September News 2021

WEEKENDING AT WHITE CASTLE VINEYARD…………

Our additional vineyard tours and wine tasting have certainly been a success throughout this year.

Covid and the uncertainty of how we would return to some sort of normality with regards to our socializing and travel was certainly a challenge which we feel we have overcome with your understanding and support.

Visitors travelled from far and wide each with their own agenda, many to meet Robb and i in person as White Castle Vineyard has certainly become a sought after place to visit, following our TV appearances and most recently for winning a Gold award with our vintage 2018 Pinot Noir Precose Reserve at this year 2021 Decanter World wine awards.

Its been a rollercoaster of a journey and one we shall treasure forever.

So lets begin with,  A WHISTLE STOP OF BEST BITS…………..

April 2021 Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh 

 

White castle Regent Red vintage 2017 wine won over Samantha Bond (Aka) Moneypenny

“her expression was clearly amazing, sales soared” website crashed

Wonders Of The Border with Sean Fletcher Help at Harvest 2020  https://www.itv.com/walesprogrammes/articles/wonders-of-the-border-episode-1  

 

 

Our success at this years 2021 International Wine Challenge with our Pinot Noir Precoce Reserve vintage 2018 whoop whoop and more to come on that …..

June 2021

Welsh Wine Week saw the release of our new vintage White wine “Gwin Gwyn”  and Rose wines.

Welsh Vineyard Association Annual wine Competition. Our new release vintage 2021 Rose gained a Silver award and won the  Thomas Davies Memorial Trophy Overall Winners Cup for best wine overall in this years competition.

…..

Wine GB Awards 2021  A Silver Award for White castle Sparkling Esmae Rose vintage 2017  

.

 

Winning a Gold award at Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 has taken us to new heights.

Our first entry to Decanter world wine awards 2021 with our Pinot Noir Reserve made from Pinot Noir Précoce vintage 2018 has been a rollercoaster of a journey. Winning a Gold at this years Decanter world wine awards was beyond our dreams, however this underpins every thing we strive to achieve in producing quality Welsh wine.

World wide Coverage of our achievement began with a press release in the Guardian, radio and social media coverage and our very own local press shared our triumphs. Our very own Roy Noble @BBCSounds congratulated Robb and myself “First Gold winning Welsh wine from @welshwines” at Decanter world wine awards 2021.

Visitor numbers to the vineyard have increased and congratulations continue to flood in, we also had a message from Kylie Minogue Congratulating us on our success.

A whistle stop visit to London for a live television interview with Sarah Jane Evans MW live on 67 Pall Mall TV is certainly an accolade.

Robb and I have been overwhelmed and here are a few quotes that have been in the tabloids and social media.

 

Food & Drink Industry.

Welsh Red: ex postal worker and retired nurse grab a gold with a pinot noir.

Monmouthshire’s White Castle Vineyard scoops top prize against global rivals in prestigious blind tasting award.

 

walesonline.co.uk

The ex postman who now produces some of the best wine in the world…

White Castle Vineyard – which Robb Merchant owns with wife and former nurse Nicola – was named among the best in the world this week.

 

 

It’s not just our Olympians who are aiming for Gold this summer, as Monmouthshire’s White Castle Vineyard has won its own gold medal at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards. Its the first Welsh wine to win a gold medal, beating out competition from France, America & around the world in a blind tasting. The winning wine was White Castles Pinot Noir Reserve 2018, a red wine praised for its ‘deliciously fresh’ taste.

Needless to say we are out of vintage 2018 Pinot Noir Précoce reserve, however scheduled for November 2021 we have the release of 2019 Pinot Noir Précoce reserve.

 

And nearer to home we welcomed Emma and Cari at the end of their 72 mile walk to raise funds towards Motor Neurone Disease (MND charity fundraiser)

Finishing their challenge at White Castle Vineyard with a well earned glass of our award winning welsh Sparkling wine, a team of supporters and well wishers one of whom included our local mayor of Abergavenny.

Emma is one of a team working @DyllanwadWine a retail stockist of ours in Dolgellau.

 

 

Here and Now….

September

Robb and I were delighted to receive Wales regional award for our Sparkling Esmae Rose 2017 presented by Dylanwad at London’s Trade & Press Day organised by WineGB



 

 

Harvest is on the horizon…..

September brings us nearer to harvest and fingers crossed all goes well we shall have a bounty harvest this year in comparison with the harvest of 2020.

Preparation has already begun and so has grape analysis and the results are looking good.

Last thing to say, Changes to our opening hours are:

 

Friday and Saturday 11 – 5 pm with a Conducted Vineyard tour followed by wine tasting @ 2pm, booking advised.

And later in the year we have new release wines in time for the Festive Season we shall keep you updated.

 

Bye for now, hwyl am naw . Nicola & Robb.

 

 

.