Denbies tour and tasting from Brighton

A small-group trip from Brighton to Denbies, the large estate on the North Downs just outside Dorking. You are picked up in Brighton, driven to Surrey for a tour and tasting at Denbies with an explanation of how the vineyard and winery work, and on the way back you stop at Devil's Dyke for the view over the Weald. The day lasts about six hours.

Denbies is one of England's biggest vineyards, with a shop and restaurants on site, so it suits a first visit to an English winery. The listing does not say which tour or how many wines are included.

This is a new listing with no reviews yet, and Dorking is a fair drive from Brighton, so a good share of the day is spent in the vehicle.

Best for: visitors staying in Brighton who want an easy, organised day at one large, well-equipped estate.

Denbies sits on the edge of Dorking, on the chalk slopes of the North Downs in the Surrey Hills. Its own vineyard train tour costs £13 and an indoor tasting £16.95, so most of what you pay for this trip is the driving, the guide and having the day organised from Brighton.

The estate has three restaurants, the Gallery, the Conservatory and the Wine Library, plus a takeaway hatch, but picnics are not allowed. The listing does not say whether lunch is included, so plan to buy something on site. The shop sells the full Denbies range if you want to take bottles home.

The stop on the way back is Devil's Dyke, a deep valley in the South Downs just north of Brighton, cared for by the National Trust, with long views north across the Weald.

If you would rather go under your own steam, Denbies can be reached by train from Brighton with a change at Gatwick Airport for Dorking Deepdene, close to Dorking's main station and about 15 minutes' walk from the estate. Our guide to Denbies has opening times, the tours you can book direct and a map.