We know, we know—this episode is a bit late! With Lee off on a well-deserved summer holiday, Ferg took over the editing duties, which somehow turned into a 10-day epic. But, as they say, good things come to those who wait! In this season finale, Ferg and Jack take the reins for the second part of our deep dive into the history of wine. From the Romans’ questionable attempts to cultivate vineyards in chilly Britain to the Dark Ages, where viticulture all but vanished, our dynamic duo explores...

The end is nigh, after 7 months and 42 episodes season 3 of The Maker and The Merchant is finally coming to a conclusion. Fear not however as we have two more episodes to share with you as we bring this season to a close prior to our summer break. Unfortunately Lee misread the communication from TM&TM hr and has already started his summer hols. Fortunately Ferg was joined by the inimitable Jack Merrylees, Marketing director at Balfour Winery and general history buff. This week Ferg and...

DEMOCRACY! We love it. Especially when it goes our way…and involves wine. But do democracy and wine meet anywhere? Sure, the Greeks drank plenty of wine and invented the concept, but what about today? Where are the winemaking heroes prepared to put big decisions back in our hands? Wait…should we leave non-experts to make such large and groundbreaking decisions? One man who has proved democracy is alive and well, and can be found in the wonderful world of wine is Alex Brogan (not an IWSC 30...

Welcome back dear listener. You can’t help yourself can you? Following the ENORMOUS success of our English Wine Week series, Ferg & Lee review the week itself. From the big news of the week, to the announcement of the Wine GB awards, we name our favourites and highlight once again the exciting world of English Wine. Lee then raises of the question of just where to have a good wining and dining experience in Oxford. The city may be a seat of culture and learning, and be home to many great...

In this week’s emergency episode, Fergus delves into the latest industry statistics released by Wine GB, accompanied by the wonderful Phoebe French, communications manager at Wine GB. Unfortunately, Lee couldn’t join the podcast this week as he found himself unexpectedly detained by Sussex Police on suspicion of attempting to “float a winery out to sea.” While this peculiar incident has temporarily sidelined Lee, rest assured he’ll be back with us next week to share his unique...

1,000 downloads in a month. IN A SINGLE MONTH! No, we’re not harvesting stats from some Russian bot farm, these are all from you. Our dear Listener. How can we say thank you? We, we thought we’d say thank you by continuing to record our absolute nonsense. This week opens with thoughts about the new snooker season and crying in the streets. However, we quickly get into things as Ferg shares many details about his recent ’study’ trip to Alsace. From the impact of climate change to discovering...

TM&TM Langham are 15 Does the child of two MWs become an MW cubed? What should you have at Cobham services? Why are there so many Starbucks at service stations out west? Why are the boys in the Langham disgorging hall? What is the ethos at Langham and why is it so special? All will be explained in this one-off special episode to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Langham, featuring the second-youngest head winemaker in the country, Tommy ”Bloody” Grimshaw. #EnglishWine...

It’s a shame someone has to go last in these mini series. But, we have saved a big hitter and one of our favourites for you. In today’s concluding episode we talk to Marie Davies of Stopham fame. Synonymous with this excellent producer, you may think that Marie has been there from the start. Marie talks us through her journey into wine and the industry, and how she became so innately connected and vital to Stopham (and English wine generally) Then by exploring the story of Stopham, and their...

For today’s English Wine Week episode we head to Berkshire, to a place that is only 45 minutes from Paddington station. Who would have thought there would be vineyards so close to London? We have a world of vinous riches on our doorsteps in the UK and today we talk to the wonderful Mark Darley, the man behind All Angels Vineyard. Trading a life in the city and a ‘commute next to someone’s armpit’ for ‘a 3 minute walk with 3 labradors’ seems like a pretty good deal to us, and this is exactly...

As we hurtle towards the end of English Wine Week there is still plenty of time for everyone to get involved. With the weekend around the corner surely it’s time for a glass of something English. But do you stop to consider the world behind the glass? When were these grapes planted? Who is working them and what are the challenges? Just what would drive someone to undertake such a challenge? Today we talk to the joyful and joyous Phil Harris from Natalia Harris. Phil’s journey began as a...

What’s cooler than being cool? Being an awesome English wine grower making something unique, exciting, and boundary pushing. Or as Andre 3000 summed it up…’ice cold’. Charlie quoted Gareth Maxwell when he told me “B*ll*cks, what can go wrong?”. Charlie takes us on a wonderful journey through the incredible history of this piece of land – a history that involves Henry VIII, the Canadian Royal Air Force, Peter Dominic…and even AC/DC (just about). Anyone else got that in their English wine...

So far this week we’ve talked to chief executives, makers, marketers, and retailers…we now turn our attentions to competitors. Or rather, competition organisers. For the last 8 years the Independent English Wine Awards (IEWA) has flown the flag for this growing industry, and its many varied and dynamic producers. Lee himself holds the privilege of having judged, and served as a panel chair, and multiple occasions but this time, we get the down low, the intel, the facts from the founder of...

