Plumpton College announces Chris Foss’ retirement

By Lisa Riley

Published: 13 March, 2019

Plumpton College has announced that Chris Foss, founder and manager of its wine division, is to retire this June after 31 years at the helm.

Foss, who founded the wine division in 1988, has played a key part in the transformation of the English wine industry and has established Plumpton as one of the leading education and research centres globally.

“Chris has literally been at the heart of everything to do with the incredible success of the college’s wine industry for over thirty years,” said the principle of Plumpton College, Jeremy Kerswell.

“The work that Chris has led has undoubtedly been one of the drivers behind the success of the English and Welsh wine industry in recent years, with his graduates now employed all over the world,” he added.

“He leaves an incredible legacy, and a team and resource base we are only keen to invest in further to ensure we stay at the heart of the future of the industry.”

Foss intends to remain engaged post-retirement, and continue working in climate change and vineyard sustainability.

Plumpton College said it was still searching for Foss’s replacement.

Throughout his career, Foss has continuously challenged and evolved his own principles and knowledge of the industry. Chairman of the South East Vineyards Association (SEVA) for 10 years, today he is the chair of the WineGB Environmental Sustainability Workgroup and a WineGB Southeast committee member.

He also is a member of the Life+ ADVIClim research group, and led the team that designed the academic programme for the ninth International Cool Climate Wine Symposium, held in Brighton in May 2016.

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