Showing posts with label Austria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Austria. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

The Ciù Ciù Casella! More on beers, wines and spirits in Cheers #12


More on beers, wines and spirits in Cheers #12 


Wines direct offer you 

The Ciù Ciù Casella!


Ciù Ciù and Wines Direct have had a close relationship for over ten years. Ciù Ciù's wines have donned the tables of many significant milestone gatherings and family weddings. In celebration, we have put together something very memorable to honour our lasting partnership. You will be delighted to hear that this exceptional offer includes three wines exclusive just to the Ciù Ciù case and three wines that have proved to be permanent staff and customer favourites. Read more here.

****COMPETITION TIME**** At Blacks Brewery. To celebrate summer, Blacks Brewery (@blacksbrewery ) have teamed up with
to offer you the chance to win a case of KPA cans a funky btl opener and 2 tasting glasses. TO WIN just go to @blacksbrewery on Twitter to like, retweet and comment with how many cans are in the window display in the photo below.


Fresh Beer from the White Hag

Fresh out of the tank this week and first time ever on the store is The Fleadh, Red IPA and also the Róc Helles lager - you can order here, and it will ship tomorrow morning! More info here


ROSÉ FROM AUSTRIA

Rosé wine is winning friends and becoming increasingly popular, thanks to its freshness, fragrantly spicy aromas and appealing colour. It has long since shed the reputation of being “neither fish nor flesh”. Austria offers a wide range of rosé a light, pink-coloured wine made from black grapes; some are particularly delicate, while others can be racy or powerful – a few of them even with protected designation of origin! Read more here.

Kinsale Spirit Launch New Whiskey
Kinsale Spirit have launched their first whiskey; details here

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Biodynamic Winemaking with Austria’s Fred Loimer. Kerosene aromas, fertility symbol, compost tea. And more.

Biodynamic Winemaking with Austria’s Fred Loimer
Kerosene aromas, fertility symbol, compost tea. And more.
Fred Loimer

“Cow manure is the best you can find for composting.”  

Cows and their role in composting have been getting the thumbs-up recently from winemakers across the globe.  Endorsements by Aurelio Montez (Chile) and Giovanni Manetti (Chianti Classico) were followed up this Thursday as you can see by our opening line from Fred Loimer (Austria).

The Loimer winery is based in the Kamptal region of Austria and it is biodynamic and that was what Liberty Wines asked Fred to talk about in the latest of the series of online masterclasses by Liberty suppliers. 

Fred: “Kamptal soil is mainly sandstone. Area is steep and here we grow mainly Riesling.” South of Vienna they own a vineyard in the Gumpoldskirchen, an area with a historic reputation for high quality wines. Limestone features here in an area “very different to Kamptal.” In the south, they grow Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and indigenous varieties Zierfandler and Rotgipfler.

One of Fred's opening slides was of Van Gogh’s The Sower at Sunset, to emphasise the Loimer connection with biodynamic farming, a connection that began in 2005. They and other farmers didn’t know too much about it so they formed a learning group and met monthly in the early years before forming a Respekt Group. Having the “Respekt-BIODYN” mark on their labels now endorses the wines as biodynamic (and at a higher standard than the EU regulations).

“The main biodynamic principle for me is ‘farm individuality’, how farming was over 1000s of years. Use resources you find in your place, not to buy everything, but to find on the farm what you need to produce. For instance, we make our own compost and we buy very little. Second, you cannot separate plants and animals, nature works in a holistic way, together they have composted over the years to create the soil we have today.”

Biodiversity is another essential plank. “Monoculture is a big problem today. It is necessary to create as much biodiversity as possible. Not one hundred per cent vineyard but always bushes, trees and grassland over the whole area.”

“Herbicide is a disaster. There is life in our soil. Always something going on, even in a small square, something like 60,000 lives in there, all doing something. We cover our soils, green cover, blooming cover. Our own compost is getting better and we spread it in the autumn and we also make compost tea out of it for spraying. Stinging nettles (they’re everywhere) and other herbs are also used for spraying teas.”

