Tasting wines at The Dell Vineyard: image credit Patrick Olner
Welsh winemaking has come a long way since the days of Lord Bute at Castell Coch in Cardiff at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. This was the last great experiment into commercial viticulture before the start of the modern revival.
Lord Bute was a wealthy landowner and industrialist from Scotland who, with the expertise of this head gardener, planted three acres of vines at the castle. Over the next 35 years, the original site was expanded and a further two sites were planted, eventually totalling over 11 acres. The Marquess died in 1900 and was succeeded by his 19-year old son who continued his father's work. However, priorities changed, especially with the First World War and sugar rationing, so following the last successful vintage in 1911, the vineyard was grubbed up in 1920.
Modern Welsh vineyards were then revived in the 1970s, but it's only in the last 5-10 years that they've attracted significant attention and globally renowned awards. Currently there are 56 registered vineyards in the country and three, soon to be four, wineries. More than 230 acres of land are planted with vines and, out of the 264.65 hectolitres of wine produced, around 60% is white.
On a recent visit to south Wales, the passion, spirit and enterprising nature inherent to modern Welsh winemaking was very noticeable and several common themes became apparent:-
White Castle Vineyard: image credit: Patrick Olner
Modern Welsh winemaking is both experimental and innovative, unafraid to try something different. Robb Merchant of award-winning White Castle is at the forefront of this wine revolution and last year received an MBE for his services to viticulture.
Robb and his wife, Nicola, bought their 12-acre Monmouthshire smallholding in a property auction in 1993 and transformed the old milking parlour into a bungalow, eventually moving in three years later. Originally owning only north-facing land, they did not pursue Nicola's long-held dream to have a vineyard. However, in 2008, they bought the field opposite and so with a new south-facing site, they planted their first vines the following year, creating White Castle Vineyard.
With a majority of red grapes, already from the start they were going against the grain and in May 2019, they planted the UK's first Cabernet Franc on the north-facing slope, along with Pinot Noir Précoce!
Soils here are sandstone-based with clay and sandy loam on the surface.
Robb and Nicola Merchant with one of their awards - image by Robin Goldsmith
In 2024, Robb and Nicola created their own winery, Y Gwindy, to fully control wine production, moving away from his contract winemaker for whom he is full of praise. Robb had always insisted on his own approach, as he recalls. "I ripped up the rule book when I went to Three Choirs", he says, referring to his decision to leave wine ageing in oak for longer than six months, which was the typical approach at Three Choirs. "It's not ready yet, so we'll leave it there", he told them. "I just knew what I wanted and they've been absolutely fantastic", he adds.
Indeed, many Welsh wines are currently made either across the border at Three Choirs and Halfpenny Green, or by David Morris at Mountain People Wine. So this move signals a new determination among the country's winemakers to advance the 'Made in Wales' idea.
Welsh wines are proudly allied to Welsh identity with bottle names and label designs often reflecting their heritage.
Lucy and Dan Alford of The Dell: image by Robin Goldsmith
The Dell is a small family-run vineyard on predominantly sandy loam soils in Monmouthshire, owned by fifth generation, ex-graphic designer Dan Alford and his wife, Lucy, an intensive care nurse. In 2021, they leased a 22-year old one acre vineyard in nearby Pen-Y-Clawdd (which they are now passing on to someone else) with seven different grape varieties. A year later, they planted their main five acre vineyard on the family farm with 5000 Pinot Noir and Solaris vines. Since then, they have also planted Souvignier Gris (the first in Wales), Cabaret Noir and Pinot Meunier. Their wines have Welsh names, with some referring to local legends and mythology.
Like White Castle, the couple have had their wines produced at Three Choirs and had a clear style in mind from the start. This includes making a dry style of rosé, rather than leaving the decisions up to the contract winemaker. "Robb [Merchant] paved the way for this", says Lucy, explaining that she was similarly keen to discuss the type of wine they wanted. "So our wines and Robb's are quite different to Three Choirs' own ones, but it's because we have a really good partnership with them. They're incredible winemakers."
