Our fun times in North Wales

My blog is primarily my diary, a place for me to record our trips, adventures and wine discoveries. It's lovely that others enjoy reading it too and maybe try a few locations, activities or drinks themselves. 

That said this post is my general round up about our fabulous week in North Wales at Deganwy. A place we had never heard of that nestles on the east side of the Conwy Estuary behind Llandudno, opposite Conwy and overlooking Angelsey.

Our apartment was super; one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen/diner and lounge. Being on the second floor we were grateful for the lift and with private parking it made a very comfy home from home.

But our main reason for choosing this apartment were the views, absolutely stunning, the patio doors with a glass balcony meant we could let the warm Welsh air in whilst enjoying the sights and sounds of the sea.

And there were sights and sounds a plenty, looking left we had a super view of Conwy Castle across the estuary. The trains ran every 20 minutes but were never intrusive, it was quite nice to hear them go past. We could also see the yachts sailing in and out of the marina, especially in the evenings as the sun went down.

Looking right we overlooked the Conwy coastline line and Angelsey. There was always something to see or hear.

The down side of Deganwy was it's lack of pubs or restaurants. There was a Chinese restaurant and expensive French restaurant in the small row of shops (beauticians and estate agents) but disappointingly no bar or pub to sit outside enjoying the views; if we win the lottery there's a business opportunity awaiting.

Our first night we walked along the estuary about a mile to the chip shop which was also eat in. It was certainly worth the stroll as the fish was delicious, too many chips but so so tasty. We did find the Castle View pub just around the corner and enjoyed a drink before the walk back. A shame really it wasn't nearer to our apartment but after long days out exploring the walk was a bit too far.

Unbeknown to us when we booked our first weekend coincided with Llanduduno's Vintage transport weekend. Deganwy is just one train stop from Llandudno which saved on parking, of course the trains were packed as it was a very busy weekend. 

Llandudno's town centre was closed to traffic with fairground rides set all along the high street, what a great atmosphere. The main showground was just out of town, we didn't go but really enjoyed seeing the few traction engines and other vehicles in the town.

Llandudno is a traditional sea side town that we had visited years ago when our son was small. It was nice to see some traditional entertainment still attracting the crowds and the pier open; very busy and quite a walk to the end. All the fun of the sea side was on offer from candy floss stalls, ice cream sellers, live music at the end of the pier and of course the amusement arcades with their tipping point machines.

It was also the Victorian Festival with many people dressed in Victorian clothing. Earlier in the day a steam train had pulled into the station and the 'Victorians'enjoyed an Afternoon Tea  on board. 

We were back in our apartment when the steam train departed but a bonus of staying above the railway line is we had a birds eye view as it steamed past.

I always holidayed in North Wales in the 1970s with my Dad and the scouts, it was a treat when Dad drove to Angelsey crossing the Menai Suspension Bridge. So lovely to do this again and visit Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrynrobwllllantysiliogogogoch which I can say but you'll have to take my word on that!

We had an amazing week, out everyday visiting all the National Trust and Cadw properties in the area. We really enjoy being NT members and as we are co tuning English Heritage members we now enjoy free admission to Cadw properties.

These are the places we visited, as well as a local vineyard, with links to each dedicated post: 

Chirk Castle        Conwy Castle        Beaumaris Castle   

Penrhyn Castle       Plas Mawr          Plas Newydd   

Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard       Bodnant Gardens 

Needless to say we walked miles doing so many steps everyday. It was interesting to see our fit tracker, Monday was our drive around Angelsey and Thursday our vine tasting followed by a chilled last afternoon enjoying the views.

As you can see we had a superb time in North Wales and hopefully won't leave it so long until we visit again. Maybe in Conwy itself next time as it had so many lovely shops, bars and restaurants, although I don't think we'd manage in The Smallest House in Great Britain, it was cute but so so small!

Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard

A vineyard in North Wales is not the location you expect for producing award winning wines but Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard has done just that. Colin and Charlotte planted 300 vines in 2012 having no previous experience of wine making. Gwinllan Conwy is now 3 acres with 3000 vines.

Located on the edge of Snowdonia National Park the land is perfectly situated to grow vines. Being on a south facing slope, protected from the winds by the Orme on the north coast and the Snowdonia mountains taking all the rain coming from the Irish Sea, Gwinllan Conway has its own micro-climate.

The terror is perfect too as vines like to work hard and with the top soil only about a metre deep on top of the rock bed they certainly do here.

Countryfile recently filmed here as nature to nurture is something Colin and Charlotte are very passionate about. They are trialing using sheep fleeces around the base of each vine, this increases nutrients into the soil as the fleeces degrade. This isn't the only benefit of the fleeces; being white they reflect sunlight which ripens the grapes producing a higher sugar content.

Buying the fleeces from local farmers at a fair price is important to Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard, they believe in working together to produce the best from the Welsh countryside.

