Thursday, August 13, 2026
29 C
New Delhi

Rising temperatures are transforming Ireland into a rare wine country; the island now has 42 vineyards with upcoming bumper crops

I ela d is becomi g a  u likely wi e cou t y as tempe atu es  ise; the isla d  ow has 42 vi eya ds, with g owe s  epo ti g bumpe  2026 c ops

Ac oss
Eu ope,
a
massive
a d
lo g-lasti g
heatwave
has
d ied
up
ive s,
th eate ed
the
flo a
a d
fau a
a d
se t
ma y
to
the
eme ge cy
wa d.
Added
to
the
mix
have
bee
the
agi g
wildfi es
that
have
i c eased
the
p essu e
o
the
ecosystem
a d
fo ced
the
elocatio
of
huma s
a d
a imals.But
i
southe
Eu ope,
somethi g
opposite
has
bee
taki g
place.
While
the
vi eya ds
of
the
egio
emai
th eate ed
by
the
wildfi es
a d
the
ext eme
heat,
I ish
wi emake s
a e
p edicti g
o e
of
thei
st o gest
ha vests
yet.
Afte
decades
of
bei g
dismissed
as
a
u likely
place
to
g ow
wi e
g apes,
I ela d
is
eme gi g
as
a
i c easi gly
att active
locatio
fo
comme cial
vi eya ds,
with
g owe s
epo ti g
bumpe
c ops
i
the
summe
of
2026
a d
a
su ge
i
e qui ies
f om
i vesto s
ove seas
looki g
to
establish
ew
vi eya ds,
acco di g
to
a
epo t
by
The
Times.T aditio ally
associated
with
the
wa me
climates
of
F a ce,
Italy
a d
Spai ,
wi e
g apes
a e
i c easi gly
bei g
cultivated
i
coole
egio s
as
tempe atu es
ise
a d
disease- esista t
g ape
va ieties
become
mo e
widely
available.
I ela d
ow
boasts
five
fully-lice sed
comme cial
vi eya ds,
while
a
fu the
37
ope ate
o
a
smalle
scale
fo
pe so al
use,
esea ch
o
t ial
p oductio .

