Lovely Way To Spend The Morning!
We had a great time and learned a lot about wine making process and the history of English wine making. All of the staff were very professional and polite. John, our tour guide was very accommodating to all on the tour. All in all a fantastic experience for anyone who enjoys drinking wine.
Very Informative About The Process Of Winemaking
Our guide for the day, Alan, gave a great deal of infomation in a lighthearted and easy to remember format. He was every ready to answer any queries/question that were raised. The wine tasting featured extremely high quality wines and the buffet of locally produced food was excellent. I would thoroughly recommend this experience to anyone who has an interest in wine and would like to know a little more.
Great Golden Wedding Anniversary Gift!
We were welcomed on arrival with a choice of tea or coffee which was very much appreciated after our two hour journey. Our guide, Duncan, was very knowledgeable and, as well as making it entertaining, kept the attention of the whole group during the tour. The wine tasting was generous and the buffet lunch very enjoyable. We have been to several vineyards both in the UK and abroad and this, by far, is the best and we will certainly recommend Booker's Vineyard to our friends and family. Our thanks to Duncan for making our Golden Wedding Anniversary gift so worthwhile.
On arrival at the vineyard we felt we'd be transported abroad, it was simply stunning. We started off by having a cuppa and biscuits in a conservatory served by our tour guide. The guide was really friendly and began by giving us a brief talk on the history of English wines. Next we headed into the vineyard itself where again our tour guide gave an interested and animated talk on the growing and culitvation of the grapes. Before heading back for some tastings we stopped off in the actual winery where we were lucky enough to see some grapes being pressed, the smell was gorgeous. Next we went back to the conservatory where we took a seat and were guided through some tastings - most delicious. Finally we had a buffet of locally made produce. No complaints at all, this is an afternoon I'd recommend to anyone who likes wine.
Great Time Had By All Of Us
The guy who led the tour was very informative, and the whole thing was delivered with great touches of humour. We learned that growing vines and harvesting them is quite labour intensive, but that English wine is on the up!! Both the tasting and the buffet to finish were very enjoyable, and our complimentary bottle was the icing on the cake. Thank you.
Really Informative And Enjoyable Experience
On our arrival, we were greeted with tea and coffee prior to the start of the tour. Our guide, Duncan, was very knowledgeable and so the tour was extremely informative, but without being dull in any way. First we saw the vines themselves, then the winery where all the wine was actually made. All questions were answered fully and with good humour, so the time passed very quickly. Then we were able to taste four different wines, with a brief introduction to the correct way to get the full benefit from the 'nose' and flavour of the wines. We were given the opportunity to purchase some wines before being given a buffet lunch of locally-produced cheeses, ham, pate and pickles. Wine was available on request, at an additional cost. Overall, the day exceeded my expectations and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the experience.
A Memorable Day, Highly Recommended
Our guide, Duncan, had us all spellbound as he told us about the vineyard and how the owner had started it. He then took us to see the vines growing and explained when they would be harvested and the different methods of planting, spraying and pest control. We then went into where the grapes were weighed, crushed and put into wooden barrels or stainless steel vats. The whole process was explained jocularly and in fine detail and was extremely interesting. After this we went inside to taste five wines; white, red and three sparkling and we were told all about them. We had a superb buffet lunch of various salads with local cheeses, ham and pate. It was very easy to find the vineyard and park and all the staff were very friendly and also the other people who went on the tour were friendly and nice. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I highly recommend it.
The tour was extremely interesting and I particulary enjoyed the history of wine making in England and how it all started. The wine tasting itself was enjoyable and a cold buffet was put on for us, most of which was locally produced - excellent service. The representative did an excellent job of looking after the group and he was very entertaining, making the topic enjoyable and interesting. We would certainly recommend the visit to our friends.
Great hospitality with wine and lunch to die for. Alan the guide provided a most humorous and enlightened discourse on English wine and its history and future. A morning well spent with like-minded wine lovers.
Andy And Margaret C
24 Jul 2009
Excellent Tour - Very Enjoyable
I have been on similar tours in France, Italy and Germany. This was amongst the best. Very informative, well organised with an excellent guide. Despite having been on several wine tours in the past this one was the most interesting. Highly recommended.
