On the special 50th anniversary of the annual International Wine & Spirit Competition Awards in London, Tamara Roberts, CEO of Ridgeview, was announced as the IWSC President for 2020. This is the first time that an English wine producer has been selected as the President, a testament to the rising global status of the English Wine Industry. The president is selected for their stature and reputation in the industry, acting as an embodiment of the competition’s key goal of recognising quality wines and spirits throughout the world. The ceremony was attended by Tamara’s family and colleagues and was indeed a huge cause for celebration.
The appointment is a respected honour and Tamara is excited to be taking on this new role, particularly as the first English producer to do so: ‘It is an incredible honour to be selected for such a leading role in the International Wine Industry, not only to represent Ridgeview but also to highlight the growth & aspirations of our exciting English Wine Industry. 25 years ago, my father started Ridgeview with the vision and ambition that England could produce sparkling wines to compete with the very best in the world, changing the course of the English Wine Industry forever. This is a perfect opportunity to celebrate his legacy and the sparkling future that lies ahead for our industry.’
Tamara joined her family business Ridgeview as General Manager in 2004 and became CEO in 2014. She has overseen the growth of production in that time from 25k bottles per annum to 400k bottles, as well as overseeing the conception and construction of a brand new winery and cellar, which will allow production to double from 2020. Tamara is a qualified chartered accountant and is responsible for the financial management of the business as well as setting and implementing the strategy across all other areas, from grape to glass. As well as devoting herself to Ridgeview, Tamara is very well respected throughout the English Wine Industry and sits on the board of Wines of Great Britain and the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.
In an interview with IWSC following the announcement, Tamara remarked on what could be expected from her upcoming presidency, in particular her desire to bring females in the industry further into the spotlight. She’ll also be highlighting the work involved with being part of the burgeoning English wine industry, particularly ‘the opportunities, the threats, the future, and where I feel our industry is going to move to – and perhaps bring in some of the global issues surrounding the world of wine in terms of sustainability and climate change, which is going to be so high on the agenda.’
Ridgeview will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary in 2020 and over this quarter of a century they have built their reputation as a one of England’s leading sparkling wine producers which was illuminated on this prestigious International Wine stage in 2018 when they were crowned ‘International Winemaker of the Year’ in 2018.
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For further press information, imagery or interview opportunities with the Ridgeview team, please contact Kapranos PR: T: 020 3417 3970
Notes
Ridgeview, nestled at the foot of the South Downs in Sussex in England is a second-generation family company, have been at the forefront of crafting traditional method English sparkling wines solely from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Ridgeview’s wines have been regularly served at a collection of Royal occasions, State Banquets and the official sparkling wine at No. 10 receptions. Ridgeview has been a pioneering force in the stratospheric trajectory of English Sparkling Wine and is pleased to spread further the word of not only Ridgeview wines, but the industry as a whole – from wine tourism to the award winning wines that are filling more and more glasses year on year.