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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.

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