Velfrey Vineyard also embraces local provenance to create a strong regional identity. Established by Andy and Fiona Mounsey in 2016, the three-acre vineyard is located on a gentle south facing slope in the south Pembrokeshire countryside.
Andy Mounsey of Velfrey Vineyard: image by Robin Goldsmith
"Everything here has some reference to the provenance of what we produce in Pembrokeshire", says Andy. "So, even the background colour [of our labels] is a reference to the local bluestone." The logo additionally incorporates the Welsh Dragon to represent the country and the Tudor Rose, reflecting the fact that the first ever Tudor monarch was born in Pembroke Castle.
Having relocated from Derbyshire, where they ran a publishing company specialising in magazines for animal feed manufacturers, they initially kept sheep on the land. However, tasting a wine from Jabajak Vineyard in Carmarthenshire and discovering that their field was perfectly situated for a vineyard convinced them to trade sheep farming for winemaking. So, in 2017, having prepared the land for viticulture, they planted their first vines, starting with Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir, adding Solaris a year later and Rondo since then.
The mix of clay, sand and loam soils provides a good balance of drainage, water retention and heat retention.
While 'noble grapes' like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are held in high regard globally, hybrids and PIWIs like Solaris, Seyval Blanc, Rondo and Regent have proved particularly successful in Wales. Experimenting with grape varieties is a strong feature of Welsh winemaking, as White Castle, the Dell, Velfrey and others clearly show. Indeed, Montgomery Vineyard's Solaris 2023 and White Castle's Regent 2022 won Best Still White and Best Still Red, respectively, at the 2024 Welsh Wine Awards.
Healthy Solaris grapes at Velfrey Vineyard: image by Robin Goldsmith
Solaris is increasingly being planted across northern Europe, including England and Wales. Developed in Germany and officially released in 1975, Solaris is a white grape notable for early ripening, high sugar content and excellent resistance to fungal diseases, hence its popularity in cooler climates. "It's proving really popular as a variety", says Andy Mounsey, "so much so, we sell out every single year within about three months", he adds.
Robb Merchant has had no compunction about planting varieties which he feels suits his terroir, whether Pinot Noir Précoce, PIWIs or an unfashionable Germanic variety like Siegerrebe, a crossing of Gewürztraminer and Madeleine Angevine, created in 1929. "Up on the bank [on the south-facing slope], we have Siegerrebe, which was planted in 2010", explains Robb. "We had to wait an extra year for it, because it's a variety that's pretty much fallen out of fashion in terms of planting. I think it's a wonderful grape, but difficult to source and is probably our earliest ripening. I think they make a white wine that's just really special. It's a versatile grape, which goes really well with spicy food."
St Hilary is a 2½ acre vineyard in the Vale of Glamorgan, planted by Peter and Liz Loch in 2021, on predominantly loam soil with some clay over a limestone base. The couple are still at the start of their journey, producing their first (and currently only) wine from the 2023 vintage, a Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier rosé. A traditional method sparkling white wine made from the same grapes plus Chardonnay is due to be released early next year with more wines planned for the future.
Peter and Liz Loch of St Hilary Vineyard: image by Robin Goldsmith
Surrounded by farmland, they have their own mixed fruit orchard, a wildflower meadow, hedges and a variety of trees, which all add to the healthy biodiversity of the land. Growing grapes with regenerative viticulture techniques, they broadly follow organic and some biodynamic principles, including using seaweed and molasses in their sprays to provide natural soil microbes with nutrients.
However, they are under no illusions that to protect their small vineyard, they might occasionally need to use conventional sprays in extreme circumstances. "We're trying to work in harmony with nature", says Liz. "The vineyard actually is very clean. We are spraying preventatively, but haven't really suffered from any mildews."
"35% of the world's use of PPPs is devoted to viticulture, which is 0.005% of global arable space!"
When it comes to farming regeneratively, there is no greater exponent than Paul Rolt, who together with Jemma Vickers, each have 25 years' worth of regenerative viticulture experience. Moving from Andalusia to west Wales, they established Hebron Vineyard in 2010, planting vines in the loam, clay and shale soils of their new south Pembrokeshire home.
Embracing organic and non-intervention principles, they are also the only UK vineyard to be officially certified as regenerative by A Greener World (AGW).
