Wine away the hours

As warmer days and longer evenings inspire consumers to embrace outdoor dining, entertaining and relaxed social occasions, summer presents a valuable opportunity for the wine category. From crisp whites and elegant rosés to refreshing sparkling wines and Champagne, this season’s standout bottles are perfectly positioned to meet demand for lighter styles and food-friendly pairings. In this feature, Drinks Industry Ireland highlights some of the brands, new releases and marketing initiatives set to make an impact this summer, showcasing wines that combine quality, innovation and broad consumer appeal for retailers, on-trade operators and wine lovers alike.

Building on recent momentum following its recognition by Forbes as the world’s number one winery, Santa Rita continues to strengthen its global positioning. The accolade, awarded in recognition of the group’s heritage and legacy, commitment to mentoring future generations of winemakers, innovation across vineyard and winery, advancements in packaging, and leadership in sustainability and social responsibility, underscores a long-term dedication to quality and progress.

The Santa Rita 120 range will be supported by a significant summer marketing campaign running through July to September. The activation is designed to drive visibility and engagement at retail level, combining outdoor advertising with prominent in-store positioning, including gondola end displays and on-bottle neck collars across key SKUs. At the centre of the campaign is a consumer competition offering the chance to win the “Santa Rita 120 Hours Experience”, aimed at deepening brand connection and encouraging participation during the peak summer trading period. Key wines in focus include Santa Rita 120 Pinot Grigio, positioned as an approachable and refreshing white suited to everyday consumption, alongside Santa Rita Limited Release Rosé, an elegant dry style with a bright, pale pink hue and a fruit-driven profile of strawberries and raspberries, ideal as an aperitif. The wider portfolio is aligned with summer demand, with lighter, versatile styles coming to the fore.

Carmen’s Wave Series Pinot Noir offers flexibility, tasting equally well served slightly chilled or at room temperature, while Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc from Argentina’s Uco Valley provides a fresh, crisp option. The Sauvignon Blanc delivers vibrant aromatics of passion fruit, grapefruit, lime and white peach, underpinned by a zesty, well-balanced palate that pairs naturally with seafood and fresh salads. Sourced from vineyards in Tupungato at approximately 1,000 metres above sea level, the wine benefits from cool night temperatures and calcium carbonate-rich soils, which help preserve acidity and enhance flavour complexity

Sunshine every day with Ah Rosé!

Created to be enjoyable,  approachable and part of life’s  everyday moments, Ah Rosé is the  latest addition to the Ah Wines  portfolio led by actress, author and  entrepreneur Amy Huberman. The  brand was founded with a simple  ambition: to offer high-quality wines  that remove the intimidation often  associated with wine and instead  focus on fun, flavour and bringing  people together.

Produced in the renowned Pays  d’Oc region of Southern France,  Ah Rosé is a beautifully balanced  blend of Cinsault and Grenache Gris, combining French winemaking  heritage with a contemporary, easygoing  style.  Pale blush in colour and elegant  in character, the wine opens  with expressive aromas of wild  strawberry, raspberry and white  peach, complemented by subtle floral  and citrus notes. On the palate, it is  crisp, dry and refreshing, delivering  vibrant red berry fruit flavours,  bright acidity and a smooth, polished  finish.

Consistently over-delivering  on quality, Ah Rosé appeals equally  to casual wine drinkers and more  experienced consumers seeking a  refined yet accessible rosé.  The wine is produced by Domaines  Auriol, a family-owned winery in the  Occitanie region of Southern France.  One of the region’s leading wine  exporters, Domaines Auriol has built  a reputation for award-winning wines,  sustainable practices and a strong  ecological ethos.

