The English Wine Diaries

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Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Sergio Verrillo co-founder and winemaker at Blackbook urban winery in Battersea. 

Sergio moved from Connecticut to London in the noughties and initially built his career in music before moving into Michelin-starred restaurants including Maze, Tamarind and Chez Bruce. 

He later studied viticulture and oenology at Plumpton College, graduating in 2014, before gaining winemaking experience in South Africa, California, New Zealand and Burgundy.

Together with his wife, Lynsey, he established Blackbook Winery In 2017 with an emphasis on quality, single-vineyard, grower-led wines sourced from vineyards within two hours of the winery. 

The brand, they say, was born from a love of three things: cool climate pinot noir & chardonnay; the English wine industry; and London.

Blackbook’s wines, which are made using wild fermentation, used Burgundy barrels and minimal sulphur, have gained much industry recognition, including most recently WineGB Best overall still wine for its Pygmalion Chardonnay 2023.

 We talk about what it was like for Sergio growing up as a 'third culture kid' in America, the importance of hospitality and tourism in helping the UK wine industry be a successful one and why he was never going to make wine in the countryside. 

Find out more about Blackbook at blackbookwinery.com or by following on Instagram @blackbookwinery. 

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. 

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Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Jules Perowne from Cobble Hill, the award-winning vineyard on the North Norfolk coast farmed by the Perowne family for five generations. 

 It was Jules who gave her father Robert the vine that started it all — a 60th birthday present in 2016 that grew, within a year, into 17 rows planted on a ten-acre south-facing plot he'd bought two decades earlier. 

Robert's hunch about the site's chalky, frost-free soil paid off, and the vineyard soon expanded to 150 rows of Bacchus, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a 200-year-old barn on the farm converted into a working winery.

As the vineyard's ambitions grew, so did Jules' involvement. Bringing in industry heavyweights including former Decanter editor Guy Woodward and viticultural consultant Stephen Skelton, she helped assemble the team now led by consultant winemaker Emma Rice, who produces Cobble Hill's small, focused range of still and sparkling English wines.

By day, Jules runs Perowne International, the global travel and lifestyle communications consultancy she founded, with offices in London, Milan, New York and Mexico City. But Norfolk remains her happy place — the farm where she grew up — and she now brings the same marketing and branding instincts she's honed over 20 years in luxury hospitality to bear on Cobble Hill's next chapter.

We talk about the trials and tribulations of farming in the 21st century, what the world of tourism can bring to the industry and how Norfolk is earning its place on the wine map. 

Find out more about Cobble Hill at cobblehillnorfolk.com and follow the team on Instagram @cobblehillwine. 

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. 

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Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries are Dominic Travers and Georgie Stedman 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 Stedman sisters, who together with their parents, Chris and Caroline, 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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.