‘Do things you find interesting and fun and hopefully people will join you for the ride’

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Ingrid Bates is the founder and owner of Dunleavy Vineyards, an award winning English winery based in the heart of the gorgeous Yeo Valley.

We spoke to Ingrid about her career journey so far, how she sees Bristol in relation to her industry, and some inspirational figures she’s had along the way.

Can you describe the career journey that has led you to where you are today?

“My career journey started on an academic route studying Biology at Imperial College, London and then working as a junior researcher at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol. I worked here for a few years in my early 20’s but gradually realised office life wasn’t for me. I made what felt like a big decision at the time, to leave the world of TV and start working as a gardener instead. I really loved working outdoors and found myself helping in the grounds of a hotel which had a small vineyard. The vineyard was looking a bit run down so I asked the boss if I could try and spruce it up a bit. Happily, he said yes!

“Before too long I was looking after a couple of small, hobby vineyards around the city. I learnt a lot over the subsequent few years but it wasn’t until my late 20’s that I decided I wanted to set up on my own. Having my own business was something that had never appealed to me previously but, looking back, I realise it was the best decision I could have made. As a relatively quiet person, having my own business gave me the chance to act on my own ideas and decisions without needing the permission of others. This was very liberating but scary in equal measure! I can’t imagine I would be very good working in an office now – I’m so used to being in a field all day.”

Tell us about one (or more) of the people who inspired you along the way?

“I’ve taken inspiration from lots of different people but there are a couple of individuals that immediately leap to mind…

“The first is a friend called Eliza Reid who now runs Bristol Greens Basket Scheme. She gave me my first gardening job and I felt quite empowered seeing her take on various work challenges with little to no fear. Watching her set up her own business made me realise that you can act on your ideas without being too scared of failure.

“Another person that was a big inspiration to me at the start of my vineyard journey was Bob Lindo who set up Camel Valley Vineyard in Cornwall. As well as being one of the great English wine pioneers, Bob is also a fantastic marketer. In my 20’s, when Twitter had just become popular, I followed Bob and watched the way he did things. I was inspired by his positivity and ‘can do’ attitude. He’s a great supporter of South West wines and was very kind to me when I first started out. This is something I’ve always remembered.

“Fast forward 15 years and my more recent inspiration comes from all the amazing chefs, brewers, shop owners and hospitality staff I meet every day when I’m delivering my wine. As Bristolians we should be very proud of the food scene we’ve created. There aren’t many cities with such a diverse and interconnected network of growers, producers and consumers. It’s unique and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

Are there any memorable challenges you have faced along the way?

“The thing about farming and horticulture is that every year you face a new challenge! The challenges vary, in part due to the erratic nature of our island weather. But also, the knock on effects this weather has on the plants and animals we share the land with. Every year requires some sort of adaptation to help the grapes reach harvest intact.

“I love wildlife and I don’t like to spray fungicides, herbicides or insecticides so all I can do to prepare for these challenges is to grow grape varieties that are tolerant of extremes and make sure my soil is well prepared to cope. I have no control over the weather so I tend not to lose sleep over it.

“My most memorable challenge came the year the starlings noticed my lovely, ripe, red grapes. For years they hadn’t spotted them but one day they did and they decided they wanted to eat them… en masse! I had a few fraught days talking to other growers and figuring out what to do and then realised a simple net deterred the birds from even thinking of having a nibble. Now, every year we hang nets over the fruit area to keep the red grapes safe. Strangely the starlings haven’t noticed the white grapes… yet.”

What is the most important thing for you to focus on in business?

“The key thing for me is that my wines taste good! That aside, my focus shifts between working out what kind of wine my customers want, how much they want and what they’re able to pay for it.

“I love labels and design so I actually spend most of my time thinking about how to have fun with that side of things. I also spend a lot of time thinking about the longer term and branching out into other areas of business. I don’t have any staff so I always have to make sure I have a good balance of work and home life. I’m careful not to over commit myself at weekends while I still have children at home. It’s all about balance.”

If you had one piece of advice to offer people aspiring to your role, what would it be?

“Have low expectations! Don’t glamorise things too much in your mind or you will be disappointed. There will be high points for sure but there will also be lots of low and very monotonous points. I am laughing as I say this – this could be a metaphor for life!

“Learn to love monotony. I see people setting up vineyards with a romantic notion of how it will be when the reality is more akin to working on a giant factory line. If you like the idea of a factory line that’s great, but for some it is like mental torture.

“As with many things, I’d say try not to focus too much on what other people are doing. Try to do things in a way that is authentic to you. Do things you find interesting and fun and hopefully people will join you for the ride. Be prepared that they may not. Don’t be scared to take a few creative risks and always be polite and kind to everyone.”

If you could change one thing about your sector, or Bristol as a whole, what would it be? 

“I’m not sure I would change much about Bristol but I would like to make the rest of the country more like Bristol. I think Bristolians are very open to buying and supporting local produce but as soon as you step further afield it can be harder to find such loyalty.

“Wait, I have thought of something – better public transport and more council and local government support for small food and hospitality businesses. Perhaps better access to and from the countryside with public transport as well.”

What are your aspirations for the future (personally and for Bristol)?

“Business wise, I suppose my challenges are the same as any business. How to expand in a sustainable way seems to be an ongoing challenge. I’m not a big financial risk taker but prefer to grow slowly as my customer base naturally expands. I sell most of my wine to independent restaurants and shops so I’d like to hope all my current stockists survive the current tricky financial climate and that we get more businesses like these opening across the city in the next few years.

“As a business we’ve been looking to buy some land for the last two years. I’m very keen to move forward with this in 2024. I have so many things I would like to do using that new land that are currently hard to do on my rented land. Land ownership will be an exciting new development that will open up many more options for the future of Dunleavy.”

Main photo: Remco Merbis

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