“Cow horns, many people don’t believe. You can’t really measure the impact of these preparations but you can see the difference. There is for sure an impact and cow manure is the best you can find for composting.”
Horn of Plenty

And Fred warned, with a picture of the cockerel, that you must be on alert in the vineyard, know when the rain is coming, the frost and so on. “You have to react quickly to changing conditions.”

In the vineyard work, they use their hands, a lot. Pruning, for instance, is by hand and it is “soft” pruning, meaning that the wound is kept small. Big wounds can lead to big damage. Canopy management too is key as it can have a big impact on the health of the grapes at the end.

And the harvest is also by hand, again for healthy fruit, then careful all the way in small baskets to the press-house. Good fruit allows them to be more flexible in the press-house where low-impact machines are used.

Downstairs the Loimers have an amazing 19th century cave, “a very good atmosphere for wine.” Fred uses stainless steel and values it but when more age and complexity is required, oak is hard to beat. He also said that clay (buried in the ground) is used. “We have just two, don’t think we’ll get more but it is very interesting.”

He took us through the “hierarchy”. In Kamptal: regional, village and crus and also mentioned their “different and interesting Achtung series”. “We also do sparkling (Sekt). Kamptal is the best place in Austria to do it!" They are fresh with a lowish ABV. And he tipped us off to be on the lookout for their 2014 Blanc de Blancs, due to be released in about 6 months.
Soft pruning

Some interesting queries in the Q&A towards the end.

Q: Is there much checking on the Bio regulations?
A: Yes there is a company doing annual checks by appointment and they can also occasionally drop in without an appointment. Everything you do requires paperwork. They ask for it and then go out and check to confirm. Sometimes, they take away samples for testing in case you’re using chemicals. “Yes, it is quite strict.”
Compost "cooking"

Q: Where does the kerosene aroma of Riesling come from?
A: “It is in the grape’s genetics, some years more, some less. When the petrol aromas are not too much, it is fine but, when dominating it can get too much. The balanced growth that biodynamics seeks may help. Ultra Violet light may be a factor so canopy management, where the fruit is left in half-shadow, helps get fresher aromas and not so much petrol.”
Cheeky

Q: Is that label a fertility symbol? 
A: Fred smiled as did most of us who know the well-endowed male figure (right) on the label - he’d probably pair well with our Síle na Gig. He told us how the label came about and that it was indeed a fertility symbol originating in Indonesia about two thousand years go, “a strong symbol you recognise and remember”.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

A Couple Of Superb Reds from Argentina and Austria

A Couple Of Superb Reds from Argentina and Austria


Susana Balbo Crios Malbec Mendoza 2018, 14%, €16.75 Wines Direct

The aromas, warm, moderately spicy and massively welcoming, are the stand-out feature of this dark-red/purple Malbec from Mendoza, crafted by Susana Balbo, one of the best known wine people in Argentina. It is warm too on the palate, full of sweet red fruit flavours (plum and blackcurrant), again that spice, dark and delicious, and a terrific harmonious finish as well. Very Highly Recommended. 

Importers Wines Direct recommend pairing it with Pasta and Pizza, Game, Beef and Lamb. The vineyard tell us that it has spent 9 months in 100 % French oak, and they put Tuna steak, lamb, hamburgers on their matching shortlist. 

The Crios series of wines is aimed at connecting with “young, adventurous wine drinkers looking for unique varietals and regions, as well as with those seeking reliable, quality wines that fit their budget”. Reckon a lot of the recent “cocooners” would have a keen interest here as well.

Susana Balbo, the first female enologist in Argentina after graduating with honours from Don Bosco University in Mendoza in 1981, is an Argentinean game changer “of incredible skill and experience” according to Wines of South America. She is regularly hired as a consultant abroad and has made wine in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa and Spain. Dominio del Plata, her own label, is among the country’s most successful, with her Malbec and Crios Torrontes its signature wines.

