Home to 138 vineyards and many cultural landmarks, the region is now promoted to tourists who may be fond of southern France
Rows of vines line hillsides as far as the eye can see. And, in the shade of a grape-laden plant, a weary tourist, exhausted by a morning of gallery visits, can try a local cheese amid a landscape that has inspired a slew of renowned artists. After, of course, popping open a bottle of vintage wine, sourced from close by.
These sultry days it really is that easy to set up a quick parallel between the traveller’s experience of rural southern France and the English wine-growing slopes of Sussex. Especially when a blue sea glints in the distance over chalky downs.