Rathfinny Wine Estate

We were up early today to walk Xena in the woods as we had a special day planned. Adam had given Gavin two tickets for a wine tasting morning at Rathfinney Wine Estate in East Sussex for his birthday present, and today was the day we were going to visit the estate.

English sparkling wines have really come of age and now compete with some of the best French champagnes. Sussex is the main sparkling wine producing area in England with over 50 vineyards. In 2016 Sussex wine was granted protected regional status, the same as Champagne in France. 

Rathfinny Estate has 230 acres, with south facing slopes growing on chalky soil - it lies on the same band of chalk as Champagne and other areas in France. The growing conditions are similar to those in France without the intense heat in the summers, but that helps to make the English sparkling wines crisper with a lighter flavour. Intense heat is not good for the grapes which is why, with global warming, many French champagne producers are buying land in the south east of England. I have visited a few wine estates in the south east of England, but this estate is the most sophisticated operation I have ever seen. They have invested millions in state of the art machinery, and it looks like a very professionally run estate, even though it is family owned without outside investors. They do not add unnecessary sugars so their sparkling wines have a very low sugar content, some have a sugar content of 3g as opposed to the 22g of prosecco and champagne. In fact it's a very good diet drink!!

We tasted four wines, all excellent. Very dry but full bodied and quite delicious. The only negative aspect is the price, English sparkling wines are often more expensive than French champagne. We did buy a couple of bottles to enjoy over Christmas.

We had planned to take Xena with us and then go on to Cuckmere and walk the Seven Sisters, but the weather was so appalling today, it rained all day and was cold and windy. So instead after the wine tasting we came home and had a late lunch at home.

Tomorrow its another exciting day, we are going to Cambridge to see the boys, but first we are collecting Adam and Pip from the airport as they return from their science conference in New York at Cold Springs Harbour Laboratory.