Comfortably nestled in the undulations of the South Downs are a quarter of the UK’s vines. The South Downs, almost 100 miles from east to west, form the chalky backbone of Sussex, the historic county that influenced A. A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood and William Blake’s “pleasant pastures and mountains green.” Sussex is one of just seven places in the UK with ‘International Dark Sky Reserve’ status. This means it is one of the best places in the country to view a sparkling night sky, and - I would argue - one of the best places in the country to sip on a glass of equally-as-sparkling wine.
Sussex is home to Plumpton College, the only academic institution in England that offers bachelor and master’s degrees in Viticulture and Oenology.
The birth place, one may suggest, of English wine makers. Wine makers anywhere have to be both daring and passionate. But wine makers in England need to have an extra layer of tenacity, a thicker skin, an absolute fervent love of the craft. Sussex may be one of the driest and warmest areas of England, but it has lower temperatures and more rain even than Champagne.
Wine makers here are faced with an assortment of challenges that veer alarmingly from the ruthlessness of the ‘great’ British weather to free-roaming deer, scepticism of old world wine regions and the limitless expectations of the British wine drinker.
These challenges, much like a drought forces vines to grow ever deeper and therefore stronger, force Sussex wine makers to be faithful to the stubborn county slogan of “We wunt be druv” - ‘we will not be driven’ - a slogan reflecting the famously independent and headstrong nature of Sussex locals. This boldness influences the way in which the wine is made, and the proof is that ‘Sussex wine’ is the only county wine ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ (PDO) in England.
‘Sussex sparkling’, one half of the ‘Sussex wine’ PDO, must be made from hand harvested grapes, be at least 11% alcohol and use the traditional method. But the ‘Sussex wine’ PDO is not just a list of requirements and a boundary around which grapes can be grown and crushed, but it is a promise that the Sussex spirit is captured in every bottle that bears its name. Whether Sussex-born or self-adopted into the county, the determined and intrepid soul of Sussex wine makers has driven the Sussex wine revolution.
A great wine pairing is like a great friendship: some mutual interests, and some contrary, but complementary. A glass of Sussex sparkling drunk in or with a view of the majestic South Downs is one of those great friendships. The strong terroir which brings together the rebellious and culturally rich Sussex heritage with the natural ridgeline of rolling chalk hills that sit atop Champagne’s chalk seam after its journey under the English channel, and the warmer than average weather.
A bottle of Sussex sparkling gives you that perfect sense of place, the perfect terroir
of Sussex, a county that has inspired all the senses.
Pick up a bottle and twist it open.
Even before it is at your lips, the sense of occasion of opening that bottle matches the exciting feeling of coming over the top of the majestic Devil’s Dyke and seeing the view on a summer’s day.Pour it into a glass.
The vibrations of the popping bubbles mimic the bewitching spring warbling of the skylark, hovering above the heathland; the mousse at the top of the glass imitates the fluffy clouds that make up a picture perfect view from the top of Ditchling Beacon.
Take a sip.
The effervescence on your lips simulates the entrancing fluttering of the starling murmuration over the Ashdown Forest, and on your palate, the soft freshness is like a dip in the glittering sea off the coast of Brighton.
One of the joys of living in Sussex is the seemingly endless choice of different bottles of Sussex sparkling appearing as if by magic from mostly small family vineyards, fuelled by the passion of growing grapes in this very special place. 
Ask me what Sussex sparkling I would like to drink and the answer will differ by day; it will depend on the particular view of the Downs I am enjoying at that time - and it’s important to enjoy the view from different places to fully appreciate the scale and magnitude of the Downs. Whether from Albourne Estate’s plateau, overlooking sweeping views of the vines with a backdrop of the Downs; from Artelium, encased by the rolling hills of the Downs, or from Everflyt, nudging at the very edge of the Downs, a glass of Sussex sparkling enhances the view: a great pairing.
Everflyht Cuvee 3 is what I wish to sip on at this very moment. A classic champagne pairing hand picked from a single estate who are making a purposeful and laudable journey towards regenerative viticulture to help restore biodiversity and promote pollinator populations. ‘Paying it back’ to the soil, which I have no doubt will in turn pay back to the wine in dividends over the years.
The name Everflyht inspired by martlets that appear on the Sussex crest; mythical birds that symbolise knowledge, adventure and learning; footless and in constant flight. A vineyard, and county, that sees constant movement as its strength and never wishes to settle is the perfect place for the plentiful vines that live here between the rolling hills of the South Downs.
As Virginia Wolfe so aptly said, the South Downs, on their own, are “too much for one pair of eyes, enough to float a whole population in happiness”. Just imagine if she were to have a glass of Sussex sparkling in her hand when she wrote that.
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