So on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we decided to drive out to Kent and visit the Chapel Down…read moreVineyard! We've been fans of the wine for awhile (their Pinot Reserve sparkling is delicious), and we needed to get some of their Flint Dry (and by some, I mean a lot) for a big celebration we had coming up. After driving through the countryside of Kent and through some small villages nearby, you will finally arrive at the Vineyard. It's not close to the motorway, just be prepared, but you do get to see the lovely scenic Kent countryside so that's a bonus. When you arrive, you're allowed three complimentary tastes of their wines or beers (although I'm not sure how hard and fast that rule is given we tried a few more than that). I can recommend many of their sparklings, whites and beers, but their reds aren't for me. Then if you want to buy some to take home, they offer 10% a purchase of 12 or more. There's also a huge food area to buy goodies from chocolates to jams and even savory spreads (like bacon jam!). After shopping (or even before) you can wander around the vineyard and see the grapes. We did a small walk through, but given the heat of the day, we mostly found a shaded spot in the grass and sat around chatting. There's even a restaurant if you desire a place to eat, or you can pick up cheese and biscuits from inside the shop and eat in the picnic area. It's a gorgeous place to spend a sunny Saturday.

Prior to our trip, we were looking for wineries to visit and found Chapel Down. We found them and…read moretheir wines interesting. They have a great location and encourage picnics with a bottle of their wine. We walked a bit in the vineyards before heading in for a tasting. We drink sparkling wine every weekend so the fact that they produced several was a huge draw. We really enjoyed them and they make the perfect bubbly to bring to any gathering. Crisp, clean and refreshing...the ideal accompaniment for sushi or charcuterie. Not huge fans of the whites, but their sparkling is a tremendous value and should be enjoyed weekly!

This amazing 23 acre smallholding has so much going on its hard to believe they keep all the balls…read morein the air at the same time. Its a running vineyard, cider making facility, sheep keeping, honey producing.....the list goes on. They also invite people to come and camp on their land at very reasonable rates (check website) which is an ideal place to stop for a few days with the kids as there's so much for them to do. Try their apple juice! Its the best I've ever tried.

This was our first visit to an English winery and our first tasting of English still wines so…read morenaturally were very excited to see and try them. The winery is located in a beautiful countryside town and/or is also just 15 minutes away from the train station. Upon arrival, you see the vineyards and cute tasting room. Chris and David, owners, meet you and take you in a tour and taste you through their wines. The three still wines they are serving are stunning, well structured, aromatic wines that you can drink, pair food with or age. They also pour some of their neighbors' sparkling wines, all of which are also top notch. The winery, vineyard, tasting room and owners are top notch and a must visit. You will not be let down.

This vineyard is about 3 miles from Sandwich. We spent an enjoyable hour here in May 2013. We were…read morewelcomed by one of the owners who clearly loved his craft and it showed. He entertained us for an hour with his stories and knowledge. We tasted about 5 wines and the tastings are free. The wine was excellent and if we lived closer, we would be regular customers.

Very disappointed with their attitude. Wine tour booked and paid for, as a birthday treat. We had a…read morecar crash on route and rang to let them know on that same day. They would only rebook if we paid a further £30, and when asked if they could allow even some of the payment made off wine instead they refused. After an email telling them how let down we felt there was no response. Lousy customer service! Mean.

This vineyard is great as they actually organise tasting events and tours of the vineyard which you…read morecan learn so much from. The settings are absolutely beautiful and the staff and owners really friendly. The wine is excellent as the soil is such good quality in this area. The Chardonnay grapes are as good as on the continent as is the Pinot Noir. The wine is available directly from the shop (discounts for bigger orders). They also host weddings here and its an ideal and original place to do so in my book!

Aly, who gives the tour, is both eccentric and funny (some intended, some not!). Her knowledge on…read morethe subject of viticulture is excellent and she is all too happy to take question after question, even if it means over-running the session, to the mild irritation of Paul her other half! The cream teas they provide on arrival are spot-on, and the perfect start to the tour. As to the quality of the wine, well the UK are a long way behind the best in Europe of course, and each wine will suit one person's palate and not another, but Aly's wines are made with infectious enthusiasm, she tends to her vines with the care you might expect someone would only afford rare flowers.. pruning each vine personally and almost single-handedly (all 8 acres of it!) I would recommend this tour without a moment's hesitation. For their sheer endeavour Aly and Paul deserve every bit of success that (hopefully) comes their way, and I wish them the very best of luck..

The coolest bottle shop! Came here to pick up some speciality items that I can't get in the US and…read morewas blown away by the selection of liquors and fine wines. There is so much to look at. Would be a great place to pick up a gift for the wine or cocktail lover in your life. The staff here are knowledgeable and helped me wrap my bottles to bring back in my suitcase.

This place is fancy! We popped in to get a bottle of champagne for our niece and was greeted by a…read morefriendly associate asking if we needed help. We did. Got the recommendation and bought the bottle along with a couple more for the upcoming holiday. A little odd that some bottles were the only ones they had in stock. But no worries. Will for sure come back for our special occasions.

I came on the train from London for a day trip to Dorking and Shere. I'm not into wine so I can't…read morecomment on that. But it's an absolutely beautiful location and they have a cafeteria style restaurant with lovely a lunch with nice fresh food. There is also an outdoor seating café. My friend had the salad bar which included cheeses, pasta, green salad, fruit salad, boiled eggs and other things that were delicious. I had the tomato soup and an egg salad sandwich. It was very good. The Dorking train station is a 20 minute walk to Dembies.

The view gets a 5 with stunning hills and vineyards stretching out across the land. It's gorgeous…read moreto look at but falls short on actual taste. Having tried 4 of the wines, I can say that their Surrey Gold was the best but still a far cry from other country's wines. They have one red that is drinkable only with food and quite a slim selection of others. I didn't try their award winning sparkling wine so that may be it's saving grace. Come here for a nice day in the country but be prepared to be bored with the wine tour and tasting. This was agreed by the majority of our group. Definitely only worth doing once.

The winery, tour, and wines are absolutely fantastic, and their gin was one of the best that I've…read moretasted. To compliment the tasting I arranged to have lunch at their restaurant Chalk before driving back to the city. Located in beautifully remodeled stone building at the sparkling wine house of Wiston, Chalk has a star chef creating beautiful dishes from their garden and neighboring farms, all pairing beautifully with their wines. The bar program and extensive wine list offer a lovely opportunity to venture beyond their wines, although after driving all that way it seems a shame to not exclusively drink their offerings. Highlights include the Hen of the Woods gnocchi, Chicken liver parfait with Wiston Rose and Elderflower Jelly, and the white peach and almond tart with lemon verbena ice cream. 50B

From the owner: Nestled in the heart of England's rolling South Downs in West Sussex, the beautiful Wiston Estate…read morehas been in the hands of the Goring family since 1743 and is presided over today by Harry and Pip Goring. It was Pip's long-held belief that the estate held the potential to grow high quality grapes and in 2006 her dream came to fruition when Wiston's 6.5ha was planted on a south/south-east-facing escarpment of pure chalk, similar to the renowned Côte des Blancs in Champagne. Under the guidance of winemaker Dermot Sugrue with a strict philosophy of sustainability, the tight-knit team produces award-winning sparkling wines of exceptional purity and finesse from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. As well as producing wine, Wiston offers Vineyard & Winery Tours by appointment April to October.