Our Vineyard Journey
Discover our story rooted in friendship, fuelled by belief, and destined to become wine
Pen-y-Bryn Vineyard: A Story OF FRIENDSHIP
Our Roots
At Pen-y-Bryn, our story began the way all the best ones do — with a bottle of wine and a spark of inspiration.
In 2019, Drew and David moved to their smallholding in Wales, surrounded by open skies and endless possibility. Drew couldn’t shake the feeling that the sloping, south-facing corner at the top of the land was destined for something special - grapevines, thriving in the promise of that perfect spot.
When their long-time friend Lisa came to stay for the weekend in 2022, the idea poured as freely as the wine itself. She saw the vision and what began as a simple conversation soon grew into something far more meaningful — a shared dream, rooted in friendship, passion, and the belief that something extraordinary could grow from that corner.
And just like that, a partnership was born, and the first chapter of the vineyard began with our first vines planted in April 2023. This is our story - a story of friendship and the beginning of Pen-y-Bryn.
Discover Pen-y-Bryn
Our Name
Our Progress
Our Progress
Pen-y-Bryn is Welsh for "top of the hill" where our fledgling vineyard perches.
As a vineyard in Wales, our Welshness is an important part of our identity and we are proud to join the growing number of Welsh vineyards
Gwinllan means "vineyard" in Welsh.
Our Progress
Our Progress
Our Progress
Since we planted our first 250 vines in April 2023, it would be fair to say that we have learnt a lot! We initially planted 50 vines each of five early-ripening, disease resistant white grape varieties - an experiment to see whether it was even possible to grow grapes here.
In 2025 we got our answer and our first modest harvest....
Our Future
Our Progress
Our Future
Our goal is to have our very own wine and to do that we need to expand the number of vines that we have.
In 2026, we are planting our newly extended vineyard area primarily with Solaris (white grape) but also with a smaller number of Pinot Nor vines. Planting begins in April with much of the prep work already underway to set the newest vines up for success!