The Rother Wine Triangle

East Sussex
Weekend
Best April – October
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A new East Sussex wine region an hour from London by train: six estates between Robertsbridge and the sea, each delivering a different style of visit.

Six estates in the far east of Sussex declared themselves a wine region in June 2026, and the case for it is in the ground and the sky. This corner of the UK gets more sunshine than any other. The vineyards sit low, on south-facing slopes of clay, silt and sandstone that hold the warmth, in a microclimate growers say steers the rain clouds around them. Sedlescombe has grown vines here since 1979; the other five came a generation later, and no two are alike. Organic and biodynamic farming, wine fermented in Georgian clay qvevri, a shepherd's hut amongst the Pinot Noir grapes. Some vines grow a metre above the sea at Winchelsea, others a walk from the moat at Bodiam Castle. All are built for visitors, on the UK's first wine trail with transport of its own: a Sunday minibus from the station.

Curated by Vine Culture

6Wineries

2Days

April to October is the season for the whole trip: vineyard tours at Oastbrook and Oxney, bell tents to sleep in, and the Sunday minibus. Mountfield opens for drop-in tastings only on Fridays and Saturdays in high summer, so a weekend between June and early September is the one that takes in all six. It can be done in winter, on a smaller scale: Oxney moves its tastings indoors, Sedlescombe runs tours on Fridays and Saturdays, and Oastbrook offers a winery tour on Saturdays. Early in the week most are shut. Book tours, tastings and taxis ahead in any season.

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The itinerary

Mountfield

East Sussex

Curator’s comment: A small estate given over to one thing: sparkling wine from 5,000 vines, blended across vintages and aged long on its lees, with the aim of building a library of mature wines. The tasting is in the restored stables beside the house, looking out over the parkland.

Recommended travel:Taxi or drive11 min

Sedlescombe Organic

East Sussex

Curator’s comment: The oldest vineyard on the trail. A former German teacher planted here in 1979, bringing his first cuttings in a Morris Minor, and it has been farmed organically since, biodynamically from 2010. The rows can be walked unguided, free, before a glass in the café.

Recommended travel:Taxi or drive5 min

Oastbrook

East Sussex

Curator’s comment: Oastbrook took WineGB's South East regional trophy in 2026, and its 2018 sparkling rosé was named best rosé. The visit is a personal one: the owner leads the tour herself, two and a half hours through the vines, ending in four wines and a cheese platter.

Recommended travel:Taxi or drive20 min

Oxney

East Sussex

Curator’s comment: Organic from the soil up, certified by the Soil Association, fed with compost and manure from the farm's own cattle, and heated with wood from its own coppice. A shepherd's hut in a paddock beside the Pinot Noir makes it the place to sleep between the two days.

Recommended travel:Taxi or drive11 min

Tillingham

East Sussex

Curator’s comment: Built as a destination: a restaurant, a pizza barn, a bar, eleven rooms and two bell tents on a 70-acre farm, with the converted Dutch barn given over to weddings and large gatherings. The wine is natural, from 21 grape varieties, some fermented in Georgian qvevri.

Recommended travel:Taxi or drive21 min

Charles Palmer

East Sussex

Curator’s comment: The route ends a mile from the sea, where the lowest vines grow a metre above sea level. Until 2006 this was a farm of sheep, cattle and pigs, and the family still keeps a flock of 70 ewes. The 1066 Country Walk runs through the farm to Winchelsea, 20 minutes away on foot.

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Sun25Oct