This video of the Wine Talks British Business podcast is with Tamara Roberts who is the joint CEO & CFO of the multi-international award winning English sparkling wine producer, Ridgeview Wine Estate, established 25 years ago by her parents. Having joined the family business over 15 years ago as General Manager she has played a pivotal role in taking the business from a micro-concern to a significant and growing SME whilst maintaining its status as one of the most highly regarded producers in the English wine sector. Last year Ridgeview were the first English winery to be awarded the coveted "International Winemaker of the Year" trophy at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and more recently Ridgeview were crowned one of the best vineyards in the world, when it was placed number 36 at the announcement ceremony of the World’s Best Vineyards Top 50. In this time of surging interest in English sparkling wine, Tamara and her family believe Ridgeview is uniquely placed to achieve even greater significant success as a luxury sparkling wine brand in the UK market and in key export markets around the World. Ridgeview’s brand loyalty levels are the highest of any English sparkling wine brand; their winery tours are booked up months in advance, and they are having to ration stock among trade customers because demand is consistently exceeding supply. Following in her father’s footsteps, Tamara feels strongly that the English wine industry must have a collective voice and be prepared to collaborate in order to reach its full potential and has taken on Board positions at WineGB and the Wine and Spirits Trade Association to help facilitate this.
This is a wonderful in-depth interview where Tamara talks openly about Ridgeview's journey and explains that it all started from her parents' ambition and drive to produce the finest English sparkling wines possible.