There is no better place to go than the rolling hills and countryside of Sussex if you want to enjoy the final rays of summer sunshine.

Tucked away along long and winding roads is Bolney, home to the “pioneers of English wine”, an industry that has been going from strength to strength in Sussex.

The perfect place, then, to enjoy that most quaint of English pastimes - afternoon tea.

As I walked down the road towards the Bolney Wine Estate, I was immediately drawn to some of the vineyards, with row upon row growing the grapes to make the wine beloved around the world.

On arrival I was shepherded to a gazebo and offered a glass of Bolney bubbly by my attentive host, Elvis.

The wine had wonderful floral notes and a zesty flavour, a great accompaniment to such a warm, sunny day.

The Argus: A glass of Bolney bubblyA glass of Bolney bubbly (Image: The Argus)

Without too much of a wait, I was presented with a platter of tempting treats, a selection of sweet and savoury delicacies and, of course, a scone with jam and clotted cream.

The selection of delicate and dainty sandwiches had a wonderful range of flavours, from ham and tomato to cheese and cucumber and, my personal favourite, coronation chicken, which was incredibly flavourful and aromatic.

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Having enjoyed the savoury selection, I moved on to the sweet treats, a slice of chocolate tart, a cupcake, a strawberry tartlet and the traditional scone.

The chocolate tart was deliciously rich, with berries providing tangy sharpness partnered with its cream filling.

I could leave the scone untouched no longer and started on what ended up being a bit of a messy assembly of clotted cream and jam.

The mess, however, was worth it and I savoured every bite.

The Argus: The scone at afternoon tea at Bolney Wine EstateThe scone at afternoon tea at Bolney Wine Estate (Image: The Argus)

As I worked my way through every delicious morsel, I was transported back to the memories we all have of picnics on a warm summer’s day in the country.

It felt almost rude to spoil the cupcake as it looked so nice, emblazoned with a fondant logo for Bolney Wine Estate but I did it anyway and, after taking the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised by its hidden reservoir of jam.

In the end, I had left nothing but crumbs from this delicious culinary experience.

One more thing before I left -  I could not resist the temptation to grab a bottle of Bolney bubbly to take home where I would savour the last of the summer wine.