By Lorcan O'Brien | Wine & Communications Manager
We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Virgin Media One’s ‘The Restaurant’ as 'Official Wine Partner' for the new season, with episode 6 airing Thursday 17th October 9pm. Our Wine Director, Master of Wine Lynne Coyle worked closely with the restaurant team to pair each exciting dish on the celebrity’s menus with a unique and delicious wine from the O’Briens portfolio of over 800 exclusive wines.
During service, the celebrities get instant feedback in the kitchen to their menu from remote cameras and microphones covering the dining room. So the pressure was on for Lynne to choose wines that would not only match the food but also delight the diners by enhancing their overall experience!
To win the wines from tomorrow's episode – follow us on Instagram @OBriensWine and comment under our picture about episode 6 of The Restaurant! (Ts&Cs apply).
Check back each week for a first look at all the dishes and wines before the show airs and follow us on Twitter & Instagram with your thoughts and comments on the show and wine pairings. All the wines on the show can be found in your local O’Briens and online and all have special prices for the next few weeks!
Zull Lust and Laune Grüner Veltliner | Weinviertel, Austria
This light, dry Grüner Veltliner captivates with its superb aroma of fresh apples and citrus fruits; its crisp acidity and fruitiness as well as silky texture make this the perfect wine to complement with the delicate seafood flavours in this dish.
Guerrieri Rizzardi Munus Bardolino | Veneto, Italy
This wines is aged in stainless steel tanks to add complexity and depth of flavour whilst also retaining freshness of fruit and aromatics - the crushed mixed berries will complement the earthy mushroom flavours whilst the refreshing acidity will cut through the richness of the pasta.
Tandem Ars Nova | Navarra, Spain
Coming from the Navarra region of northern Spain this is an elegant and complex wine with a palate of bramble fruits, blueberries, liquorice and scrubland herbs. The grippy tannins and rich texture of the wine will match wonderfully with the sweet lamb.
Domaine la Sarabande Misterioso | Faugères, France
The Misterioso has aromas of dark cherries and lifted glazed fruit characters. The palate is dominated by dark fruits but there is some attractive strawberry characters combined with fine tannins. The wine finishes dry but a very well- balanced acidity lengthens the palate. This acidity helps the wine cut through the rich flavours of this duck dish.