Nyetimber: Pioneers of English Sparkling Wine
Nyetimber is widely regarded as the pioneer of premium English sparkling wine. Set in the rolling landscape of West Sussex in the south of England, the estate has been quietly rewriting the rules of fine sparkling winemaking for nearly four decades. Its vineyards, planted on the same chalk and greensand soils that underpin the great wines of the Côte des Blancs, are now producing cuvées that genuinely challenge the best Champagne houses.
A 1,000-year-old estate
The Nyetimber estate was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Nitimbreha", believed to mean a newly timbered house or small timber plantation. The peaceful valley would remain agricultural land for almost 900 years before the first vines were planted in 1988. That pioneering decision made Nyetimber the first English estate to grow the holy trinity of traditional-method sparkling wine grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, exclusively for the production of sparkling wine.
In 2006, entrepreneur Eric Heerema became the owner and custodian of Nyetimber, convinced that the estate's unique combination of south-facing slopes, chalk and greensand soils, and temperate maritime climate had yet to reach its full potential. He recruited Canadian-born winemaker Cherie Spriggs and her husband Brad Greatrix, and the pair have shaped the wines ever since. In 2018 Cherie became the first person outside the Champagne region, and the first woman, to win the International Wine Challenge "Sparkling Winemaker of the Year" trophy, an honour she repeated in 2025.
The terroir of the South of England
Nyetimber owns estate vineyards across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, planted only on land that meets the most exacting viticultural standards. Soils alternate between greensand and pure chalk, mirroring the geology that runs beneath the English Channel into the heart of Champagne. Gentle south-facing slopes maximise exposure to the English sun, while the cooler maritime climate gives grapes the slow, even ripening needed to balance sugar, acidity and flavour.
Around 30 per cent of the total estate is set aside as natural, non-productive habitat of hedgerows, woodlands, ponds and wildflower meadows, and the team uses sheep for winter grazing, drones for precision vineyard mapping, and has created an herbicide-free trial block at the Nyetimber Manor Vineyard in partnership with six other leading English producers. Winery energy is partly captured and recycled, the lighter 835g bottles save 10 per cent in transport emissions compared with the industry standard, and the foil capsule uses a plant-derived laminate. The company is also working towards LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) accreditation.
The winemaking philosophy
Every Nyetimber wine is made from 100 per cent estate-grown fruit, hand-picked and gently pressed in the purpose-built West Chiltington Pressing Centre. All blending decisions are taken in the spring following harvest by Cherie and Brad, parcel by parcel, and every wine is fermented and aged in the traditional method with a minimum of 36 months on its lees. Nyetimber was the first English sparkling-wine producer to use dark amber glass to protect its wines from UV damage, and every bottle carries a printed record of its exact bottling, riddling and disgorgement dates. This is an extraordinary commitment to transparency in a category where provenance is often opaque.
Cherie Spriggs describes the house style as "elegant and intense, with the balance of power and finesse that comes from chalk-soil Chardonnay and from patient lees ageing". That house style is now demonstrated across an evolving range of seven core cuvées, from the accessible Multi-Vintage blends through to the prestige 1086 by Nyetimber.
The Nyetimber range
Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage
The flagship Nyetimber wine and the bottle that put the estate on the international map. A classic blend of Chardonnay (55 to 65 per cent), Pinot Noir (30 to 40 per cent) and Pinot Meunier (5 to 15 per cent), drawn from multiple vineyards and vintages and aged for more than three years on its lees. The result is pale-gold, with a fine, persistent mousse and distinctive toasty, spicy aromas underpinned by honey, almond, pastry and baked apple. £42 for a 75cl bottle in the signature gift box.
Rosé Multi-Vintage
A textured and generous salmon-pink rosé made predominantly from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a touch of Pinot Meunier. Expect aromas of British summer fruits and shortbread, a creamy round texture and a refreshing finish of redcurrant, raspberry and cherry. £47 per bottle, gift-boxed.
Cuvee Chérie Multi-Vintage
England's first demi-sec sparkling wine, made from 100 per cent Chardonnay. Light gold with a silver undertone, it shows pure lemon, mineral and honey aromas with a touch of tangerine, and a lively sweet-lemon start offset by crisp acidity and a clean, pure structure. Designed for desserts, fruit tarts, strawberries and cream, and aromatic Asian cuisines. £42.
