
A tandem wine tour around Marlborough, New Zealand
A tandem wine tour around Marlborough, New Zealand
Hi! We’re Lucy and Dan, the husband-and-wife team behind The Dell Vineyard.
Lucy is currently an ICU nurse, and Dan was formerly a graphic designer. Our journey together began when we moved from Monmouthshire to Bristol in 2005 for university. Little did we know that a global pandemic would one day bring us back to where it all started.
We got married in 2013 and spent six unforgettable months traveling around the Southern Hemisphere for our honeymoon. It was during this time that we fell in love with wine, and the idea of one day owning a vineyard was born. At the time, it felt like a distant dream—something we’d consider in retirement.
Fast forward to 2021, and everything changed. With a toddler in tow and careers established, Lucy faced the challenges of working on the frontline during the pandemic. The toll it took made her realize it was time for a new direction, and the vineyard dream that had been quietly simmering suddenly became a reality.
Just three weeks after deciding to make the leap, we began leasing the Pen-Y-Clawdd vineyard. Meanwhile, we started preparing to plant our own vineyard at The Dell, the land that had been in Dan’s family for generations. Since then, we’ve planted 8,000 vines on the family farm—and had another little one, Poppy, joining Rowan in the adventure!
The Dell farm has been in Dan’s family since the late 1800s, and we’re proud to be the fifth generation to work this land. We wanted the vineyard’s name to honor the heritage of the site, and there was no better name than “The Dell.”
The land once housed a vicarage for St Cadoc’s Church in Raglan, built in the late 1700s. The fields surrounding the house were glebe land, used by the church to raise funds. Over the centuries, this land has been used for everything from growing crops to grazing livestock. We are incredibly grateful to Dan’s dad for allowing us to diversify part of the farm, making our vineyard dream come true.
In May 2022, we planted our main vineyard on the farm, with Pinot Noir and Solaris vines, which produced their first grapes in the Autumn of 2024. Then, in the spring of 2024, we planted Souvignier Gris, Cabernet Noir, and Pinot Meunier—all with the hope of creating unique wines that express the character of the land.
We also lease an acre of established vines nearby, located close to the hamlet of Pen-Y-Clawdd. These vines, planted over 20 years ago, include varieties like Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc, and Phoenix.
In total, we now have nearly 10,000 vines spread across 6 acres of land—a true family effort, rooted in history and nurtured by passion.
A “dell” is a secluded, grassy hollow or dried streambed, often partly covered by trees. The stream, Nant y Wilcae, runs past the vineyard during the winter months before drying up in the summer. It’s a peaceful and serene landscape that’s as much a part of our story as the vines themselves.
Dan’s Grandfather, Les as a child and Great Grandmother
Raglan Castle, illustrated by Lucy’s Grandfather in 1985
Our logo proudly features Raglan Castle, a historic late medieval fortress just over the hill to the north of the village. Completed in the 15th century, the castle was built with the wealth generated from the wine trade. Its owner at the time, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, made his fortune through the importation of Bordeaux wines.
Herbert imported vast quantities of wine via the port of Bristol, where it was transferred to smaller boats and transported to Chepstow, up the Wye Valley to Monmouth, and along the River Usk. Welsh poems from the era celebrate the Earl’s extravagant feasts and mention the wide array of imported wines he served. It’s believed that the castle’s cellars were stocked with a mix of white, red, and claret wines—back then, claret was actually made in a style similar to today’s rosé!