Sugrue South Downs: Cult English Sparkling Wines from the South Downs
Sugrue South Downs is one of England's most talked-about boutique wine producers, a cult, small-batch operation built over more than two decades by winemaker Dermot Sugrue and his wife Ana. Farming five vineyards across East and West Sussex on chalk soils, with additional fruit from the Crouch Valley in Essex, the couple release tiny quantities of barrel-fermented sparkling wines and limited-edition still wines that are now poured at some of the finest restaurants in the world, and, as of 2026, on British Airways First Class.
A passion project born in Sussex
Sugrue South Downs began inauspiciously in 2006, when Irish-born Dermot Sugrue, already one of England's most respected winemakers following his time as Head Winemaker at Nyetimber, planted a small vineyard at Storrington Priory at the foot of the South Downs in West Sussex. The same year, he planted the celebrated Mount Harry vineyard in East Sussex (their 'Grand Cru' site) and the Wiston Estate vineyard, then returned from his first vintage in Champagne with Jean-Manuel Jacquinot to begin the long road of single-vineyard English sparkling wine.
The vineyard's first release, The Trouble With Dreams 2009, hit the shelves in 2013 and rapidly won critical acclaim. The name itself was a gift from Father Paul McMahon of the monastic order at Our Lady of England Priory in Storrington. After a flock of birds devoured the entire 2008 crop, Father McMahon sighed "that's the trouble with dreams", and the line stuck. Twenty years and thirteen vintages later, the wine has evolved into one of England's highest-rated sparkling wines, with Tom Parker MW describing the 2022 release as "another brilliant release of our favourite English sparkling wine" and awarding it 94+ points.
Ana Sugrue, a Croatian-born winemaker who had previously lectured at Plumpton College, joined Dermot full-time in 2021. Together they have turned a small passion project into what Hugh Johnson has called "spectacular - honestly, England's best". The investor roster is a roll-call of British food and wine royalty: Hugh Johnson, Hugh Bonneville, Angela Hartnett, Neil Borthwick, Peter Chittick, James and Tamara Lohan of Mr & Mrs Smith, Robin Hutson OBE (Hotel du Vin, THE PIG), ex-Fortnum & Mason CEO Ewan Venters, and Chris & Kitty Cecil-Wright.
The vineyards
Sugrue South Downs farm five vineyards across Sussex plus three sites in the Crouch Valley, Essex, where they make still wines only. The South Downs sites sit on the chalk that drew Dermot to the region in the first place.
South Downs sites
- Mount Harry Vineyard, East Sussex - 2 hectares, planted in 2006 on clay loam over chalk, around 70m above sea level. The 'Grand Cru' site for Chardonnay and the source of Cuvée Boz.
- Bee Tree Vineyard, East Sussex - 1.35 hectares, planted in 2015 on clay over sand and chalk, around 50m above sea level. Mostly Pinot Noir, this is the home vineyard next to the winery.
- 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 vineyard and spiritual home of The Trouble With Dreams.
- Alpaca Block Vineyard, West Sussex - 0.75 hectares, planted in 2020 on loam and chalk at THE PIG-in the South Downs, around 50m above sea level. Provides the Gamay component for Never Mind The Gamay.
- Coldharbour Vineyard, West Sussex - 7.35 hectares, planted in 2005 on chalk and flint, around 65m above sea level. Described as Sugrue's second 'Grand Cru' site, source of the Rosé Ex Machina and an important component of the Trouble With Dreams blend.
Crouch Valley sites (Essex)
- Mason's Point - 2.2 hectares, planted in 2020 on London Blue Clay, around 20m above sea level. Source of the inaugural Crouch Valley Pinot Noir 2022.
- 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.
The wines
Production is tiny by any measure. Wines are fermented in old oak barrels and typically aged for five to ten years on lees before release, in the manner of grower Champagne. Almost every release is sold by allocation to the mailing list, and signing up is the only reliable route to bottles.
Sparkling wines
The Trouble With Dreams 2022 - £49. The signature wine. A 60/40 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Mount Harry, Storrington Priory, Coldharbour and Jenkyn Place, with 40% fermented in old Burgundy barriques and 60% in stainless steel, no malolactic fermentation, disgorged at just 6g/L dosage. Thirty-two months on lees. "Open, bright, textural, salty, and electric," says Dermot.
Rosé Ex Machina 2018 - £58. A late-release 80-months-on-lees edition from the solar 2018 vintage. 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay with 20% red wine added for colour, all from Coldharbour. Jancis Robinson MW scored it 17.5 points, and Tamlyn Currin called it "exquisitely precise fruit in a kaleidoscopic collision of dazzling dimensions".
