Our Best of British series will feature the finest of the British countryside, from producers to farming, country pubs to conservation. To kick start our series, glasses at the ready, we visited West Sussex.
Behind a large set of electric gates in West Chiltington, lies a spectacular, tranquil estate that is home to the winemaker, Nyetimber. Closed to the public, save for a handful of coveted, ticketed events each year, we were fortunate to be given a guided tour by Charlie, Nyetimbers Brand Ambassador, on what coincided with the first day of harvest. In a quintessentially British, almost romantic idyll, we found ourselves driven through this Sussex country estate in a Nyetimber Land Rover; at times one could easily forget we were in England with the blazing sun and endless rows of vines, were it not for the unmistakable picture of the South Downs in the background. Originally covering just 35 acres, this estate first mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086, and once home to both Thomas Cromwell and Anne of Cleaves, is where Nyetimber produced its first wine released in 1996 under the then owners Stuart and Sandy Moss.
However, it was not until Dutch wine enthusiast and entrepreneur Eric Heerema became the estates current custodian and CEO in 2006, with his vision to produce the finest English Sparkling Wine that could rival the very best in the world, that the Nyetimber of today started to take shape.
A decade or two ago the English wine scene was not what it is today. Whilst wine has been commercially produced in England since 1951, until late it had struggled to compete with its longer established, international peers. Today it is a far more common occurrence to have a glass of English wine in hand, something Charlie puts down to the vision, financing, and marketing that has gone into it.
“The biggest thing is marketing to get people tasting English wine to give the consumer confidence; because once people taste it they think ‘yes, I’d have that over a bottle of champagne” Charlie, Brand Ambassador
Wine making is an expensive business, taking into consideration the land, the materials and machinery needed to go from vine to bottle, the expertise, and time; Nyetimber is just releasing its premier wine, Blanc de Blancs 2018, being almost 8 years of investment before reaching the customer’s glass!
Visionaries like Eric Heerema, with a goal and drive to make Nyetimber the best English sparkling wine and compete alongside international peers, have been the driving force behind the boom in English winemaking, providing the vision and financing, and establishing world class teams of producers.
At Nyetimber that team is led by husband-and-wife team, Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix, the Head Winemaker and Senior Winemaker, whose involvement may never have happened had they not been gifted an early bottle of Nyetimber wine.
After trying a bottle of Classic Cuvee gifted to them by Cherie’s parents, and having recognised its potential, Cherie and Brad contacted Eric in 2007 with a desire to join the business and help grow it into a producer of sparkling wines that can rival the best in the world. Three short weeks later, and Cherie and Brad packed up their lives in Canada and moved to West Sussex.
Twenty harvests later, and Cherie and Brad still work alongside Eric, with the same passion, vision and dedication which has seen Nyetimber flourish. From the original vineyard in West Chiltington the winemaker has grown to eleven separate sites covering over 1000 acres across Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent, each sharing the same greensand and chalk soils to enable the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grape vines to prosper.
In addition, they now have their own pressing centre and winery to ensure that they control every aspect of quality from vine to bottle. Whilst visiting the pressing centre on the first day of harvest, we met Ben, the Cellar Hand, whose passion, and enthusiasm gave a glimpse at the dedication that the team here put into producing the finest wines.
“We keep the ferment simple, because we want as pure an expression of the fruit as possible. Sparkling wine is all about what happens when you age it.” Ben, Cellar Hand
Nyetimber produce seven wines, and today, overlooking the sunny courtyard, we got to sample the Classic Cuvee, Rosé, and soon to be released Blanc de Blancs 2018.
Classic Cuvee
The signature wine of Nyetimber: a unique balance of elegance and intensity, blended from all of Nyetimber’s grape varieties, vineyards, and multiple vintages to produce a refreshing, consistent house style.
Tasting notes
Pale gold, gentle, and fine bubbles. Toasty, spicy, and complex aromas show outstanding development after extended lees ageing of more than three years. The palate supports these complex aromas with honey, almond, pastry, and baked apple flavours. Refined and elegant, with a harmonious combination of intensity, delicacy, and length.
