Drinks Summit - Were you there ??

So the Welsh Government held a drinks summit in Aberystwyth last week....

According to their press release:

Drinks industry comes together to discuss future opportunities

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Alun Davies has hosted a summit for representatives of the drinks industry in Wales to find ways for producers to work together to capitalise on future opportunities.

Representatives of drinks companies including The Welsh Whisky Company, The Welsh Perry and Cider Society and the Association of Welsh Independent Brewers gathered in Aberystwyth to exchange best practice in fields such as marketing, supplying pubs and restaurants, exporting and working with other similar producers. 

A range of key speakers will outline the issues and opportunities for the sector.

This is the first summit organised for the industry by the Welsh Government and it is hoped that more meetings will be held in future.

Speaking at the event the Deputy Minister said:

“The Welsh drinks industry has many success stories and there are plenty of opportunities for future growth. We want to ensure that we have even more successful drinks producers in Wales so I hope the summit will prove to be the catalyst for the industry to learn from each other and to find ways in which it can come together to address the key issues and to drive the development of a strong drinks sector.”

Now apart from the confusion over tenses - some seem to have been written before the event, some after (!) I wondered who was actually there ? What was discussed ? Will there be an official report of the proceedings ? And how was the guest list drawn up by officials ?

Can anyone enlighten me ? I am keen to know.....

Welsh Wine Week Reflections

So a week has passed since we visited the Parva Farm Vineyard in Tintern to see at first hand the excellent work undertaken by Colin and Judith in creating a product, in their Tintern Parva Bacchus 2009 dry white, that is an award winning wine.

Judith is also trying to advance the concept of 'Welsh Wine Week' to a wider audience and to this end we were pleased that the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food (& European Programmes), Alun Davies, was able to come along and see what the vineyard was doing and see how the Welsh Government can help further.

We were also joined by the local Assembly Member and Conservative Leadership Contender, Nick Ramsay AM - who is a strong supporter of the industry in Wales and a member of the Assembly's All Party Group on Beer and the Pub.

In July 2010, an Assembly Committee Inquiry into 'The Wine, Beer, Cider and Spirit Industries' made several recommendations with an impact on the Wine industry in Wales, namely that:

• The Welsh Government should examine examples elsewhere, such as the New Zealand wine industry where massive growth has been achieved over a short period of time, to learn lessons about how the sector in Wales can be developed to its full potential. 

• Specific guidance should be issued to local planning authorities, clarifying the manner in which the planning system should operate with regard to vineyards, brewers and pubs to ensure consistent application of guidelines throughout Wales.

• The Welsh Government should lobby the UK government to introduce a progressive duty for wine producers so as to give a boost to the development of small vineyards. 

• The Welsh Government should draw up a distinct strategy for promoting and marketing the wine, beer, cider and spirits sectors. As well as cross-cutting activities, the strategy should include action plans tailored specifically to the needs of each sector. This strategy should link into the Welsh Government’s strategies for food promotion and for tourism.

•  The Welsh Government should work with industry to investigate the benefits of introducing a recognisable emblem indicating that produce is a drink of Welsh origin. Combined with a campaign promoting the quality of Welsh drink produce, the emblem should become a guarantee of both origin and quality.

•  The Welsh Government should improve its own expertise and capacity to support the Welsh wine, beer, cider and spirit industries by appointing an official within its Food and Market Development Division with dedicated responsibility for developing and promoting the sectors in Wales.

• The Welsh Government should establish a forum bringing together producers and associations in the wine, beer and cider sectors to exchange ideas and identify priorities for collaborative working within their respective sectors.

So this was an opportunity to ask the Deputy Minister for his thoughts on those issues, as the previous Minister, Elin Jones had not been totally convinced of the need for these items to be addressed.

The Deputy Minister took on board the concerns of Judith and Colin, and those raised by myself, and has promised to follow up on these matters. He is this week meeting with the authors of the Welsh Government's Food Strategy which is being prepared, to see how the drinks industry can be properly represented in that strategy.

He has asked that we make written representations to him on these issues, which I will do, and I will keep you informed of the outcomes.

So it's a case of wait and see at the moment. The moves so far have been positive, and we can only hope that this is a change in thinking at the highest level which will see greater support for the industry in Wales. 

Off to the Vineyard !!

