Gusbourne Estate

About

In 2004, when the first vines were planted at Gusbourne Estate, we had a clear vision and a single goal: to create English Sparkling Wines that would stand up alongside the very finest offerings from across the globe. We’ve had our sights set on perfection ever since.

Focusing on just the classic grape varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, we believe that the only way to ensure the quality of our grapes is to grow them ourselves. That’s why the grapes used in our winemaking are sourced solely from Gusbourne vineyards. 

Our winemaking is a slow and measured process. We have an uncompromising quest for quality and a fastidious approach to detail. We follow strict, self-imposed parameters to maintain our exacting standards and keep intervention to an absolute minimum to ensure the best expression of our wines each and every year. This is especially important because our wines are exclusively vintage. They are unique to each growing season and present an authentic reflection of a time and place.

Visit Us

Visit us in Appledore, Kent to explore our vineyards and find out what makes our corner of England so special for winemaking. Our tasting room is open to visitors all year round, and our cellar door stocks a range of limited-edition wines that are available to taste and buy exclusively at the Nest.

Join us for one of our guided tours to discover how we produce our award-winning wines:

Vineyard Tour

A two-hour hosted tour in which you’ll find out what makes our corner of England so special for winemaking. Enjoy a guided walk in the vines, a tour of the winery and a tutored wine tasting in our tasting room.

Discovery Tour

Arrive at 11am for a hosted tour of the vineyards and winery, followed by a tutored tasting in the Nest, including some special wines that don’t feature in our standard hosted tour. We will then serve seasonal sharing platters, designed to complement the wines. We expect to be finished at 3pm.

Estate Tour

Join our Estate Tour and spend an afternoon unwinding in the countryside, tasting our wines over a leisurely lunch. Your day will begin with welcome drinks, before embarking on an extended tour of the estate and vineyards. You will then enjoy a wine tasting in our picturesque tasting room overlooking the vines (including some exclusive rare release and limited edition wines) paired with a seasonal three-course lunch.

Gift vouchers for our year-round tour offerings are also available.

If you prefer to explore at your own pace, visit the Nest during opening hours to collect a map and enjoy a self-guided tour of the vineyards, before heading back to enjoy a glass of wine.

Throughout the course of the year we host many unique events at the Nest, such as dinners prepared by some of the UK’s most talented chefs, lunches and tastings hosted by our winemaking team, Sunday lunches, and picnics in the vineyard. These often feature vertical tastings or special wines from our library. Join our mailing list online to be amongst the first to hear about these one-off events.

We also host tailor-made private events and corporate functions. Please contact the Nest team to discuss your requirements.

Accessibility

If you or one of your party have restricted walking ability, please contact us in advance of your visit, and we’ll make arrangements for you to be as comfortable as possible, such as using our golf buggies to take you around the vineyards. The tasting room has ramp access, and accessible toilets suitable for a person with restricted walking ability and for those that use a wheelchair some of the time. We welcome registered carers and assistance dogs free of charge when they are accompanying visitors with special needs.

Children

Our hosted vineyard tours last around 2 hours, and our hosted Discovery tours last around 4 hours. Both involve visiting our working winery and feature a guided wine tasting, so are not suitable for children. You are welcome to bring children on a self-guided tour around our estate free of charge, and The Nest serves soft drinks for drivers and under-18s. If you would like any additional advice before bringing children to the estate, please email nest@gusbourne.com, or telephone 01233 884680.

Dogs

You are welcome to bring your dogs on a vineyard tour, but please ensure dogs are kept on a lead whilst on Gusbourne land, and please do clean up after them. We’re sorry, but we don’t allow dogs into the tasting room or the winery.