The English Wine Diaries

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries are Dominic Travers and Georgie Steadman from Abingworth Vineyard, a boutique, family-run producer in West Sussex. Dominic began his career in English wine with an internship at Nyetimber during the 2015 vintage but his passion for viticulture began much earlier having spent time in South Africa as a child visiting family and attending carol concerts at Vergelegen vineyard. He has worked at various UK vineyards, using a range of biodynamic, organic, and conventional practices and joined the team at Abingworth in 2024 as Head of Viticulture & Winemaking. Georgie is one of four Steadman sisters, who together with their parents, founded Abingworth Vineyard at Champion Farm – an historic plot in Thakeham, which holds traces of Roman roads, Tudor secrets, famous poets, and medieval disputes. With a background in fashion and creative writing, Georgie leads product innovation and customer experience, bringing her innovative ideas to prototyping, packaging, social media, and branding. Abingworth might be one of the youngest producers in English wine but the team are already causing a stir and recently picked up the trophy for Best Newcomer at the 2026 WineGB Awards. Follow them on Instagram @abingworthvineyard and visit abingworthvineyard.com . Thanks to English Wine Diaries series sponsor Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Mark Sainsbury founder of Candover Valley Wines. Mark has enjoyed a 25-year hospitality career, opening some of London’s most successful venues including Moro Restaurant, Zetter Hotel & Townhouses and the Grain Store. In 2011 he co-founded the Sustainable Restaurant Association, whose Food Made Good standard operates in 48 countries helping to shape sustainable food service globally. A year later, in partnership with his brother, Julian, and father, the late John Sainsbury, who was responsible for overseeing the rise of J Sainsbury to become the largest supermarket in Britain, they planted five hectares of vines on their family’s estate in Preston Candover, in Hampshire. The vineyard is named after the chalk stream that runs through the Candover Valley, which is one of the few remaining habitats of the rare English white-clawed crayfish and the vineyard supports the conservation work by the Hampshire and Isle of White Wildlife Trust in protecting these creatures. To find out more about Candover Brook visit candoverbrook.co.uk and follow @candoverbrook on Instagram. Thanks to English Wine Diaries series sponsor Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail After a slightly longer than planned break - we're back and joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries are Adrian and Galia Pike from Westwell Wines in Kent. Their small, family-run winery sits beneath the Pilgrims Way and has about 70 acres under vine across two sites with plantings of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Regent and their signature grape, Ortega. Before turning to English winemaking, Adrian and Galia both had successful careers in music. Adrian co-founded the influential independent record label Moshi Moshi, launching artists including Florence and the Machine and Hot Chip before setting up the state 51 conspiracy, a digital music agency championing independent labels and artists. Meanwhile Galia was one half of the multi-award-winning electronic duo Psapp, best known for writing the Grey’s Anatomy theme tune. However, an encounter with a glass of English still wine made by organic producer Will Davenport sparked the journey that led them to Westwell in 2017 and they now grow, make and bottle all their wines on site using minimal intervention and, where possible, wild yeast fermentations that express the individuality of Westwell’s Kentish terroir. Adrian’s experimental, instinctive approach to winemaking and commitment to authenticity have made him one of the most innovative voices in English wine. Galia meanwhile brings her design background to Westwell’s distinctive visual identity, creating intricate, monochromatic illustrations inspired by microscopic details of the winemaking process on the labels. Their philosophy is simple: plant well, respect the soil and make great, honest wines from brilliant fruit. They also want to make English wine fun and accessible – and this ethos was recently recognised when they were awarded the inaugural Small Cellar Door Award at this year’s WineGB awards. Find out more about the by following @westwellwines or visit westwellwines.com . Thanks to English Wine Diaries series sponsor Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail This very special episode of the English Wine Diaries is brought to you in partnership with WineGB and Heathrow Airport, supported by Coravin and Uncorked Magazine. The UK wine sector is one of the fastest growing agricultural industries, with rising vineyard numbers (there are now over 1,100 would you believe?!) expanding wineries, and record harvests – a staggering 16.4 