Paul Rolt of Hebron Vineyard: image by Robin Goldsmith
With around two acres of biomass planted, they are fully committed to environmental protection, maintaining soil health, not just for their Solaris and Rondo vines, but as a general agricultural principle. Paul puts up a strong defence for the importance of farming this way. "The most volatile, nauseous, toxic chemicals are PPPs - plant protection products", he says, which is why they never use copper, sulphur or other chemical sprays in the vineyard.
"What's been done in the last 80 years", he continues, "is to treat our agriculture and viticulture like it's an industrial process. It's not. It's a system. According to the UN, in 80 years, on a global basis, we've lost one third of our top soils. We rely on our top soils for all our food and drink, unless it comes from the sea. The remaining agricultural space that's currently being worked - 40% of that is in degradation. That means it's starting to fail, so we've got about 60 to 70 years, according to the UN, to reverse that process. If we don't, then our food systems will start to collapse and we will have to open up new green spaces and more rainforests will come down. We can't do that forever. It has to end and that's why I'm so against the use of these plant protection products (PPPs) in viticulture.
"The way we work, the vines should be functional for about 130 years. Most vineyards now work on a 35-year plan. The reason why they just scrub everything up after is because the plants are completely exhausted by the amount of additions that have been put on them. So I look at it in a more holistic way. This is a much longer-term crop."
Dead hedges promote insect life, while a rewilded wooded area adds to biodiversity and also acts as a windbreak. "We get 70 mph winds regularly", adds Paul, "so we have to work with what we've got." With vines trained high, air movement dries them quickly and fungal pathogens that thrive in humid conditions, like the long, wet grass between rows, have less impact.
"We're working with nature. I don't cut the grass. I roll it. What's absolutely key is what's beneath our feet - the mycorrhizal fungi network, the soil food web; all the microbial activity, all the small fauna and flora and all of the minerals functioning really well. The plant has a symbiotic relationship with that fungal network. It relies on the bacterial mass in the rhizosphere and the mycorrhizal fungi to bring minerals to it in exchange for sugar. They bring sugar down to the roots and out into that network.
"We use what we've got in terms of nature and we promote nature where we possibly can."
"What we've done in these 80 years is lose that huge amount of soil that's literally been blown away. The systems have collapsed. It's like a game of Jenga. If you keep taking bits of the system away it will fall down and that's where we're at. We're starting to see that collapse all over the planet. In terms of the biodiversity effect since 1970 to about the early 2000s, we've estimated that we've lost through industrial farming techniques half a billion farmland birds in Europe. They can't survive because their food sources are either poisoned or they've been destroyed. If you then equate that with small mammals - voles, mice and so on - we've lost 60-70% of those. In a decade in Wales, according to the Natural History Museum, we have lost 79% of our insect population.
Long grass among the vines at Hebron Vineyard: image by Robin Goldsmith
"The key to agriculture and to a crop like vines is to integrate it into the system. To do that you need to have a healthy working system. The over-reliance on PPP chemicals, deep double ploughing etc. have caused an immense amount of problems to our soils. We're dealing with a situation where we really have to get back to being organic or biodynamic. Certainly there are so many other products out there that we can use but we don't really need to resort to the knapsack full of glyphosates or anything like that."
Although they use a raptor perch to occasionally bring in birds of prey to scare off other birds, they've also planted 'sacrificial' vines within the hedgerows as a food source away from the main vineyard. "I don't like using nets", says Paul, "because they're made out of plastic and they do kill birds. So we start to try and integrate the vines into a much bigger system."
At The Dell, they similarly try to be as non-interventionist as they can. Lucy Alford describes further: "We do use some regenerative practices, trying to do as much as we can to improve the soil here. This land has been intensely farmed for many years. So we'll do whatever we can do to mitigate any of the issues with climate change.