So it's a big thank you to several people !

Upon reading the blog this week, the Welsh Government's Deputy Minister with responsibility for the industry, Alun Davies AM, contacted us and immediately arranged a visit to a Welsh Vineyard to celebrate Welsh Wine Week - he had cleared some space in his extremely tight diary to make this a priority so tomorrow (Thursday 2 June) we will visit Parva Farm Vineyard who have agreed to host the visit tomorrow.

So a big thank you to Alun, and a big thank you to Judith Dudley at Parva Farm for arranging it at short notice.

Hopefully we will also be joined by the local Assembly Member, diary permitting.

I'll report back tomorrow on the visit !!

Open Government in action......

Welsh (and English...) Wine Week

So hands up if you knew this week was English and Welsh Wine Week ?

I can hardly say me neither as I am writing this - but it is a bit of a well kept secret isn't it ? I don't remember our Assembly telling us about it much or promoting it ? Or am I wrong ?

Mind you, they have been run off their feet over at the Senedd mind what will all these sessions since the start of the election period.. perhaps they were just too busy !

Notably however the Deputy Minister, Alun Davies, did notice and issued a press release where he said

“Compared to some traditional wine growing regions Wales may be a relative new-comer, but in terms of quality and potential, Welsh wine is certainly making a name for itself at home and abroad.”


So to celebrate Welsh Wine week a number of Welsh vineyards are opening to the public and hosting special events up to the 6th June.

So where are these vineyards and what are they doing ? Let's start in Monmouth with Parva Farm Vineyard

This vineyard, near Tintern, will be open every day during Welsh Wine Week with self-guided vineyard tours - also a treasure hunt for the children – and wine tastings. Also, for wine lovers who want to learn more there will be special guided tours with tutored wine tastings on Thursday (June 2nd) at 5.30pm costing £5.

Parva Farm is also an award winner as it tasted success last week at the 2011 International Wine Challenge, where its Tintern Parva Bacchus 2009 won a silver award, and it will this week be releasing Afon Gwy 2010 - a medium dry white - the first of its 2010 wines to be on sale.


Judith Dudley, who runs the vineyard with her husband Colin said they were “delighted with our win,” and are “very much looking forward to welcoming people to our vineyard and telling them about Welsh wine.”

Staying in Monmouth, Ancre Hill Estates, which picked up two trophies at the 2010-11 Wales the True Taste Food and Drink Awards, will be releasing its first sparkling wine during the week.

The Monmouth vineyard’s owners, Richard and Joy Morris will be opening the vineyard every day to visitors between 10.30am and 4.30pm and offering twice daily vineyard tours with Welsh cheese platters available for lunch.

It's going to be a particularly special week for Pant Du Vineyard at Penygroes, Gwynedd. The Hughes family has planted a variety of vines on eight acres of the Nantlle Valley’s south facing slopes, and hope to officially launch their first wine during the week.

Named after the 400 year-old farmhouse from which the vineyard also takes its name, Pant Du is a red wine produced from four year-old Rondo vines. Early tastings have proved very positive indeed – the first bottle having raised £45 at a charity auction - and around 260 bottles will be produced in this first year with a potential 12,000 bottles in the future.

2011 will be a special year too for White Castle Vineyard, at Llanvetherine near Abergavenny, where owners Robb and Nicola Merchant expect to pick the vineyard’s first crop of grapes this autumn. Their vines were planted in 2009 and they aim to eventually produce around 10,000 bottles a year.

The vineyard will be open for visits between 3pm and 6pm Monday to Friday (May 30th – June 3rd). For more information call 01873 821443.

And for something completely different, visit Wernddu Wine, with Alpaca walking, a bouncy castle, as well as teas and cakes will be on the list of things to do.

The Monmouth vineyard will be releasing its 2010 organic dry white wine, which visitors will be able to taste. Owners Frank and Leigh Strawford will be opening the vineyard to the public on Wednesday to Friday (1st - 3rd June).

So that's a flavour of what's happening this week - other vineyards in Wales include (with the best links I can find ..)

Bryn Ceiliog Vineyard in Penarth
Penarth Vineyard in Penarth
Glyndwr Vineyard  in Cowbridge
Llanerch Vineyard in Hensol
Jabajak Vineyard in Llanboidy
Sugar Loaf Vineyard in Abergavenny
Celtic Wines in Beulah
Cwm Deri Vineyard in Narberth

And if any of you guys are doing something special for Welsh Wine Week get in touch and I'll let people know !!