million bottles were produced in 2025 alone. But it’s not just about quantity, UK wines are gaining global recognition for their exceptional quality and innovation and are winning major international awards. For an increasing number of travellers, their first taste of this bourgeoning industry is at Heathrow Airport – the international gateway to the UK. And that is why this year WineGB is launching English Wine Week right here at Heathrow – the most connected airport in the world, welcoming almost 250,000 passengers each day. Joining me on today’s episode is Stephanie Pears, Head of Category at Heathrow, leading Food & Beverage, Essentials, Technology and Bureaux across one of the world’s busiest airports. Stephanie is known for driving innovation in travel retail, whether it’s rethinking essential shopping through blended concepts or introducing new formats and brands to Heathrow, she is passionate about using retail to elevate the passenger journey and showcase the best of British products on a global stage. We talk about the staggering rise in sales of UK wine at Heathrow – up 69% from 2024 to 2025 – which international travellers have shown the greatest appetite for the category and its future potential within travel retail. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to this special episode of the English Wine Diaries, in partnership with London Wine Fair. The 2026 London Wine Fair – taking place at Olympia London on 18th to 20th May – will, for the first time, showcase a specific country or region as the centrepiece, and this year it’s Great Britain! There will be the largest presence of British producers in the show’s 45-year history and, of course, that includes plenty of English wine. Visitors will be able to taste hundreds of wines from produces across the UK, attend panel discussions, such as How to Make English wine mainstream, and in an exclusive partnership with Tiny Wine, there are 84 free tasting kits showcasing a selection of standout British still red wines. Indeed, some of you listening may have already picked up a pack and scanned the QR code, but if you’re tuning in pre-show make sure you have secured your entry ticket to the show at LondonWineFair.com so that you can snap up one of the complimentary packs from stand B60. I spoke to the producers behind those six wines – 1276 Wines in Herefordshire, Flint Vineyard in Norfolk, Bolney Wine Estate in West Sussex, Sandridge Barton in Devon, Williams Family Wines in Cambridgeshire and Lyme Bay , which makes wines from grapes grown in Essex – to deep dive into how two red wine grapes – Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Precoce grow and develop in different parts of the country. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries is British sommelier and entrepreneur Emily Lambert. Emily was the first female sommelier at The Ritz in London when she was just 19 years old and was affectionately known as the Belle of English bubbles. She rose to wider prominence after winning BBC Two’s Million Pound Menu in 2018, with chef Ruth Hansom, after pitching their British-only restaurant concept to investor Atul Kochhar. A year later she met her partner, Danny, at Loxwood Joust – a medieval festival in the heart of Sussex – where they bonded over a shared passion for honey wine. Together they founded Loxwood Meadworks, a company that is redefining honey wine for a contemporary audience, bringing together heritage craft with modern hospitality. We talk about what it was like managing old school and outdated expectations as a young female in hospitality, quitting her dream job to go on TV and her hopes that honey wine will soon be seen as mainstream. You can find out more at loxwoodmeadworks.com and by following @loxmead on Instagram This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries are Ashley and Tom Fahey, owners of The Terrace Rooms & Wine in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Tom was working as an independent restaurant inspector, when in 2020 he and wife Ashley – an ex-superyacht chef and cookery school manager – opened their first Terrace property with Ashley’s family in Yarmouth. Deciding they didn’t have enough to manage during what was one of the most stressful times in history for hospitality, the couple decided to embark on a second project and in 2021 purchased St Augustine Villa at the edge of Ventnor Bay. Originally built as a home for the local rector in the 1840s, the iconic property has been a guesthouse, lodge and hotel for over 150 years and is most famous for the visits and sketches of revolutionary Russian writer Aleksandr Herzen. Since opening its doors as The Terrace Ventnor in 2022, the six-bed guest house, which has an emphasis on destination wine with a 1200-bottle cellar, has won numerous awards including Best UK Rosé List by Star Wine List for the past two years, Best UK B&B from the Good Hotel Guide and Best UK Wine Hotel by Decanter Magazine. We talk about the challenges of running – and living – in a hotel – what the wine scene is like on the somewhat sleepy Isle of Wight and how the couple are trying to shift the way people perceive and drink rosé. Keep up to date with Ashley and Tom and events at The Terrace by following them on Insatgram @the_terrace_ventnor or visit theterraceventnor.co.uk . