Gusbourne Head Winemaker Masterclass and Lunch

Book a visit Head Winemaker Masterclass and Lunch

Explore Gusbourne’s cellar with Head Winemaker Mary Bridges. During this experience, Mary will give you a behind-the-scenes preview of the 2024 vintage and introduce you to the processes of making Gusbourne’s award-winning wines. Be guided through a special wine tasting and enjoy a three-course lunch paired with our wines.

£115 per person

Book a visit Further information and directions

THE DETAIL
Mary Bridges, our talented Head Winemaker, has been a core part of the Gusbourne team for several years. This is the first experience she is hosting as Head Winemaker, and it promises to be a very special tasting and lunch.

During this behind-the-scenes experience, Mary will take you into the winery to share insights into the winemaking process. You'll be amongst the first people to taste the 2024 vintage, as Mary introduces you to base wines from tank and barrel.

You’ll then return to the Hide to taste a selection of wines chosen by Mary. She’s chosen these bottles to demonstrate the depth and breadth of our range. Following this fascinating tasting, you’ll enjoy a delicious seasonal three-course lunch prepared by our Head Chef Anthony Coppard.

AT A GLANCE
You'll join Head Winemaker May Bridges for a chilled glass of Gusbourne, a tour of the winery and base-wine tasting, a guided wine-tasting and a three-course lunch.

The wines
A first taste of the 2024 vintage base wines tank and a guided tasting of wines selected by Mary.

The lunch
You'll sit down for a seasonal three-course lunch created to pair with the wines served.

Timing
The day will star at at 12 noon and finish at 3pm. We recommend you make any taxi arrangements in advance.

Further information

Directions + Public transport + Parking + Accessibility + Children + Dogs + Cancellations + Visit us +

Directions

You’ll find us by turning off Kenardington Road at the junction with Snargate Road, where the Gusbourne driveway is immediately on the left. We are a 15 minute drive from Ashford – you will approach down Kenardington Road and the turning to Snargate Road will be on your left. If you arrive at a crossroads leading into Appledore, you’ve gone too far.

We are 10 minutes from Rye – you will approach through the village of Appledore, and on leaving the village, you’ll arrive at a crossroads where you’ll take a right towards Kenardington and Ashford. This takes you on to the Kenardington Road and after a minute or two’s driving, the turning to Snargate Road will be on your right. Directions can be found here.

Gusbourne,
Kenardington Road,
Appledore, Ashford,
Kent,
TN26 2BE.

Public transport

We are located just a short taxi journey from Ashford International, with trains departing every 15 minutes from St Pancras International and Stratford International. You can also take the Hastings train from Ashford for three stops to Rye station and take a taxi from there. Appledore station is not served by taxis or regular buses.

We would highly recommend booking a taxi for both journeys to/from Gusbourne in advance of your visit, especially if visiting on the weekend. Our recommended taxi providers are:

Ashford

ETM Cars 01233-629551
Ashford Taxis 01233-646646
Ghurkha Taxi 01233-666771
Express Taxis 01233-884333

Rye

Rye Taxis 07774-633046
Compass Taxis 07542-428182

Parking

You can park free of charge at the vineyard. It is only a short walk from the parking area to the tasting room. We do not have facilities for coach parking.

Accessibility

If you or one of your party have restricted walking ability, please contact us in advance of your visit, and we’ll make arrangements for you to be as comfortable as possible, such as using our golf buggies to take you around the vineyards. The tasting room has ramp access, and accessible toilets suitable for a person with restricted walking ability and for those that use a wheelchair some of the time. We welcome registered carers and assistance dogs free of charge when they are accompanying visitors with special needs.

Accessibility Guide for Gusbourne

Children

Our hosted vineyard tours last around 2 hours, and our hosted Discovery tours last around 4 hours. Both involve visiting our working winery and feature a guided wine tasting, so are not suitable for children. You are welcome to bring children on a self-guided tour around our estate free of charge, and The Nest serves soft drinks for drivers and under-18s. If you would like any additional advice before bringing children to the estate, please email nest@gusbourne.com, or telephone 01233 884680.

Dogs

You are welcome to bring your dogs on a vineyard tour, but please ensure dogs are kept on a lead whilst on Gusbourne land, and please do clean up after them. We’re sorry, but we don’t allow dogs into the tasting room or the winery.

Cancellations

If you have booked a ticket for a tour or wine tasting event and you do not arrive for your scheduled booking, then the tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded, unless at our discretion. Any request for a refund or transfer must be made in writing, directed to nest@gusbourne.com. If we cancel your booking in its entirety, you will be entitled to a full refund for the purchase price. Tickets will be exchanged or refunded at the price paid for them, but no further compensation will be paid. To read our full cancellation policy click here.

Visit us

We are a short 15 minute taxi ride from Ashford train station and have a selection of cab companies we can recommend booking for your journey. If coming by car, there is free parking available on site. To read more information on getting to Gusbourne, please visit the link below.

See full directions