Truly Special Celebration Of Wedding Anniversary
Thank you so much Red Letter Days! I had a small wedding as I couldn't afford much and hoped that on my first year anniversary I'd be able to have a big 'do' but couldn't afford it. Unknown to me, my son had booked this tour as a gift and it was wonderful! It made my day so special. The tour was excellent, the whole operation from booking to sipping the wines was professional and efficient. Everything went smoothly without a single fault! My husband and I learned so much and were blessed with lovely weather too. Red Letter Days made us feel as though they were on top of things all the time. Thank you so much for a great day out.
A Memorable Birthday Treat!!
This experience was a gift from our daughters for their Dad's birthday. We are of an age where we don't really need anything, so Red Letter Days are a wonderful solution. Our guide was superb and explained everything so succinctly and answered questions with ease. It helped that the weather was lovely, enabling us to see the vineyards clearly. There followed a session of wine tasting when we were given the opportunity to try several wines. All the wines were given full descriptions by our host. A buffet lunch was then served, offering a wide choice of local cheeses, home cooked ham and pate together with salad, fresh bread and butter and a lovely chutney. Well done Red Letter Days - you have excelled once again.
Such An Enjoyable Experience
We had a fabulous time thanks to a wonderful tour guide. Alan clearly loves his work and you can see his passion. This made the tour captivating and it came to life with the tales he told. They really did take care of us, and a great lunch to finish off a wonderful morning!
A Great Day Out At Bolney
The tour was informative and interesting. The explanation of the manufacturing process was clear and our guide was happy to answer questions. The tasting session was excellent, and he explained what tasters look for as we tucked into the wines. The lunch consisted of locally-produced fresh cheeses and ham, and was delicious. All round a very enjoyable and informative day, and I look forward to enjoying the complimentary bottle of wine!
Even Better Than I Thought It Would Be
The guide was nothing short of perfect, hitting the right balance between knowledge and humour. Our tour was extremely interesting and we enjoyed every minute of it. We learned so much about British wine, from the history to the best kept secrets, from local influences to international competitions.
Really Great Day - Interesting As Well As Fun!
The wine tasting day was excellent. It was a good combination of touring fields and factory and seeing it all for ourselves, hearing history and interesting facts and the all important wine tasting! The guide was really knowledgeable and clearly had a passion for English wines and vineyards which enthused us all. To top it all off after the wine tasting there was a superb buffet lunch with locally sourced produce including cheeses and hams.
Taught Me A Lot About What Goes Into The Fine Wine
The tour lasts about four hours. On arrival there was a warm welcome from the knowledgeable tour leader who served a party of 36 of us coffee and tea before showing us around the vineyard with its wide range of grape types, then on into the fermenting and bottling areas. After learning a great deal about all that goes in to growing, harvesting and bottling grapes, we were then taken back to the atrium where we learned what to look for in a good wine; we were asked to sample four of the vineyard's wines in the process. Feeling wiser and certainly more mellow, we were then treated to a tasty buffet of locally produced hams and cheeses, fresh fruits and salads and delicious home-made chutneys. We were all given a complimentary bottle of wine but most people ordered several more for family, friends and no doubt the Christmas table! An informative day with great taste attached; learning like this is a lot of fun!
I received this gift and frankly was expecting a quick look around the premises, a couple of tastings and a sandwich/sausage roll type lunch. We've all been there! What happened could not be more different. We were met in the conservatory, offered coffee/tea and wrapped biscuits with a table to sit at. Our extremely knowledgable guide gave us a full account of how the vineyard started and the different types of vines in a way that a complete novice could understand, before taking us on a full tour of the premises. We then returned to the conservatory where we were taught how to test wine. Lunch was delicious from locally sourced produce, and with a bottle to take away we considered the whole experience to be very enjoyable, and of excellent value. Frankly what our guide didn't know about wine isn't worth knowing.
Excellent reception. Warm and welcoming staff. Made what could have been a stuffy lecture into a light hearted and very informative tour. The food and wine was excellent. We had a wonderful day. Congrats and thank you to all involved.
A Really Relaxed, Thoroughly Enjoyable Day
A very enjoyable and informative day. Our guide was excellent. We learnt how to taste wine and not just drink it!! All finished off with a fantastic salad buffet which was presented well and tasted even better, we loved the local cheeses and chutneys. Thank you for a memorable day.
Learnt A Lot And Had Fun!!
The tour around the vineyard and winery was very informative and we learnt some basics that we can use in our everyday wine drinking life!!! Plus the wine we tasted was lovely and the lunch of local produce was delicious and a great promotion of the local area. Really worth the trip!