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English wine diaries is Nathaniel McConnell , co-founder and winemaker at Bluestone Vineyards. With a large part of his childhood spent on the family’s Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm, Nat’s boots are firmly rooted in the countryside. However, he followed a different career path before returning to Wiltshire to establish Bluestone – one helping to fight cancer. Following a degree in Biochemistry at Birmingham University, Nat worked with a company who developed a new technique to better diagnose and provide more accurate prognosis for myeloma patients. His entrepreneurial spirit led him back to the family farm however where, together with his brother, Toby, he established Bluestone Vineyards. With the land prepared and the vines on order, Nat began studying an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College. He met the then head winemaker of Hattingley Valley Jacob Leadley, and assistant winemaker Zoe Driver, with whom he worked two harvests and learned about quality sparkling wine production. Named Bluestone as a nod to the nearby World Heritage Site of Stonehenge, the 10-acre site comprises Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The south and south-west-facing vineyards sit on the edge of Salisbury Plain and are made of sandy, clay loam soils. Nat’s first wine from 2015, was a classic blend made with grapes purchased from Hambledon and since he has produced a number of award-winning sparkling wines from the estate. We talk about what it was like growing up on a petting farm, winning Platinum at Decanter World Wine Awards and the dynamics or running two very different family businesses side by side. Keep up to date with the goings on at Bluestone by following @bluestonevineyards on Instagram or at bluestonevineyards.co.uk . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Lucy Alford, from The Dell vineyard, in Monmouthshire. Lucy and her husband, Dan, planted 5,000 Pinot Noir and Solaris vines on their family farm between the Usk and Wye Valleys in 2022, and have recently added a further two acres of Cabaret Noir, Pinot Meunier and Souvignier Gris. Their dream of owning a vineyard started some 10 years earlier when, after getting married, they spent six-month traveling around the Southern Hemisphere on honeymoon and fell in love with wine. Life ensued and with busy careers as an ICU nurse and graphic designer working in Bristol, and then the birth of their first child, Rowan, owning a vineyard seemed like a pipedream. Until 2021, when the pandemic hit and the toll it took on Lucy, who was working on the frontline, signalled it was time for a new direction. Just three weeks after deciding to make the leap, Lucy and Dan began leasing an existing vineyard in Monmouthshire, while preparing to plant their own on Dan’s family farm. Now, with a fully established vineyard – and with a second little on in tow – the family has a portfolio of still and sparkling wines, including their rose, which was heralded best still wine in Wales at the 2025 Welsh Wine Awards. Keep up to date with the goings on at The Dell by following them on Instagram @thedellvineyard or visiting thedellvineyard.co.uk . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English wine Diaries is Ceri Phipps, co-founder of Two Beacons, a family-owned vineyard on the border of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the Malvern Hills National Landscape. Ceri founded the vineyard in 2018, along with school friend Tim Dutton, on part of Ceri’s family estate, with a focus on growing Bacchus, Pinot Précoce and Pinot Noir. The team initially planted around 4,000 vines but has since planted a further 12,000, adding Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier varieties, which will be used to extend the range of traditional method sparkling wines when the vines come into production in 2027. Currently Two Beacons, which is part of the Malvern Hills Vineyard Group, produces a sparkling Rosé Pinot Noir, still Bacchus and Pinot Noir precoce, which can be sampled at their Tasting Room in the heart of Great Malvern. 2025 was an award-winning year for the team with three Silver medals at the Wine GB Awards and two Bronze medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Keep up to date with the progress at Two Beacons by following them on Instagram @twobeaconsvineyard or visiting twobeaconsvineyard.com . