A very short drive from Plas Robin Rural Retreats in Powys – our home for three nights – we ventured across county (and country!) to Shopshire’s Kerry Vale Vineyard.
While maybe a little off the beaten track, it is well known among locals – and, as we found, should be a must-do for visitors. It’s well worth a visit, whether for afternoon tea, a light bite or the full vineyard tour experience. Here you can enjoy a guided Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting, Tour with Cheese and Wine or Tour with Sparkling Afternoon Tea.
But if you want the taste without the tour – they can of course cater for that too. In fact I understand their tastings are incredibly popular.
This wonderful family-run business grew on the six-acre site of great archaeological interest and once part of the ancient Roman site of Pentreheyling Fort, a vicus (provincial civilian settlement), is on the edge of a number of Roman marching camps.
As well as its Roman history, two decades of archaeological research show the site was once occupied by Bronze Age funerary monuments, a druid road and a medieval settlement – with Offa’s Dyke just a field away!
But it is now the proud home to 6,000 vines of four varieties of wine – Rondo, Pinot Noir, Phoenix and Solaris, ideally suited for the English climate.
As we were celebrating a friend’s ‘special’ birthday, it seemed fitting to partake in their Sparkling Afternoon Teas – and at Kerry Vale our culinary and cultural appetites were left extremely well satisfied. And what a joy it is to enjoy the ‘fruits’ of the grape pickers’ labour overlooking the vineyards themselves – with the added bonus of, well, plenty of cake! (Worth starving yourself for this one!)
We were very attentitively looked after from start to finish as we devoured our fresh and delicious selection of sweet and savoury treats, beautifully presented and accompanied by a flight of wines for our mini tasing experience.
My friend and I we were guided through our experience of these locally grown wines with helpfully provided tasting notes to hand. And we both purchased a bottle of or self-declared favourites before leaving.
Don’t worry- for those looking for a lighter bite, there is a tasty lunch menu offering a selection of hot dishes and daily specials all made from the quality locally-sourced ingredients.
Take time to browse the quaint Cellar door gift shop for some unusual local souvenirs too.
Whether you are enjoying a whistlestop tour of the area or enjoying a short break in the area, Kerry Vale is a must-do. If you can find nominated driver, I particularly recommend the wine tasting.
Find our more about Kerry Vale Vineyard at: https://www.kerryvalevineyard.co.uk/
We visited the vineyard whilst staying in the area at Plas Robin Rural Retreats See review here
