Welsh Wine Tours / Vineyards / Gwinllan Conwy
Vineyard guide · Llangwstenin
Visiting Gwinllan Conwy
Gwinllan Conwy is the vineyard you can see from the A55 between Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay, with a shop full of Welsh food. Tours run from mid-January to the end of November, and the one to book adds a Welsh cheeseboard to the tasting. It is strictly for adults.
Gwinllan Conwy at a glance
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Solaris, a Welsh food shop, and tours with cheese and grazing boards |
| Awards | Countryside Alliance award for best local food and drink producer in Wales, 2021; Solaris medals at Decanter, the International Wine Challenge and WineGB |
| Grapes | Solaris, Ortega, Rondo and Regent, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay planted later |
| Open | Shop Wednesday to Friday 12pm to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm. Tours Thursday, Friday and Saturday, mid-January to 30 November |
| Booking | Tours booked and paid online through the events calendar. Tickets non-refundable; at least 48 hours’ notice to move a date |
| Tours from | £20 |
| Food | Welsh cheeseboard or grazing board with the tour, ordered in advance; the shop sells Welsh cheese, charcuterie and preserves |
| Dogs | Not allowed anywhere on site |
| Children | Tours strictly 18 and over; children can visit outside tour times for a short wander and tasting |
| By train | Llandudno Junction, then a taxi booked in advance |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in November 2026.
About Gwinllan Conwy
Colin and Charlotte Bennett planted the vineyard in 2012 with no experience of growing vines, starting with just 300. It now has about 3,000 vines on three acres of slopes above the A55. The first wines came from cool-climate varieties; later they added Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, encouraged by the site’s weather. The wines are made in partnership with a winery, and have won awards since the first vintage.
In 2021 they were named the top local food and drink producers in Wales at the Countryside Alliance awards. That visit led to an unusual experiment. The farmer presenting the award suggested laying sheep fleeces round the vines instead of using weedkiller. A trial that autumn produced healthier leaves and riper grapes, because the white wool reflects sunlight back up, and in 2023 fleeces from more than 3,000 Welsh sheep were laid through the vineyard, in full view of the traffic on the A55.
The wines
Solaris is the flagship and the most decorated wine, a crisp dry white that the vineyard compares to Loire Sauvignon Blanc. The sparkling Pefriog is the same grape made by the traditional method. Gwin Pwdin, a late-harvest Solaris dessert wine in half bottles, is the unusual one to take home. Also on the list are Pydew, a dry Ortega named after the area the vineyard is in, a Rondo red aged in old Barolo barrels, a Pinot Noir rosé, Rhosliw Pefriog, a sparkling rosé from Regent, and Pefriog Reserve 2022, aged three years on the lees. Still wines are £19.95. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Gwinllan Conwy
Book the cheeseboard tour. It is the best value of the food options and gives you time to buy a bottle to have with it. Tours go ahead in any weather, so bring a coat, and the vineyard asks for good mobility as there are inclines and uneven ground. The age rule is firm: no one under 18 on a tour, babies included. If you are travelling with children, come outside tour times and the team will offer a tasting and a short walk in the vines. No dogs are allowed anywhere, and coaches cannot get in, though a minibus can drop off in the car park. Allergies must be given in advance, as all the food is prepared to order. The shop is worth a look even without a tour, for Welsh cheese, charcuterie and hampers.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting A walk round the vines with the vineyard manager, covering the year from pruning to harvest, then a tasting of four still wines while the team explains how they are made and blended. You are free to stay for a drink afterwards. | £25 per person | About 1 hour 45 minutes | Thursday to Saturday, mid-January to 30 November |
| Tour, Tasting and Welsh Cheeseboard The same tour and tasting, followed by a platter of Welsh cheeses with bread, biscuits and chutneys. Everyone in the party must choose the same food option, ordered in advance. | £37.50 per person | About 2 hours 45 minutes | Thursday to Saturday, mid-January to 30 November |
| Tour, Tasting and Grazing Board The tour and tasting with a board of Welsh produce, such as a homemade tart, ham hock terrine, charcuterie and Welsh cheeses. An adopt-a-vine version (£75 for one, £120 for two) adds a bottle, a named slate plaque on a vine and a chance to pick its grapes. | £45 per person | About 2 hours 45 minutes | Thursday to Saturday, mid-January to 30 November |
| Tour and Tasting, bar stool seating A cheaper ticket for up to six people who are eating elsewhere afterwards. The same tour and four-wine tasting, at the bar, with no food option. | £20 per person | – | On selected tour dates |
| Festive Wine and Food Tasting Sparkling rosé and a canapé on arrival, then a tasting led by the owner of the sparkling Solaris, the four still wines and the dessert wine, followed by festive food. | £35 with a cheeseboard, £42.50 with a grazing board | – | Before Christmas, on set dates |
Book these on the Gwinllan Conwy website.
Buy Gwinllan Conwy wines
None of our wine partners has these wines in stock this week. The vineyard sells them in its own shop, or see our pick of English wines to buy online.
Getting there
The vineyard is between Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay, just off the A55. The vineyard advises coming from Mochdre down Station Road rather than along Pabo Lane, which has few passing places, and asks you not to park opposite the drive, which is private land. There is a good-sized car park inside. By train, Llandudno Junction is the nearest station; book a taxi to and from the vineyard in advance.
Make a day of it
Conwy is about three miles away and has plenty of places to eat, and Rhos-on-Sea is about two and a half. Vale Vineyard in the Vale of Clwyd is a drive east along the A55, and its Saturday tours fit with a Friday here.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Wales directory. Our other Wales vineyard guides: White Castle, Llanerch, Glyndŵr, Sugar Loaf Vineyards, The Dell, Parva Farm, Vale, Velfrey.
Questions people ask
Can children come on the Gwinllan Conwy tour?
No. Tours are strictly for over-18s. Families can visit outside tour times, when the team will offer a tasting and a short walk in the vines.
What happens if it rains?
The tour goes ahead whatever the weather, and bookings cannot be cancelled because of it. Bring a coat and suitable shoes.
Can I change my tour date?
With at least 48 hours’ notice the vineyard may move you to another date, at its discretion. Tickets are not refundable, and no-shows lose the booking.