At Gusbourne, it’s not just the winemaking decisions which focus on the detail. In fact, we think that delving into the intricacies of every part of our process is what sets us apart. Here, we zoom in on Fifty One Degrees North’s luxurious packaging to share how each tiny detail tells the wine’s story.
The Goosemark
The Goosemark symbol sits at the heart of Gusbourne. It proudly adorns each bottle of wine we make – and, naturally, it is emblazoned on our Fifty One Degrees North bottle and box. The Goosemark’s origins stretch deep into the history of our estate, back to 1410, when the land we farm was owned by John de Goosebourne.
The de Goosebourne coat of arms, which shows three geese on a black shield, still hangs in our village church. Over time, the de Goosebourne name evolved to become Gusbourne. In tribute to the origins of our name, and its connection to our land, we reimagined the family coat of arms to become our brand symbol.
The golden cross
This piece of design is an intersection of ideas. It represents the cross of St George – and the fact that we are proudly English; it represents the longitude and latitude of our incredible location, and it represents the multitude of elements which must combine to create our fine sparkling wine. It’s a visual reminder that we make our finest wines only at the point where exceptional fruit, unique terroir and meticulous craft meet. 
The coordinates
Etched in gold, the coordinates 51°2’49”N, 0°47’51”E precisely locate the Gusbourne Estate. This isn’t simply to show our commitment to our superb terroir: it’s also testament to the viticultural and vinicultural risks we’ve taken – and how far we’ve come. Two decades ago, the idea of making fine wine at 51°N was seen as beyond the limits of what was possible: the climate was too marginal; the summers too cool.
But today, we’re crafting successive vintages from beautifully ripe fruit that’s world-class in quality and character. We believe 51°N is the new frontier for fine sparkling wine.
The name
We named our prestige wine Fifty One Degrees North because we wanted a cuvée that was definitively, and precisely, linked to Gusbourne – 51°2’49”N, 0°47’51”E. We did this to demonstrate our pride in our terroir, our winemaking and the spirit of experimentation that drives us forward.
Fifty One Degrees North 2016, the new vintage of our prestige sparkling wine, is available in limited quantities. Find out more about the story behind this exceptional wine from the team behind it here. Or, hear from a fine wine expert about the potential for prestige English wine in your collection here.