How one woman's dream to create a vineyard in West Sussex has enabled an historic estate to follow in the footsteps of the Romans

As we clambered into the agricultural vehicle there was the same excited anticipation that Indiana Jones must have experienced as he headed off in pursuit of the Holy Grail.

We weren't merely being navigated across a West Sussex farm - we were in search of the very essence of one of the county's finest creations.

The immaculate rows of vines bathed in the summer sunshine of 2022 may not, at first glance, have seemed the stuff of which dreams are made.

But with extraordinary passion, skill, investment and time, this latest crop will transition into some of England's - and indeed the world's - finest sparkling wine.

How the Wiston Estate at North Farm, Washington, became a premiere global wine producer is itself the realisation of a personal vision - underpinned by grit, determination, an enormous amount of courage, family resilience, prayer, and of course the perfect chalk landscape.

When Pip Goring arrived at Wiston in 1972 she dreamed of planting a vineyard to evoke her childhood in South Africa’s Western Cape.

The roots of her vision also drew on the rich history of this place. Two thousand years before Pip and her husband Harry settled there, the Romans were the first to grow grapes on the soft chalk slopes of the South Downs.In 2006 history repeated itself as the Goring family planted a south-facing 16-acre site with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay vines.

In the same year, their son Richard moved back to the Estate with his wife, Kirsty. As newlyweds, the couple had found a new passion for the land whilst working on small scale organic farms in western Canada.

In the 15 years that have followed, the most amazing sparkling wines have flowed from this quiet corner of West Sussex - the blanc de blancs, the blanc de noir, the rose, the brut, and an extraordinary range of vintage and multi-vintages … let's not call it ‘non-vintage’, Kirsty rightly suggests on our wine tour.

No wonder that Wiston along with so many other great vineyards across the sweep of the county this year secured Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for wine, meaning Sussex gets Champagne-style status, intended to guarantee quality and geographical provenance.

There is no greater mark of success.

And it is all about quality. The Wiston wines are superb but that quality is also reflected in the way in which the whole estate has been developed.

At the end of last year, it opened a new restaurant, tasting room and cellar door shop - the Chalk Restaurant and Tasting Room, now serving breakfasts, lunches and dinner.

The restaurant is itself a masterpiece of design and luxury, occupying a renovated 18th Century threshing barn which has been expertly restored and transformed to create a warm and welcoming space, with room to host 60 guests, including a private dining room for ten.

Outside a sun-trap courtyard has been created to house a beautiful alfresco dining space.

Like the wine itself, much of the furniture for the restaurant is handmade, and has been crafted in workshops on the estate, while the crockery is also handmade and sourced locally.

The food is, in my opinion, of Michelin quality and showcases the best seasonal produce from the Estate and nearby artisan suppliers.Alongside the restaurant there is a tasting room and wine shop, offering visitors the opportunity to taste selections of the Wiston Estate wines, and tours of the vineyards and winery.

Richard Goring, CEO of Wiston Estate said earlier this year at the restaurant's launch: “We are incredibly excited about this development. We hope Chalk will be a major step in our mission to open up the estate and welcome people here, as well as showing off the wonderful produce which this land gives us."

While visiting Chalk Restaurant and Tasting Room visitors will be encouraged to explore the estate with the help of a series of mapped walks around the land, which take in the vineyards, ancient grain fields and the legendary Chanctonbury Ring which presides over the vineyards from its lofty position on the South Downs Way.

Just as Pip Goring showed the most amazing courage in first establishing a vineyard at Wiston, Kirst and Richard have shown that same vision for taking the estate to the next stage.

More than that, they are not merely great ambassadors for Wiston but for the whole Sussex wine industry.

What they, and like-minded vineyards across the county are achieving is nothing short of a triumph.

For more information https://www.wistonestate.com/