Chapel Down Vineyard & Winery

Prior to our trip, we were looking for wineries to visit and found Chapel Down. We found them and their wines interesting. They have a great location and encourage picnics with a bottle of their wine. We walked a bit in the vineyards before heading in for a tasting.
We drink sparkling wine every weekend so the fact that they produced several was a huge draw. We really enjoyed them and they make the perfect bubbly to bring to any gathering. Crisp, clean and refreshing… the ideal accompaniment for sushi or charcuterie. Not huge fans of the whites, but their sparkling is a tremendous value and should be enjoyed weekly!

So on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we decided to drive out to Kent and visit the Chapel Down Vineyard! We’ve been fans of the wine for awhile (their Pinot Reserve sparkling is delicious), and we needed to get some of their Flint Dry (and by some, I mean a lot) for a big celebration we had coming up.
After driving through the countryside of Kent and through some small villages nearby, you will finally arrive at the Vineyard. It’s not close to the motorway, just be prepared, but you do get to see the lovely scenic Kent countryside so that’s a bonus.
When you arrive, you’re allowed three complimentary tastes of their wines or beers (although I’m not sure how hard and fast that rule is given we tried a few more than that). I can recommend many of their sparklings, whites and beers, but their reds aren’t for me. Then if you want to buy some to take home, they offer 10% a purchase of 12 or more. There’s also a huge food area to buy goodies from chocolates to jams and even savory spreads (like bacon jam!).
After shopping (or even before) you can wander around the vineyard and see the grapes. We did a small walk through, but given the heat of the day, we mostly found a shaded spot in the grass and sat around chatting.
There’s even a restaurant if you desire a place to eat, or you can pick up cheese and biscuits from inside the shop and eat in the picnic area.
It’s a gorgeous place to spend a sunny Saturday.