The Old Roots Vineyard: Ireland's Largest Estate Crafting Premium Irish Wine in Wexford
Close to the Wexford coast, where the Irish Sea sends its salty breeze across a wild, fertile landscape, a quietly ambitious agricultural project has been reshaping the country's relationship with wine. The Old Roots is Ireland's largest vineyard, a pioneering estate where Mediterranean tradition meets cutting-edge viticultural science to produce some of the most distinctive and talked-about wines the island has ever seen.
A New Chapter in Irish Wine
Ireland is not the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of wine country. Yet in the rolling farmland of County Wexford, The Old Roots has spent more than a decade proving that the country's cool, maritime climate can yield wines of genuine character and refinement. The first vine went into the ground in 2015. Four years later, in 2019, the team produced their inaugural vintage. Since then, the vineyard has grown rapidly into a national flagship for premium Irish wine, with international media, diplomats and top chefs all taking notice.
What makes The Old Roots remarkable is the combination of old-world patience and new-world precision. Viticultural engineers have selected and adapted specific varietals to suit Wexford's soils and weather; an in-house R&D laboratory, staffed by specialists in extreme viticulture, develops bespoke tools and techniques. The winemaking project is led by Santiago Jordi, President of the International Union of Oenologists (UIOE), whose experience spans decades across Europe.
The Vineyard
Today the vineyard is home to more than 12,000 vines, a number that continues to grow. Seven principal varieties (both white and red) form the backbone of production, with a further nine experimental varietals under evaluation by the R&D team, all in collaboration with leading European and American vine nurseries.
The team uses state-of-the-art viticultural techniques alongside time-honoured methods:
- Trellis systems designed to maximise the Irish sun's reach.
- Custom pruning methods adapted to Wexford's cool, damp climate.
- Direct field grafting to test which rootstocks thrive on local soils.
- Soil management programmes tailored to the region's particular terroir.
- Harvesting protocols timed to capture the fruit at its peak aromatic and phenolic ripeness.
The result, after several years of trials and refinement, is fruit of consistently high quality, fruit that allows The Old Roots to produce what the team confidently calls the finest Irish wine.
The Winery
The Old Roots winery houses the most up-to-date winemaking technology in Ireland. Much of it has been developed by the estate's own engineering team and built exclusively for the project. The current premises are large enough to support annual production of up to 25,000 bottles. Plans are in place to expand that figure to 100,000 bottles, with a medium-term target of half a million bottles annually.
Quality control runs through every stage of production. An in-house certified laboratory guarantees constant monitoring of both grapes and wines, while a continuous training programme, overseen by the chief oenologist, ensures staff expertise stays at the cutting edge. Every piece of equipment complies with the highest European industrial standards, and the entire facility has been approved by the HSE and registered as a food producer and manufacturer since 2018.
The Wines
The Old Roots produces a complete portfolio of styles, from fresh Atlantic whites through complex and elegant single varietals, fruity and medium-bodied reds, carefully crafted blends, refreshing rosés, and a new line of sparkling wine that made its debut in January 2026.
White Wines
The white wines are widely regarded as proof of Ireland's winemaking potential at the highest level. They voice the spirit of their aromatic varietals, nuanced and enhanced by the climate of the region and the terroir of the vineyard. Fresh, mineral-driven Atlantic whites sit alongside more complex, elegant expressions: wines that, the team suggests, have nothing to envy from the finest wines of the Old or New World.
Red Wines
The reds encapsulate the essence of a traditional red wine while displaying surprising new notes. Carefully chosen varietals, adapted over years to Irish conditions, give wines of intense red or dark violet colour, with long, fruity finishes and a surprising body. From fruit-forward, round styles to more structured, medium-bodied examples, the red portfolio covers a broad spectrum of palates and occasions.
Blends
Beyond single varietals, The Old Roots crafts white and red blends, coupages that bring together the best of the vineyard in one carefully made wine. Each blend is an exercise in balance: a single expression that gathers the strengths of multiple varietals.
Rosés
The Old Roots rosés are described by the team as an unexpected sensorial experience: wines that suit the moments whose memory will stay with you forever. Fresh, fragrant and food-friendly, they are an easy entry point to the estate's style.
Sparkling Wines
A new line of sparkling wine was unveiled in January 2026. Taoiseach Micheál Martin became the very first person to receive a bottle, a milestone the team describes as filling them with genuine pride and excitement. The debut marks another ambitious step in establishing Ireland as a producer of premium sparkling wine.
The full range of wines is available to purchase through the Wine from Ireland online shop.
International Recognition
In a remarkably short time, The Old Roots has become Ireland's most visible wine export. The estate's wines have been selected for some of the most prestigious cultural and diplomatic occasions of recent years.
