At Litmus Wines we offer UK grape growers a premium, bespoke contract winemaking service at Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey. With state-of-the-art winemaking facilities at our disposal, our client’s wines are managed by a team that have a passion for quality winemaking, offering a complete, transparent and flexible service for all wine styles.
We have designed 2 online cost calculators to aid clients in their business planning.
Experience
Chief Winemaker, John Worontschak oversees the winemaking and is assisted by the internationally experienced French winemaker Matthieu Elzinga. John’s aim is to maximise the quality potential of the grapes brought to him and provide the grower with the style and quality that they envisaged and deserve. Traceability of product and communication with the customer are key to our success.
John has over 30 years of winemaking experience within the UK and abroad and set up and ran the highly successful Harvest Wine Consultancy at Stanlake Park (Valley Vineyards) from 1989 through 2002 winning the Gore Brown Trophy in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998. John has consulted to wineries around the world on all aspects of the wine business and is the Director and chief winemaker of Litmus. John is an Australian trained winemaker and a Panel Chair at the International Wine Challenge, thereby is able to utilise not only the latest techniques in winemaking but also crucially how these can be harnessed for market acceptance in terms of stylistic direction.
Supervision and Coordination
Matthieu Elzinga's CV is impressive reading. At the age of 15 he was a hands on winemaker at the family vineyard in the Loire Valley, his winemaking experience includes vintages in Margaux and Piemonte, he has studied extensively in Champagne and for 11 years he ran his family's 210 hectare vineyard and winery in Muscadet whilst also taking on the responsibility of chief winemaker. Today, Matthieu is in charge of the day to day winery operations for Litmus Wines and is always available for any clients who wish to review the progress of their wines at any stage of the operation. Matthieu is dedicated to wine quality and to the attention to detail that is so necessary to produce premium wines.
These conditions are the ideal and should be the norm. No doubt at times they will vary due to circumstance that will need to be accommodated.