In a quiet corner of East Sussex, Jonica Fox and her husband Gerard have built something extraordinary. With a background in advertising, Jonica swapped London for Mayfield and viticulture and co-founded Fox & Fox Vineyard — a sparkling wine producer with a passion for terroir, tradition and time. As Fox & Fox celebrate their 21st anniversary in a sector that has changed immeasurably since they first planted their first vines, we caught up with Jonica to find out more.
What makes Sussex so special?
“There are three things that make Sussex so special for wine,” Jonica explains. “Our terroir, our microclimate and a cultural richness rooted in farming, food and a passion for excellence.”
Small farms and local producers surround Fox & Fox’s East Sussex home. “You don’t have to go far to find someone doing something exceptional — in wine, cheese, meat, fruit or vegetables. That cultural background, enthusiasm and standard of excellence sets the tone for everything and it’s a pleasure to be part of it.”
Why wine?
The idea for a vineyard began, as many stories do, with a glass of wine. “Gerard came back from a reception in London where he’d tasted a Sussex wine made by one of the very few vineyards that were around at the time and said: ‘This is really good. We could do this.’”
With an empty field and what Jonica jokingly calls “an idle wife,” Gerard encouraged her to enrol in a five-day course at Plumpton College. “I came back smitten and knew five days wasn’t enough. I ended up doing the full BSc. That was in 2003 and our vineyard journey began in earnest in 2004 when we planted our first hectare (the vineyard is now larger).”
A pioneering start
Fox & Fox were true trailblazers. “When we planted, we immediately became one of the top 25 vineyards in England by size. Today, we’re nowhere near that — the industry has grown so much. But back then, there was almost no one else in our area.”
From roughly 300 vineyards in the country when they started, English wine has exploded in both recognition and production. “It’s gone from a minor interest when the general belief was that the English couldn’t make wine to a mainstream industry which has international recognition.” she says. “And being part of that shift has been incredible.”
And what’s the journey been like?
“It’s been both a rollercoaster and transformation,” Jonica reflects. “That might sound like a cliché, but my whole emotional state depends on whether the grapes are happy and the wines are quietly doing their thing in the cellar. Gerard and I are anchored to our soil now and deeply connected to the rhythms of the land.”
Working side by side has been one of the greatest joys. “We are a small family business and that in itself is fascinating, challenging and stimulating. We bounce ideas off each other and share the rubbish jobs. One minute you have your strategy hat on, the next minute you’re driving the tractor, but we’re in it together and working together has been both wonderful and life-enhancing.”
Looking ahead
So, what does the future hold for Fox & Fox?
“The future for us will be about releasing new vintages that express the quality of our fruit and, hopefully, bring people joy. We made a decision early on to hold some of our wines on the lees for seven to ten years. That kind of ageing allows us to offer something truly different. That’s exciting.”
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