Home Page |
History |
Commercial Vineyards |
CompetitionNews |
  |
Look at the country house estates in Wales and England, and you will invariably find a walled garden where, until WW1, grapes grew, and often wine was made. A similar
situation was found in the monastries until HENRY VIII nationalised them, and, as a side-effect, destroyed the wine industry. In Wales, the Marquis of Bute revive dthe industry when he planted at Castell Coch in 1895. Gamay Noir was the main grape planted. Aftera series of poor years, and WW1, the vines were grubbed up in 1920. The revival in Wales came in the 1970s. John Bevan planted Madeleine Angevine, Seyval and Muller Thurgau at Croffta in 1975. Glyndwr was first planted at Cowbridge in Glamorgan in 1983, and still produces wine. Nearby LLanerch started in 1986 by the Andrews, again with Seyval, Huxelrebe, Reichensteiner, Kernling and Triomph d'Alsace. It has now grown into a major hotel complex. In Monmouthmouthshire, Monnow Valley began in 1978, but sadly, has now closed.Howver, nearby Tintern Parva (now Parva farm) continues to thrive.Offa Vineyard wa near to where White Castle now is, and Pant Teg was a amateur vineyard at Llysfaen, just north of Cardiff Vineyards further North Wales were slower to establish. Martin Lewis planted at Ffynnon Las (Cerdigeon) in 1988 and Tom Barlow in Ynys Mon in 1991. Martin Seed successfully grew classic varieteis under polytunnels at Worthenbury near Wrexham, and Penarth Vineyard hasgrown them at penarth simnce 1999. Since the turn of the C20th, there has been far more planting, with, currently, about 4 hectares. Varieties have changed, as new, disease and climate adapting varieties have been developed. Now, the main ones grown are Solaris, Bacchus Rondo and Regent. The growing number of vineyards, and long distances involved getting to vineyard association meetings in the South West or Mercia, resulted in the main vneyards setting up their own association. This is open to all growers in Wales. Application is via the national body, now WINEGB. via their website
|
EARLY WELSH VINEYARD LABELS | ||||
  |  |  | 
|
Go back to top of file