ENGLISH WINE WEEK EXCLUSIVE
ENGLISH WINE TOUR
18 TH TO 20TH JUNE 2023
(this sample trip was an actual Wine Tour in June 2023)
Join us on this exclusive VIP Wine Tour
in partnership with the Wine School of Cheshire and bond travel visiting three award winning wineries producing world class wines and what better time to visit than during English Wine Week.
The UK is a premium wine producing region with over 500 vineyards in England and Wales. Our cool climate is ideally suited for growing grapes to produce world class sparkling wines and impressive still white, rosé and red wines. England and the Champagne region in France share a very similar terroir and English sparkling wines are produced using the traditional ‘methods champenoise’ using the same grapes used to produce champagne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. England and Wales are now internationally recognised as producers of top quality wines and regularly win prestigious international awards. Today the English wine industry is a thriving sector growing each year.
Designed to replicate the intimacy of one of the Wine School of Cheshire’s events, this remarkable wine journey is for a maximum of 16 guests. Richard will lead the group as our wine expert, with Karen and Andy as your tour managers.
June 18th 2023
We will meet at Chester railway station early Sunday morning where our executive coach will meet us ready for our journey to the county of Kent, the garden of England. On boarding the coach you will be provided with a Wine School of Cheshire breakfast bag and to start the trip in style we will serve you with tea, coffee and some lovely English Sparkling wine to enjoy with your breakfast. With a Sunday newspaper to read onboard and with a comfort stop or two enroute, in no time at all we will be arriving at Albury Vineyard on the North Downs of the beautiful Surrey Hills. Albury is a small family run biodynamic vineyard producing the highest quality organic English wines. The vines are traditional Champagne varietals of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier as well as some Seyval and Pinot Gris. Albury came about as the result of Nick Wemenn’s passion for quality wine and realising his dream of owning a vineyard in securing part of the Duke of Northumberland’s estate in the Surrey Hills. The vineyard is run by family members as well as one of a few female vineyard managers in England along with expert winemakers. Their first rosé wine was such a huge success it was served on board the Royal Barge to celebrate the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Adding to the collection of award winning still and sparkling wines they produce, a more recent addition to their collection includes the Duke’s Reserve Brandy named after the Duke of Northumberland.
The vineyard setting is beautiful and we will be hosted by George who is a personal friend of Richard and ourselves and is hugely knowledgeable andpassionate. He dedicates his time amongst the vineyard at Albury as well as being a wine judge at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. George will guide us on a private tour of the vineyard. We will then have the chance to enjoy some of the wines with some cheese and charcuterie, alfresco by the beautiful vineyard if the weather permits.
After a relaxing afternoon we will head for Royal Tunbridge Wells to One Warwick Park, our home for the next two evenings.
One Warwick Park is a stylish boutique hotel, the Executive rooms have been carefully designed with your comfort in mind. They are decorated with a classic combination of neutral tones, luxurious handmade curtains, bespoke walnut furniture and custom-made furnishings. The rooms will feature a king or super king bed, a large flat screen tv, luxurious Temple Spa toiletries and complimentary WiFi. A fabulous breakfast is included each morning to set us off ready for our next winery visits. Dinner on Sunday will be served in the Atrium with high glass ceilings and modern furnishings. Richard will choose the wines to pair with our locally sourced seasonal menu and will introduce each wine in true Wine School of Cheshire fashion, a mini wine school evening! Within the hotel there is a contemporary atmospheric bar, perfect for a cocktail or after dinner drink.
June 19th 2023
After breakfast we will have a short journey for the highlight of the trip, a visit to the Gusbourne Estate in Appledore, Kent where we will be tasting some exceptional wines. Gusbourne’s vision is to create the finest wines in the world. Many regular Wine School of Cheshire guests will be familiar with the quality of the Gusbourne wines and today we will have the opportunity to taste their most exclusive vintage wine to date, and the most expensive English sparkling wine. The Gusbourne Estate dates back to 1410 and the family crest of three geese appears on every bottle of wine crafted at Gusbourne as a symbol of trust.
