Sugrue South Downs
Sugrue South Downs: The Cult English Sparkling Wine Producer Rewriting the Story of Sussex
Perched on the chalk ridges of the South Downs, Sugrue South Downs is a small, family-run English wine producer that has done what very few have managed: put Sussex sparklers on the same shelf as the great grower Champagnes of the Côte des Blancs. Helmed by Irish-born winemaker Dermot Sugrue and his wife Ana Sugrue, the estate farms five vineyards across East and West Sussex with a sixth in the Crouch Valley of Essex, and produces some of the most highly rated, collectable and talked-about wines in the country. From a single bottle of The Trouble With Dreams on British Airways First Class to a tutored tasting in the Wivelsfield Green winery, the Sugrue South Downs story is one of obsession, place and patience.
The Story Behind Sugrue South Downs
Sugrue South Downs is, on paper, the project of winemaker Dermot Sugrue and his wife Ana - but to understand the wine, you need to understand the man. After an Environmental Sciences degree at the University of East Anglia and two vintages in Bordeaux (at L'Église-Clinet in Pomerol and Léoville-Barton in Saint-Julien), Dermot enrolled at Plumpton College in East Sussex to study viticulture and oenology, and joined Nyetimber as assistant winemaker. Within a year he was appointed Head Winemaker, overseeing Nyetimber's emergence as one of England's great sparkling wine houses and beginning a life-long love affair with Champagne.
In 2006 everything changed. Dermot helped plant two new vineyards on the South Downs - Wiston Estate and Storrington Priory - and also took fruit from Mount Harry in East Sussex. He left Nyetimber that autumn, did his first vintage in Champagne with Jacquinot & Fils, and returned to fulfil the vision that would become Sugrue South Downs.
The wine that started it all was The Trouble With Dreams, named after a quiet remark by Father Paul McMahon of the Catholic monastic order at Our Lady of England Priory in Storrington, when birds ate the entire 2008 crop. The first release, the 2009 vintage, went on sale in 2013 and rapidly gained the kind of critical acclaim most English producers only dream of. Winemakers, sommeliers and collectors queued up. Hugh Johnson called it "spectacular... Honestly, England's best." Jancis Robinson likened Sugrue's style to the "power of Bollinger, the burnished-metal density of Krug, the anger and angst of Selosse." Oz Clarke went further: "Sugrue makes the most thrilling, incisive sparklers in England."
For more than two decades, Sugrue South Downs has remained a passion project, retaining the discipline of small-batch production and the kind of barrel- and lees-ageing that the great Champagne houses take for granted. In 2020, Croatian-born winemaker Ana - a Plumpton College lecturer whose CV includes vintages in Peru, New Zealand, Napa, Germany and Austria - joined Dermot full-time. Together they have grown the business from a side-project into a serious, multi-vineyard operation, attracting a star-studded roster of investors including hotelier Robin Hutson OBE (founder of The Pig), actor Hugh Bonneville, wine writer Hugh Johnson, chefs Angela Hartnett and Neil Borthwick, hotelier Peter Chittick, and the founders of Mr & Mrs Smith, James and Tamara Lohan.
The Vineyards: Five Sites, Two Geologies, One Philosophy
Sugrue South Downs now farms a mosaic of carefully chosen sites across Sussex and Essex, each contributing a different piece of the puzzle. The headline sites are:
South Downs Sites
- Mount Harry Vineyard, East Sussex - 2 hectares planted in 2006 on clay loam over chalk, around 70m above sea level. Dermot's "Grand Cru" site, the source of Cuvée Boz, ZODO and the Chardonnay backbone of The Trouble With Dreams.
- Storrington Priory Vineyard, West Sussex - 1.4 hectares planted in 2006 on sandy loam over chalk and greensand, around 50m above sea level. The original home of The Trouble With Dreams, where two remarkable geologies (sand and clay over sandstone, and deep clay over chalk) collide beneath the vines.
