Southlands Valley Vineyard & Smock Alley Wines: A Community Sussex Sparkling Wine Story
Tucked into the rolling chalk-and-sandstone folds of West Sussex, just to the north of the South Downs, lies one of England's most charming small-batch sparkling-wine producers. Southlands Valley Vineyard - better known to its customers under the Smock Alley Wines label - is a 2-hectare South-facing community vineyard in the village of West Chiltington. First planted more than a quarter of a century ago, it is owned today by Sarah Lavery and a co-operative of 62 (and counting) local row-holders, and it produces a trio of award-winning English sparkling wines made in the traditional method by the team at the renowned Wiston Estate.
This is an intimate, hand-tended vineyard that operates very differently from the larger commercial estates of southern England. There is no vast visitor centre, no restaurant, no manicured lawn - just a small plot of Lower Greensand loam, a cosy cellar door inside a converted studio, and a passionate community of growers and wine lovers. The result is a tiny, intensely personal production of elegant, traditional-method English sparkling wine that has already begun collecting accolades on the international stage. The 2022 Vintage English Sparkling Rosé, for instance, was awarded a Silver Medal at the 2026 London International Wine Competition, where it competed against sparkling wines from across the globe.
Where to find Southlands Valley Vineyard
The vineyard sits half a mile or so from the village of West Chiltington, in the heart of rural West Sussex. The full address for sat-navs is:
The Studio, Southlands Lane, West Chiltington, West Sussex RH20 2JU
The roads in and around the village are famously narrow, so visitors are asked to drive carefully and keep an eye out for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. Free parking is available on site. Those travelling by rail should head to Pulborough station, which has regular services from London, Portsmouth and Bognor Regis; the vineyard is a quick three-mile (around ten-minute) taxi ride from there. If you are staying in the village there is a wonderful network of public footpaths and bridleways that lead to the cellar door on foot.
A community vineyard with a 25-year story
Southlands Valley Vineyard was established in 2000, and from the very beginning it was conceived as a co-operative rather than a privately owned business. A group of local people - airline pilots, musicians, IT specialists, horticulturists, and a whole range of other professions - came together to share the work of the vineyard and a share in the final product. The vineyard was small from the start, but the dream was always to make something very special from this distinctive bit of West Sussex terroir.
That ethos of community, craft and respect for nature is at the heart of everything the vineyard does. The current owner, Sarah Lavery, took over the holding in 2014 with her family. Sarah came to viticulture after 35 years in civil engineering and flood risk management, and her work on climate change had already shown her that the gradual northward march of viable grape ripening was opening up exciting opportunities for vineyards in southern counties like Sussex. Starting a vineyard was, in her own words, "a steep but rewarding learning curve", and she is the first to credit the expertise of the Wiston Estate team and other local vineyard owners who shared their winemaking experience.
Under Sarah's stewardship the vineyard has grown significantly. 3,000 further vines were planted, doubling the size of the plot, and a substantial programme of renovations and improvements has been undertaken. Today, 62 row-holders - with a growing waiting list - tend the vines together, enjoying the camaraderie of working the land and the meditative pleasure of being close to nature in what is, by any measure, a poetically beautiful landscape.
A family history in the soil
The name "Smock Alley" is a nod to the Sussex smock mills that once dotted this part of the county. Smock mills were a distinctive type of smock-shaped, wooden, eight-sided windmill, and the surviving windmill at West Chiltington still embodies the vineyard's values of community, tradition and the artisanal. Like the windmills, the vineyard is small, locally rooted, and powered by people rather than industrial machinery - every bunch of grapes is harvested by hand.
The terroir of West Chiltington
Southlands Valley sits on a South-facing slope to the north of the South Downs, which gives it generous sun exposure during the long English summer days. The underlying soil is a rich Lower Greensand loam, a free-draining, mineral-rich substrate that is widely recognised as ideal for the cool-climate Champagne varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - that the vineyard specialises in.
The combination of aspect, soil, maritime climate and chalk-influenced geology to the south gives the wines a freshness, a fine natural acidity and a delicate aromatic profile that translates beautifully into the bottle. Every vintage is a little different, but each is consistently exceptional - which is exactly what you want from a vineyard that produces only a limited number of bottles from its small plot.
