Spring Hollow Vineyard & Winery: Handcrafted Organic Welsh Wine in the Teifi Valley
Nestled in the rolling landscape of the Teifi Valley in West Wales, Spring Hollow Vineyard is a small, family-run winery that quietly proves some of Britain's most exciting cool-climate wines are being made far from the traditional vineyards of the south-east. Run by Wayne and Sally Campbell, this nine-acre estate is hand planted on south-facing slopes overlooking the Carmarthenshire countryside near Llandysul, and every bottle that leaves the cellar is the result of organic and biodynamic husbandry, a great deal of physical work, and an unwavering belief that the Welsh climate can produce something genuinely special.
A family vineyard in the Teifi Valley
Spring Hollow sits at Pant y Ffynnon, Cwmpengraig, between Llandysul and the wider Teifi Valley - an area more commonly associated with dairy farming, woodland and quiet country lanes than with viticulture. It is Wayne and Sally Campbell's shared passion for fine wine that led them to plant vines here. The location gives them an ideal opportunity for growing cool-climate grape varieties from which they can produce quality Welsh wine.
The vineyard itself is a study in careful site selection. It is hand planted on south-facing slopes, where the sandy soils over slate and shale provide the excellent drainage that cool-climate viticulture demands. That combination - aspect, soil structure and a sheltered valley position - is what makes the difference between vines that merely survive a Welsh winter and vines that ripen enough fruit to make balanced, food-friendly wine.
Organic and biodynamic principles
From the outset the Campbells have followed both organic and biodynamic principles, aiming to produce the most natural wine they possibly can. That philosophy runs through every part of the operation, from the way the trellis is managed and the under-vine area is mowed, to the decision to replace 2,000 bamboo tutors with galvanised steel over time. It is a long-game approach, and one that is increasingly appreciated by visitors who care as much about how a wine is made as how it tastes in the glass.
The wines
Spring Hollow's range is deliberately small. With more than 3,000 vines to manage by hand, the focus is on quality and character rather than volume. Their wines are small-batch, hand-crafted wines from West Wales - the kind of limited-production bottles that find their way onto wine lists and into homes through the online shop rather than supermarket shelves.
Rondo Red 2023 - £24.00
The flagship red is a single-varietal wine made from organically grown Rondo grapes. On the palate it is a light, fruity red with hints of blackcurrant, redcurrant and plum, finishing with a smooth vanilla note. At 11% ABV in a 750ml bottle, it is the kind of unfussy, food-friendly red that pairs well with meat dishes or a cheese platter - and, as the producers suggest, is ideal for a relaxed fireside drink. Buy Rondo Red 2023.
Rondo Rosé 2023 - £24.00
A medium-dry pink wine, again made from a single grape variety grown on the estate. Expect refreshing flavours of ripe strawberries and summer fruits with a hint of raspberry on the finish. The producers recommend serving it chilled at 8 - 10ºC alongside seafood, particularly smoked fish, or with sweet dishes. At 11% ABV it slips easily into a long Welsh summer afternoon. Buy Rondo Rosé 2023.
Solaris White 2023 - £24.00
Clear pale gold in colour, this is a dry white made from Solaris - one of the hardier cool-climate white varieties that performs reliably in marginal UK climates. The wine offers a delicate, light bouquet and crisp flavours of peach, gooseberry, grapefruit and a hint of honey. It pairs well with pasta dishes, light cheeses and charcuterie and is best served chilled. At 11.5% ABV it has just enough body to stand up to food without losing its freshness. Buy Solaris White 2023.
Quality Sparkling Wine Brut - £35.00
A traditional-method sparkling wine made from 2022 Seyval Blanc grapes and labelled as A Product of Wales. Light, refreshing and bone dry, it carries hints of lemon and crisp apple, finishing with a juicy, mouth-watering vibrancy. At 12% ABV this is the bottle Spring Hollow recommends when there is something to celebrate, and it has already earned a place in the hearts of regular customers. Buy Quality Sparkling Wine Brut.
Half-case and mixed-case options
For those who want to stock up - or to sample the full still-wine trio - Spring Hollow also offers a range of half-case (six-bottle) packs:
- Rondo Red 2023 half case (6 bottles) - £132.00
- Rondo Rosé half case (6 bottles) - £132.00
- Solaris White 2023 half case (6 bottles) - £132.00
- Mixed half case (6 bottles) - £132.00, comprising two bottles each of Rondo Red 2022, Solaris White 2023 and Rondo Rosé 2023 - a trio of Teifi Valley Welsh wines
- Quality Sparkling Wine Brut half case (6 bottles) - £192.00
All bottles carry the standard allergen advice: contains sulphites.
