialist wines to the general public.