Gusbourne sparkling wine tasting
A tasting of four of Gusbourne’s vintage sparkling wines at the estate on the edge of Romney Marsh.
Starts Gusbourne Estate, Appledore, near Ashford, Kent
Kent Wine Tours / Vineyards / Gusbourne
Vineyard guide · Appledore
Visiting Gusbourne
Gusbourne, at Appledore by Romney Marsh, makes vintage sparkling and still wines only from its own grapes. Its cellar door, The Nest, opens daily for booked tours and tastings, and you can walk the vines without booking.
Gusbourne at a glance
| Founded | Planted 2004 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Vintage sparkling wine, notably Blanc de Blancs, Brut Reserve and Fifty One Degrees North |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier |
| Open | Daily, 10am to 5pm, including bank holidays |
| Booking | Book all tours and tastings, the self-guided walk and shop need no booking |
| Tours from | £30 tasting flight, guided tours from £50 |
| Food | No restaurant, lunches with booked experiences, walk-in platters most Fridays to Sundays |
| Dogs | On leads outdoors and on The Nest’s ground floor, not on upstairs experiences |
| Children | Welcome on the self-guided walk and summer terrace, not on hosted experiences |
| By train | Ashford International (15 minutes by car) or Rye (10 minutes), not Appledore |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
About Gusbourne
Gusbourne takes its name from John de Goosebourne, who founded the original estate at Appledore in 1410; the geese on his family crest, still seen in Appledore church, are the source of the goose mark on every bottle. Andrew Weeber, who has roots in Stellenbosch in South Africa, bought the estate in 2003 and planted the first vines in 2004. The first harvest came in 2006, and the debut Brut Reserve 2006 and Blanc de Blancs 2006 were released in 2010.
The estate covers 60 hectares of vineyards in Appledore, on the edge of Romney Marsh, planted mainly with Burgundian clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Gusbourne grows all of its own fruit, picks by hand and makes only vintage wines, and does not release a vintage that falls short. Jon Pollard is chief vineyard manager and Mary Bridges has been head winemaker since 2023. The winery at Appledore was completed in 2016 and The Nest cellar door opened in 2017.
Gusbourne says it is the only three-time winner of the IWSC English Wine Producer of the Year. Its Pinot Noir 2015 was the first English still wine to win a Decanter Platinum award, it made the Royal Collection’s English sparkling wine for the 2023 coronation, and in 2024 it received the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. In 2025 it was named in the Top 50 World’s Best Vineyards. 2026 marks its 20th vintage.
The wines
Every Gusbourne wine is a vintage wine made from its own grapes. The core sparkling range is Brut Reserve, the best-seller; Blanc de Blancs, which Gusbourne calls its signature wine; Rosé; and Blanc de Noirs. Above these sit single-vineyard bottlings from named Appledore sites such as Boot Hill, Butness, Commanders and Mill Hill East, late-disgorged releases, and Fifty One Degrees North, the prestige wine named after the latitude of the vineyards. Gusbourne also makes still Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and an English Rosé in small quantities, and these often sell out. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Gusbourne
The Nest is open every day from 10am to 5pm, including bank holidays. Without booking you can follow the 45-minute self-guided route through the vines and buy wine from the shop. On most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there is wine by the glass or bottle and a small menu of snacks and platters for walk-in visitors, on the terrace from May to September and inside in autumn and winter; call ahead to check. You cannot bring your own picnic. The tasting room has ramp access and accessible toilets, and golf buggies can be arranged in advance. Harvest is usually in October, when the Estate Tour runs as a harvest version, and it is a good time to go.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling Tasting Flight A relaxed self-guided tasting of the four classic Gusbourne sparkling wines at The Nest. | £30 per person | About 1 hour | Year round |
| Classic Vineyard Tour and Tasting A guided walk in the vines, then a tutored tasting of the four classic sparkling wines in the tasting rooms overlooking the estate. | £50 per person | 1.5 hours | Year round |
| Limited Edition Wines Tasting Flight A short vineyard tour, then a hosted tasting of four rare and limited wines, including Fifty One Degrees North, with snacks. | £75 per person | About 1.5 hours | Year round |
| Vineyard Platter for Two with Wine A sharing platter of local seasonal produce served with a bottle of Brut Reserve. | £90 for two (£80 for members) | 1 to 2 hours | Year round, in the garden in summer and indoors in cooler months |
| Estate Tour with Lunch Gusbourne’s most popular experience: a tour of the estate, an extended tasting and a three-course lunch with wine. | £120 per person (£100 for members) | About 4 hours, finishing around 3.30pm | Year round, with harvest and festive versions |
| Icons Experience with Lunch A tour and masterclass covering the rarest wines in the cellar, followed by a four-course lunch. | £175 per person (£155 for members) | About 4 hours, finishing around 3.30pm | Year round |
Book these on the Gusbourne website.