Stay at the vineyard
Wine is only part of the Spring Hollow story. The Campbells have also built two private vineyard cabins on the estate, available to let through Airbnb. The cabins are positioned as a peaceful retreat for slowing down, unwinding and reconnecting with the landscape.
Bwthyn Glas
Perched on the edge of the valley, Bwthyn Glas offers uninterrupted views across the rolling West Wales landscape. Mornings are spent with coffee overlooking the vines, evenings watching the light fade over the hills. Quiet, private and, in the Campbells' words, deeply restorative. Availability and bookings are handled through Airbnb - Bwthyn Glas.
Bwthyn Gwyrdd
Tucked away in a quieter corner of the vineyard, Bwthyn Gwyrdd looks out across the vines themselves. It is pitched as the more grounded of the two - the rhythm of the seasons, soft countryside sounds, and space to simply be. Ideal, the winery says, for switching off and settling into the calm of vineyard life. Book via Airbnb - Bwthyn Gwyrdd.
The cabins offer something rare: the chance to wake up surrounded by vines in a working Welsh vineyard, with a glass of the estate's own wine never far away.
A year on the vineyard
The work at Spring Hollow follows the rhythm of the seasons, and every stage of the year shapes the wines that follow.
Winter pruning (January)
In January, the next vintage really begins with winter pruning. Every cut on every vine is a decision about how the vine will grow, how much fruit it will carry, and the balance and quality of the wine that follows. It is quiet, physical work - cold fingers, damp boots.
Tightening the trellis (spring)
Spring comes early in some Welsh years, and the work of tightening the trellis is balanced against the anxiety of buds bursting only for a late frost - potentially as late as mid-May - to threaten the whole season. The practical work is unglamorous but essential: loosening wires, tightening anchors, pulling everything back under tension with gripples and chain links, and trying not to get flicked in the face when a wire snaps.
Tying down vines with the family
Spring is also the time for tying down vines. With more than 3,000 vines to manage, the job is a family affair, with Sally and daughter Fiona working alongside Wayne through every kind of weather. By the time shoots are 2 - 3 inches long and the first grape flowers appear, the season's promise is suddenly visible.
Fool's Spring and Second Winter (March)
March in a Welsh vineyard often delivers two seasons in quick succession: a brief, tantalising warm spell good enough for the first big mow of the year is followed by what locals call Second Winter. Waterproofs, rubber boots, hats and gloves reappear, and Wayne sums it up with a wry aside: who else would plant a vineyard in Wales?
Flowering and the long summer (June - July)
Come June, the vineyard enters its most magical period, with Rondo inflorescence - the delicate flower clusters that will become the year's grapes - appearing across the rows. In July, fast-growing vines demand constant attention, and under-vine mowing plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy, chemical-free vineyard ecosystem.
The last sixty posts (April)
The vineyard's trellis system was eventually completed by driving the last sixty intermediate posts into the ground with the help of a post-rammer affectionately nicknamed Thor. It is a useful reminder that a Spring Hollow bottle does not simply appear: every glass carries with it the noise, the effort, the seasons, and yes - even Thor.
Visiting and contacting Spring Hollow Vineyard
The vineyard is located at Pant y Ffynnon, Cwmpengraig, Llandysul, Carmarthenshire, SA44 5XS. Enquiries can be sent to admin@springhollowvineyard.co.uk or directed to the team by phone on 07969 895 704.
Spring Hollow does not run a formal public tasting-room schedule or guided tour programme. The most direct way to experience the vineyard is through a stay in one of the two cabins, or by ordering wines directly through the online shop for home delivery.
Why Spring Hollow stands out
There is no shortage of ambition at Spring Hollow, but it is an ambition rooted firmly in the realities of a small family business. The wines are limited in number, the vines are tended by hand, and the team is small. What sets the project apart is the combination of cool-climate Welsh terroir - south-facing sandy slopes over slate and shale in the Teifi Valley - with a strict organic and biodynamic approach and a willingness to work with the varieties that genuinely thrive here: Rondo for red and rosé, Solaris for the white, and Seyval Blanc for the sparkling.
Whether tasted from a glass on the cabin terrace at Bwthyn Glas or Bwthyn Gwyrdd, or opened by the fire at home, every bottle is the result of one family's stubborn, optimistic decision to plant a vineyard in Wales.