Head Winemaker at Gusbourne, Mary Bridges, 32, is steering one of England’s most decorated wine estates into its third decade.
Since taking the reins from Charlie Holland in 2023, Bridges has kept Gusbourne’s trophy cabinet filled while maintaining her focus on the quality of the wines. This year marks a strategic shift back to the Kent heartland after years of a dual focus with its Sussex vineyards. This new chapter sees Bridges and the team spearhead an exciting sustainability initiative in the vineyards and innovative projects in the winery.
Bridges is Gusbourne’s head wWinemaker. She took on the role in late summer 2023, just in time to oversee one of our most fruitful harvests.
Bridges joined Gusbourne in 2018 as a talented and ambitious member of the winemaking team. Working under the mentorship of former chief winemaker Charlie Holland, Bridges quickly made a significant impact. She championed in-house wine analysis, producing data which allowed even more precision in our winemaking. Her eye for detail and finely tuned palate were evident.
Since then, Bridges has continued to hone her winemaking skills and pursue her ambitious work in research and development and analysis. She perfectly demonstrates how precise, high-quality winemaking is the confluence of art and science.
In addition to working across the Gusbourne portfolio of still and sparkling wines, Bridges has crafted several boundary-pushing Winemakers’ Edition wines. Her most recent release, a charity bottling, was a sell-out success.
Before arriving at Gusbourne, Bridges worked vintages across the world, including undertaking an influential internship with Merry Edwards in California. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Viticulture and Oenology from Plumpton and WSET Level 4 Diploma.
