Rathfinny Estate

Rathfinny Estate: A Complete Guide to Sussex Sparkling from the South Downs

Rathfinny Estate: Where Sussex Sparkling Begins

Nestled in the rolling folds of the South Downs, three miles from the English Channel and within walking distance of the storybook village of Alfriston, Rathfinny Estate is one of the most celebrated single-site wine estates in England. Founded in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver, the 600-acre property has, in barely fifteen years, become a benchmark for vintage, traditional-method Sussex Sparkling wine - and a B Corp-certified destination for vineyard tours, farm-to-fork dining, vineyard picnics and overnight stays on the chalk soils of East Sussex.

What makes Rathfinny distinctive is the completeness of the experience: the entire journey - from grape to glass, and from a Cellar Door tasting to a candlelit dinner in the Flint Barns - happens on one estate. The vines, the RIBA-nominated winery, the cellar door shop, the restaurants, the B&B rooms and the self-catering cottage all sit within a few minutes' drive of each other in the Cradle Valley, with the Seven Sisters cliffs gleaming on the horizon. Below, we walk through everything you need to know to plan a visit, what to taste and where to stay.

A Perfect Location: Chalk, Coast and Climate

Long before the first vine went into the ground, the Romans reputedly claimed that the best place to plant a vineyard was three miles from the sea. Rathfinny sits exactly there: a sun-soaked, south-facing slope overlooking the Cuckmere Valley, protected from the prevailing south-westerlies by a ridge of National Trust land. The same band of Cretaceous chalk that forms the Paris Basin runs underneath the Estate and out beneath the Atlantic, providing the shallow, free-draining, lime-rich soils that the three classic Champagne varieties - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier - thrive in.

The semi-continental maritime climate gives the vineyard a long, steady growing season, an exceptional sunshine record and protection from late frosts, thanks to the warming influence of the English Channel. The chalk itself acts as a sponge, holding winter rainfall and releasing it slowly through the dry summer months, providing the vines with a reliable water supply exactly when they need it. Together, these factors have helped put Sussex on the global wine map - culminating in the ratification of the Sussex PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), which guarantees provenance, viticultural standards and rigorous blind tasting for any wine that carries the Sussex name.

The Rathfinny Story: From Arable Farm to Award-Winning Estate

In 2010, Mark and Sarah Driver bought Rathfinny as a working arable farm and began planting the first 50 acres of vines in April 2012. Their ambition was explicit: to produce some of the world's finest traditional-method sparkling wines from a single, terroir-driven site. The first harvest was brought in in 2014, the wines were bottled for their secondary fermentation in 2015 and the inaugural Sussex Sparkling releases followed in 2018. The full vintage range came on stream in 2020 and, in 2023, Rathfinny became the first single-site sparkling wine producer in the world to achieve B Corp certification, joining a community of more than 1,600 UK businesses verified for high standards of social and environmental performance.

Today the Estate has expanded to 93 hectares (around 230 acres) of vines, with plans that will eventually take it to 350 acres. Pinot Noir is the dominant variety, with Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and small plantings of Pinot Gris rounding out the palette. The Driver family remain hands-on: Sarah leads the brand and B Corp strategy, Mark is a leading voice on the Sussex PDO and the wider English wine industry, their daughter Faye heads up Wine Tourism and Millie is Brand Director. In 2026, Mark and Sarah received Honorary Doctorates of Arts from the University of Brighton for their contribution to education and the promotion of sustainable viticulture.

Winemaking in the Sussex PDO Tradition

Rathfinny produces four vintage, traditional-method Sussex Sparkling wines, all made in line with the Sussex PDO standards that demand longer bottle ageing (a minimum of 36 months for most styles), stricter analytical criteria and an independent tasting-panel assessment:

• Rathfinny Blanc de Noirs - The signature wine. Predominantly Pinot Noir, hand-harvested on the Estate. Critics have called it "a super-long wine" and "hard to beat anywhere on Earth."
• Rathfinny Blanc de Blancs - Made from 100% Chardonnay with a saline, mineral lift that reflects the coastal location. Jancis Robinson described the 2019 vintage as "very, very elegant with a long, understated finish."
• Rathfinny Rosé Brut - A Pinot Noir-dominated rosé with red-fruit character and a refreshingly dry finish.
• Rathfinny Classic Cuvée - The 'house-style' blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay: versatile, food-friendly and the recommended starting point for first-time customers.

