In the fourth episode of our latest series The Craftsmen’s Dinner, Michel Roux Jr. visits Ridgeview, an award-winning sparkling wine producer in the South Downs of England, to find out how Simon Roberts and his family are reviving a once dormant national craft.
Specialising in growing classic grape varieties to make the highest-quality bottle fermented sparkling wines, Ridgeview have significantly contributed to the international reputation and popularity now attributed to English Sparkling Wine. We talked to Simon Roberts, the Winery and Production Manager & Director at Ridgeview, about his experience filming with Michel Roux Jr. and what it takes to become a pioneer in the production of award-winning sparkling wine in England.
Has working with other like-minded craftspeople on The Craftsmen’s Dinner impacted your own craft?
Meeting Michel Roux Jr, the other “crafties” and the Rogan Productions crew was a real pleasure and such a great experience. Getting together with like-minded people who strive to produce something of excellence with a focused passion was incredibly affirming. It is easy to get stuck in your own bubble, but meeting people who have a shared dedication shows there are people like yourself who also obsess over each aspect until they know it’s right. The whole Craftsmen’s Dinner journey was immense fun and we had a lot of laughs, but also learnt so much from each other.
How long did it take you to build up your skills to become an award-winning winemaker?
Winemaking as a craft is something that you never finish learning, a cliché I know, but it’s true. Ridgeview have been producing wine for twenty years which in wine-making terms is a relatively short time. I started to learn how to make wine in the vineyard in 1995; by working with the vines I have gathered a great understanding of what is required in order to produce the best quality grapes. My time spent in the vineyard has ensured our philosophy that ‘in essence wine is made in the vineyard’ runs through all aspects of our business. I moved into the winery in 1998 whilst studying at Plumpton College and began training under our original winemaker. Over time I have learnt and perfected what methods best suit our style of wine. I also spent time training in Australia to assist in my understanding of production. In England we have the added advantage that we are able to adopt from both the old world and new world wine regions, which we have then developed into our own techniques as to what suits us the best. The most important part is ensuring we are always learning and improving what we do to produce the best wine we can. As I have now completed over 20 vintages at Ridgeview I have a detailed understanding of our flavour profiles, which is great for creating consistency in the quality of all of our wines.
What does it mean to you being part of such a successful family business?
Being part of a successful family business is extremely satisfying and fulfilling, with the quality of the product being of paramount importance in everything we do. Each of us plays a unique role in creating a wine that ultimately customers choose to celebrate special occasions in their lives with, which is a great feeling as a producer. When my parents began planning this venture 25 years ago, they were one of the pioneers in specialising in the production of quality sparkling wine in England; people had commented in the past that it was not possible to grow Chardonnay in England. Winning global awards for our wine has proven that we can produce sparkling wines and do so to the highest standard. Over the years, more members of the family have joined the business and we have evolved into the company we are today. We are all extremely proud of what our family has achieved and hope to continue this success in the future.
What were some of your highlights of being involved in the series?
A particular highlight of mine was when we were filming in the vineyard with Michel and he was tasting our grapes with great enthusiasm, even though to be honest they did need a bit longer to ripen fully. He seemed to enjoy the last grape just as much as the first, a true professional! Obviously the dinner itself was a truly amazing night, one that I can’t wait to see on film. The evening before, we had dinner with the whole crew, which was great fun and we had the chance to sample lots of top-notch Balvenie whisky. The launch day was another personal highlight, held at Roux in Parliament Square, we got to meet everyone again and it was like getting together with old friends not seen for a long time. The Craftsmen’s Dinner is something that I will remember for years to come, as well as being a tremendous learning journey, the whole experience from start to finish has surpassed my expectations and I will come away with so many wonderful memories.
This episode airs on The Craftsmen’s Dinner YouTube channel on Tuesday 26th April 2016. Watch the trailer for the Ridgeview episode here or subscribe to The Craftsmen’s Dinner YouTube channel to follow the series.
