Described by Steven Spurrier as “the best winemaker in England”, Irish-born Dermot Sugrue is one of the leading lights in the English Wine scene.
Following many years training as a winemaker at first Plumpton Agricultural College, Sussex, then Château l'Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol and Château Leoville-Barton, St Julien, he was appointed winemaker at Nyetimber in 2004 and oversaw their emergence as one of the largest and most recognised English Wine Producers globally.
In 2006 he met Harry and Pip Goring, who shared their dream of planting a vineyard at Wiston Estate and producing their own terroir-driven wines from the chalk-abundant land. Inspired by their passion and sharing their vision, Dermot joined them to fulfill his ambition of setting up a winery in West Sussex. Since the launch, the team at Wiston has grown and under Dermot’s instruction they produce multiple wines under contract, as well as under the Wiston Estate label. Wiston has gone from strength to strength winning ‘Winery of the Year’ in both the WineGB Awards 2018 and 2020.
Wiston Estate has been owned by the Goring family since 1743 and is presided over today by Harry and Pip Goring. Since arriving in Sussex from South Africa in 1972, Pip's dream was to plant vines at her new home at Wiston. Her great passion is the backbone behind Wiston's award-winning English Sparkling wines and the original, picturesque 6.5ha vineyard, which was planted in 2006, is the fruit of her dream and tenacity. Nestled in the heart of England’s rolling South Downs in West Sussex, it lies on a south-facing escarpment of pure chalk, similar to the renowned Côte des Blancs in Champagne.
With winemaker Dermot Sugrue at the helm, the team produces wines of exceptional purity and finesse from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
For more on Wiston and their multi award winning English Sparkling wines click here.