- Coldharbour Vineyard, West Sussex - 7.35 hectares planted in 2005 on chalk and flint, around 65m above sea level. Leased in late 2022 and now the second "Grand Cru" of the estate; the sole source of Rosé Ex Machina 2018. Dermot has made every sparkling wine from this site since 2011, and previous vintages have won trophies for Best Rosé, Best Cuvée and Best Blanc de Blancs at the WineGB Awards.
- Bee Tree Vineyard, East Sussex - 1.35 hectares planted in 2015 on clay over sand and chalk, around 50m above sea level. Purchased in May 2023 (the first vineyard the Sugrues owned outright) and home to the working winery, just outside Wivelsfield Green.
- Alpaca Block Vineyard, West Sussex - 0.75 hectares planted in 2020 on loam and chalk at around 50m above sea level, on the PIG-in the South Downs estate. Planted in partnership with hotelier Robin Hutson, it provides the Gamay component of Never Mind The Gamay.
Crouch Valley, Essex
- Mason's Point, Crouch Valley - 2.2 hectares planted in 2020 on London blue clay (the same smectite clay found in Pomerol on Bordeaux's Right Bank). The source of the inaugural Crouch Valley Pinot Noir 2022, Sugrue South Downs' first red wine.
- Crows Lane - 42 hectares planted in 2018 on London blue clay, around 30m above sea level.
- Martin's Lane Vineyard - 8 hectares planted in 2010 on London blue clay, around 20m above sea level.
Chalk is the unifying thread. Whether on the South Downs or, more recently, the blue clays of Essex, every site is chosen with the same obsessive logic: pick the geology, pick the aspect, and let the place speak.
The Wines: From Cult Sparkling to Bewildering Chardonnay
Production remains deliberately small. Most sparkling wines are fermented in old oak barrels and aged on lees for between five and ten years before release. The current portfolio, sold direct from the Sugrue South Downs shop, splits into sparkling, still, magnums, library stocks and mixed cases.
Sparkling Wines
The Trouble With Dreams 2022 (£49) is the signature wine and the one that started it all. The 2022 is the 13th vintage, made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir drawn from Mount Harry, Storrington Priory, Coldharbour and Jenkyn Place in Hampshire. Forty per cent is fermented in 600-litre and 228-litre ex-Burgundy barrels of various ages, the rest in stainless steel, all without malolactic fermentation. After 32 months on lees, it was disgorged in March 2026 with a low 6g/L dosage. Tom Parker MW (Farr Vintners) scored it 94+ points, Julia Harding MW awarded it an Outstanding, and Libby Brodie in CityAM called it "a real showstopper of a sparkling."
Rosé Ex Machina 2018 (£58) is a late-release, 80-months-on-lees edition of what Dermot calls a wine you "drink, consume, inhale." A single-vineyard Coldharbour rosé, 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay, with a 20% red wine addition. Tamlyn Currin (JancisRobinson.com) scored it 17.5 points; Sylvia Wu (Decanter) awarded 94 points.
Cuvée Boz Mount Harry Blanc de Blancs 2020 (£66) is the ultimate expression of English Chardonnay on South Downs chalk. Named after Dermot's late brother Barry Ben Sugrue (known as "Boz"), it is a 100% Chardonnay from Mount Harry, fermented entirely in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation and aged 36 months on lees before disgorgement in July 2024. David Allen MW scored it 95 points; Anne Krebiehl MW (Vinous) awarded 93.
ZODO MV (2020) (£66) is the rare zero-dosage cuvée that Decanter named Wine of the Year in 2024. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from Mount Harry, Coldharbour and Storrington Priory, with reserve wines from 2009 and 2011, fermented in 500-litre Burgundy barrels and stainless steel, then aged 48 months on lees. Neal Martin (Vinous) scored it 94 points; Sylvia Wu (Decanter) 96.
Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2018 (£125) is the prestige tête de cuvée, on allocation by request. Named after Dermot's great-uncle, the founder of Duty Free and the Shannon Airport hotel school, it is a 60/40 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend aged more than 72 months on lees. It is the wine currently being poured in British Airways First Class for the next three years, and the first English wine ever to appear in Vinous's Top 100 Wines of the Year.
Rock Story MV is the new restaurant-exclusive cuvée, a multi-vintage Pinot-dominant blend (45% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay) released to the on-trade at 1 Lombard Street, Bouchon Racine, Café Murano, The French House, Lime Wood, THE PIG, Rockfish, Silk House Dining and Stephen Webster's No Regrets Lounge. A small parcel is released to the mailing list twice a year, in spring and autumn, priced by the case.
Still Wines
Bonkers V2 (£29) is the cult Chardonnay solera that The Times called "England's finest white wine" and Gold Medal winner at the WineGB Awards 2025. V2 is a blend of 2022, 2023 and 2024 fruit, fermented in French and American oak with a small proportion of barrels aged under flor. Jancis Robinson MW called it "a new chapter in English winemaking."
Never Mind The Gamay 2025 (£29) is the new release that proves pale-red English wines can be every bit as enjoyable as a chilled Cru Beaujolais. A blend of 97% Pinot Meunier (from Sandhurst Vineyard in Kent) and 3% Gamay (from Alpaca Block), whole-bunch fermented and aged in French and American oak of various sizes before being bottled in February 2026. 3,000 bottles produced.
Dear Noodles Rosé 2023 (£25, sale £24) is the bone-dry, deeply coloured still rosé named in memory of the Sugrues' lurcher. Inspired by the wines of Bandol, Rioja and Corsica, it is a 50/50 Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier blend from across the estate's Sussex vineyards, fermented in French barriques for 12 months. Tamlyn Currin awarded it 17.5 points; Tom Cannavan (Wine Pages) 91.
Crouch Valley Pinot Noir 2022 (£65) is the inaugural red wine release, with just 500 bottles released to email subscribers on 24 October 2025, all of which sold out immediately. Made from 100% Pinot Noir at Mason's Point, destemmed, 14 days on skins, then 14 months in small new barriques and 10 months in stainless steel before bottling. Jamie Goode called it "the best English Pinot I have tried." The next vintage is expected in 2026.
Gin and Spirited Additions
Bored of letting the 2020 Pinot Meunier go to waste, Ana and Dermot partnered with Silent Pool Distillers in the Surrey Hills to create Precognition Gin (£50). A London Dry-style gin distilled from a single variety (Pinot Meunier), single vintage (2020) and single vineyard (Mount Harry), with botanicals including Serbian juniper, coriander, angelica root, clove, black cardamom, wild forest pepper, rosemary, jasmine and lavender. 43% ABV, double-pot distilled. Recommended serves include a "Very Serious Tom Collins" and a "Sugrue 75" cocktail using The Trouble With Dreams as the sparkling element.
Mixed Cases, Twin Packs and Gift Boxes
- Essential Twin Pack (£99): one bottle of The Trouble With Dreams 2022 plus a 50cl bottle of Precognition Gin.
- Signature Twin Pack (£105): The Trouble With Dreams 2022 paired with Rosé Ex Machina 2018.
- Signature Mixed Case (£315): six bottles of The Trouble With Dreams 2022 and six bottles of Rosé Ex Machina 2018.
- Gift Card (£25, £50, £100, £250, £500): digital gift card valid 24 months from issue.
- Gift Box (£5), Twin Gift Box (£10), Wooden Gift Box (£17), Magnum Wooden Gift Box (£25).
- Plus a branded Corkscrew (£10), Tote Bag (£13) and Bottle Stopper (£8).
Delivery is by DPD on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a flat £10 charge on orders under £75 (free over £75). A £30 flat rate applies to the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and Scottish Highlands & Islands. Collectors can pick up orders from Unit 5, St Helena Farm, St Helena Lane, Plumpton Green, East Sussex, BN7 3DH.
