RESTAURANTS AND FOOD: Restaurant 505

Friday, October 9, 2026

Exploring "Terroirs Project" in Dingle. Le Caveau Wine Tasting at Restaurant 505.

Le Caveau Wine Tasting at Restaurant 505.

Exploring "Terroirs Project" at Dingle Food Festival 2026

We had a very enjoyable and very entertaining Le Caveau wine tasting at Damien Ring’s 505 Restaurant in Dingle, the wines presented by the dynamic double act of Aoife and Colm McCan, all part of the annual Dingle Food Festival.

This pic from Slea Head

Damien began to make his reputation in Screbe House (Connemara), enhanced it at Kingdom 1795 in Killorglin and is now, I’m told, in his happy place in Dingle’s Dykegate Street.

Highlight of the wines presented was perhaps the Portuguese white Maresia. It is 11% alcohol and 100% Loureiro. It has real flavour intensity with a touch of sour cherry and some saltiness on the finish. And our presenters have it christened it the “Garryvoe wine” because of the crustacean encrusted seaside rock on the label.

We had started with a lively and delightful Pet Nat from the Schödl family in Austria. That impressed as did the Safari in Natura, an easy drinking orange wine by the same family.

A couple of light reds followed. We particularly enjoyed the Côtes du Rhône 'Les Oliviers' , part of 'Terroirs Project', a cooperation between local vignerons and Les Caves de Pyrene. The aim is to produce honest wines from plots farmed organically, with minimal intervention in the winery and coming out to the public at democratic prices.

The Oliviers, French for olive trees, is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah. The Maresia above is also part of this project. Fairly priced, so do keep an eye out for the which now offers dozens of wines from different countries.

Purchased at the market stalls

Earlier that misty morning, after a hearty Full Irish at Greenmount House, we allowed ourselves a decent interval before heading downtown to take in the food festival.

We decided against the excellent taste ticket method (that that we’ve employed and enjoyed in the past) and went for a few nibbles, highlight of which were a couple of simple crepes from a stall at the top of Grey’s Lane.

Also, as always, we stocked up with salts from West of Dingle and bought ourselves a tin of Crystallised ginger pieces from Blasta Delights, and more. Looking forward to trying out that ginger!