Helme Edge Vineyard Team
Helme Edge Vineyard is truly a family affair. Open for business in Spring 2025, it is owned and managed by three generations: father, daughter and grandson.
Three Generations
Alan Calder
Founder
Fiona Smith
Founder
Tom Smith
Founder
The Family Journey
Helme Edge Vineyard started with 50 Solaris vines planted in 2017 on a steep west facing slope in the garden. Planting was done by Alan and Tom. Tom now carries out most of the vineyard operations within the business founded in 2023. In Spring 2025 he also gained further experience completing a vintage at the De Bortoli Rutherglen Winery in Victoria, Australia. Tom’s mum Fiona, a former wine buyer for Morrisons, is responsible for marketing while her husband Duncan, a former wine trade executive, looks after finance. The couple’s day job is owning and running a local home care company. Alan is a retired PhD Industrial Chemist formerly with ICI and Astra Zeneca. The family moved to Yorkshire in 1977 when Alan began work at ICI in Huddersfield. Alan’s transfer to ICI’s French business near Paris, gave the family the opportunity to develop their passion for wine to numerous wine producing areas. Particular favourites were the Champagne region, the Loire and the Southern Rhone Valley.
