Thomas Walk Vineyard - Ireland's Oldest Sustainable Winery
Ireland's Oldest Vineyard: Thomas Walk Vineyard
Tucked into the south-facing hills near Kinsale, County Cork, on the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, lies what is widely recognised as the oldest and largest vineyard in Ireland. Thomas Walk Vineyard was established in 1985, when German-born entrepreneur Thomas Walk - raised among the dry, pure wines of Lower Franconia and with roots in a Baden wine-growing family - planted the very first Rondo vines on Irish soil. More than four decades later, the estate remains family-run, fiercely sustainable, and quietly revolutionary: it is listed on the international Old Vine Registry not only as Ireland's longest-standing vineyard, but also as the oldest 'Rondo' plantation in the world.
The vineyard itself is small, privately owned, and not open to the public - there are no tours, tastings on site, or walk-in sales in Ireland. Service, advice and order processing are handled from Aschaffenburg, Germany, by Walk GmbH - Thomas Walk Vineyard, headed by Karin Walk. Wines can be bought through the Wine Cellar Shop (delivered worldwide outside the Republic of Ireland) and, inside Ireland, through a small network of carefully chosen stockists in County Cork.
A short history
Thomas Walk began his Irish wine experiment in the early 1980s. Over the following years he tested roughly fifteen varieties in cooperation with German research institutes, including Müller-Thurgau, Ortega, Silvaner, Regent, Reichensteiner, Riesling and Spätburgunder. None matched his strict requirements for sustainability and quality in the Irish maritime climate. Eventually, in partnership with Prof. Dr. Helmut Becker of the Geisenheim Research Institute, he received interspecific "Vitis Amurensis" vines for trial. Three years later, one red selection stood out. Thomas Walk planted it on a larger scale and was granted permission to name it: "Amurensis Walk" - after the Amur river region of Asia that contributed to its parentage, and after the man who first brought it to Ireland.
The grape received plant-variety protection in 1997 and was officially classified as "Rondo" in 1999. The first commercial red vintage - 1989 - was an immediate success, and over the following decades additional south-facing, micro-climatically favoured plots were added, each only a short walk from the next but each with its own ripeness profile. Today the wines are produced in three still styles (Ruby, Velvet and Rosé) plus a méthode-traditionnelle sparkling called Exubérance, all from the same single variety.
A vineyard with no spray - "simply nothing"
From the outset, Thomas Walk's focus has been uncompromisingly ecological. Rondo's high natural resistance to downy mildew (Peronospora) - and the singular suitability of Walk's carefully chosen sites - means that no fungicides, no pesticides and no herbicides are used on the vines, ever. The vines grow within a diverse intercropping system rather than a monoculture, so pest control is unnecessary. The trellising is a system Thomas Walk developed himself, called "Walk-Curtain-Pruning": it blends the benefits of minimal pruning with an airy training method that lets the vines develop freely without crowding each other. "Happy vines for healthy grapes" is the guiding maxim.
The vineyard floor is naturally green; mulching is carried out at long intervals, and the mulch itself acts as a gentle, natural fertiliser. Because Amurensis Walk thrives on modest soils, no additional mineral or organic fertilisation is required - meaning no runoff into groundwater or local waterways. Even the cork is chosen with sustainability in mind: Thomas Walk Vineyard uses two-disc natural corks that make efficient use of the raw material without compromising seal quality.
The bees and the wider landscape
Walk recognises that a vineyard is part of a living ecosystem. In spring 2022 the team sowed 25 different species of flowering plants around the vineyards, creating a year-round haven for pollinators. Vines are largely self-pollinating, but the resulting insect-rich meadow reinforces biodiversity, brings bees back into the agricultural landscape, and adds the gentle hum of nature to the growing site. The commitment has been recognised through certification and through the estate's status as an international VIVISUS partner for sustainable viticulture.
The wines of Thomas Walk Vineyard
Every wine from Thomas Walk Vineyard is 100% Rondo, single-varietal and unblended - which means each vintage is a true portrait of its summer. Production is fully in-house, from grape to bottle, and the philosophy is "nothing added but time": the wines are not filtered, not centrifuged and not force-fined; only a gentle sulphuring is used to ensure bottle stability. Natural sediment and tartrate crystals are accepted as proof of authenticity. Fermentation is in stainless steel; the Rosé is pressed on the day of harvest for freshness, and a small portion of each Velvet and Rosé is set aside for bottle-fermentation into the sparkling Exubérance Clairet and Exubérance Rosé.
Ruby
The flagship red: dark ruby in colour, with well-balanced tannins and a generous aroma of black cherries. Pairs naturally with red meat, pasta and cheese, and matures gracefully in bottle. Recent vintages include 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024 (e-label), with alcohol around 11.5 vol%.
Velvet
A lighter red with finer tannins and a famously velvety softness, equally at home with white meat, delicate pasta, soft cheeses - or simply on its own, served cool or at room temperature. Around 11 vol%.
Rosé
Distinct salmon-pink in colour, crisp and refreshing, made by pressing the must on the day of harvest. Bottled in a 1.0-litre format for the current 2023 release (12 vol%).
Verso (oak aged)
A cheerful, fruit-forward red with mild tannins and a short stay in oak barriques. Medium-red, versatile - drink at room temperature or lightly chilled - and a true "all-rounder" at the table. 2020 vintage.