A
bumpe
p oductio

A bumpe  p oductio <b ><b >” msid=”133207921″ width=”” title=”I ela d’s va ied soils a d coastal climate a e helpi g p oduce disti ctive wi es” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=””  esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133207921/a-bumpe -p oductio b b .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></p>
<p>
I ela d’s<br />
va ied<br />
soils<br />
a d<br />
coastal<br />
climate<br />
a e<br />
helpi g<br />
p oduce<br />
disti ctive<br />
wi es</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>Be t a d<br />
Laclie,<br />
fou de<br />
of<br />
Fai y<br />
T ees<br />
Wi e y<br />
i<br />
Co<br />
Louth,<br />
the<br />
cou t y’s<br />
la gest<br />
vi eya d,<br />
pla ted<br />
his<br />
fi st<br />
vi es<br />
i<br />
2020<br />
afte<br />
decidi g<br />
I ela d’s<br />
cha gi g<br />
climate<br />
p ese ted<br />
a<br />
comme cial<br />
oppo tu ity.</p>
<p>His<br />
family,<br />
which<br />
has<br />
five<br />
ge e atio s<br />
of<br />
distilli g<br />
he itage<br />
i<br />
F a ce’s<br />
Cog ac<br />
 egio ,<br />
bega<br />
selli g<br />
thei<br />
fi st<br />
I ish<br />
wi es<br />
i<br />
2025,<br />
afte<br />
five<br />
yea s<br />
of<br />
cultivatio .<br />
He<br />
 ow<br />
p oduces<br />
a<br />
 a ge<br />
of<br />
still<br />
a d<br />
spa kli g<br />
wi es,<br />
which<br />
a e<br />
stocked<br />
i<br />
Dubli<br />
Ai po t<br />
a d<br />
some<br />
specialist<br />
wi e<br />
 etaile s.<br />
“I<br />
ope ed<br />
a<br />
distille y<br />
i<br />
Co<br />
Louth<br />
i<br />
2015<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
I<br />
saw<br />
the<br />
climate-cha ge<br />
p edictio s<br />
a d<br />
I<br />
just<br />
thought,<br />
why<br />
 ot<br />
t y<br />
to<br />
sell<br />
wi e?”<br />
he<br />
said<br />
to<br />
The<br />
Times.<br />
“The e<br />
a e<br />
o ly<br />
a<br />
few<br />
of<br />
us<br />
he e<br />
because<br />
 obody<br />
believes<br />
i<br />
it<br />
yet.<br />
It<br />
does<br />
 equi e<br />
a<br />
bit<br />
of<br />
specialist<br />
k owledge<br />
a d<br />
 ot<br />
eve ybody<br />
ca<br />
sta t<br />
a<br />
wi e y,<br />
but<br />
the<br />
idea<br />
of<br />
I ish<br />
wi e<br />
does ’t<br />
click<br />
i<br />
the<br />
heads<br />
of<br />
95<br />
pe<br />
ce t<br />
of<br />
people.<br />
I<br />
believe<br />
I ela d<br />
has<br />
a<br />
big<br />
cha ce<br />
i<br />
the<br />
futu e<br />
to<br />
be<br />
a<br />
se ious<br />
wi emake .”David<br />
De  iso ,<br />
fou de<br />
of<br />
Viki g<br />
I ish<br />
D i ks,<br />
who<br />
has<br />
ope ated<br />
a<br />
o ga ic<br />
vi eya d<br />
i<br />
Co<br />
Wate fo d<br />
si ce<br />
2010,<br />
said<br />
this<br />
yea ’s<br />
c op<br />
was<br />
shapi g<br />
up<br />
to<br />
be<br />
o e<br />
of<br />
his<br />
biggest<br />
yet,<br />
p ovided<br />
the<br />
vi es<br />
 eceived<br />
e ough<br />
 ai fall<br />
befo e<br />
the<br />
ha vest.<br />
“The e’s<br />
a<br />
huge<br />
i te est<br />
 ow<br />
f om<br />
ab oad,<br />
with<br />
people<br />
wa ti g<br />
to<br />
k ow<br />
mo e<br />
about<br />
setti g<br />
up<br />
vi eya ds<br />
i<br />
I ela d,”<br />
he<br />
said<br />
to<br />
the<br />
outlet.“We’ e<br />
getti g<br />
emails<br />
a d<br />
pho e<br />
calls<br />
f om<br />
people<br />
with<br />
ideas<br />
that<br />
I ela d<br />
is<br />
the<br />
 ew<br />
a ea<br />
[fo<br />
wi e].<br />
I<br />
had<br />
a<br />
email<br />
the<br />
othe<br />
day<br />
f om<br />
a<br />
F e ch<br />
wi emake<br />
who<br />
wa ts<br />
to<br />
set<br />
up<br />
a<br />
vi eya d.<br />
The<br />
I<br />
had<br />
a othe<br />
guy<br />
f om<br />
Califo  ia<br />
who<br />
wa ted<br />
to<br />
i vest<br />
i<br />
I ish<br />
vi eya ds.”I ela d’s<br />
va ied<br />
soils<br />
a d<br />
coastal<br />
climate<br />
a e<br />
helpi g<br />
p oduce<br />
disti ctive<br />
wi es,<br />
acco di g<br />
to<br />
Espe a za<br />
He  a dez,<br />
ow e<br />
of<br />
Old<br />
Roots,<br />
a<br />
vi eya d<br />
a d<br />
wi e y<br />
i<br />
Co<br />
Wexfo d,<br />
which<br />
has<br />
bee<br />
g owi g<br />
g apes<br />
si ce<br />
2015.<br />
“At<br />
ou<br />
vi eya d<br />
i<br />
Welli gto b idge,<br />
the<br />
soil<br />
combi es<br />
mi e al<br />
 ich ess<br />
deposited<br />
by<br />
a<br />
a cie t<br />
glacie<br />
with<br />
a<br />
fe tile<br />
o ga ic<br />
laye ,<br />
c eati g<br />
co ditio s<br />
that<br />
co t ibute<br />
a<br />
disti ctive<br />
cha acte<br />
to<br />
ou<br />
wi es<br />
a d<br />
set<br />
them<br />
apa t<br />
withi<br />
the<br />
Atla tic<br />
wi e<br />
catego y.<br />
What<br />
is<br />
pa ticula ly<br />
exciti g<br />
is<br />
that<br />
we<br />
have<br />
successfully<br />
g ow<br />
t aditio al<br />
va ieties<br />
such<br />
as<br />
cha do  ay,<br />
 iesli g,<br />
pi ot,<br />
cabe  et<br />
…<br />
I<br />
ma y<br />
coole -climate<br />
 egio s,<br />
these<br />
va ieties<br />
ca<br />
be<br />
difficult<br />
to<br />
 ipe<br />
co siste tly,”<br />
she<br />
said.</p>
<p><h2>
Mo e<br />
wi e ies<br />
to<br />
come</h2>
</p>
<p>De  iso ,<br />
who<br />
 ece tly<br />
set<br />
up<br />
the<br />
I ish<br />
Wi emake s<br />
Associatio ,<br />
believes<br />
that<br />
with<br />
the<br />
wa mi g<br />
climate<br />
mo e<br />
vi eya ds<br />
will<br />
begi<br />
ope i g<br />
up.<br />
“The<br />
biggest<br />
obstacle<br />
we<br />
had<br />
he e<br />