Wellanschitz Neckenmarkt Zweigelt Klassik (Burgenland, Austria) 2016, 13%, €17.75 Wines Direct


The Zweigelt grape is a brilliantly hardy grape that is well suited to the Austrian climate and it is the most widely planted red grape there. It was created in 1922 from a crossing between Saint-Laurent and Blaufrankisch. According to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, the terroir here is ideal for the red grape: In this landscape, which is not unlike the Médoc, red grapes ripen reliably every year.

Colour is a dark ruby. Attractive bouquet of ripe dark berries. Medium bodied, it is juicy, fruity (blackberries, cherries, raspberries) and nicely spicy on the palate, very fresh too with engaging medium acidity and a long dry finish, tannins integrated. Highly Recommended.

Should be perfect with the foods suggested by importers Wines Direct: spicy food, soft cheese, pork and poultry, beef and lamb. Serve at 14-16 degrees. Note also that it is vegan friendly.

This classic Zweigelt was fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and then traditionally matured in large wooden barrels. “The work of the winemaker is full of humility and awe. Any manipulation, falsification or acquisition, which would alter the cultural asset of the wine are prohibited at Wellanschitz vineyards.” This is the real thing from the Austrian wine-maker.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Cheers. Latest Episode #2 . Keeping You Up To Date With Wine, Beers, and Spirits

Cheers. Latest Episode #2
Keeping You Up To Date With Wine, Beers, and Spirits


Teeling Whiskey Launch Two New Single Malt Whiskeys.

We are delighted to announce the release of two new Single Malt whiskeys to honour this year’s World Whiskey Day.
Building on the International success of the Teeling 24 Year Old Single Malt which won the World’s Best Single Malt in 2019 at the World Whiskies Awards, we are proud to present the Teeling 28 Year Old Single Malt.
We are also proud to release Series 3 of our Brabazon Bottling Series, a 14 Year Old Single Malt that has been matured in Pedro Ximénez casks from the Jerez area of Spain.

Join Jack & Stephen Teeling for a live tasting of these new releases on the Teeling Whiskey Facebook page tonight at 7:30pm (Dublin Time).Both bottlings will be available to purchase from our distillery gift shop from May 19th.
For more information on these new single malts please visit our blog: https://teelingdistillery.com/two-new-single-malt-whiskeys/

SuperValu Italian Wine Sale Begins Thursday 21st May

MASI CAMPOFIORIN is Wine of the Month!
€15, Was €17.49
Rich, smooth, velvety, very approachable and versatile with food. This is MASI’s original Supervenetian recognised internationally and inspired by the technique of making Amarone. Combining simplicity and grace with strength and majesty.

Other to check out: 
COSTA MEDIANA AMARONE
€20 Was €25
Deep purple red, ripe fruits and luscious nose, full body, highly alcoholic yet so round to remind a certain natural sweetness.

SARTORI VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO 75cl
€10 was €19.99
Ruby-red, tending toward garnet with age. Black cherry with some earth notes. Round and
well structured, with rich fruit and soft tannins.

RICOSSA BAROLO 75cl
€20 Was €24.99
The Barolo, Piedmont’s most famous wine, is produced with Nebbiolo grapes grown in the eleven
municipalities of the DOCG. A wine of robust, austere but velvety and harmonious body.

O'Briens Wine
Have your favourite Montepulciano back in stock!🍷🍷
and a whole lot more besides!



Pour Your Own Pint with 
9 White Deer Brewery 
Don't we just deserve this 🥰, 8 weeks is a long time without a proper stout.
See our website for details on how you can have this. It's soooo simple.  #stagstout #draftbeer #glutenfree Pour Your Own Pint! All revealed in their video here
Please drink responsibly

Austria Opening Up after Virus
After Austria’s economic activity came almost completely to a standstill because of the Corona restrictions implemented on 16 March, all of Austrian commerce was able to open its doors again on 2 May – of course, in compliance with strict safety and security regulations. The hospitality industry is scheduled to follow on 15 May, and the hotel industry at the end of May. After suffering weeks of interruption to their most important sales channels, relaxation of these restrictions also means a bit of easier breathing for Austria’s winegrowers.

But what is the situation like in Austrian wine’s most important export markets? Read more here.


