Wiston Estate, North Farm Vineyard: Award-Winning English Sparkling Wine on the South Downs
Set deep within the chalk downland of the South Downs, Wiston Estate at North Farm is one of England's most respected family-owned vineyards. Its single-estate English sparkling wines have been quietly reshaping how the world views British wine, while its on-site restaurant Chalk has earned a place in the MICHELIN Guide and a TripAdvisor 'Best of the Best' award. Add guided tours, seasonal events, weddings, self-catering stays and a thoughtful sustainability programme, and you have an estate that is genuinely a destination rather than just a winery.
Where Is Wiston Estate?
Wiston Estate's winery, cellar door and Chalk restaurant are all based at North Farm, Washington, in the heart of the South Downs National Park in West Sussex. The principal postal address is North Farm, London Road, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 4BB. The wider estate, including Wiston House and the Goring family's ancestral home, sits between the iconic landmarks of Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring, roughly four kilometres from the Sussex coast.
From central London, the estate is around two hours' drive, or you can take a train from London Victoria to Worthing or Horsham in under 90 minutes followed by a short taxi. The team recommends booking Arrow Taxi Group (01903 212121), South Downs Taxis (01798 874111) or AAA2B Cars (01403 242424) in advance, or simply using Uber.
The Story of the Goring Family
The Goring family has cared for this estate and stewarded what it produces since 1743, when Elizabeth Fagge married Sir Charles Matthew Goring. Sixteen years later, their son Charles planted the circle of beech trees that now crowns Chanctonbury Ring, an instantly recognisable feature of the South Downs landscape. The family grew the estate to around 20,000 acres under the Reverend John Goring in 1849, before death duties in the early twentieth century forced the sale of land and the leasing of Wiston House, which today is occupied by the Foreign Office (FCDO).
The modern wine story begins with Harry Goring, who returned from South Africa in 1972 with his new bride Pip. Decades later, Pip's dream of planting a vineyard on the South Downs slopes - evoking her childhood in the Western Cape - became a reality in 2006, when 16 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were planted on a south-facing site now known as Findon Park Vineyard. In 2007 Dermot Sugrue joined to head up winemaking and in 2008 the estate installed one of the first Coquard presses ever imported into the UK.
Harry and Pip's son Richard and his wife Kirsty returned to the estate in 2006 from small-scale organic farms in western Canada, bringing a long-term regenerative mindset. The reins of management passed to them in 2011. In 2017 a second vineyard was planted entirely to Chardonnay, and the estate became the first of its kind to have a Whole Estate Plan endorsed by the South Downs National Park. Winemaking duties passed to Marcus and Megan Rayner-Ward in 2022, with Dermot Sugrue going on to his own projects.
The Vineyards and Soils
Wiston now farms 12 hectares of vines, rooted in flint-scattered soils over a classic Sussex chalk base. The site's combination of aspect, microclimate and geology bears many similarities to the Côte des Blancs in Champagne, and it is precisely this harsh, free-draining terroir that forces the vines to produce the concentrated fruit at the heart of Wiston's house style.
The team does not use herbicides, opting instead for traditional tillage. Spent grape skins and prunings are composted back into the soil, cover crops (including clovers, phacelia and radish) are sown between the rows, and in winter a small flock of sheep graze the vineyard to complete the nutrient cycle. Bee hives have been introduced for pollination, and the honey they produce is used in the Chalk kitchen.
Winemaking at North Farm
Wiston makes traditional-method sparkling wine only. Grapes are pressed immediately after picking in the estate's iconic Coquard basket press - the first of its kind imported to the UK - to preserve delicate fruit and avoid harsh extraction. Fermentation takes place in a combination of old Burgundy barrels and stainless steel, and the wines are then bottled the summer after harvest for their secondary fermentation. Cuvées typically spend a minimum of three to four years on lees before riddling and disgorgement, with the Library Collection releases aged far longer.
The winery is accredited under the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) scheme, with solar panels on the roof, insulated (rather than refrigerated) ageing sheds, paper tape for cases, recycled cardboard, steam-cleaned equipment, recycled corks through Recorked UK, and used barrels upcycled at Chalk or as water butts. Even leftover grape juice is distilled into the estate's own gin.
