Picpoul de Pinet, "Muscadet of the South", is the perfect seafood pairing

Picpoul de Pinet, "Muscadet of the South", is the perfect seafood pairing

Petit Roubie Picpoul De Pinet (AOP) 2021, 12.5% ABV

RRP €16.00-16.50 Stockists: Wunderkaffee, Farran/ Organico, Bantry / Ardkeen

Grocery Store, Waterford / Sonas, Newcastlewest / Field's Supervalu,
Skibbereen / Taste, Castletownbere / Mortons, Galway /
Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny / Connemara Hamper, Clifden / Scally's

Supervalu. Clonakilty / Quay Co-Op, Cork etc. etc. Mary Pawle online.

This organic French wine has a lovely mid-gold colour. Quite aromatic, a mix of floral, citrus,  and apple. Crisp on the palate, no shortage of acidity but, with white and citrus fruit on the palate and its excellent mouthfeel, it is harmonious. Dry for sure, especially towards the finish, and obviously an excellent match for oysters and shellfish (which are abundant in the growing area).  Serve at about 8 degrees for best results; I find a degree or two lower doesn’t do any harm!

Very Highly Recommended.

Picpoul is the grape name and it is found in the Languedoc and the best of it seems to be from the village of Pinet, on the edge of the Med and about 90 minutes east of Carcassonne. It is a very old grape variety and the name means lip—stinger (after its high acidity). Wine-Searcher says this Picpoul de Pinet is its most famous incarnation. “The variety's ability to keep its acidity even in a hot, Mediterranean climate makes it the perfect choice for the region, making taut, full-bodied white wines with herbal and citrus aromas.”

Importer Mary Pawle introduces this 2021 as a dry white, with a green-gold hue. Crisp and appley. “Often referred to as the Muscadet of the South, it is excellent with oysters and most shellfish.”

"Petit Roubie Picpoul is very popular. I've been importing it for about

15 years now and at that time it wasn't so widely known here but now
it's everywhere. The Petit Roubie is excellent...".

Château Petit Roubié has been practising organic farming since 1985. Floriane and Olivier Azan have owned the estate since 1981 and have developed, thanks to a judicious choice of winemaking, a very attractive range indeed. 

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Their lands are in a historic area; if you visit, you can still see vestiges of the Via Domitia (the Roman road) in their scrubland. And those Roman engineers were building on top of an even older “road”. The wine, I’ve read, is presented in a Neptune bottle though that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with the Roman god of the sea.

Wine & Food Pairing : Seafood (shellfish, oysters, shrimps, mussels), Aperitif, Mediterranean Specialties: Squid stuffed with Sétoise, Mussels stuffed with Sétoise, Tielle, Soft cheese, Quiche with zucchinis and goat cheese

A dry Furmint! Yes indeed, here's one from Diwald, Austria's organic pioneer. And a Rioja white Maturana

A dry Furmint! Yes indeed, here's one from Diwald, Austria's organic pioneer

And below, a Rioja white Maturana, another rarity

Diwald Furmint vom Löss Trocken 2021, 12.0% ABV 

€21.00. Diwald Furmint stockists: Urru, Bandon/ Mannings, Ballylickey/ McCurtain

Wine Cellar, Cork.  Mary Pawle

Producers Diwald, always reliable, tell us “Eisenhut is the warmest vineyard in our village. It is 100% south-facing, with burnt loess soils. The site gets its name from the ironstone which can still be found here. Furmint requires a long ripening period, which is why the Eisenhut site was practically predestined for it.”

Importer Mary Pawle is delighted to have this listed again after last year’s absence. “Grapes from a 100 year old Tokay selection, late picked before botrytis. Matured on full lees for 8-12 months. With aromas of Williams Pears, it offers firm acidity. A unique wine.” 

Furmint? You may well ask. It is perhaps best known as the varietal used in Hungary’s famous dessert wines Tokaji Aszú but can, as here, be used to produce a dry wine, though the picking time is crucial. 

Colour is a light gold with micro-bubbles clinging to the glass. Aromas are gentle, sweet notes, sour notes. And that tartness and sweetness plus that acidity feature on the palate. Just swirl it around in your mouth and you get the full show before a dry finish. The acidity is reasonably bracing, not unlike some Txakoli wines, so the advice is to take it easy, sip rather than gulp.

The time of harvest for Furmint depends fundamentally on the weather conditions, as this “diva” of a grape is quite prone to rot, according to Diwald: We pick the grapes from a 100-year-old Tokay selection – we pick them late and without botrytis, and then ferment them with a small quantity of whole berries. The wine is left to mature on the full lees for 8 – 12 months, sometimes in stainless steel, sometimes in wood, whatever the vintage allows. Furmint is quite a character: it offers firm acidity, aromas of Williams pears and its typical notes of honey. Always individual, stubborn and fascinating!

