The English Wine Diaries
The English Wine Diaries is a weekly interview series with Rebecca Pitcairn, writer, editor and English wine expert. Each week Rebecca is joined by a special guest from the world of wine (and beyond) to talk all about their English wine journey. From sommeliers to vineyard owners, hoteliers and some rather familiar faces too, discover how a love of wine – particularly that made on British soil – has helped shape their lives and careers. www.englishwinediaries.co.uk.
The English Wine Diaries
Episode 107 - Lucy Alford, The Dell Vineyard
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Joining me on today’s episode of the English Wine Diaries is Lucy Alford, from The Dell vineyard, in Monmouthshire.
Lucy and her husband, Dan, planted 5,000 Pinot Noir and Solaris vines on their family farm between the Usk and Wye Valleys in 2022, and have recently added a further two acres of Cabaret Noir, Pinot Meunier and Souvignier Gris.
Their dream of owning a vineyard started some 10 years earlier when, after getting married, they spent six-month traveling around the Southern Hemisphere on honeymoon and fell in love with wine.
Life ensued and with busy careers as an ICU nurse and graphic designer working in Bristol, and then the birth of their first child, Rowan, owning a vineyard seemed like a pipedream.
Until 2021, when the pandemic hit and the toll it took on Lucy, who was working on the frontline, signalled it was time for a new direction.
Just three weeks after deciding to make the leap, Lucy and Dan began leasing an existing vineyard in Monmouthshire, while preparing to plant their own on Dan’s family farm.
Now, with a fully established vineyard – and with a second little on in tow – the family has a portfolio of still and sparkling wines, including their rose, which was heralded best still wine in Wales at the 2025 Welsh Wine Awards.
Keep up to date with the goings on at The Dell by following them on Instagram @thedellvineyard or visiting thedellvineyard.co.uk.
This episode of The English Wine Diaries is sponsored by Rankin Bros & Sons — trusted suppliers of corks, closures, and packaging solutions to the UK wine industry since 1774. To learn more about how Rankin is supporting the future of British wine, visit rankincork.co.uk.
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