In addition, the Estate produces two new additions to celebrate the smaller moments in life: the Rathfinny Mini Cuvée 2023 and Rathfinny Mini Rosé 2023, both bottled in a 50cl format that serves four generous glasses rather than the standard six. These petite, traditional-method sparkling wines are aged on lees in the Estate's recognisable style.

All grapes are hand-harvested (around 200 local pickers are involved over a three-to-four-week window each October), whole-bunch pressed and matured patiently on lees to develop rich, autolytic notes. The winemaking team, led by Winery Manager Tony Milanowski, aims to intervene as little as possible and never adds more than 6g/l of dosage, preserving the purity of the fruit and the freshness that has become the Rathfinny house style. Some fermentation and ageing in oak barrels takes place for added complexity in selected cuvées.

Cradle Valley: Boutique Sussex Still Wines

Alongside the sparkling portfolio, Rathfinny makes a small range of Sussex still wines under the Cradle Valley label. The Cradle Valley range elegantly expresses the chalk and coastal terroir in a quieter register:

• Cradle Valley Pinot Gris 2025 - Light, crisp white with citrus lift.
• Cradle Valley Rosé 2024 - Pristine coral pink made from Pinot Noir.
• Cradle Valley Chardonnay 2023 - The newest addition, with a light touch of oak on the nose.
• Cradle Valley Pinot Noir Précoce 2025 - A light red aged in French oak, only produced in the very best years.
• Cradle Valley 6 Bottle Mixed Case - A handpicked cross-section of the range.

All Cradle Valley wines are made from hand-harvested grapes grown on the same single Estate, with cases starting from £66.

Seven Sisters Spirits

The third string to the Rathfinny bow is Seven Sisters Spirits, a range of grape-based spirits produced in collaboration with the Silent Pool Distillery in Surrey. The range takes its name from the iconic chalk cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne, just seven miles from the vineyard, and is distilled from the third pressing of the Sussex Sparkling wine grapes. The current line-up includes:

• Seven Sisters Gin - A London Dry gin with vineyard provenance, available from £38.
• Seven Sisters 2017 Brandy - A vintage, eaux-de-vie-style brandy at £75 per bottle.
• Sussex Cocktail Box - A curated gift set at £78 featuring Seven Sisters spirits and mixers.

Past releases have also included Vermouth and a unique Grape Spirit. As with the wines, the spirits are made with a sustainability-first mindset in keeping with the Estate's B Corp status.

Sustainability at the Heart of Everything

Sustainability is not a marketing strapline at Rathfinny - it is the operating system. The Estate's new buildings use locally sourced materials, photovoltaic cells and wastewater recycling, and the winery is self-sufficient in water and powered primarily by solar energy. The team works with Natural England, the National Trust and the South Downs National Park to manage chalk grassland, create wildlife corridors and protect skylarks, Adonis Blue butterflies and other chalk-downland species. Rathfinny has supported the Countryside Stewardship Scheme to regenerate around 200 acres of land.

The sustainability work is structured around three pillars: Nurturing the Land (low-impact, regenerative viticulture and biodiversity), Caring for People (an inclusive workplace and positive community impact) and Reducing our Footprint (emissions, waste and resource use). Each year the Estate publishes an Impact Report and a Carbon Report compiled by Carbon Jacked to track progress. Charitable giving is decided democratically by the team, with causes supported in 2025 - 2026 including Save the Children, Young Lives vs Cancer, St Wilfred's Hospice, DISC Dementia Support and WRAS East Sussex.

Visit: Tours, Tastings and the Cellar Door

Visiting Rathfinny is built around three pillars - tour, taste and stay - all of which start at the Cellar Door, the award-winning winery shop that is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Inside, you can browse the full Sussex Sparkling, Cradle Valley and Seven Sisters ranges, pick up gift boxes, hampers and accessories, and enjoy a complimentary drop-in tasting at the bar (lasting around 10 minutes and subject to availability).

