Charles Palmer Vineyards

Tucked into the rolling farmland just above the ancient Cinque Port of Winchelsea on the East Sussex coast, Charles Palmer Vineyards is one of England's quietly distinctive family estates. Forty acres of south-facing vines, planted by hand from 2006 and tended by a small team of six, now turn out small-batch English wines from a clutch of parcels that lie, in places, just one metre above the English Channel. From traditional-method sparkling Blanc de Noirs to skin-contact orange wine, from the cellar-door fire pit at Wickham Manor to the monthly live-music Saturday afternoons, Charles Palmer Vineyards offers a thoroughly English wine experience with a distinctly personal welcome.

Setting the Scene: A Vineyard Above the Sea

The first thing any visitor notices about Charles Palmer Vineyards is the view. The estate sits on a south-facing slope only one mile from the sea, looking out across the Brede Valley to the wider East Sussex countryside. That coastal position is not a marketing flourish; it shapes the wine. Cool maritime air funnels up the slope, sea breezes moderate ripening, and the chalky, free-draining soils lend the wines their trademark minerality and freshness. Some of the lowest blocks sit barely a metre above sea level, which, combined with the cool nights drawn in from the Channel, gives the fruit a long, slow, even ripening season - ideal for both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that make up the majority of the planting.

The site wraps around the ancient farmland of Wickham Manor, a 16th-century house that is still home to the Palmer family. The combination of vineyard and historic manor - in a setting that looks out over the Brede Valley toward Hastings and the coast - gives the cellar door an unusually warm, lived-in atmosphere. This is not a brand bolted onto a farm; it is a working family home that happens to make wine.

The Story of Charles Palmer Vineyards

The Charles Palmer story begins in 1998, when the family took on Wickham Manor farm and its surrounding land. For many years the estate was farmed in the traditional way: arable crops, alongside a flock of sheep, cattle and pigs. As British agriculture began to shift beneath them, the Palmers saw an opportunity to reimagine the future of the land. The south-facing slope, just one mile from the sea, revealed its true potential for viticulture, and in 2006 the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines were planted by hand.

From that single planting the vineyard has grown steadily and deliberately. Today the estate spans eight individual vineyard blocks, each with its own character, its own soil profile and its own microclimate. The team also keeps a flock of 70 breeding ewes, which graze between the rows and continue the agricultural rhythm of the land - a reminder that, even in a high-end wine estate, this is still a working farm.

The team itself is small and close-knit: six people in total, four of them family members and two dedicated staff who happen to be neighbours. It is that compact structure that defines the welcome at the cellar door. The team describe their aim as offering “a relaxed and informative introduction to winemaking, delivered with warmth and expertise, ensuring every guest feels part of the family.” Anyone who has stood on the terrace with a glass of the Classic Cuvée will recognise that they mean it.

Terroir and the Eight-Block Estate

One of the recurring themes across the Charles Palmer range is the influence of the site. The eight blocks are small enough for the winemaking team to vinify each one separately and large enough to give meaningful variation between them. Soil types shift between chalk, clay-with-flint and the freer-draining slopes higher up the hill. Aspect is consistent - almost everything faces south - but altitude, drainage and proximity to the coast create a quiet patchwork of microclimates.

The cool, slow ripening that this produces is particularly valuable for sparkling wines, where natural acidity needs to be preserved at harvest. It also gives the still wines a tension on the palate - a mineral, briny edge that the team are happy to lean into. As you move between the wines in the range, that thread of place is the common denominator.

The Winemaking Approach

The winemaking at Charles Palmer is deliberately small-batch. Each block is harvested, pressed and fermented separately, which allows the team to blend with precision across the eight sites. For the sparkling wines, traditional method production is the backbone of the range: long lees ageing, careful blending between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and, in the case of the top Special Reserve wines, extended bottle ageing before release.

The Classic Cuvée 2017, for example, spends five years on its lees, while the Special Reserve 2012 - a 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs - has had three years on the lees followed by five further years in the cellar, and the winemaking team are clear that the patient approach has paid off.

For the still wines, the approach is equally patient but a touch more varied: long, cool ferments, French oak for the Pinot Noirs, and skin contact for the orange wine. Volumes are deliberately small. There is no rush to release anything before it is ready.

The Wines

The Charles Palmer range is split across four tasting collections: Sparkling Wines, Still Wines, Red Wines and a small White Wines selection, totalling thirteen bottles. Free delivery is offered on orders of six or more bottles, and pickup from the cellar door is available.