"We have a mixture of five different grasses and five different wildflowers. The yarrow's just coming up now, we have oxeye daisies and the poppies will be out soon. What that does is give us biodiversity corridors in the vineyard. So we let it grow and when we don't mind about humidity, we let it grow really high. At the moment it's all quite short, but we're alternating mowing at the moment. So a few of them are high and they'll go short just before harvest to keep the humidity away. It all adds nitrogen back to the soil. It's a perfect network of roots underneath the soil, is really good for drainage and compaction when you're going in with tractors, and there's less carbon release."
At St. Hilary, they cut the grass on a 3-week cycle, improving biodiversity and soil health, so levels of grass height differ in the rows between the vines. "We didn't necessarily think about the mowing side of it when we first started", recalls Liz. "We thought we'd be cutting it a lot shorter and maybe cutting more under the vines. So at the moment, we strim under the vines a little bit, mainly to keep the foliage away, keep the airflow going and to stop slugs from climbing up the plants and getting into the vines."
In keeping with a natural farming ethos of reducing plastic waste, promoting biodiversity and fostering healthy soil ecosystems, they've even tried to avoid rabbit guards around their vines. However, rabbits from the field above the vineyard have caused some damage.
The Arbustrum at Hebron Vineyard: image by Robin Goldsmith
One technique, unique in the UK to Hebron, but used by the ancient Romans, is to grow vines attached to trees - a living trellis, here using willow trees. Paul Rolt explains more: "With willow, you have the salicins in the bark and leaves. You have auxins, polyphenols and tannins. All of those are really important for a vine. What we're doing is rather than spraying it on like you would in biodynamics, we're actually growing the vines in there."
Inoculated duff made from leaf mould provides extra arboreal mycorrhizal fungi when required to boost soil health. Paul is happy with the results, noting how healthy the vines are compared to others not integrated into this system and has already prepared another field ready to be planted with willows.
Demeter-certified Monmouthshire estate, Ancre Hill, fully embraces organic and biodynamic winemaking. Despite being at around 50° northern latitude in the south-east of Wales, they are protected by the Cambrian Mountains and Brecon Beacons to the north and west. Their 23 acres of planted vineyard are split between two sites on south-facing slopes, based on well-drained, ancient mudstone and sandstone soils with limestone, marl and gravel.
With careful canopy management, aided by strategically positioned weather stations, they are able to grow several grape varieties, comprising Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Albariño, Solaris, Ortega and Triomphe d'Alsace.
Jean du Plessis (l) and Richard Morris (r) at Ancre Hill Estates: image by Robin Goldsmith
While most wineries in Wales grown their vines using a Single or Double Guyot system, at Ancre Hill, they use Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) trellising system. This maximises air flow and sunlight throughout the canopy and reduces the potential for damage from ground frost as buds grow at around 1½ metres above the soil.
Using the GDC system also minimises the impact on vine health from any soil damage caused by tractors. Jean du Plessis, the estate's South African winemaker, explains further. "Weed control under the vine was mechanical hoeing on a tractor, but we have started doing less tractor work in the vineyard. We're getting cover crops back in - very selective cover crops. For me, it was a big thing to out-compete grass, because grass is a big scavenger and can smother. So we're getting cover crops back in - very selective cover crops. We're in the UK, so you are going to have to put your tractor into the vineyard when soil conditions aren't optimal, unfortunately. Long term, you do start getting compaction with the tyres. So, this was a long term goal for me."
"Compaction is the biggest destroyer of vineyards", adds Richard Morris, owner of Ancre Hill. "Thirty years down the road with bad compaction, your vines are going to die. It's most overlooked, definitely. What happens below the soil, happens above the soil. It is that simple."
With the GDC system, vine rows are three metres apart, so tractor tyres are kept well away from the vine roots, whereas with Single or Double Guyot, vines are much closer together. Also, this year, they sprayed one of their biodynamic preparations with a drone, which avoided any soil compaction and easily reached the top of the buds due to the open canopy.
Growing cover crops, an essential part of biodynamics, provides deep tap roots which help to break up soil compaction and at Ancre Hill, they've planted brassicas, white mustard, clovers and other plants between rows.
