Velfrey to Pioneer Charmat-Method Sparkling Wine in Wales

Pembrokeshire Winery at Velfrey Vineyard is set to produce Wales’s first sparkling wine made from Welsh-grown grapes using the Charmat method, adding a new style of Welsh fizz to the country’s growing wine industry.

The Charmat method, also used to produce Prosecco, creates the wine’s bubbles through a second fermentation in a sealed, pressurised tank. This differs from the traditional method used for Champagne and Velfrey’s existing sparkling wines, where the second fermentation takes place in the individual bottle.

Charmat production is particularly suited to creating fresh, fruit-forward sparkling wines, preserving the primary fruit character of the grapes while producing a lively and vibrant style.

Made from Welsh-grown grapes, Velfrey’s first Charmat method sparkling wine is expected to enter production in early 2027, following the installation of a new pressurised tank and bottling line at Pembrokeshire Winery, with first wine on sale later in the year.

It will complement Velfrey’s existing range of traditional method Welsh sparkling wines and give consumers another expression of what can be achieved with grapes grown in Wales.

Ryan Mounsey, winemaker at Pembrokeshire Winery, said:

“We have established Velfrey around traditional method sparkling wine, but Charmat gives us the opportunity to do something quite different with Welsh grapes. It allows us to put the fruit right at the centre of the wine and create a fresh, vibrant style that we believe will sit very well alongside our existing sparkling wines.”

Visit: www.velfreyvineyard.com