Blanc de Blancs 2017
The first style ever produced at Nyetimber, and the wine that made history in 2025 when the 2016 Magnum became the first non-Champagne to win the International Wine Challenge Champion Sparkling Wine trophy. Crafted from a single vintage of 100 per cent Chardonnay and aged on its lees for more than four years, the 2017 vintage shows lemon curd, greengage, clotted cream and shortcrust pastry, with gooseberry, apple crumble and a flinty, mineral character on a long, creamy finish. £58.
Tillington Single Vineyard 2016
A rare, terroir-driven wine from one of Nyetimber's most celebrated Pinot Noir-dominated plots. Predominantly Pinot Noir (73 per cent) with 27 per cent Chardonnay, it is pale gold with very fine bubbles and intense aromas of raspberry, red apple skin and rose petal. The textured palate reveals layers of orange zest, raspberry, apricot and marzipan in a long, mouth-watering finish. £110.
1086 by Nyetimber 2014
England's first prestige cuvée, named for the year the estate was recorded in the Domesday Book. 1086 is made only in the very best vintages from hand-selected parcels of immaculate fruit, blended to deliver unmatched complexity, elegance and poise. The 2014 vintage shows red apple, peach, white rose petals, almond and clotted cream in a long, refined finish. £150.
1086 by Nyetimber Rosé 2016
The pinnacle expression of Nyetimber rosé. Made only in exceptional years from the finest parcels of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the 2016 vintage shows wild strawberry, red apple and floral aromas, with chantilly cream and freshly baked brioche entwined in a lingering finish. £175.
Large-format and gift bottles
Many Nyetimber cuvées are released in magnums and jeroboams, formats that allow longer, slower ageing and add a sense of theatre to any celebration. The Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage Magnum (£85) and Jeroboam (£223) are ideal for larger gatherings, the Blanc de Blancs 2017 Magnum (£130) is an ageworthy collector's piece, and the 1086 by Nyetimber 2013 is available in both Magnum (£325) and Jeroboam (£725) formats. The 1086 Rosé 2013 Magnum is priced at £375.
Gift sets and curated cases
For those who want a ready-made selection, Nyetimber offers a number of curated cases and gift sets:
- The Classic Case - three bottles of Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage, £118.50.
- The Icons Case - Classic Cuvee, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé Multi-Vintage, £138.
- The Birthday Case - Classic Cuvee, Rosé Multi-Vintage and Cuvee Chérie, £123.
- The Connoisseur Case - Tillington Single Vineyard, Blanc de Blancs and Cuvee Chérie, £197.
- Collector's Case - six bottles of Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage with two Nyetimber bottle stoppers, £252.
- Luxury Celebration Case - six bottles spanning Classic Cuvee, Rosé, Cuvee Chérie, Blanc de Blancs and Tillington Single Vineyard, £321.
- Nyetimber Gift Set - a 75cl bottle of the cuvée of your choice, gift box and two branded glasses, from £64.
- Nyetimber Six Glass Gift Set, £60.
- The Nyetimber Book and Sparkling Wine Duo, £68.
Most core bottles can also be personalised with an engraved gold plaque on the gift box, from the Classic Cuvee (£42) and Rosé (£47) through to the Blanc de Blancs (£58), Cuvee Chérie (£42) and Tillington Single Vineyard (£110). Gift cards are available in denominations from £100 to £250 and remain valid for 12 months.
Visiting the estate: Open Days and Experiences
The Nyetimber estate itself is not generally open to the public, but the winemaking team hosts a small number of carefully designed experiences throughout the spring and summer.
Open Day Tours 2026
The flagship visitor experience is a £50, two-and-a-half-hour guided walking tour that begins in the 15th-century White Barn with an introduction to the estate's history, before leading guests through the historic vineyards and finishing with a tutored tasting of Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage, Rosé Multi-Vintage, Cuvee Chérie Multi-Vintage and Blanc de Blancs 2017 in the medieval barn. The ticket is fully redeemable against a case of six bottles purchased on the day at cellar-door prices. Open Day tickets are limited to four per order and the experience is restricted to guests aged 18 and over. Book Open Day tickets.
