You will be amazed at the skill, effort and experience it takes to produce a quality wine, so why not take the opportunity to experience how a working vineyard and winery operate and join us on one of our tours.
All our tours include a walk around one of our vineyards to see how the vines are grown, then to the winery to see how our delicious, award winning wines are made.
Under the tutelage of one of the vineyard’s experienced tour guides, you will taste a selection of our fabulous wines and of course have the opportunity to purchase plenty to take home with you!
We offer a variety of tours to suit every budget and occasion. Click here to see our full range of tours and to purchase vouchers online.
Do you need an overnight stay or short break? Click here for local information.
We are often asked “what is the best time to visit the vineyard”…
The vineyard through the year…
January to April
There is a lot of activity in the winery in the early part of the year – the white wines are being bottled, the sparkling wines are having the finishing touches added to them prior to bottling while the red wines are still ageing in their oak barrels… as you can imagine, the heady aromas in the winery at this time of year are fantastic!
May and June
In May we have ‘bud burst’ and the sense of anticipation is palpable as we start to see the new leaves forming on the canes, heralding the arrival of a new season. Towards the end of June we see the start of flowering and now the grapes start to grow.
July and August
From early July the grapes slowly start to grow and we hope for warm and sunny weather – and just a little rain! The vineyard is beautifully lush and green at this time of year and we have stunning views from the top of the vineyard towards the South Downs.
September and October
Towards the end of August and throughout September the grapes go through verasion; this is where the grapes swell and soften as they finish ripening. We also start to see the grapes changing colour and the skins turning translucent.
Harvest starts in late September and continues well into October, although the dates differ from vintage to vintage and we never know the exact start date until a few days before! It is a frenetic time in the winery as the grapes arrive, ready for their journey through to fermentation (unfortunately we can only allow people in the entrance to the winery at this time).
November and December
November sees the vines begin to hibernate and the colours in the vineyard are glorious as the leaves turn and start to fall.
In December, our guests have the unique opportunity to taste the new season’s vintage direct from the tank and then compare previous vintages during the tutored tasting.
So is there a best time to visit the vineyard? Absolutely! Anytime from January to December!!
Click on the above video link to view our promotional video.