Unpicking the closure dilemma of Isole e Olena’s Cepparello

Tuscany’s iconic producer Paolo De Marchi (right) has famously had to classify his top end Isole e Olena Chianti as an IGT wine because he uses 100% Sangiovese. But the other reason he has fallen foul of the Consorzio is that, since 2005, he has been putting an increasing amount of this super premium wine under screw cap. So why has he done this and what difference does it make to the finished wine? Justin Keay talks to De Marchi about his controversial decision and tastes both versions of the Cepparello 2016 to see if a professional palate can tell which is which? Read more on the subject here from The Buyer

Friday, May 8, 2020

AUSTRIA'S WACHAU NOW A DAC REGION

press release 08.05.2020

WACHAU NOW A DAC REGION

AUSTRIA'S FAMILY OF PROTECTED AND DESIGNATED ORIGINS HAS GROWN

A change long in development has now become official: the Wachau is Austria’s newest (and fifteenth) DAC winegrowing region. On the three levels Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (“villages” wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine), regionally typical wines will now bear the protected designation of origin “Wachau DAC”. The Vinea Wachau’s categories Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd will remain in use.
Typically Wachau: the Danube, stone terracces and now also Wachau DAC.
© AWMB/Robert Herbst
After thorough deliberation and consensus-building within the region, the Wachau submitted the draft of a DAC regulation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, which has now been signed into law by federal minister Elisabeth Köstinger. The protected designation of origin “Wachau DAC” is now the fifteenth of its kind in Austria.
“With the Wachau, we can now welcome another important member to Austria’s DAC family”, says Chris Yorke, Managing Director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB). “In doing this, Austria’s wine industry has taken a further step on the path of origin-based marketing. This has proven itself effective for seventeen years now, and has also become recognised internationally”.

A KEEN FOKUS ON ORIGINS

Wachau DAC wines are classified on three levels: Gebietswein, Ortswein and Riedenwein. One particular feature: the winegrowers have committed themselves to hand harvesting on all three levels.
In the Gebietswein category, the traditional array of grape varieties is preserved, where seventeen white and red varieties ranging from Grüner Veltliner and Riesling to Muskateller and Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir and Sankt Laurent are permitted. Gemischter Satz and cuvées are also allowed. These wines will bear the name of the region coupled with “DAC” on the label. The grapes can come from anywhere in the entire winegrowing region Wachau.
Ortswein is becoming increasingly important in Austria’s landscape of origins, and the Wachau also provides for twenty-two designated municipalities, protected in its DAC regulation. The number of approved grape varieties is concentrated here to nine: Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay, Neuburger, Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer. These must be vinified as monovarietal wines.
The top level on the pyramid of origins is Riedenwein. The most famous Wachau grape varieties Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are permitted here, harvested from 157 precisely defined vineyard sites (Rieden). Wachau DAC wines bearing the indication of a Ried on the label must not be enriched or chaptalised in any way and – like Ortswein – must exhibit hardly any noticeable cask tone, or none at all.
Thanks to this seamless concept of origins, consumers will benefit from the greater transparency and specificity of provenance. Anton Bodenstein, chairman of the Wachau Regional Wine Committee comments: “This brings origins to the forefront. Wachau DAC provides geographical protection of origin down to the most detailed entity: the individual vineyard.”

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Diwald. Where Quality Comes From The Vineyard.

Diwald. Where Quality Comes From The Vineyard.
Continental climate but sometimes it rains, just to make the Irish visitor feel at home on the Danube!

“Quality comes from the vineyard, there is no doubt about it.” So say the younger generation of the Diwald family winery in Austria, organic since 1980.

“There is nothing that can be improved in the cellar, quality can only be retained. Wine must be fun, it must always offer something new and it must tempt you to have another sip. And when the bottle is suddenly empty, then you know it’s perfect!” 

“Today, the Diwald wine style follows a simple credo: the wines – whether white, red, rosé, orange or cloudy – should be lean, elegant and cheeky, but still offer depth and body. They are individual wines which speak to our – and your – taste buds….”

