Other Wine Club Events

Members Only Wine Club Events for 2025 - some still to be advised.

Afternoon Garden Party
Thursday 22nd May 2025

We are planning an afternoon Garden Party at the Grange Tea Garden, Rottingdean from 2 pm to 5 pm. Club members will have exclusive use of the main garden. The tea will comprise of sandwiches, cakes, scones with cream and jam. There will be tea or coffee and pimms. We will also have a quiz. Full details have been emailed out to members.

Lunch at The Alfriston - 23rd July 2025

The club will be holding a 3 course lunch at The Alfriston (formally Deans Place) in Alfriston. The hotel is a lovely country house hotel that has recently reopened this year following an extensive renovation. It has a large garden at the front and side of the hotel and ample parking. Full details and menu have been emailed to club members. Here is the website: The Alfriston | Charming Hotel in the South Downs

Sussex Federation of Winemakers Seminar in Eastbourne - Friday 26th to Sunday 28th September 2025

The Seminar will be at the Haddon Hall Hotel in Eastbourne on a full board basis and is open to all wine club members. Arrival time is usually around Friday from 4 pm and we leave on Sunday after lunch. The exact programme will be available in July but normally the weekend comprises several tutored wine tastings & perhaps a talk. On the Saturday evening after dinner, there is live music & dancing. If dancing isn't your thing you can just sit, chat, drink wine and listen to the music! The hotel is in a great location 1 minute's walk from the bandstand on the seafront and a few minutes walk from the pier or main shopping area of Eastbourne. All rooms are ensuite, with a TV and tea & coffee making facilities. Booking details will be emailed out to wine club members later in the year - likely to be be in April.

Christmas Lunch - Tuesday 9th December 2025

Our Christmas Lunch will be held on Tuesday 9th December for our members at the White Horses in Rottingdean. Details to be annouced nearer the time.

Events from previous years to illustrate the type of events that take place

Bolney Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting - July 2024

The club enjoyed a vineyard tour followed by a wine tasting with 5 wines and also Bolney Gin. Bolney Wine Estate have been crafting top English wines for 50 years producing red and white wines and sparkling wine from their own home-grown grapes and are proud of their award winning range. Some members stayed on to purchase lunch or snacks on the day. The Eighteen Acre Café has delicious cakes, pastries and sandwiches and is on a walk-in basis. The Eighteen Acre Restaurant has an à la carte menu. Here is a link to the Bolney website so you can get a flavour of the estate: www.bolneywineestate.com

Visit to Ridgeview Winery - Tour & Tasting September 2024

We organised a Vineyard tour and tasting at Ridgeview Wine Estate at Ditchling for our members. Full details and booking will be available shortly and emailed out to members and announced at a Club evening once finalised. Here is a link to Ridgeview's website so you can see where exactly it is and what it looks like! www.ridgeview.co.uk

Below are some highlights of our 50th Anniverary events from 2023

Wine Club 50th Anniversary Lunch

For our 50th Anniversary we enjoyed an excellent lunch at The Star Hotel in Alfriston.

Visit to Albourne Winery - Tour, a Talk & Tasting

As part of the Club's 50th anniversary celebrations, we organised a Vineyard tour, a talk and tasting at the Albourne Winery for our members.

The experience was around 2 hours and included a guided walk through the vineyard and to the winery and bottle store then onto a tasting in the tasting room of 4 wines paired with 4 local cheeses.

Sussex Federation of Winemakers Weekend in Eastbourne
in 2023 and 2024

The Federation organised a weekend away at the Haddon Hall Hotel in Eastbourne on a full board basis. This was open to all wine club members. Arrival time was on a Friday from 3pm to the Sunday leaving after lunch. The weekend comprised several tutored wine tastings & on the Saturday evening after dinner, there was live music & dancing. The hotel is in a great location 1 minute's walk from the bandstand on the seafront and a few minutes walk from the pier or main shopping area of Eastbourne. All rooms are ensuite, with a TV and tea & coffee making facilities.