Welcome to our first ever Wine Fair at Water Lane. Celebrating all the wonderful things going on in the wine world here in the South East has been on our wish list for a while. So, we're very happy to be welcoming you here today.
Scroll for:
- An introduction from our curator
- Timetable of events
- Details of our winemakers
Some words from our curator, Abbie Moulton,
author of 'New British Wine'
The first English wine I ever tasted caught my attention not only because of its startling quality, bright flavours and striking depth, but also because of its relevance as brilliant quality local produce. Something to join the plates of fantastic modern British cooking that was starting to shine back then.
Fast forward ten years and the quality that was just starting to bubble up has soared. English sparkling wines have erupted onto the world stage, beating the French in blind tastings, and then booming in bottle sales and vineyard area.
As popularity has grown, the style has evolved. From behind the now-established English sparkling wine comes flashes of brilliance: crisp still whites and elegant reds. Alongside these, there are also funky, experimental styles that could only belong to a winemaking region yet to establish its rules and regulations. Grapes picked and pressed, the juice left on its skins until amber in colour, aged not in barrel but in clay pots in the ground. England has it all: world-known traditional method sparklings and bonkers, new-wave creations, by boundary-pushing winemakers and growers. All unique but united in common ground: the ground itself.
So, when Ian and Nick from Water Lane approached me with the idea for this wine fair, it was a resounding yes. It's hard to imagine a more perfect setting: a celebration of nature and regeneration, from the ground up, with reverence for local produce and ingredients, a wildly brilliant restaurant in the most beautiful setting.
In keeping with Water Lane’s ethos, our winemakers have been handpicked from the surrounding area to reflect the same values: family-run and independent, with
vines tended and wines made by hand. Some award-winning and available nationwide, others preparing for their very first release, all with a story and all here today and happy to tell it.
So dig in. Taste, talk, ask questions. Join in on one or all of our events.
Raise a glass with us, to the first ever Water Lane Wine Fair.
Timetable for the day
12 noon - Doors open
12.30pm - 1.30pm - 2.30pm -Tutored Tastings
Artelium - Oxney Organic Estate - Wiston Estate
2pm - 2.45pm - In conversation with award-winning sommelier Honey Spencer talking about her new book 'Natural Wine, No Drama,' with Q&A
3.30pm - 4.30pm - Find out about the past, present and future of English wine at our panel talk, "New Wave Winemaking in England" with Ham Street Wines, Walgate Wine & Co and Artelium.
6.30pm - Supper Club
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Artelium
Artelium is a contemporary English wine estate celebrating exceptional English wine and art. The name Artelium comes from a combination of ‘Art’ and ‘- ium’, a Latin suffix used to denote places where people congregate, such as a stadium or aquarium.
Artelium is the embodiment of a long-held vision from husband-and-wife owners Mark Collins and Julie Bretland to create a space for people to come together and enjoy wine and art in the beautiful Sussex landscape.
Our range of still and sparkling vintage wines embody the innovative spirit of modern English winemaking. Each vintage is an opportunity to be innovative and develop pioneering styles of wine. We do this by giving winemakers the tools and freedom to express themselves and make unique and characterful wines.
Our wines at the Water Lane Wine Fair include:
Curators Cuvée: A Pinot Noir-led Sparkling blend from one UK’s greatest modern vintages. Five years on the Lees gives a wonderful homemade pastry note, sitting alongside green orchard fruit.
Artefact #6: Barrel Aged Saignée Rosé: A rare and unique expression of cool-climate Pinot Noir. Bright pink-grapefruit colour gives way to notes of savoury red fruits and spicy tobacco. This Artefact was released alongside the 'Wood, Earth, Hoop' by Walter Bailey installed in our Strat vineyard.
Rosé 2022: our still Rosé which captures the essence of English Summer in a glass. A blend of Pinot Noir and Meunier with a dash of Saignée for complexity and depth. Served across all public bars at the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show. -
Oxney
There’s an old saying that great wines are made in the vineyard. We couldn’t agree more – and we see organic methods as the best way to produce the quality and purity of fruit required to make our award winning wines. Our 35 acres of vines produce an increasingly celebrated range of still and sparkling wines. We believe that the future of English wine is organic. The proof is in the bottle!
