Mead. Timeless, ancient and exceptional. This is a fabulous drink made with Honey, Water and Fruit. Simplicity is often the hallmark of brilliance and this is certainly true of the Kinsale Mead from the Atlantic shoreline of Co Cork in southern Ireland.

Mead is versatile and makes a wonderful gift. How about the Kinsale Red Mead - Smooth with Irish Blackcurrants and Cherries

or the Kinsale Atlantic Mead - Citrus and Crisp. Versatile!

The expertise at Kinsale Meadery is world class. In this podcast founder owner Kate Dempsey brings us on a journey from setting up the Meadery in 2016 , with her husband Denis, to the present day .... and here they are ...

The faint hum in the background is the Kinsale Meadery at work - wish it was the bees!

One final note. A Kinsale Mead Christmas Gift Pack makes a genuine and fabulous surprise. Brilliant in front of the log fire or with warmed leftover turkey sambos!

We all know where Moldova is? mmaybe not  ...   We all know that Moldova is historically a very important player in how the world trade in wine developed. Right? mmaybe not .... OK, how about the underground cellars that stretch for 200kms? They even hold an underground marathon through them!! Nope? So much to learn!

This year The National Office for the Vine and Wine (in Moldova) held a Fair in Dublin. I don't usually talk about events that don't have product in the market but make an exception here. Why? Because it is truly an interesting story and a genuine part of our wine heritage. Oh, Moldova is pretty much land locked and sandwiched between SW Ukraine and NW Romania down by the Black Sea -a challenged piece of geography.

At the Fair Parascovia Ignat, Head of wine Marketing for Moldova gave us a fabulous presentation and then sat down for a podcast chat. Did you know that winemaking in Moldova dates back to 5,000BC? or that the Milesti Mici winery has the world's most extensive wine cellars - 200kms! That Moldova has Local,  International and Caucus grape varieties across 122,000 hectares of vineyards - this is extraordinary for a country the size of Belgium.

Let's listen to Parascovia tell us the story of Moldovan quality or, as they like to say themselves, Moldova Uncorked : a Wine Adventure.

In this episode we visit and chat with David Dennison of Viking Irish Drinks in Co. Waterford.

It was a beautiful summer day in his vineyard. Everything promises well for another fine vintage of the grapes that Dennis grows for his Viking Irish Wines.

The vineyard is fascinating for the variety of grape types that David has in the ground. It is, in effect, a magnificent experiment that will inform present and future Irish viticulturists. Remember, folks, you must have quality grapes to make quality wine. Ireland may not grow a lot of grapes but what is grown is of a very high quality. In this podcast David tells us what he has planted and why.

We are brought here on a journey that has had its ups and downs. He is a genuine pioneer who has an unwavering passion to make wines in Ireland from grapes grown on his own land. It helps that he doesn't seem to mind the hard work involved! 

Viking Irish Drinks also has  wide range of Craft Ciders in the market along with an intriguing small batch annual production of a Blackcurrant Liqueur.