Cuvée Boz Mount Harry Blanc de Blancs 2020 - £66. Named in memory of Dermot's brother Barry Ben Sugrue ("Boz"), 100% Chardonnay from the Mount Harry 'Grand Cru' site, made only in the best vintages for long cellar-ageing. Stainless-steel fermented, no MLF, 36 months on lees. David Allen MW awarded it 95 points, calling it "stupendous… truly a bargain".
ZODO MV (2020) - £66. The zero-dosage cuvée, a 60/40 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend based on 2020 with reserve wines from 2009 and 2011. Just 400 bottles released, maximum two per customer. Neal Martin scored the previous vintage 96 points ("a killer English sparkling wine") and Decanter named ZODO their Wine of the Year in 2024.
Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2018 - £125. The prestige cuvée, named after Dermot's great-uncle, the founder of Duty Free. 60/40 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, half fermented in old 500-litre Burgundy barrels, half in stainless steel, no MLF, and a remarkable 72 months on lees. The 2018 vintage is now poured on British Airways First Class for the next three years.
Rock Story MV - £39. A new Pinot-dominant multi-vintage release, a composite of six vintages (2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) including 40% reserve wines. Until recently it was poured exclusively at restaurant stockists including Murano, Café Murano, The French House, Lime Wood, THE PIG, Rockfish and Bouchon Racine, with small parcels now released to the mailing list twice a year in spring and autumn. The current release marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, having been poured at the FCDO event.
Still wines
Bonkers V2 - £29. Solera Chardonnay blended from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintages, partly aged under flor in French and American oak. Described by The Times as "England's finest white wine", it won Gold at the WineGB Awards 2025. Jancis Robinson called it "a new chapter in English winemaking".
Never Mind The Gamay 2025 - £29. A 97/3 blend of Pinot Meunier from Sandhurst Vineyard in Kent and Gamay from Alpaca Block, whole-bunch fermented and aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels. 3,000 bottles only, sold direct. Rose Murray Brown MW's pick of the best English wines to buy now.
Crouch Valley Pinot Noir 2022 - £65. Sugrue South Downs' first red wine, from fruit grown at Mason's Point in the Crouch Valley, the warmest site in their portfolio. Oz Clarke called it "the Pied Piper of a new generation of brilliance for English reds". Only 500 bottles were released in October 2025, all sold immediately, with the next vintage due in 2026.
Dear Noodles Rosé 2023 - £25 (sale £24). A deep-coloured, bone-dry rosé of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier fermented in French barriques for 12 months, inspired by the wines of Bandol, Rioja and Corsica. Named after Dermot's lurcher, who is immortalised on the Sugrue South Downs crest. Tamlyn Currin scored it 17.5 points and Henry Jeffreys included it in his Best (Affordable) Wines of 2025.
Gin and gift sets
Precognition Gin - £50. A London Dry gin made from 100% Pinot Meunier grapes grown at Mount Harry in the warm 2020 vintage, double-pot distilled at 43% ABV with Silent Pool Distillers in the Surrey Hills. Botanicals include Serbian juniper, coriander seeds, angelica root, clove, black cardamom, wild forest pepper, rosemary, jasmine and lavender.
For those wanting to explore the range, the Essential Twin Pack (£99) pairs The Trouble With Dreams 2022 with the Precognition Gin, the Signature Twin Pack (£105) pairs the Trouble With Dreams with Rosé Ex Machina, and the Signature Mixed Case (£315) bundles a fuller selection together. Gift cards are available from £25 to £500 and tours and tastings vouchers are £55 per person.
Critical acclaim
It's hard to overstate the critical reputation of Sugrue South Downs. Jancis Robinson has described the wines as encapsulating "the power of Bollinger, the burnished-metal and density of Krug, the anger and angst of Selosse". Oz Clarke calls Dermot Sugrue "the most thrilling, incisive sparkler" in England. Matthew Jukes describes The Trouble With Dreams as "the most profound, complex and rewarding English sparkling wine I have ever had the pleasure of encountering". The World of Fine Wine declared that "sparkling wine doesn't get much finer than this anywhere, not just in England".
Practical proof has followed the hyperbole. Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2016 in magnum was named to the Vinous Top 100 Wines of 2025, the first English wine ever to make the global list. The Trouble With Dreams 2009 in magnum won Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, while Bonkers V2 took Gold and 96 points at the WineGB Awards 2025. The Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2018 was selected to be poured on British Airways First Class for the next three years, sitting alongside prestige cuvées from Rare, Charles Heidsieck, Laurent-Perrier, Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, Gusbourne and Nyetimber.
