The cost of wine could be costly for Irish Tourism.

A report issued by the Irish Wine Association is calling for a reduction in the excise duty placed on alcohol in the upcoming budget, claiming the current rate is bad for jobs, consumers and tourism, as well as creating cash flow issues for importers and distributors.

Spanish Wine exporter Sergio Soriano Cano explains how the cost of wine in Ireland could be alienating tourists: “I have a lot of people in Spain who would love to come to Ireland but they know that the wine is very expensive.

“The problem is that they think that coming to Ireland is of no good value to money because they take this as an example and they think that everything is going to be as expensive as enjoying a glass of wine in Ireland.

“So they prefer to stay in Spain or go to other destinations. The Spaniards, we love Ireland and a lot of people would love to come here on a more regular basis, but once they are here they see that they have to pay a very high price for wine.”