With the kind of job title that many would dream of, Fergus Elias (Ab. 2005-10) has carved out a remarkable career at the heart of England’s rapidly growing wine industry. As Head of Wine at Balfour Winery and Chair of WineGB South East, he blends science, strategy and hands-on craft in equal measure. From forklifts to boardrooms, London meetings to vineyards across Europe, his work is anything but predictable.
Could you start by telling us a little about your role as Head of Wine — what does a typical day at the vineyard look like for you?
The wonderful thing is that no two days are ever the same. During harvest I live in the cellar seven days a week in shorts and a T-shirt, usually on a forklift or climbing in and out of presses and tanks. Outside harvest, the job shifts: because I sit on the board, there are plenty of P&Ls, cashflows and strategy meetings. I’m in vineyards across the South East most weeks and regularly in London through my work with WineGB South East. There’s international travel too — our main export markets are the US, Canada and Norway — and I also make a non-alcoholic wine for Wild Idol, which takes me to Spain and Germany. Variety is the constant theme.
What first drew you into the world of wine? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked your interest?
My father was a winemaker, so I grew up on a vineyard — which very nearly put me off. It’s hard, physical work, and English wine was tiny back then. But after finishing my Ancient History degree at Liverpool, I was offered a job at Balfour in 2014, just as the industry was beginning to take off. That was the turning point. Later I went to Plumpton College for an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology, and that really cemented things. I realised there were genuine opportunities here. English wine isn’t small or scrappy any more; it’s serious, professional and growing fast, with over a thousand vineyards and two hundred wineries across the country.
Your work must involve a fascinating mix of science, artistry and patience. What aspects of winemaking do you find most rewarding?
A winemaker has to be a mathematician, an economist, a scientist and extremely good at Tetris — mainly for forklifting stock. The skill set is huge, and I take real satisfaction in nearly all of it. But the best moment is the tangible one: holding a finished bottle at the end of the year and knowing you helped bring it into existence. Seeing your name on a label is surreal, but the real reward is simply making the thing.
How has the vineyard evolved since you joined, and what changes or innovations have you been part of?
Massively. When I started, Balfour produced around 60,000 bottles a year. We had a cellar team of three, one person in sales and an accountant. Now we’re one of England’s largest producers, making roughly 750,000 bottles annually. Our wines are poured in top Michelin restaurants like Sketch, exported globally and sold in Tesco — and their Finest English Sparkling White remains one of my favourites.
I’ve been able to drive some exciting innovations: launching England’s first Albariño, the first Sauvignon Blanc with a nationwide listing, and now working on the country’s first de-alcoholised rosé. We’ve won a host of awards, and somehow ranked number 96 in the world’s top 50 wineries. I still don’t quite understand that maths.
Many people imagine vineyards as idyllic places, but what are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role?
It’s brutally hard work. Harvest is seven days a week for six weeks, with ten- to sixteen-hour days. It’s not for the faint-hearted — but it’s also the best bit. New grapes arriving each day mean the whole process starts again. The music in the winery is loud and usually terrible, and the team pulls together in a way that’s hard to describe.
Sales can be equally tough. English wine is thriving, and it’s the UK’s fastest-growing agricultural sector, but many producers operate at heavy losses due to high setup costs. These are generational businesses, not quick wins. Balfour is a genuine success story — profitable and cashflow-positive — but it still involves graft and a lot of time on the road meeting buyers and convincing them to back our wines.
Sustainability must be a growing focus in winemaking. How does your vineyard approach environmental responsibility and long-term stewardship?
It’s a major focus. We were founder members of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, and I chair the Winemaking Sub-Committee. But sustainability has to be pragmatic; I can’t stand the sackcloth-and-ashes approach. Most green initiatives make business sense too. Rainwater capture, solar, reed beds, recycling — they all help the planet and the bottom line.
I’m also very aware of how easily sustainability can slip into greenwash. To keep ourselves honest, we publish a full sustainability report every two years, reviewing our progress — warts and all. It’s open, useful and definitely not a marketing exercise.
Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for the next few years, either personally or for the vineyard?
One day I’d like to have my own small brand, and I’ve made some progress towards that. But for now it’s about continuing Balfour’s growth. Winemaking is incredibly cyclical — harvest, ferment, blend, filter, bottle, repeat — and you’re only ever as good as your last release. You can never really stop.
And finally, looking back, do you feel your time at Brighton College helped prepare you for this career path?
Brighton taught me social skills. When I arrived I was quiet and unsure of myself, but over time I became more confident and self-assured. The boarding community was brilliant. My academic and disciplinary record wasn’t spotless, but I like to think I left a better person. I also made lifelong friends: my Best Man, George Close (Sc. 2005-10), and one of my groomsmen, John Lyons (Ab. 2005-10), were both at Brighton College. Father Rob even married us.
I’m always proud to see Brighton doing well — not just academically, though credit where it’s due. What matters more to me are the pastoral bits, the stories of students doing interesting things. I don’t talk much about my GCSEs or A-levels, but I do talk about the away matches, the House play and the House song. Those are the things I carried with me.