They make their own tisanes, using willow and nettle against downy mildew and yarrow flowers for powdery mildew. Spraying tisanes directly on to the vines also helps protect against the dreaded Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), a particularly invasive fruit fly that attacks soft-skinned fruit, including grapes, and can decimate a year's crop. Richard Morris additionally makes his own organic apple cider vinegar, which can repel pests and provides some nutritional benefit to the leaves. He uses organic milk sprays as well to help control fungus growth, protect the grapes and add further biodiversity.
Dried chamomile at Ancre Hill Estates: image credit Patrick Olner
Even with conventional farming, elements of natural, organic or biodynamic winemaking are often embraced. For example, at Velfrey, Andy Mounsey makes tisanes from comfrey, dandelion and other plants to feed the vines. "Comfrey is quite like a general purpose fertiliser", he explains. "With dandelions, the flower heads are high in calcium, which is really important for the integrity of the grape skins. So that really helps. We also use willow and stinging nettle for their health-giving properties … We try to do everything as low intervention as we can."
Bio-stimulants are another method of improving overall vine health. At Ancre Hill, they work with silicon, seaweed and other substances approved by Demeter. Although based on conventional farming, Robb Merchant at White Castle also uses seaweed as a bio-stimulant to help with root formation, especially when there's a lack of water and, as Richard Morris adds, it can help vines cope with frost damage too.
The above wineries offer tours, tastings or food and wine pop-ups and some offer on-site accommodation too. However, for a luxury stay with the glorious Welsh countryside on your doorstep, then Llanerch is a must-visit with luxury rooms in the UK's pioneering vineyard hotel, which opened in 2019. A meal in their award-winning restaurant is a must too!
Originally planted in the 1980s, Llanerch Vineyard, in the Vale of Glamorgan, is one of the oldest in Wales and in 2022 opened their 'tasting lodge' where they run three tours a day throughout the year.
Ryan Davies of Llanerch Vineyard holding an original bottle of the previous owners' Cariad wine, meaning 'love', made for their daughter's wedding: image by Robin Goldsmith
Geologist, Ryan Davies, owns the estate, where they grow several grape varieties including Solaris, Reichensteiner, Seyval Blanc, Phoenix, Rondo and Triomphe d'Alsace. There are two lines of wine, made across the border at Gloucestershire's Three Choirs. The Estate wines comprise 100% of their own grapes, while the Cariad line adds up to 20% grapes from a nearby leased vineyard or from grapes they buy in. "That's purely to keep up with demand", says Ryan. "I'd love to just use our grapes, but we don't make enough. In the very best year, we made 36,000 bottles, but then last year was terrible and we only made 10,000. So, it really fluctuates. We try to average around about 30,000 bottles of wine."
With plans to add more guest experiences at the hotel with new facilities, extra rooms and food and wine experiences, Llanerch's ambitious plans should further push the country's wines and wine tourism into the spotlight.
Delicious Welsh cheeses at Llanerch Vineyard Hotel: image by Robin Goldsmith
Welsh wine is still at a nascent stage, but is clearly punching above its weight. Ancre Hill's Jean du Plessis sees advantages in a year-by-year approach with small-scale production and stylistic variations each vintage. "Being small, we can adapt from harvest to harvest", he comments, adding that last year's challenging growing conditions were not particularly conducive to still wine. "We're not a company that has to produce a still Chardonnay year after year", he adds. "We don't have to. I think it's good for the vines as well, so you're not pushing them. We made a still Chardonnay in 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023; in between, no still Chardonnay. So I think we're very fortunate that we can adjust and pivot. It's what the harvest gives you and what the vineyard gives you."
At The Dell, Lucy Alford also sees advantages in a more flexible approach. "Someone on a tour once asked, 'How do you make sure your wine tastes the same every year?', and I said I never want it to! I want it to reflect what's happening in the vineyard with the climate. It actually makes people more interested to see what the next one is, rather than just thinking I had that last year. They come back and want to try the next one."
Hebron's Paul Rolt sees natural winemaking as truly expressing the essence of their vineyard and vintage. "How we see natural wines in comparison to conventional wines - I often use the comparison to sourdough bread and processed white sliced. They're two very different products. Wild yeasts can take us to somewhere different, unexplored territory every year, but always with this underlying familiarity of our soil and where we are."
