Yotes Court Vineyard – Interview With Susannah Ricci

There is no denying that English Sparkling Wine is on the rise, becoming an undeniable contender to Traditional Method Sparkling Wines around the world. To the English, it’s becoming a fan favourite and a go-to Glass of Bubbly, its quality is improving year on year and thanks to innovators and those willing to follow their dreams, the choice of English Sparkling Wine is expanding.

In this exclusive feature we speak with Susannah Ricci, the incredible owner of Yotes Court Vineyard, in England, let’s find out a little about her life in the English wine industry.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Susannah, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & How You Established Yotes Court Vineyard And Began Your Journey Into The English Wine Industry?

“As a family, we have lived at Yotes Court since 2010. In 2014, when the farm next door came up for sale, I initially wasn’t interested as I knew absolutely nothing about farming. In the end, I was persuaded that investing in land was a good idea financially so I bought it. At the time it was 140 acres. Of course, then I realised I had to do something with it. Renting it out to a tenant was the safest but least interesting option so, without putting much thought into it, I decided, with advice from my Land Agent, to investigate the suitability of planting vines on the land. It turns out the land and aspect are ideal so we put in 50 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier with the intention of growing & selling the grapes under contract to another winemaker.

After the first harvest in 2018, it was obvious to my vineyard manager that we had an exceptional site. I tasted some fantastic still English wines and, on a whim decided we should plant some still wine vines and make our own wines for sale. Again, it seemed like an interesting thing to do and an opportunity to learn a whole range of new skills. We planted a further 20 acres: Bacchus, Pinot Blanc & Pinot Gris. I still sell the majority of the sparkling varieties to another winemaker but keep some back. As a result, we now have a full range of still & sparkling red, white & rosé wines. We are still trying to decide when to release our first Cuvée 2021 but in the meantime, we do an Early Release, Traditional Method sparkling Pinot Gris. It spends 6 to 7 months on lees so retains a freshness and fruitiness along with the classic brioche notes.

The branding of the wines is based on another of my interests: National Hunt Racing. My horses are trained by champion English & Irish trainer, Willie Mullins and have raced around the world. My jockey silks are pink with big green spots so all the still wines have a big colourful spot on the label which definitely makes them stand out on the shelves. The sparkling wines are similarly colourful and are named after horses that have won big races for me. The Early Release sparkling Pinot Gris is called ‘LiveLoveLaugh’ after my horse that won the Topham chase at Aintree in 2021 over the Grand National fences. The Rosé version, released in summer 2024 is called ‘Lets Dance’. She won the inaugural Mares Novices’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2017.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“My father used to make Elderflower ‘Champagne’ when I was a child so that was my first experience of drinking sparkling wine. In my opinion, it was delicious but after a couple of years my mother persuaded him to stop as so many bottles exploded in the garage.”

How Rewarding And Challenging Is Owning Your Own English Vineyard?

“Planting a vineyard with no viticulture knowledge was a bit of a leap of faith but, with the help of Stephen Skelton initially and my vineyard manager Tony Purdie over the last 8 years, it has proved the most challenging but also the best thing I have ever done. Tony is so passionate about viticulture and regenerative agriculture and I learn something new and interesting from him every day. I find the science of it all fascinating.

The first 4 years were, in hindsight, pretty straightforward, waiting for harvest. Now we have wine to sell I’ve had to get my head around brand, marketing, social media, websites, hospitality, wine sales & distribution and of course the accounts. So the principal challenge is to find the time to wear all the hats and do each of the jobs well.

I never tire of seeing people enjoy a bottle of Yotes Court wine at the Vineyard or enjoying a bottle myself at the end of the day. I still can’t quite believe I’ve done it.”

When It Comes To Pairing Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“I just love a glass of sparkling wine with a canapé. Sparkling wine is so versatile it matches with anything bite sized and delicious.”

What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of Yotes Court Vineyard Look Forward To In The Coming Years?

“At the moment I need to focus on selling the wine we have made. 2022 and 2023 were big harvests for us so I need to up my game on sales. That means investing in staff, constantly looking at and upgrading our hospitality space, engaging with distributors and thinking about export opportunities.

We are looking at the branding & labelling of our first Cuvee and sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé with a view to release late 2024 or early 2025. We are very excited about both these wines.”

Thank you, Susannah, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Yotes Court Vineyard. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.