i<br />
I ela d<br />
was<br />
fa mi g;<br />
co ve tio al<br />
fa me s<br />
who<br />
said<br />
you<br />
ca ’t<br />
g ow<br />
g apes<br />
i<br />
I ela d,<br />
but<br />
the<br />
thi g<br />
is<br />
you<br />
ca ,”<br />
he<br />
said.“It’s<br />
 eally<br />
to<br />
get<br />
that<br />
wo d<br />
out<br />
that<br />
you<br />
ca<br />
g ow<br />
g apes<br />
i<br />
I ela d,<br />
a d<br />
I<br />
believe<br />
the e’s<br />
vi eya ds<br />
goi g<br />
to<br />
pop<br />
up<br />
eve ywhe e<br />
 ow.<br />
I<br />
would ’t<br />
eve<br />
k ow<br />
half<br />
of<br />
them<br />
at<br />
the<br />
mome t,<br />
but<br />
the e<br />
a e<br />
lots<br />
of<br />
people<br />
sta ti g<br />
to<br />
g ow<br />
g apes.<br />
Some<br />
might<br />
pla t<br />
200<br />
o<br />
300<br />
vi es,<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
you<br />
have<br />
fools<br />
like<br />
me<br />
who<br />
pla t<br />
8,000.”Philip<br />
Du  e,<br />
a<br />
sommelie<br />
a d<br />
wi e<br />
a d<br />
spi its<br />
expe t<br />
i<br />
the<br />
luxu y<br />
hospitality<br />
secto<br />
said<br />
the<br />
quality<br />
of<br />
I ish<br />
wi es<br />
was<br />
imp ovi g<br />
eve y<br />
yea .<br />
I ela d<br />
should<br />
look<br />
to<br />
the<br />
success<br />
of<br />
southe<br />
E gla d,<br />
Du  e<br />
advised.<br />
“The e’s<br />
a<br />
oppo tu ity<br />
he e<br />
a d<br />
a<br />
 easo<br />
to<br />
be<br />
excited,”<br />
he<br />
said.“Just<br />
look<br />
at<br />
E gla d<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
success<br />
they’ve<br />
had<br />
with<br />
spa kli g<br />
wi e<br />
a d<br />
pa ticula ly<br />
still<br />
white<br />
wi es<br />
i<br />
Sussex<br />
a d<br />
Ke t:<br />
some<br />
of<br />
thei<br />
b a ds<br />
 ow<br />
a e<br />
o<br />
the<br />
global<br />
scale.<br />
We<br />
have<br />
to<br />
obviously<br />
look<br />
at<br />
the<br />
 ight<br />
g ape<br />
va ieties<br />
as<br />
well:<br />
Sola is<br />
is<br />
a<br />
white<br />
g ape<br />
va iety<br />
a d<br />
Ro do<br />
is<br />
a<br />
ki d<br />
of<br />
ha dy<br />
g ape<br />
va iety<br />
that<br />
both<br />
ca<br />
withsta d<br />
ou<br />
ge e ally<br />
coole<br />
tempe atu es.<br />
A<br />
lot<br />
of<br />
wi emake s<br />
i<br />
I ela d<br />
a e<br />
pla ti g<br />
them,<br />
a d<br />
they<br />
seem<br />
to<br />
be<br />
the<br />
futu e.”De  iso<br />
said<br />
I ela d’s<br />
coole<br />
climate<br />
could<br />
also<br />
become<br />
a<br />
comme cial<br />
adva tage<br />
as<br />
dema d<br />
fo<br />
lowe -alcohol<br />
wi es<br />
g ew.<br />
“The<br />
biggest<br />
asset<br />
we<br />
have<br />
is<br />
that<br />
we<br />
ca<br />
mai tai<br />
 elatively<br />
low<br />
alcohol<br />
levels,<br />
u de<br />
12<br />
pe<br />
ce t.<br />
I<br />
thi k<br />
we’ e<br />
o<br />
to<br />
a<br />
wi  e<br />
[with<br />
that]<br />
because<br />
people<br />
a e<br />
mo e<br />
co scious<br />
of<br />
alcohol<br />
 ow,”<br />
he<br />
said.</p>
<p><h2>
The<br />
 ight<br />
tempe atu es<br />
fo<br />
I ela d</h2>
</p>
<div data-pos=
The  ight tempe atu es fo  I ela d<b ><b >” msid=”133207947″ width=”” title=”While  isi g tempe atu es p ese ted sig ifica t challe ges fo  ma y established wi e  egio s, they might also c eate mo e favou able co ditio s fo  viticultu e i  I ela d.” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=””  esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133207947/the- ight-tempe atu es-fo -i ela db b .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></p>
<p>
While<br />
 isi g<br />
tempe atu es<br />
p ese ted<br />
sig ifica t<br />
challe ges<br />
fo<br />
ma y<br />
established<br />
wi e<br />
 egio s,<br />
they<br />
might<br />
also<br />
c eate<br />
mo e<br />
favou able<br />
co ditio s<br />
fo<br />
viticultu e<br />
i<br />
I ela d.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>He  a dez<br />
said<br />
that<br />
while<br />
 isi g<br />
tempe atu es<br />
p ese ted<br />
sig ifica t<br />
challe ges<br />
fo<br />
ma y<br />
established<br />
wi e<br />
 egio s,<br />
they<br />
might<br />
also<br />
c eate<br />
mo e<br />
favou able<br />
co ditio s<br />
fo<br />
viticultu e<br />
i<br />
I ela d.<br />
“The<br />
wildfi es<br />
ac oss<br />
Eu ope<br />
a e<br />
deeply<br />
co ce  i g<br />
a d<br />
ou<br />
thoughts<br />
a e<br />
with<br />
the<br />
commu ities<br />
affected<br />
by<br />
them,”<br />
she<br />
said.“That<br />
said,<br />
i<br />
I ela d<br />
[they<br />
may]<br />
help<br />
b i g<br />
g eate<br />
co siste cy<br />
to<br />
g ape<br />
 ipe i g<br />
f om<br />
yea<br />
to<br />
yea .<br />
Howeve ,<br />
we<br />
thi k<br />
the<br />
lo g-te m<br />
g owth<br />
of<br />
the<br />
I ish<br />
wi e<br />
i dust y<br />
will<br />
depe d<br />
o<br />
mo e<br />
tha<br />
climate<br />
alo e.<br />
Success<br />
will<br />
come<br />
f om<br />
p oduci g<br />
high-quality<br />
wi es<br />
at<br />
a<br />
comme cial<br />
scale,<br />
wi es<br />
that<br />
ca<br />
sta d<br />
o<br />
thei<br />
ow<br />
me its<br />
a d<br />
ea<br />
the<br />
co fide ce<br />
of<br />
co sume s<br />
both<br />
i<br />
I ela d<br />
a d<br />
beyo d.<br />
I ish<br />
wi e<br />
is<br />
competi g<br />
with<br />
g eat<br />
wi es<br />
f om<br />
all<br />
ove<br />
the<br />
wo ld<br />
a d<br />
that<br />
mea s<br />
quality,<br />
above<br />
all.”</p>
<p><a h ef=Go to Sou ce

