Wine Brighter & Lighter Julie Dupouy finds affordable pairings for picnics I rish summer always feels slightly borrowed it never seems to last long enough. The moment the sun appears, the entire country slips into a kind of joyful frenzy to catch every possible ray of light. Parks and beaches suddenly fill as if there were no tomorrow, while picnic baskets are pulled out of attics for their all-too-brief seasonal return. The art of picnicking has evolved into a highly aesthetic affair: flowy dresses, retro sunglasses, colourful linen and beautifully woven wicker baskets carefully filled with comfort food and refreshing artisanal lemonade. In Dublin, Phoenix Park and the cliffs of Howth have become two of the citys favourite picnic destinations. When planning a picnic involving wine, there is really only one rule to remember there are no rules. Forget the fancy glassware, the precise serving temperature or the perfect wine pairing. The true purpose of a picnic is simply to enjoy yourself as much as possible: feet in the grass or the sand, a glass in hand, while forgetting about everything else for a little while. Embrace the slightly warm bottle of rosé, the wind messing up the napkins and the improvised food combinations that somehow taste better outdoors. It is about those blissful moments of pure happiness carefree, spontaneous and perfectly imperfect. Or, to put it the Irish way: a moment of being happy without a care in the world. So what to drink during a picnic? For a touch of playful controversy, pop open a bottle of your best Champagne, Cava or Crémant and serve it with the iconic crisp sandwich because nothing says modern luxury quite like pairing fine bubbles with the ultimate comfort food. This humble Irish classic may seem an unlikely companion to sparkling wine, yet the combination works brilliantly, the effervescence balancing the richness of the butter and the salty sharpness of the crisps perfectly. Next on the picnic wine list come the bright, energetic whites: Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Rueda Verdejo or Pecorino from Abruzzo. Their citrus-driven freshness and lively acidity bring an instant sense of refreshment on a warm afternoon and they can turn any humble sandwich into a far more interesting experience. Alternatively, you might pair a potato salad with light, zingy, herbal white wines with plenty of brightness and minerality. My favourites include classic Bourgogne Aligoté, Italian Vermentino or Greek Assyrtiko all refreshing, vibrant wines that beautifully complement the creamy potatoes and fresh herbs. When it comes to wine pairings for savoury tarts and quiches (with local Irish ingredients like Cashel Blue or Gubbeen cheese, sweet leeks, beetroots, smokey Irish bacon or black pudding) aromatic white wines with generous texture work wonders alongside them. Think IGP Viognier from the Rhône in France, Fiano from Campania in Italy or Viosinho blends from central Portugal wines with enough body to complement the creamy, savoury richness of the quiches and with enough flavour intensity not to be overpowered. These grape varieties are often overlooked and the summer months are a perfect opportunity to let them shine bright. Up next, rosé and light red wines ideally all chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours before heading off to your picnic destination. Rosé remains the quintessential picnic wine because it combines the refreshment of white wine with just enough structure to handle a wide variety of food pairings. From pale Provence rosé to more vinous Tavel or Rioja rosado there is a style to suit every palate. In the red wine category, many exciting lighter options today come from producers working within the natural wine movement, often favouring gentler extraction and grape varieties that naturally lend themselves to fresh, vibrant styles. Look out for Cinsault, Trepat, Gamay, Frappato or even Poulsard. Full of life, juicy fruit and drinkability, they are a great counterbalance and therefore perfect allies to rich and savoury food the contrast creating a delicious harmony. Think rich, irresistibly satisfying and fuss-free dishes such as sausage rolls or their vegan equivalent served with some homemade relish. So, this summer, the perfect setting for a romantic lunch or a family gathering might not be a rooftop or a fancy terrace, but simply a blanket spread across the grass or a towel laid out on the beach. A bottle kept cool in the sea, a basket filled with comforting food and the simple pleasure of sharing a meal outdoors surely this is Irish summer at its very best. @julie_dupouy ROSÉ REMAINS THE QUINTESSENTIAL PICNIC WINE. PICNIC PICKS Rocher de la République, Languedoc White, France, 16.95; www.thenudewineco.ie. Mesta, Merinas Verdejo, Peninsula Viticultores, Spain, 14; www.pintowines.ie. 42 July/August 2026 THE GLOSS MAGAZINE Pecorino dAbruzzo, Contesa, Italy, 22; www.h2gwines.ie. Côtes du Rhône Les Oliviers, Vignerons dEstezargues, 18; www.greenmanwines.ie. Cucca de Llum, Succes Vinicola, Cataluyna, Spain, 21; www.lennoxstreet.ie. Coteaux de Bézier rosé IGP, Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose, France, 15; www.shop.supervalu.ie. 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A walled garden, a fouracre field plot Wine Brighter & Lighter Julie Dupouy finds affordable pairings for picnics I rish summer always feels slightly borrowed it never seems to last long enough. The moment the sun appears, the entire country slips into a kind of joyful frenzy to catch every possible ray of light. Parks and beaches s Food A Walk In The Park Kitty Coles knows how to pack a perfect picnic E veryones idea of a picnic is different. In Ireland, a picnic tends to mean sandwiches sweating in foil, crisps, supermarket sausage rolls, tubs of coleslaw, perhaps some strawberries, and warm canned drinks. Otherwise known Books Reading Notes Sarah Halliwell on the best books for summer S pend your summer indulging in new arrivals from some of the very best international writers this summer, from Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (Fleet, €19) to Ben Lerners highly acclaimed Transcription (Grant, €18), another novel Books How I Write IMANI THOMPSON London-based Imani Thompson won the Vogue new writers prize in 2019 as an undergraduate at Cambridge University. Her debut novel, the darkly funny and vicious Honey, triggered a ten-way auction and has already sold in ten languages. Honey (The Borough Press) is out This Glossy Life At Ballyfin, Catherine FitzGerald is quietly rewilding one of Irelands grandest estates, blending romance, restraint and a deep reverence for landscape. Deirdre McQuillan speaks to the designer PHOTOGRAPHS BY VERONIKA FAUSTMANN T SLOW AND SUBTLE he great thing about Ballyfin is This Glossy Life London-based architect Mark Lutyens (great-great-nephew of the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens) have included Hillsborough and Glenarm Castles in Northern Ireland, a Physic Garden in Edinburgh, as well as small private London gardens. The love of gardening was fostered growing u This Glossy Life Other plans include planting ornamental trees, cherries and crab apples beyond the cascade as our mission is to bring things into focus, to soften, to make it more inviting. Bordering the mown paths with blossoming trees and more bulbs will blend in with the greenery. She also want Wholefoods Supplements Natural Skincare Earth Friendly Products Try this Fibraed r ich Summer Sal up Build your s e p i c Re Wholefood ingredients for feel-good cooking Find us in selected Dunnes Stores across Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Naas and Tralee NOURISH.IE