Gusbourne: A Kent Estate Defining Modern English Sparkling Wine
Few English wine estates have shaped the modern reputation of vintage sparkling wine from this country as decisively as Gusbourne. Set on the low, breezy slopes around Appledore in Kent, near the southern edge of the Garden of England, Gusbourne is a single-estate producer that grows every grape it uses, makes every bottle in its own winery, and releases its wines only in vintages that meet exacting standards. From the first plantings in 2004 to today's 20th-vintage celebrations, the estate has built a quiet but unmistakable reputation for traditional-method English sparkling wine, still wines and a hospitality offering centred on its cellar door, The Nest.
Roots in Kent: from Goosebourne to Gusbourne
The original Gusbourne estate traces back to 1410, when John de Goosebourne founded the holding that still carries his family name. Three geese - the same emblem that still adorns Appledore Church and is engraved as the "goosemark" on every bottle of Gusbourne wine today - remain the heraldic signature of the estate. The modern wine story, however, begins in 2003, when Andrew Weeber, a South African with roots in Stellenbosch, purchased the property with a single, ambitious goal: to produce world-class English sparkling wine from grapes grown on the estate itself.
The first vines went into the ground in early May 2004 at Butness, the vineyard that remains the spiritual heart of the estate. Cherry Garden and Pond followed in 2005, then Boot Hill in 2006 and 2007. The early years were, by every account, a leap into the unknown - but a leap grounded in careful planning. The team selected predominantly Burgundian clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the three classic varieties of Champagne, on the assumption that Kent's cool, marginal climate would reward the same grapes that have given the world's most celebrated sparkling wines their distinctive tension and depth.
The first harvest arrived in 2006, with the inaugural wines - Brut Reserve 2006 and Blanc de Blancs 2006 - released in 2010 to considerable critical acclaim. The team had help from Ridgeview founder Mike Roberts in the very beginning, and the first Gusbourne wines were in fact made at Ridgeview's winery before the estate's own production facility was built. The debut bottles marked the start of a journey that has since accumulated a remarkable list of milestones.
Milestones: 20 vintages and counting
After the launch of the first wines in 2010, the estate's profile rose quickly. In 2012, Gusbourne was served at the London 2012 Olympics. Vineyard expansion continued with the addition of Commanders, Heartbreak and Mill Hill East in Kent in 2014, the same year the estate began working with 29 hectares in West Sussex - adding a second, distinct terroir to the Gusbourne fruit palette.
The construction of a state-of-the-art winery in Appledore in 2016 gave the team full control over every step of winemaking, from pressing to bottling, labelling and hand-polishing. The Nest, the estate's award-winning cellar door and tasting room, opened in 2017. That same year, the 2015 Pinot Noir became the first English still wine to win a Decanter Platinum Award.
Royal appointments followed. In 2022, Gusbourne was selected to supply the Platinum Jubilee English Sparkling Wine for the Royal Collection, and in 2023 the estate was commissioned to produce the Royal Collection's English Sparkling Wine for the coronations of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The same year, Mary Bridges took over as Head Winemaker, ushering in a new era. In 2024, Gusbourne was awarded the King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade, and in 2025 the estate was named Walpole British Luxury Brand of the Year and featured in the Top 50 World's Best Vineyards. 2026 marks the anniversary of the 20th vintage - a year of landmark releases, special events and ongoing investment in the future.
The vineyards: one estate, two regions, three varieties
Gusbourne grows all of its grapes itself. The 60-hectare home estate around Appledore, Kent, is the principal source, with additional plantings in West Sussex. Soils across the Kent vineyards range from heavier clay at the higher ground to more workable clay-loam lower down, with subtle but important variations in aspect, slope and exposure. The team has learned, vintage by vintage, how each micro-parcel behaves, and that understanding now drives a deliberate, low-intervention approach to vineyard management.
Chief Vineyard Manager Jon Pollard - employee No.1 at Gusbourne and the person who helped plant the very first vines - talks openly about the value of "suck it and see," the phrase coined by founder Andrew Weeber in those early years. Over two decades, that approach has evolved into a sophisticated toolkit of canopy management, head thinning, leaf removal, clonal selection and regenerative viticulture. The estate is a founder member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, has received Gold accreditation in its most recent vineyard sustainability audit, and has joined the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation's One Block Challenge, focusing on a single area of Butness Vineyard.