The winemaking partnership with Wiston Estate
Although the grapes are grown and harvested at Southlands Valley, the wine itself is produced by the team at the Wiston Estate in West Sussex. Wiston is one of the most respected makers of traditional-method English sparkling wine, and the partnership gives Smock Alley access to world-class winemaking facilities and expertise while keeping the vineyard itself small, sustainable and community-focused.
The winemaking approach is rigorously traditional:
- Hand-harvested fruit from a single community-owned vineyard
- Second fermentation in the bottle, as in Champagne
- A minimum of 3 years on lees for every wine in the range
- Carefully selected reserve wines blended into the non-vintage cuvée
- Oak-aged components in selected vintages
- Vegetarian and vegan friendly
- Naturally low in sulphites
The wines were developed initially by acclaimed winemaker Dermot Sugrue, whose fingerprints can still be tasted in the elegance of the house style. The long lees ageing gives the wines depth, texture and the autolytic complexity that serious traditional-method sparkling wine demands.
The Smock Alley sparkling wine range
Smock Alley Wines is a deliberately small range. Three cuvées are produced, each reflecting a different facet of the vineyard, and each designed to be enjoyed with food, with friends, and on those moments worth marking.
Smock Alley English Sparkling Brut NV
The signature non-vintage blend and the wine that introduces most visitors to the Smock Alley style. Made from carefully selected reserve wines and oak-aged components, it is aromatic, with crisp apple notes reminiscent of buttery Granny Smiths, and lively long-lasting bubbles. On the palate it develops a rich, apple-and-green-fruit character with a touch of sweetness building through the finish. From £33.00 per bottle.
Tasting notes - a hint of pale green, an aromatic nose of crisp green apples, elegant start, excellent aperitif. Technical information - 75cl bottle, 12% ABV, may contain sulphites.
Food pairings range from the everyday - fish and chips, a Sunday roast - to the elegant: seafood dishes, light Italian (carpaccio, spaghetti aglio e olio), and a deeply French onion soup topped with Gruyère.
Smock Alley 2019 Vintage English Classic Cuvée
An elegant and alluring pale-gold vintage wine made only from the 2019 harvest. The nose shows honeycomb and a hint of pear; the palate is rich and creamy with a fine, persistent mousse and a smooth finish. A traditional-method classic that has benefited from extended lees ageing. From £36.50 per bottle.
Tasting notes - rich and creamy nose, fine and persistent mousse, smooth finish. Technical information - 75cl bottle, 12% ABV, may contain sulphites.
Food pairings - the vineyard's team love it with homemade cheese scones, prosciutto, goat's cheese, thyme and fig tartlets, and it also works beautifully with seafood, chicken and salads.
Smock Alley 2022 Vintage English Sparkling Rosé
The colour of strawberries with a hint of peach. Fine, long-lasting bubbles and a delicate bouquet of red berries, subtle floral notes, and a zing of strawberry cream which develops into a refreshing cranberry finish. From £36.50 per bottle.
Tasting notes - attractive deep salmon-pink with a delicate coppery hue; vibrant red berry notes on the nose (fresh strawberries, redcurrants and a hint of pink grapefruit); subtle hints of brioche and a light mineral edge; crisp, dry and refreshing on the palate with added touches of white peach, verbena, melon and a hint of white blossom; fine and persistent mousse with a hint of biscuit; mouth-watering finish that lingers beyond the last sip.
This is the wine that put the vineyard on the international map. It was awarded a Silver Medal at the 2026 London International Wine Competition, with the judges praising its ripe red berry aromas, subtle autolytic notes, clean acidity and short, savoury finish. Technical information - 75cl bottle, 12% ABV, may contain sulphites.
Food pairings - aged cheeses, grilled salmon with a light dressing, roast chicken with herbs and new potatoes, an assortment of salads, and - for the very British - an exceptional glass with fish and chips.
