At the Wine Guild Winter banquet at Vintners’ Hall last Wednesday in London, Chris Roberts and her daughter, second generation CEO Tamara Roberts (pictured), were presented with the award.

The award is “in recognition of their setting and maintaining the highest international standards of quality and tradition in wine making”, according to the guild.

Tamara Roberrts made reference to her father, the late Mike Roberts OBE who pioneered growing Chardonnay grapes in Ditchling, Sussex.

She said: “For dad to have had the foresight to risk it all, and to see where we are now, it is really a privilege to have been a part of that journey.

“Our wines have always had a sense of place and provenance, however the world of wine drinkers was yet to see the full potential of what England was able to produce.

“Two decades and hundreds of awards later, Ridgeview, and our industry is in a place where our wines are not only understood, they are applauded. This award is a humbling reminder of how far we have come as a business, and as an industry,” said Roberts.