Guided Sussex Vineyard Tours

For the full Estate experience, the guided tour and tasting is the recommended option. There are several variants depending on the season:

• Summer Tour & Tasting (May - September) - A walk through the vines plus behind-the-scenes access to the winery and a tutored tasting of the Rathfinny portfolio. £34 per person, 1hr 45min, with departures at 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus 1pm on Thursdays. A 10% discretionary service charge is included.
• Winter Tour & Tasting (November - April) - An indoor-focused tour with a visit to the RIBA-nominated Winery and an exclusive look at the Bottling building. Same price, same duration, Saturdays only.
• Sussex Wine Tasting Experience (May - September, Friday - Sunday) - A 45-minute, six-wine tasting that bypasses the tour element. £22 per person, 12 noon or 2pm.
• Wine in the Vines - A relaxed summer Sunday tour that finishes with a tasting, Sussex Ploughman's lunch and potted cheesecake among the vines. £55 per person, 2hr 15min. Dates for 2026: Sunday 28 June, Sunday 19 July and Sunday 9 August, with 10.30am and 1.30pm slots.
• Harvest Tour, Tasting & Dosage Trial (23 September - 25 October 2026) - A short walk into the vineyard, an introduction to dosage, a hands-on dosage trial and a guided tasting. £40 per person, 1hr 45min.
• Twilight Tour & Tasting (June - August) - A sold-out summer favourite in 2026: an exclusive evening tour of the Estate at dusk, ending with a tasting in the hush of the Winery.

Children are not permitted on tours due to the alcoholic nature of the tastings, but they are very welcome in the Cellar Door, restaurants and Flint Barns B&B. Bookings can be made online, and vouchers are redeemed through the Reservations team on +44 (0)1323 87 00 22.

Self-guided Walking Trail

If you prefer to explore at your own pace, the Rathfinny Trail is a 5km (3.1 mile) permissive footpath around the Estate. Pick up a free map from the Cellar Door and look out for audio talking posts along the route. The trail is suitable for dogs and children (kept on leads), but the ground is uneven in places, and the path is closed during Harvest for safety reasons.

Dine: Three Restaurants on the Estate

Rathfinny is rooted in its food as much as its wine. The Estate operates three on-site restaurants and a takeaway picnic offer, all built around seasonal, locally sourced Sussex produce.

The Flint Barns Dining Room

The Flint Barns Dining Room is the Estate's produce-led restaurant, serving unpretentious, seasonal dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. Dinner is served Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm to 8pm, with Sunday lunches from 12 noon to 3.30pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Sample dishes from the current à la carte menu include cured chalk stream trout with orange, fennel and buttermilk (£11), 12oz lamb saddle chop with broad beans and salsa verde (£29), and hand-rolled orecchiette with Crown Prince squash and ricotta (£19). An optional wine flight paired to the menu is offered at £24. A discretionary 12.5% service charge is added to the bill. The Dining Room is fully accessible, dog-friendly and welcomes well-behaved children. Reservations can be made online or by calling +44 (0)1323 874 030.

Summer Sunday Lunches x Big Green Egg

From 7 June to 6 September 2026, Sunday lunches move into the walled courtyard at the Flint Barns. Chefs cook on Big Green Egg barbecues and live music fills the afternoon. The Sunday lunch menu includes butterflied leg of lamb cooked over coals with salsa verde (£29), charred South Coast seabream with heritage tomato and chervil (£29), and barbecued Crown Prince squash with ricotta and pumpkin seeds (£22). Mains come with Sussex Ratte potatoes, a Twineham Grange Caesar salad, grilled asparagus and charred carrots to share. Three courses including a glass of Sussex Sparkling start from around £43.50.

