Wine with Leslie: All Together Now for winery finery in Waterford
All Together Now Festival, at Curraghmore House, Portlaw Co Waterford. Photo: Joe Evans
The August Bank Holiday has always been my favourite as it generally coincides with my birthday.
In more recent years, I have had another reason to love it, thanks to the excellent All Together Now Festival at Curraghmore House in Waterford.
Once again this year I will be at the Grub Circus tent at the festival sharing in the madness of my colleague Joe McNamee’s food and drink extravaganza.
Among the excellent importers donating wines to the events are Whelehan’s Wines, Neighbourhood Wines, Le Caveau, and Brian’s Wines.
I will also be at Electric Picnic at the Theatre of Food in early September, but I don’t think I’m going to make this year’s Hagstravaganza Beer Festival in Sligo which is on August 11 and 12.
This year the lads from White Hag Brewery will have over 100 beers to try, many of which will never have been poured in Ireland before.
Pravda Kyiv Brewery will also be appearing and pouring their “Putin Huilo” beer which translates to “Putin is a D**k”. The brewery is putting profits from exports into the war effort back home.
Also in the West, The Galway Whiskey Trail has been launched with 12 different locations including some of my favourite pubs such as Sonny Molloys, Tigh Neachtain, and The Kings Head.
Visit GalwayWhiskyTrail.ie or on Instagram for more information or to book a group guided tour.
Recommendations this week are all pink including two wines from Lidl’s Summer Rosé selection - I could also have recommended their two Provence Rosé which are under a tenner.
At the other end of the scale, I’m recommending my first Pink Champagne in a while - a category that grows stronger every year.
In 1818 the widow Clicquot decided to add red wine to her Champagne blend prior to the secondary fermentation - unlike her competitors who favoured a concentrate made from elderberry juice.
Unsurprisingly Madame Clicquot’s Champagne method was quickly adopted by the other houses.
Also below is my first Austrian Rosé in a long time, another great find by David Whelehan - and it wouldn't be a bank holiday wine column without mention of a Pet-Nat and a cocktail - the Chip Dry & Tonic below is a must try and worth seeking out.
Part of Lidl’s Summer Rosé promotion and from the Southern Rhône valley not far from Avignon. Tavel AOP is always rosé, always dry, but is rare in Ireland for some reason. Mostly Grenache, this has blossom and orange zest scents mixed with strawberries and red currants - creamy and supple on the palate, ripe but balanced, and a good wine for spicy foods.
As per usual with the ‘Coteaux Bourguignon’ Appellation this is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir - a mix of Beaujolais and Burgundy if you will. This pours a pretty pale onion-skin pink and has pleasing aromas of ripe cherries, tangy red fruits on the palate balanced by citrus and cherry skin flavours, and a dry finish.
Any rosé article needs to mention O’Brien’s rosé bargains. This is from the Cazes family of Ch. Lynch-Bages and pours pale salmon pink with subtle rose petal and red fruit aromas which follow through onto the palate (with bonus lychee flavours). Also watch for Auzines Alaina (€12.71), Petit Bourgeois Pinot Noir (€13.46) and Delheim Pinotage Rosé (€11.21).
This lively pink Pét-Nat is also available in cans as is its sister white sparkler - cans similar to the Port Cocktail cans featured at the bottom of the page. Dusky pink-orange colour, strawberry, and pink grapefruit aromas, crisp and fruity with a chewy, yeasty, citrus kick on the finish. Summer in a glass.
I’ve featured the Türk Grüner Veltliner in the past but not this rosé which is made from Zweigelt, one of Austria’s best red grapes. Floral red fruit aromas with cherry and raspberry to the fore, lively, fruity, and fresh on the palate, a prickle on the tongue, and textured bright red fruits balanced by zing and a hint of spice.
Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne, France - €77
Veuve Clicquot was the first to create a blended Rosé Champagne by adding red to the blend before bottle fermentation - a standard practice now. Based on the Yellow Label this has raspberry shortbread aromas, taut crisp red fruits on the palate with a fine mousse, and delightful vinosity.
Perfect for picnics or festivals this classic Port & Tonic cocktail also comes in a cherry-raspberry scented pink version made with Croft’s Pink Port. To follow this week’s theme I probably should have given it the photo, but I preferred the Chip Dry version based on Taylor’s excellent White Port.
Chip Dry & Tonic has pear drop aromas with background notes of yeast-risen dough, ripe pears hit the palate first followed by bitter refreshing quinine. The ripe lightly sweet white fruits are balanced nicely by the tonic and this worked even better with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint in my glass.
