Red Wharf Bay Vineyard: A Welsh Micro-Vineyard with an Andalusian Twist
Red Wharf Bay Vineyard: A Welsh Micro-Vineyard with an Andalusian Twist
If you are looking for a vineyard that breaks the mould, Red Wharf Bay Vineyard on Anglesey, North Wales, is it. An independent micro-vineyard planted in one of the most unexpected corners of British wine country, it fuses Welsh enterprise with a generous splash of Andalusian sunshine - the result of an owner's thwarted attempt to plant vines in southern Spain and a determination to bring a little of that warmth back to the Irish Sea coast.
The vineyard was even named by BBC Countryfile as one of the Ten Best Places to Visit on Anglesey, ranking at number seven. That kind of accolade is hard-won for a small operation, and it reflects the care that has gone into every vine, every glass poured, and every ceramic bowl stacked on the shop shelves.
Location and Setting
Red Wharf Bay Vineyard sits on a gentle slope overlooking the blue waters of Red Wharf Bay on the Isle of Anglesey, within the Traeth Coch Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The address is Llain Gam, Lon y Traeth, Pentraeth, Anglesey, LL75 8YG - a quiet lane that feels a world away from the bustle of the Menai Strait, even though it is only about five miles north of the Britannia Bridge crossing.
The setting is part of the appeal. Guests arrive at a single house at the end of a lane and then walk out into the vineyard itself, with wide views across the bay and the dunes beyond. Kevin, the founder and winemaker, is happy to point out the footpaths that link the vineyard to the surrounding AONB and is currently producing maps for 2-mile, 4-mile and 7-mile walks so visitors can make a full day of it.
The Story Behind the Vines
The vineyard's story begins with a redundancy and a daydream. Kevin, then 62, had spent a career in IT and decided it was time to do something completely different. He planted 75 Solaris vines on a small north-west-facing bank in 2010, mostly to tame a patch of land his wife wanted sorting. The result was, in his own words, "a very small amount of unremarkable wine" - and, after five years, even less of it than he had hoped for.
Kevin's solution was to retreat to the sun. He spent six months searching for land in Andalucía, in southern Spain, and only at the end of that long process discovered that the Common Agricultural Policy made it practically impossible to plant a new commercial vineyard anywhere in mainland Europe. Undeterred, he brought the dream home to Anglesey and started again, this time properly.
In the spring of 2016, 400 vines went into the same field - a mixture of Solaris (a German white variety bred for cool climates) and Rondo (a red variety with Central European roots). Both are chosen because they can cope with the brisk Welsh weather. The original 75 vines are still part of the vineyard today, now maturing alongside the newer plantings. As Kevin puts it, this is the first phase; if it works, he will plant more.
The Wines
The vineyard's white wine is made from the Solaris grape, and the red from Rondo. A third wine, which varies depending on availability, rounds out the tasting flight. Because the vineyard is so small, the wines are tasted in situ rather than shipped out by the case. Visitors meet the wine on the premises, in the wine garden or in a large conservatory that looks down over the vines and out to Red Wharf Bay.
Tours and Tastings
The centrepiece of the visitor experience is the Vineyard Tour, Wine Tasting and Tapas, which lasts long enough to take in the whole story of the site - the planting, the three-year wait until the first harvest, the annual cycle thereafter, and the Spanish detour that gave the vineyard its soul. Prices are:
- £29 per adult
- £8 for accompanied 14 to 17 year olds (not tasting wine)
- Smaller children, babies, dogs and goldfish are welcome free of charge, provided they are mentioned at the time of booking
The tasting flight covers three wines, starting with the Solaris white, moving on to the Rondo red, and finishing with a third wine that reflects what is in the cellar. Anglesey Tapas accompany the tasting, which can be enjoyed in the wine garden when the weather is kind or in the conservatory overlooking the bay.
