Glastonbury’s Top Spots For A Glass Of Wine
Image Credit: Robbie Shade
In a few days’ time, the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts will open its gates to around 200,000 mud-drinking, cider-bathing (or is that the other way around?) festival-goers, and it’s largely safe to assume that the first thing most of those people are going to want once they’ve navigated the crowds, the tents and the fields, is a decent drink. Now, Glastonbury may be famous for its cider and ales, and the festival’s strict no-glass policy might put a slight downer on your plan to bring in a nice vintage to enjoy*, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on trying to find a nice glass of the red or white or pink stuff; we’ve put together this handy little list of the very best spots to get hold of, let’s face it, the drink you really want.
*We know it’s tempting, but just put aside any thoughts of boxes of wine. Let’s not be silly.
Pennard Organic Wine Stall
Since 1981, Avalon Vineyard (which nestles on a hillside overlooking the Vale of Avalon, in Glastonbury) has been growing a range of still and non-sweet sparkling wines, using the Seyval and Orion grape varieties. During the festival itself, they peddle their wares at their own stall, situated on a path between the main drag which dissects the festival and the Field of Avalon. It’s relatively small, so finding it may be a challenge, but their wines are 100% organic, locally-grown and (most importantly) available by the bottle.
The Piano Bar
Did we say finding Pennard’s stall would be a challenge? What we actually meant was “finding it may be a challenge, but it’s absolutely nothing compared with the sheer ordeal of trying to find the Piano Bar”. This tiny yet legendary Glastonbury venue is notorious for its secrecy – many who seek it have, despite years of trying, yet to find it – and for its status as a particular favourite spot for Glastonbury’s founder, Michael Eavis. Beyond the impromptu 5am singalongs, secret sets and occasional celebrity appearances, the Piano Bar is also, well, a bar. Well, we assume it is; we’ve never actually been in.
Image Credit: John McGarvey
The Avalon Inn
Probably a good follow-on from Pennard’s, this – it’s only a short walk away. The Avalon Inn, which has been made particularly spacious for 2015, serves a selection of real ales, cider, cocktails and (here’s the important one) wines – and all within spitting distance of the Avalon Stage, so you can enjoy some more-than-decent music with that more-than-decent wine. It’s got a black roof and an upstairs (an upstairs! At a festival!). You can’t miss it.
Malinkey’s
Malinkey’s is one of Glastonbury’s first ever pop-up restaurants, and offers fine dining and three-course meals to anyone who’d rather shell out a few extra quid for something a bit swankier than the standard festival food fare. Naturally, that includes a number of wines and Champagnes. It looks a bit like a double-decker bus with a tent wrapped around it, offers some great views of the site, and can usually be found just off the main drag.
The Park
This isn’t so much a particular bar or venue as it is an area of the festival site. But many of the bars around the Park, which is located on the south side of the festival and is famous for its now-defunct secret sets by world-famous bands and the panoramic views you can get from the top of its hill, serve a range of wines and Champagnes. Once you’ve got your hands on what you’re after, head up that hill and enjoy it with the very best view that Glastonbury has to offer.
WBC Bars and Wine Bars
Workers’ Beer Company bars are dotted all over the festival (there are about twenty in total) and are open from Wednesday lunchtime. As well as their ales, lagers, spirits and ciders, they also serve a selection of wines. Similarly, several specialist wine bars are situated across the site, and can be recognised by the giant inflatable wine bottles sitting on top of them. It won’t quite be the experience you’ll get from any of the other places on this list, but the WBC and wine bars are, if nothing else, always there for you if you need them. And sometimes (i.e. by the time Sunday comes around), that’s all you ever want.
And if going to Glastonbury (or seeing on the TV, or hearing about it far more than you’d care to) doesn’t quite satiate that need for wine, well – we do what we do. Check out some of our destinations here, call us on +44 (0)20 8877 4940 or e-mail one of our team at sales@smoothred.co.uk
