THE weather is sunny, and the hills are rolling as we make our way through the picture-perfect English countryside to get to our weekend staycation destination.
Unusually for my husband and I, we are taking a short break without the kids and indulging in some ‘us time’ – meaning time to recharge, time to have adult conversations and, on this particular occasion, time to try some fabulous English sparkling wine.
Tinwood Estaet pictured from its many vinesWe were heading to the Tinwood Estate in the glorious South Downs, which has recently added five new luxury lodges to their vineyard staycation offering.
I mean, they had me at vine, but there is plenty more to enjoy too, with an onsite bar, restaurant and tasting room, as well as a sauna and 110 acres of vineyard to explore on foot or on their free-to-use mountain bikes.
Indeed, it seemed the perfect adults-only trip and one we were more than ready for.
The Estate's luxurious lodges are nestled right in among the vinesAnd as we drove from the outskirts of London to the site of the vineyard our anticipation only grew.
Our 90-minute journey brought us through some of the most idyllic, quintessentially English towns and villages that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.
Gorgeous little areas flashed by as we drove, offering postcard-worthy vistas, with perfectly manicured village greens, quaint high streets and inviting country pubs on every corner.
Tinwood's three sparkling winesThere were equally pleasing names, my particular favourites include Chiddingfold and Petworth, and it was, admittedly, a little painful to drive past without stopping for a pot of tea or a mooch around the shops.
But onwards we drove. We had a lodge to get to.
Thankfully my FOMO subsided rapidly as we arrived at Tinwood, which is set in an area easily as beautiful as any we had seen on the drive in.
Located in stunning Halnaker, the Tinwood Estate is located at the foot of the South Downs in Chichester, Sussex.
Family-owned and run, it was originally an iceberg lettuce farm, one of the first to open in the UK in fact, after it was bought in 1985 by first-generation farmer, Aad Tukker.
Tukker had moved from the Netherlands to Sussex to launch the business.
There are 110 acres of vineyard to explore at the siteWhile the lettuce did well for the family, it was in 2006 that his son, Art Tukker persuaded the family to change the farm's future.
Art, who is the estate's current owner, was at Agricultural University writing his dissertation on the feasibility of having a vineyard in the south of the UK when he made the suggestion.
He then spent a year working at the Cloudy Bay winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, before returning to Sussex to turn his own winemaking dream into a reality.
By 2007 the first 28 acres of vines had been planted at Tinwood.
Today the estate boasts 110 acres dedicated to wine, which equates to around 160,000 vines of their traditional Champagne variety grapes.
Tinwood produces British sparkling wines, and they are excellent.
It has three offerings, a Blanc de Blancs, a Brut and a Rosé.
And a stay at the estate means you get the chance to sample all of them.
Enjoy a glass of Tinwood fizz from the comfort of your own vine-facing terraceYou can opt for a vineyard tour and tasting experience, or enjoy their sparkling afternoon tea.
If you’re after something less formal, you can pop to the bar and order yourself a glass of fizz to enjoy on the terrace at the hugely inviting Vineyard Kitchen.
For something even more casual you can simply pop open a bottle at your leisure at your fully stocked lodge and enjoy the bubbles from the awesome vantage point of your private terrace, which is nestled cosily in among the vines.
We opted for the latter.
These lodges are so beautifully appointed and boast such attention to wine-making detail that we wanted to spend as much time in them as possible.
From the stool in the shape of a muselet (the wire cage that secures the cork on a champagne bottle, for those, like me, who had no idea what this was called), to the lodge keys which come with an array of dainty wine-related keyrings, there are gentle nods to the business of the estate at every turn.
Or order drinks and a bite to eat at the welcoming Vineyard KitchenWe stayed in the Rosé lodge, which was perfectly positioned about halfway along a row of vines, putting us firmly in the thick of all the grape goodness.
The placement of the lodges also means you are well-situated for exploring the vineyards further.
You don’t have to just look, you are allowed, indeed invited, to venture out into the land to soak it all up for yourself.
We enjoyed a long walk around the entire vineyard just before sunset and we were back out there again on the estate’s bikes before breakfast the following morning.
Breakfast too is an entirely enjoyable and leisurely affair at Tinwood, where your morning meal is quietly delivered to your doorstep in a goody-filled picnic hamper at 9am.
You get a knock on your door to tell you the food has arrived, but you are not required to open the door nor chat with the delivery person.
Breakfast will be delivered to your door at 9amNo, they want you to go at your own pace in the morning, have a lie-in, take your time in the jacuzzi bath – which comes complete with its own television and waterproof remote, or maybe go for a sauna, and simply collect your breakfast from your doorstep when you are good and ready.
And there is excitement to be had there too as, when unpacked, this basket proved itself full of delicious treats.
Now I love a good continental breakfast, and Tinwood sets the standard high.
From boiled eggs with toast and croissants to tasty pots of yoghurt, granola and fruit compote, everything was fresh, flavoursome and filling.
We took our time and enjoyed our meal out on our terrace in the crisp morning sunshine as the dew danced on the vines around us.
Basking in the tranquillity of our surroundings for one final time, we breathed in the clean countryside air and made a pact to return.
The only thing left to do was check out and buy a bottle of our favourite Tinwood fizz to take home.
For further information about Tinwood Estate and bookings click here.
