THE UK’S LEADING VINEYARD SERVICES COMPANY SINCE 2006

WE BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF THE UK WINE INDUSTRY

We want to help vineyards become sustainable both financially and environmentally. That’s why we regularly publish articles promoting good viticultural practice, offer training and fund research into UK-specific innovation.

At VineWorks, we care about the vine’s journey from planting to harvest. That’s why our mission is to support UK vineyards, one vine at a time.

Quality wine starts on the Vine

VineWorks was founded on the simple premise that quality wine starts on the vine.

While studying for my BSc (Hons) in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College (2004), I saw a growing need for vineyard services to support the rapidly expanding UK wine industry. While my fellow classmates dreamed of becoming winemakers, I focused my attention on understanding soil, climate, rootstock, trellising, pruning and harvesting - everything that goes into growing quality grapes.

Since those humble beginnings, VineWorks has evolved into the UK's leading vineyard services company having established over 300 vineyards, planted over 4.5 million vines, installed over one million posts and hand-harvested tens of thousands of tons of grapes.

James Dodson

Founder and CEO of VineWorks

BSc (Hons) Arch, BSc (Hons) Viti/Oeno, DipWSET

james@vine-works.com
One vine at a time

Our Team

  • CHRIS BUCKLEY

    BA (Hons), BSc (Hons) Viti/Oeno, DipWSET

    BUSINESS DIRECTOR & HEAD OF VINEYARD SERVICES

    Chris has been with VineWorks for the best part of a decade with some time in between spent working in Napa Valley, California and Margaret River, Australia as well as recently as Head of Viticulture and Operations at Artelium Estate, Sussex. His role is to provide strategic and operational leadership to each of the departments within the business as well as developing and leading a team of Viticulturists and Vineyard Managers to provide an excellent package of Vineyard Services to our clients.

    chris@vine-works.com

  • WILL MOWER

    BSc (Hons), FC

    HEAD OF VINEYARD ESTABLISHMENT

    Will is your first port of call when deciding whether to plant a vineyard. He is responsible for assessing prospective vineyard sites, creating detailed feasibility reports and analysis. Will designs and project manages each new vineyard, guiding the customer through the extensive process.
    He liaises with vine nurseries and suppliers to ensure every customer receives the highest quality vines and products to establish their vineyard. Before joining VineWorks, Will worked in the English wine industry for a number of years whilst attending selected viticulture and winemaking modules at Plumpton Agricultural College.

    will@vine-works.com

  • CHERRY CONSTABLE

    DipWSET, Foundation Diploma in Wine Business

    HEAD OF RETAIL

    Cherry has been with VineWorks for over five years and has built the Retail department from scratch. She is responsible for managing and organising all sales, liaising with our suppliers and sourcing new products, receiving all products into our warehouse and coordinating deliveries and communicating with all customers, processing their invoices, and dispatching their orders. Cherry studied at Plumpton College, gaining both a Diploma in Wine Business and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, (WSET) Diploma. She has judged at numerous international competitions, including the International Wine and Spirits Competition, (IWSC) Independent English Wine Awards, (IEWA) and
    World Gin Awards.

    cherry@vine-works.com

  • SALLY CROWDER

    FINANCE DIRECTOR

    Sally oversees all matters relating to financials, invoicing, credit
    control and payroll.. She is a key player in upholding our commitment to excellent employment ethics by monitoring our adherence to the guidelines laid down by the Association of Labour Providers, (ALP) , The GLAA, and Stronger Together. As one of the first faces our new workers see, Sally has a vital role in guiding them through the induction period. She helps us, as a company, to prioritise employee satisfaction, making sure we have a happy, enthusiastic and productive workforce on our side at all times.

    sally@vine-works.com

  • CHARLES MARTIN

    HNDipAG, NZWADip

    SENIOR VITICULTURIST

    Charles has been involved in vineyards for nearly 42 years.
    His experience extends from the Cape Winelands, South Africa and California to owning his own vineyard and winery in the Dordogne. Back in the UK, Charles was a Vineyard Operations Manager in Essex before joining VineWorks as Senior Viticulturist. His aim is to share all the knowledge and experience gained over the years and wine regions with our customers.

    charles@vine-works.com

  • PATRICK MARTIN

    BSc (Hons) Earth Systems, DNO (Diplôme National d'Oenologue)

    VINEYARD
    ESTABLISHMENT CONSULTANT

    After finishing his masters
    in enology in France, Patrick gained viticultural and winemaking experience in
    Italy, Portugal ,France, New Zealand, South Africa and his home country, Malta. Drawn to the UK's growing wine scene, Patrick joined VineWorks in the spring of 2023 forming part of the establishment team. His main role is to run and manage
    the trellising of vineyards, and to help with managing the planting days and assess the suitability of potential vineyards.

    patrick@vine-works.com  

  • SAM MIDDLETON

    Sam joined VineWorks in 2023, as part of the Vineyard Services team. After a career in public policy, he completed a BSc in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College. He has experience in the vineyard and winery, having gained viticultural experience in England and Germany, as well as working vintages with premium producers in Santorini, Oregon, Germany, Portugal and California, where he saw first-hand the importance of viticulture to high quality wines.

    Sam has a passion for PIWIs and authored a research report on these new varieties in 2022, supported by VineWorks. He enjoys applying his analytical skills and research insights to help clients maximise their vineyard's potential.

    sam@vine-works.com

  • DANIEL BOJAN

    MA (Hort)

    VITICULTURIST

    Daniel has a masters degree in Horticulture with multiple years experience managing vineyards and fruit farms in Romania. Since joining VineWorks six years ago he now looks after several Kent and East Anglia based vineyards, for some of the largest fruit growers in the region.

    daniel@vine-works.com

  • ANDY FORGESSON

    BA (Viticulture & Oenology), Postgraduate Diploma (Applied Sciences), Postgraduate Diploma (Commerce)

    VITICULTURIST

    Andy's experience in the wine industry started in Marlborough, New Zealand where he grew up.
    Living in the wine capital of New Zealand meant regular summer work in the vineyards throughout
    the school holidays. Andy went on to study a Viticulture & Oenology degree at Lincoln
    University. Upon completion he worked for Treasury Wine Estates for 3 years which took him across
    Australia/New Zealand wine regions including Barossa Valley, Mildura, Margaret River and
    Marlborough.

    andrew@vine-works.com

  • IMRE BALINT

    BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER

    Imre joined VineWorks in 2023 to provide retail and HR support to our team. He comes from the retail sector with over ten years' experience in sales and warehousing. Being fully bilingual in Romanian/English, he provides HR support to our viticulture staff, ensuring nothing gets lost in translation.

    imre@vine-works.com

  • CAROLYN CHINN

    MA (Museum Studies), BA (Classics), BA (Communications Studies)

    BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER

    Carolyn joined VineWorks in 2022 to provide support around HR, business planning and marketing. While new to the world of viticulture, she has decades of experience in the arts and heritage sector running venues, providing business development advice
    and leading projects at senior management level.

    carolyn@vine-works.com


LET’S HAVE A CONVERSATION

We have years of experience working with all types of clients, from large-scale and small-scale wine producers to first time vineyard owners, and farmers looking to diversify their crop. We tailor our support to suit your needs.