Newick Wine Estate
Artisinal wines crafted in the Sussex countryside
Newick’s Vineyard
At Newick Wine Estate, we craft small batch wines that celebrate the character, beauty, and heritage of the Sussex countryside. From our south facing vineyard to your glass, every bottle reflects our relentless pursuit of quality and our commitment to sustainable winemaking and regenerative vine-growing.
Our vineyard was born from a simple conviction: that our sheltered, south facing slopes in the heart of Sussex could produce wines every bit as expressive and elegant as those from the world’s great cool climate regions. What began as an experiment in soil, sunlight, and patience has grown into a thriving wine estate, now home to 37,000 vines, with our first wines launching in summer 2026.
We work year round to help our vines produce the best possible fruit, confident that only exceptional grapes can make exceptional wine. Each season, we carefully assess and nurture our vines, tailoring our approach to the character of the vintage. Some years favour still wines; others lend themselves to sparkling wines.
Our ambition is simple: that every bottle of Newick Wine Estate wine is a delicious and authentic expression of our unique vineyard, the season in which it was grown, and the care with which it was made.
Ketches Farm
We came to Ketches Farm in 2007, drawn by the quiet elegance of the Sussex countryside and the sense of history embedded in the land. Over the years, while raising our family and stewarding the farm, the fields continued their long agricultural role, gently grazed by sheep and shaped by centuries of careful use. From early on, we sensed the land might be capable of something exceptional.
In 2021, we commissioned an independent study to assess the vineyard potential of Ketches Farm. Completed in the summer of that year, the findings confirmed what intuition suggested: the combination of soil composition, elevation, aspect and microclimate—the essential elements of terroir—make this a remarkable site for viticulture. The land has the rare natural balance required to grow high-quality vines and to produce wines of real distinction and longevity.
The setting is steeped in heritage. Newick is an ancient village, established before the Domesday Book and lying on the historic A272, midway between Winchester and Canterbury. For centuries, the village has been associated with quality and craftsmanship. Once renowned for its fine ladies’ gloves, Newick later flourished as a centre for premium soft-fruit production. Its fertile soils and mild climate supported extensive market gardens producing blackcurrants, strawberries and the celebrated “Newick Leveller” dessert gooseberries.
Ketches Farm was at the heart of this fruit‑growing legacy, its land contributing to the village’s reputation for excellence. Today, we are proud to reawaken that tradition—translating it for a new era through the cultivation of vines. Our vineyard represents a natural evolution of the land’s history: a marriage of provenance, patience and purpose, dedicated to crafting elegant English wines that reflect both place and pedigree.
About the Vines
Just over 37,000 vines have now been established at Ketches Farm, thoughtfully planted to reflect both classical tradition and long‑term versatility. The vineyard is composed of approximately 44% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, and 13% each of Pinot Meunier and Bacchus—a refined balance that anchors our focus firmly in premium English wine production.
While the varietal mix is classic for high‑quality sparkling wine, our clone selection has been made with broader ambition. It offers us the ability to craft not only refined sparkling cuvées but also elegant, site‑driven still wines that fully express the character of the land.
The vineyard’s first harvest took place in 2025, marking an important milestone. Our inaugural still wines will be released in early summer 2026. Looking ahead, we anticipate the release of our first sparkling wine—a limited‑edition Blanc de Blancs—in 2028, a wine that we believe will set the benchmark for the estate.
Terroir
The vineyard occupies approximately 20 acres of our 55‑acre estate, carefully positioned to take full advantage of the upper, south‑facing slopes. This elevated setting captures both light and warmth, creating ideal conditions for slow, even ripening. The highest point of the vineyard reaches 48 metres above sea level, benefiting from natural shelter provided by surrounding woodland and Cornwall’s Bank to the south, which together offer protection from prevailing winds and help maintain a favourable microclimate.
Our vineyard sits on soils derived from the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation; free-draining, low in clay, and quick to respond to sunlight. These soils warm rapidly in spring due to their low water content, encouraging early vine activity and consistent ripening. In the glass, they tend to produce wines with a softer, more open fruit profile than the tightly structured, high-acid expression typical of chalk-based sites.
Terroir is not only shaped by soil and climate, but by the human hand, guided here by a considered, regenerative approach to viticulture. The soil biodiversity was enriched by several tonnes of horse manure at planting and then maintained with biomass created within the vineyard specifically to feed this powerful community. Meanwhile, above ground and during the growing season as few physical and chemical interventions as possible are made to disturb nature and create a self-sustaining system within the vineyard. All of this allows for the vines to translate the character of the vintage to the glass.
Our Wines
Bacchus 2025
