Squerryes tour and tasting

A guided visit to Squerryes, a family-owned estate outside Westerham, close to the Surrey border. The guide walks you through the vines, then leads a tasting of the estate's sparkling wines. Allow about an hour and a half.

Squerryes is one of the easiest Kent wineries to reach from south London, and its Winery Restaurant, upstairs in the same building, is handy if you want to make a longer visit of it.

Squerryes runs its vineyard tours from mid-April until the harvest in October and holds tastings indoors in the winter, so outside that season expect less time in the vines. The listing is new and has no reviews yet.

Best for: Londoners who want a short, sociable introduction to Kent sparkling wine close to the M25.

Squerryes makes only sparkling wine, by the traditional method, from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grown on the North Downs chalk, and ages it on the lees for at least 36 months. The Warde family has owned the estate since 1731; the house, Squerryes Court, is private, and only its gardens open, on the National Garden Scheme day in May.

The winery, restaurant and shop are on Beggars Lane, outside Westerham, sharing the site with Westerham Brewery. The Winery Restaurant, which holds two AA Rosettes, serves lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and dinner on Friday and Saturday; the Estate Deli and Cellar Door sells the full range and British cheeses, and the Tasting Bar serves wine flights later in the week. Visitors without a tour can order a tasting flight there.

The nearest stations are Sevenoaks and Oxted, both with taxi ranks, and Squerryes suggests pre-booking your taxi back. By car it is close to junctions 5 and 6 of the M25, with parking on site.

In autumn and winter tastings move indoors, so expect less time among the vines outside the growing season. For other vineyards nearby, our map of west Kent's vineyards includes The Mount at Shoreham and Silverhand.