The estates, domaines and châteaux worth the drive in Sussex, from first growths to grower gems.
The estates, domaines and châteaux worth the drive in Sussex, from classified growths to grower gems.
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.
Tasting: Pre booked Open Day tours with a tasting of the sparkling range; no daily walk in cellar door
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.
Tasting: Tours and tastings Tuesday to Sunday at 11am and 2.30pm, with the Chalk restaurant and the North Farm shop
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.
Tasting: Cellar Door shop open daily for tastings and sales, with pre booked estate tours and a restaurant
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.
Tasting: Open 11am to 4pm Thursday to Monday for drop in tastings and sales, with tours bookable all year
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.
Tasting: Open all year, seven days a week, for tours, tastings and the Eighteen Acre restaurant
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.
Tasting: Vineyard tours with tastings, afternoon tea tours and private tours, plus lodges on the vineyard
Estate at West Ashling north of Chichester pairing vineyard tours and tastings with a restaurant, a gin school and overnight lodges among the vines.
Tasting: Open Thursday to Sunday all year except January for tours, tastings, lunch, afternoon tea and stays
Sandy soil vineyard planted in 2007 by winemaker Simon Woodhead, specialising in aromatic still whites from Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Bacchus alongside classic method sparkling.
Tasting: Winemaker tours with tasting every Saturday at 11am and 2pm from April to October, bookable online
Gladwin family vineyard down a holloway lane near Pulborough, with a converted windmill cellar door, a self guided vine trail and Saturday morning tours.
Tasting: Cellar door open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, with guided tours on Saturday mornings and a self guided vine trail
Thakeham vineyard run by Joe Beckett and Rebecca Dancer, open seven days a week, pairing its wines with a farmhouse restaurant and May to October vineyard tours.
Tasting: Open seven days a week for the farmhouse restaurant and shop, with vineyard tours from May to October
Sparkling wine estate near Petworth founded in 2013 by Michael Smith and John Ball, whose tasting area above the vines looks south across the Downs. Booking required.
Tasting: The View tasting area above the vines, by advance booking, plus seasonal experiences
Family owned vineyard and winery eight miles from Brighton, established in 2010, pouring Bacchus, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a tasting room that looks towards the Downs.
Tasting: Tasting room open 11am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday from April to October, with small group tours and cheese boards
Vineyard set in the Leonardslee gardens at Lower Beeding, where sparkling wine tastings and a walking tour run alongside entry to the lakes and grounds.
Tasting: Tutored tastings of three wines and a gardens to glass walking tour, both bookable online
Sparkling wine house founded by Trevor Clough and Jason Humphries, first wines released in 2013, with an Arundel tasting room and fruit bought from partner vineyards across the south.
Tasting: Tasting room on Arundel High Street pouring the sparkling range by the glass and flight
Family owned vineyard off Vowels Lane near East Grinstead, open seven days a week, with a Tithe Barn wine shop and cafe, a wine garden and bookable tours.
Tasting: Open 10am to 5pm seven days a week for the Tithe Barn wine shop and cafe, with bookable tours and tastings
Vineyard on the southern slopes of the Downs between Littlehampton and Worthing, run as a weddings and events venue pouring its own wine rather than as a daily cellar door.
Small volume sparkling producer working five chalk vineyards across East and West Sussex, the earliest planted in 2005 and 2006, with barrel ferments aged five to ten years before release.
Family run single estate vineyard and winery on a south facing slope at Ditchling, making English sparkling and still wine, with tours that end in a tasting.
Tasting: Vineyard and winery tours covering vine growing and sparkling production, followed by a tasting
Vineyard planted in 1974 in a fold of the Downs above Rodmell, reached by a chalk track, bottling Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay cuvees. Cellar door collection is by appointment.
Tasting: Cellar door sales by appointment only; tours and tastings are not currently offered
Vineyards and winery of Plumpton College under the Downs near Lewes, the wine division that runs degree courses, apprenticeships and short courses for the English wine trade.
Tasting: Teaching estate rather than a daily cellar door; wines and short courses are sold through the college
Vineyard at Streat below the Downs that hangs contemporary art alongside its wines, with a terrace and tasting room open Thursday to Sunday and guided tours.
Tasting: Tasting room and terrace open Thursday to Sunday, with guided vineyard tours followed by a three wine tasting
Estate at Furner's Green with vines across East and West Sussex, bottling Hindleap sparkling and Ashdown still wines, open seven days for tastings, tours and woodland trails.
Tasting: Open seven days a week 10am to 4pm for drop in tastings, with bookable estate tours and wine and cheese pairings
Certified organic single estate vineyard on a farm near Rye, blending Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay for its sparkling wines, with tours, flights and farm accommodation.
Tasting: Guided vineyard and winery tours with tastings, plus drop in wine flights Tuesday to Saturday
Farm, winery and restaurant with rooms above the Tillingham valley at Peasmarsh, farming polyculture and biodynamics and making low intervention wines.
Tasting: Tastings, a restaurant open for dinner Friday to Sunday and eleven rooms on the farm
Rother valley vineyard near Bodiam planted from 2018 by owner and winemaker America Brewer, with tours, tastings and overnight stays among the vines.
Tasting: Vineyard tours and tastings, with a Hobbit House and shepherd style stays on the estate
Family run 40 acre vineyard above the Cinque Port of Winchelsea, run by four family members and two staff, with a cellar door open Wednesday to Saturday.
Tasting: Cellar door open Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 5pm, with tours and tastings by appointment at other times
Organic estate at Cripps Corner founded in 1979 by Roy Cook, farming 22 acres of certified organic vines, with guided tours, tastings and a woodland trail.
Tasting: Guided tour and tasting experiences with five wines, bookable as vouchers, plus a woodland nature trail
Small producer on Vines Cross Road at Horam in the High Weald, making still and sparkling wine and running vineyard tours and tastings for visitors.
Tasting: Vineyard tours and tastings at the Horam site, booked through the producer
Peak wine-travel season in Sussex is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Sussex rewards trust.