Precision, Pressure, and Presence: Navigating Winery Production

Enjoy an interactive, informative tasting, tour and panel discussion in West Sussex.

Kindly sponsored by Jascots, this will be a unique opportunity to visit a leading English vineyard and hear from some of the best in the UK winemaking trade.

Our panel discussion will centre on the theme of Precision, Pressure, and Presence: Navigating Winery Production - exploring topics such as technical excellence, harvest pressure, maintaining authority in high-stakes environments, as well as guidance to support a sustainable future in English winemaking.

Moderated by Alice Griffiths, we wil be joined by Zoë Driver - Winemaker at Black Chalk Wine and Emma Rice - Consultant Winemaker. With more to be announced soon.

Date: Tuesday 16th June 2026

Time: 10:30am to 3pm

Venue: Bolney Wine Estate, Haywards Heath, West Sussex

Tickets: £10 each (plus a small Eventbrite fee)

Reimbursement of up to £20 per person for train tickets is available if required. Public transport between Haywards Heath station and Bolney Wine Estate, including the return journey, can also be provided.


Event schedule:

• 10:30 – Arrival (11:00am start)

• 11:00 – Coffee, tea and pastries

• 11:30 – Panel session in the Estate Room

• 12:45 – Buffet lunch

• 13:45 – Estate tour and tasting

• 15:00 – Close



About Bolney Wine Estate

Bolney is a pioneering English vineyard located in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, with over 50 years of history producing award-winning still and sparkling wines. The estate includes a 39-hectare vineyard, which has been under the ownership of Freixenet Copestick since 2022.


Meet our panellists:

Zoë Driver
Winemaker at Black Chalk Wine

After working for Domaine Chandon in Australia aged 22, Zoë became the UK’s first Winemaking Apprentice at Hattingley Valley, progressing up to Assistant Winemaker before taking a secondment to work out in Champagne. She is now Winemaker at Black Chalk Wine in Hampshire, and has produced multiple award winning wines over a 12 year career. She also holds an MSc degree in Viticulture and Oenology, sits on the committee for WineGB Wessex and has recently joined the WineGB working group for diversity, equity and inclusion. @zoedriver1992 @blackchalkwine


Emma Rice
Consultant Winemaker

One of England’s most respected winemakers, with a string of awards and trophies under her belt, Emma Rice is now working as an independent winemaking consultant to both new and established wine businesses in England. Giving her time to the industry she is a Director on the Board of WineGB, and as a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Vintners she represents English winemaking to the wider trade and mentors young winemakers, through the Young Wine Trade Scheme and the Vintners Apprenticeship Scheme, which she initiated in 2016, an via Women of Wine London.


Moderator - Alice Griffiths

Alice is an English and Welsh wine ambassador, writer and communicator with over 25 years of agricultural experience. A weekly columnist for My Weekly magazine, contributor to Vineyard Magazine, and co-founder of Uncorked Magazine, the UK's first wine lifestyle publication, Alice has built a reputation as one of the country's most passionate advocates for homegrown viticulture. Her social media presence has grown into an engaged community celebrating UK wine, blending accessible education with genuine industry support. In 2025, Alice attempted a Guinness World Record by visiting 80 vineyards in seven days, giving her a uniquely intimate understanding of the UK wine industry and its hospitality and tourism offering.