Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot MeunierFounded 1974Lewes and the Ouse valley
Peter Hall planted this secluded valley above Rodmell in 1974 on free draining chalk loam with flint, two miles from the Channel. Cuvees are named for friends and family rather than for vineyard blocks.
Why locals love it: Six acres at the end of a chalk track in a fold of the Downs, making around 10,000 bottles a year and selling most of them by allocation.
Tip: Cellar door collection is by appointment only and there are no tours. Email first, then walk in from Rodmell rather than driving the track.
Rye and the eastern Weald
The cellar door opens Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday afternoons, pouring the Classic Cuvee and a still Pinot Noir with the Brede levels and the sea beyond the vines.
Why locals love it: A 40 acre family vineyard above the Cinque Port of Winchelsea, run by four family members and two staff, well off the Brighton visitor circuit.
Tip: Combine it with the 1066 Country Walk from medieval Winchelsea, which runs past the vineyard on the way down to the marsh.
Founded 1979ORGANIC CERTIFIEDRother valley and Bodiam
Roy Cook's estate at Cripps Corner sells Solaris, a Regent and Rondo red and pet-nats certified organic or biodynamic by the Biodynamic Association UK, with a guided tour, a five wine tasting and a woodland nature trail.
Why locals love it: Sussex has been growing organically here since 1979, on 22 acres of the High Weald that almost no Brighton day trip reaches.
Tip: The tour and tasting is sold as a voucher, so book the date by phone rather than turning up expecting a walk-in flight.
Uckfield and the Ashdown fringe
Still and sparkling wine made at Horam, with a wine bar and shop on site and a tour that walks the whole route from grape to glass before an expertly guided tasting.
Why locals love it: A boutique High Weald producer on the Wealden Wine Trail, where the head winemaker leads the tasting and the grapes come from the fields around the room.
Tip: It sits on the Wealden Wine Trail with Bluebell and Tilsmore, so plan it as one stop of three rather than a single destination.
Ditchling and the northern Downs
Everything is grown, pressed and bottled on the same south facing slope below Ditchling Beacon: traditional method sparkling, a Ditchling still white and rose, and a red and rose vermouth made from the estate wine.
Why locals love it: A single estate family vineyard and winery on the Ditchling slope, two fields from Ridgeview and a fraction of the size.
Tip: The vermouth is only sold at the farm and is the reason to go if you have already tasted your way round the Sussex sparklings.
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, BacchusFounded 2007Pulborough and the Arun valley
Simon Woodhead planted Stopham in 2007 inside the South Downs National Park and works out of a converted Grade II listed Victorian barn, making Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Bacchus alongside a classic method sparkling.
Why locals love it: The county's aromatic still whites come off these sandy soils, not off the chalk, and the tours run only on Saturdays between April and October.
Tip: The winemaker runs the 11am and 2.30pm Saturday tours himself from April to October. Book online, the groups are small.
Founded 2018America BrewerRother valley and Bodiam
America Brewer planted the first vines at Park Farm Oast in 2018 and makes still and sparkling wine there, with vineyard tours, tastings and a Hobbit House to sleep in among the vines.
Why locals love it: One of the newest Sussex estates, planted from 2018 in the Rother valley below Bodiam Castle, and still small enough that the owner pours.
Tip: It sits on the Rother Wine Triangle with Oxney, Tillingham, Charles Palmer and Sedlescombe, which is a full day on its own.
Arundel and the coastal plain
The vineyard below Highdown Hill pours its own wine at weddings and private events rather than opening a daily tasting room, which is why it stays off the standard Sussex wine trail.
Why locals love it: Vines on the southern slope of the Downs between Littlehampton and Worthing, run as an events venue rather than a cellar door, so almost nobody lists it.
Tip: There is no walk-in tasting. Contact the vineyard directly, and walk Highdown Hill above it for the view over the vines to the sea.