Versatile and food-friendly, Ah  Rosé pairs beautifully with seafood,  summer salads, burrata, charcuterie,  sushi and Mediterranean-inspired  dishes, making it equally suited to  relaxed lunches, entertaining at home  or long summer evenings shared with  friends.  Speaking about the philosophy  behind Ah Wines, Amy Huberman has  described the brand as being inspired  by moments of joy, connection and  celebration. The Ah Wines range  was developed to be approachable  and unpretentious, encouraging  consumers to enjoy great wine  without overthinking it.  For more information visit www.ahwines.  com. Instagram: @ah_wines/

Ultimate white wine  pairings for summer  gatherings 

Barefoot Wine shares the ultimate  pairings for effortless entertaining this  summer. Say goodbye to stressing  over menus and hello to laid-back  fun, Barefoot is the must-have wine  to bring vibrant flavour, style, and  delicious ease to all your summer  gatherings from garden parties to  bbq’s and chilled evening gatherings.  Discover Barefoot’s premium, crisp  white wines and refreshing rosé, the  perfect match for your quick bites,  light feasts, and thrilling grills.

Barefoot’s Summer Pairing  Playbook for quick bites, light feasts,  and thrilling grills  Barefoot Pinot Grigio: Pairs  perfectly with refreshing light bites  like fresh vegetable spring rolls,  cucumber slices with cream cheese,  caprese skewers, or delicate seafood  like shrimp cocktail and smoked  salmon blinis. It is also a crisp, lightbodied  choice for simple grilled  vegetable skewers or light poultry  such as grilled chicken breast, grilled  chicken sliders or mini chicken  burgers, complementing green  vegetables and white meats perfectly.

Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc: Excellent with light bites like roasted  turkey, smoked fish, salty oysters,  feta or goat’s cheese salads, avocado  toast with a poached egg, or a bright  orzo pasta salad. It’s also great for  lighter BBQ fare such as feta and  courgette skewers, zesty chicken  salads, or other grilled vegetables, as  its fresh character and melon notes  provide a wonderful lift.  Barefoot Buttery Chardonnay:  A great match for light bites like  grilled veggie skewers, brie or creamy  cheeses, seafood pasta, and milder  creamy pasta bites. It also excels with  rich BBQ options like grilled salmon  fillets or buttery corn on the cob,  as its creamy smooth character and  notes of vanilla and baked apple are  enhanced by a gentle char.

Barefoot Moscato: Perfect with  summer sweet treats like fresh fruit  platters or salted caramel desserts. Its  sweet character also makes it ideal for  taming spice, pairing wonderfully with  spicy dishes such as Tandoori Chicken  Skewers, spicy vegetable curries, or  sweet and sticky BBQ pork ribs.

Barefoot White Zinfandel: Pairs  well with salty snacks like prosciuttowrapped  melon, spicy chorizo and  sweet potato hash. For the BBQ, it  pairs beautifully with the sweetness  and spice of dishes like a sweet and  sticky BBQ glazed chicken skewer or  a spiced grilled halloumi and pepper  dish.  Make Barefoot your go-to for  your unforgettable gatherings with  friends this summer. Fun, flavourful,  and approachable, there is a Barefoot  Wine for everyone.

The range includes  Barefoot Jammy Red, Barefoot  Merlot, Barefoot Malbec, Barefoot  Cabernet Sauvignon, Barefoot Buttery  Chardonnay, Barefoot Sauvignon  Blanc, Barefoot Pinot Grigio and  Barefoot Moscato alongside Barefoot  White Zinfandel and Barefoot Pink  Moscato. Packed with big flavours  and gorgeous aromas – there’s plenty  to choose from!  For more Information: www.  barefootwine.ie • www.facebook.com/  barefootwineuk • www.instagram.  com/barefootwineuk • www.pinterest.  com/barefootwine

Whispering Angel unveils  its 20th vintage 

Remarked as the world’s number  one rosé, Whispering Angel proudly  celebrates its 20th vintage with  the momentum and unmistakable  confidence that has defined the  brand since 2006. A milestone that  marks two decades of leadership  and category-defining excellence,  Whispering Angel’s 20th Anniversary  is more than just a date in the  calendar, but a celebration of an  enduring legacy and vision for the  future of rosé.  Sacha Lichine founded Whispering  Angel in 2006 with a bold intention:  to bring rosé to greatness.

