Name Ingrid Bates
Job within the wine trade Owner & Manager Dunleavy
How long have you been in this role/wine trade? My own vineyard was planted in 2008 and I started selling the first bottles of wine in 2013. Prior to that I looked after little vineyards owned by other people.
What made you want to get in to this area of work and what drives you to stay in it? I wanted to create something special in terms of appearance and flavour so was initially very driven to create the best rosé I could. Most small vineyards produce a range of wines but I wanted to focus on one wine at first – Pinot noir rosé. The thing that drives me is having the ability to creating something that is a bit different to the norm. I love that fact that I am my own boss and don’t need to ask permission if I have an idea of something I’d like to do. This year we released our first sparkling red. I’m not a huge wine “expert” which can sometimes mean I am not constrained by the usual rules on how things ought to be done.
I love working outdoors, even in the wet and cold, it’s sometimes grim but is good for the soul! There’s nothing better than working in the cold all day and coming home for a nice cup of tea in front of the fire!
What is your wine career highlight? I love getting recognition and press coverage for our wines – we’ve had some lovely reviews over the years but my favourites were a review of our rosé in the Evening Standard and a hilarious review of our new sparkling red by the wine critic Matthew Jukes. The simple things are often the nicest as well – when a member of the public emails you to say they tried your wine in a restaurant and loved it.
If someone wanted to get in to the wine industry, what would your advice be? Go for it – but if you want to run your own vineyard don’t expect to go on long summer holidays (unless you have staff to cover for you)!
5 quick fire questions – Up close and Personal!
1. Favourite food and wine match? Pickled Onion Monster Munch & my sparkling red (classy)
2. Have you got tattoos if so, how many.. if not, are you tempted? No and No
3. What did you want to be when you were growing up? Some kind of biologist or a female David Attenborough…
4. What is your favourite season? Spring (Once the frost risk has passed) and Autumn (when the harvest is over)!!! Vineyards take over your life….
5. If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?
urm…
No more spring frosts ever…
The perfect mix of sunshine and showers all summer – preferably all showers to happen at night thanks…
It’d be great to get a bit more support from the government for our industry
