When entrepreneur David Dennison bought a small farm in Co. Waterford in 1998, the land was to undergo a radical transformation from being grazed by sheep to now comprising a vineyard and orchard.
“Over the years from 2001 through to 2009, we were growing organic vegetables and fruit and also kept geese and ducks and laying hens for our restaurant,” said David, who is the founder of Viking Irish Drinks which produces craft wine and cider.
“I started planting in 2010 when I sold the Wine Vault wine bar and restaurant.
“Now we have a 1.5ha vineyard and are expanding, with 2.5ha of cider orchards and a half-acre of blackcurrants,” said David, who is a sommelier by profession and who has just been announced as the March Farming for Nature ambassador.
“We make red, white, sparkling, pet-nat (low sugar) wines and seven different ciders plus one liqueur of blackcurrants,” he said.
Irish vineyard
Viticulture – the growing of grapes – is relatively new in Ireland, according to David.
“Some of the original vineyards are now closed,” he said.
“The more recent Irish vineyards number around 20, with many growing PIWI (fungus-resistant grape varieties.) These are suitable for marginal climates like ours, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and many more, so it puts us on a level playing field.
“Our wine is mainly sold online and in selected restaurants and shops. We produce a blackcurrant liqueur each year and won gold at Blas Na hÉireann awards in 2021,” David continued.
“We also produced a white wine liqueur in 2022 which won gold at Blas Na hÉireann that year. A non-alcoholic cider is being tested and hopefully will release in 2024,” David said.
He planted an area of nut trees in 2008.
“Our nut trees consist of cobs, Spanish chestnut and walnuts, The chestnuts we roast and use for the orchard tours in November and December, the rest are for our small population of red squirrels and jays.” There are also hives of honey bees on the farm.
Their cidery and winery are converted farm sheds and a fruit and vegetable pack house.
“We haven’t received funding as yet, but we are hopeful to get some organic grants to cover the complete building, and to upgrade our machinery,” David said.
David employs one full-time staff member and one part-time, with input from his family.
“The plan is to upgrade our facility in the winery and cidery, making a designated area for our recent introduction of orchard and vineyard tours, open from March to December, and further planting of vines and cider trees over the next three years,” he said.
“This will add a more sustainable revenue increase.”
Future plans
“We are expanding our range of courses with the National Organic Skillnet, as we have run three viticulture and vinification in a marginal climate courses, with more planned for October,” David said.
“I’m also designing an orchard and cider making course to be run in early April with the second in October.”
David was selected as a Farming for Nature ambassador as the entire system is managed with sensitivity to nature and wildlife on the land. He is in the process of organic conversion. However, no chemical sprays have been used on the farm in 20 years.
There are different habitats on the farm including woodland areas, meadow, thick hedgerows and 1.5ac of wetland.
Research by the National Biodiversity Data Centre found healthy populations of insects on the land, including bees, hoverflies and beetles.
An array of birds live on the farm including jay thrushes, swallows, buzzards, snipe, woodcock, goldfinches and hen pheasants. A reed-bed system cleans wastewater from the wine and cider production.