Nyetimber - pioneer in sparkling English wine and top UK vineyard
The most recognised and iconic brand in the world of sparkling English wine, with award-winning wines, sold the world over
Nyetimber Estate, West Sussex, with its stunning manor house and old barns - Source: Winekeller
Located in the south of England, on the edge of the beautiful Sussex South Downs, Nyetimber is an English brand synonymous with quality, craftmanship and the pursuit of excellence. With vineyards stretching across rural southern England, in the counties of West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, Nyetimber sparkling wine rivals the very best in the world and is widely regarded as the best sparkling English wine - but this is all a matter of taste of course!
We were fortunate enough to visit the Nyetimber vineyard in West Sussex recently for a private event and enjoyed a fabulous tasting of Nyetimber wines, presented by Chief Winemaker, the celebrated Cherie Spriggs…
Nyetimber history
Nyetimber in 1086
The history of the Nyetimber estate goes back a long way! In fact Nyetimber was actually mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 and not many wineries around the world can claim that! The reference was to the valley of ‘Nitimbreha’, which is believed to be a a newly timbered house or perhaps a small timber plantation.
The year 1086 is a key milestone in the estate’s long history and as such it has been given to Nyetimber’s most prestigious wine - a white and a rosé - only produced in the best years.
Of course there were no vines here then, they came a lot later! In fact it wasn’t until,an American couple - Stuart and Sandy Moss - purchased the estate in Sussex in 1987 and went against the advice of a ‘Ministry of Agriculture’ vine expert, who recommended that they plant apples in the soils, not vines! To be fair this expert was unlikely to have been able to predict the huge shift in climate that has been experienced over the last 40 years, which has made the soils extremely suitable for growing vines.
Nyetimber in 1988
Controversially, Stuart and Sandy planted 3 types of vines in 1988 - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - and they did this because their sole aim and passion was to produce a sparkling English wine which could be every bit as good as French Champagne. It was controversial as they were the first to plant and grow this trio of grape varieties in the UK, with the common belief being that they could never grow successfully in the southern England climate - the Mosses soon proved the non-believers wrong!
The beautiful Nyetimber Manor and estate on a winter’s evening - Source: Winekeller
The first vintage was in 1992, the Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs, which went on to win the gold medal in the International Wine and Spirit Competition and the ‘Best English Wine’ trophy. The Nyetimber Classic Cuvee came next, in 1993 and won the coveted ‘Best Sparkling Wine in the World’. This was the tipping point for English sparkling wine, the moment when the world started to sit up and take notice. Many other UK vineyards and wineries suddenly started sprouting - often referred to as the ‘Nyetimber effect’ - and the common aim of all of the new UK wineries was to produce an English sparkling wine at least as good as Nyetimber.
Nyetimber in 2006
The next phase of the Nyetimber story evolved in 2006 when Dutchman Eric Heerema purchased the West Sussex estate and the beautiful Nyetimber manor, where he lives with his family today. He then recruited Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs and Winemaker Brad Greatrix, who both shared his vision of crafting the finest English sparkling wines, believing there was still so much more potential to grow and improve.
The rest is history as they say, as the Nyetimber operation has expanded significantly beyond the boundaries of Sussex and the quality of Nyetimber has continued to improve. A significant milestone was achieved in 2018, when Cherie was awarded the title of “International Sparkling Winemaker of the Year” at the International Wine Challenge - the first time the title had ever been awarded to a winemaker outside of champagne in France before.
Nyetimber Vineyards and wines
The Nyetimber vineyards are spread across separate sites in Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, covering several hundred hectares. The south facing slopes and greensand and chalk soils perfectly suit the three sparkling wine grape varieties and some 1 million bottles are produced each year.
In 2019 a state-of-the-art presshouse was built on the Sussex estate and this has enabled the team to expand the operation and manage the impressive volume.
Each vineyard parcel is treated uniquely and vinified in separate tanks and all of the sparkling wines are produced according to the rules of the ‘traditional’ or ‘Champagne’ method. Nyetimber only uses its own grapes and each grape is harvested by hand, on a parcel by parcel basis.
The most popular wine and the signature wine is the Nyetimber Classic Cuvee and in order to achieve such consistently high quality, the team puts a lot of wine aside each year to age as a ‘reserve’. The Classic Cuvée is a multi-vintage blend that contains components of vintages going back ten years and this helps keep Nyetimber sparkling wine in the top spot each year.
Visiting Nyetimber
Where is Nyetimber
Nyetimber is only open for visits and wine tastings on several open days, which you can book through the website. You can also taste and experience Nyetimber wines via the wonderful and quintessentially British, ‘Nyetimber Bus’ which visits iconic English events throughout the year.
Conclusion
Nyetimber is an iconic and very successful English brand. Its success is down to an unapologetic focus on quality and being the best at English sparkling wine. Climate change has certainly played its role of course, but so has vision, passion and dedication and these qualities have been demonstrated in spades by firstly the Mosses and then Eric Heerema, Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix.
Whichever your favourite English sparkling wine, the role Nyetimber has had in putting English wine on the world wine stage, is undeniable.
We thoroughly enjoyed our Nyetimber wine tasting and were super impressed by the quality of the wines, the hospitality and the beautiful Nyetimber estate. We would highly recommend you try to get into a Nyetimber open day, or at least try the wines, which are widely available.
