Hi, I’m Scott Davis, creator of UKFizz.
Born in the south of England, I’ve spent 35 years working in marketing and advertising, much of that time in Canada. Along the way, I became involved in the wine industry in British Columbia, helping the British Columbia Wine Association and working on wine tourism in the Okanagan Valley.
Together with my partner Lindsay, who leads research and communications for UKFizz, I’ve been fortunate to travel across North America and Europe, exploring wine regions and enjoying some excellent wines along the way.
Those experiences have given us a real appreciation of the quality and value of English wines, and how well they stand alongside wines from established regions. When we returned to the UK five years ago, we were struck by the talent, the places and the wines being produced here at home.
One thing I love about wine regions is how producers work together. They give people a reason to visit, explore several vineyards and get to know the people behind the wines. Yet English wines can still be surprisingly hard to find on a restaurant list, or to try close to home.
Organisations such as WineGB are doing valuable work to raise the industry’s profile. I see room for something more personal alongside that: a way to help individual wineries tell their stories while connecting more people with British wine.
That was the starting point for UKFizz.
UKFizz began around the marketing and advertising work I could offer the wine industry. But the ambition has always been broader: help more people discover British wines and make it easier to find places that serve them.
I want someone to discover a producer, explore their wines, find a restaurant or wine bar pouring them, or come across a wine event where they can try something new. And if their favourite local restaurant doesn’t serve a British wine, perhaps they’ll ask about it or suggest a producer worth speaking to.
Lindsay Balfour · Research and communications
There are pét-nats, natural and biodynamic wines to explore as well. I’d like more people to feel confident choosing an English wine. Sometimes that starts with knowing a little about the producer, seeing a familiar venue supporting them, or hearing from someone who has tried the wine.
It also means recognising that producers work in different ways. Some have vineyards, cellar doors and tours. Others make and sell their wines without somewhere customers can visit. Both belong in the story.
Our sparkling wines have led the way. There’s a growing story around still whites, rosés and reds too.
Alongside UKFizz, I help wine and hospitality businesses with websites and online shops, branding and packaging, marketing campaigns, and social and email content. That might mean refreshing a winery’s website, giving a new wine a clear identity or helping a venue get people through the door.
It starts with a conversation about what you need. I bring the strategy and creative direction, with specialist support from Twenty3 Creative and trusted partners where the project calls for it. You can explore our services to see how we can help.
I’m often asked what role AI plays in my work. Used thoughtfully, it can be a useful tool, and it has helped with the development of UKFizz.
I have more than two decades of website experience, but the scale of what I’m trying to build would be difficult to manage alone. AI helps me work on the website and forms, gather and organise information from producers’ and venues’ websites, prepare initial profiles and draft communications. It has also helped me shape this story.
I direct that work. Technology helps with routine tasks and maintenance, giving me more time for relationships, your stories and the bigger picture. It also helps us offer profiles that businesses can manage themselves, with submitted changes reviewed before publication.
I’m learning how to combine my wine industry and marketing experience with technology in ways that help wineries and venues save time, tell their stories and focus on what they do best.
We’re still early in the process. We need to understand what people find useful, what encourages them to explore and where UKFizz can make a worthwhile contribution. A profile is a starting point. Helping people discover and support these businesses is the work that follows.
For me, the ambition is straightforward: more people discovering British wines, more venues supporting them and stronger connections between the businesses doing the work.
If you’re a producer or a venue, I’d love your input. Tell me what we’ve missed, what would make your profile more useful and which stories deserve to be told.
A little more to explore