Image credit: Patrick Olner
All these Welsh winemakers are constantly learning from their experiences, including which rootstocks best suit their grapes. Vineyards are primarily planted on south-facing slopes, many with PIWI grapes, but visionaries like Robb Merchant, Richard Morris, Paul Rolt and others have shown that there is plenty of experimentation and variation in approaches. Several Welsh winemakers have also implemented environmental initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint, improve soil health and promote biodiversity.
Wine tourism is growing and visitor experiences at Welsh vineyards are improving all the time. Add to that an ever-increasing choice of wine styles, including many at lower alcohol levels, then for Generation X, Y, Z or otherwise, there is plenty of choice relevant for today's consumption habits. Additionally, the high quality of artisan Welsh food, particularly cheeses and charcuterie products, complements the wines perfectly, while local beers, ciders and spirits are similarly impressive.
Whether crisp whites and rosés, traditional method sparklers, modern Pet Nats or exciting reds, the Welsh wine scene is becoming as diverse and beautiful as the scenery which surrounds the vineyards and beyond. Lechyd da!
Ancre Hill Blanc de Noirs 2018: image by Robin Goldsmith
Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this Blanc de Noirs has spent just under five years on its lees, following 15 months élévage in concrete eggs and stainless steel. ABV is 10.5%.
The nose has gentle red berry and red apple skin notes with a touch of buttered toast. The palate is vibrant with raspberry, red apple, toasted almonds and lemon sherbet notes, savoury hints and a slightly creamy mouth feel.
Ancre Hill Blanc de Blancs 2018: image by Robin Goldsmith
Made from 100% Chardonnay, this Blanc de Blancs, also from the stellar 2018 vintage, had 15 months élévage in Austrian oak, before similarly spending just under five years on its lees. ABV is 10%.
The nose shows floral notes, along with citrus and stone fruit, brioche and a touch of caramelised apple. The palate is crisp and fresh with peach, lemon, vanilla and sour cream notes plus a long finish.
Ancre Hill Pet Nat Red: image by Robin Goldsmith
Based primarily on Triomphe d'Alsace with some Chardonnay too, this intriguing Pet Nat is Wales's version of Lambrusco! ABV is 10%.
The nose sings with cooked strawberry and sour cherry notes, which continue on the palate with an earthy, savoury touch and hints of raspberry and rhubarb on the finish. It's joyful, fun and very moreish.
Ancre Hill Chardonnay 2023: image by Robin Goldsmith
This still white wine is made from 100% Chardonnay and spends three days on its skins, before fermentation and ageing in 500L barrels.
The ABV is only 9.5%, but there's plenty of character and flavour here. The nose shows stone fruit, citrus and white flowers, while on the rounded palate, there are notes of apple cobbler, toasted almonds and greengage with a hint of white pepper and a mineral edge.
The Dell wines with striking bottle labels: image by Robin Goldsmith
Named after Welsh goddess of the sun, The Dell Olwen 2024 is a barrel-aged 100% Solaris, an atypical expression of this grape. Named after the Welsh goddess of the sun, this is the first barrel-aged version in Wales, spending six months in three different French oak barrels, each with their own yeast for fermentation. ABV is 12.5%.
Unlike many oaked wines, here the oak, while noticeable, is not overly intrusive. Notes of tropical fruit and vanilla with a touch of brown butter and custard on the nose lead on to a similar palate with added hints of citrus and melon plus a long finish. Definitely different, this wine has plenty of character and structure and is very drinkable!
Y Lleidr means The Thief and is a reference to the blackbirds and badgers who 'stole' most of their grapes in 2021, which left them with only enough for 130 bottles in their debut vintage!
This wine is a still rosé, made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc. The 2024 vintage is bright, fresh and light at 10.5% ABV. The nose is gently aromatic with notes of summer berries and a hint of red pear, while the palate is similarly fruity with strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant notes plus a savoury edge.
Hebron Solaris: image by Robin Goldsmith
Hebron's Solaris is a 10% ABV natural wine, that's macerated on its skins for around 24 hours, before spending 12 months in amphora.
