Frequently Asked Questions

The O’Briens Wine Festival 2025 will be held on:

• Friday, 10th October: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Saturday, 11th October (Afternoon): 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Saturday, 11th October (Evening): 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

The event will take place in Hall 4, RDS, Anglesea Road, Dublin 4, Ireland.

By DART:

• Nearest stations: Lansdowne Road and Sandymount (both within walking distance).

Dublin Bus Routes:

• 4: Harristown → Monkstown Avenue (via Ballsbridge / Anglesea Rd.)
• 7: Mountjoy Sq. → Loughlinstown / Cherrywood (via Ballsbridge / Anglesea Rd.)
• 7a: Mountjoy Sq. → Loughlinstown
• 27X: UCD Belfield → Clare Hall (via RDS Ballsbridge)

Go-Ahead Ireland Bus Routes:

• 18: Palmerstown (Old Lucan Rd.) → Sandymount (via Ballsbridge / Anglesea Rd.)
• S2: Heuston Station → Poolbeg (via RDS Ballsbridge)

Additional routes nearby (Donnybrook Road / N11): 46a, 145, 7b, 7d, 39a, 84x, 116, 155.

By Train (Irish Rail):

• Heuston Station: Routes to Ballina, Westport, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Cork, Waterford, Portlaoise, Kildare.
• Connolly Station: Routes to Belfast, Sligo, Dundalk, Longford, Rosslare Europort.
• Link: Luas Red Line connects Heuston → Connolly directly.

By Luas:

• No direct Luas stops at the RDS.
• From Connolly, connect to the DART (Lansdowne Rd. / Sandymount).
• Closest Luas stop: Ranelagh, from which you can take the S2 bus (Merrion Road → RDS Ballsbridge).

No, you don’t need the app to enter - but you’ll want it to get the very best from your festival experience. This year the O’Briens app is your digital festival guide:

• Navigate with ease: Explore the full festival map at the click of a button
• Browse & search: Quickly explore the full wine list by table number, wine name, winemaker or country.
• Discover & learn: Dive deeper into winemaker stories and wine details at the tap of a button.
• Save your favourites: Scan bottles, save your favourites, and rate & review the wines you love.
• Plan your tasting journey: Find your must-try wines quickly so you don’t miss a thing.

We’ll still have a mini printed brochure at the event with a map, table list, and Champagne tasting tokens, but the app is the best way to make the most of your day.

App users also enjoy exciting member exclusive offers! You can download the O'Briens app here.

Yes. The event is strictly 18+. Valid photo ID (Passport or Driver’s Licence) may be required. Entry will be refused without a valid ID.

Refunds cannot be issued without a valid ID / refused entry as a result.

Yes, complimentary Wi-Fi will be available throughout the venue.

Yes. Cheese boxes will be available for purchase and must be consumed in designated areas. However, we do recommend eating before arriving at the festival.

Ticket Price: €35 each (plus booking fee).

Inclusions:

• Unlimited wine samples
• 5 Champagne tasting tokens
• One complimentary Tipperary Crystal wine glass (to take home)

• Tickets are available only via Universe.com (linked through the O’Briens website).
• Tickets are digital only and must be scanned on arrival.
• Tickets will not be available for purchase at the venue.
• Over 80 winemakers from around the world will attend, offering more than 300 wines to experience from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, France, and other classic regions.

Across the three festival sessions, we are offering 12 exclusive Winemaker Tasting Events, with 4 masterclasses per session.

• Winemaker Tasting Events are optional extras and require both a festival ticket and a masterclass ticket.
• A valid Wine Festival entry ticket to attend any masterclass.
• Once a session sells out, no additional spaces will be released.
• Each Winemaker Tasting Event is an intimate guided tasting, where an expert winemaker will introduce attendees to two special wines and share the story behind what makes them unique.

Details:

• Price: €10 per Winemaker Tasting Event (in addition to the festival entry ticket)
• Booking: Customers can purchase these tickets as an addition when purchasing their entry festival ticket.
• Capacity: Each Winemaker Tasting Event is limited to 50 spaces per masterclass. Early booking is strongly advised.
  
  

Friday, 10th October (Evening Session)

• 6:30 PM – Insight Winery
• 7:00 PM – Weingut Lingenfelder
• 7:30 PM – Delheim Winery
• 8:00 PM – Famille Bougrier

Saturday, 11th October (Afternoon Session)

• 2:30 PM – Sherwood Estate
• 3:00 PM – Ascheri Wines
• 3:30 PM – Tandem Winery
• 4:00 PM – Château Kirwan

Saturday, 11th October (Evening Session)

• 6:30 PM – Longview Vineyards
• 7:00 PM – Musella Winery
• 7:30 PM – Château Caraguilhes
• 8:00 PM – Astrolabe Wines

Yes, Winemaker Tasting Event tickets can be purchased on-site (subject to availability).

*Note: A valid Wine Festival ticket is required. Winemaker Tasting Event tickets cannot be purchased without a festival entry ticket.

As the Wine Festival supports Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, we are unable to offer discounts on group bookings.

• Tickets can only be transferred after the order has been fully paid.
• Transfers apply to individual tickets only (not full orders).
• Once a ticket has been transferred and accepted, the action cannot be undone, and the order becomes non-refundable.

1. Log in to Universe

• Proceed to the “your Tickets” page.
• Note: If you checked out as a guest, you must activate your account first to transfer a ticket.

2. Select the Ticket

• Find the ticket in your account.
• Select the “More” drop-down (next to “View Ticket”).
• Then to choose Transfer Ticket from the drop-down menu.

3. Enter Recipient Details

• A pop-up will appear
• In this pop-up, enter the transfer recipient’s first name, last name, and email address.
• When they are satisfied with the information, click Transfer

4. Recipient Confirmation

• The recipient of the transferred ticket will receive an email to confirm their details and claim the ticket.
• Until this ticket is accepted, the ticket will remain with the original ticket holder.

Important Notes:

• If you have a pending transfer, you can cancel the transfer by selecting the 'Cancel Ticket Transfer' button on the drop-down menu to the right of the ticket.
• Once a transferred ticket has been accepted, it cannot be cancelled.
• Once a ticket has been transferred, the original ticket holder will no longer have access to the ticket from their account, and the original QR code will no longer be valid.
• If the ticket transfer is not claimed/ declined, you will still have access to the ticket, and it will not be considered transferred until the recipient claims the ticket. If the ticket is not claimed before the 10th of October, then the transfer is declined.

• Refunds are available up to 3 days before the Wine Festival.
• No refunds will be processed after Monday, October 6th, unless there are unprecedented circumstances.
• Refund requests must be made by the original ticket buyer (the person who purchased the order).

1. Log in to their Universe account.
2. Go to the “Your Tickets” page and find the order you want refunded.
3. Click the “More” drop-down menu beside “View Order” and select “Request Refund.”
4. In the message window that appears, you can enter additional details if needed and click “Send Message.”

Important: Only the Buyer of the order, the owner of the ticket(s), can request a refund.

Once submitted, we will respond directly on the platform and issue the refund through Universe. The refunded amount will return to the buyer’s original payment method within 5–10 business days.