Blackdown Ridge Estate

Blackdown Ridge Estate sits at the highest point in the Sussex Weald, enjoying extraordinary views over the South Downs National Park.

About Us

Here we have planted vines to create fine English wines, taking advantage of the superb location and conditions.

The wines of Blackdown Ridge Estate are the result of the vision of owner, Professor Martin Cook, who has lived on the estate for 20 years. A passionate wine-lover, Martin was inspired to create his vineyard when an Italian family friend and winemaker, Antonio, suggested that the beautiful south-facing slopes of Blackdown would be perfect for growing vines.

Antonio’s words inspired Martin to realize the potential of the estate and the first vines were planted in 2010. The soil of the Sussex Weald shares much with the terroir of the Champagne region of France, and this influenced our plantings of the classic sparkling wine varietals: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. These have been used to create our first sparkling wine, to be released in 2015.

The grapes planted for our range of still wines include the aromatic Bacchus for our single varietal English white wine, as well as Rondo, Triomphe d’Alsace and, more recently, Sauvignon Blanc.

Our team at Blackdown Ridge includes owner Professor Martin Cook, who oversees everything both in the vineyards and during the winemaking process. He has been the driving force behind the development of the vineyard and the building of our own Winery, which has been completed in time for our 2014 harvest.

Renowned winemaker Hans Schleifer is in charge of the winemaking process at Blackdown Ridge. Hans has over 45 years of experience in winemaking. He has managed a number of vineyards and wineries in England and Germany and won many awards including “Best UK Red Wine in 2008 and 2011”. He has also been a judge in the IWSC.