Sophie Evans: The Land Tells Us What It Needs

I first met Sophie in person at La Dive, I think in 2023, where she was standing with her wines right opposite our barrel. I knew about her from rave reviews or books like Honey Spencer's Natural Wine No Drama that praised her as one of the leaders of the "new British wave," and of course, I was very curious about the wines.

I think she was pouring three wines back then, and I was completely captivated by the Pinot Gris, which rarely happens to me. I still remember that wine – it was so lively, structured, and expressive. At the same time, it hinted that it had other facets that it didn't reveal right away—which I think is also typical of my wines. That stuck in my mind, as did the desire to ask Sophie a few questions—so here we are, finally!

Words by Milan Nestarec & Lucie Kohoutová, photos courtesy of Sophie Evans

I will start very lightly, how are you?

Good! The sun has been out a few times this week while I've been pruning and the sunsets have been amazing. The slower pace at this time of year is nice and it's so good reconnecting with the vines.

You are at the forefront of the new British wine wave – if it’s possible to generalise like that? Is there such a thing? I am absolutely not about the boring old narrative mocking wine made in Britain or reducing it to sparkling wine, etc. I think that is fortunately a thing of the past, thanks to young winemakers like you. What’s your perspective as an insider?

The UK is a hard place to access land and the weather can be a pain to grow grapes in, so I think this idea of a wave is more like a very slow rising tide perhaps! Brexit has also really slowed things down in terms of access to help starting smaller agricultural businesses. But saying all that, it does mean the growers here are very committed and really want to be making wine here, despite the challenges.

The community is small, especially with natural producers, and even though everyone is quite spread out there is a nice support system. I had no plans to make wine in England when I first started, but there is something about home which called me back. I think it's worth the effort. And yes, I am very glad there are more producers moving away from – under-ripe and chemical – traditional method sparkling!!

How did you actually get into wine? You come from London, studied tailoring, and worked in fashion for a while. How come you completely changed the industry? What was the turning point?

I have always loved figuring out how things are made, I guess. My late teens/early twenties were dedicated to studying and eventually working with bespoke tailoring and pattern cutting. I loved making clothes, still do. But during this same period I also fell in love with herbalism and was interested in organic farming and what we consume.

Wine wise, my family loves a good party, so there was always wine around and I got a bit obsessed with the connection between what we drink and how it's made. Needless to say, I fell down the wine rabbit hole pretty quickly.

This ´organic´ wine stuff wasn't really connecting with me though, and then a gardener friend told me about biodynamics which I liked the sound of. This led to my first bottle of the stuff called ´natural' wine and it kind of all fell into place.

Is there any pivotal place, person, wine you encountered on that journey?

There was a bar in London called Terroirs which has since closed, but it was there that I discovered these wines that had energy and emotion and felt alive. I was hooked. I wanted to be outside, growing, learning and tasting from these producers who cared for the environment, were doing things differently and were incorporating things like herbalism into their vineyard practices that you could TASTE in the wines. Fascinating. So, I quit my job, travelled around working and studying in order to figure out how I could farm and make these things. This was about 11 years ago now, and it's still ongoing.

What exactly is herbalism – a method, a philosophy?

Using plants as medicines and to keep our bodies generally healthy has always worked for me and been of interest, so it made sense when I was at university studying viticulture oenology that plants could also treat other plants. Anytime someone would tell me I had to use a synthetic substance for something, I would look at where that occurs in nature and use that plant instead. It also makes me feel more connected to the world around me in general and the ecosystem created on the vineyard, too.

Both fields you studied, fashion and wine, are creative activities. You can express your thoughts, worldview, and philosophy through it. Personally, I leaned into self-expression a lot in the beginning, and now I see it a little differently, in the sense that expressing yourself in wine is only part of it. It always has to be in combination of the person and the place of origin. There has to be a balance – both should be present, but neither should prevail. Do you feel the same way?

For me, they are both expressions of someone's philosophy, ideas and ultimately a representation of the things we like to look at/drink/wear/consume. Fashion is a capsule of time in a similar way to wine, I think.

They just rely on different things, there are lots of natural elements out of our control in terms of winemaking, and I find working in those parameters really fascinating. And difficult at times. Especially when it won't stop raining!

This human element of wine, of ´terroir´, is really the most fascinating thing to me. I agree that it runs alongside a sense of place, but as producers, we are so deeply part of the story of a place. We walk the rows, we touch the plants, we take care of them. So ultimately, that uniqueness that each winemaker brings to their own piece of land is unavoidable and very interesting to me. I really do believe that we put our energy and emotions in these bottles.

