When we first imagined this journey, we pictured a small vineyard. At Arun Valley, however, we gained a winery too.
Admittedly, when we bought the estate, the “winery” was little more than a metal shed with a handful of tanks. In our first year, we partnered with winemaker James Snowden and began transforming it - upgrading the space, installing new equipment and racing to be press-ready before harvest. The 2025 vintage, one of the earliest on record, gave us little time to spare.
Today, the winery (no quote marks required these days) is fully equipped with a basket press, sorter, de-stemmer, forklift, stainless steel tanks and barrels.
Given the timing, contract winemakers Itasca crafted part of our 2025 vintage: helping us make our still Rosé, Chardonnay, sparkling Blanc de Noirs and sparkling Rosé.
In-house, we’ve produced a still Rosé (to be blended with the Itasca Rosé), a still Pinot Blanc and a barrel-aged still red Pinot Noir. Alongside this, we’ve embarked on an ambitious long-term project: a 500L Cavin Enée French oak barrel of Pinot Meunier that will form the base of a single-barrel classic cuvée, bringing a fine, elegant fizz to complement our Blanc de Noirs after secondary fermentation.
With the infrastructure now in place, what began modestly now carries serious ambition - to make everything on site. Transforming that metal shed into a working winery was a leap worth taking, and one we’re proud to have made.
Fine wines made in West Sussex, UK
