The Vineyards of Sussex

Itinerary

• Day 1 - Welcome dinner in Chichester

  This afternoon we will meet at the 3* Chichester Harbour Hotel, where we stay for the duration of the holiday in the heart of Chichester’s city centre. There will be an welcome dinner pairing local specialities with some of the best Sussex wines.

• Day 2 - Chichester & The Tinwood Estate

  This morning we will start with an introductory walking tour of Chichester’s historic city centre, including the magnificent cathedral and a private tour of Pallant House Gallery, one of the country’s most important collections of modern British art. Next we visit our first vineyard, the Tinwood Estate, just a few minutes outside the city. Planted in 2007, the estate has already established a reputation for exceptional sparkling wines as well as a delicious rosé. We will have a tour of the winery which concludes in the elegant tasting room.

• Day 3 - Wiston Estate & Arundel

  Today we will visit the Wiston Estate, where Pip Goring has been growing the holy trinity of sparkling wine grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, on a south-facing slope for the last 15 years. Here we will enjoy a tasting and tour at the vineyard. In the afternoon we head into nearby Arundel, one of the best-preserved historic towns in Sussex. We will have a walking tour of the town, home to the impressive mediaeval Arundel Castle, seat of the Duke of Norfolk, as well as Arundel Cathedral. In the afternoon we will pause at the elegant tasting room of Digby Wines, on Arundel High Street, for a tasting of their blended sparkling wines, made with grapes from selected vineyards in Sussex and Kent.

• Day 4 - West Dean Gardens & Ambriel

  This morning we will visit West Dean Gardens. There have been gardens on this site since 1622, but the current landscape dates mostly from the early 19th century, when the mature beeches, limes,horse chestnuts, planes and cedars were planted and the kitchen garden enclosed. After the storm of 1987 a bold re-development programme brought these elegant gardens into the 21st century. We will then visit our final vineyard, Ambriel, where Charles and Wendy Outhwaite oversee the production of wonderful sparkling wines from grape to glass, including some wines aged in white burgundy oak barrels to lend complexity and softness. We shall enjoy a tasting and tour before returning to Chichester for a final dinner together.

• Day 5 - The Tour Ends

  Our tour ends after breakfast.