WHAT was a dream has now become reality and will reach fruition in September when a local couple start picking their first grapes.

Nicola Merchant lives at Croft Farm, Llanvetherine with husband Robb and their two sons, Jack, 20 and 16 year old Lyle, and she wanted to find something which she and her husband could share when they retire.

Not that the couple are thinking of retiring yet, for she works as a district nurse in the Abergavenny area and he is a manager with Royal Mail in Newport.

Said Nicola, "I have always wanted to start our own vineyard but what was a dream suddenly became a reality when five acres of land facing south became available and we hired a consultant to do a feasibility study for us. He said it was suitable after doing soil samples.

"Before we knew it we were doing costings and going for it and in November 2008 we ordered our first vines. We had already done a lot of research into vineyards and the most suitable grapes.

"The next step was to get in a contractor to plough the site, then Robb did all the ground work and we planted the vines.

"In fact we had Ernst Weis in to plant the vines with a mechanical planter from Germany. You have two men on the machine, one driving it and one measuring the distance between while Ernst supervises. It was fascinating to watch them."

Neither of them is afraid of hard work and together, with the help of Nicola's father Brian Ewers, they put up 40 miles of wire which holds the vines in place as they grow. The wire is attached to posts that are pitch perfect in rows.

It takes two and a half years from the first planting to the harvesting which will take place in September, then the couple will wait six months before the wine is ready. They will have red, white, sparkling and rose wine for sale.

But first the grapes are picked by the couple, helped by their family, then they are taken to Three Choirs winery in Newent because there is no winery in Wales

Said Robb, "The consultant advised us about which grapes are good for the weather in this county. Then you have to ensure you have a minimum of two tonnes of each variety to produce wine exclusively grown on our premises, otherwise it gets mixed up with another wine producer's."

So keen were the couple to set up their own vineyard that in 2009 they both attended a week long intensive vineyard management course in which they learned how plastic mulch surrounds every vine, keeping weeds down and soil moist and warm as it reflects the heat in summer.

They have to cut the plastic by hand for the vines to grow through and then they pick the grapes by hand, with a minimum of at least 12 people harvesting.

Said Nicola, "Ideally we need to pick and take the grapes to Three Choirs winery so they are crushed the same day. Each picking crate holds 10 - 15 kilos of grapes so we will have some sort of idea of how much we've picked.

"If the winery don't have enough of one variety they will blend it with one of our others."

From next year the couple plan to convert one of their outbuildings into a shop from which they'll sell the bottles of wine to visitors.

They have a 1581 Grade 11 listed barn which they are planning to renovate with help and advice from the Village Alive Trust which has already restored several ancient relics in the area with the help of grants.

Said Robb, "Lord Raglan wrote about this barn in 1953 but we did not realise it was a barn of note. We will then incorporate it as a tasting area with the shop."

The couple have been told that when the vineyard is in full production it should produce 12,000 bottles of wine a year and they are hoping to attract walkers and visitors to the Three Castles of Whitecastle, Grosmont and Skenfrith.

Because of their close proximity to Whitecastle, the couple have decided to call their new venture The Whitecastle Vineyard. The trade name is already advertised on their property so they have had people calling in and asking if they have any wine for sale.

They have even adopted a coat of arms which will adorn every bottle which depicts the blind knight of Whitecastle with the letters WC above and below crossed swords.

It will also incorporate the 1581 date of the barn.

The couple are naturally very excited about their first venture into business and are looking forward to 2012 when they can market their own home-grown bottles of wine.