The wine is organic and vegan friendly. Diwald have been “organic pioneering’ for more than 40 years, having started in 1976. The grapes have been hand-picked and spontaneously fermented. The label features a drawing of a pair of ground squirrels playing ball, I think!

Wine Folly suggest pairing it with herb-crusted poultry or fish, also try it with sushi and Chinese dumplings.

Highly Recommended.

A Rioja White From The Ancient And Obscure Maturana Blanca

Valcaliente Blanco Reserva Rioja DOC 2018, 14%, 

€21.00 (New to portfolio, not widely available yet) Mary Pawle 

Not too sure that I’ve ever drank wine made from White Maturana grapes before. The grapes are ancient, obscure, according to wine-searcher.com “…wines are usually light-bodied, with high acidity and flavors that range between citrus and more exotic quince-like fruit tastes…”.

The Regulatory Council of the Rioja DOC say it is the oldest grape variety to have a written record in Rioja. It is mentioned in a text dating to 1622. 

“The most outstanding characteristics of Maturana Blanca are its low pH and high acidity, high tartaric acid levels and low potassium levels. These characteristics compensate the high alcohol levels that this variety can reach.”

This unconventional white by Valcaliente has a deepish golden hue. The aromatics are rich with scents of exotic fruit (banana, lychee), apple too. It is smooth on the palate with those strong fruit flavours prominent especially at the finish where its acidity comes into play and balances it up to a degree, leaving a slightly bitter finish of mid length. 

Quite an unusual wine. And the producers recommend pairing it with creamy, blue and semi-cured cheeses, white meats and, "especially indicated with seafood paella". “Can be enjoyed alone or with good company,” they say. Looking for something different? This could be the one! Well worth a try.

It has been aged in Bordeaux French oak barrels for one year (according to the website) and matured in bottle during a minimum of one year, “obtaining a perfect white Reserva".

Viura is the top white wine grape in Rioja and Maturana is down and distant in third place. For all that, Grapes & Wines say both Maturana grapes (there is also a red) are regarded in Rioja "as of high quality”. 

Two Highly Recommended Wines for you, a Barbera from Italy and a Vermentino from Languedoc-Roussillon.

Two Highly Recommended Wines for you, a Barbera from Italy and a Vermentino from Languedoc-Roussillon.

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Valle Unite Montale Barbera Colli Tortonesi (DO) 2013, 14% 

RRP & stockists: €23.95, Le Caveau Kilkenny, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

While Nebbiolo may be the star (think Barolo!),  Barbera  is the popular everyday red wine grape in Piedmont; those wines from Asti and Alba are probably the best-known of the varietal. With high acidity and alcohol, low tannin and sweetness, Barbera is approachable and affordable. This particular Barbera has the advantage of being organic. 

Colour is a mid ruby, somewhat lighter around the edge. This may be of the 2013 vintage but the nose is fresh and complex, its ripe cherries hinting at youth rather than age. And that complexity is striking on the palate as is the typical acidity. Smooth and well balanced right to the end, some grip still there though as it lingers long. Dry in the end and very satisfactory indeed.

Pasta, veal, pork, and game are the regularly suggested pairings. Wine Folly say roasted and vegetable-driven dishes while Wine-Searcher goes for Seared rabbit livers, Thai duck noodle soup, and Roasted, herb-crusted lamb rack. I think the lamb would be my first port of call!

They also produce an excellent white. Recent review here.

Highly Recommended.

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Click here for growing list of top wines for 2023

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Domaine Bassac Le Vermentino du Grand Mur Nos Parcelles Côtes de Thongue 2021, 14% ABV 

A wine new to Mary Pawle list, expect to pay €20 to 21. Contact: Mary Pawle Wines 

Vermentino is mostly a grape of the Mediterranean coast, grown mostly in Italy (all over the country but most notably in Sardinia and Tuscany) and France (widely in the Languedoc-Roussillon and also in Provence). Expect citrus (lemon, lime), apples and a lively acidity. Best drunk when young.

Our wine here, part of which has been barrel fermented, comes from Languedoc-Roussillon, from the Côtes de Thongue. The vineyard is situated at Puisalicon, a small medieval village in the heart of the Languedoc not too far from Beziers, a town that rugby fans will be familiar with. Domaine Bassac is a family estate of several generations standing and much of its wine is exported. Pioneers in organic farming, current operators François Delhon (family member) and Jean-Philippe Léca have been doing it organically since 1987.

