An overview of Sussex and

Rosemary George describes the importance of Sussex as an appellation and its potential for tourism

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Vines were introduced to England by the Romans and viticulture in some form or other has had a long history in the country. However it is only in the last 20 years or so, that wine production has become seriously professional. One of the things that relatively new wine industries tend to consider is the definition of specific regions. England took that first step with the recognition of Sussex as an appellation in 2022 with the somewhat cumbersome term, “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO) as in L’Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in France or Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) in Italy.

The county of Sussex is limited by the administrative boundaries of its PDO. The essential aim is to lay down the ground rules and control the quality of wines coming from Sussex. The PDO covers both still and sparkling wine and determines which grape varieties are permitted. The principal grape varieties for sparkling wine are those of Champagne, namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. You might also find some Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir Precoce. Seyval Blanc which enjoys some success in Sussex, is not allowed. The production method has to be the traditional method of Champagne, with a minimum of 12 months on the lees. There is no room for the Charmat method of Prosecco here.

The list of grape varieties allowed for still wines is much more extensive with a total of 24 permitted varieties. There are various other requirements regarding acidity and alcohol levels, with an organoleptic test to complete the controls.