Our Story
Neal Shipp founded Celtic Country Wines in 1989. Today, the Shipp family continues to handcraft every Welsh fruit wine, mead, liqueur, and preserve at their Henllan winery. They are proudly supported by an extended team based near Llandysul in the Teifi Valley, Ceredigion.
Ein stori
A Family Legacy Since 1989
The story of Celtic Country Wines began in 1989, born out of Neal Shipp’s true passion for traditional fruit wines. What started on Neal’s smallholding has grown from humble beginnings into a cherished family legacy, and Neal’s vision lives on. Today, the winery has expanded into our new site in Henllan, beautifully situated between Newcastle Emlyn and Llandysul. The Shipp family continues to proudly own and run the business, handcrafting every single bottle with the same love, care, and dedication that Neal instilled in us from the very beginning.
Introducing The Leeky Barrel Bistro
Our story took an exciting new turn in 2020. During the challenges of the pandemic, we decided to expand our horizons to create a complete destination for our visitors. We opened The Leeky Barrel, a cosy Welsh bistro that sits proudly alongside the winery and the garden centre.
Built to enhance the site and give guests a true taste of local hospitality, the bistro serves up delicious homemade lunches, fresh coffee, and cocktails crafted with our very own wines and spirits. It has transformed our Henllan home into a place where you can pick up plants, browse our products as well as many other local goodies, and stay for a relaxing bite to eat.
How Our Wine Is Made
Small batches, slow fermentation and time to mellow: the method behind every Celteg fruit wine, sparkling wine and mead.
Our Traditional Craft
Fruit wines are true wines, fermented directly from the fruit itself rather than using a flavoured grape wine base. We ferment our wines in 1,000-litre containers. The room is kept at a constant 24°C to ensure the young wine stays at a steady, ideal 18°C. After a fermentation process of two to four weeks, the wine is stored for a minimum of six months to mellow, allowing the natural flavours to beautifully settle before bottling.
From Hedgerow to Bottle
Elderflower, ginger, raspberry, elderberry, and blackberry originally set our foundational range, while mead, sparkling wines, liqueurs, vinegars, and preserves proudly followed. Fresh elderflowers are abundant in the Welsh countryside and are still hand-picked right from the hedgerows on our doorstep when in season. To maintain our high quality all year round, our other fruits are meticulously sourced.
Proudly Vegan & Locally Made
We believe in letting the natural quality of the fruit shine, which is why we do not add any unnecessary additives to our wines. Furthermore, everything we create is crafted completely without animal-derived finings, ensuring our entire wine range is proudly and naturally vegan.
Our Celteg Liqueurs
At Celtic Country Wines, we craft our Celteg premium liqueur range by hand using traditional, small-batch infusion methods. We carefully blend premium spirits with true hedgerow fruits, allowing the natural flavours to come together for a deep, full-bodied profile. True to our core values, we rely entirely on the pure quality of Sloes, Elderberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Cherries, and Apricots, and never use artificial flavourings, chemical preservatives, or unnecessary additives, ensuring every bottle remains proudly vegan-friendly.
Recognition
Awards and appearances we are proud of. Nothing listed here is claimed beyond what the winery has earned.
Great Taste Awards
Three gold stars for the Sloe Gin in 2008, the scheme's highest rating. Medieval Mead followed with a Great Taste award in 2021.
Welsh True Taste
Recognised by the Welsh Government's food and drink awards for Ginger Wine, Raspberry Wine, Sloe Gin, Cherry Brandy Liqueur, Damson Liqueur and Welsh Elderport.
Great British Menu
Featured on the BBC series two years running.
The Royle Family
Our rhubarb wine was used in a Royle Family Christmas special.
One Site, Three Reasons to Visit
The winery shop, The Leeky Barrel bistro and Bedwen Plants nursery all share the Henllan site.
Celteg Winery and Shop
Welsh fruit wines, mead, liqueurs, preserves and hampers, in person at the winery gift shop or delivered across mainland Great Britain.
The Leeky Barrel Bistro
Freshly cooked Welsh lunches, Sunday roasts, afternoon tea, cake and coffee. Licensed and dog-friendly.
Bedwen Plants
Darren’s plant nursery and garden centre, on the same site. Visit their website for opening times.
Nursery