Meet the Producers
The Cowderoy family
Rock Lodge Vineyard & Bevtech, West Sussex
Rock Lodge Vineyard is now managed by Plumpton College, but was planted by the Cowderoy family in 1963. David is a second-generation wine producer as his father, Norman Cowderoy, was one of the early pioneers of the UK industry, planting Rock Lodge Vineyard, West Sussex, in 1963.
David started his winemaking career at Rock Lodge, but it has now spanned over 30 years, and he has made wine in countless countries, regions and wineries. Now based in West Sussex, with his company BevTech, he calls upon his three daughters, Charlotte, Harriet and Annabel for their assistance in just about all aspects of wine production!
The three girls have their own careers – and they haven’t followed their parents into the wine industry (so sensible!), but still help David when they can.
What is it like to work with your father?
Charlotte: “Fun, but exhausting! He has so much energy!”
Harriet: “Dad is a solutions man. I often tease, saying he is ‘practically’ intelligent, but he truly has a phenomenal ability to visualise any problem and fix it! I love working with him, its fascinating to watch how his brain works.”
Annabel: “It’s a great way to understand what my father does. It’s a personal challenge to attempt to keep up!”
