The vines were first planted at Nutbourne in 1980 by one of the early pioneers of wine grape growing in this country. Since 1991 it has been owned, managed and expanded by the Gladwin family. Nutbourne is now considered one of the premier wine producers in the South East, offering a range of estate-grown still and sparkling wines that can compete anywhere in the world.
The “Terroir” at Nutbourne is a unique and ideal wine growing environment – a warm microclimate protected by the South Downs, gentle south-facing slopes and the same fertile greensand soil as the Champagne region in France. There are 26 acres under vine.
The vineyards are tended throughout the year, each vine pruned by hand through the winter and then carefully trained, trimmed and nurtured during the summer months. The landscape is also looked after with areas preserved for the habitat of wildflowers, insects and wildlife to balance the cultivation.
We grow 6 different types of grape: – the Riesling style: – Bacchus, Huxelrebe and Reichensteiner; and Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc for our sparkling blends.
Since 2010 we have had our own winery and cave at the vineyard in West Sussex and all our wines are produced on site. We now only produce wines from grapes grown on the estate and every aspect of the process is carried out here, from pressing, fermenting and bottling, right through to the disgorge and finishing processes of sparkling wine 4 years later. The total production averages around 50,000 bottles per year but varies vintage by vintage.
Bridget Gladwin heads up the vineyard team and is the front face of the Nutbourne brand. She does this alongside her work as an artist and her paintings are featured on all our labels.
Peter Gladwin refuses to call himself a businessman and prefers chef, writer and vineyard worker! Along with several company directorships Peter is vice chairman of industry’s trade association Wines of Great Britain.
Gregory Gladwin is the farmer, rearing Sussex cattle, sheep & pigs in addition to the vineyard upkeep and maintenance. He supplies his brothers’ restaurants and also has farm joints and cuts of meat on sale from the Nutbourne Vineyards Cellar Door.
We encourage everyone in our restaurants to try our wine, from the field blend and house wine Sussex Reserve to the coveted new 2018 vintage Pinot Noir. In our thirtieth year we'll be celebrating the year on year success of Nutbourne Vineyards and English winemaking as a whole with a Pop-Ups in the Vines, vineyard tours, tasting events and more. Visit www.nutbournevineyards.com.myshopify.com to shop our wines and have them delivered to your home.