How do you find the right balance so that our creativity and personal preferences influence the terroir in the right way?

I like to keep my winemaking very simple, to represent my farming practices rather than winemaking techniques. Ultimately, if someone else were farming my vines, they would make very different wines through all the different choices they would make, and I find that interesting. Each vineyard I’ve ever worked with always has something to say, though some louder than others!

I do think that when producers try and shape the wines too much, you do lose some of that energy created in the vines, which is why wines made with more messing around and chemicals struggle to feel uniquely of place or of a person, in my opinion. I do find meeting winemakers and realising their personalities really are represented in the wines so interesting. I definitely find that more intriguing than just discussing soil types for sure. Not to diminish their significance though.

You studied enology at Plumpton College and completed your dissertation on the use of essential oils in the field of botrytis. Such a matter could be a standalone interview, especially for nerds like me [laughs]. But for this one, can you give us a short insight into your findings?

Well, it was a lab study that just so happened to be giving me some final results – that would allow it to become a ‘proper´ scientific paper – at the very start of Covid. So the lab was shut down and my botrytis, I imagine, was all thrown in the bin. However, anecdotally I found that lavender had a larger impact on slowing down the growth of botrytis against fennel and marjoram which also had an effect, but the botrytis continued to grow back much quicker post-spray.

I still use fennel, which I found had a better impact on powdery mildew and marjoram in the vineyard now. I make ferments with them, as I have yet to set myself up to make my own oils. Saying that, I always spray lavender post-pruning with a little backpack sprayer, for its antifungal effect. And of course, it makes the vineyard smell gorgeous. There are also lots of other herbs that I learnt work for botrytis, powdery and downy mildew during that research and I continue the trials. I just used those three for my dissertation for simplicity.

You spent some time working in Tillingham, also with Deirdre Heekin at La Garagista in Vermont, and with Melanie and Michael at 2NaturKinder [check our recent interview with Michael here btw], where you made your first wines. Looking back today, what influenced you the most? Is there one particular moment that stuck in your memory, something that shaped your perspective going forward?

I remember being totally fascinated with Deidre's approach to farming; when I was in one of her vineyards for the first time with all the herbs growing underneath the rows and into the vines, that was a lightbulb moment for me. Especially the daisy fleabane that grows there naturally, but has antifungal properties. It was so different from what I'd been taught in school, even in terms of the plants interacting with the vines physically.

It changed my perspective on not only the essential oils from surrounding plants being beneficial but that it’s OK for the vines to interact with neighbouring plants in terms of disease pressure, which I still love today. I also very much loved Michael's approach to manual labour, using scythes and manual tools. To increase this human connection to the vineyards always made sense to me and sticks with me today a lot, too.

You farm in Ashford, Kent – what kind of terroirs you have there?

I started off with just one site, but now have three different ones and, of course, they all have their own personalities and needs. One is planted on an old cow farm with a lot of clay soil, so it grows like crazy and is a lot older. I have been working hard to recover this site as it was abandoned for a while.

The other two are babies planted on steeper slopes with more chalk and flint in the soil. I didn't plant them myself and they are all vinifera, but I am involved in planting some hybrids at the moment. I really think this is the future of viticulture here, at least as a percentage of what's growing. Ideally, I want to cut out sulphur – I haven't found it possible to get rid of it completely, so planting resistant hybrids is a move towards that.

How would you describe your farming methods?

The main things that are important to me are my herbal remedies for the vines which mostly are teas and ferments now of different kinds to keep the vines healthy and combat disease pressure, and also leaving the soil alone. I feel strongly that the land tells us what it needs if you just pay attention. The plants used for teas and ferments are all grown on site and I really enjoy treating the plants like this. You can see them react to certain sprays which I love.

I also really try as much as I can to not bring negative energy into the vineyards. I think this is transferred into the plants and the wines. I do most things by hand apart from spraying and the occasional mow. It was a big day when I finally bought myself a tractor and retired the backpack sprayer!

You work with 3 hectares now – is that enough or do you happen to also buy fruit, from time to time? I reckon finding organic grapes in the UK must be quite a challenge, given the weather…

I have made negoce wines in 2023 as it was a bad year for me and I lost a lot of fruit. You're right, it is hard to find organic and biodynamic grapes in the UK, but I would never consider making wine from conventional fruit. So I bought the grapes from a friend who farms organically++. I also love to go back and visit friends where I used to live and work in Germany and will occasionally make wine from grapes they farm. But generally, going forward, my wine will be made with grapes that I have farmed myself.

