Columns - Irish Examiner

Sign in

Leslie Williams

Leslie Williams

Leslie Williams has been the Irish Examiner's wine columnist since 2012 and has been reviewing restaurants since 2015.

happy friends drinking red wine at christmas party

Wine with Leslie: Underrated wines and cuisines from the Abruzzo and Marche regions of Italy

I cannot recommend Abruzzo and Marche highly enough, not just the underrated wines but also the cuisine

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Close up of young couple toasting with glasses of red wine at restaurant

Wine with Leslie: Spain is my favourite destination for food and wine

The three wines below are from three brilliant wine regions, Rias-Baixas/Galicia, Rioja and Priorat.

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Restaurant review: Mongoose should be top of your list for great value dining

S Restaurant review: Mongoose should be top of your list for great value dining

Mongoose is a gem — I can’t wait to return

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

White wine on a rustic bench overlooking a lake at sunset

Wine with Leslie: The wines of Southern Italy are particularly suited to warm weather

I feature three fine examples below, a fiano, grillo, and falanghina

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Wine being poured into glass

Wine with Leslie: Chilled supermarket wines to protect your wallet this summer

I have to admit that supermarkets have the edge on pricing and certainly on branding

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Restaurant review: Sano Pizza's remarkably good value bucks the trend of expensive city dining

S Restaurant review: Sano Pizza's remarkably good value bucks the trend of expensive city dining

A delicious slice of real value in a time when eating in cities like Dublin, Cork, and Galway has become more and more costly

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

Elegant Christmas table setting

Wine with Leslie: My trip to Nantes was a gateway to grand Loire

Nantes retains its Celtic feel and the Irish are made feel particularly welcome

Fri, 10 Jul, 2026

barbecue pork loin salad and red whine garden party

Wine with Leslie: Three wines and a bourbon to pair with a summer barbeque

My first tip is to serve red wine a little cool when accompanying a barbeque

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

Restaurant review: Faux Old-style Irish pub almost seems novel

S Restaurant review: Faux Old-style Irish pub almost seems novel

I should be critical of the fakery, but it is quite well done, so I was happy to block it from my mind and go with the flow.

Fri, 26 Jun, 2026

Wine bootles from cellar in selective focus

Wine with Leslie: Burgundy has become unaffordable, here are three alternatives

Some French vineyards are reporting up to a 80% damage to the vines due to recent hailstorms

Fri, 26 Jun, 2026