Five years ago, Cameron Roucher left New Zealand and moved halfway across the world to get a vineyard in East Sussex producing 80,00 cases of sparkling wine annually.
This year, the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier of his labour are finally ready to go on sale.
“There aren’t many places in the world now where you can start a new vineyard from scratch on such a scale,” he says.
A viticulturist (viticulture being the science, production, and study of grapes), Mr Roucher has worked in the wine industry for 20 years and is used to seasonal work.
“Winter is pruning, spring is a lot of preparation and planting new vineyard areas. In summer, the vines need a lot of looking after, and autumn is our harvest. There is never a quiet time.”
The harvest
Once an arable farm, the 650-acre Rathfinny Estate, whose vines he manages, lies on the chalk soil of the South Downs, near the Seven Sisters and the Long Man of Wilmington.
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During the harvest in September and October, up to 70 people work on the undulating estate, which will eventually be one of the largest in the UK.
“Most of my day is filled with planning and organising staff. With a vineyard of this size – around 170 acres on a farm of around 600 acres – it requires a lot of man hours to get the jobs done.”
Many pickers are city workers or students who come for a “working holiday”, which pays £8 an hour and includes bed and board.
“Last year was the first harvest where the earlier planted blocks were at their full production. It finally felt like all the work was worth it. We produced 200 tons of fruit.”
He has just finished overseeing pruning and tying the vines down. “We’re now looking ahead to a new planting area, working out what to plant and where we will need windbreaks.”
Pruning is his favourite task. “It sets the vine up for the coming season and it is very satisfying to look back and see what you’ve achieved for the day. It’s also satisfying training people to do it. You can see over the season how they suddenly click. Building up local knowledge and skills is very rewarding.”
British wines
Although the British wine industry is growing fast – in 2017 there was a 64 per cent increase in the number of bottles produced than the year before – it still has its challenges.
“Things take a little longer than they would in more established wine-growing areas,” says Mr Roucher. “You can’t just pick up some equipment from a local shop as you can in my native New Zealand. You have to order everything.”
Sometimes he needs to remind the vineyard owners of that. “Managing expectations, and helping them understand the vagaries of wine-growing and the climate, is a big part of the job.”
Although the chalky soil and climate of southern English vineyards are said to be similar to France’s Champagne region, the wind is a big challenge.
“If it is too strong it can dehydrate the vines and even break the shoots,” says Mr Roucher. “We do, however, have some advantages where we are. Exposure to the wind lowers the risk of the grapes catching a windborne disease.
“And we are in a south-facing valley and around two miles from the sea, which means we are relatively frost-free.”
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