Meet the Maker - Cara Lee Dely, The Bolney Wine Estate

Meet Cara Lee Dely, who provides an insightful look into her life and work as Head of Winemaking, Production, and Operations at The Bolney Wine Estate. Thank you to Cara for sharing her daily routines, challenges, and achievements in the winemaking industry, as well as highlighting her passion and dedication to producing world-class wines.

What does a typical day involve?

I don’t have typical days…every day has a life of its own! My job works on seasons, over summer we start with our first season, watching the fruit and holding hope for the perfect weather which is usually where we get disappointed. It leads into our harvest season which is chaotic - you are dealing with the weather, grapes coming in, thinking on your feet, scheduling staff, machinery and very long hours. Closely followed by the season of prepping for bottling that calls for a lot of wine tastings and logistics and finally the bottling season which is when all your hard work over the last few months comes to a peak combined with a gym session daily! Surprisingly, we then decide to do it all again… definition of madness?

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

The inconsistency! When you have a plan for the day, wine dictates how this plays out, the excitement is that you never have to think of two days being the same. It opens up your mind to thinking on your toes, and allows you to watch how diverse the life of a wine can be, seeing it grow into something exceptional. It is like everything is in suspension the entire time and only when it goes into the bottle does it all come together.

What’s an interesting fact about the winery?

We have a large selection of still wines, almost 50% of our production is still which is quite considerable if you think about the narrative around English wine usually emphasising sparkling varieties. Bolney is also continuously pushing the boundaries by working towards producing more premium still wines.

What was your first job in the industry?

During a holiday with my family, we visited a wine estate called Packwood, which is a family name going back centuries. I very much believe some things are meant to be and I expressed my excitement of this, in turn this caught the attention of the owners of the estate and within a few hours I had agreed to move there and help out on the farm. The first day I walked into the winery when the wine was undergoing its initial fermentation, I took a deep breath in and fell in love!

Highlight of your career so far?

Following my dream has to be one of my biggest achievements. I had a goal and I worked so hard to get here, I am very proud of what I am doing. Second to this would be building my team. Building my team. We work under extreme pressure throughout the year, we operate large and dangerous machinery and huge volumes of wine so we need to communicate and work safely and harmoniously whilst all being able to have a voice and opinion.  We are making world class wines here in Sussex.

Favourite food match with one of your products?

What has struck me in my time here in Sussex is the Sunday roasts - such warm and hearty comforting food. With roast lamb, I would suggest English Pinot Noir and for roast chicken, English Chardonnay compliments it wonderfully.

What’s your favourite drink? 

If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, it would be Riesling, Clos Sainte Hune, Alsace.

If wine is not on offer, what’s your drink of choice?

Coffee, definitely! How else would I stay awake during a harvest? Or Red Cappuccino, which is made from Rooibos tea but this is reserved for when I’ve had my rations of coffee for the day.

What excites you most for the future?

We are always changing, that’s how a winery survives, through innovation. The work I am doing today is for change in a few years' time. We have the goal of 500,000 bottle production by 2030 and further developing our wines to be competitively making ultra-premium wines, not only to challenge other English wines but to stand up to the international market.

We're delighted to be stocking Bolney Classic Cuvée. This is a stylish, traditional method, quality Cuvée sparkling wine. Delightful hedgerow fruits and brioche notes combine with sweet apple and stone fruits. This sparkling Cuvée is fresh and elegant with a good body and persistent mousse. Speak to your BDM about adding this to your menu today.