Welsh Wine Tours / Vineyards / White Castle
Vineyard guide · Llanvetherine
Visiting White Castle Vineyard
Robb and Nicola Merchant run White Castle at Llanvetherine, near Abergavenny, and they take the tours themselves. In 2021 their Pinot Noir Précoce became the first Welsh wine to win a Decanter gold, and the reds are still the reason to go.
White Castle at a glance
| Founded | First 4,000 vines planted in May 2009 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Award-winning Welsh red wines, especially Pinot Noir Précoce and Regent |
| Awards | Decanter World Wine Awards Gold (2021) for Pinot Noir Précoce 2018, the first for a Welsh wine; Thomas Davies Memorial Trophy, Welsh Vineyards Association |
| Grapes | Pinot Noir Précoce, Regent, Rondo and Siegerrebe among others, with Cabernet Franc planted in 2019 |
| Open | Summer: Friday to Sunday and bank holidays, 10am to 5pm |
| Booking | No booking needed for tastings, booking advised for tours |
| Food | Welsh cheese, charcuterie and artisan meat platters with wine by the glass |
| Dogs | Accepted, according to Visit Monmouthshire |
| By train | Abergavenny is the nearest town; check taxi arrangements before you travel |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
About White Castle
In 1993 Robb and Nicola Merchant bought a 12-acre smallholding at Llanvetherine and made their home in its old milking parlour. The vineyard grew out of Nicola’s wish to own one. By 2008 they had bought a south-facing field, had the soil tested and ordered vines, and the first 4,000 went in during May 2009. They both trained at Plumpton College in East Sussex.
There are now 13,500 vines on gentle slopes about two-thirds of a mile from the ruins of White Castle. Ten years after the first planting, in May 2019, they added 2,000 more, among them Pinot Noir Précoce and Cabernet Franc, which the vineyard says was the first Cabernet Franc planted in Wales. Every wine comes from their own grapes. Since 2024 it has all been made on site in Y Gwindy, their own winery, which doubles as a place for visitors to taste.
The Decanter gold came in 2021, for the Pinot Noir Précoce 2018. More Decanter medals followed in 2022, 2023 and 2024, including a bronze in 2023 for the Regent 2021, and the Pinot Noir Précoce 2023 took silver in 2026. The vineyard has also won the Thomas Davies Memorial Trophy for the best wine at the Welsh Vineyards Association awards, and Robb Merchant was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to viticulture.
The wines
Go for the reds. Pinot Noir Précoce is the one that won the Decanter gold, and the Regent and a Rondo called Harry Rondo sit beside it. The whites are a Siegerrebe and a blend called Gwin Gwyn, and there is also a Sparkling White and a fortified wine. Everything comes from the estate’s own grapes. Most current releases are from 2023 and 2025, with the Regent 2023 and Fortified Wine 2021 waiting to be released. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at White Castle
In summer the cellar door opens Friday to Sunday and on bank holidays, and it is shut from Monday to Thursday. Nobody publishes winter hours, so if you are going between October and March, check before you go. You can drink by the glass on the terrace over the vines with a platter of Welsh cheese, charcuterie or artisan meats, and buy bottles or mixed cases to take away. Tours are booked through the vineyard’s website, which also sells vouchers. Visit Monmouthshire says a low-incline ramp and level double doors lead into the cellar door, shop and terrace, both toilets are wheelchair accessible, and groups of 5 to 50 are welcome. Below the vineyard is Croft Barn, a restored 16th-century Grade II* listed barn that the Merchants hire out for events. There is an Adopt a Vine scheme too.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducted Wine Tasting Four Welsh wines at the cellar door. Just turn up. | Not published; check with the vineyard | At your own pace | Friday to Sunday and bank holidays, 10am to 5pm |
| Conducted Vineyard & Winery Tour Robb or Nicola walk you through the vineyard and the Y Gwindy winery, and then you taste four Welsh wines. It’s the one we’d book. Booking is advised. | Not published; tour vouchers range from £20 to £48 | Not stated | Friday to Sunday and bank holidays at 11.30am and 3pm |
| Deluxe Vineyard & Winery Tour Starts with a glass of sparkling wine, then a tour that goes further into how the wines are made, and a tasting of six Welsh wines. Booking is advised. | Not published; tour vouchers range from £20 to £48 | Allow about 2.5 hours | 3pm on the last Friday of the month, April to September; 2027 dates listed include 30 April, 28 May and 30 July |
Book these on the White Castle website.
Buy White Castle wines
1 bottle in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
White
White Castle Still White 2024
A dry, delicate Welsh white, pale straw in colour, with an elderflower aroma and ripe lemony fruit.
£28.95at WinebuyersBuy
Getting there
The vineyard is at The Croft Farm in Llanvetherine, out in the Monmouthshire countryside between Abergavenny and Monmouth. Use NP7 8RA or the what3words address perform.permit.visits to find the entrance. There is no published advice on parking or public transport. Coming by train to Abergavenny, book a taxi in advance, and ring 01873 821443 with any questions about access.
Make a day of it
White Castle itself, a ruined Norman castle looked after by Cadw, is about two-thirds of a mile away and makes a short outing before or after a tasting. The Skirrid Fawr, a favourite walking hill, is just over three miles off. Abergavenny is the nearest market town for shops and restaurants.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Wales directory. Our other Wales vineyard guides: Llanerch, Glyndwr.
Questions people ask
Is White Castle open in winter?
Winter hours are not published. The summer pattern is Friday to Sunday and bank holidays, 10am to 5pm, so check with the vineyard before a visit between October and March.
Is White Castle dog friendly?
Visit Monmouthshire and Visit Wales both list it as accepting dogs or pets. The vineyard’s own site doesn’t say, so ask when you book.
When do the tours run?
The vineyard and winery tour runs Friday to Sunday at 11.30am and 3pm. The Deluxe Tour, with sparkling wine on arrival and six wines, is at 3pm on the last Friday of the month from April to September.