Welcome to a new series of The English Wine Diaries and my first guest to join me to talk about all things English wine in 2025 is Trevor Clough, CEO and head blender of Digby Fine English.

Trevor and his husband, Jason Humphries, launched their first Digby wines for sale in 2013 having swapped the corporate grind of London for Sussex, in the heart of English wine country.

Impelled to give English sparkling wine the same fanfare as its international counterparts, they developed a method of ranking England’s burgeoning vineyards to find the finest grapes going, carefully building their grower portfolio across the southeast.

In 2021, the couple acquired their best Pinot Noir site, Digby’s Hilden Vineyard, in Hildenborough, Kent, and their dedication to the maturation process was solidified the following year when they secured their own winery space in Madehurst, West Sussex.

Their house blending style celebrates the satisfying sharpness of English fruit while bringing a sumptuous texture and roundness to the wines through long ageing; it’s a style they like to call “sophisticated yet racy.”

Over the years Digby Fine English has received much critical acclaim; they’ve won numerous trophies, have beaten the likes of Krug and Dom Pérignon in a prestigious 2017 blind tasting, and in 2020 became the official English sparkling wine supplier to the House of Commons Gift Shop.

To find out more about Digby Fine English and how to visit their Arundel tasting room, follow them on Instagram @digbyfineenglish or visit digby-fine-english.com.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

Joining me on the last episode of season 11 of The English Wine Diaries is Mark Darley, founder and owner of All Angels Vineyard in Newbury, Berkshire.

Mark and his family became custodians of Church Farm in 2009 and, while it was still earlyish days for English wine back then, talks around the dinner table soon turned to planting a vineyard.

When the farmland was analysed as ideal for growing grapes for outstanding English Sparkling Wine, and the first vineyard planted in 2011, Mark decided to swap his daily commute to the city, where he had been a corporate lawyer for 35 years, for a life in viticulture.

Mark's love of wine goes back to when he started collecting at the age of 25 and his personal cellar now runs to many thousands of bottles. The opportunity to make his own wine seemed particularly fitting as a plan for retirement – although he uses that term loosely as running All Angels (along with his three labs, Skeena, Copper & Kasi) is indeed a pretty full-time job.

Over the past decade, All Angels has totted up a number of industry awards and the vineyard, which is named after the parish church nearby, celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first vintage with the release of a rather special classic cuvee.

We talk about the historic significance of All Angels, the high-tech methods they use to handle frost in the vineyard, and a wine in the making that Mark may not see come to fruition within his lifetime.

To find out more about All Angels wines and how to visit, follow them on Instagram @allangelsvineyard or visit allangels.com.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Luke Spalding General Manager at Everflyht Vineyard in East Sussex.

With a background in wine studies from Plumpton Wine Division, and having worked at nearby vineyard, Ridgeview, Luke joined the Everflyht single vineyard estate in 2019 just two years after owners Ben and Sam Ellis planted the first vines.

As well as planting Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier on their land, which sits at the bottom of Ditchling Beacon, they also set aside acreage for biodiversity and have since planted trees, hedgerow and integrated wildflower meadows within the vineyard.

It is here where Luke’s passion for regenerative farming has come into its own. At Everflyht, he blends data-driven expertise with hands-on application to champion regenerative viticulture by creating sustainable practices that not only benefit the environment but produce award-winning – and may I add blinking good value – premium sparkling wines.

We have a very honest discussion about how Luke got into wine, why he believes you can should never be dogmatic when it comes to making wine and his hopes for the Royals to one day visit Everflyht.

Catch up with Everflyht's new releases and other news on Instagram @everflyht and at everflyht.com. To hear more about how the Everflyht story began, listen back to owners Ben and Sam Ellis' on episode 41 of the podcast.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

On today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Laura Robinson and Mathew Abbey from Burn Valley Vineyard in Norfolk.

Laura’s family moved to Crossways Farm in North Creake in October 1989, but it wasn’t until 2016 that they decided to plant vines on their land, harvesting their first crop after the hot summer of 2018.

Since then, they have built and expanded a winery and developed a portfolio of still, sparkling and sweet wines and vermouths.

Laura, who has a background in forensic science, works with her sister, Sam, to run the vineyard while her brother, Jack, farms the surrounding land. Mathew, who has been working in the wine industry for over 17 years including a decade in New Zealand’s top wine regions, joined the team in 2019.

This year they won the Independent English Wine Award trophy for their 2022 Chardonnay, shining a spotlight on Burn Valley and the wider region of Norfolk as a future hot spot for the grape and still winemaking in the UK.

We talk about their growing, diverse portfolio of wines, how they feel Norfolk has grown as a wine region over the last few years and the wines they would like to make in the future.

To find out more follow @burnvalleyvineyard on Instagram or visit burnvalleyvineyard.co.uk.

NB apologies, we had slight audio difficulties recording this episode.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is award-winning wine expert and social media sensation, Tom Gilbey.

The Gilbey name is synonymous with wine and spirits. The Gilbey family were the first English family to buy a vineyard in Bordeaux in 1875 and subsequently became the most prominent wine and spirits merchant in the UK, selling one in every three bottles of wine consumed, and building a portfolio that included Smirnoff Vodka, J&B whisky and their very own Gilbeys Gin.