The nose shows citrus and light, tropical fruit touches with a hint of elderflower, while the palate has some texture and roundness with lemon, grapefruit and herbal edges, a hint of salinity and a slightly savoury finish. Fleshier tropical fruit notes come through more with richer dishes, such as the delicious homemade croquetas with Romesco sauce, prepared by Jemma Vickers, but it's a food-versatile wine that works well with salads too.
Hebron Rondo: image by Robin Goldsmith
Hebron's Rondo rosé is an intriguing 6% ABV expression of this grape variety, macerated on its skins for 24-36 hours.
Despite its low alcohol content, this wine shows plenty of character with notes of morello cherry and earthiness on the nose, which continue on to the palate with some crunchy cranberry, a hint of lemon and some cooked cherries too. It can also cope with different types of food, but Moroccan flavours work particularly well with this wine.
St Hilary Rosé 2023: image provided by the vineyard
St Hilary's debut wine is a rosé, made from an equal blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. ABV is 10%. Notes of red plum and red berries are evident on the nose, while the palate shows notes of strawberry and apple with tangy acidity and a softening touch of creaminess.
Llanerch Solaris Dry White: image by Robin Goldsmith
This wine is a blend of 80% Solaris and 20% Reichensteiner. ABV is 12%.
The nose is fresh and zesty with notes of citrus and gooseberry, while the palate is similarly bright and zingy with notes of lemon, lime, Granny Smith Apple and a touch of salinity.
Llanerch Cariad Sparkling Blush: image by Robin Goldsmith
This traditional method sparkler, made from a blend of Seyval Blanc and Triomphe d'Alsace, is a pale pink taste of summer joy! ABV is 12%.
Notes of red summer berries and a touch of pastry on the nose are followed by a crisp palate showing raspberry, strawberry, pink grapefruit and a hint of nectarine.
Velfrey Sparkling NV: image by Robin Goldsmith
Velfrey's non-vintage, traditional method sparkling wine won Best Sparkling White Wine at the Welsh Wine Awards 2024. Made from a blend of Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir, it's spent 21-22 months on its lees, dosage is 6g/L and ABV is 11%.
The wine shows gentle notes of white peach, apple, white flowers, brown bread and biscuit on the nose, while the palate has stone fruit, apple and lemon touches with fresh breadcrust and a slightly savoury edge.
Velfrey Cuvée Reserve 2020: image by Robin Goldsmith
This limited-edition 2020 vintage sparkling wine, made from a blend of 93% Seyval Blanc and 7% Pinot Noir, won a Bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025. Dosage and ABV are 6g/L and 11%, respectively, while time on lees is 36 months.
Notes of pear, bread, white blossom and citrus on the nose lead on to a creamy palate showing orchard fruit, pear, brioche and baklava.
Velfrey Rhosyn NV: image by Robin Goldsmith
Rhosyn is a sparkling rosé, made from a blend of 80% Seyval Blanc and 20% Pinot Noir, which has spent 22 months on its lees. Dosage is 7g/L and ABV is 12%.
The nose shows notes of stone fruit, strawberries and cream, which continue on the palate with an added touch of lemon sherbet and a slightly saline, savoury edge.
White Castle wines: image by Robin Goldsmith
This thirst-quenching rosé is made from 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Seyval Blanc. ABV is 11%.
An aromatic nose with notes of wisteria, summer berries and a hint of citrus lead on to a dry palate with delicate notes of pink grapefruit and strawberry Angel Delight.
Made from 100% Pinot Noir Précoce, this is a delightful expression of the early-ripening clone of Pinot Noir. At 11.5% ABV, it can still pack a punch like one of Robb's rugby tackles!
The nose is a little smoky with a subtle oaky aroma and mixed berry fruit. The palate shows notes of blueberry and blackberry with touches of earthy spice, vanilla cream and a slight smoky edge.
The UK's first-ever Cabernet Franc spent 15 months ageing in oak barrels.
The nose has ripe cherry and raspberry notes, which continue on the palate with hints of redcurrant, spiced caramel and well-balanced tannins.
Look out for White Castle's soon-to-be-released Sparkling Cabernet Franc Rosé 2023, as well as the Sparkling Seyval 2022! They are both delicious!
