After 16 years as head winemaker, Duncan Schwab is passing on the position to Charlie Brown, retaining his role as CEO and wine director. 

According to Sandridge Barton Wines, Brown first joined Sandridge Barton in 2014 as a cellar hand, working his way up to assistant winemaker in 2020. 

In that time, he also worked with harvests around the world, including at Wayne Ahrens in Australia’s Barossa Valley, Mulderbosch in South Africa and Mac Forbes in Australia. In addition to this, he held a supporting role at Nyetimber, based in West Sussex. 

At Sandridge Barton, Brown became known for his personal flair and was particularly pivotal in developing the Don’t Feed the Ponies wine series. 

The estate said he also led the Single Vineyard range, exploring how different vines express themselves across the estate. 

Finally, Brown was also heavily involved in Sonny 2022, a wine made under flor that won both Best Innovative Wine and Best Innovative White at the Wine GB Awards. 

On the new role for Brown and the change for Schwab, a statement from Sandridge Barton, said: “As we mark 45 years of winemaking we have an enormous amount to thank Duncan for, and we’re very lucky that this isn’t the end of his story here. 

“Instead, it’s an evolution of roles, with Duncan continuing as CEO and Charlie taking the lead in the winery as our new head winemaker.” 

Meanwhile, Brown said: “It is a privilege to be head winemaker at Sandridge Barton. It truly is a magical place to work, and I look forward to continuing the outstanding work that Duncan Schwab has done.”