Ben established Flint Vineyard in 2016 after completing a degree in oenology and viticulture in Sussex then learning the winemaking ropes in France, California and Greece. Based in the Waveney Valley near Bungay, the vineyard has gained a reputation for producing some of the best English wines using innovative methods to push the boundaries of what is possible in the UK. Ben speaks to Gina Long...

What is your connection to East Anglia?

I wanted to move to East Anglia because it has the best climate for producing wine in the UK - dry, sunny and warm.

What is your East Anglian heaven?
A holiday in North Norfolk. It's a lovely place to relax with family, eat well, walk and take in the beautiful scenery and is pretty much as far as anyone living in Norfolk needs to travel.

What is your East Anglian hell?

Drivers who can't figure out that it's really not worth tailgating you and rushing to overtake as they'll only be another tractor a few miles up the road - just learn to chill out - you live in Norfolk!

What are your favourite East Anglian restaurants?

Farmyard and Benedicts in Norwich, Socius in Burnham Market, The Fox and Goose in Fressingfield and The Wildebeest in Stoke Holy Cross.

What’s your favourite East Anglian landmark?

Croppers Barbers in Norwich.

What’s the best thing that happens in East Anglia every year?

My band, Yield, play the Summer Solstice at Old Hall Farm Shop in Southwold.

What's your specialist Mastermind subject?

The history of the Fender Stratocaster.

What is always in your fridge?

Leftover lentil salad.

What’s your simple philosophy of life?

Why worry?

What’s your favourite film?

The Back to the Future trilogy.

What was your first job?

Paperboy.

What is your most treasured possession?

My latest guitars - currently a USA Strat Plus and a Charvel Guthrie Govan.

Who do you admire most?

Tony Milanowski - ex winemaking lecturer at Plumpton College.

What is your biggest indulgence?

A big bowl of peanuts - a really big one!

What’s your worst character trait?

Inability to like myself very much.

Best day of your life?

Probably something involving a fishing trip with my best mate Graeme.

What’s your favourite breakfast?

A full English.

What’s your favourite tipple?

A nice session ale.

What’s your hidden talent?

I make excellent pizzas.

What’s your earliest memory?

I've forgotten - but I do remember dropping a concrete slab on my toe when I was very young.

What would you like played at your funeral?

A nice guitar solo by Trey Anastasio.

Tell us something people don’t know about you?

I'm a secret hair metal fan.

What’s the worst thing anyone has ever said to you?

You have to have talent to be a winemaker!

Tell us why you live here and nowhere else?

Because it's great for growing grapes and once you move to East Anglia you never leave...do you?

What do you want to tell our readers about most?

English wine is really exciting at the moment and at Flint we've got a lot of great wines coming out. Keep your eyes peeled for our Pinot noir in 2023 as well as the growth of our Charmat method sparkling rosé, a lovely aperitif which I would love to be on the wine menus by the glass all over the place.

flintvineyard.com

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