2019 Classic Rosé: A cool vintage, a Great Wine. Fresh and fruity with delicate hints of wild strawberry and autolytic notes on the nose. We wanted to keep it youthful with moderate lees contact to achieve a wine with fruit character, and gentle autolytic notes; elegant and balanced with zero dosage.
2019 Blanc de Blancs: This powerful Chardonnay is a lovely lemon colour with perfectly persistent bubbles that leap out of the glass tickling your nose as you lift for the first sniff. Lemon, citrus rind, crisp apple and fresh pastry aromas twist your wrist to pour this sparkling elixir into your mouth.
Woodhouse Pinot: A note of thanks to our Sicilian winemaker, this wine is named after John Woodhouse, an English wine merchant who introduced the idea of the solera system for Sicilian marsala wines in the 16th century. This multi-vintage red wine is made up from three of our estate grapes, Pinot Noir, Pinot Précoce and Pinot Meunier. Each of the grapes has its own little signature adding flavours and structure in their own subtle way. -
Wiston
The Goring family have farmed the Wiston Estate on the South Down since 1743. The chalk landscape is a powerful constant in our lives, connecting every generation. Our winemaking aim is simple – we seek purity, ability to age, and expression of place. Our vineyards and wines have driven a reconnection with the land which our community is embracing. This ancient chalk downland landscape in the heart of West Sussex is a unique environment in which people, nature and enterprise can flourish.
Our NV English sparkling wines are a composition of many vintages blended together. This allows us to create a style consistent year on year and show a piece of Wiston history in every glass.
Brut NV combines a purity of green apple and ripe lemon flavours with a rich and complex maturity. This multi-vintage wine is a highly scented sparkling wine with fine bubbles, lots of toasty, biscuity autolysis from long lees-aging and a long finish. RRP £34
Blanc de Blancs NV is delightfully fresh with vibrant acidity and impeccable balance. Crisp green apple and delicate notes of kumquat are leading the way with flinty minerality. RRP £38
Rosé NV English sparkling wine bursts with aromatic notes of rhubarb, raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant as well as wild roses, lemon zest, and a touch of sherbet on the finish. RRP £36 -
Roebuck
Nestled in the heart of the Sussex countryside, close to the picturesque market town of Petworth, Roebuck Estates was founded by two friends who shared a passion for great wine and had a clear vision: to craft exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year that could be enjoyed all over the world. To achieve their goal, they knew they would have to grow the very best grapes from the finest vineyard sites in England. So, in 2013 they purchased their first parcel of land in West Sussex and Roebuck Estates was born.
The inspiration for our name comes from the wild deer often seen roaming in our beautiful surroundings. We have enormous respect for our land and like the roe deer itself, we aim to leave the lightest footprint on our wonderful environment.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a full-time vineyard team made up of talented individuals who have worked all over the world. Using their wealth of knowledge and
experience, they work tirelessly to produce the very best fruit for our English sparkling wines in each and every growing season.
Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2017: Only the very best fruit grown at our Sussex vineyards is carefully selected for our Classic Cuvée. Crafted from a harmonious blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this wine displays wonderful notes of baked apples and stone fruits layered with a biscuity richness. RRP £38
Roebuck Estates Rosé de Noirs 2017: Crafted from handpicked Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown at our beautiful Sussex vineyards, our 2017 Rosé de Noirs is vibrant and expressive with delightful notes of ripe strawberries, pink grapefruit and white peach, lifted by a hint of dried rose petals. - RRP £42
Roebuck Estates Blanc de Noirs 2018: Only made in exceptional years, our 2018 Blanc de Noirs is complex and refined with delicate bubbles, a silky texture, and a long, exquisite finish. Delightful notes of citrus fruits and baked apples are layered with generous notes of toasted brioche, honey and sweet spice. RRP £50 -
Mountfield
Mountfield Winery is a small vineyard of 10 acres with our own boutique winery on site. We make about 10,000 bottles each year and also contract wine make for other vineyards.
We long age our wines on the lees and blend reserve wine with each harvest to create depth and complexity. All our wines are sparkling and we make a Classic Cuvee, a Rose and a Blanc de blancs each year.
