Happy St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2009 by MTB

Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

The Drinkin’ O’ the Green!

In the spirit of the holiday, I thought it appropriate to celebrate Irish wine. Yes, I know – whisky and beer, not wine, are what first come to mind when one thinks “Ireland and liquor.” But Ireland is a wine-producing nation, and within the last 10 years has been officially recognized as such by the European Commission.

While Ireland is not going to give France a run for the money over vineyard acreage or cases produced anytime soon, the Irish do have a wine heritage that began over a millenia ago with mead. Mead itself dates back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, and it appears most cultures, including the Celts, Vikings, Gauls and Romans all produced mead. A lush blending of honey, water, and sometimes grapes, mead is believed to possess powers that endow virility and fertility on its drinkers, and thus for centuries was the featured wine at weddings. It also has a rich heritage in the culture and history of the British and Irish isles, and one can imagine medieval feasts with men gathered around long wooden tables, wild pigs and game fowl roasting on large spits, and tankards of mead being passed throughout the hall…

I first discovered mead on a vacation to Ireland when I made a stop at Bunratty Castle, County Clare, home of the Bunratty Winery. Like the castle, which was finished in 1425 (and is a glorious example of a medieval castle and fortress), the recipe for Bunratty Meade dates back to the Middle Ages. There are other current producers of mead, including wineries in England and Wales, but Bunratty is one of the oldest – and likely one of the best known – meads being produced today.

But Irish wine is not all mead, and there are a handful of wineries scattered across southern Ireland. Like Bunratty, most are located in County Clare; undoubtedly the gulf stream ocean currents which run very close to the southwestern coast help temper the climate and weather and make this area one that is capable of sustaining vineyards. These other wineries are small and generally produce white wines from German grapes which are better suited to colder, harsher climates. Currently all of these wines are sold or distributed locally:

Blackwater Valley Vineyard – with only 5 acres under cultivation, Blackwater Valley grows Reichensteiner, and produces a few thousand bottles of white table wine annually.

Longueville House – Longueville House is a 20-bedroom Georgian country house, now operating as a hotel and restaurant. On the grounds, the owners have planted 1.1 acres of Reichsteiner and Muller Thurgau grapes. The wine is produced exclusively for the Longueville House hotel and restaurant.

Thomas Walk Vineyard – another small vineyard, Thomas Walk produces both a white and a red. Tomas Clancy, the wine columnist for The Sunday Business Post, in 2006 described the Thomas Walk Amurensis red as similar to a “light beaujolais.” Clancy, in the same article, also posits that Ireland’s late-entry into wine production is the result of their never having been invaded by the Romans. Interesting, never thought about the rise of wine production being a result of the spread of the Roman legions – chalk up one more thing to the Caesars.

Lusca – Finally, across the country in County Dublin, David Llewellyn has established Ireland’s northern-most winery, growing cabernet, merlot and chardonnay grapes. Llewellyn and his Lusca wines are currently “Ireland’s largest commercial wine producer,” according to an August 2008 article in the Tribune.

Bunratty Meade is imported into the United States, and most larger liquor or wine stores should carry it – if not, they can probably order it for you, or you can order it online through a number of sources. As for the others? Ireland is beautiful this time of year!