Tom spent much of his childhood at his great-grandfather's chateaux and naturally caught the wine bug. He began making wine at the tender age of 23 before becoming a wine merchant and now runs a wine events business, renowned for its energetic and entertaining approach to wine.

In recent years Tom has brought this engaging style of wine education to a new audience on social media, working with his son, Fred, to produce hilarious wine reviews and essentially take the piss out of the perceived stuffiness of the wine world.

But, if you haven’t yet caught him on Instagram or TikTok, then you may have seen him splashed across the news last spring when he ran the London Marathon, blind tasting 20-odd wines along the way and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds Tom's expertise and enthusiasm for bringing wine to a new generation a huge breath of fresh air.

We talk about his 'Eddie the Eagle' post-marathon week, which saw him interviewed by news stations across the globe, how and why he is so passionate about bringing wine to a new audience and exactly what it's like to be a 'Wine Wanker'.

You can follow Tom and Fred's antics @TomGilbeywine on Instagram and TikTok and find out more about his wine boxes, tastings and events at tomgilbey.com.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Richard Balfour-Lynn, co-founder of Balfour Winery in Kent.

Following an education at Westminster School and the City of London Business School, Richard set up his first business at 24 years old – his early business interests ranged from Irish linen and lace to medical diagnostic centres and air conditioning companies, all with varying degrees of success and failure.

In his late 20s, he began developing high end residential properties across Central London and later progressed into commercial property ranging from office buildings and shopping centres to leisure centres and hotels. During this time he was involved in the running of brands such as Malmaison, Hotel du Vin, DeVere, Liberty and Searcy’s.

In 2002, Richard and his wife Leslie decided to plant a vineyard in Kent for fun, and eight years later built their first winery on the Hush Heath Estate near Staplehurst in Kent. But, with the huge success of their first wine, Balfour Brut Rosé, what began as a passion project soon became a family business.

Today, Richard and Leslie offer an exceptional guest experience across 400 acres of pristine Kent countryside and within their winery and 200-seater tasting room. They also run the “Hush Heath Hospitality” group comprising a growing number of pubs with boutique hotel rooms across London, Kent and Sussex.

You can find out more about Balfour Winery by following @balfourwinery on Instagram or visit balfourwinery.com.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

Joining me on this week's episode of The English Wine Diaries is Johnny Stanford, chef patron of Tern Restaurant in Worthing.

Manchester born and bred, Johnny began his career working with Paul Kitching at his acclaimed restaurant Juniper in Altrincham, before heading to Cumbria, then Edinburgh and finally settling in Sussex in 2012.

Johnny worked as sous chef at the Michelin starred restaurant Matt Gillan @ The Pass before taking the reins as head chef at Pascere in Brighton and then heading up the 3 AA rosettes restaurant AG’s at Alexander House.

Last year, Johnny became the proud owner and Head Chef of Tern, a fine dining restaurant situated at the end of Worthing’s Art Deco Pier. Here he creates captivating menus using British produce in the peak of its seasonality, offers an England-only wine list and some of THE most breathtaking views of the South Coast.

We talk about the logistical challenges of running a restaurant at the end of a 300-metre long pier (if you follow Johnny or Tern then you’ll know they had their biggest yet this week when Worthing Pier unexpectedly closed for repair work), his strangest food and English wine pairings and the reason why he believes in British food and drink producers so much.

I loved this chat with Johnny and hope you enjoy it too - you can show him and the rest of the Tern team some love by following @johnntstanfordchef and @Ternrestaurant on Instagram and look out for news of their latest English winemaker dinners at ternrestaurant.co.uk.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.

Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Mary Bridges, head winemaker and vineyard visionary at Gusbourne.

Mary grew up near Inverness in Scotland in a farming family, where her love of the land developed from an early age, along with an instinct for the flavour alchemy created by good wine.

She started her career in hospitality and quickly became enthused with the wine aspect, so sought to further her passion and knowledge at Plumpton College, all the way down south in Sussex.

Before joining Gusbourne, Mary spent time abroad working with renowned wine producers in the South of France and California but returned to the UK to explore the fast-growing opportunities on this side of the Atlantic.

She joined the winemaking team at Gusbourne in 2018 and has spent the last six years working closely with former Head Winemaker and previous guest on this podcast, Charlie Holland, to create some of the brand’s most exceptional vintages.

Mary was promoted to oenologist in 2020, before being appointed Head Winemaker in September 2023, when she was somewhat thrown into the deep-end overseeing what has been Gusbourne’s largest harvest to date.

We talk about the new generation of English winemakers coming through the ranks, what Mary has learned during her eight years at Gusbourne and what the future has in store for one of England's most renowned wine brands.

You can follow Mary on Instagram @maero_b and Gusbourne @Gusbourne_wine.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to see their award-winning range of English wine with free delivery on orders over £40. The English Wine Diaries listeners can also get 10% discount on their first purchase by entering the code TEWD10. Please drink responsibly.

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 thesouthernquarter.co.uk.