DANIEL MORRIS CHATS TO LUCY THOMAS WHOSE BUSINESS – BEST BRITISH BUBBLY – FLIES THE FLAG FOR HOME-PRODUCED WINE AND WAS INSPIRED BY A VISIT TO A COUNTY VINEYARD
They say that ‘life is much too short to drink bad wine’ and also that ‘while beer may be made by man, wine is made by God’.
Staring down the barrel of a new year of opportunity then, we’d better be sure to put our best foot forward and give the ‘di-vine’ drop its due – particularly as help is on hand to point us toward some of the best, and because this may be closer to home than you had ever realised…
Proud to be based in the Midlands, self-described “vineyard-visiting veteran” Lucy Thomas has made it her mission to help connect all of those who enjoy a tipple with some of the finest vino on the planet – the stuff that’s made right here in the UK, and plenty of it in our fair Shropshire.
Her business, Best British Bubbly, proudly flies the flag for English and Welsh wine tourism, and serves as a wonderful platform pointing enthusiasts toward numerous enchanting UK vineyards whose premises and produce can be enjoyed with a visit.
Qualified with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and a member of WineGB, Lucy began her venture with a passion that goes back decades.
“I had my hen do at Denbies in Surrey back in 1999 when English wine was not really on the radar at all,” said Lucy.
“Fast forward to 2021 at the end of the pandemic, and my sister and I went away to Kent. We visited a vineyard, and we sat there looking at incredible views, drinking amazing wine, eating lovely food and I thought, ‘I can’t believe we’re in England’.
“I started looking and visiting more English vineyards and a lot of people that I told about them were amazed that we even have them. I thought ‘there must be a way of sharing this information and getting people as excited as I am’.”
With this, Best British Bubbly was born – an online resource from which Lucy would not only educate and inform about the exciting UK wine industry, but also offer travel tips to help people plan their visits to producers.
“In 2021 I also visited my first vineyard in Shropshire, which was Hencote,” she said. “This is one of the ones that really gave me a taste for it, and so I spent time researching, visiting others and broadening my knowledge.
“What I now try to do through the website is not only list the vineyards in this country that are open for tourism and produce sparkling wine (those are my two criteria), but I try to share a bit more personal insight as well – hints and tips, including transport advice as well as my review of the experience.”
Though perhaps unknown to most people, wine has been made in the UK since the days of Ancient Rome.
However, it has not been until much, much, much more recently that it has achieved any notable recognition.
For Lucy, modern English and Welsh wine is a way of life – and she is determined to continue to champion it.
“The revival of English wine started with Hambledon in Hampshire in 1952 and developed further in the late 70s/80s,” she said.
“But really it’s only in the last five to 10 years that it has started to really build momentum.
“We’ve got some fantastic winemakers. A lot of people credit Nyetimber down in Sussex with getting it onto the world stage and helping people to recognise that England has the climate to produce world-class wines.
“There have been more and more accolades being won by English wines, and what excites me is that whilst people are starting to know Kent, Sussex and Hampshire as wine producing regions, we’re actually doing a brilliant job all over the country – including in the north and the Midlands – and this needs to be shouted about.”
In this regard, Lucy rates our beloved Shropshire as one of her favourite wine-producing regions, and from her base in Sutton Coldfield, is always keen to pop over to spend time with some of our most talented winemakers.
“Across Shropshire you’ve got some amazing vineyards,” she said.
“From a tourism point of view, some you are able to pop into for a breakfast or a casual lunch and some you will need to book a tour or special event, but they are all lovely.
“At Kerry Vale Vineyard in Pentreheyling, I was also able to ‘adopt a vine’ which is a great way to learn more about the vineyard cycle and the grapes grown right here in this region.
“Many vineyards in Shropshire welcome volunteers during harvest season – that’s becoming a really popular thing to get involved with. I picked ‘my own’ grapes at Kerry Vale and I also volunteered at Rowton Vineyard, just outside Shrewsbury, which is owned by inspirational twin sisters.”
Lucy’s respect for those behind the vineyards of Shropshire and the wider UK knows no bounds, and that’s for one reason in particular.
“I have so much respect for the grape growers and winemakers in this country because the more I’ve learned about it, and the more vineyards I’ve been out to visit, you come to understand that it’s really hard,” she said. “There are so many factors involved and you are in the lap of the ‘weather gods’.
“2025 was actually an incredible year for grape growing. The whole process started earlier because we had all of that beautiful spring weather. We then had a lovely sunny summer which the grapes love, and most vineyards started their harvest earlier than they have ever done.
“Amongst the wine-making community, people are so excited about what the 2025 vintage is going to look like. But in general, making wine can be very tough.”
With this, Lucy is encouraging anyone with a passion, interest or burgeoning curiosity about wine to support their local makers, visit vineyards, try the wines, and spread the word about the joy of their produce.
“I’ve never met anyone who has not been pleasantly surprised (and more often delighted!) when they’ve tried English wine,” she said.
“And it’s not just about loving the taste, it’s about learning the story behind each bottle which adds that wonderful extra dimension.”
And, as it seems, the story of the wine made in our green and pleasant land is only really just beginning.
“There’s so much wine-making knowledge in this country now, and that’s translating into some truly first-class produce,” said Lucy.
“I’m just pleased to be doing my bit to help put more of it – particularly that from the Midlands – on the map.”
To discover more about wine tourism on our doorstep, visit www.bestbritishbubbly.com