Since  its inception, Whispering Angel  sparked the global Rosé Renaissance,  elevating an entire category of  wine into a symbol of luxury, status  and French joie de vivre. Today, it  continues to lead with sustained  sales growth, and the charisma that  has made the brand a global icon.  Clear, vibrant and culturally fluent,  Whispering Angel remains the  preferred French rosé world-over and  the benchmark against which every  other rosé is measured.

According to the founder, Sacha Lichine, “I am pleased to say that  this is among the best vintages of  Whispering Angel we’ve made. Both  delicious and aromatic.”  Lichine’s original whisper  has become a global promise: a  promise of excellence, prestige,  and innovation. Two decades on,  that intimate beginning has been  reinterpreted for the 20th vintage  release.

The new anniversary label is refined  and collectible, and features Sacha  Lichine’s signature alongside the  iconic Whispering Angel brand mark  – the angels of Chateau d’Esclans that  have become its ambassadors to the  world. Designed to stand out on shelf  and inspire pride wherever it appears,  the label reflects both heritage and  modernity.

To mark the brand’s milestone,  Whispering Angel is proud to be  kicking off a year of celebrations  with the unveiling of a special edition  artwork, composed of 20 visual  stories, each representing a chapter  in the Whispering Angel journey –  people, places, and moments that  shaped the world’s most influential  rosé. www.esclans.com/product/  whispering-angel/

Rewriting the rules of summer Champagne drinkinglet’s clear the air.

First things first: let’s clear the air. It’s the world’s best loved Champagne but  the one so many of us have trouble pronouncing. It’s  Moh-wett (with a crisp, hard ‘t’),  not Moh-way. Our founder, Claude Moët, had Dutch roots, and those two little dots over the ‘ë’ mean you pronounce the vowel solo.

Grammar lessons aside, let’s talk about breaking some rules. While purists might shudder   at the thought of putting ice in champagne, Moët & Chandon is   giving you permission to do it. Enter Moët Ice Impérial – a fresh, fruity, and unapologetically intense blend designed to turn the traditional champagne ritual into the ultimate, laid-back summer vibe. It’s everything you love about the classic Moët style – bright fruitiness,  a seductive palate, and elegant maturity – but dialled up for sunsoaked pool days, rooftop hangouts, and garden parties.

By inviting you to add the final ingredient (the ice!), Moët turns you from a casual sipper  into the master of ceremonies. Summer just got a whole lot cooler.

How to serve like a pro  

Ready to pour? Ditch the traditional   flutes, grab a large cabernet-style glass, and follow the 7-12-3 rule:

• 7°C: Chill the bottle to a crisp 7   degrees.

• 12cl: Pour a generous 12cl splash of Ice Impérial.

• 3 Cubes: Drop in exactly three large   ice cubes.

Choose your summer alter-ego;  Take your glass to the next level  by dropping in one of these three  expert-approved garnishes:

• The Renegade: A slice of ginger for a   sharp, spicy kick of freshness.

• The Cool Down: A few slapped mint   leaves for a breezy, herbaceous vibe.

• The Classic: A twist of orange peel for   pure, refined elegance.

Irish master of wine Ray  O’Connor launches Rosé 

Irish Master  of Wine Ray  O’Connor has  launched Le  Grand Palme, his  first Provence  rosé, bringing  together more  than two  decades of  international  wine expertise with a deeply personal  story of resilience, craftsmanship and  passion.  Available exclusively through  O’Briens Wine, Le Grand Palme is a  premium Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence  rosé that reflects both the elegance of  southern France and the perseverance  behind its creation. Drawing on  more than 20 years of experience  in the international wine industry,  Le Grand Palme reflects O’Connor’s  commitment to quality, balance  and regional authenticity. Produced  using classic Provençal winemaking  techniques and a carefully selected  blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and  Rolle, Le Grand Palme embodies the  fresh, dry and elegant style that has  made Provence the global benchmark  for rosé.  Le Grand Palme is available  exclusively through O’Briens Wine  stores nationwide and online at www.  obrienswine.ie