Classic Cuvée 2017: A blend of 25% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 50% Chardonnay with 5% reserve wine. This is a rich sparkling wine with great length and a delicate mousse. RRP £36
Rosé Reserve 2019: A blend of 49% Pinot Noir and 51% Pinot Meunier. This is a wine with lovely fruit but is also dry and pairs beautifully with fish and shellfish. RRP £37
Blanc be Blancs 2016: This is 100% Chardonnay of which 3% is from our reserve library. This wine has notes of brioche in it and has aged wonderfully well and has a lovely deep colour reflecting the age and reserve wine. RRP £38 -
Ham Street
Ham Street Wines is the project of wife & husband team Lucie & Jules, who planted four hectares of vines on the edge of the Romney Marsh. As a way of re-connecting with nature whilst still working full-time jobs, Lucie & Jules were quickly bitten by the regenerative agriculture bug, understanding that improving soil health and promoting biodiversity was the key to healthy fruit, and happy wines. They farm their site biodynamically - in harmony with nature - making wine now in their off-grid winery, with all of their wines using spontaneous ferments, with no sulphur added or filtration or fining.
Field Blend 22: This wine is a vibrant ruby colour; elegant and delicate, with lots of bright red fruit - cranberry, raspberries, a hint of creaminess and a smoky note from the barrels, all with a long juicy finish. A very fun, joyful wine that works well on a hot sunny day or equally, a colder autumnal evening! RRP £29
Bacchus Skin Contact 22: This wine is a lovely example of a gentle skin contact wine with a subtle deeper tone in the glass. We get elderflower cordial, rich yellow fruits, lemon peel, stewed pear, jammy rhubarb, beeswax, spice and smoky notes. RRP £34
Chardonnay-Bacchus 22: A beautiful pale golden colour with a slight cloudiness in the glass. It brings a range of classic Chardonnay flavours complemented by the Bacchus and the bâtonnage. We get green apple, lemon, elderflower honeydew melon, aniseed and marzipan with a lovely creaminess on the palate. RRP £36 -
Walgate
At Walgate wines we are committed to producing the finest wines in England. A slow and respectful winemaking process which marries both ancient and modern practices. Wines of place and integrity. From thoughtful and respectful farming, grapes are sourced from a selection of the very best growers in the southeast of England.
A focused, quality orientated selection of red, white and rosé wines in addition to a small and considered amount of traditional method sparkling. With a gentle hand on the tiller, slowly and patiently the wines evolve and settle until they reach the optimum condition for bottling and beyond that, will sit in the cellar until they are ready to be released.
Walgate Chardonnay 2022: Immaculate whole bunches pressed directly to a mixture of to both stainless steel and various Oak formats. Taut yet fleshy round the edges, with citrus notes, salinity and nutty length. Thrilling stuff. RRP £38.00
Walgate Pinot Noir 2022: Layers of whole bunches, whole berries and crushed ones are left to infuse and macerate in concrete for three weeks being pressed and aged in concrete and a small number of oak barrels. Intense colour, with notes of dark cherry and spice. Plump with very soft tannins. RRP £38.00
Walgate Blancs de Noirs 2019: 50:50 Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, one barrel of each, left to age for 10 months before bottling. Long lees ageing with a good amount of time on the cork result in a richly textured, nutty, savoury fizz that speaks of maturity and elegance. RRP £75.00 -
Oast Wood
Oast Wood is small, family run vineyard based in Tenterden, Kent. Inspired by the history of the land as a hop farm and encouraged by the energy and quality of English viticulture, we planted our first vineyard in 2021. As producers, our focus is on nurturing the soil and the land, caring for the vine in a way that encourages grapes to develop those sugars and characteristic flavours that beautifully exhibits the excellence, potential and complexity of English still wine.
We have been farming on this land for over 20 years and have been driven to create a space that celebrates ecological diversity and builds sustainable, healthy ecosystems. Currently we have just over 6 acres under vine, and our first vineyard sits beside an ancient bluebell wood with natural streams, and amongst wildflower meadows, marshland and grazing pastures for our flocks of sheep. We are proud to be producing wine that expresses the beauty and essence of the farm and look forward to introducing you to our little corner of the world.
