Winery · Conwy

Gwinllan Conwy

North Wales vineyard (2012, Snowdonia backdrop) — 6.5 acres Foehn-effect shale/slate hillside, 19 medal winner; Pefriog sparkling won International Challenge silver.

What to do there

TourGwinllan Conwy SnowdoniaCharlotte Bennett planted 100 vines on a Conwy Valley hillside in 2012 as a hobby. The foehn effect — warm air descending off the Carneddau mountains — creates a microclimate that shouldn't exist at 53.28°N, the same latitude as Moscow. Solaris, a grape bred in Freiburg in 1975 specifically for cold climates, produces lychee and orange blossom here. The Pefriog sparkling won IWC Silver in blind competition against Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco. Conwy Castle, built by Edward I's architect James of Saint George, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town walls are free to walk.