The green pastures of Monmouthshire are well-known for being home to some of Wales’ best food and drink.

Clearly, mead has stood the test of time! So, why did it fall out of fashion and disappear for a few centuries - to the extent where many some people nowadays haven’t even heard of it?Along your way you'll pass the first stone built castle in Wales at Chepstow, the majestic ruins of Tintern Abbey, the Georgian Monmouth Shire Hall, a Michelin stared restaurant and fantastic views over the valley. Wye Valley Meadery also pioneered a lighter sparkling mead, which is four per cent. "Everyone thinks of mead as this really heavy sweet drink that monks and Vikings had," said Kit. The brothers hoped their sparkling ‘session mead’ would bring beer and cider drinkers into their world. It has an abv of 4%, far lower than traditional mead (which can be up to 20%). In the US, which has a slightly more developed mead market than the UK, [low abv] was a style that was growing in popularity,” Matt explains.

vines of 15 different varieties cover an area of approximately a hectare. These old vines produce high quality grapes from which our white, rosé, red and sparkling wines are made. Over the years many awards, both national and international, have been won by our wines. Our specialities are Bacchus dry white, Pinot Noir rosé, and white and rosé sparkling wines.The once-quiet Welsh village which has transformed into a bustling shopping destination through the pandemic There are quite a few beekeeping clubs and hobby beekeepers, and we buy any surplus they have,” explains Matt. Unusually, the business also takes in honey that has been harvested too early. This is known as ‘wet honey’, a waste product that beekeepers struggle to use. Guided tours and wine tasting are popular with groups (we can cater for 8 to 25 people) and can be taken in the day or evening during the summer months. (Please see more details below.) They are also great for hen parties! Matt explained that something the meadery were especially proud of was a 14.5 per cent traditional mead.