Gusbourne Estate

Andrew Weeber was a South African orthopaedic surgeon who fixed Gazza's knee. Then he bought a Kent estate and planted vines on a former Viking battlefield — 280 longships wintered here in 892 AD. His winemaker Charlie Holland came from Nyetimber. The prestige cuvée is called '51 Degrees North' because fine wine supposedly ends at 50°N. In a blind tasting at the London Wine Fair's Battle of the Bubbles, Gusbourne came second in the world, ahead of Dom Pérignon 2013. The medieval goose crest in Appledore church — three geese from 1410 — is on every bottle.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Walk the Viking Battlefield That Became a Vineyard History · Free

   Where: Collect a free waypoint map from The Nest reception, then follow the 35-minute self-guided trail through the estate vineyards. Available daily 11:00–16:00, no booking required.

   What: You are walking on land that in 892 AD held 280 Viking longships and 5,000 Danish warriors who wintered here before raiding King Alfred's Wessex. Below you is Romney Marsh — a flat, eerie expanse that was once the sea. Appledore was a coastal port until the River Rother changed course. The Vikings anchored their fleet here, using this elevated ground as their base camp. The Romans also knew this place. Medieval landowners, the de Goosebourne family, gave the estate its name in 1410 — their three-goose crest is still carved in stone at the parish church of St Peter & St Paul, 400 metres from The Nest entrance. Every bottle of Gusbourne wine carries that same crest today.

   How: Stop at waypoint 3 (Boot Hill) and look south across the marsh toward the channel on a clear day. This is the exact view the Viking commanders had. Then look down at the clay soil at your feet — this is the same land a South African orthopaedic surgeon (who had just fixed Paul Gascoigne's knee) decided in 2003 would make England's finest sparkling wine. Now it's #50 in the world.

   Backup: If waypoint maps are out, the main vineyard path from The Nest car park runs directly through the Boot Hill block — walk as far as you can see and the Romney Marsh view reveals itself. On rainy days, ask a Nest host to point you toward the hill from the window.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Toast the Wine That Shouldn't Exist at 51 Degrees North Wine · Price: moderate

   Where: The Nest at Gusbourne — book the Estate Tour with Lunch (£120/person) or the Discovery Experience (£85/person) at gusbourne.com/tours. Both include a guided tasting. Reserve at least 4 weeks in advance; weekend dates fill 6–8 weeks out.

   What: You are tasting wine made at the very edge of the wine world. The estate sits at 51 degrees North latitude — conventional wisdom says quality viticulture ends at 50°N. Gusbourne's prestige cuvée is named "51 Degrees North" after the coordinates experts said made fine wine impossible. In a 2017 blind tasting at the London Wine Fair (Battle of Bubbles), the 51 Degrees North 2016 came second in the world — beaten only by another English wine (Nyetimber 1086), ahead of Dom Pérignon, Dom Ruinart, and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. The Blanc de Blancs (their flagship) scored 97pts at Decanter and Best in Show. Look for the sea-salt, oyster shell character from Boot Hill clay — the most saline white wine being made in Britain.

   How: During your extended tasting, ask your host directly: "Can you show me the difference between the Kent and the Sussex wines?" The estate has vineyards in both — Kent gives body and clay weight, Sussex gives elegance and chalk. You'll taste the same grapes expressing two completely different personalities from vineyards 40 miles apart.

   Backup: If the full tour is sold out, the Sparkling Tasting Flight (walk-in, ~£30–60, daily 11:00–17:00) gives you four wines at the Nest bar without a booking. The Blanc de Blancs is always poured.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Hunt the Medieval Goose Crest in Appledore Church History · Free

   Where: St Peter & St Paul Church, The Street, Appledore, TN26 2AF — 400 metres on foot from The Nest entrance. Walk east along Kenardington Road, turn into The Street. The church is on the right.

