Wednesday 23 September 2015 by GUEST
The Welsh vineyard association held their 2015 competition on Monday 21st September, Jabajak Vineyard & Restaurant with rooms were the kind hosts for the day. the Wines were judged by Roger Jones The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Deiniol Ap Dafydd from Blas ar Fwyd and Neil Cammies wine and food writer for the Western Mail
There were 41 wines entered into three categories, the award winning wines are listed below.
Class 1- Still White
and Still Rose
Llanerch Cariad Medium Dry White 2013 GOLD
Tintern Parva Bacchus 2013 GOLD
Ancre Hill Chardonnay 2013 GOLD
Lliathllew Orian / Regent Rose 2014 HIGH
SILVER
Llanerch Cariad Dry White 2013 SILVER
Jabajak, The Whitehouse 2014 SILVER
White Castle Rose 2013 SILVER
Ancre Hill Rose 2013 SILVER
Pant Du Gwyn Rhosliw 2012 SILVER
Tintern Parva Bwthyn Rose 2013 SILVER
Tintern Parva Afon Gwy 2013 HIGH
BRONZE
Lliathllew Solaris White 2014 BRONZE
White Castle Gwin Gwyn 2013 BRONZE
Tintern Parva Bacchus 2014 BRONZE
Pant Du Gwin Gwyn 2014
BRONZE
Sugarloaf Blush 2014 BRONZE
Whitecastle Gwin Gwyn 2014
COMMENDED
Tintern Parva Afon Gwy 2014
COMMENDED
Class 2- Red Wine
Ancre Hill Pinot Noir 2013 SILVER
Pant Du Gwin Coch
2014 BRONZE
Kerryvale Red
Denarii 2013 BRONZE
Class 3- Sparkling
White and Sparkling Rose
Ancre Hill Barrel Fermented 2009 GOLD
Ancre Hill Pinot Noir/ Seyval Blanc 2008 HIGH SILVER
Tintern Parva Diathliad 2013 SILVER
Llanerch Cariad Sparkling Brut 2012 SILVER
Tintern Parva Diathliad Rose 2013 BRONZE
Tuesday 05 May 2015 by GUEST
Welsh wine becomes toast of the valleys
Published at 12:01AM, May 4 2015
Welsh wine has received the ultimate middle-class accolade: a place on the shelves of Marks & Spencer.
Parva Farm Vineyards near Monmouth is struggling to meet demand for the product of its two and a half acres of vines. M&S has bought 480 bottles of its 2013 vintage Bacchus white wine and Judith Dudley, the owner, said: “They have said they want more but they may have to wait for the 2014 to be ready.”
The vineyard produces about 3,000 bottles of wine a year including the white bacchus, red, rose and sparkling wines. It is the oldest of a dozen vineyards in south Wales which are winning awards around the world.
In 2012, Ancre Hill Vineyard’s 2008 vintage sparkling wine was voted the best in the world at the Bollicine del Mondo in Verona, Italy, beating more than 20 rivals to the prize.
When the Dudleys bought Parva Farm in 1996 they became the owners of what was then the only vineyard in Wales. It had been planted in 1979 but a lot of hard work was needed to repair years of neglect.
The south-facing vineyard overlooks the River Wye and the location has been compared by wine experts to the Mosel wine-growing region in Germany.
Mrs Dudley, 66, has just finished pruning the vines ready for the growing season. Being chosen by Marks & Spencer to be their first Welsh wine is an honour she had previously resisted.
She said: “Waitrose wanted to stock us but we were worried there would not be enough for our regular outlets.”
The bacchus retails for £13.95, of which £3.50 is VAT and duty. Parva Farm is on the Welsh wine trail which includes vineyards from Pembrokeshire in the south to Anglesey in the north.
Together they produce 100,000 bottles a year from at least 20 different varieties of grape.
The first commercial Welsh vineyard since the Middle Ages was planted at Castell Coch near Cardiff by the industrialist Lord Bute in 1875. Besides the shelves of M&S, Welsh wine is also served in the restaurant in the House of Lords.
A spokesman for Marks & Spencer said: “We hope it will demonstrate to customers the wide range of UK regions now producing top quality wines, and encourage them to explore the vineyards on their doorsteps.”
