Gusbourne Harvest Estate Tour
Book a visit Harvest Estate Tour
Harvest is one of the most exciting times to visit. This is an Estate Tour with a twist - we seek out opportunities for you to step behind the scenes and see what happens at Gusbourne during the grape harvest.
During your tour, you may be able to taste our fully ripened grapes straight from the vine before the bunches are picked and sent to the winery for pressing. Then, as you head back to The Nest for your lunch and tasting, you may see the grapes coming into the winery fresh from the vineyards and even taste some of the juice straight from the press. This is the juice that will become Gusbourne’s 2024 vintage.
£100 per person
Book a visit Further information and directions
AT A GLANCE
You’ll enjoy a chilled glass of sparkling on arrival before being taken on a guided tour of the vineyards and winery. Following the tour, you’ll sit down to a tutored tasting and a full three-course lunch with wine pairings.
Timing Please arrive for 11am. We expect the experience to finish around 3pm and recommend that taxi arrangements are made in advance.
Harvest Estate Tours are available on the following dates:
Thursday 14th September
Friday 15th September
Saturday 21st September
Sunday 22nd September
Thursday 26th September
Friday 27th September
Saturday 28th September
Sunday 29th September
Thursday 3rd October
Friday 4th October
Saturday 5th October
Sunday 6th October
Please note, harvest at Gusbourne takes place under the watchful eye of our Chief Vineyard Manager whose skilled assessment determines when it’s the optimum time to pick grapes in each of our vineyards. We don't pick grapes in unfavourable weather and are unable to guarantee that you will be able to experience all our harvest activities during your visit.
THE DETAILS
Harvest is the keystone of the winemakers’ year when the quality of the vintage is revealed. It’s a frenetically busy time at the estate, with grape pickers moving through the vineyards and the winery team working around the clock.
Our Harvest Estate Tour is designed to take you as close to the action as possible. If weather permits, you’ll be out in the vineyards, watching as the fruit is carefully hand-picked. You’ll be able to taste fruit from the vine, experiencing the explosion of concentrated flavour in these dense berries.
Then, as you head back to The Nest, you may see fruit coming into the winery and taste juice from the press.
Following a fascinating tour, you’ll enjoy a hosted wine tasting of classic and limited-edition wines. Your seasonal three-course lunch will be carefully paired with more delicious Gusbourne.
Further information
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.
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.
Contact
For any questions email nest@gusbourne.com,
or call 01233 884680.
Address
Gusbourne, Kenardington Road, Appledore, Ashford, Kent TN26 2BE.
Opening Hours
10:00 - 17:00
Daily, Monday - Sunday
Including bank holidays.
Book a visit Harvest Estate Tour
Harvest is one of the most exciting times to visit. This is an Estate Tour with a twist - we seek out opportunities for you to step behind the scenes and see what happens at Gusbourne during the grape harvest.
During your tour, you may be able to taste our fully ripened grapes straight from the vine before the bunches are picked and sent to the winery for pressing. Then, as you head back to The Nest for your lunch and tasting, you may see the grapes coming into the winery fresh from the vineyards and even taste some of the juice straight from the press. This is the juice that will become Gusbourne’s 2024 vintage.
£100 per person
Book a visit Further information and directions
