UNESCO valley in Wales gets protected geographical status… for gin

A tiny gin distillery run by two brothers in a unique UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in rural Wales has achieved a notable UK first.

‘Dovey Native Botanical Gin’, produced by Dyfi Distillery at Corris, near Machynlleth,  has today (Monday 7 April) been granted UK Geographical Indication (UKGI) status – the first UK gin to achieve this important accolade.

Brothers Pete and Danny Cameron produce the gin in the diminutive but beautiful Dyfi Valley where theirs is currently the only distillery.

Strict criteria

Dyfi Distillery produces a range of gins but only one, ‘Pollination’, meets the strict criteria, enabling it to be called a ‘Dovey Native Botanical Gin PGI’.

“The valley was designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve several years ago and has a diversity of native flowers, fruits and wild herbs which is truly special,” explains master distiller Pete, “and we wanted to capture our surroundings in a bottle.”

This was the challenge facing master blender Danny, whose knowledge and experience of wines and spirits earned him a knighthood whilst working in Portugal.

Geographical Indications are a form of intellectual property protection used to identify products whose qualities, characteristics and reputation are linked to the place where they have been produced or the method by which they have been produced.

All ‘Dovey Native Botanical Gin’ is produced from a minimum of 17 native botanicals which are foraged in a sustainable manner from within the Dyfi/Dovey UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

The flavour compounds extracted during distillation from these indigenous botanicals provide a complex blend of different and notable characteristics to the aromatic and overall flavour profile.

Regional character

Danny explained: “Pollination Gin took us three years of trials before we found the unique blend of locally foraged botanicals which not only taste fantastic together, but also truly hold a mirror up to our remarkable landscape.”

Pollination gin, which is a Dovey Native Botanical Gin, has won many prestigious awards – including Best British Gin – and is a favourite at many Michelin-starred restaurants, fine wine and spirit merchants, as well as being available from the Dyfi Distillery itself or via its online store.

“Achieving the first UKGI for gin was never a marketing idea, as we’re a genuinely artisan distillery,” reflects Danny, “but will help explain that this gin can be produced at world class level combined with genuinely regional characteristics.”