Mixed Case Smock Alley Sparkling Wines (6 bottles)
For visitors who want to experience the full range, the vineyard offers a mixed case of six bottles: two each of the Oak Aged Brut NV, the 2019 Classic Cuvée and the 2022 Sparkling Rosé. The case is sold at 10% off and with free delivery, and is presented in a recyclable cardboard case. £191.00 per case (was £212.00).
Wines can be ordered online at the Smock Alley shop. Free delivery is available on UK mainland orders over £80, with a £7.50 delivery charge on smaller orders; lead times are typically 2 working days for dispatch plus 2 - 3 days for Royal Mail tracked 48-hour delivery.
Wine accessories and walking guides
The vineyard also stocks a small but well-chosen range of wine accessories and gifts:
- 20 Sussex Vineyard Walking Trails by Paul Dennison and Maddie Blackburn - a unique walking guide featuring 20 meandering rambles through a diverse range of Sussex vineyards, including Southlands Valley. £9.99. Buy the book.
- Smock Alley Sparkling Wine Stopper - preserve the fizz with a tried-and-tested stopper that attaches firmly around the neck of the bottle to create an airtight seal. £8.00. Buy the stopper.
Visiting the Cellar Door
Unlike the larger Sussex estates, the Smock Alley Cellar Door is small, intimate and deliberately informal. It is open every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and visitors are warmly welcomed to drop in, taste the Wine of the Week, meet Sarah Lavery and pick up bottles at cellar door direct prices. Well-behaved dogs are always welcome - they will find a water bowl and a fuss on arrival.
There is no need to book for a Saturday drop-in, although if you are travelling any distance it is a good idea to check ahead in case of any seasonal changes. The address is The Studio, Southlands Lane, West Chiltington RH20 2JU, and the team can be reached on 01798 672 652 or info@smockalley.co.uk.
Vineyard tours and tastings
For visitors who want to go behind the scenes, the vineyard offers a guided tour and tutored tasting that takes in both the vines and the cellar door. The experience has been designed to be intimate and personal, with a maximum of 12 guests per tour and a minimum of 4.
Price: £20.00 per person. Duration: approximately 60 - 90 minutes. The tour is available every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from now until harvest time (approximately 30 September 2026), with two daily slots at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
What is included in the tour
- A guided vineyard walk through the South-facing slope, learning how the grapes are grown, tended and harvested by hand.
- A tutored tasting of three wines: the Smock Alley Brut NV, the 2019 Vintage Classic Cuvée, and the 2022 Vintage Sparkling Rosé - the same wines as are served on the wine flights.
- Exclusive Cellar Door access at the end of the tour, with the chance to purchase bottles at cellar door prices.
What to wear and bring
The cellar door is cosy and informal, so casual clothing is fine, but the paths through the vineyard are uneven and can be slippery after wet weather, so bring outdoor footwear and dress for the weather. Well-behaved dogs on leads are more than welcome on the outdoor tour. The vineyard is adults-only: guests must be 18 or over.
Booking, changes and cancellations
Tickets are emailed within two working days of payment. Adding info@smockalley.co.uk to your safe senders list will ensure your tickets arrive safely. Changes to date or time are free of charge provided notice is given at least two days before the booked date. Cancellations made within two days of the booking are non-refundable, but if you booked with a gift voucher the team will issue a new voucher for use on future orders.
Bookings can be made online at the Vineyard Tour & Tasting page, or by calling 01798 672 652.
Smock Alley Wine Flights
For a more leisurely and indulgent experience, the vineyard runs Smock Alley Wine Flights by appointment, available from April to October. The flight is a curated tasting of three 70ml glasses of Smock Alley English sparkling wines, paired with a delicious cheese and charcuterie sharing board. Between April and October, an optional guided vineyard tour is included (weather permitting) - the perfect way to learn how the vines are cultivated, discover how the wines are made, and choose your favourite vintage.
Wine Flights are typically booked using one of the vineyard's gift vouchers. To redeem a voucher, email info@smockalley.co.uk with the number of guests, your preferred date and time, the unique voucher number, and any special dietary requirements. The team will respond within 48 hours to confirm the booking. Additional guests beyond those covered by the voucher pay £25 per person. All wine flights are strictly 18+.