After our tour of the vines we returned to the lovely tasting area where Colin introduced us to four of their range. The room was so light with great views across the vines to the mountains beyond. 

Our four wines were presented in mini carafes one at a time as Colin explained about each; Chardonnay, Solaris, Rosé and Rondo, although I actually think our red wine was Pinot Noir.

Our first wine, Limited Release Chardonnay, was oaked for three weeks in a previous Chardonnay cask. In colour it has a slight green hue with a hint of oak on the nose. It was full of green apple in flavour with a slightly acidic finish. 

Solaris is a grape we don't often find and Gwinllan use it in four different ways; sparkling, still and dessert wines, and in gin. It had similar characteristics to Sauvignon Blanc but with a lighter aroma. On the palate it had a lovely tropical, slightly gooseberry flavour with a soft lengthy finish. 

The Rosé wine was made from Pinot Noir with coppery highlights in its salmon pink colour. Its aroma reminded me of candy floss and this slight sweetness continued in its strawberry and apply flavour. 

Our red wine was Rondo, slight oakiness from French oak casks the wine was light in colour, full of fruit with light tannins. 

The wines are not made on site, once the grapes sre harvested they are taken a few hours drive away to the winemaker. 

Talking of lunch after our tasting we enjoyed a lovely cheese platter. Charlotte served us a variety of Welsh cheeses, a delicious way to finish our tour.

White Castle

In mid April we had enjoying a few days away with friends in Abergavenny, a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. We had a great time exploring the town with its traditional market hall, castle and museum, but the highlight of our stay was our tour and tasting at White Castle Vineyard in Llanvetherine.

Hubby and I met Robb and Nicola Merchant, the vineyard owners, a few years ago when our daughter 'adopted a vine' for us. We were the proud supporters of a Phoenix vine, you can see how delighted we were in my previous White Castle Vineyard post. 

It was a real pleasure to arrange a trip for our friends to discover the delights of this wine gem nestling in the beautiful Welsh countryside. Robb and Nicola made us all so welcome; Robb's tour was so informative about how they started in the wine industry and how it has progressed, taking them on an amazing journey and at times 'pinch me' experiences. 

Their next project is to have their own Winery so their wine is grown and produced on site. They are now crowdfunding, with support starting from £20, to make this dream a reality. Their crowdfunding page  has details of the various pledge rewards as well as the story of how it all began.

On the site of White Castle Vineyard is a 16th Century Croft Barn, a Grade II listed building that was once part of the Great Trerhew Eastate. The barn was derelict but with the help of various grants, support and hard work it has been restored with new weather boarding between the original 1581 wooden beams.  It's a stunning building that is now used for a variety of events including weddings. 

As I mentioned before we adopted a vine and our plaque was put on our Phoenix vine. Each row is numbered, as is each vine in each row so it was easy to find our vine. As our adoption year has finished Robb gave us our plaque as a keepsake and to my absolute delight a cutting which I have nursed all the way home and have everything crossed that it will take.

After a stroll around the vines listening to Robb's expert advice on growing, pruning and harvesting we returned to the Cellar Door for a superb wine tasting. Hubby and I have tasted most of the White Castle range and whilst the wines are slightly higher priced than our usual purchases we had no qualms in suggesting the visit to our friends. The oohs and aarghs accompanied by very smiley faces was evidence a plenty that everyone was very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed each glass. 

Our first tasting was Gwin gwyn which translates from Welsh to English as wine white. It's produced from the Phoenix grape and is my favourite White Castle wine. 

An invitingly clear wine in colour with aromas and flavours of citrus and elderflower and a clean crisp finish. Cellar Door price £20.00

Moving on to a wine I have not tasted before, our second tasting was White Castle Rosé. Its appearance in the glass a soft salmon followed by an abundance of summer fruit flavours and an elegant finish. Cellar Door price £19.00

I felt very very spoilt with our first red tasting. I am not a great drinker of Pinot Noir as I struggle to find a wine that I like, however on a previous visit Hubby and I tasted Robb and Nicola's Pinot Noir Precoce Reserve and fell in love immediately. This wine is really superb, full of vanilla and dark fruits with a hint of oak from it's barrel aging. 

Cellar Door price £32.00 

Our final red was Harry, named after Robb and Nicola's grandson. Produced from Rondo grapes this wine had a deep colour corresponding with the deep fruit in its flavour.  A medium bodied wine benefiting from it's time in oak to develop. 

Cellar Door price £24.00

Our final tasting brought us full circle with its name being connected to the Croft Barn. 1581 is a fortified wine taking its name from the age of the barn beams. A smooth and very moreish wine that would be a perfect match to a cheese board, poured over ice cream or enjoyed straight from the bottle.

