A bottle of Sussex sparkling wine

We had a family celebration over Christmas. It was a good excuse to buy a bottle of sparkling wine from Nyetimber, a Sussex vineyard. We had their Classic Cuvee. It was expensive - £32 a bottle – but beautiful, elegant and understated. If this wine were a film star, it would be Grace Kelly.

Nyetimber is one of several Sussex vineyards which are developing an international reputation. Their success is down to a blend of soil, sunshine and science.

The chalk soil of the Downs is similar to that of the Champagne region in France, producing wines with similar characteristics. The sunshine comes courtesy of global warming, raising temperatures and making it easier to grow grapes in the UK. The science is the specialised knowledge and technology needed to produce top quality wines. Put them together and you have something very special.

You can’t visit the Nyetimber vineyard, but you can buy its wines all over the country. We get ours from Waitrose in Lewes.

A bottle of bubbly

Sussex vineyards have become so successful, that it's now possible to go on a little wine tour of the region (provided you make a few phone calls first). My brother and I decided it was high time we took this opportunity to sample our home-grown booze. We went to the Bolney Wine Estate in West Sussex which runs tours and tastings.

English sparkling wine (consumed)

Still Wines

We tasted three of the Bolney Estate’s still wines. My favourite was the Lychgate White. The tasting notes said it had “flavours of lychee and passion fruit” balanced by “a crisp, spicy acidity.” However, I have to admit that the first thing that went through my mind was: “Oh yes, I could drink quite a lot of this.” On deeper reflection, and following lengthy discussions with my tasting partners, we agreed that it was clean and fresh with a lovely fruity flavour which reminded us of gooseberry – or was it grapefruit? Either way, it’s a great wine.  

Sparkling Wines

We tried four of the sparkling wines. The Blanc de Blancs is the most celebrated, having won a top award earlier this year. It’s 100 per cent Chardonnay and is made using traditional methods. It was very classy, but it wasn’t my favourite. I knew what it was going to taste like before I tasted it, whereas the sparkling red Cuvée Noir was much more exciting. It was velvety yet lively - like being gently tickled by an old friend. Delicious.

Sussex credentials: Excellent. The wine is made on-site with grapes from the vineyard.