Wine and Cider Making with Phil Wheal at The Organic Centre

What to Expect

Phil Wheal takes a one-day wine and cider making course at The Organic Centre in Rossinver on Saturday 12 September 2026, running from 10am to 4pm at €120 per place. The day is built around demonstration rather than theory: Phil works through every step involved in producing good quality wine, from preparing the fruit through to bottling, and explains the equipment needed at each stage.

A large part of the course is given over to country wines, the fruit, flower and hedgerow wines that were the standard of Irish and British home production long before shop-bought kits, and to keeping a cellar stocked and turning over across the year rather than making one hopeful batch a season. There is a short session on making your own cider, useful timing in the middle of the Leitrim apple harvest. Tastings of Phil’s own home-made wines run through the day. Tea, coffee and treats are provided on arrival and soup and bread are included at lunchtime. Booking is through the centre’s online shop.

Good to Know

• Date: Saturday 12 September 2026
• Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
• Venue: The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co. Leitrim, F91 H978
• Price: €120 per person
• Tutor: Phil Wheal
• Included: tea, coffee and treats on arrival, soup and bread at lunch, tastings of home-made wines
• Covered: full wine-making process, equipment, country wines, keeping a year-round cellar, a short cider-making session
• Booking: online at shop.theorganiccentre.ie; phone 071 9854338

Getting There

Rossinver is in north Leitrim close to Lough Melvin, with The Organic Centre signposted from the R281 and R282. It is around 20 minutes from Manorhamilton, 25 minutes from Bundoran and about 45 minutes from Sligo city by car, with parking on site. Public transport into Rossinver is thin on the ground, so plan to drive or share a lift, and bear in mind the tastings if you are the one behind the wheel.