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Vininspo! Episode 6: Emma Rice, English fizz guru
Emma Rice was devastated to be told early on in life that she had looks and personality—not intelligence—going for her, and should therefore aim to be a secretary to a wine merchant.
A life-changing double magnum of 1979 Krug Champagne had been the catalyst to her seeking advice on how to break into wine, only to have her boss throw this sexist advice back in her face.
She immediately quit and started beating out—with no clear vision—her own path.
Eventually, she stumbled across an ad for a Wine Science degree at Plumpton College in East Sussex in the south of England—a move that would change the course of her life.
I first met Emma in 2016, by which time she had served for eight years at leading English sparkling wine estate Hattingley Valley in Hampshire, where she was twice named WineGB Winemaker of the Year.
Emma Rice hard at work in her Hattingley Valley days. Photo credit: Felicity Crawshaw
She remained at Hattingley until 2022 and now works as an independent consultant.
In recent weeks, she has released her first two sparkling wines under her own name from the 2009—wines that themselves have an extraordinary back story.
Emma speaks of the risks and rewards of winegrowing in Great Britain, from the the vicissitudes of the weather to the verve and finesse of chalk-grown grapes. She is intimately familiar with terroirs, fruit quality and technical progress across the country.
She also reflects on the challenges and triumphs at Hattingley Valley, including the shifting perceptions of English wine in the global market and refining her approach to making world-class traditional-method sparkling wine.
The saga around her own pair of Winemaker's Reserve could perhaps serve as a metaphor for the hoops English winegrowers have to jump through—but at the end of it all, Emma has learnt from mistakes and is enjoying being part of the success of her friends and clients.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit edmerrison.substack.com/subscribe
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By Ed MerrisonEmma Rice was devastated to be told early on in life that she had looks and personality—not intelligence—going for her, and should therefore aim to be a secretary to a wine merchant.
A life-changing double magnum of 1979 Krug Champagne had been the catalyst to her seeking advice on how to break into wine, only to have her boss throw this sexist advice back in her face.
She immediately quit and started beating out—with no clear vision—her own path.
Eventually, she stumbled across an ad for a Wine Science degree at Plumpton College in East Sussex in the south of England—a move that would change the course of her life.
I first met Emma in 2016, by which time she had served for eight years at leading English sparkling wine estate Hattingley Valley in Hampshire, where she was twice named WineGB Winemaker of the Year.
Emma Rice hard at work in her Hattingley Valley days. Photo credit: Felicity Crawshaw
She remained at Hattingley until 2022 and now works as an independent consultant.
In recent weeks, she has released her first two sparkling wines under her own name from the 2009—wines that themselves have an extraordinary back story.
Emma speaks of the risks and rewards of winegrowing in Great Britain, from the the vicissitudes of the weather to the verve and finesse of chalk-grown grapes. She is intimately familiar with terroirs, fruit quality and technical progress across the country.
She also reflects on the challenges and triumphs at Hattingley Valley, including the shifting perceptions of English wine in the global market and refining her approach to making world-class traditional-method sparkling wine.
The saga around her own pair of Winemaker's Reserve could perhaps serve as a metaphor for the hoops English winegrowers have to jump through—but at the end of it all, Emma has learnt from mistakes and is enjoying being part of the success of her friends and clients.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit edmerrison.substack.com/subscribe