Smock Alley is unique. Owned by the Lavery family since 2014, we are a community enterprise with a cooperative of local workers from all walks of life.
Our small plot – just 2 hectares – in West Chiltington, Sussex, sits on a South facing slope to the north of the South Downs. This rich Lower Greensand loam is ideal soil for growing our Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.
Our wine is produced by the Wiston Estate using traditional methods aged for a minimum 3 years including the second fermentation in the bottle. Smock Alley is vegetarian and vegan kind and naturally low in sulphites.
Established in 2000 the vineyard is a co-operative of local people who share the work and have a share in the final product.
Current owner Sarah Lavery & Family added a further 3000 vines, doubling the size of the plot and undertaking considerable renovations and improvements. We now have 62 row holders (and a growing waiting list for more), who love the camaraderie of working the vines together, and being close to nature in a poetically beautiful landscape.
The distinctive terroir of our vineyard produces exceptional grapes. Our wine was developed initially by acclaimed winemaker Dermot Sugrue.
Each year is a little different but always exceptional. We produce a limited number of bottles from our small plot, making Smock Alley a very special sparkling wine. In 2020 Smock Alley won Bronze at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.
We share our name with the Sussex smock mills that once peppered this area.
The windmill remaining at West Chiltington embodies our values of
Community, Tradition, and Artisanal
The vineyard was my retirement project after 35 years in civil engineering and flood risk management. From my work on climate change I knew that the march northwards of the extremity at which grapes will ripen had opened up opportunities for viticulture in southern counties such as Sussex.
It’s been a steep but rewarding learning curve! I’m grateful to other vineyard owners and experts from the Wiston Estate who shared their experience of winemaking. Working with the land and the seasons is a privilege. Our ethos of community, craft and respect for nature ensures that we respect the land as much as we can, harvesting by hand and minimising pesticides to only when absolutely necessary to protect the vines.
I hope you enjoy Smock Alley as much as we enjoy creating it.
The team behind Smock Alley varies from year to year, our row holders are airline pilots, musicians, IT specialists, horticulturists, along with a huge range of other skills and interests. Come rain or shine they tend to the vines with care, diligence and love.
We are an eclectic mix, but with one important thing in common – our love of the vines and determination that Smock Alley will be one of the UK’s most delicious and distinctive sparkling wines.
Unique, exceptional, and different every year. Each new vintage reflects the annual journey of the vines from pruning to harvest.
Our Cellar Door in West Chiltington is open every Saturday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.
Pop in, meet the owner and catch up on how the vineyard is progressing. We offer special Cellar Door prices for Smock Alley wine to take home.
Or book a tour and a tasting for yourself or your group.
The Studio, Southlands Lane, West Chiltington RH20 2JU
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