Wiston also runs a thriving contract winemaking service, having supported dozens of vineyards across Southern England - from Dorset to Norfolk - to make their own English sparkling wines. It has been named WineGB Contract Winery of the Year five times.
The Wines
Classic Range
The Classic Range pays homage to the great traditional-method sparkling wines of the world, focusing on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
- Wiston Brut NV - the best-selling introduction to English sparkling, from £38.
- Wiston Blanc de Blancs NV - 100% Chardonnay, four years in the making, from £42.
- Wiston Estate Rosé NV - named by sommeliers as the Best Sparkling Wine of 2025, from £38.
- Wiston Estate Cuvée 2020 - the flagship blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, from £50.
Vintage Range
Wiston only declares a vintage when the vines produce exceptional fruit, and three wines from the celebrated 2018 harvest are available individually or as a case.
- Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs 2018 - 97 points Wine Enthusiast, 94 points Decanter, from £60.
- Wiston Estate Blanc de Noirs 2018 - single-vineyard Pinot Noir aged five years on lees, 96 points Wine Enthusiast, 95 points Decanter, from £58.
- Wiston Estate Rosé 2018 - the opulent Pinot Noir-dominant rosé praised by Tamlyn Currin and Matthew Jukes, from £54.
- The 2018 Vintage Case - all three wines together, from £150 (was £168).
Library Collection
The Library Collection showcases small parcels of Wiston's favourite wines given extra years in the cellar. The current line-up includes:
- Library Collection Cuvée 2009 - Wiston's first ever commercial release, from £60.
- Library Collection Blanc de Blancs 2009 - aged 14 years on lees, 96 points from Anne Krebiehl MW, from £130.
- Library Collection Blanc de Blancs 2010 - the original Library Collection release and multiple trophy winner, from £130.
- The Library Collection 2009 Comparative Tasting Set - two bottles of the same wine with different disgorgement dates, presented in a premium gift box with stopper and an exclusive winemaker tasting, £250.
- The Library Collection Set - two wines aged for over a decade in the cellar, £190.
Still Wines
Sparkling may be the heart of the estate, but Wiston has begun to release limited quantities of still wines from select parcels of fruit.
- Tank Five Chardonnay - the estate's first 100% Wiston-grown still white, a blend of the 2022 and 2023 vintages, from £27.
- Fifty Summers Rosé - 100% Pinot Noir made to celebrate Pip Goring's golden wedding anniversary; Wiston's Wine of the Month this August, from £27.
- The Twenty Six Pinot Noir 2022 - the estate's first Pinot Noir red, from £29 (currently out of stock).
Magnums and Mixed Cases
For celebrations and entertaining, the magnums and curated cases are popular gift choices.
- Magnum of Brut NV - from £78
- Rosé NV Magnum - from £78
- Wiston Blanc de Blancs NV Magnum - from £84
- Wiston Estate Cuvée 2009 Magnum - £140
- Celebration Magnums Case - £210 (was £236)
- The Wiston NV Collection - three-bottle NV case under £100, £99
- The Wiston Discovery Case - six-bottle selection of NV and vintage wines, £240 (was £280)
- Wiston Estate Vintage Mixed Case - £280 (was £318)
Gin and Gift Items
Distilled from leftover grape juice at the end of vintage, Wiston Estate Gin (£43) is back in stock. Other gift items include the Wiston Spring Selection hamper (£120), a Cuvée & Glasses Set (£56), gift boxes in pink or oxide blue (£3.50 each), a sparkling wine stopper (£10), a jute bottle bag (£12), an embroidered apron (£25) and apple juice (£6). Gift Vouchers can be spent across the wines, tours, tastings, events and Chalk restaurant.
Memberships
Two clubs give members privileged access to Wiston's wines and estate life.
- The Wiston Wine Club - £37.50 per month, with a quarterly three-bottle case (delivered in July, October, January and April), 10% off single bottles, 15% off cases, a complimentary tour and tasting for four, two complimentary glasses of Wiston at Chalk, priority event booking, harvest days and member-only blogs.
