THE owners of Halfpenny Green Wine Estate near Stourbridge have been left “devastated” by the sudden and unexpected death of the vineyard’s founder.

Martin Vickers died on Friday (September 20), aged 82, it was announced today (Monday September 23).

His son Clive Vickers, who runs the vineyard with his wife Lisa, said the award-winning wine estate “will never be the same” without its founder - although the couple and their daughters Imogen and Emily have vowed to do their utmost to honour his legacy.

Although still coming to terms with the sad news, the family was keen to pay tribute to vineyard’s extraordinary creator who will be remembered as one of the most influential figures in the English wine industry as well as, more importantly, a much-loved dad, grandad and friend.

It was back in 1983 that Clive Vickers helped his dad plant 400 vines on a tiny patch of land on their farm at Bobbington, South Staffordshire.

Today, the 30-acre Halfpenny Green Wine Estate produces hundreds of thousands of bottles of wine including the popular Penny Red which TV’s Jeremy Clarkson recently put on the menu at his new pub in the Cotswolds – The Farmer’s Dog.

The vineyard has also won a host of awards over the years, including 32 recent regional accolades from WineGB.

The success of the venture, however, would never have been possible without the vision, hard work and determination of Mr Vickers senior.

His passion for the industry even recently saw him help to plant a new vineyard at Harper Adams University, in Shropshire, in an attempt to safeguard the English wine industry by developing a new generation of talent in viticulture.

Paying tribute to his dad, Clive said: “We’re all absolutely devastated. The loss of dad will leave a hole in all our hearts, the like of which we will never be able to fill. Looking back, you could say he was something of a trailblazer to create what he has here. But more than that, he was the best dad, father-in-law and grandad that we could have ever wished for.

“We are going to miss him dearly, and I know that our customers and colleagues will do too. But we remain as committed and passionate about the future as ever. This is what dad would have wanted, and the legacy he has left is a more fitting tribute than any words I could currently muster.

“We will need some time to come to terms with the loss, which is one we were completely unprepared for. But we appreciate everyone’s kind words and thoughts at this time, which mean a great deal to us all.”