Dining experiences at the estate
Across the summer months Nyetimber hosts a series of intimate evening dinners in partnership with Executive Chef Steven Edwards. The 1086 by Nyetimber Paired Dining Experience (£195) offers a refined four-course seasonal menu paired with the full Nyetimber range including the prestige 1086 cuvée, while A Sparkling Celebration of Seafood (£220) pairs the wines with a luxurious seafood-led menu crafted by Steven and served in the historic estate setting. Tickets are released in limited batches through the Nyetimber shop.
Exclusive Brand Ambassador Tastings
For private groups of up to ten, a Nyetimber Brand Ambassador can be booked to host a 1.5-hour tutored tasting at a venue of your choice. The session covers the history of Nyetimber, the traditional method of sparkling winemaking and a tasting flight that includes Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage, Rosé Multi-Vintage, Cuvee Chérie Multi-Vintage, Blanc de Blancs and Tillington Single Vineyard. Pricing is £1,700 per session within London zones 1 to 3. Bookings can be arranged by calling 0800 804 8107.
The Nyetimber Bus and event calendar
Nyetimber's iconic 1968 Routemaster bus, "The Nyetimber", attends the most prestigious British sporting and cultural events of the year, from Henley Royal Regatta and Queen's Championships Tennis to Cheltenham Festival, Epsom Derby and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. With its handcrafted copper-and-oak lower deck bar and a Union Jack back-bar, the bus offers a uniquely British setting from which to enjoy a glass of Nyetimber in the heart of the action. The Nyetimber Bus is not available for private hire, although it can be booked as part of the Nyetimber Wedding Proposal package.
Weddings and corporate gifting
Nyetimber has become one of the UK's most popular wedding wine suppliers, offering bespoke wedding packages tailored to everything from intimate celebrations to large parties. The core range, Classic Cuvee, Rosé, Cuvee Chérie, Blanc de Blancs, Tillington Single Vineyard and 1086 by Nyetimber, covers every course from aperitif through to wedding cake, and the wedding team can host private tastings at the London office (21 Palmer Street, SW1H 0AD), at the West Sussex vineyard, or virtually by Zoom or Teams.
Wedding wine packages include the Sparkling Choice (from 60 bottles), the Sparkling Choice for Larger Parties (from 120 bottles), the Prestige Choice for Intimate Occasions (from 9 bottles of 1086), the Prestige Choice for Larger Parties (from 60 bottles of 1086), the Nyetimber Favours package (Classic Cuvee 375ml with personalised tags and ribbons from 60 bottles) and the Engagement Shoot package (from £600 half day, £1,000 full day). Personalised wedding enquiries are handled by the dedicated team at weddingwine@nyetimber.com.
For corporate gifting, Nyetimber provides flexible tiers across multiple price points, premium options including branded flutes and gift cards, printed message cards and engraved gift boxes, low minimum order quantities, complimentary UK delivery, preferential corporate pricing and access to Brand Ambassador-led tasting experiences. The Corporate Gifting brochure can be downloaded as a PDF.
Buying Nyetimber
The full Nyetimber collection can be ordered through the Nyetimber online shop, which ships to UK addresses only. Standard delivery is complimentary on orders over £70 (£5.95 below that), with Saturday delivery available for £11.95. Nyetimber is also available through leading UK stockists including Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Hedonism Wines in Mayfair.
Contact details
- Nyetimber Estate (Vineyard): Nyetimber Limited, Gay Street, West Chiltington, West Sussex, RH20 2HH. Tel: +44 (0) 1798 813989.
- London Office: 7th Floor, Asticus Building, 21 Palmer St, London SW1H 0AD. Tel: +44 (0) 207 734 8490. Email: info@nyetimber.com.
- Customer Service: 0800 093 0243 (Mon to Fri, 08.30 to 17.30) or customerservice@nyetimber.com.
- Press: press@nyetimber.com.
- Experiences: experiences@nyetimber.com.
- Weddings: weddingwine@nyetimber.com.
Visitors attending an Open Day should book a taxi in advance to either Pulborough or Billingshurst station; the estate is approximately a 10-minute drive from Thakeham and a 16-minute drive from Amberley.
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