- The 1743 Club - the premium vintage membership named for the year the Goring family came to Wiston, at £75 per month. Benefits include a six-bottle case each quarter (December, March, June, September), 15% off all wine purchases, 10% off at Chalk for up to four guests, an annual drinks and canapés event hosted by the Goring family, priority allocations and harvest days.
Tours and Tastings
Tours run year-round from the fully accessible North Farm winery and are the best way to experience the estate. All tours are unsuitable for under-18s and last roughly 1.5 hours unless stated otherwise. To book with a gift voucher, call 01903 877845 or email [email protected].
The Wiston Winery Tour & Tasting
An award-winning introduction to the estate. Guests walk through the Coquard press hall, tank and barrel halls and finish with a tutored tasting of four wines, then are free to wander the vineyards and the Chalk courtyard. £30 per person, with a 2-for-1 midweek offer. View availability and book.
The Vintage Tour & Tasting
An upgraded version focusing on Wiston's vintage wines, ending with a tutored tasting in the new tasting room. £37.50 per person. Book here.
Sundowner Safari Tour, Tasting & Dinner
A popular summer experience combining a winery tour, tractor ride over the downs to the vineyard, and dinner at Chalk. £130 per person, Fridays in summer. Find out more.
Vineyard Explorer Tour
A deeper dive into the estate's terroir, running on selected Saturdays from May to September and lasting around four hours. £75 per person. Find out more.
Top Drawer Tasting & Dinner
An exclusive evening tour and tasting followed by a set dinner at Chalk, returning for the winter season. £125 per person. Find out more.
Off-Road Bike Tour & Lunch
An off-road bike ride on the South Downs with local experts, followed by a well-deserved lunch at Chalk. Find out more.
Power Yoga & 3 Course Lunch with Aanya
A restorative yoga session followed by a three-course lunch in the vines. £100 per person, 5 September 2026 (sold out at time of writing). Find out more.
Trophy-Winning Magnum Celebration
An evening of magnums and canapés at Chalk, raising a glass to the Trophy-winning Vintage Cuvée 2009 Magnum. £35 per person, 17 September 2026. Find out more.
Chalk Restaurant
Open since 2021, Chalk is the estate's six-course set Estate Menu restaurant, celebrating produce grown, farmed and foraged on Wiston Estate and along the Sussex coast. Head Chef Jordon Powell and his team work closely with a network of named local suppliers, including HG Walter butchers, Flying Fish seafood, The Wild Room foragers, Goodwood Home Farm dairy, Holos kombucha, The Cheese Man and honey from The Bee Butler in Findon. Much of the produce also comes from the Wiston Estate walled garden, supplying everything from salads to herbs and cut flowers.
Chalk is in the MICHELIN Guide 2026, was named Restaurant of the Year at the Beautiful South Awards 2025 - 26, and won TripAdvisor's Best of the Best in 2025, placing it in the top 1% of restaurants worldwide.
Opening Hours
- Coffee & pastries: 9:30 - 11:30, Wednesday to Sunday
- Lunch: Wednesday to Sunday, à la carte
- The Courtyard: Friday to Sunday, 12:00 - 17:00 (walk-ins welcome, dogs allowed)
- Dinner: Friday & Saturday, set Estate Menu
- Dinner & Wine Tour Combo: Fridays, Sundowner Safari
Reservations can be made up to six months in advance. Chalk is fully wheelchair accessible, with disabled parking under cover and a £25 corkage charge per 75cl bottle. The restaurant is cashless.
For groups larger than eight at lunch, or for private dining in the room that seats up to ten, email [email protected] or call 01903 877845.
Weddings, Private Events and Corporate Hire
Wiston offers several flexible event spaces across the estate:
- Findon Park Vineyard & Wine Barn - hidden away in the original vineyard, with space for a marquee for up to 120 guests or an intimate dinner for up to 18 in the Wine Barn.
- The Private Dining Room at Chalk - up to 10 guests with its own courtyard terrace.
- Chalk Restaurant & Courtyard - private hire for the main restaurant (50 covers) and outside space.
- The Buddington Room - a meeting and events space with a window onto the winery.
- Wiston Estate Park - the wider parkland around Wiston House for festivals, car rallies and large-scale events.
Corporate offerings include a corporate membership, a downloadable Corporate Gifting brochure, business away days built around the Buddington Room and a winery tour, and drinks receptions in Chalk from £950 for two hours with canapés from £15 per head.
