The Emerald Isle has always been famous for its stunning scenery which matches the calm of the lush countryside with the dramatic coastal sea cliffs; but did you know that Ireland also has its fair share of tasty vineyards? Being a lover of both wine and Ireland, I could not resist the urge to get back on the open Irish roads on search of new experiences.
My journey started by collecting a car hire in Dublin Airport and heading for a small village called Lusk. I found a lovely vineyard here that not only had some fabulous red wines, they also produced their own; cider, fruit juice, jams and ice-cream! Now who doesn't like ice-cream? After filling our bellies we stayed the night in a traditional guesthouse where the owners really did give you that famous Irish welcome. The following morning we were up at sun-rise and on our way to the south country; arriving in Cork some 3 hours later.
Our reason for visiting Cork was simply because we love it! We could not find any vineyards here but that did not falter our plans. After a tour of Blarney Castle and a quick kiss on the Stone of Eloquence we decided to head towards Shannon to see what we could find there.
Close to Shannon is a little village called Bunratty. One of the world's oldest wines comes from here, it's called; Bunratty Mead and it is dubbed the 'honeymoon' drink. Needless to say we purchased a few bottles here!
Now we all know that Ireland's most famous drink is the black stuff; Guinness and they also do a mean Whisky, but now we can add great tasting wine to the list. This country just keeps on getting better and it's a place I will always return to. A car hire in Ireland combined with cheap flights, well it's just a winning combination!