The Best Places to Buy Sussex Wine

Though awareness of English wine is increasing all the time, it’s still not always easy to find stores who stock a decent range. I’ve quizzed some of my favourite independent stores, both bricks and mortar and online outlets, where you can buy and also try great wine from Sussex.

In no particular order, here are my top 9:

HAWKINS BROS
Location: The Courtyard, Secrett’s Farm Shop, Chapel Lane, Milford, Godalming, Surrey
GU8 5HU

Hawkins Bros are ex-publicans Simon and James Hawkins who first opened their doors in December 2015. They sell around 100 different English wines, mostly from Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Surrey, including their very own Classic Cuvée – Brut Reserve 2013. Delivery costs are £9.50 up to 24 Kg and free for orders over £100.

Favourite Sussex wines?
“Currently: Wiston Cuvée Brut 2013 (or anything else made by Dermot), Upperton Alia 2013, Hoffmann & Rathbone Bacchus 2015 and Stopham Estate Pinot Gris 2015“.

 

 

NEIGHBOURLY GRAPE
Location: Online only

Established earlier this year, Neighbourly Grape bring you your favourite English wines at fair vineyard prices. Every one of their 50+ wines are taste tested with consumers. Neighbourly Grape also offer events and private tastings. Delivery charges are a flat rate of £5 for anywhere in England and Wales.

Favourite current Sussex wines? “It’s so hard to pick only a few. The wines we sell are all wines we’ve handpicked. A few Sussex wines worth mentioning are Bolney Estate’s Pinot Gris. It’s the wine served at Wimbledon and is a real crowdpleaser. We’ve only got a few bottles left until next vintage so one to grab hold of while you can! Sedlescombe Organic vineyard is also one to watch. It’s hard to make great red wine in the UK because of the colder climate, but their Corymbus red blend is one of our favourites, and it’s biodynamic too”.

SYMPOSIUM
Location: 32 Lansdown Place, Lewes, BN7 2LU

Established for almost 6 years, Symposium not only offers a wide range of local wines, but also a cosy bar where you can relax and get tasting. With reasonably priced meat, cheese and vegetarian platters, a wealth of knowledge and advice on offer, and located in the centre of Lewes, it’s a perfect spot to sit and watch the world go by whilst brushing up on your wine skills.

Symposium offer free delivery within Lewes and nearby for 6 bottles or more. For further afield, it’s generally £10.50.

Favourite Sussex wine?  “I think Sussex excels with sparkling wine in particular. We like Breaky Bottom – Peter Hall makes some terrific wines, and we use Court Garden Classic Cuvée in the wine bar a lot. For still wine, Stopham Estate are very good – we find their whites are less acidic and better balanced. Wiston are making some interesting wines too – their 2013 Vintage Sparkler just won a big trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards”.

SOUTH DOWN CELLARS
Location: 100 High Street, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, BN6 9PX

Multi award winning cellar with two stores – Hurstpierpoint and Lindfield. Selling a wide range of English wine, rum, gin and ales plus the world’s first distilled non alcoholic spirit – “Seedlip”

Favourite Sussex wine? “That’s a tricky question! Especially when we stock 50+. All the Sussex wines we stock we love for their own reason – price, style and colour”.

ENGLISH WINE CENTRE
Location: Alfriston Road, Berwick, East Sussex, BN26 5QS

The English Wine Centre has been established for 50 years. Next to Drusillas Zoo on the road to the sleepy village of Alfriston, the centre has glorious gardens open to the public, a new hotel, the Flint Barn restaurant and a 350 year old Sussex barn for weddings, tastings and celebrations.

“We stock and sell over 180 – 190 good English wines. Carefully chosen for quality and not just because they are English. We specialise in all good quality English Wines – sparkling, white, rosé, red and dessert”.

Favourite Sussex Wine: “My favourite Sussex wine changes as the new vintages come through but now it is Hip Rosé from Off The Line Vineyard in Hellingly”.

TWENTYONE WINES
Location: 21 Prince Albert Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1HF

Established in May 2012 by Tom & Philip, both of whom come from a winemaking & viticulture background, Twenty One Wines is a small, independent wine specialist based in the Lanes of Brighton. Stocking a comprehensive list of interesting wines from around the world, mainly from small independent producers, Twentyone Wines currently have over 20 different English wines.

“We hope to bring you some of the finest wines we can find, based on our years of experience pruning vines, making, tasting (and drinking) wine! We do not specialise in any particular genre, just as long as the wine in the bottle is honest and good!”

Favourite Sussex Wine: “Probably Will Davenports Horsmonden Dry white wine (Davenport Vineyards) or Peter Hall’s Cuvée Gerard Hoffnung 2009 Sparkling (Breaky Bottom Vineyard)”.

BUTLERS WINE CELLAR
Location: 247 Queens Park Road, Brighton , BN2 9XJ

Established for almost 40 years, independent wine merchant Butlers sell 60 different English wines, as well as English beers and spirits. Specialising in English sparkling wine, Portuguese wines and Californian wines, Brighton based Butlers offer free local delivery.

Favourite Sussex Wine: “Quite a few! Today I’ll plump for Sugrue Pierre”.

TEN GREEN BOTTLES
Location: 9 Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE

Wine shop and bar Ten Green bottles first opened their doors in 2010. Selling bottles to take away or drink in for a corkage fee as well as wine by the glass, they also host private wine tastings, for groups as small as just 2 people.

“We specialise in wines of character, made with care. Many are organic, biodynamic, etc., but we’re not dogmatic about it – as the long as the production is small and the people making the wine genuinely care about the result in the glass”.

Ten Green Bottles usually have around 10-15 sparkling English wines, as well as a variety of still English wines. Delivery costs range from £9.99 for nationwide next-day delivery to £0-6 for local deliveries.

Favourite Sussex wine? “My personal favourite is Sugrue-Pierre’s ‘The Trouble with Dreams’”.

ENGLISH WINE BOX
Location: Online only

English Wine Box started selling wines in July 2016 – typically small batch English Sparkling Wines from producers that don’t sell on the high street but from the vineyard itself or specialist wine sellers.

With around 10 different Sussex wines in stock, including Breaky Bottom, Court Garden, Ditchling, Bluebell Vineyard, Sheffield Park, Bolney Estate and Ridgeview.

English Wine Box offers free local delivery or £12 for further afield

Favourite Sussex wine?
“Breaky Bottom, Cuvée Francine 2007. This is one of only 100 bottles of Francine in existence. The combination of Seyval Blanc and traditional Champagne grapes gives fruitiness and depth. It has a wonderful complexity and long finish from being 10 years old, and is at it’s best for the next three years and possibly longer”.
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