SETTLED in the rolling countryside of Monmouthshire, White Castle Vineyard can be found in the village of Llanvetherine - close to both Abergavenny and Monmouth.

Known for their dedication to producing a wide variety of quality Welsh wine, Welsh Wine Week was the perfect opportunity to showcase their award-winning wine. 

Owners, Robb and Nicola Merchant had a very hectic and exciting time, but say they “wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Saturday June 3, saw a further planting of Chardonnay and Phoenix both white grape varieties, meaning their vineyard is now home to 13,500 vines.

Visitors last weekend got to see planting in progress, a rare sight for visitors and no better time than the start of Welsh Wine week.

Leading up to the big event, on the Tuesday, White Castle Vineyard were among a handful of Welsh vineyards present at The Welsh House Cardiff; welcoming trade and press to taste their array of quality, award winning Welsh wines. The venue was a platform for celebrating Welsh wine in the heart of Wales.

On Wednesday, the couple proceeded to host a wine tasting at Fine wines Direct in Cardiff; a well attended event that allowed guests to taste their multi award winning Barrel 48 red wine for the first time, at that point yet to be released, needless to say a bottle or two went home with most.

Thursday evening allowed Robb and Nicola to sit back and enjoy a relaxed evening at Torfaen and Monmouthshire Business awards where they were finalists in the Tourism and Hospitality category, and recognized as a destination offering a real experience.

Finally on Friday evening, they welcomed visitors to enjoy an evening with Black Mountains Smokery eats paired with White Castle award winning wines, a glorious summer evening and perfect for wine and food lovers.

To round the week off, White Castle Regent vintage 2021 was awarded 88 points and a Bronze medal in this years Decanter Worldwide wine awards the worlds most prestigious wine competition. The Welsh Red wine is a personal favourite of Robbs.

Decanter world wine awards once again broke records this year for the most wine entries to date with 18, 250 wines evaluated from 57 countries.

The 2023 competition saw an influential troupe of 236 wine experts, including 53 masters of wine and 16 sommeliers, come together from 30 nations. With over 100 overseas judges and talented regional specialists focused on what’s in the glass, DWWA results offer consumers and trade a trustworthy guide to the dynamic world of wine.

Robb and Nicola would like to thank all who visited and participated in their events during Welsh Wine Week.