Monmouthshire wine making a name for itself in Bordeaux

While Wales' football team is hoping 2016 will be a vintage year, the nation's wine is also vying for recognition in Bordeaux.

Monmouth's Ancre Hill Estates supplies wholesaler Passion Vins in Pessac and it is also on show at Bordeaux's new wine attraction, La Cite Du Vin.

There are about 17 vineyards in Wales and the nation produces around 100,000 bottles of wine annually.

Wales beat Slovakia 2-1 in Bordeaux on Saturday in the Euro 2016 championship.

And off the pitch La Cite du Vin will be pitting the Welsh wine against a Slovakian opponent in a tasting "battle".

'Foot in the door'

Mr Deltil said he "didn't know a lot" about Welsh wines two months ago, but after some online research he discovered Ancre Hill, which has been producing for 10 years.

He tried the firm's Blanc de Blancs 2009 and thought it was "very good", before making a modest first order.

"In France nobody knows Wales produces wine and wine of such quality," he said.

Richard Morris, of Ancre Hill, said the amount of business he gets from Bordeaux is very small at the moment but called it a "foot in the door".

He believes it is a sign of Welsh wine gaining ground and thinks the acreage of vineyards in Wales will have grown by 50% from 2014 to 2017.

Production of wine from Welsh vineyards is up 70% in the last decade.