Welcome to ENGLISH WINE COUNTRY

Ellen Himelfarb discovers palate-tingling wines and warm hospitality among the sunlit slopes and flint villages of Sussex

Sitting on a grassy slope in east Sussex, a steel sculpture by Will Nash is weathering to a rusty patina. The long ridge of the South Downs is just visible on the hazy horizon, beyond a copse of ancient trees planted for Queen Victoria. And below me in the near distance are 20 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier and Pinot Gris vines, row upon tidy row.

I've come up here with Julie Bretland and a flute of light, pearly fizz to take in the scene that compelled her and her husband, Mark, to launch their winemaking business Artelium (artelium.com) here a decade ago. 'We're at the perfect elevation here, protected by the South Downs,' she says. 'There are fewer nicer places on earth.' I agree, and it's not just Artelium's Curators Cuvée talking. Aside from the vista, these south-facing clay hills are incredibly fertile. The vines are flanked by wild flowers and a bluebell wood. Courgettes flourish in the vegetable garden beside diners seated outside.

Home-grown talent