You are close to celebrating 20 years of winemaking at Nyetimber - how do you look back over that time in terms of what you and the company has been able to achieve?
I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Nyetimber over the past two decades. I joined just one year after Eric Heerema bought the company and have witnessed the journey from English sparkling wine being a ‘cottage industry’, to now gaining global recognition. Nyetimber itself is now a go-to sparkling wine for many in the UK, and we regularly triumph over top Champagnes in international competitions.
My own story at Nyetimber has been one of many firsts. My husband Brad (Greatrix, senior winemaker) and I, along with Eric Heerema, have made various decisions that have been pioneering for the industry.
In 2009 we became the first English vineyard to produce a single vineyard wine; Tillington, of which the 2009 vintage was released in 2013.
We were also the first in England to produce a demi-sec style in 2012 and the first to produce a prestige cuvée in 2018 with our 1086 by Nyetimber range, which was almost a decade in the making.
The Nyetimber Estate has set the benchmarks for sparkling wine in the UK but also around the world
These wines have defied expectations for England, having won a multitude of gold medals and top awards. For example, 1086 by Nyetimber 2010 won Top Scoring Global Sparkling Wine in the world in a blind tasting by 16 experts at the London Wine Fair’s Battle of the Bubbles in 2025, beating the likes of Dom Perignon and Krug to reach the top spot.
If we can go back to 2007 what were the initial objectives for the wines and the brand?
When Eric Heerema took over the business in 2006, English sparkling wine was not taken particularly seriously either at home or abroad. However, Eric knew that England had the potential to rival some of the top sparkling wine-producing countries in the world, given the right amount of professionalism, infrastructure and investment.
My husband Brad and I shared a similar view before we joined. We first saw Nyetimber mentioned in Jancis Robinson’s fifth edition of the World Atlas of Wine – albeit on the final page before the index! – and when my father offered me a souvenir from a trip to England, I asked for a bottle of Nyetimber having recalled seeing the label. ]
We were alsoimpressed by the potential, so much so that we applied to work for Nyetimber.
At that point, the industry was in its infancy and there was a lot of work to be done to overcome inconsistencies in the wines, as well as a severe acidity in more recent vintages. This applied to Nyetimber as well, and we had a huge challenge ahead in terms of improving the quality in order to ‘justify our existence’, as Eric Heerema often says.
Our aim was to bring Nyetimber wines up to an exceptional level and prove that they could rival the very best in the world; something that has now been proven time and time again in top competitions and awards.
From a brand perspective, the ambition has been to get our name out there and encourage as many people as possible to try Nyetimber, as once they’ve done so, they tend to come back for more.
You have clearly surpassed all expectations - what do you see as being the key step changes in winemaking at Nyetimber over the last 20 years?
Cherie and Brad - the husband and wife winemaking team at Nyetimber
The major step change was when Eric Heerema took over and implemented a commitment to quality. This of course impacted the approach to winemaking, which now embodies total attention to detail and quality control at each step; for example, using only 100% estate-owned fruit, as well as hand-harvesting our grapes parcel by parcel.
Another key milestone was the introduction of our multi-vintage range in 2016. We chose to do this in order to introduce consistency to the Nyetimber portfolio. We built up a range of reserve wines to be able to offer quality and style consistency even in years of challenging conditions, to ensure we were producing a consistently high-quality wine that everyone knows and loves.
What are you most proud of?
Cherie Spriggs is rightly proud to be the only woman to have won Sparkling Winemaker of the Year twice at the International Wine Challenge
Without a doubt it has to be winning Sparkling Winemaker of the Year twice at the International Wine Challenge. I was first awarded the title in 2018, when I was the first woman and the first winner of the trophy from outside of Champagne. I won the award again in 2025 and remain the only woman to have ever won the award in over 30 years of the history of the trophy.
How would you describe your winemaking philosophy and has that changed over the last 20 years?
Our winemaking philosophy has always focused on creating outstanding wines with a distinguished fresh, fruit character and elegance, complexity, harmony and balance.
I have always believed that the sign of a truly great wine is its ability to stand the test of time; a test that we feel Nyetimber passes with flying colours. Some of our earlier vintages are still drinking beautifully, such as our Blanc de Blancs 1992, 1996, and 2009 vintages
Where do you take your inspiration from - other producers, winemakers,countries of regions?
I take my inspiration from top quality international wines, and this could be from pretty much any top winemaking regions in the world.
Outside of the winemaking world, as a classically trained pianist, I draw many parallels between the worlds of wine and music. I often think of blending wine in musical terms to create the perfect harmony.
What do you see as the big outstanding opportunities for Nyetimber in terms of the wines and styles of wine you are able and want to make?