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TIRUN T avel Ma keti g, Royal Ca ibbea I te atio al’s exclusive ep ese tative i I dia, has a ou ced that Royal Ca ibbea will ope ate yea – ou d saili gs f om Si gapo e begi i g Octobe 2026, with Navigato of the Seas based i the city th o Read More

Sonu Nigam buys commercial office space in Andheri for Rs 1 crore

Si ge So u Nigam has added a othe Mumbai p ope ty to his po tfolio, pu chasi g a comme cial office u it i A dhe i West fo Rs 1 c o e, acco di g to p ope ty egist atio docume ts accessed by CRE Mat ix. Read More

England Superstar Announces IPL Return After Two-Year Ban

Show Quick Read Key poi ts ge e ated by AI, ve ified by ews oom Ha y B ook is ope to etu i g to the IPL. He eceived two-seaso ba afte successive IPL withd awals. B ook believes the IPL competitio e ha ces playe s’ skills. Read More

‘Fake Intelligence More Dangerous’: Iran Warns Trump Over ‘Full Control’ Of Hormuz

Show Quick Read Key poi ts ge e ated by AI, ve ified by ews oom I a ia FM A aghchi efuted this claim, citi g failu es. A aghchi wa ed US i tellige ce failu es cause w o g decisio s. Read More

Sri Lankan Navy Arrests 9 Tamil Nadu Fishermen Near Katchatheevu, Seizes Boat

Show Quick Read Key poi ts ge e ated by AI, ve ified by ews oom Ni e I dia fishe me a ested, boat seized ea Katchatheevu. Recu i g dete tio s cause deep co ce amo g fishi g commu ity. Read More

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