Velfrey Vineyard

Velfrey started when Andy and Fiona Mounsey moved from Derbyshire to try their hand at sheep farming on a plot of land near Narberth in Pembrokeshire. After becoming frustrated with the ways of sheep and trying a wine from a neighbouring vineyard in a local restaurant they decided that wine might be the way forward, especially as the plot they had purchased seemed ideal, facing due south on loamy soil and protected from prevailing winds. They made the commercial decision to concentrate on sparkling wine and planted the first vines in 2017 after spending the first year preparing the vineyard by improving drainage and taking measures to reduce the possibility of frost damage. The vineyard now comprises over 4000 vines, the majority Seyval, with some Pinot Noir trained Double Guyot. Methods are as natural as possible with biodynamic - type treatments (tisanes), careful canopy management and late harvesting. There’s also a wildflower meadow and a pond to encourage biodiversity. A little Chardonnay is bought in. Winemaking is done at Halfpenny Green in Staffordshire with the team there working closely with Andy and his family who do all the work in the vineyard, although there are plans to start their own winemaking facility. The attention to detail and quality had paid off with their non-vintage being listed among the top 100 wines in the UK by WineGB and the best white sparkling wine in Wales in 2024.