Awards, Press and Cult Status
Sugrue South Downs has accumulated a trophy cabinet that would embarrass some Champagne houses. Highlights include:
- Decanter Wine of the Year 2024 for ZODO, the first English wine ever to top the category.
- Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 for The Trouble With Dreams 2009 in magnum.
- Gold Medal and 96 points at the WineGB Awards 2025 for Bonkers.
- Vinous Top 100 Wines of 2025 for Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2016 in magnum, the first English wine ever to feature on the global list.
- Vinous Top 100 Wines of 2025 also for Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan (2018), the wine now poured on British Airways First Class.
- Endorsements from Hugh Johnson ("Spectacular. Honestly, England's best."), Jancis Robinson MW, Oz Clarke ("The most thrilling, incisive sparklers in England"), Matthew Jukes ("The most profound, complex and rewarding English sparkling wine I have ever had the pleasure of encountering") and The World of Fine Wine ("Sparkling wine doesn't get much finer than this anywhere, not just in England").
Outside the trade, Dermot and Ana have been profiled by Elite Traveler ("Fit For A King"), Decanter, The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Buyer, Vineyard Magazine and Wine Anorak. The wines are poured around the world: in the UK at The Fat Duck, The Ledbury, The Hand and Flowers, Restaurant Sat Bains, Spring, Moor Hall, L'Enclume, Sketch, The French House, Murano, The Jolly Sportsman, THE PIG and Lime Wood; in Denmark at Geranium and Jordnær; in Italy at Locanda di Castelvecchio and Soho House Rome; in Spain at Celler de Can Roca, Disfrutar and El Bocado; and in Switzerland at The Chedi Andermatt and Wöschi Zürich.
Visiting the Winery: Tours, Tastings and Masterclasses
Sugrue South Downs' working winery sits at the end of the track at Bee Tree Vineyard, just off South Road between Wivelsfield Green and Haywards Heath. The gates (marked "Golf Course Farm") open automatically as you approach. The what3words reference is ///uplifting.servicing.stir.
Tour & Tasting (£55 per person)
The flagship experience, lasting approximately two hours and led by the winemaking assistant, runs at 11am and 2.30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Limited to 8 guests, it includes a guided tour of Bee Tree Vineyard and the winery, a tutored tasting of five wines (including sparkling and still) in the tasting room, and a taster of High Weald Dairy cheese and Beal's Farm charcuterie. Cellar-door prices apply on bottles to take home.
Important note: tours and tastings are fully booked for Summer 2026. The estate is closed September to October for harvest and winemaking, and bookings for November to December open on 1 September. The Tours & Tastings Gift Voucher (£55 per person) is valid for 24 months and makes a popular gift.
Winemaker Masterclass (£85 per person)
A two-hour evening session (5pm to 7pm) on the last Friday of the month, hosted by Dermot or Ana personally. Limited to 12 guests. Includes an in-depth tour of Bee Tree Vineyard and the winery, the rare opportunity to taste vins clairs from barrel, a tutored tasting of five wines including library vintages and unreleased cuvées, plus High Weald cheese and Beal's Farm charcuterie. Of the 2026 dates, Fridays 30 January through 28 August and 27 November are all sold out, with the next available date being Friday 4 September 2026.
Private Hire (bespoke)
For groups of 4 to 12 (enquire for larger), the entire tasting room can be hired for a private tour and tasting. Bespoke add-ons include prestige cuvées, library stocks, aperitif drinks on arrival, local cheese and charcuterie packages and other catering options. Enquiries should be directed to info@sugruesouthdowns.com.
Cellar Raid Dinner (£125 per person)
A 20th-anniversary celebration dinner format, with two sittings in August 2026. The format is a tutored tasting of six rare library bottles (including ZODO, Bonkers V1, Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2016 in magnum and the earliest vintages of The Trouble With Dreams) followed by a fruits de mer platter served family style. The 7 August 2026 sitting is sold out; the 21 August 2026 sitting is also currently sold out. Just 24 spaces per evening, max 2 tickets per booking.
