A tour and tasting at Stopham Vineyard
The story of Stopham Vineyard's 15-acre grounds began back in 2007 by founder and winemaker Simon Woodhead. The site was chosen for its southerly aspect, low altitude, and stunning location.
Simon was later joined by Tom Bartlett as an assistant winemaker in 2010 and the pair share a common passion for quality English wines and are responsible for the entire wine-making process from nurturing the vines to bottling the wine. Stopham Vineyard offer tours and tastings most Saturdays between April and October at 11 am and 2 pm. The tour begins in the vineyard with beautiful views of the South Downs as you learn about the history of the vineyard. Our tour guide and winemaker Tom provided a very thorough insight into the wine-making process and informed us that Stopham only uses grapes grown on the estate to create their wines. The tour continues into their converted Grade 11 listed Victorian Barn where Tom further explained the in-depth process of filtering and bottling the wine before allowing all guests to try their finest produce. As specialists in still white wine, the majority of the production at Stopham Vineyard is based on their Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Bacchus grape varieties. Each of these wines holds its own unique and distinct flavor, but my favorite was actually their sparkling wine created with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For me, this was the most enjoyable and held a subtle nutty flavor and oozing class. A thoroughly enjoyable and informative afternoon was had by all. What a lovely way to spend the day. We have done many vineyard tours and tastings but we felt we had come away with some new and interesting knowledge this time. Thank you!
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