Sunday 17 August 2014 by GUEST
WVA welcome their first associate member
Become a member of the Welsh Vineyard Association :
- £20.00 per year
payable for the 1st August
-
It allows you to post blogs that involve Welsh
Wine on to the Wine Trail Wales website via the secretary
-
Ancre Hill Estate are presently offering 10%
Discount on all wine purchase’s
-
Jabajak
is happy to offer a 10% reduction on B&B prices
-
Attend the yearly Welsh Wine competition (does not
include the cost of lunch)
-
Receive the proposed quarterly News Letter
-
Attend the Summer meeting (does not include the
cost of lunch) 15th July 2014
Sunday 12 January 2014 by GUEST
Report written by James Graham of UKVINE
A delightful lunch and award ceremony was staged on Monday as the Welsh
vineyard industry announced it had arrived on the wine scene as a stand-alone part of the wider UK industry.
And the silver wear was accompanied by a call from the re-formed Welsh Vineyard Association (WVA) that “Welsh wine needs you” made by WVA chairman Richard Morris at the event.
He says: “We want to attract everyone in the Welsh wine industry – growers, retail, enthusiast – anyone who has an interest in the subject. Membership is welcome to join at just £20, which will fund our work promoting Welsh wine.”
Award-winning
The WVA wine competition 2013 was staged before the lunch, when three judges, selected for their wine business standing, worked through 35 wines in three classes – Still white and Still Rose; Red wine; and Sparkling White and Sparkling rose – ultimately awarding one gold, five silver and 15 bronze medals.
Head judge, Decanter World Wine Award senior judge and Michelin starred chef, Roger Jones, was keen to point out that the wines were judged to the “highest international standards” and that no favour was shown, despite the Welshness of the judging panel. The wines were blind tasted and marked using the rigorous Decanter World Wine Awards format.
Joining Jones on the panel were Bill Gunn, former managing director of Champagne producer Pol Roger, and Julie Bell from the Felin Fach Griffin near
Brecon, winner of the Best Pub Wine List of the Year award at the 2012 Imbibeawards.
Award winners
The one gold, five silver and 15 bronze medals were awarded as below:
GOLD
Sparkling
White and Sparkling Rose
Ancre Hill Sparkling Rose 2009
SILVER
Sparkling
White and Sparkling Rose
Tintern Pava Bacchus 2011
Tintern Pava Bwthyn Rose 2011
Red Wine
Ancre Hill Pinot Noir 2009
Ancre Hill Pinot Noir 2011
Sparkling
White and Sparkling Rose
Ancre Hill Sparkling White 2008
BRONZE
Still
White and Still Rose
Ancre Hill Chardonnay 2010
Pant Du Rose 2012
Tintern Pava Sir Fynwy 2012
Wernddu White 2011
Sugarloaf Abergavenny 2011
Red Wine
White castle Rondo 2012
Tintern Pava Ty Coch 2011
Sparkling White and Sparkling Rose
Wernddu Sparkling 2007
Glyndwr White Brut 2009
Ancre Hill Sparkling Pinot Noir/ Seyval Blanc 2008
Sugerloaf Rhosyn 2007
Llanerch Sparkling Brut 2011
Ancre Hill Sparkling White 2009
Tintern Pava Dathliad White 2006
Meadowview Gwyn-y-Fro White 2010
The competition and lunch was held at Llanerch Vineyard in the Vale of Glamorgan, itself in the midst of an ambitious expansion to grow its restaurant
and holiday business. The day was hosted by Ryan Davies, Llanerch vineyard director.
Wales now boasts 17 vineyards, the majority of which have already joined the WVA.
“Welsh wines are definitely gaining in stature and reputation, and Wales is now producing wine to rival anything that can be found anywhere in the
world,” said WVA chairman Richard Morris, who with his wife Joy runs the multi-award winning Ancre Hill Estates vineyard near Monmouth, one of only two biodynamic vineyards in the UK.
Morris says: “It is incredibly important we as an Association and producers move forward. We hope to attract non vineyard members too – people
interested in wine and Welsh food and drink – and our aim is for the WVA annual competition to become an international event with Welsh and international classes.”
Vineyards in Wales
More than 20 different grape varieties are grown in Wales with Welsh vineyards producing around 100,000 bottles of wine each year.
The Romans and French monks are said to have introduced wine to Britain, but it was Lord Bute who is credited with planting Wales’ first commercial
vineyard in 1875 at Castell Coch near Cardiff. In recent years Welsh wine has taken centre stage at major political events, most notably when Britain held the Presidency of the European Union which saw Tintern Parva from Monmouthshire served at the European Summit meeting, and wines from the Vale of Glamorgan’s Glyndwr Vineyard are served in the House of Lords’ and have graced European State banquets.