In this episode of Wine Talks we chat with Abi Wright, who has been a key influencer in the spa industry since launching her dynamic spa marketing and booking platform Spabreaks.com in 2008. From being a startup in the industry to becoming the market leader, she says that the keys to her success has been her determination to open up the spa industry to anyone who wants to experience it and the people she has chosen to surround herself with.

Abi talks about how she embraces a modern approach to running a business, a mindset that developed in part from her own experiences becoming a mother at the same time as starting her own company. She talks candidly about the 'work/life juggling act' that comes with being a working mother and how she has made it work.

Chatting to Abi at her home in Berkshire, in the company of her lovely spaniel, who you may just about hear panting in the background if you listen carefully, we talked about her journey, the role of the spa industry in modern society and of course, the place of food and wine within the spa experience.

Chris Foss is the Curriculum Manager at Plumpton Wine College for the Wine Division. He is half-French and Bordeaux-trained. Whilst in Bordeaux he managed the family vineyard in the Entre-Deux-Mers and has worked in vineyards and wineries in Sauternes (Chateau d’Yquem) and St Emilion, becoming Winemaker for the GFA Leclerc vineyard group. He moved to Plumpton College to launch the wine programmes in 1988.

Chris lectures principally in vineyard establishment and management, vine protection, and sustainable viticulture and is also the manager of Plumpton’s 10-hectare vineyard and a committee member of Wine GB South-East. Chris’ principal research interests lie in climate change, disease monitoring and vineyard sustainability, he is also a member of the Life+ Adviclim research group.

He has presented at conferences in France, Austria, Germany, Spain, Australia, China, New Zealand Portugal and the USA, and led the team that delivered the academic programme for the highly successful ninth International Cool Climate Wine Symposium, held in Brighton (UK) in May 2016.

In the second of our Wine Talks British Business shows we chat with Richard Brazier from Ancient and Modern wines. Richard has been working in the wine trade for over 33 years and has one of the finest wine collections for sale. He specialises in port and anniversary bottles that can be sourced and delivered from a single bottle to multiple cases. With a unique history and passion for desert wines Richard provides a wonderful interview with many great wine moments. To best enjoy this POD cast site down relax and savour your favourite desert wine whilst Richard recalls story after story.

This Wine Talks British Business podcast is with Adam Raphael the former BBC Newsnight presenter and famed journalist. Adam is now the owner, publisher and editor of The Good Hotel Guide. He is currently a regular guest on BBC World’s Dateline programme. In his newspaper career, Adam has been a foreign correspondent for The Guardian (Washington, New York and Cape Town), political editor and executive editor of The Observer (1976-93), and home affairs editor of The Economist (1994-2004). He has won several awards for his journalism including Journalist of the Year (British Press Awards 1973) and Investigative Reporter of the Year (Granada TV 1973). He is also the author of two books, My Learned Friends, a study of the British libel laws (WH Allen 1990) and Ultimate Risk, the story of the collapse of the Lloyd’s insurance market (Bantam 1994). With a remarkable career as a journalist Adam recaps stories from his time spent at the various publications including his most proud achievement exposing the slave labour abused by many companies in South Africa. This is a rare open conversation with one of England's top journalists.

In our first English 'Wine talks' POD cast I chat to John Apthorp CBE former head and still the largest share holder of Majestic wine.

I find out how he started in the wine business, his thoughts on English wine and what his plans are for the future will be. An informative and friendly chat with one of the biggest influencers in the wine industry.