Sparkling Wines

• Classic Cuvée 2017 - £37.00. A 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, aged five years on the lees. Aromas of honeysuckle, fig and mandarin, with savoury length. The wine that the team mention is served at Tommy Banks’ family restaurant The Black Swan.
• Sparkling NV - £27.00. A traditional-method non-vintage blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay. Two years in vat followed by nine months on lees. Aromas of melon, brioche and citrus; delicate ripe stone fruit on the palate.
• Rosé 2017 - £39.00. Made from a single parcel of Pinot Noir, de-stemmed and 24-hour macerated before pressing. Four years on the lees. Red apple, rhubarb, red berries and black raspberry liqueur with soft tannins and a long finish.
• Charmat - £24.00. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend with fresh mineral and baked-apple aromas, soft apricot and vanilla on the palate. Balanced, savoury, accessible - the current ‘wine of the month’ pick.
• Special Reserve 2019 - £40.00. 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noir. Three years on lees. Savoury, with pine and manuka honey on the nose; cantaloupe and truffle notes with a zesty finish.
• Special Reserve 2012 - £149.00. The headline wine: 100% Pinot Noir, three years on the lees and a further five years in cellar. Deep amber, ripe apricot, toasted almond, biscuity. Limited to fewer than 25 bottles; one bottle per customer.

Still Wines

• Still Pinot Noir 2019 - £25.00. A lighter take on Pinot, fruit-forward and easy.
• Still Pinot Noir 2020 - £26.00. A year on, the structure sharpens and the fruit darkens.
• Still Pinot Noir 2022 - £32.00. Twelve months in French oak, made from the 777 Pinot Noir clone. Blackberry, cherry, dark chocolate and spice; rich, sophisticated, with a hint of tobacco on the bouquet.
• Still Rosé 2022 - £20.00. A still Pinot Noir rosé for everyday drinking.

Red Wines

The red collection is currently a vertical study of Still Pinot Noir across three vintages - 2019 (£25), 2020 (£26) and 2022 (£32) - allowing drinkers to see how the same clone, the same vineyard and the same winemaking evolve from one season to the next.

White Wines

• Still White Chardonnay 2018 - £25.00. The estate’s house white Chardonnay, grown and made on the estate.
• Still White Chardonnay 2019 - £24.00. A second Chardonnay vintage from the same estate-grown fruit.

Orange Wine

• Orange Wine - £20.00. A skin-contact white, fermented on its skins to take on colour, tannin and aromatic complexity. One of the more adventurous bottles in the range, and a useful talking point on a tasting flight.

Tours and Tastings

Charles Palmer Vineyards offers a structured programme of guided tours and tastings, all of which can be pre-booked by calling 07869148935 or via the Tours & Tastings booking page. All tastings take place with the Brede Valley laid out in front of you.

Three Wine Tasting - £23 per person

A guided tour of the winery followed by three wines, with the story of the estate and the winemaking process woven through. Wednesday to Saturday at 11am.

Wine & Cheese Experience - £33 per person

Four wines paired with four cheeses. Wednesday to Saturday at 1pm, Sundays at 12pm.

Four Wine Tasting - £28 per person

A wider guided tasting of four wines. Wednesday to Saturday at 3pm, Sundays at 2pm.

Vineyard Lunctime Feast

The estate’s signature feasting experience. Following the tasting, guests can enjoy a freshly cooked two-course vineyard lunch prepared by the team at Vine + Country, showcasing seasonal produce. Full and half-day packages are also offered, which include transport from your accommodation or train station.

Rother Wine Triangle Bus Tour

The Rother Wine Triangle Bus Tour is the easiest way for visitors to combine Charles Palmer with two neighbouring vineyards in a single day. It includes tastings at three wineries, a long, lazy lunch, and all transport in between. Pre-booking is arranged through the Rother Wine Triangle organisers.

Wine Flights - £15 per person

For those who would rather drop in than commit to a guided tour, Wine Flights are available to purchase on the day or pre-order at the cellar door for £15 per person. The ‘Discover your new favourite’ framing makes them an easy entry point for visitors who have not tasted the range before.

The Cellar Door

Stepping into the cellar door at Charles Palmer, “the outside world falls quietly away.” Sweeping views across the East Sussex countryside, a glass of something exceptional in hand, and a log burner to take the chill off colder days. The cellar door is the heart of the visitor experience and it is open year-round, with a slightly lighter schedule than the guided tours.