Tours that include Gusbourne
If you would rather not drive, these tours take you there, with tastings included.
London sparkling wine and cheese bus tour
A sightseeing bus tour of London with a tasting of Gusbourne sparkling wine and British cheese on board.
Starts Central London
Where to stay
The Woolpack Inn
A 16th-century inn on Church Lane, Warehorne, with five adults-only suites and breakfast included.
The White Lion
A Grade II listed pub on Tenterden High Street with oak beams and 14 bedrooms above the bar.
The Mermaid Inn
The Mermaid Inn was rebuilt in 1420, with cellars dating to 1156, and has 31 rooms and a 2 AA Rosette restaurant on cobbled Mermaid Street.
Prices are often the same either way, so compare the booking site with booking direct.
Buy Gusbourne wines
4 bottles in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
Sparkling
Gusbourne Blanc de Noirs 2020
Mostly Pinot Noir and Meunier with a little Chardonnay, rich, with raspberry and red apple.
£65at The Great Wine Co.BuySparkling
Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2020
All Chardonnay, with green apple, citrus and toasted hazelnut, and made for keeping.
£65at The Great Wine Co.BuySparkling
Gusbourne Brut Reserve Late Disgorged 2015
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with over five years on lees, giving brioche over lemon and white peach.
£108at The Great Wine Co.BuySparkling rosé
Gusbourne Rosé
Chardonnay-led pink fizz with estate Pinot Noir and Meunier, showing red fruit and a little spice.
£53.50at WinebuyersBuy
Getting there
Gusbourne is about 15 minutes’ drive from Ashford and 10 minutes from Rye, with free parking a short walk from the tasting room but no coach parking. Trains from London St Pancras and Stratford International reach Ashford International every 15 minutes or so, and it is a short taxi ride from there. You can also take the Hastings line three stops from Ashford to Rye and take a taxi. Avoid Appledore station even though it looks closest: it has no taxis or regular buses, and the walk is long and not safe. Book taxis both ways in advance, as there is no shuttle.
Make a day of it
Chapel Down at Small Hythe near Tenterden is a short drive west, so the two can be combined in a day with a car. Rye, 10 minutes away, is the obvious place for lunch or an overnight stay, and Tenterden has a high street and the Kent and East Sussex steam railway. Romney Marsh, with its medieval churches, starts just south of the estate.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Kent directory. Our other Kent vineyard guides: Chapel Down, Balfour, Westwell, Warehorne, Silverhand.
Questions people ask
Do you need to book at Gusbourne?
Yes for any tour, tasting or meal, which must be pre-booked. You can turn up without booking for the 45-minute self-guided walk and the shop, and for walk-in wine and platters on most Fridays to Sundays.
Can you take dogs to Gusbourne?
Yes. Dogs on leads are welcome outdoors and on the ground floor of The Nest, where the Sparkling Tasting Flights and winter Vineyard Platters are served, but not on the Estate Tour, Icons Experience or other upstairs events.
Can children visit Gusbourne?
Children are welcome on the self-guided walk, at summer terrace experiences and at the summer outdoor bar, and soft drinks are available. The hosted tours and tastings are not suitable for children of any age.
How do you get to Gusbourne by train?
Take the train to Ashford International and a pre-booked taxi from there, or change at Ashford for Rye and take a taxi. Appledore station has no taxis or buses, so is not a practical option.
Is there a restaurant at Gusbourne?
No. Lunches are served as part of booked experiences such as the Estate Tour with Lunch, and walk-in snacks and platters are served on most Fridays to Sundays.
How long does a visit to Gusbourne take?
The Sparkling Tasting Flight takes about an hour, the Classic Vineyard Tour and Tasting 90 minutes, and the lunch experiences about four hours. The estate closes at 5pm.