A fascinating tour with a most congenial guide, he was informative and entertaining. I now regard a bottle of wine as extremely good value for money, having seen how much work there is from planting the vine to producing the wine. The wine tasting was fun and the buffet lunch, using local produce, superb. Would recommend this tour to all who have a liking for wine.
We had a really good day. Our tour guide was very informative and fun, he made us laugh and added to the day. It was a beautiful day so we were able to wander around the vineyard and we learnt a lot, from the history of English wines to how wine is produced and bottled. I really enjoyed learning how champagne was made, I thought that was fascinating! We had a chance to try 4 of the different wines grown in the vineyard and had a wonderful buffet with local cheeses and ham - it was just a great day.
An Very Enjoyable Experience
An uncomplicated, informal, interesting and friendly time with many questions answered. We learned a lot on the day and would recommend this experience to any wine lover. Lovely lunch as well!
I received this Red Letter Day as a birthday gift. We have to wholeheartedly thank our host for his fantastic commentary and amazing knowledge! He made the tour not only highly interesting but also very entertaining. His little anecdotes and stories were hysterical! The day ended with a wine tasting and an amazing lunch - a spread fit for a king!
Our Host - A True Wine Ambassador With Passion
Our host Duncan had passion with a large P and opened my eyes to what is required to produce a bottle of fine wine. He made the whole group feel involved.
This was an extremely interesting and very educational day. I thought the guy presenting at the Vineyard was first class.
An Excellent And Very Enjoyable Birthday Gift
My son gave me this experience as a gift for my 70th Birthday and it was an excellent and very enjoyable experience. My wife and I learnt a lot about the production of the various wines, having drunk quite a lot over our lifetime it was nice to know how it was produced!! The presentation was very good and also the tour and wine tasting, followed by a truly enjoyable buffet lunch with produce sourced locally. A very enjoyable day and one I would highly recommend to anyone.
Good Day Out, Very Entertaining
This was our first wine tasting and found it very entertaining, the lunch was superb as was the wine. The host was witty and knowledgeable. We would certainly recommend this day out.
Interesting, well presented, nice lunch and the sun shined! Highly recommended.
A Really Enjoyable And Interesting Day Out
The vineyard is in a beautiful area. A warm welcome and coffee were followed by a very informative tour of the vines and the history of the vineyard. The winery where wine is made was also fascinating. We enjoyed the wine tasting and were able to taste a good number and variety of wines. The afternoon ended with an excellent supper of local hams, cheeses and salads. A very friendly and relaxed atmosphere made the visit most enjoyable. We purchased English red wine!
One Of My Best Christmas Presents!
With blue skies and sunshine it was a perfect start to a wonderful day. Alan, our guide, was an excellent host and deservedly received a round of applause at the end of the tour for a great day out.
My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed our vineyard tour and wine tasting day out, from start to finish the setting was lovely, our guide for the day was excellent and the day came to a close with wine tasting and a wonderful lunch.
A really interesting, informative day. Arrived to tea and coffee, and the most fascinating history of English wine and the vineyard itself. Our guide was personable and extremely knowledgable. Great tour of vineyard and winery, and enjoyable wine tasting. Fab buffet lunch. Would recommend as a great value-for-money experience to anyone interested in wine!
An Interesting And Entertaining Day
The guide was informative, interesting and entertaining; we learned a lot about wine production. We were given a friendly welcome. The tasting was enjoyable. Lunch was very good, with convivial company. Most enjoyable!
Very Educational And Interesting
Our host made us welcome from the minute we arrived to the minute we departed. He certainly knew his stuff and he was informative and had a good sense of humour, that made the information easy to take on board. The wine tasting was good and explained what to look for and how to recognise good and bad wine! I will certainly be more at ease with wine choosing etc. in the future and will endeavour to seek out English and Welsh wines!
Vineyard tour was conducted in an easy friendly way, nothing too technical or boring. Lunch was lovely, and with sunny weather the tour was as I headlined - most enjoyable.
We had a very pleasant experience. The Host was very friendly and knowledgeable. We came away knowing a lot more about how wine is made and enjoyed the wine and food provided for us.
It was a lovely day - the weather was beautiful. The guide was very informative. It was interesting to learn a bit about wine making. Buffet was good too.
Very Interesting And Informative
We had a very enjoyable day. The guide was very friendly and very knowledgeable. The lunch was lovely.