Opening times:

• Wednesday to Saturday: 11am - 5pm
• Sunday: 12pm - 4pm
• Bank holiday Mondays follow the Sunday timings.
• Outside of these hours the cellar door is open by appointment only. Contact 01797 226216 to arrange.

Picnic hampers (the ‘Wickham Hampers’) are available on the day or for pre-order at £14 per person, and are described as “the perfect addition to your visit.” Combined with the views, the fire and the wines, it is a more relaxed, slow-paced experience than many English cellar doors offer.

Live Music and Events

The events programme at Charles Palmer Vineyards is built around one reliable monthly fixture and a handful of one-off collaborations with neighbouring producers and venues.

Monthly Live Music Saturdays

On the final Saturday of every month, the cellar door extends its hours, Tonio’s pizza trailer rolls in, and a guest musician or band takes the floor between 4pm and 5.30pm. Walk-ins are welcome, reservations are recommended. Two upcoming dates:

• Saturday 29 August 2026, 4.00pm - 5.30pm - Rye Bay Crew. A stylish three-piece band playing swing and Rat Pack favourites. Cellar door open 11am - 7.30pm; Tonio’s pizza 1pm - 6pm; live music 4pm - 5.30pm.
• Saturday 26 September 2026, 4.00pm - 5.00pm - Jack Stevens. Mellow, effortless covers on acoustic guitar and keys. The same extended cellar-door and pizza schedule applies.

Tonio’s Pizza

Tonio’s mobile pizza trailer is a regular on-site feature, offering la vera Napoletana, freshly cooked and served on a first-come, first-served basis. The menu is available from Tonio’s.

Special Events

The estate also takes part in a small number of one-off events each year. Two recent examples include:

• The Wild Stride - a multi-stop hike that takes in Charles Palmer as its first stop, with an intimate acoustic session, a glass of wine and the view before walkers continue the final 6km to Tibbs Farm. Tickets are handled by The Wild Stride.
• The Winchelsea Gastronomic Promenade - a brand-new full-day dining experience created by the team at Rye Harvest, of which Charles Palmer is the final destination. The day pairs walking with a multi-course menu and, on the estate, an ‘Entertaining Mr Stone’ tasting.

The Rother Wine Triangle Bus Tour also regularly calls at the estate, with details and dates from the Rother Wine Triangle organisers.

Stay With Us at Wickham Manor

For visitors who want to make a proper weekend of it, the Palmer family offers accommodation in one of two private wings within the 16th-century Wickham Manor house itself. The setting - farmhouse charm, breathtaking views across the Brede Valley and the quiet of the wider estate - is the perfect bookend to a day spent tasting, walking or simply sitting on the terrace. Details and availability can be obtained from the Palmer family directly.

Group Bookings, Venue Hire and Gift Vouchers

Charles Palmer Vineyards is also set up for group bookings and venue hire - milestone celebrations, hen parties, corporate away-days and similar events that benefit from a private setting in beautiful British countryside. Enquiries can be sent to the team by phone or email.

For anyone unsure what to choose, the Gift Vouchers let you give the experience rather than the bottle - whether that is one of the wine bundles or one of the tasting experiences.

Where to Find Charles Palmer Wines

The wines are available direct from the online shop with pickup at the cellar door, and free delivery on orders of six or more bottles. They also appear on restaurant menus and at independent retailers across London and Rye. Stockists include:

• Urban Cellar - 48 Church Rd, London SE19 2ET
• Kendrick’s Wines - 275 Wandsworth Bridge Rd., London SW6 2TX
• Rye Delicatessen - 8 - 10 Market Rd, Rye TN31 7JA
• Rye Fine Wines - 56 Cinque Ports St, Rye TN31 7AN
• Rye Chocolates - 110a High St, Rye TN31 7JE

Returns, Shipping and Customer Service

The estate’s Returns Policy covers damaged, faulty or corked bottles, and orders that have been delivered incorrectly. Opened bottles are non-returnable unless faulty, and gift cards or vouchers cannot be returned. Refunds for approved returns are issued to the original payment method within one to three business days. Shipping terms are set out in the Shipping Policy.

Plan Your Visit

Charles Palmer Vineyards is at Wickham Rock Lane, Winchelsea, East Sussex, TN36 4AG. For guided tours and tastings, book ahead by phone (07869148935) or via the Tours & Tastings booking page. For cellar-door visits outside the standard opening hours, contact the team on 01797 226216. General enquiries go to vineyard@charlespalmer-vineyards.co.uk. The full wine range, including the limited-release Special Reserve 2012, is available through the online shop.