Cellar Table with Mark Hix (£175 per person)
A five-course wine dinner cooked over vine cuttings by chef Mark Hix. Each dish is paired with a glass of Sugrue South Downs wine, including rare library selections. All 2026 dates (20 February, 20 March, 10 April, 22 May, 12 June and 17 July) are sold out, but the format is expected to return in 2027.
Sugrue Sundays: The Most Sought-After Alfresco Lunch in English Wine
Sugrue Sundays is the annual series of leisurely alfresco wine lunches the Sugrues host in the vineyard at Bee Tree, staged in collaboration with some of the UK's most exciting chefs. Each event includes an aperitif in the vineyard, a four-course menu cooked over fire on the asado grills, a glass of Sugrue South Downs wine paired with each course and the chance to try limited-edition bottles and new releases. Lunch kicks off at 12.30pm with the aperitif, with guests seated at 1pm and the meal winding down around 4pm to 4.30pm. Tickets are £150 per person, 18+ only, and non-refundable and non-transferable.
For 2026 all Sugrue Sundays are sold out, but the remaining dates are:
- Sunday 16 August 2026, 12.30pm - Mitch Tonks (The Seahorse) & Henry Harris (Bouchon Racine)
- Sunday 6 September 2026, 12.30pm - Mark Hix & Richard Corrigan (Corrigan's)
Earlier dates in 2026 (all sold out) featured Neil Borthwick (The French House) & James Ferguson (The Kinneuchar Inn, 19 April), Ben Tonks (The Seahorse) & Luke Holder (Lime Wood, 17 May) and Angela Hartnett (Murano) & Piero Tiddia (Murano, 21 June). To join the waiting list, email info@sugruesouthdowns.com.
Winemaker's Dinners Around the UK
Beyond the winery, the Sugrues host occasional winemaker's dinners at partner restaurants around the country. Past and current events include dinners at Thyme in the Cotswolds (the 29 July 2026 dinner is currently on a waiting list), Mark Hix's Fishy Tales events, and collaborations with Angela Hartnett at Murano and Café Murano. The full programme is announced to the mailing list.
Where to Buy Sugrue South Downs
The most reliable route is direct from the Sugrue South Downs online shop, where new releases and library stocks are released to the mailing list first. Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan and Rock Story are only available on allocation by request.
Distribution in the UK is deliberately selective. Current stockists include:
- London restaurants: 1 Lombard Street, 67 Pall Mall, The Blue Posts, Bouchon Racine, Café Murano, Café Royal, Carousel, Cicoria (Royal Opera House), The Chancery Rosewood, Chez Bruce, Climat, Cloth, The Clove Club, Corner Shop, Cornus, The Devonshire, The Drapers Arms, The Farmer's Dog, The Fat Duck (Bray), The French House, Frog by Adam Handling, Fhior (Edinburgh), Gymkhana, Ham Yard Hotel, The Hand and Flowers (Marlow), Hawksmoor, Henny's, High Ground, Hjem (Hexham), The Humble Chicken, Juliet, KOL, La Fromagerie, La Compagnie du Vin, The Ledbury, Maison François, Mana (Manchester), Medlar, Murano, Myrtle, No Regrets Lounge (Stephen Webster), Noble Rot, OSIP, Ottolenghi, Portland, Restaurant Sat Barts, Restaurant 22 (Cambridge), Roketsu, Sketch, Spring, St. JOHN, Trinity, Trishna and The Whistling Oyster.