The 2025 vintage was possibly the warmest in the history of British winemaking. How did you deal with it? What did it teach you?

It was so lovely to have the warmth! It came with a very early harvest for the early-ripening varieties, so that was a bit of a panic. Fruit was ready the second week of September, which is unheard of here, but being in England, it finally started to rain at the start of September. A lot! So It was a bit of a difficult start with diseases setting in.

Ripening is normally extended here as we don't have as much heat and sunlight, so it was unusual to be harvesting mid-September. Normally I start in October. But the sun did come back and harvesting in t-shirts is nice!! It was the antithesis of the 2024 vintage where it rained most days from spring all the way through to the end of harvest, so I was on the tractor spraying a silly amount and it was very difficult getting the fruit to ripen. So, in comparison, 2025 was a lovely year to grow grapes in England.

Sustainability, reducing the carbon footprint, upcycling, and dealing with waste is a huge topic for us winemakers. In the fashion business, the waste situation is perhaps even worse. Can you think of some sustainable practices or ideas from the fashion industry that could be applied to winemaking but it is not being done because of stereotypes, laboriousness, etc.? Looking for some cross-pollination here, haha.

Since my first vintage here in 2022, I have been using second-use bottles from wine bars in London to bottle my wines. More producers are interested in doing this, but it is laborious even when someone else is cleaning them for you. I would love it if we could get a centralised hub in the UK dealing with this so we could create a closed system. Famously, British people drink quite a lot! [Laughs]

I and a few of the winemakers here work with our distributor Under the Bonnet to use second/third/fourth use cardboard boxes. It seems ridiculous to me that they often only get used only once. In terms of stereotypes, there is a way to go with consumers wanting everything to look new and polished. There is often a feeling that if packaging looks a bit tired it is immediately worth less – which of course is not true!

How do your customers react to the fact that you use second-hand bottles and cartons? I can indeed imagine the stereotypes and must admit that balancing ecology with aesthetics (as well as the economic side of things) is an ongoing debate for us at Nestarec – and for many of our colleagues, too.

I think people quite like the second-use bottles as they look interesting on a shelf – you will occasionally get a bottle that has a fun engraving or some other quirk. In terms of perception, I haven't heard anything negative – yet! The only problem is that it can be tricky with packing boxes and pallets, there is still some logistics to figure out. I do think things are moving forward, there is so much waste it's crazy. I think people understand that we have to start doing something, even if it is a small thing.

We are living in very interesting times – full of changes and only those who can accept that and adapt will survive. Yes, it is still about good wine that is grown and produced “normally” – I mean normal for us, i.e. without the use of additives. But that, IMO, is a standard in our community, not a unique selling point anymore. Which is great because that's what we've been trying to achieve all these years. We’ve come a long way since 2020 or 2015 – but what do you think wine should look like in 2025, so that it meets all today's consumers?

That is very difficult to say, but the hope is that consumers always value the craft of a person or a family. It's a hard time economically at the moment but I have seen a bit of a shift in consumption of people buying less, but better. So I hope that sticks around!

Good wine is made up of many small details, from where you plant the vineyard to who you sell the wine to. What is the crucial moment in the life of wine for you – if there is one at all? Or is it all about our mindset? How do you work with chance? Can you let things flow, or do you need control over everything?

I think making these kinds of wines is a constant balancing act of both of those things. As I work alone, everything relies on me. But also, I cannot shape nature to do my will. Finding that balance will be something I will be working on for the rest of my career, no doubt! I am finding myself much more keen to let wines rest longer and longer (as much as I can) in the bottles, it's a very crucial moment for the wines to find their equilibrium again.

They say we create wines for the community around us. Who are the people around you?

Where I live at the moment is full of inspiring creative people from a lot of different industries. I love the idea of wine as a creative pursuit and that wines can open up the idea that things grown in the land can be significant in terms of that. That farming and consumption can also be a creative choice, and something that can be beautiful or rebellious or that is just generally putting forward someone's ideas.

Where do you look for inspiration for your work? What do you love besides wine?

I love people and conversation and art and history and the environment around me. They all inspire me! I know it's not the question, but when a bottle of wine really speaks to you, there are few things better than that.

You, in turn, are also an inspiration to many. Can you tell us about some rising stars in Sussex and the surrounding area?

I am very excited for my talented friend Sam Middleton to release some wines next year under the name Lambda wines. We studied winemaking together and he's one of my favourite people to chew the fat about all things wine with.

If you had to tell me in one sentence who Sophie Evans is, what would that sentence be?

Someone who loves what she does and wants to continue learning and growing as long as she can!

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