The aim of the mentoring scheme is to encourage the UK wine production industry to benefit from the expertise and guidance of top consultants in order to support its development and its ability to compete in the national and international marketplace.
The mentoring scheme currently covers:

1. Grapegrowing and vineyard management
2. Still wine production
3. Sparkling wine production
4. Business management and marketing
5. Sustainable wine production

Although the main end beneficiary of the mentoring scheme is the UK wine production industry as a whole, it is not practical to offer this service to every wine producer in the UK. Mentors focus on as wide a range of producers in as many wine-producing regions of the UK as is practicable within the constraints of the scheme.

Each mentor carries out two five-day visits to selected UK wine producers each year. The costs (fees and expenses) of these visits are supported by the Wineskills project at a rate of 90% (subject to review), but participating producers are invoiced for the remaining 10% on a pro-rata basis, according to the number of hours that the mentor has spent on their premises.
Mentors identify each participating producer’s strengths and potential areas for improvement and make recommendations. This information is related directly to each individual participating producer in the form of a confidential report.

By consulting to a range of UK wine producers, the mentors are able to generate general biannual reports for the whole industry, relating their findings (with participating wine producers remaining anonymous). Their reports are available here.