Cherie Spriggs is proud that Nyetimber is now sold in the finest restaurants all around the world
We don’t currently intend to make different styles of wine; rather our focus is on crafting the best possible quality wines within our current range. Of course, one of the biggest unknowns when it comes to consistent quality is the English climate, and we have to take each year as it comes given every harvest produces very different characteristics.
How do you see the market for English sparkling wine and where and how you see the business and the brand growing?
Everyone in the sparkling wine industry is aware that the market is currently challenging, but we have fantastic relationships with our off- and on-trade customers and work very closely with them to ensure Nyetimber is being enjoyed by as many people as possible.
It’s wonderful seeing Nyetimber in top restaurants and bars that decades ago would never have considered stocking us. For example, we recently gained a new listing with the Chancery Rosewood, which was one of London’s most anticipated new openings in 2025.
There are also strong opportunities internationally, with 20% of our wines being exported to 23 international markets.
Norway is the largest international market for English sparkling wine overall, and we are seeing impressive results there for Nyetimber. This is partly due to being sold by Vinmonopolet – the government-run alcohol stores – which is where most of our sales volume comes from. It helps that Norwegian cuisine is well-suited to our style of wines, with their fresh flavours and high acidity pairing beautifully with seafood.
Germany is also one of the biggest sparkling wine markets when you look at consumption per capita. There has been a rise in premiumisation in the country which has led to people seeking out higher quality sparkling wines, such as Nyetimber.
Asia is a very exciting region for us, offering lots of opportunity for growth. We are already available in a range of Asian countries such as Japan, China and Korea; all of which hold quality packaging, liquid and brand in very high regard. We are constantly looking to expand in this region, along with in markets such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi and recently appointed a group head of sales for Asia and the Middle East to help do so.
On a global scale, we have also had great recent success in global travel retail. In 2025, we became the first prestige cuvée English sparkling wine to be served on an airline, with a new listing for our 1086 by Nyetimber range in British Airways First Class. We also launched a sampling activation for Nyetimber at Heathrow in Terminals 2 and 5 at the end of last year to help increase sales in this channel.
How do you regard the rest of the English wine industry and what have been the biggest changes and developments that you think have had the biggest impact?
Nyetimber has been able to make its name through its wines but aso through its high profile sponsorship of many sporting and cultural events
Over the last 20 years we have seen a huge rise in the number of English wine producers, many of whom also have a strong presence on the wine lists of high-end restaurants, hotels and bars both at home and abroad. Many of our peers are also winning top awards and reviews from industry experts, all of which helps prove to consumers that English sparkling wine can compete on the global stage and should be taken seriously.
We see this as a big positive for the category as we are building the English sparkling wine industry together.
What do you see as the biggest challenges that the industry as a whole has to overcome?
One of the key challenges we have is to convert traditional champagne drinkers to English sparkling wine. The best way to do this is to encourage them to try our wines, as once people taste Nyetimber they are quickly convinced of its quality.
How does it do that?
On top of securing strong off- and on-trade listings, we encourage trial by placing Nyetimber at the heart of relevant cultural moments. For years Nyetimber has played an iconic role in the British summer, activating at events such as Henley Royal Regatta and Queen’s Tennis, and last year expanding to becoming the Official Sparking Wine to British Cycling and England Rugby, allowing us to reach different audiences.
We also partner with a variety of British institutions such as the National Theatre, Design Museum and National Gallery.
Blind tastings and awards are also hugely powerful when it comes to converting any quality sceptics. In 2025, Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum was awarded Champion Sparkling Wine at the International Wine Challenge, becoming the first wine from outside of Champagne to have ever won this award.
We are about to celebrate International Women’s Day - do you recognise your role and your responsibility as a woman to help other females make a career in wine? If so how?
Cherie Spriggs is quick to praise the vision and ambition of Nyetimber's owner and founder Eric Heerema
I hope that the awards that I have achieved over my time at Nyetimber, particularly becoming the first woman to have won Sparkling Winemaker of the Year, help to inspire a new generation of female winemakers.
What outstanding ambitions do you have?
Really, my ambition is to continue producing exceptional sparkling wines at Nyetimber; and in doing so, to help build the reputation of Nyetimber and the industry more broadly.
Which parts of the winemaking world would you like to spend more time in and why?
Outside of Nyetimber, of the classical wines I enjoy red Burgundy, with Volnay having a particular soft spot for me. I also enjoy a good Chablis, Barolo, and also some unconventional choices such as a Gewurztraminer from the Okanagan. I would love to spend more time in any of these regions.
Who has had the most impact on your career?
My professor during my master’s degree gave me an incredible opportunity to taste the top wines in the world – including ’61 Lafite - during the formative years of educating my palate. My time with the winemaking Drouhin family in Oregon also left a very strong impression. They are very fundamental in how I approach a variety of things.
* You can find out more about Nyetimber here.
