Arundel has a lot to offer the English sparkling wine enthusiast – a high street tasting room, easy access to out of town vineyards, an exciting independent food scene and a formidable castle (not wine related but who doesn’t like an impressive castle?!)
We travelled by train, walked to our city centre hotel, The Norfolk Arms, then got a taxi to Tinwood Estate 15 minutes away where a pre-booked sparkling afternoon tea awaited. We started in the vines learning about Tinwood’s interesting back story (not going to give any spoilers!) then we headed into the tasting room for a tutored run through of three of their sparkling wines (Blancs de Blancs, Brut and Rose). There were tips on how to pair items from the delicious afternoon tea with the wines, but luckily it wasn’t frowned upon if you enthusiastically devoured the spread without the introductions!
Tinwood offers accommodation in beautiful wooden lodges overlooking the vines which look delightful but we had plans for another tasting back in Arundel.
Conveniently located across the road from our hotel was Digby Fine English where we enjoyed a tutored wine flight in a sophisticated wine bar-esque setting. Already being a fan of the Leander Pink (the pink being a very deliberate decision to describe the colour in the way we refer to white or red), the rest of the range more than lived up to expectations and we were torn between the 2013 Vintage Reserve Brut (Wine GB’s 2023 supreme champion no less!) and the 2013 Blanc de Blanc as our favourite.
Arundel offered an abundance of food and drink options, and on Saturday morning there was a charming farmers market giving us the unexpected opportunity to try Smock Alley classic cuvee which is produced by a cooperative at Southlands Valley vineyard.
It would also be easy to visit Ashling Park Estate whilst in the area, another fabulous destination vineyard with restaurant and accommodation.
Sadly ours was just a flying visit and we were heading back to the station before we knew it but what a fabulous fizz-filled 24 hours!
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