Visit the winery
Sugrue South Downs runs a small but tightly curated programme of tours, tastings, masterclasses and intimate chef dinners from their working winery at Bee Tree Vineyard, South Road, Wivelsfield Green, Haywards Heath, RH17 7QS. The gates (marked Golf Course Farm) open automatically as you approach; visitors drive down past the livery stable to the winery at the end of the track. The closest stations are Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Wivelsfield, and Station Taxis (01444 410 410) is recommended.
Tour & Tasting - £55 per person
A two-hour guided tour of Bee Tree Vineyard and the winery, followed by a tutored tasting of five wines (sparkling and still) in the tasting room, plus a taster of High Weald Dairy cheese and Beal's Farm charcuterie. Groups are limited to eight guests. Available at 11am and 2.30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Note that tours and tastings are fully booked for summer 2026; September and October is closed for harvest, with bookings reopening from 1st September for November and December dates. Bookings are non-refundable.
Winemaker Masterclass - £85 per person
Led by Dermot or Ana on the last Friday of the month from 5 - 7pm, this is the most in-depth experience on offer. It includes an in-depth tour of the vineyard and winery, the rare chance to taste vins clairs from barrel, a tutored tasting of five wines including library vintages and unreleased cuvées, and the same cheese and charcuterie taster. Limited to 12 guests. The next available dates are Friday 4 September 2026 and Friday 28 November 2026 (subsequent months are typically closed for harvest through to early spring).
Sugrue Sundays - £150 per person
A series of alfresco four-course lunches cooked over fire on the asado grills, each paired with a different Sugrue South Downs wine. The afternoon starts with an aperitif in the vineyard at 12.30pm, with lunch winding down around 4 - 4.30pm. The remaining 2026 dates are Sunday 16 August with Mitch Tonks (The Seahorse) and Henry Harris (Bouchon Racine), and Sunday 6 September with Mark Hix and Richard Corrigan (Corrigan's). Tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable, 18+ only, maximum four per customer. Sugrue Sundays are fully booked for 2026 but a waiting list is open via info@sugruesouthdowns.com.
Cellar Raid: Library Wines & Fruits de Mer - £125 per person
A 20th-anniversary celebration in which Dermot's winemaking assistants Callum and Amy dive into the cellars and emerge with a line-up of rare library bottles including the earliest vintages of The Trouble With Dreams, Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2016 in magnum, ZODO, Bonkers V1 and a sneak preview of the new Cuvée Boz. Each evening begins at 6pm with an aperitif in the vineyard, followed by a tutored tasting of six wines and a family-style fruits de mer platter. Just 24 spaces per evening, maximum two tickets per booking. The remaining 2026 date is Friday 21 August.
Cellar Table with Mark Hix - £175 per person
An intimate five-course wine dinner cooked over vine cuttings by chef and food writer Mark Hix, paired with a glass of Sugrue South Downs wine for each course including rare bottles from the library. The 2026 series has now concluded; future dates will be announced via the mailing list.
Private Hire
The tasting room is available for bespoke private tours and tastings for groups of 4 - 12 (larger groups by arrangement), with add-ons such as prestige cuvées, library stocks, drinks on arrival, and local cheese and charcuterie packages. Private hire bookings can be made online.
Where to find Sugrue South Downs
Bottles can be bought direct from the Sugrue South Downs online shop, with flat-rate UK delivery of £10 (free over £75) on Tuesday and Thursday despatches. Collection is available from the warehouse at Unit 5, St Helena Farm, St Helena Lane, Plumpton Green, East Sussex, BN7 3DH. Most allocations and limited releases go first to the mailing list, which is the surest way to hear about new releases.
For those who'd rather drink out, the wines are poured at an astonishing roll-call of restaurants in the UK and overseas, including 1 Lombard Street, Bouchon Racine, Café Murano, The French House, Lime Wood, THE PIG (and THE PIG-in the South Downs), Rockfish, Murano, Cicoria by Angela Hartnett, Silk House Dining, The Kinneuchar Inn, The Jolly Sportsman and many more, with several hundred stockists across the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and further afield. Retail stockists in the UK include Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism Wines, Handford Wines, Lea & Sandeman, The Wine Society, Brunswick Fine Wines, Symposium, Hennings and South Downs Cellars.
The winery is at Bee Tree Vineyard, South Road, Wivelsfield Green, Haywards Heath RH17 7QS (what3words: ///uplifting.servicing.stir).