Sussex

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The majority of Sussex vineyards are planted either on the chalk of the South Downs or on the mineral rich greensands to the north, giving the region a significant calcareous influence.
• The South Downs chalk is a cretaceous formation resulting from marine deposits laid down over 100 million years ago and later uplifted at the same time as the Alps.
• Sussex is recognised as one of the driest and warmest areas in England with a semi-continental climate and average annual rainfall of 600-850mm.
• Areas of Sussex still hold records for the longest sunshine hours in the UK, with Growing Degree Days of around 970-1050 during the growing season from April to October.
• The greensand soils to the north of the South Downs also provide free draining soils considered ideal for viticulture.

• Winemakers and vineyard managers in Sussex have often trained at Plumpton College, a wine education centre offering degree and masters programmes validated by the Royal Agricultural University.
• Sparkling wine grapes are picked by hand and pressed as whole bunches, and producers have adopted longer bottle ageing on lees along with higher natural alcohol levels in the grapes used.

• Still white wines commonly show notes of lemon, lime and elderflower alongside apple, pear and gooseberry, while rosés offer white flowers, rose petals, melon and strawberry and reds are lighter styled with red and black fruits, leather, plums and wild berry.
• Traditional-method sparkling wines show crisp lemon citrus and green apple acidity from the Chardonnay component, earthier red berry and baked apple notes from the Pinot varieties, and longer on-lees ageing produces autolytic notes of brioche, fresh toast, melon and honey.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in United Kingdom

Sources

• Official trade body site — WineGB