The Winery
The traditional Coquard press at Wiston is one of only four outside of France and is unique to the UK.
Its large surface area and exceptionally gentle pressing enables extraction of the very highest quality. This is at the heart of our winemaking philosophy to maximise the purity of the juice at pressing, followed by minimum intervention in the winemaking process so the wine can best reflect its vineyard’s origin.
It also adds great aesthetic appeal to the winery when not in use, which is important given that this is for 50 weeks of the year!
With all of care and attention that goes into making our English Sparkling wines, we were thrilled to have been awarded 'Winery of the Year' in the WineGB Awards 2018. This is a huge accolade as it's the most important competition for the English and Welsh Wine Industry.
Harry Goring
OWNER
Harry has managed the Wiston Estate for over 30 years and enjoyed chairing the regional board of the National Trust and the CLA (Country Land and Business Association).
He has been involved at every stage of the project, from planting the vines to helping out on the disgorging line.
Pip Goring
OWNER
Pip is the reason we have a vineyard and winery. Her endless enthusiasm and energy have given life to an idea that once seemed just a dream. Pip has always loved wine and food.
As well as bringing up 6 children she has run cooking courses from home, manages her family property in South Africa and prays continually for the vines: “Without the grapes we have nothing at all.”
Dermot Sugrue
WINEMAKER
Dermot is the scientific artist who has honed the unique flavours of Wiston wine. His unwavering commitment to purity and a desire to express the terroir of the vineyard makes him the ideal partner for the Goring family.
He was the winemaker at Nyetimber until 2006 when he came and joined Harry and Pip to create the new winery at Wiston.
Richard Goring
CEO OF WISTON ESTATE
Richard now manages the Wiston Estate and oversees the business development and future direction of the winery.
He was a carpenter in London before traveling throughout the west coast of Canada with his wife Kirsty, working on organic farms and vineyards.
He also chairs an environmental stewardship charity, which engages young people in the preservation and enhancement of the surrounding landscape.
Alex Notman-Watt
SALES DIRECTOR
Alex joined us as our Sales Director in 2017, following many years in London working for independent wine merchants who specialised in small, artisan, family-run producers.
Having tasted our Blanc de Blancs NV blind in a top London Restaurant, she was thrilled to discover that it was made just 20 minutes from where she grew up (and her parents still live) and subsequently fell in love with everything Wiston. When Alex moved back down to Sussex, Wiston was therefore the obvious place to work. Her enthusiasm and passion for our wines is clear to see and she loves sharing them with our customers.
Katie Last
BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER
Katie has gained a wealth of experience in the wine industry since completing her Wine Business degree in 2009.
She joined Wiston in 2014 and manages the Winery and Vineyard, working closely with all of the team to make sure the winery and vineyard engines purr at all times.
Katie can do things with Excel spreadsheets that Bill Gates would never have dreamed possible.
Kirsty Goring
BRAND AMBASSADOR
Kirsty studied history at Oxford before training at Ballymaloe cookery school in Cork, Ireland.
She set up her own catering business and worked in a London based charity, which bridged the gap between the rich and poor.
Kirsty hosts our Wine Tours and is our Brand Ambassador at many events and shows. Together with her husband, Richard, she is helping to set the direction of the estate for the foreseeable future.
Marcus Rayner
ASSISTANT WINEMAKER
Marcus joins us straight from Plumpton College, obtaining his BSc in Viticulture and Oenology. He has completed harvests in Hawkes Bay and Alentejo as well as working in UK vineyards gaining valuable experience.
His daily tasks include assisting Dermot in all winemaking activities and aiding with the coordination of all disgorging and packaging. When he’s not running around the winery, Marcus enjoys travelling to the wine regions of the world, walking up on the downs and exercising his love of sherry.
Megan Ward
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Megan joined for part time summer work after graduating from Plumpton College, and never left! She has a passion for English wine, and gained experience completing two harvests in Norfolk near her family home and worked in a Sussex vineyard during her time at Plumpton.
Daily tasks include managing the second half of traditional method sparkling production, including riddling, disgorging and labelling but can also be found residing (nerding out) in the lab, analysing juice and wine samples.
Noodles & Tara
WINERY DOGS
Noodles & Tara add beauty to the winery and bring phenomenal velocity to the vineyard.
They are one of Dermot’s great loves and inspiration.