Nyetimber: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars director Richard Carter moves into the driving seat of arguably England's finest sparking wine maker

A former director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars whose home is in Chichester has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Nyetimber – one of England’s finest sparkling wines based in West Chiltington in Sussex.
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Richard Carter served on the Board of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for nearly 14 years as Director of Global Communications. During his time there he played a central role in strategically redefining and repositioning the company as a globally recognised pinnacle luxury brand.

The company said that Richard’s depth of understanding of luxury brand management and his considerable worldwide marketing, communication and management skills are key assets that he will bring to Nyetimber as it builds and expands into the future.

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Richard will take over as CEO from Nyetimber’s owner and sole shareholder, Eric Heerema, who will assume the role of Chairman of the Board and continue to play an active role in guiding and directing Nyetimber into the future. Current Managing Director, Hans Sleeuwenhoek will also join the Board and hand over his current role to Richard.

Eric Heerema (left) and Richard Carter new CEO of NyetimberEric Heerema (left) and Richard Carter new CEO of Nyetimber
Eric Heerema (left) and Richard Carter new CEO of Nyetimber

In welcoming Richard as CEO and Board Member, Eric said: “I am delighted to announce and welcome Richard as CEO. Knowing him well, and given his extensive experience, Hans and I feel confident that Richard will continue building on the success that Nyetimber has achieved and will contribute to the further growth of this unique brand. Over the recent years Nyetimber has gone from strength to strength, yet we still have to complete crucial stages of our ambitious mission, and with Richard at the helm we are confident of achieving our ambitions.”

Richard commented: “I have admired Nyetimber for many years as the leader and pioneer in the English Sparkling Wine movement. Harnessing my extensive knowledge of the luxury market I look forward to driving the business forward through the next stage of its development.”

Nyetimber achieved a record year in 2021 in both sales and production. To go along with its largest ever harvest, overall sales were up 57% on the previous year. In 2021 Nyetimber exported 15% of its production – this is up from 10% in the previous year. Nyetimber was also a key part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee being served at the Guild Hall reception after the St Paul’s Cathedral service and onboard The Queen’s Royal Barge during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London in 2012.

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Nyetimber is the acknowledged pioneer and leading producer of English Sparkling Wine. Situated in the rural heart of the South of England, Nyetimber uses only the finest estate-grown fruit to craft award-winning world-renowned, traditional method sparkling wines, combining science, state of the art technology and winemaking artistry, all in the pursuit of perfection.

For over 30 years, Nyetimber has had a single aim: crafting exceptional English Sparkling Wine that rivals the very best in the world. A true pioneer, Nyetimber was the first producer of English Sparkling Wine to exclusively grow the three celebrated grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Nyetimber is made from one hundred percent estate-grown grapes.

Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs was named ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ at the International Wine Challenge 2018 – one of the most highly-regarded wine competitions in the world. She was the first woman to win this prestigious award.