Wine with Leslie: It's a myth that red wine has to be room temperature — here's how to chill it
Dare we dream that the sunny weather might last into June? Let's hope so. I presume you had the barbecue out over the bank holiday weekend, I certainly did. Marinated spicy pork chops and ribs were the main course I cooked and they worked well with light red wines served chilled.
I served two of the wines featured below, the Ciello Rosso and the Il Casolare, both fine examples of juicy organic wine and both of which I served lightly chilled. Not at fridge temperature of 5 degrees which would be a little too cold and would dull the flavours, but somewhere closer to 9 or 10 degrees. The cooler temperature brought out the dark fruit notes and allowed the wine to cope better with the chilli peppers and paprika in my marinade.
I know some people reading this will think surely red wine should always be served at room temperature but this is in fact a myth that dates from a time before central heating. Certainly most fine red wines should be served at somewhere around 16˚C (some prefer closer to 18˚C), but no wine should be served at 23 or 25 degrees, which is the temperature of many of our houses these days.
Natural wines made with zero or low sulphur are best served cool or even chilled, and many natural wine bars will offer this option. I know that L'Atitude 51, MacCurtain Wine Cellar and Franks in Dublin generally have at least one red chilled (all of them in the case of Franks).
So, my suggestions this week are all relatively affordable and include the two Italians mentioned above and an Austrian red I have not featured before from Judith Beck, one of the women at the forefront of the natural and biodynamic movement in Austria (and thus the world).
Cantine Rallo Ciello Rosso, Nero d'Avola, Sicily, €15
Ciello Rosso (and its peachy, zesty sister Ciello Bianco) is some of the best value organic wine in the country.
This is from organic Nero d'Avola picked at night to ensure freshness and is perfumed and fruity with dark red berry fruits and touches of liquorice and chocolate. Serve cool.
JJ O'Driscolls; L'Atitude 51; Green Man; World Wide Wines; Baggot St. Wines; Redmonds; LeCaveau.ie
Il Casolare Rosso Piceno, Fattoria San Lorenzo, Marche, €17
This was served at the MacCurtain St Long Table event last August and I tasted it again recently so felt I should remind you about it. Made from 50-50 Sangiovese-Montepulciano, organic and biodynamic with ripe strawberry fruits mixed with darker plum fruits and lovely purity. Once again, best served a little cool.
MacCurtain Wine Cellar; Lettercollum Kitchen; Sheridans Galway and Dublin, Mitchells, siyps.ie
Judith Beck INK, Burgenland, Austria, €21
Austrian reds are great for warm weather as they are lower in alcohol and work great served fresh.
This is from a biodynamic vineyard and a blend of 80% Zweigelt and 20% St. Laurent; bright juicy and zippy with a supple texture and lots of plum and cooked strawberry fruits mingling with herbal freshness.
Beer of the week: DOT Brew Cold IPA 4% ABV, 440ml, €2.49
DOT Brew's Shane Kelly described this as 'the point where lager meets American IPA' and this is a very fair description.
Pouring a light gold with a touch of haze, this has floral citrus aromas, a bright crisp palate and lingering lemon and tangerine flavours with some bitter hop notes.
Perfect for warm days.
Aldi exclusive
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Irish Independent
08-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Ireland makes waves on a global scale as seven-storey swell recorded off coast of Cork
Data released by the Marine Institute shows the 21.9-metre wave was captured by the M3 weather buoy, 56km south-west of Mizen Head at 10am on January 27, making it one of the largest waves ever logged in Irish waters. 'That wave was recorded during Storm Éowyn as it passed over Ireland. The M3 buoy is located approximately 55km offshore west-southwest of Mizen Head, Co Cork, the southernmost point of Ireland,' said Alan Berry, research infrastructure manager at the Marine Institute. But the towering swell off the Cork coast pales beside two freak waves that breached the 30-metre mark over the past decade. A record-breaking rogue wave measuring 32.3m was recorded five years ago, nearly 400km off the Galway coast by the M6 buoy stationed in the deep Atlantic, according to the Marine Institute. It remains the largest confirmed wave ever measured in Irish waters, although an unverified larger swell was logged 11 years ago. 'Analysis of raw data from a wave rider buoy operated by ESB at Killard, Co Clare, suggested that a 33.96m wave was recorded on January 26, 2014,' Mr Berry said. 'The accuracy of that observation has never been verified and should be treated with caution due to the depth of water [39m] and the stated operating range of the wave monitoring buoy. 'A number of verified rogue waves were recorded by the buoy in the following two days, including the 'Killard Wave' measuring 26.45m and a number of other waves in excess of 20m. 'But, to the best of our knowledge, the 32.3m wave recorded at the M6 buoy in 2020 is the largest recorded wave ever in Irish waters.' Ireland's exposed position on the storm-tossed track of North Atlantic low-pressure systems gives rise to some of the most colossal seas on the planet Closer to land, a 30.96m wave was measured by a weather buoy 10 miles off the coast of Belmullet in the westerly tip of Mayo just after midnight on March 2, 2016. The same buoy recorded a 26.35m rogue wave the following night at 3am. Mr Berry said the Belmullet coast experiences some of Ireland's tallest waves because it lies close to the edge of the continental shelf, where the relatively shallow coastal waters — around 250 metres deep — drop sharply into the deep ocean, which plunges to about 3,000 metres. Ireland's exposed position on the storm-tossed track of North Atlantic low-pressure systems gives rise to some of the most colossal seas on the planet. Rogue waves — steep, solitary swells that rise at least twice as high as the surrounding sea — were once thought to be maritime myth, but are now well-documented. According to researchers, between one in every 10,000 and one in every 30,000 waves fall into this rare category. The data from the Marine Institute also showed these waves aren't confined to the open Atlantic, with giant waves occurring in sheltered waters, including off the Connemara coast this winter. 'The largest wave ever recorded in Galway Bay occurred during Storm Éowyn, measuring 10.1m in a depth of water of 25m just off the coast of Spiddal village,' Mr Berry said. The Marine Institute's real-time monitoring network provides insight into how often — and how close to shore — these extreme waves can appear. Ireland's Atlantic-facing coastline places it at the front line of North Atlantic swell systems, making it one of Europe's most wave-battered regions.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Wine with Leslie: It's a myth that red wine has to be room temperature — here's how to chill it