Most of Austria’s vineyards are in the east of the country and Wagram, just to the northwest of Vienna, is one of the best areas for white whites and especially so for the Grüner Veltliner (thanks to the soil being particularly rich in loess), the most widely planted white grape in the country. The district, close to 3,000 hectare, stretches along the Danube from Klosteneuburg (itself a historical viticulture centre) to Krems.

Wagram, neighboured to the west by Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal, is one of Austria's 16 official wine regions, and its loess soil is noted for its water retaining properties. Warm days and cool nights also help the wine-growers and the climate is generally continental.

Diwald Zweigelt (vom Löss), Wagram Austria, 2017, 12.5%, €16.60 Mary Pawle

Zweigelt - a crossing of Saint-Laurent with Blaufrankisch, created in 1922 - is the most widely planted red-wine grape in Austria. According to Wine Searcher, well made examples have the potential to cellar for a decade. The “vom Löss” on the label indicates the grapes were grown on loess sites. Diwald practise cluster thinning in the loess-soil Zweigelt vineyards in order to reduce the yield dramatically and so considerably improve the grapes’ ripeness. “The wine becomes more concentrated, but never too heavy” and that is certainly the case here.
Colour is a rich ruby, bright. Rich fruits feature in the aromas. At its juicy heart, you’ll find flavours of cherry, plum and raspberry. A light dry wine with excellent acidity but one with a concentrated backbone and no shortage of tannin. Highly Recommended.

It’s a wine that needs food and expect it to be a good match for beef stews, goulash, mushrooms. Try also with Roasted ham hock, Grilled sausages with mustard, Duck Confit (try the excellent Skeaghanore version). Here’s an insider’s tip. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on venison, then use some Zweigelt in the cooking and the remainder (maybe a second bottle) to drink with it!
Diwald “Goldberg” Riesling (Wagram, Austria) 2016, 12%, €21.55 Mary Pawle
Riesling is the King of Wines, according to Diwald. “..it is our secret love.” A love they share with us via this Goldberg. A light straw colour with green tints. Aromatic as ever, citrus prominent. And a citrus-y tingle intro to the palate soon followed by richer more exotic flavours. A crisp acidity ensures harmony from first sip to very satisfying finalé. This supple wine has no shortage of minerality and is Very Highly Recommended.

By the way, did you know that “deacidification” is a thing in Riesling and indeed in other wines? It is. But not here in Diwald. Here’s what they have to say on the subject: “Riesling originates from the Upper Rhine .… This grape variety demands a lot of its vineyard site and wine grower, but offers long-lived and expressive wines in return. We think it’s also important to mention that we do not de-acidify any of our Rieslings – they should be allowed to show their true, unaltered personality!”

Importer Mary Pawle has a couple of tips for you: “Allow this wine a bit of time before pouring. Try it with smoked duck breast.”


Diwald Grüner Veltliner (Wagram, Austria) 2018, 12%, €20.75 Mary Pawle


Light straw colour, bright, and micro bubbles cling briefly to bowl of the glass. Clean white fruit (apple, pear) aromas, a hint of pepper, even ginger. Quite an initial tingle on the palate and then the clean fresh fruit flavours flow in, acidity there also, minerality too and a lingering finish. The “vom Löss” on the label indicates that the grapes were grown on loess sites. 


Grüner wines are quite wide ranging, from light quaffers to serious sippers. The Diwald aim is to make wines that are “lean, elegant and cheeky, but still offer depth and body.” Serious winemakers but fun people and this is a cheeky wine that is elegant yet approachable and so so easy to enjoy!
The selected vineyards with their loess soils make it possible to create a spicy, lively and thoroughly full-bodied wine which reflects its origins. Light, dry and flavour-packed and Very Highly Recommended.



"We are still trading," that's the message from Mary and Ivan at the hillside HQ of Mary Pawle Wines in Kenmare. Both are cocooning so neither can deliver but their courier company Landbridge is taking up the slack. While demand from restaurants is knocked out, other regular customers are still ordering and there's even an increase in orders from smaller shops. So be sure and contact Mary if you need wine!