Oxney Organic Estate operates the UK’s largest single-estate organic vineyard, 35 acres straddling the East Sussex and Kent border along the River Rother. Founded in 2012 by Kristin Syltevik and Paul Dobson, the site produces around a fifth of all organically-grown grapes in the country, certified by the Soil Association. The winery operates from a converted Grade II listed oast house, where they use low-intervention methods: wild ferments, no filtration, minimal sulphur dioxide. You’ll find Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Précoce, and Seyval Blanc grown here. The tasting room welcomes drop-ins Tuesday through Saturday for free tastings, with wine by the glass and cheese or charcuterie boards available. On Saturdays they run guided tours with picnic lunches—worth booking ahead. If you’re planning to stay, there are shepherd’s huts right in the vineyard, plus converted barns at nearby Odiam that can sleep larger groups.
Planning Your Visit
Oxney Organic Estate opens Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 4pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm (closed Sundays and Mondays). Free drop-in tastings are available in the tasting room, housed in a converted Grade II listed oast house, where you can try their organic sparkling wines alongside cheese and charcuterie boards. Guided vineyard tours with picnic lunch run on Saturdays and need to be booked ahead.
The estate offers overnight stays in shepherd’s huts set within the vineyard, plus converted barn accommodation at nearby Odiam Barns that sleeps up to 28 people. The Winery Room is available for private dining for groups of the same size. Children are welcome, and dogs can join you in outside areas on a lead.
The vineyard is about six miles from Rye station. Contact them on 01797 260137 or wine@oxneyestate.com. Find them at Hobbs Lane, Rye TN31 6TU, or visit oxneyestate.com for bookings and more information.
What to Expect
At Oxney Organic Estate, drop in Tuesday to Saturday for free tastings in their converted Grade II listed oast house—no booking needed for a casual glass paired with cheese or charcuterie boards. The focus here is on low-intervention winemaking: wild ferments, no filtration, and minimal sulphur, all certified by the Soil Association. This is the UK’s largest single-estate organic vineyard, producing around 20% of the country’s organic grape harvest from 35 acres along the River Rother.
If you want to dig deeper, book one of their Saturday guided tours with a picnic lunch included, where you’ll learn about their hands-off approach to making sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and other varieties. The 850-acre estate spans the East Sussex and Kent border, and you can extend your visit by staying in one of their shepherd’s huts right in the vineyard or in converted barns nearby. The Winery Room is also available for private dining groups of up to 28. Expect honest, organic English wine made with minimal fuss.
