Blackheath Rugby is delighted to announce a new partnership with Gusbourne, one of the leading English vineyards, based near Appledore in Kent.
Gusbourne was founded by Andrew Weeber in 2004, when he planted the first vines on Gusbourne Estate’s coastal escarpment in Kent, in the far southeastern corner of England. Andrew had a clear vision: to create the world’s finest sparkling wines. Today – two decades on – Gusbourne is still driven by this same ambition.
The Gusbourne team work in a way which embraces tradition, but challenges convention. Their focus is always on the detail – the incremental gains – which allow them to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in English wine, one vintage at a time.
Gusbourne make wines which express the unique Kent and Sussex terroir. Each bottle captures a vintage – a reflection of time and place. Gusbourne release their wines only once they’ve been aged to perfection and are ready to be enjoyed.
The Gusbourne Estate currently has 93 hectares under vine across Kent and Sussex. Three grape varieties are planted – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – which are renowned for their use in the world’s finest wines. Around half of the clones are Burgundian and half are more traditional sparkling wine clones. The quality of the fruit is essential: Gusbourne farm, and hand harvest, all their own grapes. This means they have total control over the quality in the vineyard; they only pick when the fruit is perfectly ripe. Around half of the vines are Burgundian clones. These yield smaller quantities of ripe, flavourful grapes which are ideal for both still and sparkling wines.
All the Gusbourne wines are vintage-only, which means they’re made using the fruit from a single growing season. Each wine tells a story of a year’s growing condition, capturing a moment in time. Gusbourne cellar age their wines for as long as they need, releasing them only when they are ready.
Gusbourne also has an award-winning tasting room and cellar door, The Nest, which is open year-round. They are delighted to welcome impromptu guests for self-guided tours and tasting flights. Gusbourne also hosts a range of ticketed events, such as expert-led masterclasses, tutored tastings and dining experiences.
Today, Gusbourne supply leading restaurants in the UK such as Ynyshir, L’Enclume, Moor Hall, Restaurant Story, CORE by Clare Smyth and the Hand & Flowers. Gusbourne has exclusive sparkling wine listings at Whatley Manor, The Lanesborough, The Londoner and The Corinthia Hotels, as well as prestigious listings at Grosvenor House, Boringdon Hall, The Athenaeum, Torridon, Grove of Narbeth and Northcote.
Gusbourne is the official English Sparkling Wine supplier of Cowdray Estate, in West Sussex, and their wines can be enjoyed onboard the Belmond British Pullman and Cunard cruise ships.
Gusbourne chooses to work with select retailers too, including Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges and Harvey Nicholls as well as many independent, specialist wine merchants, including Berry Bros. & Rudd, Hedonism and Jeroboams. Their wines are also exported to over 35 countries around the world.
This new partnership represents the first relationship for Blackheath Rugby with a leading English vineyard. The Chief Executive of Gusbourne, Jonathan White, said: “We have always embraced tradition whilst challenging convention at Gusbourne, in our pursuit of achieving absolute winemaking excellence, every harvest, bottle and vintage. So we are delighted to be working closely with Blackheath Rugby, a club renowned for its rich heritage and history, as well as its willingness to adapt and change in the quest for success. We look forward to a tremendous partnership this season and beyond.”
In response, James Fleming, Chairman of Blackheath Rugby, said: “Over the last decade Gusbourne has developed as one of the leading producers of English wine and we are delighted to welcome them as a new partner for Blackheath Rugby. As we look to grow and develop our relationships with local businesses, Gusbourne represents all that is excellent about English winemaking, and they produce a range of top-quality vintage sparkling wines. Gusbourne has kindly agreed to sponsor our Man of the Match Award this season and we will be awarding a bottle of their vintage sparkling wine to the Blackheath player who delivers a top-quality performance in each of our home matches this season.”
Blackheath Rugby will be serving Gusbourne wines to the Committee guests of opposition clubs in our home league matches this season and we will also be promoting Gusbourne wines from our bars at The Utilita.
In addition, we are delighted to promote members benefits from our relationship with Gusbourne as follows:
- Gusbourne has kindly agreed to create an exclusive deal for Blackheath Rugby members via a unique page on the Gusbourne website (details to follow).
- As a member benefit, Gusbourne will also arrange bespoke exclusive member days at the Nest (vineyard) for Blackheath members.
For more information on Gusbourne, please visit their website here.