For several years now, Lee has talked about his heroes, specifically his wine heroes, more specifically his wine superheroes. There is an equivalent to the Bat Signal in this world of English wine, and it takes the form of Sarah Massey and Lyme Bay.   We have been incredibly fortunate to grab a few minutes of Sarah’s time and here we explore her journey into wine and how she has become not only a stellar winemaker, but a serious role model for young women in the industry. There is much more...

It’s all very well and good talking about the amazing producers, sites, and fruit England now has in its armoury. It’s also fun talking about marketing and comms (hear yesterday’s episode) but who is on the front lines? Who is going out into the real world of UK wine consumers and fighting the good fight to get as many great wines in front of them as possible? We have some great retailers of wine in the UK and in today’s episode we spend some time chatting to the wonderful James Hawkins of...

Like any decent minded individual we bloody love Dan Kirby. A font of wisdom and knowledge, MW student, and Brand Ambassador for Flint Vineyards. We get straight into it by asking Dan to give us the intel on Flint but the conversation quickly moves into the realm of consumer attitudes, expectations, and how we can better build comms and engagement. With Dan’s trademark insight and wit we look into where English wine is currently and examine the opportunities for growth. All of this weaves...

Who better to talk to at the beginning of English Wine Week than Nicola Bates? The Chief Executive of WineGB very kindly found time in her ridiculously busy schedule to talk to us. Nicola talks us through the vital work of WineGB and explains the many different complex areas in which this organisation works. We assess the impact on plans of the sudden election campaign and discuss how to move forward during these turbulent times. Nicola also explains the key areas of focus for WineGB and...

TM&TM:EWW Hot on the heels of Welsh Wine Week and the internationally* successful TM&TM: WWW Ferg & Lee are delighted to kick things off for English Wine Week. A huge celebration of all that is great about English wine. Well, not all, because we can’t fit that in. Over the course of English Wine Week we will be talking to the makers and shakers, the groovers and movers, the people who make English wine tick. This is a dynamic and exciting scene filled with vibrance, creativity,...

Amazingly following last week’s debacle, Tom of Paso Primero (and Guardian snack feature) fame has returned to TM&TM Towers! At least this time he was prepared for a recording that had no plan, no understanding of how to conduct a tightly structured interview, and two presenters he described as ‘duelling banjos’. This time we delve deeply into the wines crafted by Tom’s own hands (and jocks). Thanks to the magnificent Online Wine Tasting Company, Ferg and Lee each had 6 of Tom’s wines to...

How does a Shrewsbury boy achieve fame through the medium of savoury snacks and The Guardian newspaper while simultaneously being a rock start winemaker in Spain with a cult following? All this will be explored, and much more, in Part I of TM&TM’s interview with Thomas Holt A.K.A. Mr Paso. The winemaking genius behind Paso Primero started life as a potential kickball star before discovering booze. Or he was injured or some other excuse. Before long he was headed to University where his...

We round out our series on Welsh wines with a look to the future. While there are now many established vineyards in Wales, it is still new territory with new plantings and producers popping up all the time. One such producer is St. Hilary. Planted in 2021, their first harvest took place last year, with the first wines expected imminently. Liz explains where the dream originated, what they planted, and their hopes for their wines, and those of the Welsh Wine industry too. Liz shares so much...

We know what you’re thinking: how does a cool South African end up making wine in Wales? We put this question to Jean du Plessis, head winemaker at Ancre Hill. This is a BIG episode for such a short run time. Covering biodynamics, tisanes, making what nature gives you, how to get good fruit…passion pours out of every syllable.   So settle in and listen to the brilliant Jean share his knowledge, stories, and insights.   @welshwineweek @welshvineyardassociation @ancrehill #WelshWineWeek...

Can you believe it’s already the second Friday of Welsh Wine Week? It’s amazing how quickly time passes, especially when you’re having so much fun talking to the key players in the Welsh Wine Scene.   This adventure continues today with Andy Mounsey from Velfrey Vineyard. This ‘Accidental’ Vineyard is something of a Goldilocks place for growing vines. Andy shares the story of how The Mounsey’s initial plans were rather different, but a visit from an MW finally convinced them.   We then learn...

As we reach day 7 of Welsh Wine Week we’re fully in our stride of talking to the key players and movers and shakers of this exciting and dynamic industry. Today we head to Powys (virtually) to talk to Woody of Montgomery Vineyard. One of the most well known names in Welsh wine with great distribution Woody tells us what makes him, and Montgomery tick. From the UK’s highest vineyards to his approach to blending we learn about their varieties, location, and exercises in fine tuning. ...

Following on from yesterday’s chat with a knowledgeable consumer we head back out into the fields and valleys to continue our exploration of Welsh Wine Producers. Today we talk to Susan and James from Whinyard Rocks. Their story is one of epic romance, troublesome sheep, and altitude. Quite the combination. We learn how they came to plant a vineyard on the Welsh/Herefordshire border and just how diverse their production really is. While one of the smallest producers in Wales in terms of...