England may not be the first place to leap to mind as a wine producing country but in fact there has been a long history of wine production in England since Anglo Saxon, and perhaps Roman, times.  In recent years interest in this has grown, the number of vineyards has increased and there are some excellent wines being produced.  The Sussex Downs have similar geological and climatic characteristics to the Champagne region of France and there has been large-scale investment in the production of bottle-fermented sparkling wines in particular, some of which have gained significant acclaim and outclass many an example of Champagne.  The temperate climate favours the production of white wines but increasingly, partly as a result of climate change, red varieties are beginning to yield some successful wines. 

The Rural Carriage Company Tour offers you the opportunity tovisit English vineyards in and around the Cotswold and Wessex districts in the company of an experienced wine tutor and guide who will provide you with a background to English wine production and introduce you to some of the unusual grape varieties cultivated here, as well as providing some useful tips on how to develop a tasting technique as an aid to the general appreciation and evaluation of wine. 

Half day tours will include a visit to a single vineyard, a winery and vineyard tour and a tasting led by the wine guide. This can optionally be followed or preceded by lunch, either at the vineyard, or at a local hostelry. 

Full day tours will include visits to two vineyards. The first, in the morning, will include a vineyard and winery tour and a tasting led by your wine guide.  After lunch, which will either be at the vineyard or at a local hostelry, a visit to a second vineyard will be made at which your guide will lead a tasting of the styles of wine produced from various different grape varieties.

Your Wine Guide                                             

Sarah Eccles originally trained as a biologist and, after a career in scientific research and the biotechnology business,  she followed up a longstanding interest in wine consumption by studying for a Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust which she was awarded in 2003.  Since then she has learnt something about the wine business whilst working for an Oxfordshire-based importer of Italian wines. Her chief interest however is in sharing her knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, wine by conducting wine tastings and events which she does both in the UK and in France. Sarah also plays an active role in the Oxford Wine Club where she organises tastings and selects and buys wines on behalf of club members.