Meet the team at Hattingley Valley

Meet the team

Simon Robinson is a firm believer in making sure that his staff continue with their professional development and has supported countless employees with courses at Plumpton. So much so that Hattingley developed the UK’s first Apprenticeship programme in 2016, which is now running bi-annually. He has also funded trips for the winemakers to spend extended periods in other wine regions worldwide, ranging from the Central Otago to Champagne, ensuring that we are at the forefront of the winemaking world, simple yet extremely effective.

Owner & chairman

Simon Robinson

Simon Robinson is the Founder and Owner of Hattingley Valley Wines. A Hampshire resident, Simon was a senior partner at city law firm Slaughter and May for 24 years before planting his first vines. He called on the talents of Plumpton-trained winemaker Emma Rice to help start the vineyard in 2008. In 2010, the eco-friendly winery was completed, and the first vintage bottled was then released in 2013. Following this, Simon finally quit his day job to pursue his winemaking dream full-time.

As well as supplying the on-and-off trade in the UK, Simon has targeted new markets, and Hattingley now exports a third of its wine around the globe, with the largest overseas markets being the US, Norway, Australia and Japan.

Hattingley Valley has quickly established itself as one of the UK’s most successful wineries, winning over 79 medals, 13 trophies, and three Best in Class for its English sparkling wines. It is recognised for its innovative and dynamic approach to winemaking, with award-winning English sparkling wines enjoyed throughout the UK and exported internationally to 16 countries

Head Winemaker

Robert MacCulloch

In 2022, Rob MacCulloch returned to his home county of Hampshire to take up the position of Head Winemaker at Hattingley Valley Wines. The MW stands for Master of Wine, a highly acclaimed position in the wine trade with only 418 of them in the World; we are honoured to say that we have one here at Hattingley Valley. With over two decades of experience in the wine industry, including a dozen winemaking harvests across five continents, Rob previously held the position of client winemaker for Hawke’s Bay Wine Company in New Zealand. He is one of a few full-time winemakers experienced in both wine production and wine commerce and boasts extensive skill with sparkling, white, rosé and red wines, in both cool and warm climates. From Margaret River in Australia to Mosel Valley in Germany, Rob has travelled the globe making wine, and is well experienced in every element from vineyard to dispatch, with small family wineries through to volume-driven, export-focused operations. In his new role at Hattingley Valley, he will be responsible for leading the team of winemakers and overseeing the creation of the Hampshire-based winery’s award-winning still and sparkling wines.

The Vineyard Team

There is a well-known phrase in the wine trade that says, "it's impossible to make good wine from bad grapes, but it's possible to make bad wine from good grapes". Our vineyard team spend everyday making sure that our vineyards produce the finest quality grapes, no small feat in the English climate! We thank them for their work, especially for the late, dark, freezing nights when on frost watch.

The Office Team

Many people assume that we employ lots of staff when, in reality, we usually have around 20 full-time staff members in the whole of the Hattingley Business. Our office team (like our winery team) has to do various jobs ranging from website development, shipping wines around the globe, finance, events and everything in between to ensure that your wine gets delivered promptly and efficiently.