Some sparkling wine producers release their wine after eighteen months. Ambriel waits six years.

In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Wendy Outhwaite, co-founder of Ambriel — an English sparkling wine producer in West Sussex built around a single, unfashionable idea: patience. Their wines don't leave the estate until they're ready. Not market-ready. Actually ready.

Wendy walks through the five-year search for the right vineyard, and why greensand — a rare, ancient soil type found beneath the South Downs — became the foundation of everything Ambriel does. She talks about hand-picking, blind blending, and a "palate, not wallet" philosophy that shapes every decision from vineyard to disgorgement. And she explains the name: a nod to angels, ambrosia, and a quip attributed to Pope Gregory the Great that has quietly informed the estate's identity ever since.

Oh, and the corks say "Huzzah!" — because why wouldn't they.

Featuring: Ambriel, West Sussex, English sparkling wine, greensand terroir, Great Britain.