Every grape is hand-picked. The harvest is conducted by a small, experienced team, with picking decisions made parcel by parcel according to ripeness, flavour and condition. The team has also worked extensively on clonal diversity: Butness alone contains five different Chardonnay clones on two different rootstocks, alongside a mix of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier clones selected for their suitability to the site. The result is a deep, multi-layered understanding of how each block contributes to the final blend.
Winemaking: a slow and exacting craft
Gusbourne's winemaking philosophy centres on a slow and exacting craft. Hand-picked grapes are whole-bunch pressed and naturally settled for between 12 and 36 hours. Fermentation takes place over 7 - 10 days at controlled temperatures in stainless-steel tanks, with a small proportion of each blend typically fermented in old French oak barrels for added complexity. Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay for the still wines are fermented on skins and aged in barriques and puncheons.
Sparkling wines are bottled with tirage and aged on lees for a minimum of 26 months (Brut Reserve), rising to 35 months for the Blanc de Noirs, 48 months for the Blanc de Blancs and Agrafe, and more than six years for the prestige cuvée Fifty One Degrees North. After disgorgement, the wines are sealed under Diam Mytik corks, which the team has found to deliver consistent ageing with minimal cork taint risk. Every wine is tasted blind throughout its élevage, and if a vintage doesn't meet the house standard, it isn't released.
The most distinctive recent addition to the winemaking portfolio is the Agrafe series - a sparkling Chardonnay aged entirely under cork, an unusual, painstaking technique where every element of the process, from bottling to disgorging, is done by hand. The second edition, Agrafe 2020, was released to a gold medal at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships in 2025.
The wines: a focused, vintage-driven portfolio
Classic Sparkling Wines
At the heart of the range is the Brut Reserve, a classic three-variety blend and the estate's best-seller. The current release, the 2022 vintage, is opulent and elegant, with orchard fruits, biscuit notes, toasted cobnuts and a long, zesty finish. It is priced at £45 a bottle (or £40 for members). The Rosé 2020 (£55) is a delicate, characteristically complex sparkling combining red-fruit flavours with spice, minerality and balanced acidity, aged on lees for at least 56 months.
The Blanc de Blancs 2020 (£65), described by Head Winemaker Mary Bridges as "the truest expression of our terroir," is the estate's signature wine: 100% Chardonnay, aged on lees for a minimum of 52 months, with hints of grated ginger, freshly baked croissants, toasted hazelnuts and a distinct salty mineral note. The Blanc de Noirs 2020 (£65) is rich and red-fruit driven, with flavours of ripe raspberry, red apple and blueberry, balanced by a long, refreshing finish; it took gold at the 2025 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.
For those looking for smaller formats, the Brut Reserve 2021 half bottle (pack of 2) is offered at £60, with each bottle aged a minimum of 42 months on lees. A range of magnums - Brut Reserve Magnum 2019 at £95, Rosé Magnum 2017 at £120, Blanc de Blancs Magnum 2018 and Blanc de Noirs Magnum 2018 both at £135, and the extraordinary Fifty One Degrees North Magnum 2016 at £395 - round out the sparkling offering.
Limited Editions and Single-Vineyard Sparklings
The Oak Reserve 2019 (£75) is the boldest expression of English sparkling Chardonnay in the range, fermented in 4,000-litre foudres alongside smaller oak barrels. The Gusbourne Agrafe 2020 (£85) and the Blanc de Blancs Cork Aged 2013 (£105) represent the experimental, slow-aged edges of the portfolio.
Three single-vineyard sparkling wines showcase the team's understanding of site: the Blanc de Blancs, Butness Vineyard 2019 (£95), the Blanc de Blancs, Commanders Vineyard 2019 (£95) and the Blanc de Meuniers, Boot Hill Vineyard 2019 (£95). Each wine is an expression not just of a grape variety but of a specific parcel of land, chosen for its particular class and character.
Still Wines
Gusbourne's still wine production is small but exceptional. The current release, Chardonnay 2024 (£40), is a bright, vibrant expression made from hand-picked fruit grown in Appledore. Fermented and aged for nine months in French oak puncheons (15% new), it shows lemon, grapefruit zest, green apple, wet-stone minerality, fresh ginger and white pepper. The Chardonnay Boot Hill Vineyard 2022 (£55), a Gold medal winner at the 2026 International Wine Challenge, is more structured and toasty, with ripe citrus, stone fruit and a nutty, savoury edge.
