The English Wine Diaries

Rebecca Pitcairn
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The English Wine Diaries is a weekly interview series with Rebecca Pitcairn, writer, editor and English wine expert. Each week Rebecca is joined by a special guest from the world of wine (and beyond) to talk all about their English wine journey. From sommeliers to vineyard owners, hoteliers and some rather familiar faces too, discover how a love of wine – particularly that made on British soil – has helped shape their lives and careers. www.englishwinediaries.co.uk.

  1. Episode 108 - Nathanial McConnell, Bluestone Vineyards

    6D AGO

    Episode 108 - Nathanial McConnell, Bluestone Vineyards

    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 bluestone 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.

    1h 1m
  2. Episode 107 - Lucy Alford, The Dell Vineyard

    MAR 25

    Episode 107 - Lucy Alford, The Dell Vineyard

    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.

    50 min
  3. Episode 106 - Ceri Phipps, Two Beacons Vineyard

    MAR 18

    Episode 106 - Ceri Phipps, Two Beacons Vineyard

    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.

    43 min
  4. Episode 105 – Scott Gebbie, MD and head of production at Mereworth

    MAR 11

    Episode 105 – Scott Gebbie, MD and head of production at Mereworth

    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.

    47 min
  5. Episode 104: Collette O'Leary, Headwinemaker & Estate Manager, Henners

    MAR 4

    Episode 104: Collette O'Leary, Headwinemaker & Estate Manager, Henners

    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.

    48 min
  6. Episode 103: Winemaker Emma Rice

    12/03/2025

    Episode 103: Winemaker Emma Rice

    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.

    55 min
  7. Episode 102: Neil & Maria Corbould, The Grape Escape Vineyard

    11/19/2025

    Episode 102: Neil & Maria Corbould, The Grape Escape Vineyard

    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.

    43 min
  8. Episode 101 – Tom Barratt-Jones, Head Winemaker Squerryes

    11/12/2025

    Episode 101 – Tom Barratt-Jones, Head Winemaker Squerryes

    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.

    50 min
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About

The English Wine Diaries is a weekly interview series with Rebecca Pitcairn, writer, editor and English wine expert. Each week Rebecca is joined by a special guest from the world of wine (and beyond) to talk all about their English wine journey. From sommeliers to vineyard owners, hoteliers and some rather familiar faces too, discover how a love of wine – particularly that made on British soil – has helped shape their lives and careers. www.englishwinediaries.co.uk.

Information

  • Creator
    Rebecca Pitcairn
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The English Wine Diaries
  • Show Website
    The English Wine Diaries

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