Irish strawberry wine... really? When we think of Ireland, this is not exactly the wine that comes to mind, so let’s look at the story of a pioneering winery
When we talk about Irish products, the obvious thought turns to Guinness or Irish whiskey, perhaps even cider. Irish strawberry wine, or wine in any other form, would rarely be the main subject of the conversation — but it is the focus of this post.
Strawberry wines are made in many parts of the world, but this is the first time it has been done in Ireland: “A pioneering winery has taken on this challenge and created remarkable wines from a fruit that grows particularly well in the ‘land of a thousand welcomes’: the strawberry.”
“A pioneering winery has taken on this challenge and created remarkable wines from a fruit that grows particularly well in the ‘land of a thousand welcomes’: the strawberry.”
“Many people are curious about what we do; they want to taste our wines and see how we make them,” says Brett, co-owner and winemaker at Wicklow Way Wines.
It takes a great deal of time and care to create wines from berries and nurture them to perfection. The berries we use are selected from local Irish growers and then gently pressed to release their rich juices. Fermentation, maturation and other natural processes are carried out with great attention, while blending, filtering and labelling take place around a year after the process begins. We do all of this ourselves, as a family, to ensure the utmost care from start to finish.All this hard work culminates in our award-winning Móinéir Irish blackberry, raspberry and strawberry wines.”
The essence of strawberry captured in a fine wine
Strawberry season is already behind us. Wicklow Way Wines, owned by Brett Stephenson and Pamela Walsh, has managed to capture the essence of this fruit in an even more intriguing form, so we can enjoy it all year round.
Their Irish strawberry wine is made with fruit grown in the “Garden of Ireland”, in the areas around the Wicklow Way, south of Dublin. Their brand, “Móinéir”, is the Gaelic word for “meadows”, where most of the fruit is harvested.
Technically speaking, Irish strawberry wine is not easy to make. It is very delicate and tends to oxidise quite easily. Great care must be taken with the fruit to preserve its beautiful aromas and flavours. Having personally tasted their wines, I can attest that they have done a brilliant job.
Their upcoming elderflower wine and elderberry/blackberry blend are already eagerly awaited. Hopefully, they should be released soon.
The winery has gained very quick recognition for its wines, and it is encouraging to see fruit wine taking root in Ireland. Very soon, others may follow and begin producing more fruit wines made with what grows in that beautiful country.
Irish strawberry wine, winner of the Blas Na Heireann & Great Taste Award
This emblematic Irish strawberry wine is made from hand-picked Irish strawberries, with around one hundred and fifty small strawberries in each bottle. They are gently pressed for their juice, carefully fermented over several weeks and aged until they reach a golden-red hue.
Irish strawberry wine, winner of the Blas Na Heireann & Great Taste Award.
The flavour, dancing with the aromas of summer, is complex and seductive on the palate, while a hint of sweetness gives way to a full-bodied taste that leads to a crisp finish. It pairs well with light, fresh summer dishes, but is also delicious as an aperitif. It is low in sulphites, suitable for vegans and has an ABV of 11%.