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At Wickhams we’re known for championing English wines. As well as showcasing a huge variety of wines from across the country on our website, each year we host our English Wine Extravaganza in Exeter, and we also sponsor the award-nominated podcast, The English Wine Diaries
We’ve even won awards for our impressive selection, clinching Specialist Merchant of the Year England’ at last year’s International Wine Challenge (IWC)
The English Wine Diaries
Hosted by journalist and wine aficionado, Rebecca Pitcairn, the show features interviews with sommeliers, vineyard owners, hoteliers and celebrities, who talk about how a love of wine – particularly the kind made in Britain – has helped shape their lives and careers.
Having worked as a regional journalist throughout the South of England for almost two decades, first on newspapers and then magazines, Rebecca developed a huge passion for all things local and uncovering hidden gems right on the doorstep.
Away from her professional career, Rebecca had always been fascinated by the work and passion that goes into making wine and how it has the ability to make food – and life – taste better. So, she embarked on the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and is now Level 3 qualified.
In a bid to marry her professional and personal passions, in 2020 she launched online wine and lifestyle magazine, The Southern Quarter, using the website to document her own English wine journey and encourage others to discover more about this explosive industry. The podcast, which is now in its eighth series, was launched a year later.
“I launched the podcast to document the stories of some of the amazing people I’ve met since founding The Southern Quarter,” she explains. “UK consumers are starting to appreciate the wine produced on our doorstep more than ever before, but I think we are still only beginning to scratch the surface.
“By delving into the stories of those who work so hard behind the scenes of this burgeoning industry, I hope to open up the world of English wine to many more people.”
Who has appeared on the Podcast?
Rebecca’s guests on the show have included vineyard owners and winemakers like Cherie Spriggs, from Nyetimber in Sussex; Fergus Elias from Balfour in Kent; Simon Roberts, owner of Hattingley Valley in Hampshire; and Lucy Hulland, from Huxbear in Devon.
She has also welcomed guests, such as Hotel du Vin and Pig Hotel group founder, Robin Hutson; wine broadcasters and experts Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Suzi Atkins; and even our very own founder, Dan Farrell-Wright.
How can I listen to the podcast?
The next series of The English Wine Diaries starts in January 2024, but you can catch up with previous episodes on most podcast directories, including iTunes, Spotify and Google.
Subscribe to be the first to listen or follow @thesouthernquarter on Instagram for news about upcoming guests.
