Together with her husband Mark, Sarah Driver established Rathfinny Wine Estate in Alfriston, Sussex, in 2010

Together with her husband Mark, Sarah Driver established Rathfinny Wine Estate in Alfriston, on the Sussex South Downs in 2010, initially planting 60,000 vines. 

A decade later and the estate now has over 380,000 vines, a RIBA-nominated winery, an award-winning  restaurant, stunning accommodation in the Flint Barns and is well on its way to being one of, if not the, largest vineyard in England. 

Mark and Sarah are also behind the campaign for Sussex wines to be the first in England to have a PDO and in 2018 produced the first official Sussex Sparkling.

We talk about: 

• How a UCAS application form became the catalyst for Mark and Sarah’s English  wine journey
• Their vision to share Rathfinny with the wider community and building a local workforce
• Sussex as a mark of quality in sparkling wine
• The affect lockdown has had on the vineyard as a business

Rathfinny Wine Estate will be re-opening for alfresco dining on April 24th  and will launch its latest sparkling wines from the 2017 vintage (a Classic Cuvée and  Blanc de Blancs) in May. To keep up to date with events and happenings at the estate, follow @Rathfinnyestate on Instagram.