The colour is quite a light straw, shimmering bright in the glass. Light fruity and herbal notes in the aromatics. Good firm fruit flavours follow, citrus mostly with hints of tropical, and also the expected (but certainly not over the top) acidity that ensures balance.

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This dry and fruity wine should pair well with pasta, vegetarian dishes, poultry, lean fish, and also as an aperitif. 

Highly Recommended

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Beautiful Garciano Red Wine From The Badlands. “like two souls merged in a single body”.

Beautiful Garciano Red Wine From The Badlands.

 “like two souls merged in a single body”.

Azul y Garanza “Garciano” 2020 Navarra DO, 14%, 

RRP €17. Stockists:The Vintry , Dublin. Connemara Hamper, Clifden. 

Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny. Ardkeen Grocery Store, Waterford. Mannings , Ballylickey. Quay Co-Op, Cork. Wunderkaffee, Farran, Co. Cork. Real Olive Co. Macroom Dairy & Dublin. Taste, Castletownbere. Harrington's, Ardgroom, Beara. 
Sonas, Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick. Mary Pawle Wines.

The label is rather spiritual here: In Garciano, delicate Garnacha and indomitable Graciano find perfect harmony, like two souls merged in a single body. That explains the two-headed animal, sheep and predator, on the label. The other line is more down  down to earth then: Fermented in concrete tank.

But, never fear, it is an excellent wine, in keeping with the Azul y Garanza reputation. Importer Mary Pawle: “A great favourite with our customers, this delicious, well balanced wine is a blend of the fruity and spicy Garnacha and the subtle acidity of Graciano grapes. Medium bodied and guaranteed to please.”

It comes from the edge of a desert to the south with the foothills of the Pyrenees to the north. The desert, in Navarra, is the Bardenas Reales. The wine is a blend of 60% Garnacha & 40% Graciano, a blend that has spent six months in French oak.

Aromas of this mid-ruby wine are quite complex with fresh raspberry and blackberry prominent on the nose. The fruity and spicy Garnacha with the “subtle acidity” of the Graciano make a great match as you can sense on the palate where it is quite intense, berry and  plum, spicy but smooth and balanced. The wine is Very Highly Recommended.

It comes from an amazing area, the Bardenas Reales, a semi-desert or badlands. The very poor and arid clay-calcareous soil, the dry weather and the big contrast of temperature between the day and the night provide grapes with high concentration and a perfect balance and also offers distinctive character and great expression.

Azul y Garanza are organic but go further, planting fruit trees and native aromatic plants around the vineyards. “Working this way, we break the monoculture and we create a wider eco-system. Also, we kept the forested areas close to the vines which are important, among other reasons, as a refuge for animals. All of this allows us to configure the mosaic of the landscape, bringing heterogeneity and developing its biodiversity.”

Navarra is neighboured by Rioja to the West and by Aragon to the East with France beyond the Pyrenees to the North and its major red grapes are Tempranillo and Garnacha. Garnacha is also a leading grape in Aragon and, under its French name Grenache, is a key player in the GSM blends ff the Rhone Valley. And it has yet another name in Sardinia where it is widely planted and known as Cannonau.

Electric Spice Up Valentine's Night With New Tasting Menu

Electric Spice Up Valentine's Night With New Tasting Menu

About 12 months back, with Covid on the retreat, Electric ventured into Asian and now, just this week, they made their new Asian Tasting Menu the centrepiece of their Valentine’s Night offering.

Electric's Asian aficionados needn’t worry. You’ll still get those Asian dishes you have become used to, such as the Malay Chicken Satay, the Japanese Chocolate Cake, Okonomiyaki (the Japanese pancake), Chicken Katsu Curry, and Sweet Waffles. And there is also a Vegetarian Menu on offer. The new Tasting Menu is designed to extend the dining options in one of Cork's favourite dining-rooms, one of the City’s very few upstairs rooms, with views over the river and the Mall.

And there’ll be the usual beer selection including Asahi and Cobra to give the Asian touch along with locals such as Original 7 and KPA and not forgetting Stonewell Cider. Local Kinsale whiskey will of course will be there for you and they will also feature in the cocktails (many Asian themed). Fancy an Electric Avenue? Perhaps a Kyoto Daiquiri? Span the world in a couple of cocktails. 

Pic by Electric

Great to get the chance to try out the new menu on Valentine’s. Tables of four were encouraged and we two had some help. After a warm welcome and a few tips and hints, our first task was to decide on what to drink. Wine seemed to be the preferred option. I’m familiar, happily, with the Domaine Bousquet Organic Malbec and that helped start the evening off, getting thumbs up around the table. 

