FOOD + DRINK
MEET THE FACE BEHIND :
JO SMITH
Brand Manager , Wine Garden of England
KENT ’ S VINEYARDS
How did you end up in your role and what does it entail ?
I ’ ve been involved in the wine events industry on and off for decades , and a couple of years ago I struck up a friendship with BBC Radio Kent who were interested in my events for local winegrowers . During the pandemic , I went out and interviewed vineyard owners in Kent and Sussex so they could be featured on Julia George ’ s show . When the Wine Garden of England Brand Manager job became available , I was approached by a number of the Kent vineyard owners to consider working for them . I jumped at the chance – who wouldn ’ t ?
I am a team of one !
Wine Garden of England is a collaboration of eight Kent wine producers who work together to promote tourism to their vineyards , and to Kent as a whole . My job is to make things happen . That usually encompasses marketing , PR , events , strategic partnerships and liaising with the board which includes all the vineyard owners , and the marketing teams .
What does a typical day at the WGoE look like for you ?
No day is typical because there ’ s always something different going on . I work from home doing mountains of admin - anything from ordering marquees for our Summer Festival , Zoom meetings with local authorities , liaising with our social media agency about the next month ’ s activity , chasing vineyards for copy , wine lists and images for our Wine Garden of England Handbook , or maybe a bit of budgeting and bookkeeping . If I ’ m out of the office , I am either visiting vineyards for meetings with the marketing teams , facilitating photo shoots , or representing Kent at English wine events . I work with Visit Kent to encourage overseas tourism operators to include Kent vineyards to their itineraries , so that involves some lively tastings .
Are there any plans for further development and what does that involve ?
We are focussed on building the Wine Garden of England brand this year through various consumerfacing events . Our main event is The Wine Garden of England Summer Festival on May 29 at the iconic Squerryes Court in Westerham . This is exactly the sort of thing we want to do more of – it ’ s an opportunity for us to celebrate and share the success of Kentish wine with as many people as possible . I ’ d like to see my team grow to cope with the increased event plans we have for the future . I ’ d also like to widen our membership to eventually include all the vineyards of Kent , but that takes some planning . At the moment , we ’ re a nimble operation that can make decisions quickly , which is what is needed to gain momentum .
We have to ask … Do you have a favourite Kentish wine / s ?
I have favourites from each producer that I always keep in stock : Schönburger from Biddenden – a fresh , sweet dessert wine that pairs perfectly with cheese ; Leslie ’ s Gold from Balfour – wonderfully moreish , traditionalmethod sparkling wine that has perfectly balanced acidity ; Sparkling Bacchus from Chapel Down – a carbonated Bacchus which I absolutely love ; Guinevere from Gusbourne – a delicious chardonnay , not unlike a Meursault ; Rabbit Hole pinot noir from Simpsons – only the ripest grapes from the best Burgundian clones from the warmest pocket of their vineyard are used for this wine and it is one of the best English pinot noirs around ; Squerryes Vintage Rosé – grown from the coolest vineyard in Kent , the grapes get that much longer to ripen and build up layers of flavour ; and Pelegrim from Westwell – a rich , fruity traditional method sparkling wine with lovely notes of brioche and cream . So good !
© Westwell Wines
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