How to Celebrate English Wine Week Locally
There's a wine revolution underway and lucky for us, the fields surrounding Chichester seem to be leading the pack by producing international award-winning blends some even beating French Champagne in blind tastings and attracting visitors from across the country.
English Wine Week (20-28 June 2026) is the annual national celebration coordinated by WineGB, designed to get more English wine into more glasses. The good news for Cicestrians is that West Sussex now has over 140 vineyards, and some of the very best are practically on our doorstep.
Here's your local guide to making the most of English Wine Week
Why West Sussex? The Champagne connection
Did you know that the South Downs shares its geology with France's most celebrated wine region? The chalky soils, gentle south-facing slopes and cool maritime climate of West Sussex mirror the conditions of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne, making it particularly well-suited to the classic sparkling wine grape varieties. Sussex wine even has its own PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), putting it in the same official category as Cornish Clotted Cream and Jersey Royal Potatoes.
Vineyards worth visiting
Tinwood Estate, Halnaker This former lettuce farm has been transformed into 65 acres of vines. Since the first planting in 2007, Tinwood has built a reputation for some of the finest English sparkling wines in the county, with Gold awards at both the International Wine Challenge and the International Wine & Spirits Challenge to its name.
You can book a daily vineyard tour, pair your tasting with small plates at the Vineyard Kitchen, or stay overnight in one of the luxury lodges, complete with jacuzzi baths and a barrel sauna overlooking the vines. Dogs are very welcome, and you might even be greeted by the resident Labrador.
Ashling Park Estate, West Ashling Though the estate itself dates to 1822, the vineyard was planted in 2017, making it one of the newer entrants in the area. Don't let that put you off, Ashling Park has already picked up awards including Best Classic Cuvée NV and Best Rosé on British soil. The 50-acre estate grows Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and a splash of Bacchus, producing both sparkling and still wines, plus a Pinot Noir gin distilled right here on the estate.
The tour experience is immersive, taking you deep into the vines, then bring you back to the Experience Room to taste your way through the range. There's also a restaurant, a Gin School, cocktail masterclasses, and overnight lodges designed by Will Hardie of Channel 4's Amazing Spaces. Tours run Thursday to Sunday.
Stopham Vineyard, Pulborough If sparkling wine is having its moment, Stopham is proudly doing something different. Set beside the River Arun in the heart of the South Downs National Park, this small working vineyard specialises in aromatic still white wines think Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Bacchus produced with genuine precision.
Tours are typically run by one of the winemakers themselves, Simon or Tom, who both trained at Plumpton College and bring an infectious enthusiasm for the craft. It's a more intimate, under-the-radar experience than some of the larger estates, and a lovely way to discover the less-celebrated side of English wine.
Wiston Estate, Washington One of the most celebrated vineyards in the entire country, Wiston has been WineGB's Winery of the Year multiple times and is consistently placed at the very top of English wine rankings. The 16-acre vineyard sits on south-facing chalk slopes in the South Downs, and the estate has been in the Goring family since 1743, making wine-making the newest chapter in a very long story.
Tours run Tuesday to Sunday and include a tractor-pulled trailer ride across the estate, a visit to the winery with its famous traditional Coquard press (one of only four outside France, and unique in the UK), and a tasting of four award-winning sparkling wines. There's also Chalk Restaurant, an elegant spot serving seasonal local produce alongside the estate's wines.
For Tonight's Table Local Wine Merchants
Not everyone wants a full vineyard experience. Sometimes you just want someone knowledgeable to point you towards something brilliant. At those times you can head to your trusty wine merchant to get their best suggestions.
Cavavin, 68 North Street, Chichester After opening in the heart of the city in early 2025, it's already proven itself to be the shop Chichester never knew it needed. Run by Ash and Paul, who swapped careers in tech and the NHS respectively to follow their passion, Cavavin is part of a French network with access to hundreds of small family-owned vineyards. Even so, the Chichester shop is very much its own thing: jargon-free, genuinely welcoming, and full of interesting bottles at all price points.
The standout feature is the Enomatic wine dispensers, which let you taste before you buy, or in some cases try more before you buy more. They also run intimate tasting events with cheese and charcuterie, which regularly sell out. Worth checking their schedule.
Hennings Wine Merchants, Petworth & Pulborough If you're heading out towards the vineyards anyway, it's worth stopping in at Hennings, an independent merchant that's been operating since 1960 and has won prizes in the Independent Wine Merchant of the Year Awards. Both the Petworth and Pulborough shops hold Saturday tastings, stock a well-curated range, and have the kind of knowledgeable staff who can steer you confidently towards something local and excellent.
Get involved
English Wine Week runs until Sunday 28 June. Whether you're booking a vineyard tour, popping into Cavavin for a bottle to enjoy this weekend, or simply ordering something Sussex-made at a local restaurant this week, it all counts. The region's winemakers are doing West Sussex proud so lets offer a toast to them this English Wine Week.
If you do visit one of the vineyards this week, we'd love to see your pictures, tag us and use #EnglishWineWeek and #ChichesterLiving so we can share the love.
