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West Chiltington - Tour,tasting and lunch at Nyetimber
Spend a sunny (hopefully!) summer’s day at member-favourite Nyetimber Estate with a tour, tasting and lunch.
Join us at Nyetimber Estate for a tour, tasting and paired wine lunch to learn more about their history, vineyard management and winemaking approach in situ, as well as sampling some delicious wines of course!
Itinerary for the day
10:30 Arrival to the Estate*
11:15 Welcome to the Estate with an introduction to Nyetimber’s history
11:30–12:30 A walking vineyard tour through the Manor Vineyard. Exploration of the wine making process.
12:30-13:30 A guided tasting of Nyetimber cuvées
13:30-15:30 Three-course lunch with paired wines served in the Medieval Barn
15:30-16:00 Departure*
*Coach transport to and from Pulborough station will be arranged and details confirmed to members attending ahead of the event, further travel details are below
The menu for lunch will be confirmed w/c 15th June and members who have purchased tickets will be contacted by email to confirm – any allergies or dietary restrictions must be advised in advance of the event to tastings@thewinesociety.com.
Getting to Nyetimber Estate
By train: The 9.05 departure from London Victoria arrives to Pulborough at 10.23 and coach transport will be arranged to collect members and bring to the estate and return to the station at the end of the day for catching the 15.54 train. Full details will be confirmed in advance of the event.
By car: If you’re travelling by car, please come to Nyetimber Vineyard, Gay Street, West Chiltington, West Sussex, RH20 2HH. (If using SatNav please ignore any instruction onto Lower Jordan’s Lane. Continue on Gay Street until you see the Nyetimber sign). Parking is free at Nyetimber and only a short walk to the White Barn where you will be welcomed.
Additional Information
• Accessibility at Nyetimber Estate - If you, or anyone in your party, have any additional access and mobility requirements, please let us know by email in advance, so we can support you in your requirements.
• Under 18s are not permitted to attend this event.
• The British weather can be fickle so please keep an eye on the forecast and dress appropriately for the weather on the day, so you are comfortable for your visit!
The original Nyetimber estate in the heart of West Sussex is steeped in English history. Domesday records mention ‘Nitimbreha’ as one of the estates given by William the Conqueror to his Norman feudal baron Roger de Montgomery. Unsurprisingly, over the turbulent centuries that followed the Nyetimber estate changed hands many times until it was bought by the nephew of American Banker JP Morgan in 1919. The fashionable Arts & Crafts movement heavily influenced the renovation of the main building which still retains much of the decorative stained glass and intricate plasterwork installed at the time.
The winemaking era began in 1988 when the first Nyetimber vineyards were established by Stuart and Sandy Moss from Chicago. They bought the estate with the ambition of transforming it from a working farm into a commercial vineyard. They carefully planted the vineyards with the classic Champagne varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier which are ideally suited to the soils – similar to those found in Champagne itself - and undulating slopes here. In 2001 the couple sold the business on to the songwriter and producer Andy Hill whose biggest claim to fame was co-writing the winning Eurovision song for his wife’s group Buck’s Fizz. We suspect that the name of the group was no simple coincidence. In 2006 the estate was acquired by the present owner Eric Heerema who has expanded the area to over 400 acres, making it the largest in the UK to make wine from only estate-grown fruit. The wines produced are full-flavoured, premium sparklers made using the same methods as those in Champagne.
The Nyetimber cuvées have won enthusiastic reviews from the wine press and are regularly served at state occasions. The classic blend is chardonnay-dominated with pinot noir and meunier in support and has at least three years’ bottle maturation before release for sale. The rich texture and finesse of the chardonnay-only cuvée put it on a par with fine Blanc de Blancs Champagne.