5% DISCOUNT ON ALL 6+ BOTTLE ORDERS (ANY MIX)

Meet the Team

FIONA SHINER – Founder

Fiona spent much of her childhood in Gloucestershire, growing up in Frampton-on-Severn from the age of 6. Following a 'brief stint' of 18 years living in Hong Kong, she returned with her family to the Cotswolds in 2002 and currently lives in Amberley. Although she has long appreciated a good glass of wine, coming from a legal background she never expected to be growing her own.

On hearing of the history of wine in the area as mentioned in the Doomsday book, and following her own research, she planted Woodchester Valley's first acre in 2007. Viticulture and wine-making courses followed, and the first vintage in 2010 showed good potential for the further plantings of what is now a 45 acre vineyard. Fiona's priority is always the vineyards themselves and she can often be found tending to the vines.

JEREMY MOUNT – Winemaker

Originally from near Canterbury, Kent, Jeremy’s family were top fruit farmers (apples and pears); this has naturally evolved for him to grapes and the wine industry. He studied for a BSc (Hons) in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College and since then has worked at prestigious wineries in some of the great wine regions of the world, gaining knowledge of the varieties and production methods required for the challenges of making fine wines in England. His winery experience includes Bluebell Vineyard (England, three harvests as Assistant Winemaker); Chablis (Burgundy); Franconia (Germany); Franchooek (South Africa); Napa Valley (California); Delegata(Malta). Prior to returning to England and starting work at Woodchester Valley in August 2016, he worked for two years as Senior Laboratory Technician at an ISO 17025 accredited winery lab in Marlborough (New Zealand). The climatic variability and relative youth of the modern day winemaking industry in England is what intrigues Jeremy so much about producing the finest possible still and sparkling wines in England.

SUSAN MCCRAITH, MW – Consultant

After thirty years of travelling around the world visiting vineyards as a Master of Wine, Susan never dreamt that there would be such a great vineyard close to home. Susan has had a varied career with a retail background as Senior Wine Buyer at Waitrose for ten years and Board Director of several smaller wine companies. She chaired the English Wine Competition, lectured on a Wine MBA and consulted on an English wine project for the Royal Agricultural University. She is a Trustee of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She says, “The steep Cotswold limestone slopes help the grapes to ripen well here and the wines taste zingily fresh and pure. I admire the way the estate has evolved and the fact that all the fruit comes from their own vines and is produced in a winery they have built on the property. A lot of thought and care has gone into the range which includes still white, rosé and red wines as well as sparkling, so there are wines to fit all seasons and occasions. Coming up here to visit is a real pleasure!"

CHLOE SHINER – Trade Sales

Prior to joining us in May of last year, Aaron was at Bristol fine wine merchant DBM wines and is himself a relatively recent convert to UK wines.

Aaron has been in the UK wine trade for two decades and holds the WSET Diploma with honours and was also the recipient of the CIVC Champagne scholarship. A kiwi born and raised, he moved to the UK in 2000 after meeting a lovely english girl while working on vineyards in Marlborough (NZ). When asked, he will often say that he had to leave NZ because he was no good at Rugby. He also claims to have been asked to play for England… but we don’t believe a word of it.

ABY HARRIS – Corporate & Private Clients

Aby looks after our Private Clients, Corporate customers and is our Wine Club Manager, Happy go lucky, Aby has lived in Gloucestershire most of her life and loves being outdoors. Walking, camping and fireside sipping are her favourite things to do. She has always enjoyed drinking wine but in 2015 found a real passion for it after starting as a Personal wine Advisor at Laithwaite’s wine, she has studied for her WSET Level 2 & 3 in Wine, Level 2 in Spirits and Level 1 in Sake. Having always had dreams of working at a Vineyard, Aby is thrilled to find Woodchester on her doorstep! A keen foodie, she enjoys cooking up different cuisines at home and testing out different food and wine pairings, her favourite of all time being Fish and Chips with English Sparkling Wine! Her favourite Woodchester Valley Wines are the Pinot noir, Orpheus Bacchus and the Reserve Cuvee… why have just one favourite!

Dylan Revie Retail Sales

DYLAN REVIE – Retail Sales & Events, Tours

After spending two years working at sea, Lauren moved to the Cotswolds and began work in the hospitality industry which is where she first became curious about the world of wine. After successfully completing her WSET level 2 course she began working at Woodchester Valley where she completed her WSET level 3!

With a real enthusiasm for evolving her knowledge, Lauren enjoys reading and learning about wine as well as helping out in the winery whenever she can. In her spare time you can find her walking her dog Skip, cooking or exploring new places.

I especially enjoy a glass of Culver Hill whilst catching up with friends.

Elizabeth Woolls Tasting Room Manager

ELIZABETH WOOLLS – Tasting Room Manager

Elizabeth grew up in Stroud. Her adventurous spirit led her to a Kibbutz in Israel and dance school in America. An extensive and varied career in hospitality included establishing and managing award-winning restaurants in the US, in Tucson, Las Vegas and San Francisco. In Santa Fe Elizabeth managed the celebrated Coyote Cafe and was instrumental in coordinating events for the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta. Since returning to Stroud she has expanded her knowledge of wine earning WSET Level 3 with Distinction. Elizabeth has a passion for the history and culture of regional and international food and wine and takes every opportunity to “research” these. Always happy to accommodate visitors, you will find her both in the shop and in the vineyard escorting tours.

My favourite of our wines is the vibrant Sauvignon Blanc.

RACHEL WATTS – Tasting Room Manager

Having grown up in the Stroud area, Rachel started her career in hospitality with a chef apprenticeship with Raymond Blanc in Cheltenham and Oxford. The combination of the educational atmosphere in Oxford, plus a lifelong passion for geology inspired her to complete a BSc hon in Engineering Geology at Camborne School of Mines, Exeter University. Since graduating, she worked for a local geotechnical engineering firm before moving to a local energy company as a Data Analyst.

Rachel has been lucky to have a family with a passion for excellent wine and has traveled to many winemaking regions, especially in France. She has always been interested in fine wines, winemaking and how the geology of a region can have an impact on the style and quality of the wine produced. This led to her complete WSET level 2 & 3 passing with distinction.

Rachel joined the team in the summer of 2021 bringing her many skills to help manage the tasting room. You can find her hosting tours, helping out at the Cellar Door Shop and in her spare moments walking around the vines looking for the amazing fossils that can be found at Woodchester.

“I’m excited to part of such a great team in such a beautiful part of the world. Fizz, food and fossils is what it’s all about!”

My favourite of our wines is the vibrant Sauvignon Blanc.

HARRIET MALLOY – Tour Host, Graphic Design

Harriet has grown up in the Cotswolds area and has had a keen interest in wine since her late teenage years. She splits her time between the vineyard and the skies as she is also a flight attendant for BA where she has enjoyed travelling the world and having her eyes opened to the rich and varied wines so many countries have to offer. She's spent holidays exploring port houses and vineyards in the most unlikely of places and indulged in wine tasting wherever she's been. Having passed her WSET Levels 1, 2 and 3 qualifications, she now has her eyes on a WSET Diploma.

GAIL SHINER – Accommodation Manager

Gail has lived in Gloucestershire since she was 3 years old, when her family moved from London.

Her first job was in hospitality as a receptionist in a small hotel. Gail then went in Banking and worked for The Bank of England Registrars Department before having her 4 children. Having spent many years working in a Primary school, Gail changed from teaching four and five year olds and took on the role of Accommodation manager at Woodchester Valley Vineyard. Gail enjoys customer service and hospitality and is keen to ensure our guests have an enjoyable stay at the vineyard.