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Scott Gebbie, Managing Director and head of production Mereworth Wines in Kent. Scott graduated from Leeds University with a degree in Food and Nutrition before discovering an interest in viticulture and winemaking. This led him to explore and work in vineyards and wineries in both the southern and northern hemispheres, vintage hopping between Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, England, Portugal and Italy. After studying for a Joint Master's Degree in Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Business from Montpellier and Geisenheim Universities, he took up a research position for the Comité Champagne in Epernay and worked closely with growers looking at the planting structure of vineyards, the climate and its effect on the sensory typicity of Champagne. In 2018, Scott returned to his native Kent and helped establish the vineyards at Mereworth Wines, which comprise 2.5 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier planted on the Greensand Ridge. Dating back 500 years, Mereworth boasts a long association with fruit and hop growing, with some of the first hops in the country planted here. Now, the former Brewers Hall oast house is home to a winery, which has expanded over the years to now include a full contract winemaking business. Keep up to date with all things Mereworth at mereworth.co.uk and on Instagram @mereworthwines . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the 15th series of The English Wine Diaries!! Joining me on today’s episode is Collette O’Leary, head winemaker and estate manager at Henners Vineyard in Herstmonceaux, East Sussex. Collette began her career in PR & Marketing in London, specialising in behaviour change campaigns including promoting the HPV vaccine to young women and girls and developing education initiatives to encourage young people to consider vocational education. While it was rewarding work, following a period spent travelling the world, which involved visiting multiple vineyards, she caught the wine bug and decided to retrain as a winemaker. She graduated from Plumpton College in 2014 – at a time when English wine was starting to gain real momentum. After travelling again overseas to gain experience with renowned sparkling wine producers, such a J Vineyards & Winery in California and Graham Beck in South Africa, she returned to England, joining Bluebell Vineyard Estates before moving a few miles east to Henners, where she has been head winemaker for the past six years. Henners was first established in 2007 by former Formula One engineer Lawrence Warr. A decade later it was acquired by Boutinot Wines and is now part of a family of wineries with roots across the world. Catch up with all things Henners at henners.com and on Instagram @hennersvineyard . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Ending the 14th series of The English Wine Diaries on a high with one of the most well known winemakers in the UK, Emma Rice. Emma developed a fascination with fine wine while working as a waitress in The White Horse Inn, Chilgrove as a teenager in the 1990s. It was a chance taste of the 1979 vintage of Krug that was the lightbulb moment that began her career in wine. She got a job at Oddbins – a rite of passage for anyone going into the wine trade in the nineties – and studied here WSETs before travelling to New Zealand for a harvest. Back in the UK and after spotting an advert in the trade press for a Wine Editor, she was taken on as managing editor of Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, but also got involved with the World Atlas of Wine. It was during this time that she made the move from London to Brighton and enrolled in the newly created Wine Production Course at Plumpton, becoming one of the first cohort of six to graduate in the UK. Time in Napa Valley and Tasmania followed but the excitement of working in the burgeoning domestic industry in the UK led her to return home and set up a wine analysis laboratory and consultancy in the South Downs. Through this, she was introduced to Simon Robinson, the owner of Hattingley Valley Wines, who asked her to build him a winery – the winery today remains one of the largest in the UK. During her 14 or so years at Hattingley, Emma was awarded UK Winemaker of the Year twice, and her wines won many awards including at The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships and WineGB Supreme Champion. She left Hattingley Valley in 2022 and currently works as an independent consultant winemaker, releasing the first wines under her own brand last year. Emma talks honestly and opening about how the wine industry has changed over the years, including how the challenges she has faced along the way have pushed her to be the winemaker she is today. You can follow her latest projects on Instagram @ricerywine and emmarice.com . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries are Neil and Maria Corbould, owners of The Grape Escape Vineyard – one of the country’s newest and perhaps most unique wine producers. Neil and Maria planted their five-acre boutique vineyard in Chertsey, Surrey, in 2023 and have been busy tending to the vines with their first commercial harvest taking place this year. However, the couple’s day jobs are quite different – often seeing them swap muddy boots and secateurs for glad rags and red carpets. Neil is an award-winning Special Effects Supervisor, whose four-decade career has helped shape some of the most iconic films in modern cinema. His groundbreaking effects on large scale productions, such as Gladiator, Gravity, Mission: Impossible, Rogue One, and Napoleon, have earned him global acclaim, with two Academy Awards and four Baftas. Maria is also from a distinguished film background. With a Masters degree in Film Production, she has worked across numerous major productions, including Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and many more. Their combined expertise in film brings a real storytelling element to their vineyard journey, which they share on social media with the handle @the.grape.escape.vineyard . I had so much fun recording this episode – Neil and Maria are such fun and aren't afraid to share the highs and lows of their vineyard experience. This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Tom Barratt-Jones – head winemaker at Squerryes Wine Estate in Kent. Born in New Zealand, Tom has gained experience in the wine industry around the world – upon finishing a degree in Viticulture and Oenology in 2012, he went to work for New Zealand producer Villa Maria, one of perhaps the best known brands responsible for the rise in popularity of Sauvignon Blanc here in the UK. After travelling to the US and Australia, Tom landed in England in 2017, where he spent over six years working alongside Charlie Holland and Mary Bridges making award winning still and sparkling wines at Gusbourne Estate in the heart of Kent. The lure and opportunity to head up a brand-new winery led him to Squerryes – an historic estate in Westerham, home to the Warde family for almost 300 years and now famous for its traditional method sparkling wine. He began work here just as the 2024 harvest came in. Tom says of Squerryes: “From the first time I visited, I could tell Squerryes was a business filled with positive, valued, ambitious people and I couldn't help but want to be a part of its journey. My aim is to ensure Squerryes consistently produces wines that best reflect its terroir, and to ensure the vineyard can continue to develop its wines going forward. Not to step away from the successes achieved in the past, but to simply build on them for the future.” You can find out more about Squerryes at Squerryes.co.uk or by following @squerryes on instagram. This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Karen Ashford, from Wayfarer Wines in Woodchurch, Kent. Wayfarer was founded by Jeff Ashford in 2016, when he planted his first vineyard to the rear of his family home on the Pilgrims Way in the edge of the Weald of Kent. His family now runs two vineyards spread across 8 acres and plan to double that with more plantings soon. Unlike many English Vineyards, Wayfarer doesn’t produce any sparkling wine, instead focusing on producing truly outstanding still wines. The driving force behind all their decisions is quality over quantity and really allowing the sugars and characteristic flavours of the grape to develop to their fullest potential to ensure the best possible still wines. Karen, who is married to Jeff’s son and Wayfarer’s Vineyard Manager, Matt Ashford, has a background in restaurant wholesale and small business management and joined the team to develop the commercial side of the business. She says “I think we have a really unique take on the English wine industry. We are changing perceptions of what people expect from English still wines, and to be a part of that is really exciting!” Find out more about Wayfarere Wines at wayfarerwines.com or by following them on Instagram @wayfarerwines . This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Alasdair Warren, owner of Bride Valley Vineyard in Dorset. Born and raised in Dorset, Alasdair and his family have a long history of farming in the county, with his Great Grandfather establishing Warren's cider in the 1920s. Educated at the University of Nottingham with a Batchelor of Science in Geology, Alasdair began his career in investment banking and currently heads up a Global Soda Ash business. He also runs Slapelands Farm, just outside Bridport, where he upholds his family's cider making tradition, using heritage variety apples grown in the orchard there. In September 2023, Alasdair purchased Bride Valley Vineyard, which was initially established by world renowned industry figure Steven Spurrier – the orchestrator of the famous 1976 blind tasting competition The Judgement of Paris. Steven, who sadly died in 2021, planted vines on his wife’s family sheep farm in 2008 and Bride Valley has since become famous for its Dorset Crémant among other award-winning wines. Alasdair says the acquisition of the vineyard reflects his motivation to honour and develop his family’s rural heritage while promoting the outstanding produce Dorset offers, adding that it is his aim is to "continue a deep-rooted family connection to agriculture in Dorset" by applying