Vintage information
The Classic Cuvee is blended as a multi-vintage wine to maintain a consistent house style and quality. The ‘MV’ sparkling wines are crafted predominantly from one year’s harvest and meticulously blended with ‘reserve’ wines aged from previous years. The result is a perfect balance of elegance, complexity, and intensity.
Food pairing
Enjoy it as a refreshing aperitif or pair it with fresh seafood such as oysters or scallops.
Rosé
A wine suited for all seasons, the Rosé is crafted from their three grape varieties. But at its heart, this wine is a celebration of the fresh red fruit character of Pinot Noir.
Tasting notes
A beautiful sunset-pink colour. Its aromas include an indulgent mix of fresh red fruit, evocative of an English summer. The palate has a creamy, round texture with refreshing raspberry and sweet spice flavours, giving notes of freshly baked pastry leading into an elegant silky finish.
Vintage information
To maintain a consistent house style and quality, the Rosé is blended as a multi-vintage wine. The ‘MV’ sparkling wines are crafted predominantly from one year’s harvest and meticulously blended with ‘reserve’ wines aged from previous years. To make the Rosé, select reserve wines are chosen that accentuate the freshness and purity of the red fruit flavours for which the Rosé is renowned.
Food pairing
A core of vibrant red fruit lends itself well to weightier dishes such as salmon fillet, guinea fowl, or roast turkey.
Blanc de Blancs 2018
First crafted in the early 1990s, Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs marked the beginning of a pioneering journey in English winemaking. Made exclusively from Chardonnay and meticulously crafted from a single vintage, this elegant sparkling wine is a pure expression of Nyetimber’s dedication to quality and precision. A testament to its heritage, it was the first style ever produced at Nyetimber, setting the foundation for their estate-grown philosophy.
The 2018 vintage embodies this legacy, showcasing the finesse and complexity that Chardonnay develops after extended lees ageing, in this case over seven years. This wine reveals a delicate balance of warm citrus and baked pastry notes, with an elegant, focused finish.
Vintage condition
Budburst was delayed by a cold start to the year, resulting in low frost pressure. May was exceptionally warm, with growing degree days being twice the long-term average. As a result, flowering was 12 days early and further warm conditions in June and July assisted flowering development and good bunch set across all three varieties. With the hottest summer on record, véraison was 10 days early. A small harvest commenced on the 19th of September, with the majority being picked from 26th September to 9th of October. The quality and quantity of fruit harvested was exceptional.
Tasting notes
Pale golden hue and a fine, delicate mousse. Aromas of fresh nectarine, pink grapefruit, and orange blossom lead into alluring notes of nougat and toasted hazelnut. Warm citrus and stone fruits follow through on the palate, accompanied by flavours reminiscent of freshly baked pastry and vanilla. The finish is focused, elegant and complex.
Food pairing
Rounded, fresh, and elegant, ideal for pairing with white crab, Dover sole, or mussels.
After tasting the wines, touring the vineyard, and meeting some of the team, it is clear to see why Nyetimber has quite the collection of awards! Far too many to list but a host of gold medals, Cherie Spriggs awarded Sparkling Winemaker of the Year in 2018 and 2025 at the International Wine Challenge (the first time it had been won outside of the Champagne region, and the first and only woman to ever win it), Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum winning Champion Sparkling Wine at the same awards, and The Real Review Winery of The Year Great Britain 2026. It is also anticipated that the new Blanc de Blancs 2018 which we tasted will also be a strong contender in awards once released, and our guide for the day also hotly tipped this year’s harvest will produce a stellar vintage; so keep an eye out in the early 2030’s when that is released!
All this talk about award winning wine probably has you ready to toast a birthday, anniversary, wedding, promotion, or just a good weekend, so where can you pick up your Nyetimber? Well, if you’re lucky enough to be at a host of events sponsored by Nyetimber, like English Rugby, or British Tennis events you will find it there, or maybe served on your next First-Class flight with British Airways. And for less energetic or high-altitude consumption you can buy it direct from Nyetimber, an array of wine merchants, or you can even pick a bottle up at a range of supermarkets with your weekly shop!
Cheers!
