MAGNUMS
Rathfinny Estate in East Sussex was founded in 2010 by husband and wife, Mark and Sarah Driver. Once a working arable farm, the first vines were planted in 2012 and today Rathfinny comprises over 200 acres of predominantly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Rathfinny Estate is located in the South Downs National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty in Southern England. It occupies the main part of Cradle Valley, on a south-facing slope close to the iconic Cuckmere Valley, just three miles from the sea and the famous Seven Sisters cliffs, about a half a mile south of Alfriston village.
As well as being a stunning site, the Rathfinny vineyard is perfect for growing sparkling wine grapes: The light, thin, clay loam soils over chalk are free draining and very similar to the Champagne region of France. The chalk provides a ready source of water for the vines during the drier summer months. The warm semi-continental climate and long summer days ensure perfect ripening, and the proximity to the sea helps mitigate frost risk, a major problem in cooler climate vineyards in northern Europe.
