Vineyards and Carmarthenshire are not obvious bedfellows, but large numbers of grapes will start to swell in west Wales in the coming months.

After a dormant winter, near Whitland, thousands of grape buds have started appearing at Jabajak vineyard.

Owner Amanda Stuart-Robson planted just over 5,000 vines at the seven-acre site in 2007.

“Back then we were technically the only serious vineyard this side of Cardiff,” she said.

Choosing which type of vine – given she said they number nearly 3,000 – was an early challenge.

Ms Stuart-Robson said vines had to “find” their climate and terroir – how a region’s climate, soils and aspect affect the taste of wine.

“We wanted the vines to be at home and be completely natural,” she said.

“We did a lot of experimenting.”

She said German varietals – which means a single grape variety – suffered from mildew in the damp climate.

“We left them in for four of five years,” she said. “Then we ripped them out.

“Some vineyards in southern England spend their lives spraying vines – we didn’t want to do that.”

The big vine successes have been Seyval, followed by Phoenix.

“It was a good five years before we started picking grapes,” said Ms Stuart-Robson.

“Some vineyards pick after three years and add sugar – we didn’t.”

Another hit, she said, has been the Pinot noir vines, which now number 1,000.

“We didn’t expect Pinot noir to do fantastically well but it’s absolutely brilliant,” she said.

The vineyard, which is alongside a restaurant with eight rooms, also has Rondo grapes, but Ms Stuart-Robson said these were more for aesthetic reasons.

The 56-year-old worked in different sectors, including as general manager for a manufacturing company, before the Stuart-Robson family bought the smallholding in 1998.

She now runs the business on her own, with four winter staff and nearly 20 in the summer.

“I just happened to like wine, and I love gardening,” explained Ms Stuart-Robson. “And my grandmother was a chef.

“It was a massive risk – some people thought we were insane. But we did a lot of research.

“It was agricultural land here, and when we dug down to about a foot we found slate and shale.

“Vines love good drainage, so we knew we had that.

“Also, the land slopes to the south and we’ve got hills either side, so we’re nicely protected from the wind.”

The soil’s PH value – not too acidic and not too alkaline – was also suitable.

The vines are grown on a particular trellis arrangement which encourages height.

“We wanted to get the grapes as high off the ground as we could – away from the morning dew and easier to pick,” she continued.

“It takes a lot longer to get vines up to that height, but we were going for a high quality grape.”

She said the proof has been in the bottle and the two awards the 2014 white and sparkling white vintage picked up.

“I haven’t put my wine into competitions since then,” she said.

Key factors to a successful growing year, she said, was how skilfully you cut back the vines in the winter, the timing of when the buds burst in spring, the absence of very late frosts, and how much daylight the vines were exposed to.

“If you are growing Chardonnay or southern hemisphere grapes, heat is more important,” she said.

“In late September and early October, your sugar levels should be at their highest.

“You measure the sugar level, and when it’s right you’ve got to pick the whole lot that morning.

“We ring round our customers and our neighbours (to help). It’s quite a good laugh.

“Once off the vines, the grapes need to get pressed within 12 hours.”

Early autumn rain can throw a spanner into the works.

“Rain will dilute your sugar levels for two days,” she said.

“Last September it rained for three weeks in September and kept diluting the sugar in the grapes. It was unprecedented.”

Ms Stuart-Robson said the vineyard produced 4,500 to 5,000 bottles in an average year – up to 8,000 in a good year.

It currently has 1,000 bottles in stock, plus a further 5,500 waiting to be labelled in Gloucester.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit her hard, as it has for thousands of other hospitality businesses throughout Wales.

She said she hasn’t laid off her staff, but was applying for Universal Credit for herself.

“I have worked hard all my life, and I’ve never claimed for anything,” she said.

“I’ve taken a three-month mortgage holiday, and I switch off anything electric and minimise the water bill.”

Ms Stuart-Robson said she hoped the accommodation side of her business would recover when lockdown measures were eased.

But she was worried about the 130-seat restaurant because diners might be anxious about sitting close to other people.

“It’s going to be a long time for restaurants and the hospitality sector to recover,” she said.

“It’s very sad for Wales and west Wales in particular.”

Ms Stuart-Robson has three grown-up daughters – Jo, Ali and Katie, whose names make up the “jak” in Jabajak – and four grandchildren.

After unprecedented winter rainfall Wales is experiencing a particularly dry and sunny spell, but the coronavirus is all-consuming.

Ms Stuart-Robson said: “I’m thinking, ‘Is the end of it?’ I have had a few moments when I’ve walked around the vineyard and shed a few tears, to be honest.”

But she added: “Would I change anything? No, I’ve loved every minute of it.

“And I’d like to think I’ve inspired other people to start vineyards, and now they’re winning some serious awards.”