Chris Reynolds took the Biodynamic Agricultural College’s Introduction to Viticulture course earlier this year. He talks about how it was part of a major change for him and his family
The house was isolated, surrounded by large, open fields filled with wheat and barley. There was a barn, vegetable beds, a polytunnel and a small wood. It wasn’t the location they’d been looking for and would need some work, yet it was perfect.
“We’d been going round in circles for a long time,” said Chris of his search for a farm with his wife Louise.
“Originally we thought it had to be Kent or Sussex – traditional wine growing country. But we wanted 100 metres or less above sea level and a south-facing slope, which ruled out 90% of the places we came across. So we decided to expand the net a little and this was the first one we found outside that core south east bubble. We could get so much more for our money, and suddenly everything was possible.”
So Chris and Louise took the plunge. They left London in May 2023, shortly after the birth of their first child. He was a management consultant; his wife had a career in government. But their bosses agreed to let them work from home most of the time, and the big change was underway.
Moving from central London to a 10-acre smallholding
“It was an overwhelming and ridiculous move from a two-bed council flat on the seventh floor of a block in central London to a 10-acre smallholding in Wiltshire,” says Chris. “But we kind of had to do it. We’d been working, working for nothing but our careers. But Covid accelerated our thoughts about what mattered. We wanted a lower impact and more meaning in the world – the question was how?”
So Chris came up with a plan. He’d have people staying onsite in huts or tents. This would allow him to pursue his true ambition of planting a vineyard. The wine venture would draw in visitors for camping and those camping visitors would help pay for the wine venture. “We’d spent a few days glamping and we thought ‘we could do that’. We drove past some vines on the way back and thought ‘we could do that as well’”.
However, he didn’t want to go down the conventional route.
“The impression people have of biodynamics is hippies stripping off and dancing to a full moon. But all that mattered to us was being safe – to be open to visitors at all times. We didn’t want to be in a situation where we told people they couldn’t stay on a Tuesday because we were spraying herbicides next to the tents. If my son wants to lick the leaves, he can. Plus biodynamics has a reputation for high-quality wines. Given the small scale of the operation, we felt we could make it work.”
“Incredibly useful”: the Viticulture Course
The fact Louise worked in sustainability and climate change also impacted their decision. So Chris applied for the Introduction to Viticulture course at the Biodynamic Agricultural College. Taught by Robin Snowdon, the owner of Limeburn Hill vineyard, this online course covers why people go biodynamic, the vineyard as a single, functioning organism and information on preparations and certification. It also provides business advice, with input from vineyard owners across the globe, plus a range of video content and reading.
“Robin was great. The materials he created, shared and presented were so valuable. He gave a full view of a year in biodynamic viticulture: what sprays to use at what time – I found that incredibly useful. I also loved his approach to the farm as a living organism. It’s not just about the planting of vines, there are more holistic things such as the animals you keep and the management of water and power.”
Alpacas, ducks and geese are nature’s pest management
“Being able to talk with Robin and the other people on the course really helped with some key decisions. I don’t have an agricultural or spiritual background. I couldn’t care less about horoscopes, I don’t know my wife’s star sign. But the course was so reassuring. It showed that biodynamics is founded on good sense and that there’s a logic to it.”
“It made my decision for me to go all in for biodynamics. It showed what to do from a practical point of view and gave me reassurance that it was possible, that it could work.”
Chris planted what they’re calling the ‘Liba’ vineyard in early May following the completion of the course. He’s laid down cardboard and hay in between the vines. To manage pests, he plans to open it to alpacas, geese and ducks along with a couple of pigs used in the Champagne region – a New Zealand variety called Kune Kune. There are ideas about a tasting room and visitor centre in the adjacent barns. He and his wife are also expecting a second child. It’s the start of an exciting journey, and one in which some recent training in biodynamics will be playing a major part.
Visit https://learning.bdacollege.org.uk/courses/introduction-to-biodynamic-viticulture-2025 or enter the search term ‘BDA Viticulture’ to sign up for the upcoming Introduction to Viticulture course. Or message info@bdacollege.org.uk to register your interest.