Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is winemaker Charlie Holland. 

Charlie worked his first vintage in Australia some 24 years ago and caught the wine bug. He returned to England and immediately enrolled at the renowned Plumpton College in Sussex. 

While there he worked part-time at nearby Ridgeview wine estate before heading off to do winemaking stints in California, Germany and New Zealand. 

In 2009 he took on a full-time winemaking role back home at Ridgeview, before being offered the position of Head Winemaker at Gusbourne in 2013 – that role expanded to CEO just three years later. 

However, last year Charlie announced he was leaving this prestigious role to join California-based wine company, Jackson Family Wines, and help spearhead the brand’s own English wine venture, which has included the planting of vines in Essex’s Crouch Valley.

He joins me from the edge of said vineyard in Essex, having just moments earlier planted the last vine in the current phase of this English wine venture to talk about the evolution of winemaking in Kent & Sussex over the past decade, the future for grapes in Essex and why, sometimes, beer is better than wine.

To find out more about what the new Essex vineyard and what's next for Jackson Family Wines' English adventure, follow @jacksonfamilywines on instagram or visit jacksonfamilywines.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. 

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