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Vineyard guide · Ditchling Common
Visiting Ridgeview
Ridgeview has made traditional method sparkling wine at Ditchling Common since the mid-1990s, and its wines have been served at royal banquets and state dinners. Book the Signature Tour and stay for lunch at The Rows & Vine. It is shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Ridgeview at a glance
| Founded | First vines planted 1995 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Traditional method sparkling wine, especially Bloomsbury and the Blanc de Blancs |
| Awards | Decanter Trophy for Best Global Sparkling Wine (2010) for Blanc de Blancs 2006; IWSC Best International Sparkling Wine (2005) for Bloomsbury 2002; IWSC International Winemaker of the Year (2018) for Simon Roberts |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier |
| Open | Cellar door Thursday to Monday, 10am to 4pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday |
| Booking | Book tours online ahead; walk-ins welcome for the Discovery Wine Tasting if there is space; tours and restaurant tables are booked separately |
| Tours from | £20 |
| Food | The Rows & Vine restaurant, Thursday to Monday, indoors at the winery in autumn and winter and outdoors at the vineyard in spring and summer |
| Dogs | Assistance dogs only indoors and on tours; dogs allowed at the outdoor restaurant in spring and summer, no dog walking in the vineyard |
| Children | No under-18s on tours, welcome at The Rows & Vine and in the shop with an adult |
| By train | Burgess Hill, about 10 minutes by taxi or a 30 to 40 minute walk |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in November 2026.
About Ridgeview
Mike and Christine Roberts planted their first vines at Ditchling Common in 1995, choosing the three Champagne grapes and the traditional method from the start. Mike had been an accountant and a software entrepreneur before he trained in winemaking. In 1999 they dug what Ridgeview describes as England’s first underground wine cellars, and the first release was named English Wine of the Year in 2000.
Awards followed quickly. Bloomsbury 2002 was IWSC Best International Sparkling Wine in 2005, and the Blanc de Blancs 2006 took the Decanter Trophy for Best Global Sparkling Wine in 2010. Mike was made an MBE in 2011 for services to English wine. His son Simon has been head winemaker since 2014 and in 2018 became the first English producer named IWSC International Winemaker of the Year. Tamara Roberts joined in 2004 and ran the business from 2013, growing it from around 50,000 bottles a year to nearly half a million.
The royal list is long. The Blanc de Blancs 2004 was served at Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday banquet, Bloomsbury 2009 was chosen for the Diamond Jubilee, and Ridgeview has been poured at Buckingham Palace state banquets for Presidents Obama and Xi. A new winery opened in 2020 for the 25th anniversary, taking cellar capacity to a million bottles. Grapes come from the estate and from partner vineyards across southern England, and Ridgeview was a founder member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, which gave the vineyard Gold in 2024 and the winery Gold in 2025.
The wines
Start with Bloomsbury, the Chardonnay-led non-vintage that has been Ridgeview’s calling card since its early days. The Blanc de Blancs is the wine with the biggest reputation, and the one to buy if you are only buying one bottle. The Signature range also has Cavendish and Fitzrovia Rosé, both non-vintage. The Limited Edition wines include a Blanc de Noirs, a Rosé de Noirs, an Oak Reserve and a Sparkling Red Reserve, which is unusual enough in England to be worth tasting on the winter tours. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Ridgeview
Everything is on one site at Fragbarrow Lane: the cellar door with its wine bar and shop, the tasting rooms, the winery and The Rows & Vine. The restaurant moves with the seasons, indoors at the winery from autumn to spring and outside among the vines in spring and summer. It stays open later on Fridays and Saturdays, and tables are booked separately from tours, so check the restaurant first and then book the tour around it. Groups of eight or more book by email. Tickets are non-refundable but can be moved once with two weeks’ notice. Non-drinkers can swap the wine for a Holos Sparkling Tea flight if they email ahead. The whole estate is step-free, including the vineyard, and there are disabled bays in the car park. Dogs are the confusing part. The FAQ says assistance dogs only, while the restaurant page allows dogs at the outdoor restaurant in spring and summer. Neither allows them on tours or in the vineyard. Ridgeview also offers a self-guided vineyard walk with a map from the cellar door and a glass of fizz at The Rows & Vine, though the trail can close when the vineyard is busy.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Wine Tasting Six 25ml pours across the Signature and Limited Release ranges, hosted in the tasting room. Over-18s only. | £20 per person | 45 minutes | Cellar door days; book ahead, walk-ins if there is space |
| Discovery Vineyard Walk & Tasting A guided walk through the vines followed by three 50ml pours. Over-18s only. | £25 per person | 1 hour | Times shown when booking |
| Signature Tour & Tasting The main tour of the estate and winery, finishing with four 50ml pours: three Signature wines and one Limited Release. Listed as the Classic Tour & Tasting on the 2026 events calendar. | £35 per person | 1.5 hours | Times shown when booking |
| Ridgeview Reserve Experience Six 50ml pours, two non-vintage and four from the limited release, special edition, archive or vintage wines, paired with Sussex cheeses. Over-18s only. | £65 per person | 2 hours | Times shown when booking |
| Winter Cellar Tours & Tastings A winery tour that goes into the underground cellar, a tasting that includes special vintage releases with seasonal pairings, and time in the Winery Bar. Christmas evenings add rare wines and the Sparkling Red Reserve. | See booking page | See booking page | November and December |
| Private Wine Tours and Tastings A guided estate tour and tutored tasting, with optional cheese pairing, limited-edition tasting, drinks reception or dining at The Rows & Vine in spring and summer. Enquire by email. | On request | Varies | By arrangement, minimum 8 guests |
Book these on the Ridgeview website.
Buy Ridgeview wines
None of our wine partners has these wines in stock this week. The vineyard sells them in its own shop, or see our pick of English wines to buy online.
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Getting there
Burgess Hill is the nearest station, with direct Thameslink and Southern trains from London and Brighton. There is a taxi rank outside, and the ride takes about ten minutes. The walk is 30 to 40 minutes and ends over a stile into the estate, so wear shoes that can cope with mud. The 167 bus stops at the Folders Lane roundabout, about ten minutes’ walk away. Drivers have a visitor car park with three electric charging points, and coaches can park by arrangement. There is secure cycle parking.
Make a day of it
Ditchling village and the climb to Ditchling Beacon on the South Downs Way are a few minutes’ drive south, and Brighton is not much further. Bolney Wine Estate is about 20 minutes west and makes an easy pairing for a second visit. Wiston is the obvious choice if you want another sparkling wine specialist and a longer lunch.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Sussex directory. Our other Sussex vineyard guides: Rathfinny, Court Garden, Bolney, Wiston, Nyetimber, Henners, Artelium, Ashling Park, Tinwood, Sedlescombe Organic, Roebuck, Bluebell Vineyard, Breaky Bottom, Kingscote, Tillingham, Oxney Organic.
Questions people ask
Can children come to Ridgeview?
Yes, to The Rows & Vine, events and the shop, as long as an adult is with them throughout. Under-18s cannot go on tours because tours go into the winery.
Is lunch included with a tour?
No. The Rows & Vine is booked separately, and Ridgeview suggests checking for a table before you book the tour. Tours take about an hour and a half, so allow for that.
What if I don’t drink?
Book as normal and email to say how many in the group won’t be drinking. They get a flight of Holos Sparkling Tea instead of the wine.