A Day Out In – West Sussex

For those of you who don’t know me, my brother (Charlie) and I get on really well and we recently decided we wanted to have a sibling day out as it has been ages since our last one. We thought long and hard about what to do, and after a little bit of research on the internet we agreed to make the most of our National Trust memberships and go to Petworth House and Park as well as Tinwood Estate for a vineyard tour and wine tasting experience.

We started our day bright and early at Petworth House and Park which is a mansion and a 700 acre deer park which was landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Charlie and I both admire his work and 2016 marks the 300th anniversary of his birth. The park is a fine example of his what he did. There are lakes, larges areas of grass that come right up to the house, as well as many ancient trees. The views are breathtaking. The history of the house is also fascinating with there being strong links to people such as JMW Turner and also the Percy family, Earls of Northumberland.

In the afternoon we made the short journey down to Tinwood Estate where we were met by a lovely lady called Jodie who is one of the owners. The location itself is stunning and there is a very smart tasting room for colder days, luckily the weather was gorgeous so we got to sit outside. This was my second wine tour and tasting at an English vineyard this summer. Over the last few years I have become a big fan of what we produce here in England, with Chapel Down and Nyetimber being two of my firm favourites. Due to the climate in parts of the South East being similar to that of the Champagne region it means quality of our wine is incredible and something more people should get behind.

The tour was great and Jodie was really informative as well as creating a relaxed atmosphere meaning people were able to ask any questions as they came to mind. There is also a viewing platform to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Next came the tasting and we had three glasses each in order to try the three different varieties they sell.We also opted for a cheese board to go with this and it was definitely a good move, there was even honey from Jodie’s bees. Perfect!

We left having purchased more wine to take home, you can only buy from Tinwood directly so if you are there make sure you stock up. I will certainly be returning and I am pleased I have discovered another excellent English winemaker to wine to add to my favourites list.