Sussex Vineyard Tour by Minibus - pick up and drop off
See the South Downs and enjoy Wine Tasting and local village pubs in a relaxed environment.
Sussex runs from the Hampshire border to Rye, and the seam of chalk under the South Downs is what the county's wine is built on. Estates at Washington, Ditchling, Alfriston and Rodmell make traditional method sparkling from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; the greensand and sand soils around Pulborough grow still Bacchus, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc; and the eastern Weald around Rye is where the organic and low intervention producers are. Sussex was registered as a UK protected designation of origin on 5 July 2022, with a minimum of fifteen months in bottle for its sparkling wines. Most estates are within two hours of London and many run a cellar door six or seven days a week.
Drink your way through Sussex
Wine festivals coming up in Sussex
All Sussex wine festivalsBook wine experiences in Sussex
Brighton: Sussex Wine Region Walking Tour with Tastings
Explore the Sussex Wine Region on a guided walking tour from Brighton. Visit two award-winning vineyards, enjoy wine tastings, and explore the charming village of Ditchling.
From Brighton: Sussex Wine Tour on a Vintage Bus with Lunch
Join a guided tour from Brighton and explore the Sussex wine region aboard a vintage London bus. Visit 2 award-winning wineries, sample their wines, and sit down to a ...
Where to stay
Stay in Sussex
Base yourself in the wine towns: compare hotels, guesthouses and wine-country stays. Prices and availability open on the partner site.
Most estates are a drive apart: car hire from Brighton on VIP Cars
Map of Sussex
Every vineyard, tasting room, wine bar and cellar we cover in Sussex, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Signature wines of Sussex
The iconic bottles that define Sussex.
Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage
Producer: Nyetimber
Nyetimber's multi-vintage blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, more than three years on lees before disgorging. The reference point for the Sussex classic cuvee style.
Price: GBP 42 at the estate
Nyetimber Tillington Single Vineyard
Producer: Nyetimber
Pinot Noir led single-vineyard wine from Nyetimber's Tillington site on greensand, bottled as a single vintage and held about five years on lees. The estate's argument for site expression.
Price: GBP 110 at the estate
Ridgeview Bloomsbury NV
Producer: Ridgeview Wine Estate
Ridgeview's non-vintage blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from Ditchling Common under the South Downs. Citrus and pastry at an entry-level Sussex price.
Price: GBP 34 at the estate
Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose NV
Producer: Ridgeview Wine Estate
Ridgeview's non-vintage sparkling rose from Ditchling Common, a pale cherry blossom pink built on red-berry fruit rather than on dosage, with a creamy finish.
Price: GBP 40 at the estate
Wiston Blanc de Blancs NV
Producer: Wiston Estate
All-Chardonnay sparkling wine off the chalk under Chanctonbury Ring, whole bunch pressed, about three years on lees and finished at 8 grams per litre of dosage.
Price: GBP 42 at the estate
Rathfinny Classic Cuvee
Producer: Rathfinny Wine Estate
Pinot Noir led vintage cuvee from Rathfinny's single site above Alfriston, 36 months on lees at 5 grams per litre of dosage, and certified under the Sussex PDO.
Price: GBP 38 at the estate
Vineyards to know in Sussex
A handful of the estates we send friends to when they are in Sussex.
Nyetimber
Traditional method sparkling producer at West Chiltington working with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Visitors come on pre booked open days rather than to a daily cellar door.
Wiston Estate
Chalk slope estate below the South Downs at Washington, making traditional method sparkling from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with a restaurant, shop and daily tours.
Rathfinny Wine Estate
Cuckmere valley estate founded in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver, with a daily cellar door, a restaurant and pre booked tours of the winery above Alfriston.
Ridgeview Wine Estate
Second generation family estate on Ditchling Common making classic method sparkling from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier since 1995, with drop in tastings and a restaurant.
Bolney Wine Estate
Weald estate planted in 1972, when Rodney and Janet Pratt put vines into a smallholding at Bolney. Still and sparkling wines, a restaurant and year round tours.
Tinwood Estate
Former salad farm at Halnaker converted to vines by Art Tucker from 2007, making sparkling wine from the three Champagne varieties, with tours and vineyard lodges.
Wine country is cheese country
The cheeses of Sussex
Sub-appellations of Sussex
South Downs chalk (South Downs chalk/South Downs/Washington/Storrington)
The chalk escarpment that runs from Hampshire to Beachy Head. Estates sit at the foot of the scarp, on the same seam of chalk that surfaces in Champagne.
Pulborough and the Arun valley (Pulborough and the Arun valley/Pulborough/West Chiltington/Thakeham/Stopham)
Greensand and sand soils north of the Arun, with Gay Street, Stopham and Thakeham within a few miles of each other. Cellar doors here open most days.
Petworth and the western Rother (Petworth and the western Rother/Petworth/Tillington/Upperton)
Parkland country around Petworth where vines share the slope with old estates. Tastings are small, booked ahead and usually held above the vines.
Chichester and the Manhood peninsula (Chichester and the Manhood peninsula/Chichester/Halnaker/West Ashling)
The warm coastal plain between the Downs and the harbours, where vineyards sit on former salad and arable ground and pair tastings with lodges and kitchens.
Arundel and the coastal plain (Arundel and the coastal plain/Arundel/Ferring/Worthing)
Arundel gives the area its tasting room on the High Street, while the vines themselves sit on the southern slopes above Ferring and Worthing.
Horsham and the western Weald (Horsham and the western Weald/Horsham/Lower Beeding)
Wealden clay and woodland north of the Downs. Wine here comes with gardens and country estates attached rather than with a winery forecourt.
Sussex wine, FAQ
When is the best time to visit Sussex for wine?
Peak wine-travel season in Sussex is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
Do I need an appointment to taste at Sussex estates?
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
What hours do Sussex cellars and tasting rooms keep?
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
How does tipping work at Sussex tastings?
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
What is the one wine to try in Sussex?
If you only open one bottle, open Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage by Nyetimber. It is the wine most associated with Sussex.