Background: Located at Wellingtonbridge, Co Wexford, the vineyard has over 11,000 vines under cultivation, with plans for further growth in the future.

It has been a challenging summer for The Old Roots vineyard. While this part of the country has long been known as ‘the sunny South East’, the changeable weather patterns of the past few months have made life difficult for owner Esperanza Hernandez and her team. 

“It has been quite a challenging year in terms of the weather, often very wet which makes it difficult for the machinery to operate, which means we are required to do more work manually,” she explains. “We have lost a certain amount of vines and grapes, but in general, if we can have a good weather outlook over the coming weeks, we will still manage to have a reasonable season. 

"Because we are always concerned to maintain the highest quality of our wines, bad weather means we will not have as big a harvest as we would like. Indeed, to maintain our high quality, even in a good summer, we sacrifice grapes so the ones we harvest get all nutrients and sun; therefore in a bad summer, this reduction is still bigger.” 

On the 11-acre site, close to 11,000 vines are growing, most of which were first planted nine years ago. The variety of grapes include Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, among others. 

“Right now we are only selling our wines to hotels and restaurants such as Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois, Castle Leslie in Co. Monaghan, Aniar in Galway, or Castlemartyr Resort in Cork." Employing up to 20 people at various times, the business continues to grow, but with significant investment continuing to be made in machinery and facilities. 

“It has been a huge investment for us, and this continues to be the case as we develop the vineyard and face the upcoming building of the new winery. It is a very long-term investment, and frequently very challenging.” 

Changing climate

Changing weather patterns and the reality of climate change has made Ireland a growing location for wine production. 

While the country’s geographical location north of the equator had prevented any commercial activity in this sector in the past, the recent increase in annual temperatures has made for a potential industry of the future. 

As to whether the changed weather patterns could sustain a strong wine-producing industry here, a look to our nearest neighbour would indicate an affirmative answer to the question. 

Growing wineries

A recent report from WineGB, the association representing wine producers in England and Wales, reveals there are now 1,030 vineyards in the UK, a 9.2% rise since the last annual report. 

In addition, last year English and Welsh wine sales grew by 10%. In 2023, 87 new vineyards were registered, bringing the total number to over 1,000 for the first time. 

Government data also shows that winery numbers have risen from 209 to 221 and that the total area under vine now stands at 4,209 hectares, representing a growth rate of 123% in 10 years. The WineGB Harvest Report highlighted 2023 as a record year, having totalled 161,960 hectolitres, the equivalent of 21.6 million bottles, up 77% on 2022.

“We planted the first 6,500 vines in Wexford in 2015 and we crafted our first test wine in 2019,” Esperanza explains of the fledgling enterprise. Employing state-of-the-art viticultural techniques, the vineyard is now cultivating around 11,000 vines, a number they plan to increase significantly in the future. 

“In everything from trellis systems to pruning methods, harvesting and soil management, our team is at the forefront of winemaking, with techniques we have customised and put to the test in Irish fields every year, to face the specific conditions of this climate and this terroir, so different than the vineyards in other countries. 

For instance, while in other European countries harvest is usually in the summer, our harvest extends from October up to mid-November. 

"Our R&D department collaborated with a number of European vine nurseries to carefully select and adapt specific varieties to be grown in Irish soil and climate. It meant an extended period of hard work, with several trials and errors, but the result is the perfect fruit that allows us to produce the finest and most unique wines.” 

The future of the Old Roots vineyard

Currently, the premises are large enough to support an annual production of up to 25,000 bottles, a number they plan to increase to 100,000 bottles in the near future. 

“We have our own in-house certified laboratory, which helps us guarantee an absolute and constant control over the quality of our grapes and wines. Staff training is essential for us, and that is why we have implemented a continuous learning program overseen by our chief oenologist, Santiago Jordi, President of the International Union of Oenologists. 

"Every machine in the winery complies with the highest European industrial standards. All our facilities have been approved by the HSE, and they undergo regular inspections. We have been registered as food producers and manufacturers since 2018.” 

Quality and high standards make up the guiding ethos of The Old Roots, as they continue to build a reputation for an exclusive and uniquely Irish product. 

“Our range includes fresh Atlantic whites, some complex and elegant, and an assortment of fruity, round or medium-bodied red wines. Our white wines are not only excellent proof of Ireland’s winemaking potential, but they are also at the highest level of quality and have nothing to envy from the finest wines in the Old or the New World. With their own Irish character, these wines voice the spirit of their origins and are enhanced by the climate of the region and the terroir of our vineyards.”

Having moved to Ireland in the early 2000s, Esperanza saw the future promise of a viable wine business, especially as a result of the changing weather patterns. “We were convinced Ireland could support good vineyards in the right locations, so we travelled around the country, doing soil analysis and climate studies to be sure that we would plant in the ideal land. 

"Over the approximately 10 years since we began, the business has gone more or less as we had planned. Our first harvest was promising and the testing wine we produced was good enough to foresee a high quality wine.” 

She adds that climate change is helping, but in addition to bringing warmer temperatures in Ireland, it also means changing and unstable weather with rain in weeks that usually were dry, or drought in usually wet periods. “It means more challenges and more work to do, but our guiding ambition has always been to make the finest Irish wine and compete in the global market, so we will keep working, experimenting and developing towards greater quality every year.”