A winemaker is redefining the art of English sparkling wine.
Cherie Spriggs, head winemaker at Nyetimber, is credited with raising the profile of English sparkling wine globally and proving it can compete with some of the best in the world.
Her success reached new heights last year when she was named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for the second time, with Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum being crowned Champion Sparkling Wine 2025 by the International Wine Challenge (IWC).
Cherie said: "2018 was the first time I got the winemaker award. And I joined Nyetimber in February 2007, so it was just a little over 10 years.
"And that’s the thing about sparkling wine. You’ve got to be patient. It is a slow, slow, slow process. Improving quality in a sparkling wine brand, you’re in it for the long haul… You shouldn’t look at that as a job to do, just for a couple years."
The only woman ever to win the IWC title, and the only person outside France to win it twice, Cherie did not always see winemaking in her future.
She said: "I was one of those kids that even when I graduated university, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.
"I loved science, but I was also heavily into classical piano training. I liked arts, I liked science… I was really torn."
The inspiration came during a trip to Burgundy, France, with her now-husband Brad Greatrix.
Cherie said: "It wasn’t until my now-husband, Brad, and I did a trip to Burgundy, France, where I realised: ‘Hang on, wouldn’t it be funny if we could do a PhD in wine, because that combines the artistic side with science.’
"And I thought, oh, this would be fantastic! It hadn’t even occurred to me until then."
Both trained oenologists, the couple gained experience at wineries across Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
However, it was a request from Cherie’s father that introduced them to English sparkling wine.
She said: "Jancis Robinson had just released her first The World Atlas of Wine, where England got a mention, and said ‘I heard about this sparkling wine called Nyetimber, can you bring me some?
"One night, Brad and I opened it up and went, wow… there’s quality here, there’s potential we haven’t seen anywhere else in sparkling wines, except for champagne."
When considering future career moves, her husband asked what her dream job would be.
She said: "I want to make sparkling wine in England."
It was the right dream at the right time. Both were hired by Nyetimber.
On Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum winning IWC Champion Sparkling Wine, she said: "It was an incredibly proud moment… to have the 2016 magnum topple amazing champagnes that I love and adore.
"It was almost a moment of disbelief; so proud for everyone at Nyetimber we were able to achieve that."
A classically trained pianist, the 48-year-old said music influences how she thinks about wine.
Cherie said: "I definitely think about wine in a musical way."
Describing Nyetimber’s style, she said: "They sit more in the alto and soprano end of a wine, rather than the tenor and bass.
"Of course, we need balance, so there’s a little bit of everything; but the overarching feel for me sits in musical terms as those delicate, pretty upper notes you can get in wine."
Reflecting on International Women’s Day and her own approach, Cherie said: "All I think about every day when I go to work, is ‘how can I do a little bit better than I did before?
"I focus on the work. That’s the main thing. If I don’t let the other stuff get in, that’s my main route forward. Just to try and focus on what I can do, to do a better job."
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