"Patience overcomes knowledge..."
Let us introduce ourselves. We are an innovative and impassioned winemakers based in Mereworth, Kent, producing award-winning world-class English Sparkling Wine from the fruit we grow in our own vineyard.
The art of winemaking, with all its subtle nuances and challenges, is the blood that makes our heart beat and drives everything we do. We ardently believe that wine grown and produced in England, and particularly from our own vineyard and winery, has all the qualities to make it the best in the world. Proud of our heritage and our roots in Kent, we are determined to continually raise the bar in English winemaking.
As in our founder William Boscawen’s family motto, “patience overcomes knowledge” – exceptional wine takes time. There are years of hard work and dedication behind each bottle of our wine and we want our guests at the winery, and all those who taste our wine, to savour this journey with us.
Forever our constant is the passion to make exceptional drinks sourced from the abundant fields and rich heritage of the land we proudly care for here in Kent. With the traditional techniques of compounding, macerating, blending and aging, we have brought an English vintner’s touch to a range of spirits, made at the winery and beautifully complimenting our wines. We aspire to continue pushing boundaries, redefining the English drinks market and elevating the profile of drinks made in our beautiful corner of England.
Director & Founder
William Boscawen
After a career in Finance & Marketing, in 2015 William returned to his family farm in Kent. With an ideal location to bring his passion for winemaking to fruition, William planted his vineyards within a year of his return, then promptly built his winery down the road at Brewers Hall Oast, all the while spurred on by his aspiration to make Mereworth home to the finest of drinks: English Sparkling Wine.
Over the years, William has been completely immersed in all elements of the journey with a thoroughly hands-on approach to vineyard management and winemaking. For centuries, the land on his estate and surrounding his vineyards has had an illustrious history growing ingredients for the drinks trade. As a source of continual inspiration for William, he has developed a unique understanding of these fields and strives to bring the best out of them, always looking to promote rural business here in Kent.
Head of Production
Scott Gebbie
Born and raised in Kent, Scott’s passion for winemaking has seen him working in wine regions all over the world – Tuscany, California, Oregon, Ontario, Marlborough, Canberra and Languedoc, to name but a few. Having studied a 2 year Masters of Science in Viticulture and Oenology, Scott’s passion for Traditional Method sparkling wine led him to Champagne where he interned with the Comité Champagne’s vineyard research team.
After years of globe-trotting, Scott’s winemaking journey has come full circle, bringing his wealth of experience back to his home in Kent. Scott joined us here at Mereworth Wines in time for our first commercial harvest in 2018, and has proved an invaluable source of knowledge on anything and everything associated with viticulture and winemaking. It is his expertise, alongside his relentless care and attention to the vineyard throughout the year, which all comes together to make our English sparkling wines truly exceptional.
Operations & Marketing
Michelle Fairless
Joining the team prior to the release of our very first vintage, Michelle has been a part of Mereworth Wines’ journey and transformation from wine producer to much more. Having previously worked in gastro-pub management, her appreciation of how locally produced food and drink mesh together in creating a venue, combined with the organisation of a host of exciting events, have brought a new life to the winery and allowed so many of you to step into our winemaking journey, enjoy our drinks and become a part of what we’re working to achieve here.
Combining her passions for words and fine drinks, Michelle is the voice of our mailing list and social media, keeping everyone up to date on all goings-on from Mereworth HQ. Although her previous career as a pub landlady means you’ll still often find her behind the bar…
Bar Manager
Rhys Cooter
Rhys joined us as our hospitality really started to kick off in the Summer of 2022. A dab hand behind the bar with fastidious attention to detail, and a particular flare for cocktails, it was very soon clear he would make the perfect addition to the team. Having previously worked behind the bar in a local fine dining restaurant, Rhys was keen to step up, take on a challenge and bring new ideas into the arena.
An instant hit with our guests, Rhys will most often be the friendly face that greets you from behind the bar when you enter the winery.
