Sugrue South Downs - Storrington Priory Vineyard

Nestled in the chalk downs of southern England, Sugrue South Downs has spent two decades quietly redefining what a bottle of English sparkling wine can be. Founded by Irish-born winemaker Dermot Sugrue, the estate has grown from a single, bird-ravaged vineyard at Storrington Priory in West Sussex into a multi-site operation stretching from the South Downs to the Crouch Valley in Essex, with bottles now poured in some of the world's most celebrated restaurants - and on British Airways First.

A boutique producer with a cult following

Sugrue South Downs has been a passion project for more than two decades. Dermot and Ana Sugrue farm five vineyards across East and West Sussex - the earliest planted in 2005 and 2006 on chalk soils - and three further sites in the Crouch Valley, Essex. Made in small quantities, the estate's sparkling wines are fermented in old oak barrels and typically aged for five to ten years before release, alongside limited-release still wines from the Crouch Valley. Regarded as some of England's very best, the wines have accrued a cult following among critics and collectors and can be found in the cellars of the world's finest restaurants.

From Nyetimber to Storrington Priory

Dermot Sugrue's route into English wine ran through Bordeaux and Nyetimber. After a degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia and two vintages at L'Église-Clinet in Pomerol and Léoville-Barton in Saint-Julien, he enrolled at Plumpton College to study viticulture and oenology. He joined Nyetimber as assistant winemaker, became head winemaker within a year, and oversaw the estate's emergence as one of England's great sparkling producers.

In 2005, Dermot met Harry and Pip Goring, who were planting Wiston Estate, and then Father Paul McMahon of the Benedictine community at Our Lady of England Priory in Storrington. Father McMahon offered Dermot the chance to plant a small vineyard at the foot of the South Downs in return for a share of the grapes for his own wine. Both Wiston and Storrington Priory were planted in 2006, alongside Mount Harry in East Sussex; Dermot left Nyetimber later that year to make his first vintage in Champagne with Jacquinot & Fils.

The Trouble With Dreams

The 2008 vintage was wiped out by birds, prompting Father McMahon's wry resignation: "That's the trouble with dreams." Undeterred, Dermot pressed on. The first release from Sugrue South Downs, the 2009 vintage of The Trouble With Dreams, went on sale in 2013 and rapidly gained critical acclaim. The first three vintages made at Storrington Priory Vineyard confirmed just how good a single site it was: two remarkable geologies collide under the vineyard - sand and clay over sandstone running east-west and deep clay over chalk running north-south.

The vineyards

Sugrue South Downs now farms eight distinct sites split between the South Downs and the Crouch Valley.

South Downs

• Mount Harry Vineyard, East Sussex - 2 hectares, planted 2006 on clay loam over chalk, ~70m above sea level. Known as the estate's "Grand Cru" site, source of Cuvée Boz Blanc de Blancs.
• Bee Tree Vineyard, East Sussex - 1.35 hectares, planted 2015 on clay over sand and chalk, ~50m above sea level. The first vineyard purchased by Sugrue South Downs in May 2023, and home to the new winery.
• Storrington Priory Vineyard, West Sussex - 1.4 hectares, planted 2006 on sandy loam over chalk and greensand, ~50m above sea level.
• Alpaca Block Vineyard, West Sussex - 0.75 hectares, planted 2020 on loam and chalk, ~50m above sea level. Planted by Robin Hutson at THE PIG-in the South Downs.
• Coldharbour Vineyard, West Sussex - 7.35 hectares, planted 2005 on chalk and flint, ~65m above sea level. Leased in late 2022 and now regarded as the estate's second "Grand Cru".

Crouch Valley, Essex

• Mason's Point - 2.2 hectares, planted 2020 on London Blue Clay, ~20m above sea level. Source of the inaugural Crouch Valley Pinot Noir.
• Crows Lane - 42 hectares, planted 2018 on London Blue Clay, ~30m above sea level.
• Martin's Lane Vineyard - 8 hectares, planted 2010 on London Blue Clay, ~20m above sea level.

Ana Sugrue and a grown-up operation

In 2020, Ana Sugrue moved to the UK to join the wine division at Plumpton College. Born in Zagreb - a notable Croatian winemaking region - and experienced across Peru, New Zealand, Napa, Germany and Austria, she joined Dermot full-time in 2021 as a fellow winemaker and sales director, and Sugrue South Downs immediately matured into a grown-up operation.

