Albourne Estate

Albourne Estate is a family-owned vineyard and winery established in 2010 by husband and wife team Alison Nightingale and Nick Cooper, set in the glorious Sussex countryside overlooking the South Downs National Park, just eight miles from Brighton.

Albourne Estate: Site and Grape Varieties

The estate traces a beautiful south-facing slope created by underlying Cretaceous greensand, providing excellent drainage, reduced frost risk, and maximum sun exposure – critical factors for successful viticulture at this northerly latitude. Today, the vineyard comprises approximately 30 acres planted with over 44,000 vines including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Ortega, and Dornfelder.

Albourne rapidly established itself as an innovative and quality-led English wine producer. In 2015, they won 'UK Wine of the Year' with a Bacchus wine from only their second harvest. The estate produces an impressive range including traditional and charmat method sparkling wines, still whites and reds, and one of the first English Vermouths.

Alison, who completed a Viticulture & Enology degree at Plumpton College, continues to manage the day-to-day running of the Estate. All wines are crafted on-site in their modern winery, sensitively mixing old world and new winemaking techniques, including selective oak barrel maturation for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir base wines.

Visitors are warmly welcome at the vineyard and stunning Tasting Room, open weekends from April to October. The estate is committed to sustainability and low carbon practices while remaining a boutique producer dedicated to supporting other local businesses.