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Gusbourne Wine Tasting Tour

I can't express how much I enjoyed my first ever proper wine tasting and vineyard tour. The English winery of choice was Gusbourne in Ashford, Kent. Which happens to be the warmest vineyard in the UK. 

My husband and I learned so much about wine during our wine tasting tour. Such as the fact there are over 700 vineyards in the UK. With only about 160 of them active. We also learned about the American rootstock required to successfully grow grapes in most parts of the wine growing world.

The wine tasting tour we enjoyed at Gusbourne is the discovery tour. Which can be booked online and lasts for four hours. The discovery tour includes some exceptional wines that don't feature in their standard hosted tour. 

The discovery tour also includes a delicious sharing platter. With quality ingredients. It was an interesting afternoon from start to finish. Not least because of all the quality wines we got to taste!

I now have a new appreciation for the detalied procedure involved in making a quality bottle of wine.

Gusbourne at Appledore in Kent is a stunning location. With rows of Chardonnay. Pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes. All set to a backdrop of more rolling hills and fields. 

Roses are planted at the front of each vine section. As a nod to champagne, France. Where sparkling wine began and as a pretty way of labelling each of the growing grape varieties. With a white rose Bush planted in front of the white wine producing grapes. Red in front of pinot noir and delicate peach roses for the rosé producing grapes. 

Gusbourne at Appledore is 51 degrees north of the equator and everything faces south for maximum sunshine. With their unique position. The vines at Gusbourne are able to grow a little taller than most other vines. 

During our informative wine tasting tour. We stopped off at the alfresco seating tents to sample their delicious still rosé. Which is the only still wine currently being produced at Gusbourne. 

At our lunch sitting. We enjoyed three sparkling wines. A brut. Blanc de noir and blanc de blanc chardonnay. My favourite was the blanc de noir.

Self guided tours also take place at Gusbourne and don't need to be booked in. Visit gusbourne.com for further details.