Exubérance
Trademark-protected traditional-method sparkling wine, made from selected Velvet (Clairet) or Rosé base wines, vintage-dated.
Wine prices and how to buy
All prices below include German VAT and are exclusive of shipping. Sales are not available for delivery within the Republic of Ireland - Irish customers buy through local stockists instead.
- Vintage 2013 - Ruby + Velvet (0.75 l): €36.00 (only a few bottles left)
- Vintage 2018 - Velvet 0.75 l + Rosé 1.0 l: €24.80
- Vintage 2019 - Ruby + Velvet (0.75 l): €24.80
- Vintage 2020 - Verso oak aged (0.75 l): €29.80
- Vintage 2021 - Ruby (0.75 l): €24.80
- Vintage 2022 - Ruby (0.75 l): €29.80
- Vintage 2023 - Ruby 0.75 l + Velvet 0.75 l + Rosé 1.0 l: €24.80
- Wine Tasting Package "Savour TWV" - any 6 different wines (10% tasting discount): €36.00
- Gift Wine Box "Basket" - Velvet 2013, Velvet 2018, Ruby 2019, Ruby 2021 + embroidered half-linen tea towel: €125.00 (€107.74 ex-VAT) - order by email quoting "Gift wine box 'Basket'"
Orders are placed through the Wine Cellar Shop and the Savour TWV tasting package. Do not pay on the automatic order confirmation: the team will send a tailored advance-payment invoice including shipping.
Buying Thomas Walk wines in Ireland
From mid-August 2026, the current releases are available at the following wine shops and restaurants in County Cork (tastings possible on request):
- Bulman Pub and Restaurant, Summercove, Kinsale, Co. Cork (www.thebulman.ie)
- 1601 Wineshop, Pearse St., Kinsale, Co. Cork (shop phone 00353 21 4772529)
- The Pop-up Wine Shop in the Grainstore at Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co. Cork - open Saturday & Sunday, 12.30 pm - 5.30 pm (Aoife 087 2675022)
Awards and media
Thomas Walk Vineyard's sustainable approach has brought consistent recognition:
- Wine Award 2020 - Velvet 2018 & Velvet 2019
- Wine Award 2018 - Ruby Veil 2014
- Wine Award 2016 - Clairet 2014
- Wine Award 2015 - Ruby 2010 (Silver), Velvet 2013 (Gold), Ruby 2013 (Silver)
The wines have also been tasted and praised publicly by Andreas Larsson (Best Sommelier of the World, ASI 2007), by sommelier Roger Eyer, and by German journalist Gero von Randow in Die ZEIT ("Walks wines are different, they stand for themselves, non-conventional"). Press coverage includes Falstaff ("Wein statt Whiskey", 14.3.2022), Main-Echo (19.3.2022), ZDF heute in Europa (7.10.2021) and dpa/Mareike Graepel ("Wein von der Whisky-Insel"), syndicated in N-TV, Neckar Chronik and Die Rheinlandpfalz.
Tours, tastings and visits
Because the estate is a private family home and vineyard, there are no public tours, walk-in tastings, cellar-door sales or event bookings at Thomas Walk Vineyard. Thomas Walk and his family ask visitors to respect their privacy and to refrain from visits. All enquiries are directed to the Walk GmbH office in Aschaffenburg.
The closest equivalent to a tasting experience is the Savour TWV tasting package - choose any six different wines from the cellar and receive a 10% tasting discount. The team recommends a "vertical" tasting across Rondo vintages and styles (Ruby, Velvet, Rosé) to appreciate how each summer is captured in the glass.
Equipment and supplies for other wineries
Drawing on 40 years of experience in Irish œnology, Thomas Walk Vineyard also acts as an agent for several European equipment makers serving small wineries and the drinks industry, including:
- Zottel stainless-steel vats (floating lid), hydro presses (35 - 250 l) and fruit mills
- Enoitalia winery equipment - destemmer/crushers, bottle washers, hand corkers, vacuum fillers, pumps, hoses, valves
- Ferrinox semi-automatic labelling machines (EKO10, FX10, FX20) for front and back labels
- Stellin manual labelling machines (front and back labels)
- Gültig Twinline two-disc natural corks (free printing and free delivery)
- Fungus-resistant grafted vines - Rondo (red) and Solaris (white), bundles of 25, delivered direct from Germany
Climate change - "a new taste on the horizon"
At a May 2024 panel talk "Irish Vineyards - past, present, future" at Ballymaloe in Midleton, Co. Cork, Thomas Walk discussed how climate change is reshaping the wine map. Established southern wine regions face mounting difficulties (scientists cite up to 70%), while cooler northern countries - including Ireland - may benefit, provided they rely on interspecific varieties suited to a milder, more humid maritime climate. Rondo, with its cherry-and-blackberry character, is at the forefront of this "new taste" - and Walk's own vertical of single-vintage, single-varietal wines is one of the clearest demonstrations of how Rondo expresses itself vintage by vintage.
Visiting and contact
For service, advice and orders:
- Walk GmbH - Thomas Walk Vineyard, Herstallstrasse 37, D-63739 Aschaffenburg, Germany
- Telephone: +49 (0) 6021 23190 (Fax 0049 6021 29000)
- Email: info@thomaswalk-vineyard.com
- On-site vineyard: Thomas Walk Vineyard Ltd., Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland (no visits)
Life is too precious to drink non-sustainable wines.