The Hut - Al Fresco Wine Bar

Open daily from 10am to 5pm (until 6pm on Saturdays throughout summer), The Hut is an outdoor wine bar serving Rathfinny Sussex Sparkling by the glass, Sussex Ploughman's lunches, freshly baked cakes and hot drinks. A glass of Classic Cuvée is £12.25, Rosé £14.50, Blanc de Blancs £16 and Blanc de Noirs £18. Sussex Ploughman's boards (Sussex Charmer, honey mustard ham, grape chutney, baguette, pickles) are £12.50. Dogs are welcome on leads; cash is not accepted. The Hut sits just outside the Cellar Door and offers panoramic views across the vineyard and the South Downs.

Vineyard Picnics

From 4 June to 30 August 2026, the Estate lays on pre-booked Vineyard Picnics every Thursday to Sunday, with sittings between 12 noon and 3pm. The picnic hampers include free-range chicken and dry-cured bacon ciabatta, Rathfinny sausage rolls, summer slaw, Gordal olives, loaded hummus, Sussex crisps and potted cheesecake with Sussex strawberries, with a children's menu at £13 and a vegetarian option at £35. A bottle of wine can be added on collection. Bookings are recommended to coincide with a Tour & Tasting - for example, a 10.30am tour followed by a 12.30pm picnic works well.

Stay: The Flint Barns and the Rathfinny Cottage

Rathfinny offers two very different ways to sleep among the vines: a restaurant-with-rooms B&B in the lovingly restored Flint Barns, and a private self-catering cottage for groups of up to four.

The Flint Barns B&B

The Flint Barns started life as seasonal accommodation for harvest pickers and have grown into an award-winning B&B with 10 en-suite bedrooms. Rooms range from 'Cosy Doubles' from £120 per night to the 'Cradle Valley' deluxe king at £310, with most rooms accepting dogs and many offering Vineyard views. The ground floor is fully step-free (two bedrooms and an accessible shower are available on request), and the Flint Barns is dog-friendly throughout.

The Rathfinny Cottage

Sleeping four guests and up to three dogs, the Rathfinny Cottage is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom self-catering retreat designed by the Driver family. It features a fully equipped kitchen, utility room, private courtyard and a wine fridge, and is a short walk from both the Flint Barns and The Hut. Stays of 3, 4 or 7 nights start from £750 (variable by season). A festive Christmas/New Year package is also available with a complimentary magnum of Sussex Sparkling on arrival and a £2,000 7-night rate.

Short Break Packages

The Estate offers a small but well-curated set of short-break packages that combine a room, dinner, a tour and tasting:

• Escape to Sussex - from £299.50 for two. Glass of Classic Cuvée on arrival, Tour & Tasting, three-course dinner at the Flint Barns, overnight stay and continental farmhouse breakfast.
• Harvest Escape Package - from £318 for two. Includes a Dosage Tasting & Tour, three-course dinner and breakfast. Available Wed - Sat from 23 September to 14 November 2026.
• Orrery Takeover Package - from £488 for two (final availability at £643). Combines an overnight stay with the 22 or 29 August Michelin-starred Orrery by Pierre Minotti takeover tasting menu dinner.

Rathfinny Reserved: The Wine Club

For collectors and committed enthusiasts, Rathfinny Reserved is the Estate's subscription wine club. Membership costs £650 per year and includes:

• Two six-bottle deliveries per year of the most coveted wines - the Blanc de Noirs and Blanc de Blancs - delivered in spring and autumn.
• A complimentary private tour and tasting for the member and up to five guests.
• Exclusive, members-only events hosted by Mark and Sarah Driver at the Estate and beyond.
• Priority access to library wines, rare releases and Estate event tickets.
• A 10% discount on the Cellar Door wine portfolio and 10% off the food bill at the Flint Barns and The Hut.
• Birthday gifts and a members-only club card.

Wine club events for the year ahead include the harvest 'Falconry Experience', a 'Journey Through Pinot Noir' evening and the members-only wine dinner at Galvin La Chapelle. Membership is limited and sold on an annual basis, with the option to gift a subscription.

