The English Wine Diaries

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries is wine educator and winemaker, Jimmy Smith.  Jimmy has worked in the wine industry for over 20 years. Having started his career in wine buying, he founded West London Wine School, one of the UK's leading wine, spirit and beer education facilities, in 2010, and in 2020 started online wine education tool Wine w...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Gail Gardner, Managing Director of Ashling Park Estate in the charming hamlet of West Ashling near Chichester. It was after Gail spent some time living in Switzerland and was seduced by the romantic vineyards there that she convinced her family to plant vines back in Sussex and, in 2018 their English wine adventure began....

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries podcast is Tommy Grimshaw, head winemaker at Langham, in Dorset.  Tommy developed a love for English wine after a summer holiday season spent labelling and bottling wine as a teenager. He left school to work a harvest at Sharpham Vineyard – now known as Sandridge Barton – in Devon and there, he progressed to Assistant Winemak...

Send us Fan Mail On today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries podcast is TV chef and author, the icon that is Rosemary Shrager.   In the early to mid-noughties Rosemary rose to small screen fame with guest appearances on cooking shows before landing her own prime-time programme on Channel 5 called Castle Cook. She’s rarely been off our TV screens over the past 20 years appearing on shows such as...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to series 9 of The English Wine Diaries podcast! Joining me on today's episode is Josh Donaghay-Spire , Head Winemaker and Operations Director at Chapel Down in Kent.  Josh’s career in wine began as a teenager working in a wine bar and, after studying WSET qualifications and later enrolling in Plumpton College, he was able to travel to some of the world’s most re...

Send us Fan Mail Today's guest on The English Wine Diaries is former tech executive and now co-founder of Pelegrims Skincare, Jérôme Moisan   Born and raised in rural Brittany, Jérôme moved to the UK after he met his English wife, Laura, at university and they settled in the town of Maidstone in Kent, where they are surrounded by vineyards stretching along the North Downs.  Having seen the su...

Send us Fan Mail *Apologies for the sound quality at the start of this episode due to some technical difficulties* This week on The English Wine Diaries podcast is last year’s Fortnum & Mason Drink Writer of the Year, Henry Jeffreys.   Henry studied English and Classical Literature at Leeds University before working in the wine trade and later becoming a freelance writer and broadcaster. He wa...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries podcast is William Coren , the CEO and founder of House Coren, a vineyard and négociant , based near Horsham in West Sussex.   After ten years of wine retail and hospitality, William and his family decided to plant 30,000 vines in 2020, with the aim of creating innovative and high-quality English wines that are acc...

Send us Fan Mail This week's guest on The English Wine Diaries podcast is Jose Quintana, winemaker at Vagabond Wines – one of London’s urban wineries.   Despite the Spanish name, Jose grew up on an arable farm in Sussex and agriculture was always a part life. After attempts at careers in music and property, Jose took inspiration from friends and family, who were grape growers and winemakers i...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Lucy Hulland from Huxbear Vineyard, situated in the rolling hills of the picturesque Teign Valley, just outside the ancient wool town of Chudleigh in Devon.  Lucy and her husband, Ben, established the vineyard in 2007, planting roughly 15 acres of the three classic Champagne varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pi...

