Swedish winemakers growing on British soil

24 September 2019

Sara Apéria

Just an hour by train outside of the bustling metropolitan city of London, the urban citizens can escape to a significantly more harmonical oasis. Located in the heart of East Sussex and Surrey Hills, surrounded by teeming woods and deep valleys in areas of outstanding natural beauty, the British wine-enthusiasts can encounter one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world. The Link meets with SCC members Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate and Chilworth Manor Vineyard to unravel the burgeoning success of the British wine industry.

Global warming undoubtedly has a predominantly negative connotation. However, the climate change also results in positive outcomes for the British wine region. The increasingly warm weather conditions in traditional wine regions in Southern Europe have prompted Champagne houses to look for business opportunities in cold climate wine growing areas overseas. In consequence, prominent brands like Taittinger and Pommery have invested in massive amounts of land in the English countryside. “Interestingly, we see more and more French champagne producers extending their vineyards into Britain to benefit from the comparatively cooler ripening conditions here. This is a great indicator that our climate is increasingly suited to the production of sparkling wines”, says Mia Wrigley, co-founder of Chilworth Manor Vineyard.

Douglas Jacobsohn, co-founder of Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate, describes the explanatory factors behind the geographical expansion of popular wine regions. “An increase in the temperature implies an excessive increase in the sugar levels, which makes the wine too sweet. Sparkling wines are now better produced here than in Champagne”, Douglas explains.

The optimism about the great potential of the area is shared by the Department of Agriculture of the UK Government, that regards the British wine industry as the new success area for agriculture. A comparable development has previously taken place in Australia, that emerged as a new market and quickly turned into a world-renowned success. “I believe that English wine production will develop similarly to the one in Australia, that came from nowhere and suddenly became a very important producer”, Douglas continues.

Swedish heritage and sustainable business models
The brand of Busi Jacobsohn is decidedly influenced by its Swedish-Italian cultural background. According to Douglas, the Scandinavian heritage stands for high-standard design, culture and quality, whereas the Italian background brings about an artistic element. “I see Sweden as a multicultural, talented and creative country in many aspects. That is because of the influence of the foreign spices into the Swedish roots, which we use as a unique selling point”, Douglas describes.

Moreover, the concept of sustainability is often closely associated with the Swedish way of leading a business. Consequently, to manage sustainable business approaches is vital for the everyday operations of the respective businesses. “The Swedish background is especially significant in terms of caring for the environment. Understanding how Chilworth Manor can operate sustainably is a central goal. For instance, we do not use chemicals in weed-management, rainwater is collected to use in our sprayer and the electricity is home-grown from an array of solar panels”, Mia explains.

Busi Jacobsohn performs similar sustainable activities, by optimising the use of energy as well as restricting the use of chemicals to a bare minimum. “Solar energy is the main source of our energy consumption. Also, we have not used any chemicals containing copper, which is common to use in preventing diseases in the vineyard. Copper is non-degradable, so it poisons the soils in the end. We have forbidden copper and do not use it at all”, Douglas says.

Quality above quantity
The view on long-term commitment and outstanding quality is a common denominator between the two wine producers. “We are involved in the process from A to Z. Since we are a family-business, we do not have any equity holders or board of directors, so we can be long-term. This is a long-term commitment and we will only stand for top quality”, Douglas states.

Similarly, Mia emphasizes the prioritization of quality above quantity regarding production at Chilworth Manor. “Firstly, our aim is to produce a very high-quality wine – we are not aiming for quantity. Secondly, our vision is to manage the vines in a sustainable way.Thirdly, it is fundamentally a family enterprise, that with a lot of external help is able to make a quality wine”, Mia describes.

Putting soul into business
Furthermore, Mia highlights the historical heritage of the vineyard as a central part of its identity. “The colourful history of Chilworth over the last 1000 years gives us a unique profile. By introducing a vineyard to the estate and managing it sustainably, we hope to keep the past alive, preserve the beauty of the area we live in and pass something meaningful on to those who come after us. We wish to add another layer to the history of Chilworth Manor”, Mia continues.

Finally, Douglas communicates a clear vision of the characteristics, needs and demands of their target customers. “We want to target people at members’ clubs like Home Grown, people that are urban and fashionable, like ourselves. We are not only doing business; we must also put our souls into the wine and like it ourselves. If we like it, we stand behind it and that obviously points out the arrow in what direction we are entering the market and who our clients are”, Douglas concludes.

Susanna Busi Jacobsohn and Douglas Jacobsohn, founders of Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate.

Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate
Founders Douglas Jacobsohn and Susanna Busi Jacobsohn are experienced international business professionals.The life-long dream of managing their own vineyard was realised in 2015. The Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate is in Eridge, located outside Tunbridge Wells in East Sussex. Busi Jacobsohn kindly sponsored the Link Up drinks with Home Grown on 17 September.
www.busijacobsohn.com

 

The team at Chilworth Manor Vineyard. Photo: Julie Skelton 

Chilworth Manor Vineyard
Founders Graham and Mia Wrigley became inspired by cold climate wine growing after visiting a Swedish vineyard in Skåne. The Swedish-British couple founded Chilworth Manor in 2014. The property is more than 1000 years old and is located in Surrey Hills. Chilworth Manor Vineyard generously sponsored the Annual General Meeting on 5 June.
www.chilworthmanorvineyard.com