Coming to over 25 Dublin restaurants and bars, Dublin’s first Wine Festival runs from April 20–25th. There will be many fun events happening as part of the festival such as wine pairing quizzes, wine trails and talks on the role wine has played in the evolution of cocktails.
How will the Dublin Wine Fest work?
- Buy a €5 wristband (from participating venues or Entertainment.ie) for a 30% discount on at least two festival wines at 30+ Dublin bars and restaurants.
- Each participating venue is running a festival ‘Dublin Wine Experience’ menu. These range from a post-work aperitivo with complimentary nibbles, to wine-based cocktails or food and wine pairings.
- Festival-goers vote online for the festival’s Best Dublin Wine Experience (#BestDublinWine-Exp) with a cash-prize for the winning venue. Prizes include a €200 case of wine from O’Brien’s Wines; a €100 case of six wines from The Corkscrew; a voucher worth €70 from Baggot Street Wines, for their new The Cavern wine bar; two tickets to ‘Wine Tasting Wednesdays’ Burgundy tasting at Green Man Wines.
- Participating venues are gathered in four neighbourhood hubs (City Centre hub;
Georgian Dublin hub; Liffeyside hub; Green Luas hub) to encourage festival-goers to engage in self-guided wine trails (see below for some suggestions).
City centre hub- Suggested Trail
With participating venues including Coppinger Row, Drury Buildings, l’Gueuleton, The Port House, Saba, Stanley’s Restaurant & Wine Bar, Super Miss Sue and Whitefriar Grill, the city-centre is spoilt for choice.
You could begin in Stanley’s at 5pm with their daily seminar on the history of wine-making, as you enjoy their intriguing flight of ‘skin contact’ (or ‘orange’) wines, served with a canapé of pressed duck terrine. Then stroll up to your pick of terraces (Coppinger Row for a glass of festival wines with complimentary cheese and ham for just €5.50, 5pm–7pm, or Balfe’s for a generous sharing an- tipasti and two glasses of festival wines for €25, 3.30pm–7pm), and on to Super Miss Sue for a small plate pairing of char-grilled shrimp and honey gyros with Ciu Ciu ‘Oris’ Pecorino/Trebbiano (€12). Or catch one of several tempting ‘early bird’ hour offers in the likes of l’Gueuleton and Whitefriar Grill.
Follow Dublin Wine Fest on Facebook www.facebook.com/GreatIrishBeverages, and Twitter @IrishBeverages
April 15, 2015
I am surprised that a wine festival took this long to come to Dublin. I am a Canadian living over here and have always wondered why that was. Back home we have two or three a year.
I am really excited to take part in Dublin’s first wine festival! It’s like a little slice of home.
April 20, 2015
Thanks for the comment Kevin. It sounds like it will be a great event alright. The trails are an excellent idea!