   What: In 1410, the de Goosebourne family owned this entire estate. Their family crest — three geese on an ochre background — is carved in stone inside this church. Go find it. That same crest appears on every single bottle of Gusbourne wine sold today. The goose on your tasting glass traces a direct line to a medieval landowner who walked this same valley 615 years ago. This is the origin story, hiding in plain sight in a medieval church that most vineyard visitors never visit.

   How: Ask a Nest host before you leave which part of the church interior holds the de Goosebourne crest — they know exactly where it is. The church is typically open during daylight hours. Look at the label of your Gusbourne bottle, then look at the carved stone. Same goose. Six hundred years apart.

   Backup: If the church is locked, the Appledore village war memorial and surrounding flint-stone medieval buildings along The Street give the same full context. The 15th-century timber-framed structures lining the high street are from the de Goosebourne era.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Sit Down for the Lunch That Rewrote English Wine Wine · Price: high

   Where: The Nest dining room, Gusbourne Estate — only accessible as part of a booked experience. Estate Tour with Lunch (£120/person) is the signature format, 11am–3:30pm. Book at gusbourne.com/tours.

   What: Head Chef Anthony Coppard builds each course around what is ready in the Kent and Sussex food landscape that week — Hastings mackerel, Sussex pork, Jersey Royal potatoes, Kent garden beans. Every course is paired with a different Gusbourne wine; the vineyard tour that precedes lunch means you've already stood in the field where that wine was grown. The full Estate Tour day: welcome glass outside, guided vineyard walk, return to The Nest for an extended tasting of six to eight wines, then seated three-course paired lunch. Michelin-starred guest chefs (Tom Shepherd, Adam Smith of Woven, Restaurant Story) run special dinner series throughout the year — check the website for upcoming dates.

   How: During the wine pairing, when they pour the Blanc de Blancs alongside your first course, ask your server: "Is this the Boot Hill single vineyard or the estate blend?" The single vineyard version has a distinctive extra weight and salinity the estate blend doesn't. Most guests don't know to ask.

   Backup: If all lunch experiences are sold out (check 6+ weeks ahead for peak season), the Vineyard Platter for Two offers a seated outdoor tasting with charcuterie and cheese alongside Gusbourne wines, no full lunch format required.

   Log Memory
5. 5 Taste England's Answer to Dom Pérignon: Icons Experience Wine · Price: very high · Optional

   Where: The Nest at Gusbourne — Icons Experience with Lunch, £155/person, runs 11:30am–3:30pm. Book specifically at gusbourne.com/tours/the-gusbourne-icons-experience. Limited dates, sells out weeks ahead.

   What: The Icons Experience is built around wines most Gusbourne visitors never taste: library vintages going 8–10 years back, still Pinot Noir from Boot Hill (yes, they make red wine too), and — if they are pouring it — 51 Degrees North. This is the wine that beat Dom Pérignon 2013, Dom Ruinart, and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne in a 2017 blind tasting. It retails at £195/bottle, made only in exceptional years, minimum 6 years on the lees, 3,500 bottles per vintage. The 2014 was the inaugural vintage. When you taste it, you are tasting the answer to the question: what happens when you apply the most rigorous Champagne method to land where Vikings wintered and geese grazed for a thousand years before anyone planted a vine?

   How: When you arrive at 11:30am, tell your host you are specifically interested in the 51 Degrees North and the library vintages. Ask which years are currently open. Ask: "What's the oldest vintage you've poured this week?" Hosts at the Icons Experience are chosen for deep wine knowledge — they often have access to wines not on the official pour list.

   Backup: If the Icons Experience is fully booked, call The Nest on 01233 884680 and ask for the cancellation list. Alternatively, the Estate Tour with Lunch (£120) is the next best option and includes older vintage gems from the cellar alongside the standard range.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Book 4 weeks in advance - very popular

• Try the limited-edition wines

• Fifty One Degrees North is their prestige cuvée

• Festive Estate Tours available in winter