- Regional UK restaurants: The Barn at Moor Hall, Chewton Glen, The Cottage in the Wood, Cowley Manor, The Jolly Sportsman (Lewes), The Kinneuchar Inn (Fife), L'Enclume (Cartmel), Lime Wood, Rick Stein (Padstow), Rockfish (South Coast), The Seahorse (Dartmouth), Silk House Dining (Tonbridge), SKOF (Manchester), SKY Park Farm, Sonnet (Alnwick), THE PIG, Tillingham, Upstairs by Tom Shepherd and The Woodcote.
- Restaurants outside the UK: Geranium and Jordnær (Copenhagen), Bona Fide Wines (Norway), L'Esprit du Vin (Denmark), Handpicked (Sweden), Massal Selection (Spain), Döllerer (Austria), I Love Bubbles (Hong Kong), Real Wines (Swiss), Tindal (Ireland), and restaurants in Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Republic of Ireland and Norway.
- Retail: Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism Wines, Handford Wines, Lea & Sandeman, The Wine Society, The Good Wine Shop, Theatre of Wine, Bottle Apostle, Brunswick Fine Wines, Butlers Wine Cellar, Caviste, Chanctonbury Wines, D Vine Cellars, Decant, Elementary Wine Co, Farr Vintners, Grape & Grain, Hennings, Lay & Wheeler, Macknade Fine Foods, Middle Farm, Peckham Cellars, Seven Cellars, Symposium Wine Emporium, The Tipsy Palace, Tivoli Wines, Village Larder, Vin Cognito, Vinum Fine Wines, Vino Gusto, The Wine Loft and a list of international retailers and merchants.
Trade enquiries should be directed to sales@sugruesouthdowns.com. International distribution is managed by partners including Bona Fide Wines (Norway), Handpicked (Sweden), L'Esprit Du Vin (Denmark), Massal Selection (Spain), Tindal (Ireland), M&Z (Malta), Döllerer (Austria), Frontive (Japan), I Love Bubbles (Hong Kong), Lobenbergs (Germany), Real Wines (Switzerland), and Cayman Boutique Beverage in the Cayman Islands.
News, Press and the Wider Story
Recent highlights include the selection of Rock Story to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the WYN Edition II collaboration with Colombian artist Camila Barvo and writer Joel Hart, the British Airways First Class listing for Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2018, Angela Hartnett's investment in the business, the Crouch Valley Pinot Noir 2022 release, the Gold Medal at WineGB for Bonkers, the Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards for The Trouble With Dreams 2009 in magnum, and the partnership with the Lime Wood hotel in the New Forest. Earlier stories include a collaboration with two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz in San Sebastián, the launch of Rock Story at Lime Wood, a partnership with Tindal Wine Merchants in Ireland, and the release of Bonkers Chardonnay in December 2024.
Planning Your Visit
Sugrue South Downs is at Bee Tree Vineyard, South Road, Wivelsfield Green, Haywards Heath, RH17 7QS. The winery is 10 to 15 minutes by taxi from Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Wivelsfield train stations. The recommended local taxi firm is Station Taxis on 01444 410 410. Sugrue recommends pre-booking both drop-off and collection. Children under 18 and dogs are not permitted on tours or events. Guests are advised to dress comfortably with suitable shoes and a warm layer, and to flag any allergies or mobility concerns at the point of booking.
For an overnight stay, the Sugrues recommend the following local hotels, pubs and holiday homes: The Jolly Sportsman (a gastropub with rooms five minutes down the road), Ockenden Manor (a luxurious hotel and spa in Cuckfield), The Grain Store (a three-bedroom holiday home in Lewes) and THE PIG-in the South Downs near Arundel.
Contact
For general enquiries, bookings, press and trade, the Sugrue South Downs team can be reached by emailing info@sugruesouthdowns.com. Sales and privacy enquiries go to sales@sugruesouthdowns.com. Careers enquiries (cover letter and CV) are also accepted at info@sugruesouthdowns.com.
Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram for the latest releases, allocations and behind-the-scenes stories from the vineyard and the winery. A mailing list keeps collectors and customers informed of new releases, allocations, tastings and events.