Diplomatic and Cultural Appearances
Across successive St Patrick's Day cycles, The Old Roots wines have featured at the official receptions hosted by the Irish Embassies in France (Paris), Germany (Berlin and Munich), Spain (Madrid), Italy (Rome) and Greece (Athens). At home, the wines were served at the IFA Anniversary Gala attended by An Taoiseach Simon Harris, and at the official launch of Colm Tóibín's poetry collection Vinegar Hill at the Lyrik Kabinett in Munich.
Premium Hospitality
Wexford is well represented at Ballyfin Demesne, one of the world's most celebrated luxury hotels. The Old Roots wines have been selected for Ballyfin's Christmas Eve Tasting and for The Gloss magazine's summer lunch, where Riesling and Pinot Blanc from the vineyard accompanied a curated menu and private garden tour.
Film, Charity and Industry
The Old Roots was the exclusive wine served at the official reception of the Oldenburg International Film Festival 2025, in partnership with Screen Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Germany. The estate has sponsored The Bar of Ireland's annual fundraiser in Cork (supporting Marymount Hospice, Cork Simon Community and the Cork Life Centre), participated in the Good Food Ireland Awards 2024 as a finalist in both Drinks Producer of the Year and Food Innovator of the Year, and hosted tastings for the Wexford Wine Circle, the County Wexford Chamber Leadership Summit, and the Bannow & Rathangan Show, where Minister of State Martin Heydon publicly endorsed the wines as a premium Irish export.
Media Coverage
The international press has followed the rise of Irish wine with enthusiasm. Fortune, RTE News, France 24, El País, Le Figaro, Irish Examiner, Irish Daily Mail, Vinetur, Italia Oggi, La Croix, The Business Times Singapore, RTL Belgium and Condé Nast Traveler Spain have all run features on The Old Roots and the wider Irish wine story in recent years.
Visiting the Estate: Tours and Experiences
The Old Roots welcomes visitors to its Wellingtonbridge vineyard for a programme of expertly guided tours and tastings. Each experience is built around the estate's philosophy: combining deep technical knowledge with a generous, warm welcome. Tours are led in English, with French and Spanish bookings available on request via sales@theoldroots.com. Visitors must be 16 or over; under-18s may join the vineyard tour but cannot participate in tastings. Animals are not permitted, except registered guide or assistance dogs.
Heart of Irish Wine
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes | Price: €45 per person
The flagship introductory experience. An expert-led guided journey through the scenic vineyards, exploring how soil, climate and tradition shape every bottle. Along the way, visitors savour the character of the estate's most celebrated creations. Ideal for those new to The Old Roots who want a complete introduction to Irish wine.
Wexford Wine: Excellence Rooted in Memory and Craft
Duration: 3 hours | Price: €300 per person
A structured, in-depth programme aimed at advanced enthusiasts and professionals. It explores what makes Wexford wine unique: its composition, bouquet, colour and the technical decisions that shape its character, alongside the cultural memory that supports the tradition, from the legacy of the Wine Geese to the Irlandais de la vendange and medieval references to wine as a mark of hospitality. Dedicated learning materials and exclusive online content are included.
Exclusive Prime Tour
Duration: 2 hours | Price: €500
An exclusive, privately hosted visit reserved solely for the booking party. A dedicated expert guides guests through the most distinguished wines and the subtleties of winemaking, with every detail tailored to the group. Designed for those who cherish quiet excellence.
Team Terroir
Duration: Full day | Price: Bespoke
A corporate experience crafted to reward teams with rare insight and shared discovery. Includes an expert-led masterclass on winemaking and tasting, a meal of dishes created especially for the occasion, private minibus transfers from the workplace, and a specially selected gift for each participant. Minimum eight, maximum twenty guests.
Where to Find The Old Roots
The vineyard is located in Wellingtonbridge, Co. Wexford, on Ireland's sun-soaked south-east coast. The setting, sea breeze, Irish sun, wild landscape and fertile soil, is fundamental to the wines' identity.
- Website: www.theoldroots.com
- Online shop: Wine from Ireland
- Book tours: theoldroots.com/tours
- Email: sales@theoldroots.com
- Address: The Old Roots vineyard, Wellingtonbridge, Co. Wexford, Ireland
The Future, Rooted in Place
From a single experimental planting in 2015 to a winery capable of half a million bottles, from a Wexford field to embassy receptions across Europe, The Old Roots has travelled a remarkable distance in a very short time. Yet the team remains anchored in the same idea that gave the estate its name: that the best wines begin with deep roots, in the soil, in tradition, and in the community that drinks them. As Irish wine enters a new chapter shaped by a changing climate, rising quality and growing international curiosity, The Old Roots stands ready, glass in hand, to share what Wexford can do.