Wine Review Page - Irish Examiner

Sign in

Wine

Wine bootles from cellar in selective focus

Wine with Leslie: Rioja is a familiar favourite, here are three standouts

Rioja was the first decent wine I ever tasted, Wine was only for Christmas and Easter in those days!

Pouring red wine

Wine with Leslie: Here are the hallmarks of a great wine — with three recommendations

Close-Up View of Person Swirling Red Wine in Cellar Atmosphere

Wine with Leslie: Chilean wines are an Irish favourite and with strong value

happy friends drinking red wine at christmas party

Wine with Leslie: This little-known region is full of underrated value — here are my 3 picks

Red wine poured into glass at picnic, with copyspace

Wine with Leslie: My favourite thing about wine is that it still shocks and excites

14 years into this column, I still am fascinated by wine

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

Chardonnay Glass

Wine with Leslie: Three wines that prove Chardonnay’s versatility — including one for just €8.50

Here are three fine chardonnays from outside Burgundy

Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

Wine tasting at restaurant

Wine with Leslie: Three innovative New Zealand wines worth a taste

Try pairing these wines with upcoming autumn rugby matches

Fri, 25 Sep, 2026

Woman customer looking at a rack of wine in supermarket

Wine with Leslie: €10 wine never tasted so good — The best supermarket wines for just a tenner

This is one of the best times of year for wine buyers, there are sales aplenty!

Sun, 20 Sep, 2026

Close-Up View of Person Swirling Red Wine in Cellar Atmosphere

Wine with Leslie: Spanish wines are the best value — here are three I recommend

Spain is a region not only of strong value, but also a diverse range of quality wines

Fri, 11 Sep, 2026

Wine bootles from cellar in selective focus

Wine with Leslie: Three delightful wine recommendations — including one from Ridley Scott's estate

Ridley Scott’s new film, The Dog Stars, is out now and his wines are also now available

Fri, 04 Sep, 2026

Summer Rosé

Wine with Leslie: Who says rosé is just for summer? Here are three worth drinking year round

Rosé sales have soared in Ireland this summer

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

Tasting of brut and demi-sec white champagne sparkling wine from special flute glasses with Champagne vineyards on background ne

Wine with Leslie: Stick to whites while sun shines

Nivole Moscato d’Asti is a gloriously scented and lightly sweet sparkling wine from around the town of Asti. At just 5% alcohol I could happily finish my glass rather than spit it out as I did the reds.

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

Tasting of red, white, and rosé wine, at your terroir

Wine with Leslie: European wine growers are being hit by drought

The fires in South West France near Bordeaux have garnered a lot of headlines but the real problem facing Bordeaux vignerons is drought.

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

Wine with Leslie: My favourite wines I tried in Armenia

Sharing some wines from a trip to Armenia, Leslie Williams tells you what there is to know about 'the oldest newest wine country'

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026

Pour wine in a glass

Wine with Leslie: Portuguese wine is great value — here are my top picks

In an ever more expensive world, these wine's show that cheap doesn't have to mean low quality

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

collection of luxury red and white French or Italian wine in bottle and glass

Wine with Leslie: Beer overtakes wine in France, but French wine is not going anywhere

The Languedoc-Roussillon was once the source of oceans of Vin de Table, feeding the French habit of 120 litres of wine per person per year and a notable contributor to the EU wine lake.

Fri, 05 Jun, 2026

Summer Rosé

Wine with Leslie: Debunking three rosé myths ahead of summer's arrival

There are common misconceptions about rosé that are worth correcting while we head into the summer sun

Fri, 22 May, 2026

Hands, group and toast champagne at party in celebration, goals or connection for success in career at night. Business people, d

Wine with Leslie Williams: Three fresh fizzes to celebrate summer

Champagne once had a terrible reputation for pesticide and herbicide use but thankfully that's been changing

Fri, 15 May, 2026

Wine being poured into glass

Wine with Leslie: The Alsace region has the most diverse wines in France, here are my favourites

The best Alsace wines will be found in independents as wine enthusiasts adore it and seek it out, but you will also find a smattering in supermarkets.

Fri, 08 May, 2026

Ethnic friends at a bar drinking wine and eating tapas

Wine with Leslie: Young people are drinking less wine — I picked three bottles they should try

We are drinking less as a whole, and younger generations are drinking significantly less, but wine is not dead yet.

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Choosing a Bottle of Wine

Wine with Leslie: I flew to Sicily to taste the quality of their grapes, here are my Sicilian wine picks

The more obvious takeaway from that trip was the quality of the native grapes, for example, Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Catarratto, Grillo and others.

Fri, 17 Apr, 2026

Happy family eating and drinking red wine at dinner barbecue party outdoor - Mature and young people dining together on rooftop

Wine with Leslie: Aromatic wines you won't soon forget

Here are three wines and a beer with fascinating aromas to try.

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026

Glass of dry White wine on table in vineyard

Wine with Leslie: Three of my favourite Italian white wines and why

I’ll definitely feature white Rhônes and Riojas soon, but this week I’m focusing on Italian whites with three of my favourites

Sat, 04 Apr, 2026

Hand sommelier holding glass of white wine. Swirling wine glass in wine tastings White wine concept. Wine tour. Vertical, cold

Wine with Leslie: I made my first aïoli of the year — here's the rosé I paired it with

I use a recipe from Lulu’s Provençal Table written by the brilliant Richard Olney with Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier in Bandol, perhaps the most iconic wine estate in all of Provence

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Collection of three different wines in glasses

Wine with Leslie: Three wines perfect for longer, brighter evenings

Three wine suggestions to lighten your mood

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Close up shot of man and woman toasting and drinking red wine from glasses on dinner

Wine with Leslie: Three wines from Romania — one of Europe’s oldest and best value producers

Romania has made wine for over 6,000 years and still cultivates lots of indigenous grapes (e.g. fetească neagră, fetească regală) as well as imported noble ones

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Customer buying white wine or sparkling drink. Alcohol aisle in store or supermarket. Woman holding bottle. Buying riesling or c

Wine with Leslie: Rosalia is right — we should be singing about Sauvignon Blanc

Here are three to try, including one from Rosalía’s part of the world.

