Students Create Award-Winning Rosé Available at Waitrose

Students at a British college are not merely enjoying wine but are actively involved in its production, crafting an award-winning rosé available at Waitrose.

Undergraduates from Plumpton College in East Sussex, studying wine production, wine business, and viticulture and oenology, have produced the Plumpton Estate Brut Rosé for £27 — notable for being the first English wine developed by an academic institution.

Interest in English wines is growing globally. According to WineGB, the area cultivated with vines has more than doubled in the last decade, reaching approximately 4,000 hectares, and the number of vineyards has increased to around 950.

One of the oldest vineyards in the UK, Plumpton’s Rock Lodge vineyard, spans seven hectares and was established by one of its current instructors back in the 1960s.

The production of the acclaimed Brut Rosé commenced in September 2021, coinciding with freshers’ week during the grape harvest.

“It was an immediate leap into the world of wine,” remarked Rebecca Apley, a lecturer in wine business at the college. “At Plumpton, freshers’ week is focused on grape picking rather than drinking!”

Students learned to select the best quality chardonnay, pinot noir, and meunier grapes as they harvested, with both students and staff involved in the manual picking of the grapes.

In laboratory sessions, the students analyzed grape juice for sugar content and acidity. They were also guided in the art of pressing and fermenting the juice in tanks and oak barrels at the college’s on-site winery.

“While the wine ages, lessons included how to establish a vineyard, the history of global wines, and production techniques,” Apley explained.

After the harvest, first-year students learned to prune and care for the vineyard, while second-year students focused on sparkling wine production.

The college’s student bar, although modest, offers a selection of wines. “After wine-tasting classes, students often take bottles to enjoy — that’s the enjoyable part. In class, we might be spitting it out,” Apley noted.

The final blend of traditional champagne grape varieties for their rosé was a collective decision made by the college’s 60 students and ten lecturers. “Figuring out how to create a variety of wines that appeal to consumer taste is quite challenging,” Apley commented. A mobile bottler was engaged, and students collaborated on a two-day bottling process.

Their hard work was rewarded when a Plumpton wine received accolades, including a gold medal and best-in-class honors at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, to which they celebrated with a toast.

“It’s wonderful that the sparkling wine, which matures for three years, will be ready to be enjoyed by students who picked the grapes during their first year come graduation,” Apley added.

Plumpton’s sparkling rosé is also available to enhance celebrations across the UK, as it can now be found at Waitrose.