On 3 March 2025, editor Rebecca Farmer visited the fabulous venue of 67 Pall Mall which was host to the Welsh Wine Showcase event.
This was the second time the Welsh Wine Showcase event had been held in London and the interest in Welsh wine was obvious from the steady stream of visitors. The event was again able to showcase other welsh products and all visitors commented on the excellent array of Welsh cheeses that were available to sample on the day.
The venue was continually welcoming a full cross section of visitors from members of the press and trade buyers to winemakers and wine professionals. It was great to see so many truly engaging with the producers and really investigating the unique feel of each of the wines. Some visitors from Ireland had travelled to London specifically to explore the Welsh wines on offer. Each visitor was provided with an informative booklet with a beautiful and witty foreword written by Welsh Wine Ambassador Oz Clarke.
With Wales boasting over 50 vineyards the event included established producers Ancre Hill Estates, Gwinllan Hebron Vineyard, Montgommery Vineyard, St Hilary Vineyard, The Dell Vineyard, Vale Vineyard – Gwinllan y Dyffryn, Velfrey Vineyard, Whinyard Rocks and White Castle Vineyard. It was encouraging to see representatives of newly planted vineyard Chilled & Tannin Vines who are waiting to release their first wines in the Autumn of 2025. Planted on the Thaw Estuary with a mix of Rondo and Cabernet Cortis this low intervention vineyard promises to produce light still reds of the kind that the owners enjoy drinking.
The event was able to highlight that not only were each of the Welsh vineyards truly unique but even with a single producer the diverse nature of the varieties planted offers something impressive, exciting and unique for everyone. Vale Vineyard – Gwinllan y Dyffryn, were at the event with The Wine GB Welsh Wine Awards Best Sparkling Wine Trophy awarded to the first white sparkling wine from this family vineyard in the Vale of Clwyd. Alongside the sparkling white and rosé there was a still red wine which is a rather special blend of Rondo, Caberet Noir and Divico from the 2022 harvest. Many visitors were able to experience these varieties for the first time and Gwen Davies of Vale Vineyard explained how this unique blend is able to bring fruit flavours to the fore in this still Welsh red.
Ancre Hill Estates were showcasing the variety of wines that they produce and Winemaker Jean Du Plessis was in constant conversation with visitors who had plenty of questions regarding the wines on display. Jean who worked in South Africa with specialist red blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah spoke about the nuanced and delicate purity of fruit flavours in cool climate wine making. Ancre Hill are well known for the biodynamic principles and the fruit led Pet Nat that they produce, but Ancre Hill also make Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs along with still chardonnay in years when the fruit is suited. This vineyard is really dedicated to letting the fruit take the lead in the winemaking process and the results are exceptional.
St Hilary Vineyard were able to showcase the first still wine produced from the 2023 harvest in the Vale of Glamorgan. The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Blend wine was made by Mountain People Wines. The 2024 harvest was much smaller than the 2023 harvest at St Hilary Vineyard but Mountain People Wines went the extra mile to foot press the small harvest. This spirit of working together and going beyond the limits really underlined what the Welsh Wine Showcase Event was all about. There was an atmosphere that was both captivating and welcoming meaning these vineyards were able to showcase Welsh wine at its most diverse and at its very best.
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