We stayed with the red and our second, following a well-founded tip by manager Aaron O’Gorman, was the La Garde Rouge from the Languedoc, a supple wine which is a blend of Carignan, Grenache & Merlot, perfect with the duck, the evening’s highlight. Both wines are actually included in the Matching Wines option that you may choose if you wish to further enhance the Tasting Menu.

Succulent Skeaghanore

I mentioned the well-presented duck there. It was Skeaghanore Duck Breast, cooked with precision, served simply with a Pine Peppercorn Sauce and confit carrots. Simply superb actually. Skeaghanore is always a winner but wrapped in this delicious sauce, it reached another level, tender and succulent, packed with flavours and aromas, quite a taste sensation.

Just before that, we had enjoyed the Clonakilty Bao Bun. Always a little suspicious of that bao but no need to worry on this occasion and that was mostly down to the delicious filling of Clon Black Pudding, the Bull Dog sauce, apple and the sweet crispy onion. Quite a feast for the senses, even visually as they came packed, two by two, in a bamboo container, just a little bit of theatre, a little bit of fun in keeping with the spirit of the evening.

The dining had started with Miso Soup that came to the table with seaweed and silken tofu “floating” and waiting to be hooked. And with it, came some of the ABC “Oat Topper” Soda Bread. A lovely tasty warming start. 

Next, Cork Mussels arrived all dressed up, Thai style. The colours in the bowl certainly caught the eye and the taste buds were well engaged by the perfectly judged spicy sauce in which the little Ballycotton bivalves gently rested. A bit messy of course but spot-on excellent.

And, of course, after the excellent bao and duck, there was to be a sweet ending. Though there were one or two at the table a little hesitant when they saw coconut mentioned in the dessert description. But again no need for worry as the Chilli Rum Pineapple (with coconut ice-cream) was another well-balanced beauty with no single element dominating. Just a perfect sweet end to a lovely evening.

The 5-course tasting menu is now available and costs €49.50.

ABC “Oat Topper” Soda Bread

Miso Soup

Cork’s Ballycotton Mussels

Clonakilty Bao Bun

Skeaghanore Duck Breast

Chilli Rum Pineapple

Electric contacts

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElectricCork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElectricCork

Web: https://electriccork.ie/

Tel: 021-4222990.

Email:   

enquire@electriccork.com

“Quality comes from the vineyard, there is no doubt about it.” An Austrian example from Diwald in the Wagram

“Quality comes from the vineyard, there is no doubt about it.” An Austrian example from Diwald in the Wagram

Diwald Grüner Veltliner Vom Löss, Wagram 2020, 12.5% ABV 

€17.50 Stockists:Organico, Bantry/ Urru, Bandon / Taste,

 Castletownbere / Ardkeen, Waterford / Little Green Grocer Kilkenny /

Vintry, Dublin / Connemara Hamper, Clifden / Mortons of Galway / Mary Pawle Wines

“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. This one is dry, organic, hand-picked and spontaneously fermented and, yes, it is top quality.. And Very Highly Recommended.

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Colour is a light straw and there are green tints (or is that the Christmas tree creeping in?).   The “vom Löss” on the label indicates that the grapes were grown on loess sites so expect a pleasingly spicy, is light in its feet and  that speaks of its origin.

And that is what you get. Clean white fruit (apple, pear) in the aromas, notes of pepper, even ginger. Quite an initial tingle on the palate and then the clean fresh fruit flavours flow in, a lively streak of acidity there also, a twang of minerality too and a lingering finish. Excellent mouthfeel too and, like most Grüners, this promises to be an flexible companion at the table. Fun even when young and still has good aging potential - enjoy either way.

The younger generation may now have the box seat at Diwald but it was Hans and Paula Diwald who undertook something unthinkable in 1976: the conversion to organic farming. The winery now works 20 hectares of vines and exports to 18 countries on 3 continents. In 2006, Martin Diwald joined the company, was thrown in at the deep end. Now he is at the helm, determinedly leading the way into a clean and sustainable future.

“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….”

Wagram, bounded 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.

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Best Value Wines 2022 Under €18.00. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Just in time for the Christmas weekend. Very Highly Recommended Reds From Portugal's Alentejo and France's Pays d'Oc

Very Highly Recommended Reds From 

Portugal's Alentejo and France's Pays d'Oc

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NEW ZEALAND WINE FAIR DUBLIN Jan 30th. How about a ticket for the wine lover in your life? Details below.