Investor support followed: Robin Hutson OBE (Hotel du Vin, THE PIG), actor Hugh Bonneville, wine writer Hugh Johnson, chefs Angela Hartnett and Neil Borthwick, hotelier Peter Chittick, superyacht brokers Chris and Kitty Cecil-Wright, James and Tamara Lohan (Mr & Mrs Smith) and ex-Fortnum & Mason CEO Ewan Venters. Their backing allowed Dermot and Ana to purchase Bee Tree, lease Coldharbour, build the winery and survive the massive 2023 harvest.

The wines

Sparkling

The sparkling portfolio is built around single-vintage, Chardonnay-led wines aged in old Burgundy barrels and on lees for years rather than months.

• The Trouble With Dreams 2022 - £49. The flagship. The 2022 vintage - the UK's warmest year on record, with temperatures exceeding 40°C - produced fruit of remarkable balance and concentration. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from Mount Harry, Storrington Priory, Coldharbour and Jenkyn Place, it was bottled in July 2023 and disgorged in March 2026 after 32 months on lees at a low 6g/L dosage. Tom Parker MW scored it 94+ and Julia Harding MW (JancisRobinson.com) called it "Outstanding".
• Rosé Ex Machina 2018 (Late Release) - £58. A cellar-aged sparkling rosé from the warm 2018 vintage, 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay with 20% red wine added for colour. Single-vineyard Coldharbour. Held back to give the wine a full 80 months on lees. Jancis Robinson MW and Tamlyn Currin both scored it 17.5 points.
• Cuvée Boz Mount Harry Blanc de Blancs 2020 - £66. 100% Chardonnay from the Mount Harry "Grand Cru" site, named in memory of Dermot's brother Barry Ben ("Boz"). 36 months on lees, 5g/L dosage. 95 points from David Allen MW.
• ZODO MV (2020) - £66. A zero-dosage, multi-vintage blend based on the 2020 vintage with reserve wines from 2009 and 2011. 48 months on lees. Neal Martin (Vinous) called the previous vintage "A killer English sparkling wine". Limited to 400 bottles, max two per customer.
• Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2018 - £125. The prestige cuvée. 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir from Mount Harry and Storrington Priory, 72 months on lees, first disgorged September 2025. Now allocated on British Airways First for the next three years alongside Bollinger, Laurent-Perrier and Pol Roger. Tamlyn Currin (JancisRobinson.com) scored it 18 points.
• Rock Story MV. A multi-vintage, Pinot-dominant cuvée originally exclusive to restaurants such as Angela Hartnett's Murano and Café Murano, THE PIG, Lime Wood, the French House and Rockfish. Now released by allocation to the mailing list twice a year.

Still

• Bonkers V2 - £29. The follow-up to the award-winning Bonkers Chardonnay, a solera-style blend of 2022, 2023 and 2024 fruit, partly aged under flor. The Times has called it "England's finest white wine"; it took Gold at the WineGB Awards 2025.
• Never Mind The Gamay 2025 - £29. The estate's first still red: 97% Pinot Meunier (Sandhurst Vineyard, Kent) with 3% Gamay from Alpaca Block, whole-bunch fermented and aged in French and American oak. 3,000 bottles produced.
• Crouch Valley Pinot Noir 2022 - £65. The inaugural red. 100% Pinot Noir from Mason's Point Vineyard on London Blue Clay in Essex. Destemmed, 14 days on skins, 14 months in new French oak barriques. Released in October 2025 in a run of just 500 bottles; the next vintage is due in 2026. Jamie Goode: "An amazing wine. This will be sensational."
• Dear Noodles Rosé 2023 - £25. A bone-dry English rosé inspired by Bandol, Rioja and Corsica: 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Pinot Meunier fermented in French barriques. Named in memory of the Sugrue family lurcher.

Gin and gift ideas

• Precognition Gin - £50. A London Dry gin distilled with Silent Pool in the Surrey Hills from a single vintage, single variety, single vineyard (2020 Pinot Meunier from Mount Harry). Botanicals include Serbian juniper, coriander, angelica root, clove, black cardamom, wild forest pepper, rosemary, jasmine and lavender.
• Gift boxes from £5, wooden gift box £17, magnum wooden gift box £25, twin gift box £10 and a gift card redeemable against any wine, accessory or experience.

Tours, tastings and experiences at the winery

From the working winery at Wivelsfield Green in East Sussex, Sugrue South Downs offers an intimate programme of tastings, dinners and masterclasses.

Tour & Tasting - £55 per person

A guided tour of Bee Tree Vineyard and the Sugrue South Downs winery followed by a tutored tasting of five wines - including sparkling and still - in the tasting room, with a taster of cheese from High Weald Dairy and charcuterie from Beal's Farm. Groups are limited to eight guests. Duration: 2 hours. Availability: 11am and 2.30pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Summer 2026 is fully booked; bookings for November and December 2026 open on 1 September and can be made at Sugrue South Downs.

