New £1.5 m funding launches to uncork future winemaking talent   

The UK government has set aside £1.5 million this year for a new Future Winemakers’ Scheme (FWS) to help develop skills and job opportunities in the sector and make sure the next generation of viticulturists can build on the successes of the past 20 years.   

The funding would be targeted at educating, training and upskilling people, as businesses estimate thousands of new vineyard jobs will be created over the coming years.    

Scope to expand 

The environment secretary announced the new fund at the annual WineGB conference at Plumpton College, the UK’s centre of training for the wine-making sector, in East Sussex on Tuesday 16th April. Further details on this will be announced in due course.   

He also revealed the latest steps in the government’s programme to reform and simplify regulation for wine producers and traders.     

Environment secretary Steve Barclay said: “The UK has a long tradition of producing and trading wine, and the sector has significant scope to expand. 

“Around 2,300 people work in the British wine industry, with a further 8,300 people employed part-time, with numbers expected to grow by 50% next year. 

“We are proud of what British winemakers have achieved over recent years, and we continue to work hard in partnership with the wine sector to simplify the rules and bring in new financial support.” 

Empowering next generation 

Nicola Bates, CEO of Wines of Great Britain (WineGB), the trade body for English and Welsh wine, called the launch of the fund “hugely significant”. She said it will ensure that the association can train more British winemakers and viticulturists to staff the growing industry.   

She added: “We are pleased that the secretary of state has listened to our members to better understand the ways that the government can support our sector at this pivotal point in our history.   

“We are the fastest growing agricultural industry, with 4,200 hectares under vine, which is forecast to rise by 85% by 2032. After a bumper harvest of almost 22 million bottles last year, we need greater backing to ensure sustainable and transformative growth.” 

Sam Linter, director of wine at Plumpton College and Wine GB chairman, added: “As we look towards the future of the UK wine industry, empowering the next generation of people working in the industry at all levels, is not just an investment in individuals, but a strategic move towards driving innovation and sustainable growth within the sector.   

“This commitment to education and skill-building is fundamental in ensuring the continued success and resilience of our industry, paving the way for a prosperous future filled with exceptional wines that reflect the rich heritage and promising potential of UK vineyards.”   

“By prioritising training and development initiatives, we are nurturing a talent pipeline that will shape the landscape of winemaking and vine growing, elevate quality standards, and reinforce the UK’s position to becoming a key player in the global wine market.   

Unlocking growth and reducing burdens 

The new funding package will go towards delivering new courses at Plumpton College to develop skills and knowledge. It will also help to scale up training capacity to ensure a large enough skilled workforce is available to meet the increased growth potential of the industry.   

The government’s latest proposals for reforms for the wine industry, aiming to unlock growth, reduce burdens and offer more choice to consumers, include:   

• New rules to make it possible for no- and low-alcohol wine to be produced and marketed as wine, in response to fast-growing consumer demand for drinks with lower or no alcohol content.   

• Allowing the transformation of imported wine – this will unlock growth and employment opportunities for UK businesses that will be able to carbonate and sweeten wine here. This will encourage more wine to be imported in bulk, reducing shipping costs and cutting greenhouse gas emissions for the industry.   

• Improvements to wine labelling rules that will ensure consumers understand exactly what they are purchasing; for example by requiring the term ‘British wine’ to only be used for wine products that are made here with British-grown grapes.    

The consultation will run until 10th May 2024.   

It follows an initial phase of reforms introduced in January, which included scrapping redundant rules on bottle shapes, mandatory mushroom shaped stoppers, foils for sparkling wine to reduce costs and recycling.  

The government also announced in December that businesses will be able to sell prepacked still and sparkling wine in a new 568ml ‘pint’ quantity.   

Read more vine news.