West Sussex Wine Tour Horsham: Review

Up until recently I hadn’t imagined that England’s countryside was home to so many vineyards and wineries, but in fact the English wine industry is growing and there’s now a tour showcasing it.

Wine tour company Great British Wine Tours recently partnered with Horsham District Council to create six new tours around the West Sussex countryside, highlighting the best food and drink the region has to offer.

Great British Wine Tours have created six new tours around the West Sussex countryside. (Image: Emily Davison)

I recently tried the trip for myself on its inaugural launch, to explore the best of West Sussex vineyards and to learn more about the growing English wine industry.

Due to England’s rich chalk content, the region is predominantly known for producing sparkling wines alongside still white wines.

The region is known for producing sparkling wines alongside still white wines. (Image: Emily Davison)

The day began with a coach pick-up at 10am from Horsham Station, which is accessible from south London from London Bridge and Croydon stations.

The tour takes a trip around the countryside, touring three different vineyards where guests will have a chance to explore, find out about the wine making process and of course drink some wine.

Guests will have a chance to explore, find out about the wine making process and of course drink some wine. (Image: Emily Davison)

For the first leg of the tour we began at Wiston Estate, with 16 acres of vineyards producing 10,000 bottles of wine a year.

This vineyard is located along the chalk hills of the South Downs, offering panoramic views of the Sussex countryside.

During the tour we learned about the longstanding history of the estate, which dates back to 1743, and how the first vineyards were planted in 2006 after current owner Pip decided to make use of the land and plant a vineyard.

We got to learn about the history of each estate we visited. (Image: Emily Davison)

Today, the vineyard produces a range of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay wines with an emphasis on sparkling wines.

During the tour we explored the wine-making rooms, learning about the process of how wine is made from start to finish and sampling a selection of four wines.

During the tour we learnt about the process of how wine is made from start to finish. (Image: Emily Davison)
For lunch we took a 15-minute drive to the family-owned Kinsbrook Vineyard in Thakeham.

This vineyard, run by Joe Beckett, is one of the country’s youngest vineyards and definitely has a real family feel.

The Kinsbrook Vineyard is small and intimate, and one of the country’s youngest vineyards (Image: Emily Davison)

The location was small and intimate and it was really interesting to see a vineyard in its early stages after first starting in 2017.

The vineyard also has a restaurant, café and outdoor eating area where lunch was served, consisting of a spread of breads, cheeses, olives, nuts and other savoury snacks.

Lunch consisted of a spread of breads, cheeses, olives, nuts and other savoury snacks. (Image: Emily Davison)

During our time here we sampled a selection of hand-crafted still and sparkling wines made by Joe himself, and were taught a few helpful tips when it came to wine tasting and how to recognise certain wines.

The vineyard also has a wildflower meadow and woodland trains to explore, and Joe also added that he hoped to welcome some animals to the vineyard in the near future to promote the location as a family-friendly day out.

Finally, we finished the tour at the location of Nutbourne, a scenic vineyard stretching across 26 acres.

We finished the tour at Nutbourne, a scenic vineyard stretching across 26 acres. (Image: Emily Davison)

This vineyard was the oldest of all three when it was first established in 1979, although the site has been there a lot longer, featuring old statues and even a small windmill you can climb up.

The vineyard produces around 50,000 bottles of wine a year, growing 8 different types of grapes such as Bacchus, Huxelrebe and Reichensteiner, as well as Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.

Nutbourne features old statues and even a small windmill you can climb up. (Image: Emily Davison)

During our tour we had the chance to walk around the vineyards, which had plenty of photo opportunities amongst the older and established vines, and tried a selection of delicious wines including a rich Pinot Noir.

Alongside wine the vineyard also hosts regular events including picnics, supper clubs, and Pizza and Pinot sessions, if you’re looking for a day out.

We tried a selection of delicious wines during the tour. (Image: Emily Davison)

The tour ended with a drive back to Horsham Station, passing through rolling hills and quaint villages, before heading back to London a lot wiser about the industry of English wines.

The West Sussex Wine Tour is bookable every day from March until October, with spaces costing £175 per person with a minimum of 14 people per tour.