Defined Wine
Defined Wine
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    • Home
    • About
    • Team
    • Services
    • Lab
    • Cleaning
    • News
    • Contact us
  • Home
  • About
  • Team
  • Services
  • Lab
  • Cleaning
  • News
  • Contact us

The Team

CEO - Henry Sugden

Operations Winemaker - Poppy Pease-Watkin

Director of Winemaking - Nick Lane

After a career in the British Army,  working with small companies in Kenya and a stint in the City, Henry set up Defined Wine in late 2018

Director of Winemaking - Nick Lane

Operations Winemaker - Poppy Pease-Watkin

Director of Winemaking - Nick Lane

Nick was winemaker at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand before spending 5 years in Champagne with Moet and Dom Perignon before joining us during harvest 2020

Operations Winemaker - Poppy Pease-Watkin

Operations Winemaker - Poppy Pease-Watkin

Operations Winemaker - Poppy Pease-Watkin

Poppy has an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology from Plumpton College and completed vintages in Australia, California, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK before starting at Defined during harvest 2019

Winemaker East Anglia - Nora Leitz

Technical Winemaker - Cristiano Zorzan

Winemaker East Anglia - Nora Leitz

Nora initially studied viticulture and oenology in Vienna before completing her degree in New Zealand. She spent five years as a winemaker for Indevin, New Zealand's premier contract winery, before joining Defined in July 2023

Winemaker - Janneke van der Merwe

Technical Winemaker - Cristiano Zorzan

Winemaker East Anglia - Nora Leitz

Janneke joined for harvest 2022 and has worked full time for us ever since. She has a BSc in Oenology and Viticulture from the University of Stellenbosch

Technical Winemaker - Cristiano Zorzan

Technical Winemaker - Cristiano Zorzan

Technical Winemaker - Cristiano Zorzan

Cristiano studied winemaking in his native Brazil and has a background in wine research. He joined in Summer 2024 and now runs the lab and leads our research and problem solving

Assistant Winemaker - Isabella Ching

Cellar Supervisor East Anglia- Greg Harries

Cellar Supervisor Kent - Pete Robinson

Bella has a BA in Winemaking and Viticulture from her native New Zealand and additionally had winemaking experience from Australia and France before joining the team in Summer 2024

Cellar Supervisor Kent - Pete Robinson

Cellar Supervisor East Anglia- Greg Harries

Cellar Supervisor Kent - Pete Robinson

Pete grew up in Kent and was in wine retail before becoming our first cellar hand in summer 2019

Cellar Supervisor East Anglia- Greg Harries

Cellar Supervisor East Anglia- Greg Harries

Cellar Supervisor East Anglia- Greg Harries

Having worked in wineries whilst travelling round Australia, Greg joined us for harvest 2022. He grew up in Essex and is now the cellar supervisor for our winery in East Anglia

Cellar Hand - Sam Gartside

Lab Supervisor - Irena Petsova

Cellar Hand - Sam Gartside

Sam grew up locally and joined us in time for harvest 2023

Contract winemaking

Cellar Hand - Toby Russell

Lab Supervisor - Irena Petsova

Cellar Hand - Sam Gartside

Toby grew up in Suffolk and joined the team in April 2024 

Lab Supervisor - Irena Petsova

Lab Supervisor - Irena Petsova

Lab Supervisor - Irena Petsova

Irena gained her BSc in Bulgaria before moving to Kent and working in agriculture labs before starting at Defined in January 2021

Lab Technician - Alex Ball

Lab Technician - Alex Ball

Lab Supervisor - Irena Petsova

Alex read Chemistry at Reading University before joining Campden BRI as a lab technician. He worked in the wine division for several years before joining Defined in May 2024

Lab Assistant - Tim Morgan

Lab Technician - Alex Ball

Lab Assistant - Tim Morgan

Tim lives locally and started helping out in the lab in December 2023

Production Coordinator - Louis Wood

Assistant Production Coordinator - Michelle Brock

Assistant Production Coordinator - Michelle Brock

Louis has vintage experience from his native South Australia as well as France and the USA and was previously Logistics Manager at Indigo Wines in London before joining the team in May 2021

Assistant Production Coordinator - Michelle Brock

Assistant Production Coordinator - Michelle Brock

Assistant Production Coordinator - Michelle Brock

Michelle started work for a local company organising logistics before becoming a buyer for Sainsbury's and then Ocado. She joined us in January 2024

Production Lead - Andy Johns

Production Hand - Ian Carless

Production Hand - Ian Carless

Andy lives locally and joined in September 2023, just in time for harvest 

Production Hand - Ian Carless

Production Hand - Ian Carless

Production Hand - Ian Carless

Ian was working elsewhere on Highland Court Farm until joining the team  in March 2023

Production Hand - Harry Ilman

Production Hand - Ian Carless

Production Hand - Harry Ilman

Harry grew up in East Kent and joined the team in June 2021

Production Hand - Dave Russell

Production Hand - Dave Russell

Production Hand - Dave Russell

Dave lives locally and joined the team in 2022

Production Hand - Julie Keeves

Production Hand - Dave Russell

Production Hand - Dave Russell

Another local, Julie joined the team in September 2023

Production Hand - Rob Goddard

Production Hand - Dave Russell

Production Hand - Rob Goddard

Another local, Rob joined the team in summer 2024

Stock Controller - Nina Julian

Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings

Stock Controller - Nina Julian

Nina lives locally and has been sorting out all our stock, storage and dispatch since the summer of 2022

Stock - Dienna Davies

Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings

Stock Controller - Nina Julian

Dienna, another local, joined the team in September 2023 to help with stock control and production

Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings

Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings

Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings

Paul has lived in Dover all his life and  joined as our warehouse supervisor in November 2021

Office Manager - Carole Cook

Financial Controller - Nicole Smith

Financial Controller - Nicole Smith

Carole started her career working for Yapp Brothers, a Wiltshire based independent wine merchant and has WSET level 3. Having moved to Kent with the family, she has looked after our admin since the start in April 2019

Financial Controller - Nicole Smith

Financial Controller - Nicole Smith

Financial Controller - Nicole Smith

A serial entrepreneur, Nicole has helped to keep a close eye on our finances since joining in June 2023

Contract winemaking

Accounts Assistant - Lindsay Brown

Financial Controller - Nicole Smith

Accounts Assistant - Lindsay Brown

Lindsay joined the team in March 2025 and looks after all our accounts

We are HIRING!

We are looking for extra people for harvest (early September to mid November). If you are interested in applying, please email: carole@definedwine.com with a copy of your CV

Files coming soon.

The purchase and installation of Contract Winery Equipment is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development


Copyright © 2020 Defined Wine - All Rights Reserved.


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