What's On: 2026 Summer Events

Summer 2026 is the most ambitious programme the Estate has staged, with high-profile takeover dinners, vineyard picnics, twilight tours and a vineyard running event. Highlights include:

• Wine in the Vines - Sunday 28 June, Sunday 19 July and Sunday 9 August 2026, £55pp.
• Bluebird Restaurant Takeover at Rathfinny - Saturday 15 August 2026. A seven-course tasting menu from the Chelsea icon in the Rathfinny Tasting Room, £150pp.
• Orrery by Pierre Minotti Takeover at Rathfinny - Saturday 22 & 29 August 2026. A seven-course tasting menu from the Michelin-starred London restaurant, £185pp.
• Bluebird by the Sea Summer Pop-Up - 15, 22 and 29 August 2026. Bluebird's food truck serving lobster rolls, duck salads and burgers beside the vines.
• Vineyard Picnics - Every Thursday to Sunday from 4 June to 30 August 2026, £35 per adult.
• Twilight Tour & Tasting - 4 June to 30 August 2026.
• Summer Sunday Lunches x Big Green Egg - Every Sunday from 7 June to 6 September 2026.
• Heritage Trails Sparkling Run - Saturday 5 September 2026. A 5k or 10k run or walk through the vineyard with four sparkling wine stops, food and live music.
• Prept Collabs: Josh Angus & Martin Carabott - 25 August 2026 at Gravetye Manor, sponsored by Rathfinny.

Beyond the Estate itself, the 2026 'Summer Sussex Terraces' bring Rathfinny wines to four London and country venues: TIDE at Coworth Park (Berkshire), The Rathfinny Summer Terrace at OXO Tower, The Rathfinny Rosé Garden at The Alfriston Hotel, and the Sumi Terrace in Notting Hill.

Shop: Sussex Sparkling, Gifts and Weddings

The Rathfinny online shop stocks the full wine and spirits range plus a thoughtful selection of gifts. Delivery within mainland UK is £10 flat rate, free on orders over £75, with a complimentary click-and-collect service available from the Cellar Door. Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands and offshore addresses are quoted on request by emailing customercare@rathfinnyestate.com.

For weddings, the Estate offers preferential pricing on orders of more than 30 bottles, with magnums (the 150cl bottles contain 12 glasses and are particularly well suited to speeches) a popular choice. Private tastings for wedding couples are arranged through the Cellar Door team on cellardoor@rathfinnyestate.com or +44 (0)1323 87 00 22.

Corporate gifting is also a growing specialism: the Cellar Door team can curate bespoke Sussex Sparkling gifts, with packaging, fulfilment and delivery handled in-house. The full corporate brochure can be downloaded as a PDF.

Plan Your Visit

Rathfinny is in the village of Alfriston, postcode BN26 5TU, and is approximately 90 minutes from London by car. The nearest train stations are Berwick (10-minute taxi), Polegate (15 minutes), Seaford (10 minutes) and Lewes (20 minutes), all with easy connections from London Victoria. The local Flexibus on-demand service (booked through the Ride Pingo app) covers a 14-mile radius around the Estate. Taxis should be booked in advance; recommended firms include Beacon (Seaford, 01323 898888), Seahaven Cabs (01323 892223) and Lewes Station Taxis (01273 569219). Limited free parking is available across the Estate, including two disabled bays outside The Hut and the Cellar Door.

There is no public transport within the Estate itself, so plan to walk between the Cellar Door, the Winery, the Flint Barns and The Hut. Coaches are accepted by appointment only.

Contact and Bookings

The Estate Office, Cellar Door, Flint Barns, Press, Trade, International and Events teams all share the main switchboard on +44 (0)1323 87 00 22. Central enquiries go to info@rathfinnyestate.com. Press should write to marketing@rathfinnyestate.com, trade enquiries to andyg@rathfinnyestate.com, international sales to international.sales@rathfinnyestate.com, events to events@rathfinnyestate.com and Wine Club queries to reserved@rathfinnyestate.com.

To plan a visit, use the online booking calendar, sign up to the newsletter for free delivery on your first wine order, and follow Rathfinny on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Pinterest. Whether you come for an hour-long Cellar Door tasting or a weekend short break in the Flint Barns, the team promise a glass of Sussex that captures the chalk, the sea and the family that turned a Sussex arable farm into one of England's most exciting wine estates.