Meet the Team

FIONA SHINER – Founding Director

Fiona spent much of her childhood in Gloucestershire, growing up in Frampton-on-Severn from the age of 6. Following a 'brief stint' of 18 years living in Hong Kong, she returned with her family to the Cotswolds in 2002 and currently lives in Amberley. Although she has long appreciated a good glass of wine, coming from a legal background she never expected to be growing her own.

On hearing of the history of wine in the area as mentioned in the Doomsday book, and following her own research, she planted Woodchester Valley's first acre in 2007. Viticulture and wine-making courses followed, and the first vintage in 2010 showed good potential for the further plantings of what is now a 45 acre vineyard. Fiona's priority is always the vineyards themselves and she can often be found tending to the vines.

JEREMY MOUNT – Winemaker

Originally from near Canterbury, Kent, Jeremy’s family were top fruit farmers (apples and pears); this has naturally evolved for him to grapes and the wine industry. He studied for a BSc (Hons) in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College and since then has worked at prestigious wineries in some of the great wine regions of the world, gaining knowledge of the varieties and production methods required for the challenges of making fine wines in England. His winery experience includes Bluebell Vineyard (England, three harvests as Assistant Winemaker); Chablis (Burgundy); Franconia (Germany); Franchooek (South Africa); Napa Valley (California); Delegata(Malta). Prior to returning to England and starting work at Woodchester Valley in August 2016, he worked for two years as Senior Laboratory Technician at an ISO 17025 accredited winery lab in Marlborough (New Zealand). The climatic variability and relative youth of the modern day winemaking industry in England is what intrigues Jeremy so much about producing the finest possible still and sparkling wines in England.

SUSAN MCCRAITH, MW – Consultant

After thirty years of travelling around the world visiting vineyards as a Master of Wine, Susan never dreamt that there would be such a great vineyard close to home. Susan has had a varied career with a retail background as Senior Wine Buyer at Waitrose for ten years and Board Director of several smaller wine companies. She chaired the English Wine Competition, lectured on a Wine MBA and consulted on an English wine project for the Royal Agricultural University. She is a Trustee of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She says, “The steep Cotswold limestone slopes help the grapes to ripen well here and the wines taste zingily fresh and pure. I admire the way the estate has evolved and the fact that all the fruit comes from their own vines and is produced in a winery they have built on the property. A lot of thought and care has gone into the range which includes still white, rosé and red wines as well as sparkling, so there are wines to fit all seasons and occasions. Coming up here to visit is a real pleasure!"

CHLOE SHINER – Finance

Coming Soon...

MARK WHITROW – Retail Manager & Wine Club

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LEON WHITE – Corporate Sales & Tour Host

Leon discovered his passion for wine in the French Alps. He was fortunate to have been offered a job by his landlord, the local wine merchant and soon developed a keen interest in wine and skiing!
Having moved back to the UK in 2016 he continued his career in the world of wine working for Averys wine merchants in Bristol and completing the WSET level 3. A colleague at Averys living near Stroud had mentioned Woodchester Valley Vineyard, Leon got in touch and was offered a post in the autumn of 2023. He looks after tours and tastings, works in the shop, helps out in the winery and is currently looking after corporate customers

ELIZABETH WOOLLS – Tour Host

Elizabeth grew up in Stroud. Her adventurous spirit led her to a Kibbutz in Israel and dance school in America. An extensive and varied career in hospitality included establishing and managing award-winning restaurants in the US, in Tucson, Las Vegas and San Francisco. In Santa Fe Elizabeth managed the celebrated Coyote Cafe and was instrumental in coordinating events for the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta. Since returning to Stroud she has expanded her knowledge of wine earning WSET Level 3 with Distinction. Elizabeth has a passion for the history and culture of regional and international food and wine and takes every opportunity to “research” these. Always happy to accommodate visitors, you will find her both in the shop and in the vineyard escorting tours.

My favourite of our wines is the vibrant Sauvignon Blanc.

RACHEL WATTS – Tasting Room Manager

Having grown up in the Stroud area, Rachel started her career in hospitality with a chef apprenticeship with Raymond Blanc in Cheltenham and Oxford. The combination of the educational atmosphere in Oxford, plus a lifelong passion for geology inspired her to complete a BSc hon in Engineering Geology at Camborne School of Mines, Exeter University. Since graduating, she worked for a local geotechnical engineering firm before moving to a local energy company as a Data Analyst.

Rachel has been lucky to have a family with a passion for excellent wine and has traveled to many winemaking regions, especially in France. She has always been interested in fine wines, winemaking and how the geology of a region can have an impact on the style and quality of the wine produced. This led to her complete WSET level 2 & 3 passing with distinction.

Rachel joined the team in the summer of 2021 bringing her many skills to help manage the tasting room. You can find her hosting tours, helping out at the Cellar Door Shop and in her spare moments walking around the vines looking for the amazing fossils that can be found at Woodchester.

“I’m excited to part of such a great team in such a beautiful part of the world. Fizz, food and fossils is what it’s all about!”

My favourite of our wines is the vibrant Sauvignon Blanc.

HARRIET MALLOY – Trade Sales

Harriet has grown up in the Cotswolds area and has had a keen interest in wine since her late teenage years. She splits her time between the vineyard and the skies as she is also a flight attendant for BA where she has enjoyed travelling the world and having her eyes opened to the rich and varied wines so many countries have to offer. She's spent holidays exploring port houses and vineyards in the most unlikely of places and indulged in wine tasting wherever she's been. Having passed her WSET Levels 1, 2 and 3 qualifications, she now has her eyes on a WSET Diploma.

BELLA EDMONDS – Accommodation Manager

Coming Soon... 

SARAH ALLARD – Front of House

Sarah grew up in Kent and moved to Gloucestershire with her family in 2007 and hasn't looked back. Sarah has had a varied career, working for many years in private dentistry in London where her passion for helping and supporting people began. After having her daughter she worked for a small national support charity managing the day to day running of the organisation, supporting families, running meetings and events as well as fundraising. Sarah joined Woodchester in 2022 where she enjoys working with a passionate and enthusiastic team; you will usually find her at the Vineyard in the office talking to customers on the phone and answering emails along with occasionally helping in the Cellar Door Shop. Outside of work Sarah enjoys getting out in the fresh air walking in the local area, going to the gym, attending live music as well as relaxing with the occasional glass of wine.