What to Expect on the Day
- An introduction to the vines, the site, and the lessons learned across the years - including the follies in Anglesey and the near-miss in Spain
- The story of the Spanish connection, the partners found in Andalucía, and the ceramics of "The Potters Village" near Córdoba
- A tasting of three wines paired with Anglesey Tapas
Tours are capped at a maximum of sixteen people and require reasonable mobility, as the vineyard slopes and the ground is uneven. Outdoor shoes and clothing suitable for the season are essential. The vineyard operates the Challenge 25 scheme, so anyone who looks under 25 will be asked for ID before being offered wine. Guests aged 16 and 17 can legally drink wine on the premises while seated and eating in a parental group.
Booking
Booking is essential. With only around 400 vines and a single owner-winemaker, the vineyard is not a walk-in attraction - turning up on spec risks finding the gate shut. Confirmed tour dates include a mix of weekday and weekend afternoons, and many slots fill up quickly. It is best to specify a preferred date and let Kevin know of any children, dogs or other companions at the time of booking. Bookings can be made through the Book a Tour page or by calling 0791 999 45 30.
Gift Vouchers
Gift vouchers are sold as personal letters from Kevin to the recipient, telling them they have been bought a tour of the vineyard. They are available in two formats:
- Voucher for Vineyard Tour, Wine Tasting and Tapas - £29.00
- Voucher for Vineyard Tour, Wine Tasting and Tapas for 2 People - £58.00
Once an order is placed, Kevin is in touch to gather the recipient's details and either posts the letter directly or sends it to the buyer so they can hand it over in person. Vouchers can be purchased through the Red Wharf Bay Vineyard shop.
The Ceramics: A Little of Spain in Wales
The Andalusian connection goes beyond the wine. Tucked into the vineyard shop is a hand-picked selection of ceramics from Ceramica El Titi, a workshop run by Rafael and Ana in the village of La Rambla, near Córdoba. La Rambla has been given special status by the regional government of Andalusia as "The Potters Village"; nearby museums hold plates and glasses made there by locals hundreds of years ago, and the tradition continues in Rafael and Ana's workshop today.
Every plate, bowl and bottle in the Red Wharf Bay shop is made and decorated entirely by hand, which makes each piece original and unique. The current selection includes:
- Small Bowls - £12.00
- Olive Oil Bottles (20 cm) - £12.00
- Tapas Bowl (17 cm dia.) - £12.00
- Trays and Spools (18 cm length) - £12.00
- Kitchen Roll Holder - £12.00
These are not souvenirs churned out by machine; they are the kind of pieces that earn a permanent spot on a kitchen shelf or dining table. The full ceramics range is available from the vineyard and is shown on the Ceramics page.
Getting There
The vineyard is on the opposite side of the bay to the village of Red Wharf Bay itself, so do not follow signs for the bay. From the Britannia Bridge, take the second exit (the A5025) towards Amlwch and Benllech. After about four miles, turn into the village of Pentraeth, opposite the large petrol station, and take the B5109 towards Beaumaris between the church and The Panton Arms. After 200 yards, turn left, then left again into Lon Y Traeth. Llain Gam is about 750 yards down the lane, the first house on the left.
Contact
- Phone: 0800 731 8208 (freephone) or 0791 999 45 30 (mobile)
- Email: Vineyard@RedWharfSystems.co.uk
- Address: Llain Gam, Lon y Traeth, Pentraeth, Anglesey, LL75 8YG
Why Visit
Red Wharf Bay Vineyard is not a polished commercial estate - and that is the point. It is a one-person labour of love, perched on a Welsh hillside with the mountains of Snowdonia behind and the Irish Sea in front, where the tasting room happens to be a conservatory, the ceramics are made by hand in Córdoba, and the tapas come from Anglesey. For anyone interested in how wine is actually grown in the UK, how small producers carve out an identity, and how a thwarted Spanish dream can become a working Welsh vineyard, it is well worth the detour to Pentraeth.