Winemaker Masterclass - £85 per person

An evening led by Dermot or Ana, including a vineyard and winery tour, the rare opportunity to taste vins clairs from barrel, a tutored tasting of five wines including library vintages and unreleased cuvées, and a taster of cheese and charcuterie. Limited to 12 guests. Held on the last Friday of the month, 5 - 7pm. Upcoming dates are listed at Sugrue South Downs.

Sugrue Sundays - £150 per person

Leisurely alfresco four-course lunches cooked over fire on the Sugrue asado grills, each course paired with a Sugrue South Downs wine. Recent and upcoming chefs include Angela Hartnett, Neil Borthwick, Mitch and Ben Tonks, Henry Harris, Mark Hix, Richard Corrigan, James Ferguson, Luke Holder and Piero Tiddia. Tickets are limited to four per customer and 18+. The 2026 series is fully booked; waiting-list details are available at Sugrue South Downs.

Cellar Raid - £125 per person

An evening of library wines and fruits de mer. Cellar master Callum and Amy disappear into the Sugrue cellars and emerge with rare library bottles, forgotten favourites and the occasional surprise. Evenings run 6 - 9pm and include an aperitif in the vineyard, a tutored tasting of six wines and a fruits de mer platter served family style. Max 2 tickets per booking, max 24 guests per evening.

Cellar Table with Mark Hix - £175 per person

An intimate five-course wine dinner cooked by renowned chef and food writer Mark Hix over the winery's own vine cuttings, each dish paired with a Sugrue South Downs wine including rare bottles from the library stock. Held on selected Fridays, 6 - 9pm.

Private hire

For groups of 4 - 12, the Sugrue South Downs tasting room can be hired for bespoke tours and tastings or private events, with optional prestige cuvées, library stocks, drinks on arrival, cheese and charcuterie platters and special cellar-door prices on takeaway bottles. Enquiries can be made at Sugrue South Downs.

Where to stay and where to eat

The estate recommends extending a visit into an overnight stay. The Jolly Sportsman, an excellent gastropub with rooms, is just five minutes down the road. Ockenden Manor, a former Elizabethan manor house, is a luxurious hotel and spa overlooking Cuckfield Park. The Grain Store is a three-bedroom holiday home in Lewes set against rolling hills and big skies, and a little further afield, THE PIG-in the South Downs near Arundel is always a worthwhile treat.

Stockists and trade

Sugrue South Downs is poured in some of the most exciting restaurants in the UK and beyond, including 1 Lombard Street, Bouchon Racine, Café Murano, Cicoria by Angela Hartnett, The French House, The Kinneuchar Inn, Lime Wood, Murano, THE PIG, Rockfish and Silk House Dining. International stockists include Geranium and Jordnær in Copenhagen, Celler de Can Roca and Disfrutar in Spain, and L'Enclume, The Ledbury, Sketch and Moor Hall in the UK. Retail partners include Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism Wines, Handford Wines, Lea & Sandeman, The Wine Society and The Good Wine Shop. International distributors include Bona Fide Wines (Norway), L'Esprit Du Vin (Denmark), Massal Selection (Spain) and Tindal (Ireland). For trade enquiries, the full stockists list is available at Sugrue South Downs.

Press and accolades

The wines have been reviewed by virtually every major UK and international critic. Hugh Johnson has called the wines "Spectacular. Honestly, England's best", JancisRobinson.com has noted "Few English wines encapsulate the power of Bollinger, the burnished-metal and density of Krug, the anger and angst of Selosse", Oz Clarke calls Sugrue "the most thrilling, incisive sparklers in England", and Matthew Jukes describes them as "the most profound, complex and rewarding English sparkling wine I have ever had the pleasure of encountering". Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2016 in magnum was named one of the Vinous Top 100 Wines of 2025 - the first English wine to feature on the global list - and The Trouble With Dreams 2009 in magnum won Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025.

Visiting Sugrue South Downs

Sugrue South Downs is at Bee Tree Vineyard, South Road, Wivelsfield Green, Haywards Heath, RH17 7QS. The gates (marked Golf Course Farm) open automatically as you approach; drive down the track, past the livery stable and horse boxes, and the winery sits at the very end. The estate is 10 - 15 minutes by taxi from Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Wivelsfield train stations; Station Taxis (01444 410 410) is recommended. w3w: ///uplifting.servicing.stir. Sugrue South Downs is active on Facebook and Instagram.