Cellar Door price £27.00

Siegerrebe is White Castle's other white, we do already have a bottle at home. A delicious wine full of peach, blossom and honey flavours with a hint of spice on its finish. Cellar Door price £22.00

Our absolute favourite red is White Castle's Regent. We have enjoyed this with our Christmas dinner for the last few years, it's a great pairing. It's full of dark fruits with cherry notes and soft tannins giving a long lengthy finish. Cellar Door price £25.00

Although not included in our tasting at the vineyard I can say White Castle's Sparkling Wine is superb. It has an abundance of fine bubbles, is full of gooseberry and elderflower flavours and was perfect to celebrate our daughter's engagement in 2022 to her Welsh fiancé. Cellar Door price £32.00

Thank you so much Robb and Nicola for such a warm welcome, fun vine tour and fantastic tasting. I know we all had a great afternoon with plans to revisit discussed already. I wish you every success with your crowdfunding and will be watching with delight as your winery becomes reality. 

Langham and Lyme Bay

Turning off the main road that runs between Dorchester and Blandford Forum we found ourselves driving down a small country lane, and small country lanes in England, especially with grass in the middle or high hedges usually means there will be something special at the end ..... and yes there was, Langham Wine Estate.

A rural setting of buildings, including an old intriguing barn with outdoor seating overlooking rows of vines, greeted us as we reached the end of the lane, it all looked so inviting.

Family owned since 1980 it was Justin Langham in 2009 that increased the vineyard to become a commercial wine grower. The soil and land is very similar to that of the Champagne region with gentle slopes providing the maximum amount of sunlight. Langham Wine Estate grow Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay from which they produce superb English sparkling wine.

Classic Cuvée 2014 

made from all three grapes

Blanc de Blanc 2014 

which is 100% Chardonnay

Rosé NV

made from Pinot Noir

Blanc de Noirs 2013

58% Pinot Noir and 42% Pinot Meunier and aged on lees for 40 months

I discovered Blanc de Noirs on our recent trip to the Champagne Region, the chance to try an English Blanc de Noirs could not be missed. Such a lovely colour in the glass, so elegant with a continuous stream on tiny bubbles rushing upwards. An inviting nose led to a mouth of buttery nuttiness that had a soft yet long lasting finish. A glass of bubbly that I wanted to last forever .... and so of course a bottle has come home.

Blanc de Noirs 2013

As it was a lunchtime visit we decided to stay for some food. Langham offer plenty of choice, all freshly made to order and can be enjoyed either in the barn or outdoors with the vines.  Our lunch was served at old oak tables with church pews and oak chairs for seating. It was the perfect atmosphere to enjoy great food accompanied by a superb glass of English Sparkling Wine .... a real pleasure.

Butternut Squash soup served with cheese and grapes

Winemaker's Lunch 

Langham Wine Estate do offer tours, either guided or by yourself, with tastings. The grapes had been picked just days before our visit so we appreciated the vines without walking the fields. It was such a peaceful setting, lovely food and as I have said superb wine, thank you Langham.

Langham Wine Estate 

Further west along the south coast, just over the border into Devon, is Lyme Bay Winery. I have known about this winery since I was a young girl as they had a small shop in Lulworth Cove which we visited each holiday. However I had never been to the winery itself.

We managed to find Lyme Bay Winery, down the obligatory small English lane, after our sat nav had us going in circles to find (it is actually just off a main road). A wood cladded building with an old weighing machinery outside had a welcoming feel which was echoed by the array of produce once inside.

I remember Lyme Bay wine being fruit flavoured and was delighted to see a full range of English Fruit and Country Wine: cherry, blackcurrant, apricot, ginger, Christmas pudding, cowslip and damson to name but a few. These fruit wines are also available as Sparkling Wines and Liqueurs.

Lyme Bay also produce wine from a variety of grapes, their wines are:

Shoreline        Bacchus Block     Sandbar      Pinot Noir       Pinot Noir Rosé     Chardonnay 

Of all the grapes grown here in the UK for wine making my favourite is Bacchus and Sandbar is made from 100% Bacchus; no need to ask,  of course a bottle came home with us.

Lyme Bay Winery also produce English Sparkling Wine and I was delighted to discover that their Sparkling Rosé 2014 has been shortlisted in the People's Choice Wine Awards.


Their other sparkling wines are:

Blanc de Noirs     Classic Cuvée      Brut Reserve Sparkling  

I was delighted to have beenva judge at the People's Choice Wine Awards  although I didn't judge Fabulous Fizz: Best Sparkling Wine UK in Round 1. However I did in Round 2 but as all bottles were wrapped to hide their labeling we had no idea which wine we were tasting.

I'm so pleased Lyme Bay have been chosen on the shortlist, the winners will be announced at The Comedy Store in Manchester on 25th February 2019.

Julia, Just Perfect Wines, was also a judge for the People's Choice Wine Awards and you can purchase Lyme Bay's Sparkling Rosé from her online shop - Just Perfect Wines will also be at Love Wine Fest in Birmingham on 10th November at the Burlington Hotel.

Our Dorset and Devon wine visits were both superb, thank you Langham Wine Estate and Lyme Bay Winery.