The Pinot Meunier Single Vineyard Mill Hill East 2022 (£35) is a soft, fruit-driven red laced with red cherry, cranberry and blueberry, with delicate rose petal and stony mineral character. Pinot Noir 2022, named Best English Red at the 2024 International Wine Challenge, is currently sold out, as is the new English Rosé 2025, a pale pink still wine crafted exclusively from estate-grown fruit.
Fifty One Degrees North: the prestige cuvée
Fifty One Degrees North is Gusbourne's prestige sparkling wine, named after the latitude of its vineyards. Made only in exceptional years, the current release is the 2016 vintage: a 67/33 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, aged on lees for more than six years. At £195 a bottle, it took gold at the 2025 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships and was named No.2 in Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Best Wines of 2025, with Tamlyn Currin of jancisrobinson.com describing it as "complete" and Christina Pickard of The Wine Enthusiast calling it "England's most premium sparkler."
Gift Sets and Accessories
Two beautifully packaged gift sets lead the gifting range: the Rosé and Blancs Gift Set (£120), pairing the new vintage Rosé 2020 and Blanc de Blancs 2020 in a wooden gift box, and the Blancs and Noirs Gift Set (£130). For the most special occasions, the Westley Richards x Gusbourne wine carrier with Fifty One Degrees North (£300) pairs a hand-finished leather carrier from the Birmingham gunmaker with a bottle of the prestige cuvée. Members can also access Gusbourne-branded accessories including lead-free crystal sparkling wine glasses (set of six), a brushed-steel sparkling wine stopper and a waiter's friend corkscrew.
Memberships: Collectors and Explored
Gusbourne runs two distinct membership tiers, both offering preferential pricing on classic wines, preview access to new releases and complimentary entry to members-only events. The Collectors Membership, priced at £800 per year, is the most prestigious tier: each quarter, members receive three hand-picked bottles of Gusbourne's rarest and most luxurious wines, including allocations of prestige cuvées like Fifty One Degrees North. Collectors are also invited to twice-yearly tasting events and offered priority booking on the most coveted experiences.
The Explored Membership, priced at £540 per year (or £45 per month), offers a year-long subscription in which a bottle of still or sparkling Gusbourne is delivered monthly, accompanied by articles, advice and tasting notes from Master Sommelier Laura Rhys. Both memberships include a welcome gift and access to a dedicated membership concierge. Membership gift cards, valid for 12 months from activation, can be purchased for either tier.
The Nest: cellar door, tastings and tours
The Nest is Gusbourne's award-winning cellar door and tasting room at the heart of the Appledore estate. Set into the vineyard, with views over Boot Hill and across the Romney Marsh, it is a calm, contemporary space purpose-built for welcoming visitors for tastings, tours, lunches and private events. The shop is open for wine sales seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm.
The tasting and tour programme is varied and well priced. The Sparkling Tasting Flight is a relaxed, self-guided tasting of four classic sparkling wines at £30 per person. The Classic Vineyard Tour and Tasting, at £50, is a 90-minute guided walk in the vines followed by a tutored tasting. The Limited Edition Wines Tasting Flight at £75 is a short tour and tasting of the most luxurious and limited wines, including Fifty One Degrees North.
The flagship experience is the Estate Tour with Lunch, priced at £120 (or £100 for members), a four-hour hosted tour of the estate followed by an extended tasting and a seasonal three-course lunch paired with more Gusbourne wines. The Icons Experience with Lunch (£175, members £155) is an exclusive tour, masterclass and four-course lunch exploring the rarest wines in the cellar. For something more relaxed, the Vineyard Platter for Two with Wine (£90, members £80) pairs a generous seasonal platter of Kentish produce with a bottle of Brut Reserve, served in the garden in summer or in the tasting room during the cooler months.
In summer, The Nest opens late on Saturday evenings (until 7pm in June, July and August), with walk-in service for wine by the glass and snacks from the bar menu. A self-guided 45-minute vineyard walking route is available year-round, and the team serves a small menu of snacks and platters on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May to September without the need to book.