After a welcome and introduction to the Estate we will be guided on a walking tour of the vineyards where we’ll find out what makes this corner of England so special for wine-making, stopping to taste a wine at a private spot in the Boot Hill vineyard. We are then extremely privileged to be hosted by Charlie Holland, Gusbourne’s Head Winemaker and CEO, for a tour of the winery and tasting from tanks and barrels. Charlie is the only three-time winner of the IWSC English Wine Producer of the year, he oversees every stage of the winemaking process. Our tour of the winery with Charlie will be followed by a seasonal four course lunch, each course paired with a rare release, including the exceptional Fifty One Degree North. There will be a relaxing end to the day to enjoy a final glass and the chance to browse their range for anyone wishing to purchase their wines while we are there. We will depart late afternoon, on arrival at One Warwick Park the evening is free to spend as you wish. Local pubs, restaurants and shops are all within walking distance.
June 20th 2023
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After a leisurely breakfast and hotel check out we will depart for Chester, stopping en route at Halfpenny Green Wine Estate located in the rolling hills of the South Staffordshire countryside. A small, family-run vineyard, with 30 acres it holds the reputation for being one of the largest vineyards in the UK and has been winning awards for it’s wine over the last 20 years. Their journey began back in 1983 when father and son team planted half an acre of land as a trial to check whether the conditions were suitable for growing grapes. They were lucky to have chosen the ideal site even though the venture did raise a few eyebrows as back then most English wine was being produced in Kent and Sussex and they were considered one of the most northerly vineyards in the country. Today with their 30 acres of vines the family are consistently producing award winning wines.
On arrival at the Wine Estate we will have a private guided tour, a presentation about the wines and the wine making process, a wine tasting of four of their award winning wines followed by a ploughman’s lunch and homemade dessert with tea and coffee.
We will depart Halfpenny Green Wine Estate for the journey back to Chester railway station.
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Nice to know
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For your comfort the 37 seater Executive coach will have power points, usb charging points, reclining seats, air conditioning and climate control and a toilet although we do plan to make one or two comfort stops during the longer journeys on Sunday and Tuesday. Air purifiers and filters are also fitted on the coach. These capture airborne particles which may contain pathogens and viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. It eliminates 99.9%, kills bacteria and destroys common harmful enveloped viruses in minutes and is dermatological tested to be non-irritating making your travel experience safer than ever before.
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​For the walks in the vineyard it is recommended to wear sensible footwear and to bring layers in case of inclement weather.
If you will be arriving at Chester Railway station by car the Chester Station Car Park (Transport for Wales car park) offers over 250 parking bays 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A 3 day ticket is available and costs £24.00. There is also prebookable parking at the Queen at Chester Hotel Car Park next to the station.
​This trip is subject to a minimum number of 15 people booking, maximum of 16 people. If any changes need to be made to the itinerary these will be communicated to you and a full confirmed itinerary with timings and menus will be sent to you a couple of weeks before departure.
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What’s Included
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Transport from Chester Railway Station to One Warwick Park hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells, in a 37 seater Executive coach stopping at Albury vineyard on the way. Transport to Gusbourne Wine Estate, back to Royal Tunbridge Wells and back to Chester stopping at Halfpenny Green Wine Estate on the way.
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Accommodation in an Executive room at boutique hotel One Warwick Park in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
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Two breakfasts, one dinner, one ploughman’s lunch, one cheese and charcuterie board. Wines are included in the mentioned lunches and dinner.
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Winery visits and tastings.
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Hotel taxes.
What’s Not Included
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Any other transport arrangements not mentioned in the itinerary.
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Meals not included in the itinerary.
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Compulsory Travel Insurance with medical expenses and repatriation.
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Personal expenses at the hotel.
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Single room supplement of £150.
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Limited upgrades to Deluxe or Deluxe Plus rooms available, subject to availability. Please contact Karen at karen@vipwinetours.co.uk
Total cost for 3 day Exclusive English Wine Tour
£975 per person, based on 2 guests sharing a double or twin room.
For any further information please contact Karen at karen@vipwinetours.co.uk or 0208 144 0756
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