Turas Fíona Returns This September with Mosel Winemaker Thorsten Melsheimer

After a short summer break, Turas Fíona — Daróg Wine Bar’s ongoing series of wine talks and tastings — returns this September with a visit from Mosel-based winemaker Thorsten Melsheimer.

On Wednesday, 3rd September, Daróg will host Thorsten Melsheimer of Weingut Melsheimer, a fifth-generation estate in the Mosel Valley known for its vibrant Rieslings and sustainable farming practices. This intimate event will include a guided tasting of five wines and a conversation with the winemaker.

Daróg Wine Bar Named Among Top Wine Destinations by Wine Spectator

Galway-based abstract artist Tory Irvine presents Sanctuary at Daróg Wine Bar.

From her garden studio, Irvine creates colourful abstract paintings and collages that reflect her love of playful creativity and mark-making. She uses colour and texture to build contrasts that energise a space. Her work plays with the tension between chaos and calm — embracing simplicity and order while celebrating detail and complexity. This contrast is what gives her paintings their distinct character. She hopes her work transforms the spaces they inhabit, bringing with them the joyful energy she experiences during the creative process.

Today, we join finalists from all over the globe for Star Wine List’s International Final!

In October 2024, we were awarded a Gold Star for ‘Best Sustainable Wine List’ in Ireland. Today, we stand among this year’s international finalists — proud to represent our approach, and the growers we work with who care deeply for the land they farm.

Star Wine List of the Year is the prestigious award recognising the best wine bars and restaurants worldwide. This grand final marks the culmination of the Star Wine List World Tour 2024–2025.

We travelled to Colmar in the heart of Alsace to visit Jacky Barthelmé of Domaine Albert Mann—a winemaker whose work we admire deeply and who joined us at Daróg back in April for one of our Turas Fíona Wine Talk & Tasting events.

Jacky welcomed us into his world with open arms. We walked his vineyards, took in the landscape that shapes his wines, and spent time talking through his process—his philosophies in the cellar, his connection to the land, and the family legacy behind it all.

We were honoured to receive a Gradam in the Tourism Category of Gradam Sheosaimh Uí Ógartaigh 2025. The awards ceremony took place on Monday 24th May at the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill

Daróg Wine Bar has been named Best Wine Bar in Connaught at the Irish Restaurant Awards — for the second year in a row.

Our next Le Chéile evening takes place on Monday 9th June and features Galway-based artist Emer Whelan and her powerful series Lignis. Through sculptural drawings made with salvaged wood, wax, and graphite, Emer explores the deep emotional and symbolic connection between trees and the human body. Her work evokes both resilience and fragility—strength rooted in vulnerability.

On the night, Emer will speak in conversation with owner Edel Lukács, about her creative process and the ideas behind the work, offering guests a rare glimpse into her world.

We’re proud to be finalists for Gradam Sheosaimh Uí Ógartaigh 2025. Now in our second year entering the Gradam, we’ve continued to build on our use of Irish throughout Daróg.

Galway-based artist Emer Whelan presents her latest body of work, Lignis, a solo exhibition that reimagines the tradition of woodcraft through the lens of digital precision and contemporary design. Using a CO₂ laser cutter, Whelan transforms wood into finely detailed geometric compositions, blending structure with softness and craftsmanship with innovation.

Earlier this month, Zsolt travelled to the village of Kog in Slovenia for Kog25 — a wine event unlike any other. Hosted by the brilliant team at Roka Winery and Miro Vino, this gathering brought together wines from across the globe for a unique, variety-led tasting experience.

At Daróg, our menu is built around seasonal, locally sourced small plates. Our wine list showcases the craftsmanship of small artisan producers who share our passion for organic, natural, biodynamic, and sustainable practices.

May in Galway is a time to celebrate great food, exceptional wine, and the people who bring them to life. As part of Blas na Bealtaine – A Taste of May, Daróg Wine Bar presents a special Turas Fíona series, featuring two intimate Wine Talk & Tasting events with winemakers who embody craft, sustainability, and storytelling.

Our next Turas Fíona, Wine Talk & Tasting will take place on Wednesday, 23rd April with Mathieu Paquet from Famille Paquet in Burgundy, France.

Famille Paquet, located in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, France, was founded in 1980 by Jocelyne and Michel Paquet under the name Domaine des Valanges. The estate is now managed by their three sons, Jean-Baptiste, Mathieu, and Camille, who oversee the vineyards and winemaking with an emphasis on minimal intervention and sustainable practices. Farming organically and biodynamically, the estate achieved full organic certification in 2021.

Echoes of the Coast
A new exhibition in Daróg by Tiffani Love.

Originally from Northern New York and now based in the west of Ireland, Tiffani Love’s painting process is deeply rooted in movement, observation, and connection to place. She begins by walking the landscape, building a relationship with it before translating her experience onto canvas. Her work captures moments of stillness in a constantly shifting world, balancing between the known and the unknown. Layers of paint reflect the ever-changing nature of the land, revealing how past and present intertwine beneath the surface.

For our next Fíon Focus, we’re diving into the wines of South Africa—a land of breathtaking landscapes, old vines, and a winemaking heritage that blends tradition with innovation. These wines are bold, fresh, and full of character, each bottle telling a story of place, passion, and craftsmanship.

The Michelin Guide 2025 has recognised Daróg Wine Bar with a coveted Bib Gourmand, while co-owner and sommelier Zsolt Lukács has been honoured with the prestigious Sommelier Award.

On Wednesday, 12th February 2025, Daróg Wine Bar will host its next Turas Fíona event (Irish for "Wine Journey"), offering an evening dedicated to the exceptional wines and sustainable practices of Italy’s Rosanna Sandri winery. The event will feature Roberto Prandi, winemaker and second-generation custodian of the family-run estate in the Langhe region.

We’re delighted to kick off the New Year with "No Small Stones", the first exhibition of 2025 on the gallery wall at Daróg Wine Bar, featuring the extraordinary work of Aideen Monaghan.