Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert visited Nutbourne Vineyards in West Chiltington on Friday (29 May) to congratulate the Gladwin family on their gold medal award for wine.

Mr Herbert was delighted when Nutbourne won a gold medal this month in the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) for their Sussex Reserve 2013, the first gold medal awarded to an English still white wine.

The South Downs vineyard is owned and run by Peter and Bridget Gladwin and they showed Mr Herbert the estate that has 26 acres under vine. They grow a variety of grapes for a range of wines that are processed and bottled in a state of the art winery on the site.

Nutbourne Vineyards benefits from a terroir with south facing slopes in a belt of greensand soil that provides the right conditions to grow healthy crops of grapes. Each tonne of grapes can produce 800 bottles of wine.

It is very much a family business with Peter’s and Bridget’s sons all supporting the vineyard. Richard and Oliver Gladwin run two restaurants that specialise in natural Sussex produce and serve the range of Nutbourne wines. Gregory Gladwin rears pure bred cattle, sheep and pigs in addition to the vineyard upkeep and maintenance.

Nick Herbert said: “I was delighted to visit Nutbourne Vineyards, to meet Peter, Bridget and Gregory, and to see their vineyard in this stunning part of West Sussex.

“The South Downs is going from strength to strength as a wine growing area and it was great to see English wine performing so well in the latest awards.”

ENDS

Notes

1. Photograph 1 attached – Gregory, Bridget and Peter Gladwin with Nick Herbert and the gold medal winning white wine, Sussex Reserve 2013

2. For more information about Nutbourne Vineyards see www.nutbournevineyards.com.

3. For more information about the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) see www.iwsc.net/news1/1912.

MP visits award winning Nutbourne Vineyards