Send us Fan Mail My guest on today's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Kirsty Goring, brand director for Wiston Winery, wife of Richard Goring and daughter-in-law of Pip and Harry Goring, who call this historic estate in West Sussex home.  Kirsty read history at Oxford before signing up to a course at the famed Irish cookery school Balleymaloe. Her time on the 100-acre organic farm spark...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the eighth series of The English Wine Diaries podcast! Joining me on today’s episode, in the week that we celebrate National Cheese and Wine Day, is author, speaker and cheese and wine expert Steve Parker.   Having worked for an international brewer and wine distributor, Steve left corporate life to set up an award-winning cheese shop, delicatessen and wine bar in...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode are Coworth Park’s executive chef, Adam Smith , and Director of Food and Beverage, Jonathan Ellson.  Adam grew up in Birmingham, starting his culinary career as a pot wash at his local pub aged just 13. After joining The Ritz in 2004, he rose up the ranks and won numerous awards including the Roux Scholarship in 2012. Three years at The Devonshire Arm...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Gavin Hills, wine director and assistant restaurant manager of the only pub in the UK to hold two-Michelin stars,  The Hand & Flowers, in Marlow. Born in Cambridge, Gavin grew up with a passion for cooking and a strong love of baking, which led him to study Food Technology at Cambridge Regional College. His professiona...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on this week's episode of the English Wine Diaries is Jacob Leadley and Zoe Driver, winemakers at Black Chalk Vineyard in Hampshire.  In 2009 Jacob left a comfortable job in the City to re-train as a winemaker at Plumpton College. Since then, he has worked in the English wine industry including seven years at Hattingley Valley, where he helped produce a number of a...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today’s episode is Sam Mount, Managing Director at Kentish Pip Cider and Woolton Farm in Bekesbourne near Canterbury.  Sam grew up on the farm where his parents, Mark and Rosie, grew apples, pears and soft fruits and was encouraged to muck in with all aspects of farming life from an early age.  After travelling and living abroad in his early 20s, Sam settled in Londo...

Send us Fan Mail This week's guest on The English Wine Diaries is Cherie Spriggs, Head Winemaker at Nyetimber in Sussex.  Cherie was born and raised in Canada and after completing a master’s degree at the Wine Research Centre in Vancouver she and her husband, Brad, who is also a winemaker, decided to follow their dream of working together at a winery that shared their passion for producing on...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on today's episode of The English Wine Diaires podcast is wine enthusiast, entrepreneur and modern-day innovator, Lucy Hitchcock.  Lucy is an e-commerce and branding consultant and the founder of Partner In Wine , a business born out of need ­– the need to avoid drinking warm rosé wine at all costs.   Partner In Wine was launched during lockdown in 2020 but it was...

Send us Fan Mail My guest on this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Dermot Sugrue, who is widely recognised as the UK’s most successful and decorated winemaker.  After studying viticulture at Plumpton College Dermot joined Nyetimber in 2003 and oversaw the West Sussex vineyard’s emergence as one of the world’s greatest sparkling wine producers.  He went on to help Harry and Pip Go...

Send us Fan Mail My guest today is award-winning author, drinks writer, presenter and founder of The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club, Helen McGinn. Helen started her wine career as a supermarket wine buyer for Tesco, before founding her successful wine blog, which garnered so much attention that it is now a best-selling book. She writes for the Daily Mail’s Femail Magazine, as well as Waitrose Food M...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on the podcast today is Joe Beckett from Kinsbrook, a young, progressive vineyard in the heart of West Sussex wine country.  At just 29, Joe remains one of the youngest vineyard owners in the country and, together with his partner Rebecca Dancer and an enthusiastic team, produces an exciting range of English wines from grapes grown on his third-generation family farmlan...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on the podcast today are Sam and Ben Ellis, owners of Everflyht, a new single vineyard estate set at the foot of the Ditchling Beacon.  Both planners by career, Sam and Ben built a designer house for their family on the estate, before planting 6.8 hectares of vines. These included the traditional sparkling varieties of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, as well a...

Send us Fan Mail My guest on today's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Ian Kellett, owner and managing director of Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire.  Ian grew up in Yorkshire but ventured south for university where he studied biochemistry before qualifying as an accountant and working in the food and drink industry in general management, equity research and then corporate finance.   After...

Send us Fan Mail Today's guest on The English Wine Diaries is Cindy-Marie Harvey , owner of private wine tour company, Love Wine Food, and author of the newly-released cookbook Watercress, Willow and Wine.  Cindy-Marie’s career in wine began after she spent a year in Piemonte and discovered the local’s passion for ‘abbinamento’ – the Italian name for food and wine pairing. She fell in love wi...

Send us Fan Mail We're back with the sixth series of The English Wine Diaries! On this week's episode, my guest is Tamara Roberts , CEO of Ridgeview Wine Estate in Ditchling, Sussex.  Founded by Tamara’s parents, Mike and Chris Roberts in 1995, Ridgeview produces award-winning traditional method sparkling wines that are now sold across the globe, have been served at Buckingham Palace and...