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Wine being poured into glass

Wine with Leslie: A legendary blanc de blancs Champagne only released in the very best years

First appearing commercially in 1921, there have only been 45 vintages and we tasted the just-released 2015. Sadly this is not a wine for everyone as it costs over four figures but you could see it as an investment, possibly.

Sat, 21 Feb, 2026

Older couple toasting each other at romantic dinner

Wine with Leslie: Three bottles of wine I recommend for a Valentine's Day date

Pink has become one of the colours of the day, so, of course, I recommend a food-friendly rosé below as well as a craft pink gin

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Still life photo of grapes, wine bottle and wine glass

Wine with Leslie: Grenache falls under the radar despite being one of the most planted grapes

Grenache plantings may have reduced a little in recent years but it is still the primary grape in Côtes-du-Rhône, Provence and much of Southern France

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

Close up shot of man and woman toasting and drinking red wine from glasses on dinner

Wine with Leslie: Red wines to warm you up as spring begins

While we wait for spring weather, let’s look for warmth and sustenance in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

red wine on young adults valentines day table

Leslie Williams: Forget about dry January — life is too short

Instead of depriving myself of delicious things this January, I have instead been indulging in African and East and Southern Asian flavours

Fri, 23 Jan, 2026

Pouring red wine

Wine with Leslie: Why Piedmont is my favourite Italian destination

The Slow Food movement was founded in Piedmont, and besides the wines, there are white truffles, agnolotti, vitello tonnato, bagna cauda and chocolate hazelnut tarts

Sat, 17 Jan, 2026

A close-up of elegant glasses with alcoholic beverages. Cups with colorful sparkling wines from different grape varieties. Champ

Wine with Leslie: Weighing up calories and alcohol levels in wines from various regions

Alcohol levels in all wines have crept up in recent years, thanks largely to warmer summers and the popularity of riper styles

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

happy friends drinking red wine at christmas party

Wine with Leslie: De-alcoholised wines have improved enormously

I’m not doing dry January or any other penance, I was good last year

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Hands, group and toast champagne at party in celebration, goals or connection for success in career at night. Business people, d

Wine with Leslie: Three Champagnes inspired by women that you need to try

Toast the women of Champagne with these drinks

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

Wine with Leslie: The three wines from Chile making their debut in Ireland

Wine with Leslie: The three wines from Chile making their debut in Ireland

The wines are only just in the market and I like what I’ve tasted so far.

Fri, 28 Nov, 2025

grape harvest bucket with red wine bottle and wine glass

Wine with Leslie: What I learned about Les Deux Cols wines — and why wild boar are a challenge

Showcasing Les Deux Cols wines

Fri, 21 Nov, 2025

Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner

Wine with Leslie: Burgundy or good Chardonnay is the classic white choice for turkey

Pinot Noir or red Burgundy is a fine red match

Mon, 20 Oct, 2025

Glass of red wine on the hills of Tuscany in Italy.

Wine with Leslie: Exciting wines from lesser-known European regions

These wine suggestions are all from Central and Southern Europe

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Customer buying white wine or sparkling drink. Alcohol aisle in store or supermarket. Woman holding bottle. Buying riesling or c

Wine with Leslie: My top three choices from the French wine sales

Dunnes, SuperValu, and O’Briens all have great savings

Fri, 05 Sep, 2025

Wineglass on brick border in yard

Wine with Leslie: Fizzy business for your August evenings with these pocket-friendly sips

"I’m not sure if this is good news, but the downturn in sales means that bulk wine has never been cheaper, so supermarket wines will continue to be sold close to the government minimum price of c. €8 per bottle."

Fri, 15 Aug, 2025

Brittany area of France

Wine with Leslie: Ireland's connections to Brittany go deeper than music and culture

"I have been visiting Brittany since the mid-1990s, almost always via the Cork-Roscoff ferry, and I can already taste the oysters and Muscadet, and the crêpe complète with cidre fermier."

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Vineyards in summer with San Vicente de la Sonsierra village as background, La Rioja, Spain

Wine with Leslie: I went to Rioja with Lidl — here's what I learned

'I was particularly curious to see how they can sell Rioja at such a low price'

Fri, 25 Jul, 2025

red wine on young adults valentines day table

Wine with Leslie: Looking for lighter reds that refrigerate well?

"Suggestions this week are three reds for drinking cool: a cheapy, an old favourite and a wine with grapes you’ve never tasted."

Fri, 04 Jul, 2025

Chinese Vineyards near the Helan Mountains in Ningxia

Wine with Leslie: Looking east to China for the future of wine

"Wine is not universally drunk in China, of course (baijiu spirit is the alcohol of choice), but it is slowly gaining traction and wineries are popular wedding venues."

Fri, 27 Jun, 2025

Wine producer mane tasting the product after harvest and grape fermentation process - Vinification, organic quality product and

Wine with Leslie: Rediscovering an Italian grape that almost went extinct

The Pecorino grape was brought back from the brink of extinction in the past two decades and now fills the wine lists and shelves during my recent visit to Italy

Fri, 06 Jun, 2025

ieFood

Newsletter

Sign up for our weekly journey into the best of Ireland’s food scene with recipes, reviews and stories from our award‑winning food writers.