Campden BRI opens dedicated wine lab and tasting centre

The new Campden Wine Services Laboratory will allow wine makers to access an extended range of services provided by well-qualified lab staff – from the full spectrum of scientific solutions to simple and complex wine problems.

A set of official opening events are scheduled for late August, when all sectors of the UK wine industry will be able to tour the facility and talk with staff.

Campden has recruited senior analytical chemist Robert Pride and industry development and technical manager Dr Gregory Dunn to provide support and expertise to members of the wine industry accessing the lab.

New recruits

Prior to recently joining Campden BRI, Pride was area manager for Endeavour Drinks Group. He completed a BSc in Forensic and Analytical chemistry at Flinders University, Australia before joining the country’s wine industry, where he has held technical positions for the last 12 years. 

A former deputy editor for the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, Dunn previously headed the wine division at Plumpton College, East Sussex, the only UK facility that trains oenologists and viticulturists at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Peter Headridge, chief executive of Campden BRI, commented: “We have invested heavily in the latest analytical equipment in a brand-new laboratory, which will future proof our technical offering and capabilities.​

‘Vote of confidence’

“The new lab is a real vote of confidence in the domestic wine industry which has been growing steadily and now demands the best quality technical support and consultancy to help it compete on the global stage.”​

The launch of the Campden Wine Services Laboratory followed the signing of a strategic partnership with WineGB​​ to become the association’s new scientific and technical partner.

Campden said it would use its expertise to provide a ‘comprehensive selection’ of wine analytical and testing services and wine consultancy to WineGB’s members. 

It also builds on the strategic partnership with the Australian Wine Research Institute in the Spring of 2023.

Meanwhile, the British spirits industry has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic,​​ with more than 300 distilleries now registered in the UK.