At a celebration event held at the vineyard this afternoon, the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – presented Colin and Charlotte Bennett of Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard, along with their daughters, with a Bronze Medal certificate, following the news that their Solaris 2019 Welsh wine had scored a remarkable 89 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2021.
The event was also attended by the High Sheriff of Clwyd, J. S. Thomas Esq., television personality and Welsh farmer, Gareth Wyn Jones, Member of the UK Parliament for Aberconwy, Robin Millar MP, and representatives of other local businesses. This success builds on recent medals won at the International Wine Challenge for their Pefriog and Solaris products, as well as winning the Local Food and Drink Class for Wales in the prestigious Countryside Alliance Awards. The vineyard was nominated for this later decoration by Janet, who highlighted their “immense economic contribution to the local area.”
Celebrating their success, Janet said:
“It has been a thrill to witness the supersonic surge to success of Gwinllan Conwy over these past few years, especially knowing the hard work and dedication that Colin and Charlotte have put into building their brand and product range. Every triumph they have reflects this toil.
“Having grown from a fledgling idea to several thousands vines on the hillside next to their home, it is great to now see them selling an ever increasing number of bottles of quality wine to local businesses, supporting the regional economy and telling the story of Welsh wine to the world.
“I was overjoyed to be asked to present the family with their Bronze Medal for the Decanter World Wine Awards 2021, having narrowly missed the Silver by only a single point. For their family business to be recognised on such a global scale underlines the unique qualities of the vintage they grow.
“Equally, their success at the Countryside Alliance Awards is wonderful recognition which underlines their immense economic contribution to our local area. I encourage residents to raise a glass of their award-winning product to toast their continued success!”
