Welsh Wine Tours / Vineyards / Vale
Vineyard guide · Llandyrnog
Visiting Vale Vineyard
The Davies family call themselves the first grape farmers of the Vale of Clwyd, and their vineyard sits on the lower slopes of the Clwydian Range near Denbigh. Visits are by guided tour on summer Saturdays, two hours with a tasting and a Snowdonia cheese platter in a restored barn. The red Robin Goch is the wine to ask about.
Vale at a glance
| Known for | Robin Goch red and traditional-method sparkling wines |
|---|---|
| Awards | Robin Goch named best alternative red at the WineGB Awards 2025; Wales regional awards at WineGB for the sparkling white and sparkling rosé |
| Grapes | Solaris, Seyval Blanc, Cabaret Noir, Pinot Noir Précoce, Rondo and Divico |
| Open | Guided tours May to September, Saturdays at 12 noon and 4pm |
| Booking | Tours booked online in advance |
| Tours from | £32 |
| Food | Snowdonia cheese platter included on the tour |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in November 2026.
About Vale
Gwen and Rhys Davies both grew up on farms in the area and studied at agricultural college before long careers in farming. Gwinllan y Dyffryn, as the vineyard is called in Welsh, is a family effort. Gwen runs the vines and the business day to day, and the wider family and friends come in to pick by hand at harvest.
The site is on the lower slopes of the Clwydian Range, and the family put the quality of the grapes down to its microclimate. They grow six varieties, among them two newer red varieties, Cabaret Noir and Divico, which go with Rondo into Robin Goch.
The first sparkling white came from the 2021 harvest and spent 24 months on its lees. It won the Wales regional award at the WineGB Awards, presented by Oz Clarke. In 2025 Robin Goch was named the UK’s best alternative red at the same competition, and the 2023 sparkling rosé took the regional award for Wales in 2026.
The wines
Robin Goch, a blend of Rondo, Cabaret Noir and Divico, is the one to try, and there is now a Reserve version with longer barrel ageing. Both are from 2023 grapes. The two traditional-method sparklings are a Seyval Blanc brut from 2022 and the 2023 sparkling rosé of Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir Précoce, which won the regional award in 2026. The still range is a dry Solaris, a Pinot Noir Précoce red and a dry rosé. Bottles run from £20 to £35. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Vale
Vale Vineyard is a Saturday-only, summer-only visit, so it is the stop to build a North Wales weekend round. We’d take the noon tour and have the afternoon free for Ruthin or Denbigh Castle. Book before you travel, as there is no drop-in visit, and anyone booking from abroad should check the time carefully, since the booking system shifts to your time zone. Voucher holders pick a date online and enter their code at checkout, with the number of people matching the voucher. Use the what3words address mess.gliders.ecologist to find the entrance. The vineyard lists three local taxi firms if no one wants to drive.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided tour with wine tasting and cheese platter A walk round the vines, timed for buds, flowers, fruit set or ripe grapes depending on the month, with the story of how the family care for them. Back in Ysgubor Gwin, the restored wine barn, or on the patio with views over the vale, you taste four of the wines with a Snowdonia cheese platter. | £32 per person | 2 hours | May to September, Saturdays at 12 noon and 4pm |
Book these on the Vale website.
Buy Vale 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 at Dre Goch Isaf near Llandyrnog, between Denbigh and Ruthin in the Vale of Clwyd. The vineyard gives no public transport advice, but suggests local taxis from Denbigh, Ruthin and Nannerch.
Make a day of it
Ruthin, Denbigh and St Asaph are the nearby towns, and the Clwydian Range is known for its walks. Several places to stay are within walking distance of the vineyard, including converted barns and glamping pods. Gwinllan Conwy, near Llandudno Junction, is a drive west along the A55 and runs tours on Thursdays and Fridays as well as Saturdays.
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, Gwinllan Conwy, Velfrey.
Questions people ask
Can I visit Vale Vineyard without booking a tour?
The vineyard advertises only booked tours, which run on Saturdays from May to September. Its wines can be bought online all year.
How long is the Vale Vineyard tour?
Two hours, with the walk in the vines first and then a tasting and cheese platter in the barn or on the patio.
Does Vale Vineyard run events outside the summer?
Sometimes, away from the vineyard. In November 2026 it is holding a Beaujolais Nouveau night at the Assembly Rooms in Ruthin, with Welsh wine against the new Beaujolais.