100% sustainable wine list launched at Wilde’s at The Lodge at Ashford Castle
Wilde’s, the fine dining restaurant at The Lodge at Ashford Castle has launched a new wine list featuring only green, sustainably produced wines from around the world.
The 100 label wine list has been created to support visionary winemakers who care about the environment and 92% are classified organic, biodynamic and/or natural.
A huge undertaking spanning many months, Wilde’s wine list has been created by restaurant manager, Ervin Vamoser and sommelier supervisor, Joseph Meyer and according to Ervin, Wilde’s is among the first, if not the first restaurant in Ireland to present a wine list exclusively featuring green, sustainably produced wines.
It has been specifically created to align with the menu philosophy at Wilde’s, which showcases local, organic produce and uses ingredients grown and foraged on the Ashford Estate in Cong, Co Mayo.
The list is replete with independent wineries featuring wines produced by people that care about the environment and who can grow perfect quality grapes without the use of artifical solutions such as chemicals, pesticides or high doses of sulphites.
The wine makers
Some of the highly respected, family-owned or smaller winemakers on Wilde’s list include: Sébastien Riffault and Vincent Girardin (France); Andreas Tscheppe and Strohmeier (Austria); Sinead & Liam Cabot and Roka Laski (Slovenia); Trossen (Germany); Denis Križ (Croatia); Luis Canas and Familia Castaño (Spain); Nieoport Wines (Portugal), Cullen Wines (Australia) and of course, Bouchard Finlayson, which is exclusively sold in Ireland at The Lodge at Ashford and sister hotel, Ashford Castle.
Bouchard Finlayson
Bouchard Finlayson puts sustainability at the heart of its operations: the farm’s 25 hectares of vineyard account for just 20% of the estate, with the rest set aside for conservation. Located in the internationally acclaimed wine region of Walker Bay in the Western Cape, highlights from the Bouchard Finlayson selection at Wilde’s include:
Blanc de Mer: Mostly Riesling and Viognier along with Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc (€46)
- Crocodile’s Lair: 100% Chardonnay, grown in the Elands Kloof valley, an area with a special micro-climate producing chardonnay of distinct quality (€58)
- Hannibal: 30% Sangiovese, 35% Pinot Noir, 10% Nebbiolo, 9% Shiraz, 3% Mourvèdre and 4% Barbera, full of character with lots of black berries, with hints of earthy, smoky spices (€95)
Sparkling wines & Champagnes
The team at Wilde’s has chosen a superb selection of natural, organic and/or biodynamic classic and small grower Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world ranging in price from €50 for a bottle of Barbabolla, Marcobarba, Gambellara, Italy to €680 for the Louis Roederer, Cristal.
Our cup of tea – current favourites
Wilde’s Ervin Vamoser and Joseph Meyer have personalised the wine list to include their own current favourites that are both exciting and different and include:
- Madonna dei Fiori, Emilia Romagna, Italy, 2020: 100% Albana with wonderful acidity but also a smooth, almost buttery side (€46)
- Vincent Girardin, Cuvée Saint Vincent, Bourgogne France, 2020 : 100% Pinot Noir with an elegant nose and aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry and strawberry (€80)
- Château de la Roulerie, Coteaux du Layon, France, 2018: 100% Chenin Blanc, a typical sweet wine that combines aromas of very ripe fruit and notes of citrus peel with hints of exotic wood and tobacco (€70)
The list also includes orange wines such as Borgo Savaian di Bastiani Stefano, Friuli, Italy 2020, a blend of de-stemmed Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc fermented on the skins and macerated for about 90 days to get a gorgeous Sherry-like orange colour (€48).
The new wine list at Wilde’s can be viewed HERE
The wine list is arranged by wine style and each wine features a natural, organic and/or biodynamic symbol highlighting:
- Natural: wines with minimal or no added sulphites
- Organic: wines produced according to the principles of organic farming
- Biodynamic: wines produced according to the principles of biodynamic agriculture
About The Lodge at Ashford
The Lodge at Ashford Castle is part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection that is owned by the Tollman family, which also owns the Bouchard Finlayson winery, collaboratively run by Victoria Tollman and Peter Finlayson.
The four-star country hotel sits within 350 acres of perfectly manicured grounds on the Ashford Castle Estate in Cong, Co Mayo. Steeped in history, The Lodge dates back to 1865 when it was originally built as the home of Ashford Castle’s Estate Manager during the Guinness family’s ownership of the Ashford Estate.
BOOKING:
Telephone: +353 94 954 5400