Special events and what's on
Gusbourne runs a full calendar of special events throughout the year, alongside the regular tour and tasting programme. The Gusbourne Wine Safari and Lunch, on Sunday 16th August 2026, is a relaxed, sociable vineyard stroll with four sparkling wines tasted along the way, finishing with a generous Vineyard Platter in the Nest Garden (£60).
The Harvest Estate Tour with Lunch 2026 runs on six dates from 10th to 20th September, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the harvest, with opportunities to taste fruit from the vine, sample juice from the press, and sit down to a three-course lunch paired with classic and limited-edition wines (£120). The estate's flagship tasting event, the Autumn Celebration Tasting at Glaziers Hall, takes place in London on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October 2026 (£45), and the Festive Estate Tour and Lunch runs from 27th November to 20th December 2026 (£120).
For members, the calendar is even fuller. The Members' Late Summer Lunch on Bank Holiday Monday 31st August (£80), the Members' Autumn Celebration Tasting at The Nest on 25th - 27th September (complimentary), the Members' Autumn Celebration Tasting at Glaziers Hall on 17th - 18th October (complimentary), and the Members' Christmas Lunches on selected dates throughout November and December (£70) all offer members opportunities to gather, taste and celebrate the year's wines.
Private events and corporate experiences
Gusbourne hosts private events for groups of 8 to 40, from birthdays and anniversaries to corporate gatherings. A typical private itinerary runs from 11am to 3pm and includes a welcome glass of Gusbourne, a guided vineyard tour, a tutored tasting and a seasonal three- or four-course lunch from £120 per person, plus a £300 room hire fee. Members enjoy preferential rates.
Corporate hospitality is a particular strength. The estate offers private tastings, full-day corporate experiences, bespoke events for up to 200 guests, and dedicated meeting spaces across seven venues: The Nest (32 guests), The Hide (20), The Winemakers' Library (20), The Cellar (16), The Nest Garden (80), Boot Hill Garden (36) and Boot Hill Deck (18). Corporate gifting and a "Bring Gusbourne to You" hosted-tasting service are also available. Pricing varies; enquiries can be directed to corporate@gusbourne.com.
Awards and global recognition
Gusbourne is the only three-time winner of the IWSC English Wine Producer of the Year, and the awards shelf is dense. At the 2025 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, the estate won gold medals for the Blanc de Noirs 2020, Fifty One Degrees North 2016, Agrafe 2020 and Blanc de Meuniers, Boot Hill Vineyard 2019. The same year, Gusbourne was named Walpole British Luxury Brand of the Year 2025, recognised for the role English sparkling wine can play on the global stage, and was ranked #28 in the World's 50 Best Vineyards list for visitor experience. The estate has also received the King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade and the Chairman's Trophy at the CSWWC.
Gusbourne wines are poured in some of the country's finest settings: from the 2012 London Olympics opening party and Buckingham Palace events to restaurants including Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, The Clove Club and Flemings Mayfair, and venues such as Somerset House Summer Series, Opera Holland Park, the Cowdray Gold Cup, Grantley Hall and The Lanesborough.
Sustainability and the long view
Gusbourne works to be sustainable today, and for the vintages to come. The estate is a founder member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, and in 2025 published a comprehensive sustainability report. In the winery, 99% of energy comes from renewable sources, bottling waste has been reduced to zero, and water use is measured vintage by vintage. In the vineyards, the team is moving towards regenerative farming, building soil health and biodiversity through cover cropping, integrated pest management and the One Block Challenge. The estate controls every step from grape to glass, which the team sees as essential to delivering meaningful, measurable change.
Visiting Gusbourne
Gusbourne is at Kenardington Road, Appledore, Ashford, Kent, TN26 2BE. The estate is around 15 minutes' drive from Ashford International, with direct trains from St Pancras International and Stratford International every 15 minutes, and around 10 minutes from Rye. The recommended taxi provider is ETM Cars, with an agreed set rate of £30 from Ashford. Uber does not operate in the area, and although Appledore station appears closest on a map, it is not served by taxis or regular buses; the team strongly recommends booking a taxi from Ashford or Rye in advance.
The Nest and shop are open daily, Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, including bank holidays. Free parking is available on site. Tasting and tour bookings can be made online; for accessibility questions, group bookings, dogs or children, the team can be reached at nest@gusbourne.com or on +44 (0)1233 884680. UK mainland delivery is complimentary on all wine orders.