‘Young, clean, fresh and fruity’ – just one of the own brand wines Leinster House will splash €300k on

LEINSTER House plan to splash out up to €300,000 on its own brand of wine over the next four years.

The bespoke-labelled booze has proven to be a hit since it first went on sale in 2013.

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Around 8,000 bottles of the plonk were sold over the following five years.

A tender went out this week seeking suppliers to provide “entry-level” and “mid-range” wines to be branded with the Houses of the Oireachtas label and sold in its on-site bars and restaurants.

It wants a “young, clean, fresh, fruity” white wine to put its label on, and would prefer a Sauvignon Blanc as its entry-level offering.

A light or medium-bodied wine is sought for its entry-level red, with a “young, fruity, dry” Merlot the top pick of Dail chiefs.

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The mid-range option will be a dry and medium-bodied red wine, like a Bordeaux, Malbec or Rioja.

The supplier must also provide a sparkling wine and non-alcoholic alternative, with the total spend under the contract expected to be between €225,000 and €300,000 over a maximum of four years.

The Houses of the Oireachtas will provide a “creative design scheme” for the production of bespoke labels and the minimum order will be 1,800 bottles of the entry-level wine and 1,200 of the mid-range wine.

Its own-label wine is currently available by the bottle or by the glass in Leinster House’s hospitality facilities, which include two bars.

Prospective suppliers have until July 14 to submit tenders and will be expected to supply samples for blind tasting.