Stay at The Pump House
Tucked away at the foot of the South Downs, the renovated Pump House is a self-catering cottage that sleeps two to four (and welcomes two dogs). The Silver Medal winner at the Beautiful South Awards 2024/25 for Best Self-Catering Accommodation, the cottage features a king-size mezzanine bed, sofa bed, open-plan living, a wood-fired hot tub (extra cost), an outdoor terrace with a dining area and BBQ, and a welcome bottle of Wiston Brut NV in the fridge. Stays run from three to seven nights with Friday or Monday check-ins; e-bike hire can be added at booking.
Walking the Estate
The estate offers 58 kilometres of footpath and bridleway across the South Downs. A downloadable vineyard walks map and AllTrails guides cover routes from a gentle 20-minute stroll to the Crossroads Viewpoint up to a 9.6 km Monarch's Way loop. The Crossroads Viewpoint offers views over Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring, with the English Channel visible beyond Findon on a clear day.
Sustainability and Nature
Sustainability at Wiston is structured around the estate's 2017 Whole Estate Plan and its SWGB accreditation. Key initiatives include:
- Biodiversity Net Gains (BNG) units for sale to fund habitat restoration.
- Weald to Waves - a partnership with the South Downs National Park and other landowners to create nature corridors.
- Annual cover crops, sheep grazing, on-site composting and zero herbicide use in the vineyard.
- Solar-powered winery, insulated ageing sheds, recycled packaging and waterless steam cleaning.
- Partnership with the Steyning Downland Scheme, set up by the Goring family in 2007 with 165 acres set aside for community engagement.
Estate ecologist Penny Green and the wider team also monitor cuckoos via satellite tags, restore chalk grassland, and host community volunteering and biodiversity workshops. In 2025, Wiston won the Schöffel Farm-Environment Partnership Award.
Awards
Wiston has been named Winery of the Year at the WineGB Awards in 2018 and 2021, and its wines continue to score highly in international competitions. Highlights from the 2026 cycle include:
- Decanter World Wine Awards 2026: Gold for Blanc de Blancs 2018 (96 points), Gold for Blanc de Noirs 2018 (95 points).
- Decanter UK Sparkling Wine Panel Tasting: Brut NV scored 96 points, with Blanc de Blancs NV and Rosé NV highly commended.
- International Wine Challenge: Vintage Cuvée Magnum 2009 won the English Sparkling Classic Blend Trophy and the English Sparkling Trophy with the highest English score of 97 points; Blanc de Noirs 2018 also won Gold with 95 points.
- Cellar Door Experience of the Year at the Beautiful South Awards 2023 for the Wiston Wine Tour & Tasting.
- The Library Collection Blanc de Blancs 2009: 96 points (Anne Krebiehl MW) and 95 points (Simon Field MW).
Visiting and Contact
- Address: North Farm, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 4BB.
- Phone: 01903 877845 (also +44 (0) 1903 877845).
- Email: [email protected] (general), [email protected] (winery).
- Shop online: wistonestate.com/shop (free UK mainland delivery on orders over £95).
- Book Chalk: Chalk Restaurant Bookings.
- Follow: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
- Newsletter: subscribe for advance notice of new releases, members events and harvest days.
Children are welcome at Chalk and on the estate's footpaths, but under-18s are not permitted on winery tours or tastings. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the Chalk courtyard and on the Vineyard Explorer Tour.
Planning Your Visit
For a first visit, allow at least half a day. Start with one of the standard tours, have lunch at Chalk (book ahead) or in the courtyard (walk-ins welcome, Friday to Sunday), then walk a section of the South Downs Way or one of the four recommended estate walks. If you want to stay longer, book The Pump House for a few nights, time your visit around English Wine Week in late June, or plan a Saturday in summer for the Vineyard Explorer Tour followed by the Sundowner Safari.
Whether you arrive for a glass on the Chalk terrace, a serious comparative tasting of the Library Collection, a wedding in the vineyard or a long weekend in the Pump House, Wiston Estate offers a rare combination of place, pedigree and quiet ambition - a benchmark for English sparkling wine made from chalk, sun and care.