Llanerch Vineyard is located in Wales, roughly a twenty-minute car journey from Cardiff centre. Visitors can stay at the hotel on site or enjoy a meal in the restaurant as well as take vineyard tours and tastings of the wine. The oldest plants in the vineyard were planted in the 1980s, if I remember correctly from the tour, and the hotel and restaurant came later with renovations and a grand reopening meant to take place in 2020 but then pushed back. I visited to kick off the Easter weekend this year and stayed a night in the hotel, had a tour of the vineyard and tasting, and enjoyed lunch and dinner at the hotel.
The vineyard is located in the quiet Welsh countryside.
Upon entering the building that doubles as the visitor centre, restaurant, and hotel receiption, we saw a plaque of dedication by the royal family, which only took place a few months ago.
We were greeted by a beautiful and trendy flower wall.
After checking in, we dropped off our luggage in the spacious room before going to the bar to have a cold drink ahead of the tour. We were first taken to a small room where we were able to listen to some brief history about the vineyard, although the majority of the history was discussed in the vineyard. This was the tasting part of the tour, and we were shown the Cariad wine and had two tastings in the room. We were told how to tell if wine is sweet or dry and also how to pick out the flavours in the wine.
After the tasting, we walked into the vineyard to see the plants. As we visited at the start of April, we saw some of the buds on the vines and saw the vines pruned back.
We were told about the vineyard's history at this point and how the trees on the right acted as a barrier to create a perfect spot for growing grapes. We enjoyed our third and final tasting outside, which was the sparkling wine called "Haif".
After the wine tasting and vineyard tour, we headed back to our room. The restaurant below us was buzzing with people enjoying the day and the sunshine and warm weather. The room was a large one and consisted of two bathrooms, a large bedroom, and a living area with couch, tables, and television. The decor was clean and trendy. A free bottle of the Cariad wine was provided to us in the room, and it is an enjoyable and easy-to-drink wine. I read a book and enjoyed some while we waited for dinner.
Dinner included a two-course meal. I had tomato soup to start, and I had to opt for a lunch option (Jamaican chicken) as there wasn't anything on the dinner menu. The main meal and starter was very tasty with good ingredients, although the menu options were limited.
I also had a dessert, although I was less keen on it as it was a bit bland in flavour.
The next morning, we had breakfast. This included many options - cereal, pastries, cold meats and cheeses, and a Welsh breakfast.
The food was very tasty again, and we left well-fed and cared for. I would definitely visit again for a relaxing stay.
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