Full details, including what to wear and how to change a booking, are available directly from the team via smockalley.co.uk/wine-flights.
Events and what's on
The vineyard runs a regular programme of events throughout the spring and summer, including the weekly Cellar Door Saturday openings, the Wednesday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday vineyard tours and tastings, and the Wine Flight bookings. The vineyard also regularly hosts private events and weddings in partnership with local venues such as Southlands Barn (which sits on the same Southlands Lane as the vineyard) and Sullington Manor Farm.
Where to drink Smock Alley locally
If you would rather not wait for a Cellar Door visit, the wines are stocked at a curated range of local stores, farm shops, restaurants and wine bars across Sussex, Hampshire, Brighton and London. The vineyard's stockists include:
- Amberley Village Stores, High Street, Amberley BN18 9NL
- Fairview Wines, 2 North Street, Midhurst GU29 9DJ
- Findon Village Store, Horsham Road, Findon, Worthing BN14 0TF
- Grape & Grain, 51 The Broadway, Haywards Heath RH16 3AS
- Nisa Local, West Chiltington, Haglands Lane RH20 2QR
- Pallant of Arundel, 17 High Street, Arundel BN18 9AD
- Post Office Stores, West Chiltington, Church Street RH20 2JW
- The Sussex Grocer, Steyning, 88 High Street, Steyning BN44 3RD
- Village Larder, Washington, Squires Garden Centre, Washington RH20 3BP
By-the-glass listings include Bridge Inn, Houghton (Amberley), Crates Local, Horsham, Dilsk Restaurant, Brighton, English's of Brighton, Twenty-Seven Wine Bar, Steyning and The Wine Cellar, Brighton. The full stockists list is updated regularly and can be viewed at smockalley.co.uk/stockists.
Ordering wine online
Buying wine directly from Smock Alley is straightforward. The vineyard is part of a small but growing movement of English producers who believe that the best way to enjoy their wines is to order them direct from the cellar door - the prices are competitive, the provenance is impeccable, and the wines arrive in secure, tracked packaging.
Delivery is currently available to UK mainland addresses only, with free delivery on orders over £80 (or £75 for the wine accessories). Smaller orders attract a £7.50 delivery charge. All wine must be signed for on delivery by an adult aged 18 or over, and the courier operates a strict Challenge 25 policy. Full delivery details can be confirmed by emailing info@smockalley.co.uk.
A tiny vineyard with a huge heart
What makes Southlands Valley Vineyard special is not just the quality of the wines - although the silver-medal-winning 2022 Rosé speaks for itself. It is the unusual, almost old-fashioned sense of community that informs everything that happens here. Sixty-two row-holders, plucked from professions as varied as horticulture, music and aviation, gather to prune, leaf-strip and harvest by hand. Sarah Lavery, whose retirement project this became, talks about the privilege of working with the land and the seasons. The wines are vegetarian, vegan and naturally low in sulphites. The team respects the land as much as it can, harvesting by hand and minimising the use of pesticides to only when absolutely necessary to protect the vines.
The result is a vineyard that is small, yes, but entirely of itself: an English sparkling wine that tastes of West Chiltington, of the Lower Greensand, of the South Downs, and of the people who tend it. There are very few English sparkling wines with a story as compelling as this one, and even fewer where the final glass contains the work - quite literally - of dozens of local hands.
Plan your visit
- Cellar Door: every Saturday, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM - no booking required.
- Vineyard Tours & Tastings: Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun, 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. £20.00 per person. Book online.
- Wine Flights: by appointment, April - October. Email info@smockalley.co.uk to book.
- Address: The Studio, Southlands Lane, West Chiltington, West Sussex RH20 2JU
- Phone: 01798 672 652
- Email: info@smockalley.co.uk
- Web: smockalley.co.uk
- Social: Facebook · Instagram
Whether you are a sparkling wine enthusiast, a Sussex foodie, a walker looking for the perfect post-ramble glass, or simply someone planning a weekend in the South Downs, Southlands Valley Vineyard is a small, friendly, very English place to discover. Bring your curiosity, your walking boots and a sense of occasion - and reserve a bottle of the 2022 Rosé for the back of the car.