D'Arcy Gander

Darcy's previous life saw him running a pub group in the South East, and it was here that his passion for English wine began. "I loved seeing the positive reaction of my customers to English wines, and this stuck with me. When my son was born, and I was looking for a change of career, studying Viticulture at Plumpton College was a great opportunity to become involved in the industry".

Darcy enjoys the challenge of producing a crop every year and contending with the constantly changing factors of weather, budgets and winemaker requirements. He's also keenly interested in the effects of soil types on vine health and fruit production and on ways to improve soil health. He has been an active committee member of SEVA, and now assists on the Technical Committee of the Sustainability Forum and Vineyard Managers forum.

Darcy is also a Wineskills Educator, delivering a range of viticultural courses. He is committed to ongoing professional development and has attended a number of master classes and conferences. "This is such an exciting time for our industry, and being involved with Vine Works keeps me in touch with the new plantings and developments as they happen".

Darcy has worked at Nyetimber Vineyards, establishing large areas of new plantings in West Sussex. He then set up Vineyard Care Ltd, providing contracting and consultancy to new and established vineyards. Since January 2010, he joined with James to form Vine-Works Ltd.