Oast Wood Bacchus 2023: Our 100% estate grown Bacchus has a crunchy stone fruit and fresh basil nose. A medium weight white wine with a refreshing acidity and a citrus finish, this Bacchus is our absolute favourite to accompany dinner. RRP £20.00
Oast Wood Rosé 2023: Made from a blend of estate grown Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. This wine has a light perfumed nose of ripe strawberries, with melon and a hint of stone fruit on the palate and a crisp, long finish. RRP: £21.00 -
Uncharted presenting Westwell Wines
A wine merchant looking for future classics and specialists in wine-on-tap. At the fair they’re here to showcase the wines of Westwell.
Westwell: Former record label founder Adrian Pike has added real swagger to the English wine scene since taking over at Westwell in 2017. Set just off the Pilgrims Way on Kent's North Downs, this 14-hectare, south-facing vineyard of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Munier and Ortega has charted an exciting new course, paring back pesticide usage, experimenting with wild or "indigenous" yeasts and experimental elevage techniques across an innovative range. With a strong identity courtesy of labels bearing beautiful etchings inspired by the winemaking process.
Westwell Pelegrim Brut NV: Pelegrim NV is a traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wine that is made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay with reserve wines from previous vintages to give further complexity and a consistent extra dry non-vintage style. The wines are lees-aged in bottle for 36 months to give depth and biscuity aromas. RRP £33.00
Westwell Ortega Classic 2023: Our Ortega is a delicate, precisely made wine, which has been produced using a combination of natural and selected yeasts. This year’s vintage showcases everything we love about Ortega as a variety - a nose of tropical fruit and on the palate a herbal, saline finish. RRP £19.50
Westwell Pinot Munier 2022: Rarely seen as a still wine, Pinot Munier exudes violets, white cherries and red apples. Taking a full 12 months to undergo fermentation and malolactic fermentation, this is the longest we’ve seen and the long slow process results in a superb wine with its own unique signature and ethereal texture. RRP £26.00 -
Tidebrook by Mousehall
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Tidebrook is located in East Sussex between the medieval villages of Mayfield and Wadhurst. The brook for which Tidebrook is named, rises in the valley and flows through Mousehall Country Estate, forming one of the sources of the River Rother, meeting the sea at Rye. In bygone years, the iron industry and later the hop industry were significant in this area, the latter giving rise to the distinctive Oast found on Mousehall.
Tidebrook The Tipping Point Pinot Noir: A tipping point is the moment when a number of small changes, occurring over a period of time, reaches a level where one further small change has a sudden and great effect on a system. Due to this, we are now able to produce Pinot Noir in England. The grapes were hand-harvested then partially destemmed and fermented in an open-top tank, with punch-downs daily to extract colour and flavour. Aged in 228-litre French oak barrels for 12 months. Lightly filtered, therefore a sediment may develop in the bottle. RRP £35
Tidebrook Staddle Stone Chardonnay PDO Sussex: Staddle stone is derived from Old English ‘stathol’, meaning foundation or support. A series of mushroom-shaped medieval staddle stones demarcate the boundary of our chardonnay vineyard at Mousehall. Whole grape clusters were gently pressed, and the juice naturally settled, before fermentation and aging in 228-litre French oak barrels for 12 months. A small proportion of tank-fermented wine was blended in to enhance the fresh, citrus flavours. RRP £35
Tidebrook Six Petals Rosé PDO Sussex: The Medieval buildings at Mousehall contain many six-petal apotropaic marks known as hexafoils or ‘daisy wheels’, perceived as a good luck symbol to protect against evil. Our dry rosé has aromas of hedgerow fruit with an underlying freshness. Longer lees contact in tank is expressed as a brioche aroma with a creamy texture. RRP £25 -
Tillingham
In 2018, the process of reviving the 70 acre Dew Farm was started with the planting of 25 acres of vineyard. The remainder of the land intertwined with fields for grazing, fallow land, vegetable gardens and protective woodland. The natural diversity of the farmland encourages a healthy polyculture, which in turn compliments our organic & biodynamic approach in the vineyard. Our goal is to grow the highest quality fruit, whilst respecting and restoring the health of the soils. To make wines with a sense of place, with the lightest touch at every stage.