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Esporão 2019 Alentejano (IG), 14% ABV, €17.95 Bradleys Cork

Alentejo is an area in the south east of Portugal and it is where this organic red wine comes from. Like most Portuguese wines, it is a blend and the grapes used are Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Franca. 

The country has scores of native grape varieties in regular use, the two Tourigas above for instance. The Alicante Bouschet is  an important variety in Alentejo. It is one of those grapes where both the skin and the flesh are red, that is to say a teinturier grape. It first saw the light of the vineyard in France in the late 1800s where it was bred as a cross. It does very well in Alentejo where, as reported by Grapes and Wines, one of its best producers is our Esporão.

Anyhow, though Portugal is never boring,  enough of the technical stuff.    Deep ruby is the colour. Ripe fruits, mostly red, waft out in the aromas, a little spice too along with herbaceous note. It is quite fresh with a silky texture, that ripe fruit prominent with a touch of spice but superbly balanced right through the persistent finish. Very Highly Recommended.

The producers: The Wine is produced solely from grapes grown at Herdade do Esporão, applying organic farming methods. It expresses the typical features of the vintage year, diversity of the soil where the vines are planted, as well as the character and identity of the selected varieties.

Winemakers David Baverstock and Sandra Alves oversaw co-fermentation of the grapes begin in the wine presses, with foot treading at controlled temperatures (22 to 25ºC), finishing in concrete tanks. Following malolactic fermentation, aging took place in the same concrete tanks for 6 months. The unique micro-oxygenation conditions provided by this type of tank aim to preserve the wine’s character.

A character well worth preserving!

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Best Value Wines 2022 Under €18.00. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Brau Pinot Noir Pays Doc (IGP) 2019, 13.5%, 

RRP: €20-€21 Taste Castletownbere / Urru, Bandon / Toon's Bridge Macroom and Dublin / Mortons of Galway / Little Green Grocer Kilkenny / Scally's Supervalu Clonakilty / Mary Pawle Wines

Pinot Noir is perhaps my favourite red wine grape. And I am not alone. Wine Folly declares it “the world’s most popular light-bodied red wine”. 

I’ve enjoyed excellent examples from Burgundy of course  (where you’ll find the most prestigious Pinot Noir vineyards in the world) and also from the Alsace, from Germany, the US, New Zealand, Chile, and Romania. And this particular Pays Doc from this producer (the 2015 and the 2018 vintages).

The Languedoc may not be the usual place for Pinot Noir but this is a winner all the way. This 2019 has a lovely light ruby colour. The aromas are quite complex with cherry and red berry coming through plus notes of the local garrigue. Cherry takes a silky hold on the palate, and you have a light presence of spice in a full and generous mouthfeel. Soft tannins also there as this very approachable wine, more supple than some Pinot Noirs, moves to a pleasant and lingering finish. Very Highly Recommended.

It is part of a series that Brau calls “Unique Flavours” that also includes Fer Servadou, an old grape variety of the South-West. Their suggested pairings for the Pinot are cheese, poultry, and braised meat while Wine Folly go for duck, chicken, pork and mushrooms.

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Press release:

New Zealand Consumer Tasting Monday 30^th January, 2023

One of the most popular consumer wine events of the year is back in January 2023.  The annual New Zealand Wine consumer tasting which takes place on Monday 30^th January, 2023.  This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in wine to get to know more about the fantastic wines currently available on the Irish market from New Zealand.

 

This popular tasting will feature an incredible range of wine style from New Zealand.  Taste some of their fantastic reds, their sparkling wines, the aromatic white grape varieties.  The two hour tasting will allow you to explore all the wine styles New Zealand has to offer.

 

Participating wineries for the 2023 New Zealand Winegrowers consumer tasting include

 

Akarua, Babich Wines, Caythorpe Family Estate, Decibel Wines, Dublin St, Graham Norton's Own Wines, Greenhough Vineyard, Hunter's Wines, Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jules Taylor Wines, LeftField, Oyster Bay, Pyramid Valley, Rimapere, Smith & Sheth, Vidal, Villa Maria, Waipara Springs, Whitehaven Wine Company, Wither Hills

 

Why not purchase a ticket as a stocking filler for the wine lover in your life? 

 

NEW ZEALAND WINE FAIR DUBLIN CONSUMER TASTING

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm   Monday 30^th January, 2023

 

Venue:  Grafton Suite, Westbury Hotel, Balfe St, Dublin 2

 

Tickets available on line priced at €20.00 from:

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/new-zealand-wine-fair-dublin-2023-tickets-488155244477