Llanerch Vineyard has been a popular wedding venue for a while now and it often tops lists as the most beautiful in the UK or a favourite amongst Instagrammers. The venue, near Pontyclun, has now come out on top as the most beautiful vineyard wedding venue in the UK. Described as "an oasis of blossoming vines" by South Western Railway, who produced the list from data, Llanerch is one of the oldest vineyards in Wales.
With less than 20 vineyards in the whole of Wales, Llanerch would make a unique wedding venue, both for those who enjoy a tipple, and those who are simply there to take in the rolling hills and breathtaking views. The vineyard also now boasts a beautiful hotel, and a lodge that may be used for business meetings. It's recently also opened a new rooftop bar and tasting lodge.
On its website, Llanerch describes itself as "the UK's first hotel located on a vineyard, nestled in the quiet Welsh countryside yet only 20 minutes from Cardiff city centre. Surrounded by woodland and vines, the unique hotel boasts an award-winning restaurant, wine tasting and vineyard tours."
Read more: 11 beautiful Welsh vineyards that offer so much more than just fine wine
Llanerch vineyard was taken over by Ryan Davies, who was just 24 when he bought it, with the help of his father, Gwyn as a silent partner in the business.
To find the most beautiful vineyards, South Western Railway analysed 268 vineyards against Instagram hashtags, the number of 5-star TripAdvisor reviews and the number of times ‘beautiful’, ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous’ were mentioned in reviews to form a score out of 100.
The only Welsh nomination in the top 10, Llanerch topped the research, with a score of 69/100, with 10 more points than second place Chapel Down in Kent. Other vineyards in the top 10 included Lympstone Manor in Devon, Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey and Sharpham Vineyard in Devon.
The research, conducted in May this year, aimed to highlight the vineyards people may have available on their doorstep, as figures showed approximately 79,128 hectolitres (one hectolitre is equivalent to one hundred litres) of wine were produced in the UK in 2020. SWR rated each of the vineyards based on figures such as Instagram hashtags, the number of 5* reviews on TripAdvisor and reviews containing 'beautiful', 'stunning' and 'gorgeous', to come up with a total score out of 100 for each vineyard.
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