Endgrain: Elderflower, lime and fresh gooseberry fruit aromatics on the nose, reflected on the palate with a mouth watering linear acidity. Crisp & dry. 45% Bacchus, 26% Auxerrois, 12% Ortega, 12% Siegerebbe, 5% Schönburger.
All varieties were whole bunch pressed, before fermenting separately in stainless steel.
Rosé: A bright and refreshing rosé. English hedgerow flowers and summer fruit fromage frais. A long and elegant finish, this wine is calling out for those sunnier days. 97% Pinot Noir from our Saw Pit and Phipps vineyards. 40% press juice to enhance the aromatics and 60% cuvée for freshness. 3% Bacchus, whole bunch pressed. All were spontaneous fermentations in stainless steel.
R: Vivid juicy berry fruit aromatics and a herbaceous edge, typical of a whole bunch fermentation. Light peppery tannins that encourage another sip, this red wine lends itself well to being served with a slight chill. 71% Regent, 16% Gamay/Pineau d’Aunis, 13% Dornfelder. -
Kinsbrook
Kinsbrook is a modern, progressive vineyard in Thakeham, West Sussex. Founded and run by Joe Beckett and Rebecca Dancer, who are among the UK’s youngest vineyard owners, Kinsbrook is focused on creating a sustainable, inclusive lifestyle culture with wine and hospitality at the forefront. Their newly opened Sussex barn, Kinsbrook Farmhouse, houses a laid-back restaurant and grocery which is open 7 days a week. Kinsbrook also runs daily tours and tastings as well as Supper Clubs, kitchen takeovers and workshops.
KIN 22: Kinsbrook’s limited-edition white blend returns each year in a slightly different form. This still white is a well-balanced blend of Reichensteiner, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Chardonnay and a little Pinot Noir Précoce. Pale gold in colour, this aims to take the best qualities from each grape to create something beautiful. RRP £23
chough au vin: Kinsbrook’s first ever red wine, chough au vin, marked the introduction of ‘kith’; a range of wines designed to be playful and experimental. Made in a Beaujolais nouveau style from rondo grapes, chough au vin is a fun, juicy wine with tonnes of character. Tasting notes include dark cherry and blackcurrant. RRP £25
Sparkling White: The name of Kinsbrook’s flagship traditional-method sparkling was born from their choice to use only English terminology for their wines. Bottle-fermented and blending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this ‘dry’ sparkling wine has 6 g/l residual sugar and tasting notes of crisp apple and freshly baked bread. RRP £38 -
Heartenoak
Heartenoak is a family run vineyard in the beautiful High Weald of Kent, only half a mile from Water Lane. We grow a variety of grapes to suit the local geology and climate, including Pinot Blanc, Bacchus, Cabernet Noir, Seyval Blanc and Reichensteiner. A large area of our planting has been allocated to varieties requiring less intervention, including the novel Cabernet Noir, used to make a fruity red wine. We use sustainable practices, look to minimise chemical interventions and our vineyard and hedgerows team with wildlife.
We work alongside Divergent Drinks and Fitz who we’re sharing our table with today.
Bacchus 2022: An aromatic summery white wine with distinctive elderflower, melon and gooseberry notes. RRP £15
Cabernet Noir 2022: A gorgeously plummy red with mellow rounded flavours from the harvest of the hot summer of 2022. Limited stock remains at RRP £20 -
Fitz
Part of Divergent Drinks, Fitz was born out of a desire to do things differently. To break the mould of convention and tradition – to disrupt. By pioneering the charmat method in the UK to elaborate our fizz, we have created two wines of exceptional quality, grown and crafted to deliver a style that’s fresh, vibrant and fruit-forward.
Sustainability is at the core of what we do – from growing disease-resistant grapes for our blend, to using 100% renewable energy in our winery. Fitz – Rulers breed rebels
Fitz Brut: On the nose, the wine has delicate floral notes, with elderflower and honeysuckle. The palate is well balanced and dry, with flavours of green apple, stone fruit and citrus. Our classic, signature style. RRP £20
Fitz Pink: Luscious strawberry aroma with floral notes. On the palate the wine is dry and full of wild strawberry, redcurrant and rhubarb flavours, with a fine & persistent mousse. RRP £21
(pssst… get 15% off a case when you order from our website using the code WaterLane until the end of June – head to www.fitz.wine)