Overview: Lance and Caroline Whitehead transformed a search for a holiday cottage in South Devon into Calancombe Estate, a successful producer of wine, cider, and spirits. Initially partnering with Sharpham Winery, the founders eventually built their own winery and distillery after purchasing the remaining half of the farm.
The Full Story
What began as an attempt to escape the commuter belt and find a new home in the West Country evolved into a significant agricultural and commercial venture. Lance and Caroline Whitehead originally resided near Dunsfold in Surrey, where the area was becoming increasingly busy. The couple sought a holiday cottage initially but eventually settled permanently in Modbury after discovering a property advertised several times by estate agents who were not enthusiastic about it. Upon arriving at the location, they found themselves in an extraordinarily beautiful, peaceful valley that captivated them immediately.
The initial plan was simple: grow grapes and partner with Sharpham Winery near Totnes for production. Duncan Schwab of Sharpham Winery agreed to buy the grapes if the land was planted with vines. The founders planted their first two vineyards and established a cider-apple orchard at that stage, though they owned only half of the original farm. About two years after arrival, the owners of the other half approached them privately and offered to sell it. This decision doubled the estate from roughly 30 acres to 60 acres and changed what was possible for the business.
The development faced significant regulatory hurdles. When applying for a premises licence to produce and sell alcohol, neighboring farm owners objected to the local council, claiming the business threatened their lifestyle. During lockdown, an online licensing hearing occurred where objections were deemed not relevant under the terms of the Licencing Act. However, the council initially questioned whether winemaking could take place in the agricultural building, stating it was not an agricultural process. A four-month battle ensued until WineGB provided details of a previous case and Caroline’s contacts secured a Queen’s Counsel’s opinion dealing with a similar situation. Eventually, confirmation was received that they could make wine there.
Financing for the project has been straightforward, with Lance and Caroline Whitehead funding Calancombe themselves without borrowing money or bringing in outside equity investors until now. Caroline funded the majority of the wine-side investment, while Lance concentrated particularly on the orchards and distillery. During lockdown, Lance built most of the visitor centre in the winery himself. Altogether, they have invested around £3 million establishing the vineyards and orchards and building and equipping the winery and distillery.
Production & Profile
The estate currently operates with approximately 23,000 vines and has expanded the orchards to around 1,600 traditional cider-apple trees. The founders planted other fruit as well. For spirits production, they bought an excellent still from Müller, a fifth-generation family still-maker in Germany’s Black Forest. This purchase occurred around 2017, at the height of the gin boom. Development of the botanical mix involved successive small-scale batches, with Batch 9 being the first full-scale production.
Quality remains non-negotiable for Calancombe Estate wines, which are made exclusively from grapes grown in their own vineyards; they do not buy grapes from elsewhere to increase production. Regarding spirits, the founders insisted that the gin be diluted using water from Calancombe Estate because their water is an important part of the finished product. The winery has substantially more capacity than the estate’s own vineyards require, creating an opportunity for third-party winemaking.
Brand & Industry History
Caroline possesses a collection of over 2,000 bottles from around the world and holds an encyclopedic knowledge of wine. The business was founded by Lance and Caroline Whitehead after they started looking for somewhere in the West Country where they could have a holiday cottage initially. They partnered with Duncan Schwab of Sharpham Winery near Totnes for initial wine production before establishing their own infrastructure. The estate has quickly become embedded into the local community, with many residents coming out to help with the grape harvest.
What This Means
The relationship between the different parts of the business works both ways: gin supported the founders while the vineyards matured, and increasingly, wine provides growth as the gin market settles into a more mature phase. The capital-intensive establishment phase is largely behind them, with the challenge now being to make the assets created work much harder commercially. After 14 years of funding everything themselves, they are now considering outside equity investment for the first time. The big breakthroughs came through awards and independent endorsement, such as Decanter rating their Pinot Gris very highly, which generated enquiries from places they had not approached themselves.
Consumer Takeaway
The estate offers a product defined by provenance and quality, with Calancombe Estate wines made exclusively from Calancombe-grown grapes. The visitor centre allows people to walk through the vineyards, see where the wine is made, taste the wines and spirits, and understand the story behind what they are drinking. Visitors buy bottles and cases while they are here, and many continue buying from them afterwards. The estate has become part of their marketing, offering a chance to experience the integrated wine, spirits, and hospitality business directly.
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