NEWS
Bolney Wine Estate sold to Freixenet Copestick Freixenet Copestick (FXC), the biggest sparkling wine company in the world, has purchased the Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex. The deal was closed in January for an undisclosed sum. Established by Janet and Rodney Pratt in 1972, Bolney was the sixth commercial vineyard to be founded in the UK. The Pratts started out with just three acres and now the estate comprises 36 acres over five vineyard sites just outside the South Downs. They focus on six key varietals: Pinot Noir, Rondo, Dornfelder, Chardonnay, Bacchus and Pinot Gris grown on soil that is
> Robin Copestick
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mainly comprised of Upper Tunbridge Wells sand. The head winemaker and managing director at Bolney is Sam Linter, Janet and Rodney’s daughter. Plumpton College-trained Linter has been heading up the business for 26 years. “We were looking at where we take Bolney next” she said. “As a family, we had come to the end of the road of our ability to invest any further. To carry on growing the brand in the way we wanted, we needed someone else to come in. Otherwise, we would have remained more or less where we are with organic growth and we think Bolney deserves better than that. “What’s really exciting about being a part of FXC is that there are other European vineyards in the group that we can go and learn from - finding out about what they do and what works for them. And hopefully they can learn from us as well,” said Sam. Sam and her team found an agent in early 2021 to connect them with potential buyers that would share their aspirations for the brand. Although he passed away in June 2021, Sam’s father Rodney had been deeply involved in the decision making process around the sale. “He started the brand originally and could see the bigger picture,” Sam said. “He wanted Bolney to develop and move on, so he thought it was sensible and beneficial to do what we have done.” Janet Pratt, a real pioneer of women in the English wine trade, sadly passed away 15 years ago just when the business was really beginning to grow. Sam said: “She worked so hard out in the vineyard every single day to make what
