Lurgashall Winery

A small winery in West Sussex called Lurgashall is well worth a visit. Not for unbelievably good wine, not for beautiful views out over the vineyards, but rather for something completely different. The owners make wine, liquers, port and mead using the local fruits, vegetables and honey, and nothing artificial is added. Mead for those of you who don't know, is fermented honey, and is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks around.

An old lady in the shop greated us on our arrival, and it initially seemed as if we were keeping her from her crossword puzzle. This didn't last long however, and before we knew it we were tasting everything the farm produced, with an elaborate description of the produce and surrounding area. From apple wine to elderberry port, from walnut liquer to whisky mead, they truly had a vast selection, and some really interesting and original flavours. The fruit wines were incredibly sweet and would go really well with some strong cheese, after a meal. The port was superb, and the mead was something completely different, with a distinctive honey flavour.

We left with a bottle of the English Mead, some fudge, and a smile on a faces. Not only because we'd had a couple of drinks, but also that we had been drawn into a place seemingly lost in time, with a totally unique take on wine and the honest and natural production thereof.