Dare we dream that the sunny weather might last into June? Let's hope so. I presume you had the barbecue out over the bank holiday weekend, I certainly did. Marinated spicy pork chops and ribs were the main course I cooked and they worked well with light red wines served chilled. I served two of the wines featured below, the Ciello Rosso and the Il Casolare, both fine examples of juicy organic wine and both of which I served lightly chilled. Not at fridge temperature of 5 degrees which would be a little too cold and would dull the flavours, but somewhere closer to 9 or 10 degrees. The cooler temperature brought out the dark fruit notes and allowed the wine to cope better with the chilli peppers and paprika in my marinade. I know some people reading this will think surely red wine should always be served at room temperature but this is in fact a myth that dates from a time before central heating. Certainly most fine red wines should be served at somewhere around 16˚C (some prefer closer to 18˚C), but no wine should be served at 23 or 25 degrees, which is the temperature of many of our houses these days. Natural wines made with zero or low sulphur are best served cool or even chilled, and many natural wine bars will offer this option. I know that L'Atitude 51, MacCurtain Wine Cellar and Franks in Dublin generally have at least one red chilled (all of them in the case of Franks). So, my suggestions this week are all relatively affordable and include the two Italians mentioned above and an Austrian red I have not featured before from Judith Beck, one of the women at the forefront of the natural and biodynamic movement in Austria (and thus the world). Cantine Rallo Ciello Rosso, Nero d'Avola, Sicily, €15 Ciello Rosso (and its peachy, zesty sister Ciello Bianco) is some of the best value organic wine in the country. This is from organic Nero d'Avola picked at night to ensure freshness and is perfumed and fruity with dark red berry fruits and touches of liquorice and chocolate. Serve cool. JJ O'Driscolls; L'Atitude 51; Green Man; World Wide Wines; Baggot St. Wines; Redmonds; Il Casolare Rosso Piceno, Fattoria San Lorenzo, Marche, €17 This was served at the MacCurtain St Long Table event last August and I tasted it again recently so felt I should remind you about it. Made from 50-50 Sangiovese-Montepulciano, organic and biodynamic with ripe strawberry fruits mixed with darker plum fruits and lovely purity. Once again, best served a little cool. MacCurtain Wine Cellar; Lettercollum Kitchen; Sheridans Galway and Dublin, Mitchells, Judith Beck INK, Burgenland, Austria, €21 Austrian reds are great for warm weather as they are lower in alcohol and work great served fresh. This is from a biodynamic vineyard and a blend of 80% Zweigelt and 20% St. Laurent; bright juicy and zippy with a supple texture and lots of plum and cooked strawberry fruits mingling with herbal freshness. Beer of the week: DOT Brew Cold IPA 4% ABV, 440ml, €2.49 DOT Brew's Shane Kelly described this as 'the point where lager meets American IPA' and this is a very fair description. Pouring a light gold with a touch of haze, this has floral citrus aromas, a bright crisp palate and lingering lemon and tangerine flavours with some bitter hop notes. Perfect for warm days. Aldi exclusive
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Shane Lowry surges at Truist Championship as Keith Mitchell leads the way in Philadelphia PGA Tour Signature tournament
Shane Lowry sits just one stroke off the lead at the halfway mark of the Truist Championship in Philadelphia. And defending champion Rory McIlroy is also firmly in contention at the sixth Signature event of the 2025 calendar. 2 Shane Lowry carded the best score of the day during the second round at the Truist Championship 2 Lowry is second behind midway leader Keith Mitchell at the Signature event Keith Mitchell leads the no-cut event on 12 under par after carding a 67 in damp and chilly conditions. But it was Lowry made an electric start, picking up four birdies in his opening eight holes. A bogey on the 10th threatened to halt his momentum, but the 38-year-old responded in spectacular fashion by draining a 53-foot putt on the 11th — a bold effort that could just as easily have raced past. He added another birdie at the 15th to reach 11 under par heading into the weekend. READ MORE ON GOLF Speaking after his round, Lowry acknowledged his comfort in challenging rainy weather. The round started earlier than usual as the tour brought forward tee-time. He stated: 'Everyone says that to me every day when it rains,' he said. 'I live in South Florida, and I plan to be there now. "No, I think I'm able to handle them probably better than a few people, but I don't particularly like or enjoy going out and playing in these conditions — but yeah, I handle them well.' Most read in Golf The Clara native's Austrian Ryder Cup team-mate Sepp Straka is one stroke further back on 10 under, while McIlroy is five behind Mitchell after rounds of 66 and 67. The world number two made six birdies and three bogeys in round two. Top golf star with £31m career earnings faces missing rest of the season and Ryder Cup as he reveals he needs surgery The Masters champion said: 'Even when I feel like I haven't played my best, I find a way. 'I think that's when I talk about being a more complete golfer — if one part of my game isn't on, then I can maybe lean into another part, like today holing quite a few putts and making my score that way rather than hitting the ball unbelievably well.' All the action is live on Sky Sports Golf.
