Nyetimber

Nyetimber is a leading English sparkling wine producer based in West Sussex, known for high-quality sparkling wines often compared to Champagne.

Nyetimber’s estate has medieval documentary roots. The property is associated with “Nitimbreha,” a name recorded in the Domesday Book and commonly interpreted as referring to a newly timbered house or a small timber plantation. The estate was later linked with Thomas Cromwell and Anne of Cleves, giving the site a historical identity that predates its modern wine business. The modern Nyetimber story began in 1986, when American couple Stuart and Sandy Moss acquired the estate. In 1988 they planted the first vines, selecting Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier for sparkling-wine production. This was an important departure from the perception of English wine as a small-scale or experimental sector. Nyetimber concentrated on grape varieties and production practices associated with high-quality sparkling wine, and it became the first English producer identified with planting these three varieties exclusively for that purpose. The first Nyetimber vintage was Blanc de Blancs 1992, released in 1996. Its gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition and Best English Wine trophy provided early external validation. The release helped establish the proposition that carefully sited English vineyards could produce serious traditional-method sparkling wine, particularly from the chalk and greensand soils of southern England. In 2006, Eric Heerema, a Dutch businessman and wine enthusiast, purchased Nyetimber for a reported £7.4 million. Under Heerema’s ownership, the producer pursued a more ambitious premium strategy. The business expanded its vineyard holdings, focused on estate-grown fruit, and developed a production model based on bottle fermentation and extended ageing. Nyetimber’s vineyards are located across West Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent, with south-facing sites intended to support slow and even ripening in England’s cool maritime conditions. A further turning point came in 2007, when winemakers Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix contacted Heerema after discovering Nyetimber in Canada. Their shared interest in English sparkling wine led to their association with the estate. Spriggs became head winemaker and emerged as one of the most prominent technical figures in English sparkling wine. Her International Wine Challenge recognition in 2018 and again in 2025 helped raise the profile of both Nyetimber and the wider English category. The producer’s wines have been presented as estate-made products: fruit comes from Nyetimber’s own vineyards, and the wines undergo a second fermentation in bottle followed by substantial maturation. The estate eventually comprised 11 vineyards covering about 425 hectares. The range has centered on Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, and blended or vintage expressions, allowing Nyetimber to present both a consistent house style and variation by harvest. Its market position is premium rather than mass-market, with emphasis on provenance, technical method, maturation, presentation, and international recognition. In 2024, Nyetimber’s owner agreed to acquire The Lakes Distillery for £71 million, with completion in June. The deal extended the business beyond wine into spirits while retaining a focus on premium English drinks. In 2025, Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum won the International Wine Challenge Champion Sparkling Wine Trophy. It was described as the first sparkling wine made outside Champagne to receive that award during the competition’s 34-year history. Cherie Spriggs also won Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for a second time. These developments strengthened Nyetimber’s reputation as a leading English sparkling-wine producer and as an international competitor in the premium sparkling category.

• 2025

  Nyetimber wins major International Wine Challenge honors

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum won Champion Sparkling Wine, while Cherie Spriggs won Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for a second time.

• 2024

  The Lakes Distillery acquisition is completed

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  Nyetimber’s owner completed the reported £71 million acquisition of The Lakes Distillery, expanding into spirits.

• 2018

  Cherie Spriggs wins Sparkling Winemaker of the Year

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  Spriggs became the first recipient from outside Champagne to win the International Wine Challenge award.

• 2007

  Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix join the Nyetimber story

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  The winemakers contacted Heerema after discovering Nyetimber in Canada and subsequently became associated with the estate.

• 2006

  Eric Heerema takes ownership

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  Dutch businessman and wine enthusiast Eric Heerema acquired Nyetimber and became the central owner of its modern expansion.

• 1996

  Blanc de Blancs 1992 is released

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  The wine was released and subsequently received gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition and the Best English Wine trophy.

• 1992

  First Nyetimber vintage

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  The first vintage was Blanc de Blancs 1992.

• 1988

  First vines are planted

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  The estate planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier specifically for sparkling-wine production.

• 1986

  Stuart and Sandy Moss acquire the estate

  [1]Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org

  The American couple acquired the Nyetimber estate, beginning the modern development of its English sparkling-wine business.

premium

• Sparkling wine · 1996

  Blanc de Blancs

  A Chardonnay-led traditional-method sparkling wine and one of Nyetimber’s defining offerings. The range expresses the producer’s original focus on estate-grown Chardonnay and bottle fermentation. Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs wines are matured before release and may be presented as vintage expressions, including the 2016 Magnum that won the 2025 International Wine Challenge Champion Sparkling Wine Trophy.

• Sparkling wine

  Blanc de Noirs

  A traditional-method sparkling wine centered on the dark-skinned varieties Pinot Noir and, where used in the blend, Pinot Meunier. It represents Nyetimber’s use of the three classic Champagne-associated grapes while retaining an English vineyard identity. The style is part of the producer’s premium estate-grown portfolio.

• Multi-vintage sparkling wine

  Classic Cuvée

  A house-style sparkling wine designed to express consistency across harvests. It draws on Nyetimber’s estate vineyards and traditional bottle-fermentation process, combining the producer’s principal grape varieties within a non-vintage or multi-vintage format.

• Vintage sparkling wine

  Vintage sparkling wines

  Limited or designated-year wines intended to show the character of a particular harvest. Nyetimber’s vintage wines receive extended maturation and are positioned at the top end of the estate’s premium range. The 2016 Blanc de Blancs Magnum received the producer’s most prominent reported competition result in 2025.

• 2024

  Acquisition of The Lakes DistilleryM&A

  Background

  Nyetimber’s owner sought to extend the premium English drinks portfolio beyond sparkling wine.

  Action taken

  Nyetimber agreed to acquire The Lakes Distillery for £71 million; the transaction was completed in June 2024.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition broadened the group’s exposure to English whisky and spirits.

  Acquisition price. £71 million (2024)

  Source

• 2006

  Eric Heerema acquires NyetimberM&A

  Background

  Nyetimber was acquired by Dutch businessman and wine enthusiast Eric Heerema as the English sparkling-wine sector was gaining international attention.

  Action taken

  Heerema purchased the estate and took responsibility for its strategic development.

  Aftermath

  The business pursued vineyard expansion, premium positioning, extended maturation, and broader international recognition.

  Acquisition price. £7.4 million (2006)

  Source

• 1988

  Commitment to estate-grown sparkling-wine grapesStrategy

  Background

  The founders were developing a modern English sparkling-wine estate in a country then less established in the premium category.

  Action taken

  Nyetimber planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier exclusively for sparkling-wine production and built its identity around estate-grown fruit.

  Aftermath

  The decision became a defining element of the brand’s quality and provenance positioning.

  Source

1. 1Nyetimberen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Nyetimber official websitenyetimber.com