modern viticultural practices to preserve the unique chalk-soil terroir. To find out more about Bride Valley, visit bridevalleyvineyard.com and follow @Bridevalleywine on Instagram. This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Brad Lomas , co-founder and owner of Boys Hall, a beautifully restored, 9-bedroom 17th-century Jacobean manor in Ashford, Kent. With a background in pubs, restaurants, and operations – most notably as Operations Director at East London Pub Co. – Brad brings a wealth of industry experience to Boys Hall, which he runs alongside his wife, Kristie. The couple have painstakingly restored the house to its former glory with the help of family, friends, and a variety of local specialists – the vision to create a warm, design-led space with exceptional food, service, and atmosphere. Since opening, Boys Hall has earned a place in the Michelin Guide and wide acclaim for its unique balance of character, comfort, and community-driven ethos. Brad is a passionate advocate for English wine and has curated a thoughtfully selected wine list that showcases the best local vineyards, while Boys Hall has recently launched its own English sparkling wine called 17 Sovereigns. To find out more about about Boys Hall, visit boys-hall.com or follow @boys.hall on instagram. This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to a new series of The English Wine Diaries and a special welcome to our brand new sponsor – Rankin Brothers and Sons ,leading manufacturer and supplier of bottle closures to the drinks industry. So, to kick start the 14th series, I have Rankin's, Commercial & Managing Director, JIm Rankin joining me. Jim is the sixth generation of the family to lead the business, which was founded just over 250 years ago in 1774, meaning it has seen – and survived – the creation of the United States of America, two World Wars, and the Covid-19 crisis. Perhaps one of the key reasons for the company’s success is that it is responsible for ensuring the quality of the wine, beer and spirits that we drink remains protected while in bottle, enabling us to consume our favourite tipple in exactly the way its producers intended. That’s pretty essential if you ask me. Before Jim joined the firm 30 years ago, he admits he had little interest in the business, instead travelling to Australia to work in wine and taking an apprenticeship at Penfolds Wines, before his grandfather persuaded him to re-consider. Now, Jim heads up the company and continues to ensure the family’s expertise as corkologists is prevalent within the £3-4 billion euro cork industry today, while also embracing shifts within the market for alternative bottle closure options. To learn more about Rankin and how it is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk , and follow @rankincork on Instagram. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on this week’s episode of The English Wine Diaries are Amy, Emma and Lucy Baxter – three quarters of the sibling foursome that make up Four Daughters, a new English wine brand based on their family’s fourth generation fruit farm in Kent. Having successfully run their farm for almost 80 years, the Baxter family were approached a few years back to become a contract grower for Balfour Winery , beginning their exploration into grape growing. This partnership continues but it also sowed the seed that they too could make wine, and the Four Daughters vineyard journey began. Together with their other sisters Sophie, Amy and Lucy have set about creating a wine brand that is fun and energetic with wines that not only reflect their family values and each of the sisters’ individual personalities but are also helping to keep the often very challenging tradition of British farming alive. With a focus on still wine, so far they have released a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Albarino, the 2022 vintage of the latter picking up a gold medal at the 2025 WineGB Awards and shortlisted for the still white trophy. This was one of the funniest episodes I've recorded and a great way to round off Series 13 of The English Wine Diaries. The sisters are such a breath of fresh air and I hope to see more like them join the English wine industry in years to come. You can keep up to date with what Four Daughters are up to by following @fourdaughters.wine on Instagram and TikTok or visit their website fourdaughters.co.uk. With thanks to series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to open an account and see their award-winning range of English wine and bottles from around the globe that have exceptional stories to tell. Thanks for listening to The English Wine Diaries. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave a rating or review, it helps boost our ratings and makes it easier for other people to find us. To find out who will be joining me next on the English Wine Diaries, follow @theenglishwinediaries on Instagram and for more regular English wine news and reviews, sign up to our newsletter at englishwinediaries.com .