Cheers......

The Ministerial team

So it seems that the new Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science - Edwina Hart will also have Cabinet level responsibility for agriculture and tourism.

Ms Hart will be an extremely busy lady it seems - these briefs are some of the most important ones in the Cabinet, and whilst Alun Davies AM the Deputy Minister will take day-to-day responsibility for Rural matters it seems as if the seasoned politician Ms Hart has built herself quite a powerful empire.

So who is Ms Hart and who also is Alun Davies - the two people who will have the industry in their in-box over the coming years ?

Edwina Hart AM

Perhaps the article about Ms Hart by Willy Nilly over on Waleshome is a good place to start when he says that "Edwina Hart is a complex and intriguing politician who inspires strong sentiments in others – as strong as the sentiments she feels herself, perhaps. Maybe more than any other Assembly Member she has a public persona which does not leave people neutral and, in tandem, she is not a person given to neutrality either. Hers is a politics of instinct and truths – truths she is prepared to voice, often bluntly, when others prefer to deal in subtler shades of opinion. This creates rather a “marmite” political persona. Those who aren’t warm to her forget though her fundamental decency and personal kindness which she often extends to others in difficult circumstances. For Hart has a big heart, and this has shaped her relations with many of the patient groups she has worked with over the past four years."

Edwina Hart is one of the National Assembly's most assured and competent performers, praised from all sides of the Chamber.  She sought the leadership post in Autumn 2009 and came second to Carwyn Jones in a contest without acrimony. In the appointment of the subsequent Assembly Government she retained the Health and Social Services portfolio, and remains one of the Cabinet's most senior members

Alun Davies AM

So on to Alun Davies - over to Willy Nilly at Waleshome again where he describes Mr Davies thus "Alun Davies is in many ways a model politician. Combative, committed, canny and even sometimes charming, he combines the zest for battle with the asides and anecdotes of a bon viveur. His background in a diverse range of industries and political roles gives him a depth and perspective that contributes to his world view.

One of the Assembly’s most natural orators, he speaks neither in code nor in muted tones. His interventions are often brutal and memorable. When Ieuan Wyn Jones was deemed by Davies to have been “economical with the actualite” around the Heads of the Valleys programme, the many panes of the Assembly building shook at their mutual rage."

Alun Davies entered the Assembly through the Regional List at the 2007 Election.  The "Every Second Counts" campaign, urging Labour voters to use their second vote for the Party, was launched for this purpose - a rare attempt to use an entire political strategy to elect a single Member to a legislature. Perhaps this demonstrated how important the election of Alun Davies was to Welsh Labour. In the end, both Alun Davies and Joyce Watson reached the Assembly through the collapse of Labour in first past the post constituencies in Mid and West Wales.

Prior to his election Alun Davies was Director of his own public affairs company, Bute Communications, and he has a strong appreciation of the business climate in Wales. In the Assembly he has also developed a reputation as a hard defender of his party, never afraid to ask questions of others or take the fight from Labour to other parties. This has resulted in a high media and political profile for a new backbencher. His evident skills have led to extensive Committee responsibility including Chair of the Rural Affairs sub Committee (2007-09) and also, for a time, Chair of the Broadcasting Committee. 

Alun Davies is viewed as one of the rising stars of Welsh Labour - not least because he began his political career in Plaid Cymru. As a student activist and then Communications Director in Plaid Cymru, Alun Davies was one of their most high profile activists from South East Wales, standing for them in Blaenau Gwent, and his defection to Labour in the mid 1990s was viewed as an act of betrayal by the party. Such is the enmity that it is arguable Plaid Cymru spent too long fighting his candidacy in Ceredigion in 2005 and not enough defending themselves from the Liberal Democrats, who took the seat from them.  

His political interests include regeneration, education, public spending and constitutional matters, including the expansion of the legislative powers of the Assembly.

So this is the man to whom a meeting request has already been sent and to whom I shall present the views of the industry as and when I can - luckily - I often share a small quality drink from Wales with Mr Davies so I know he is already on the case - he is a committed member of the Assembly's All Party Group on Beer and the Pub !

Watch this space.....