Behind the vine

Elisha Rai - Folc - Kent, England

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

My background in wine was minimal at the start. I trained and qualified as a lawyer, and then went to work in the city but I had a niggling feeling that I wanted to start a business that was female co-founded, with a focus on wine. I loved wine, but it was more of a hobby at the start unlike some other wine producers who may have been fortunate enough to grow up on a vineyard or be introduced to fine wine at a young age. I felt there was a gap in the market for a brand that spoke to the modern generation of wine drinkers, be it older or young, whose values had evolved but the wine industry hasn't quite caught up yet.

From a business perspective, we aim to speak to people who want a wine brand to embrace the values that are important to them: Transparency - where have my grapes come from and how are they produced? Accessibility - the wine world can be very opaque, with closed doors and lots of secrecy and we want our wines to be as accessible as possible. Sustainability is also key along with consistent quality. Aside from quality, I think accessibility is the most important: that there is a wine that has been made with you in mind. For example, Folc is co-founded by a female, BAME person which unfortunately is few and far between in the wine world. There's nothing wrong with caucasian males in the wine world, but the average wine drinker is no longer solely that person.

What story does your wine tell?

Folc is a wine brand trying to reflect modern values. We knew we wanted to produce English wine and focus on heritage. Then it was a question of how we make it happen. Tom and I didn't have the capital to buy a vineyard or winery and produce on land we owned, so we sourced grapes from a co-operative of local family-run vineyards. We want to give back to land where the grapes were grown so we source grapes in and around Kent and East Sussex, work with our winery also based in Kent and its amazing winemakers to create the rosé we're looking to produce. So when you're buying Folc, you are supporting Folc alongside the family-run vineyards and the winery. It's all of these wider positive consequences of you buying Folc which helps to bring our customers in.

Folc is also about instilling a sense of pride. In British culture we're afraid to use 'proud' as a word, but there's a difference between being boastful and putting other producers down, versus trying to see the positive side of pride. You should be so proud that you live in a country that produces amazing quality wine. I’d love for Folc to evoke that you’re part of something bigger, being the English wine movement. English wine is growing, it has so much momentum thanks to our award winning sparkling wine producers, and Folc is trying to do something similar for English Rosé and show the category as harmonious with the Provençals, which are currently more popular worldwide, but adding something unique because of its different grape varieties and tasting notes. Each customer is a part of that movement and is knowingly or unknowingly supporting it!

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

There’s this idea 'I need to be an expert in wine' to choose a wine with confidence or even enjoy it. What I'd love is for people not to feel self-conscious about choosing a bottle of wine or speaking about wine. Yes, there are technical terms because ultimately wine making is a craft and a science, but it's the same as comparing it to a building. You can say I love that building, but you don't need to be an architect to describe it, or have an engineering degree.

I feel like people get so self-conscious, I mean I can too!, but that takes the fun and enjoyment out of wine. Enjoying yourself when you're drinking wine is the most important thing. I want people to have memories of Folc where they have fun. Just like a certain food reminds you of someone or a time, wine is the same. I'd love it if Folc had the power to remind you of the British summertime in a garden with family & friends.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

I really think it's the feeling of bringing people together. Good wine should bring people together and not shut people out. That idea can sometimes get lost in a price bracket or the way a wine positions itself. It becomes exclusive and 'this isn't for you', but really wine is there to be shared with people you love, or complete strangers who more often than not become people you love!

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

I would tell her to see it less as breaking into the wine world, and more that the opportunities are there for you to seize them. For me, it was a lack of confidence that meant we didn't start Folc sooner. It was my own self-confidence, and because I'm a visual person, I couldn't see someone out there who looked like me leading the charge. I think lacking a visible role model makes it so difficult to take that leap of faith but there is a community of women in wine out there who are very supportive and who would encourage any female interested in wine to take that leap.

Another piece of advice is that if you come across someone who says 'no' because of your gender, it's not the right place for you to be working. The ultimate aim is for women in wine to not be seen as unusual - it should be seen as the norm. The fact that people don't question the norm is largely male is where it all stems from. The new normal will be more women in wine!

Who is a woman in wine you think everyone should know about?

Lynsey Verrillo from Blackbook winery. I've only connected with her recently, but she gave me so much insight into the industry. I sometimes struggle with the fact that I didn't come from the wine world and imposter syndrome has a habit of taking over occasionally, but she reminded me of how common this is, and somehow manages to juggle running a London based winery with a full time job, partner and children. She is serious goals!

Where can women find your wine?

drinkfolc.com! Keep an eye out this year for other retailers, too.