English winery to increase workforce by third as it quadruples production

Denbies Wine Estate, based in Surrey, has announced it will increase its winery workforce by a third by the end of 2019 as it installs new machinery which will quadruple its sparkling wine production capacity.

Denbies said the news is part of a £4 million “comprehensive investment drive” which will create multiple new job opportunities over the next three years.

It follows news that the English wine industry could potentially create up to 30,000 new jobs by 2040, according to figures from Wines of Great Britain (WineGB).

The first phase of the winery expansion was completed at the start of April this year with the installation of a fully-automated disgorging line and riddling cages.

Speaking to the drinks business last month, CEO of Denbies, Christopher White, said: “We’re now got a fully automated disgorging line, and we can process up to 5,000 bottles a day. We do a lot of contract disgorging for people now, and this investment will make us a lot more competitive.

“We made wines for about 15 other vineyards last year. We had to bring in temporary storage, which is the first time we’ve ever had to do this.

“We’re holding back greater volumes of base wine for sparkling wines to make sure we can maintain our quality and consistency. We typically hold back around 20% of production to allow for fluctuations in supply. Sometimes this is in tank and sometimes in bottle.”

The new machinery will allow the estate to increase production speed fourfold, giving it the capability to produce and process a larger amount of wine. It can now also disgorge both half bottles and magnums. Denbies is one of the few wineries in the south east to offer contract disgorging facilities, a much-needed industry requirement given the lack of winery space and winemaking facilities last year.

The estate will continue to expand into 2021, increasing both its tank capacity and its cellar storage area.

Commenting on the news, White said, “The demand for contract winemaking solutions has grown exponentially over the past 10 years with the growth of vineyard plantings in the UK.

“This new equipment will enable us to quadruple our sparkling wine production capacity by the end of 2019. Moreover, our programme of new plantings, and planned winery investments will enable us to expand, while continuing to drive the quality of our sparkling wines.

“The additional winery expansion programme will also ensure that we support growing demand for our full range of still wines, from entry level up to the premium ranges.”

Denbies is also investing in wine tourism and will open a carbon neutral 17-bedroom hotel this summer. Part of the new Vineyards of the Surrey Hills Group, the estate hopes the new accommodation will increase travel to the region. The hotel, the first vineyard hotel in the UK, will include an Orangery restaurant and will be fitted with solar pannels, tesla batteries, Enomatic wine machines, heated garden pods and a wine barrel sauna.

The winery currently attracts around 350,000 visitors each year and offers 7 miles of public footpaths.

With the first wines planted in 1986, Denbies claims to be the largest single estate vineyard in England. It has 265 acres under vine and produces a range of 16 wines and over 450,000 bottles a year. The entire Denbies estate comprises 635 acres and the winery is currently engaged in other projects such as bee and bat conservation.