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Vineyard guide · West Chiltington
Nyetimber is one of England’s best-known sparkling wine producers, with its home estate at West Chiltington in West Sussex. There are no drop-in visits, so the way in is a ticketed open day or dining evening, and these sell out.
| Founded | Planted 1988 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage sparkling wine and the 1086 prestige cuvée |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier |
| Open | Ticketed open days and dining evenings only |
| Booking | Book everything online in advance, no drop-in visits |
| Tours from | £50 |
| Food | Four-course dinners on set dates as part of the dining evenings |
| Dogs | Not allowed, except assistance dogs notified in advance |
| Children | Open days are for over-18s only |
| By train | Pulborough or Billingshurst, with a taxi booked in advance |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
The Nyetimber estate appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Nitimbreha, and the first vines were planted here in 1988: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the three classic Champagne varieties. Since 2007 the wines have been made by Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs and her husband, Winemaker Brad Greatrix.
Nyetimber uses only grapes from its own vineyards, which now cover 11 sites on greensand and chalk soils in West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, on south-facing slopes. It has its own pressing centre and winery. Each vineyard parcel is pressed and fermented separately so the winemakers can choose between them when blending, and the wines are aged for long periods before release.
In 2018 Cherie Spriggs became the first winemaker from outside Champagne to be named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge, and she won it again in 2025. That year the IWC also named Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 in magnum its Champion Sparkling Wine, the first non-Champagne wine to win it. The Real Review named Nyetimber its Winery of the Year for 2026, the second year running.
Nyetimber makes only sparkling wine, all by the traditional method and all from its own grapes. Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage is the flagship, alongside a Rosé Multi-Vintage, Cuvee Chérie Multi-Vintage, made to go with richer food, a vintage Blanc de Blancs, which was the first wine Nyetimber made, and the Tillington Single Vineyard. At the top is 1086 by Nyetimber, in white and rosé, a prestige cuvée made only in the best years and first produced from the 2009 vintage. The wines are sold online and through stockists rather than at the estate. Where to buy them.
Nyetimber has no cellar door, shop, café or restaurant open to the public, and you cannot turn up and look round. Open day tickets go on sale at set times of year, four per order, first come first served. All 2026 dates have sold out, so sign up to the mailing list to hear when the next ones are released. On the day you can buy wine at cellar door prices, by card only, and you must take it home with you. There are no waiting facilities, so do not arrive much before your start time. Parking is free and a short walk from the White Barn. If anyone in your party has limited mobility, email the open days team before you go.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Day Tour A guided walk through the vineyards, then a tasting of four wines in the 15th-century Medieval Barn. The ticket price can be put towards a case of six bottles bought on the day. | £50 per person | 2.5 hours | Set dates each year, all 2026 open days sold out |
| 1086 by Nyetimber Paired Dining Experience A reception with Classic Cuvee and canapés, then four courses in the Medieval Barn, each paired with a Nyetimber wine and ending with 1086. Tickets are non-refundable. | £195 per person | 6.30pm to 10pm | Two evenings in November 2026 |
Book these on the Nyetimber website.
For someone who would rather choose their own: a gift card for Nyetimber, one of England’s best-known sparkling wine producers. It can go on bottles, cases or one of the estate’s visitor experiences, which run on set dates rather than every day.
Good to know Sent by email, on a date you choose. Valid for 12 months, and only at nyetimber.com.
A castle hotel behind 900-year-old walls in the South Downs National Park, where guests dine in a Norman hall built in 1165.
A traditional country pub in the heart of the market town of Arundel with 14 stylish ensuite rooms.
An Elizabethan manor with a spa and a restaurant, in grounds overlooking Cuckfield Park.
Prices are often the same either way, so compare the booking site with booking direct.
9 bottles in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
Sparkling
A multi-vintage blend of the three Champagne grapes, aged over three years, with honey and baked apple.
Sparkling
Chardonnay-led fizz with a creamy mousse, brioche and baked apple.
Sparkling
All Chardonnay from a single vintage, soft and rounded, with lemon, honeysuckle and fresh pastry.
Sparkling
Single-vineyard fizz, mostly Pinot Noir, with raspberry, apricot and marzipan in a rich, textured style.
Sparkling
An older vintage of the single-vineyard wine, mostly Pinot Noir, fine and toasty with a touch of oak.
Sparkling
The 2010 of the flagship wine, made only in the best years, with pastry, roasted nuts, honey and lemon.
Sparkling rosé
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sunset pink and creamy, with redcurrant and cherry.
Sparkling rosé
The flagship's pink version, mostly Pinot Noir, with wild strawberry, cream and brioche.
Sparkling, off-dry
England's first demi-sec fizz, made from Chardonnay alone, gently sweet and made to go with food.
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The nearest stations are Pulborough and Billingshurst, and taxis must be booked in advance. By car, head for Nyetimber Vineyard on Gay Street, West Chiltington, and ignore any satnav instruction to turn onto Lower Jordan’s Lane: carry on along Gay Street until you see the Nyetimber sign. Parking is free. The evening dinners finish around 10pm, so book your return taxi before you travel.
Nyetimber suggests making a day of an open day with lunch at a nearby pub, such as The White Lion at Thakeham, about 10 minutes’ drive away, or the Black Horse at Amberley. Petworth, home to Petworth House, is about 20 minutes away. Wiston Estate, below Chanctonbury Ring near Washington, is the closest vineyard with a regular tour and a restaurant, and makes a good second stop on the same trip.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Sussex directory. Our other Sussex vineyard guides: Rathfinny, Court Garden, Bolney, Wiston.
Only on a ticketed open day or a paired dining evening. The estate is not open to the public otherwise, and there is no cellar door for drop-in visits.
Open day tickets are £50 per person for a 2.5-hour tour and tasting, and the price can be redeemed against a case of six bottles bought on the day. All 2026 open days have sold out.
Tickets are released online at certain times of year, four per order, and sell quickly. Signing up to Nyetimber’s mailing list is the best way to hear when new dates go on sale.
No. Open days are for over-18s only, and dogs are not allowed except assistance dogs notified in advance.
Pulborough and Billingshurst. Nyetimber says taxis must be booked in advance, so arrange both directions before you travel.
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