Cheers 211801 with Sugrue Sparkling, Stonewell, O'Briens, JJ Corry, Wines of the World, Waterford Whisky

Paul Barry runs through 

Some non-alcoholic beer and cider options at O'Briens Wine

There’s now also a growing range of non-alcoholic craft beers to try. Especially if your tastes tend toward the hoppier side of things. There are great Irish options too. Wicklow Wolf have Moonlight, a juicy hoppy ale with bright citrus aromas and a clean fruity finish. While Kinnegar have released Low Tide a light citrusy pale ale.

 

There are some great options for cider drinkers as well. Due to the method of production; the body and weight of non alcoholic cider is very close to the "real thing". That most popular of Irish ciders Bulmers have done a great job of replicating their recipe with their  0.0%.  Another great option is from Co Cork producers Stonewell. Their non-alcoholic is full of fresh fruit flavours while remaining dry and crisp. Read more here.

Happy New Year! We are delighted to share with you that J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey has made its début on the Best Selling Irish Whiskey list, as reported by Drinks International's 2021 Annual Report. As the only independent Irish Whiskey company and Irish Whiskey Bonder listed, this is a huge achievement for us! We would like to thank our supporters around the world who have raised a glass of J.J. Corry throughout the year. To read the full report click here. Jump to pg.16 to view the Irish Whiskey insights. Wines of the World FEBRUARY VIRTUAL TASTING! Worth €93, get 14% off our first virtual tasting of 2021! Our next tasting will go live Friday February 12th- Valentines Weekend! This virtual tasting will include 2 whites, 2 rosé and 2 red wines. Our virtual tasting videos will stay on our platforms once they go live for viewing whenever suits you best. Order here THE FUNNIES "... subject to the maturation of the final distillate for at least three years in wooden casks, such as oak..."   When it comes to the production of whisky in Ireland, according to the Irish Whisky Technical File, any old wood will do. Well, we're up for testing the theory. In our Mary Street cellars, at the Facilitator, we possess some unusual cask types that are seldom seen and used in whisky production, but which are apparently perfectly legal here in Ireland. We call them our Funnies – our exotic casks – and they include Acacia, Mulberry, Wild Cherry and Chestnut. We've even got some intriguing An-Dee-Uhn oak. Join Ned and Megan as they open up some of these barrels in our cellar before they finally leak their contents to the cellar floor – and watch the playlist in full. Limerick native Diarmuid Sugrue makes English Sparkling Wine by the Traditional Method in his Sugrue Vineyard South Downs. His awards: Winner Decanter Trophy for Best UK Sparkling Wine 2014 Gold Sommelier Wine Awards, Top 50 Decanter. Another honour came Diarmuid's way recently when his Trouble With Dreams was included by Wine-Searcher in England in a Case, the best of English Sparkling Wine. Read more here. And, in addition, so too was a wine from the Wiston Estate, Vintage Brut, also produced by Dermot, who they say is "becoming an icon of English winemaking". I must say I thought he was already there! Now over to the man himself: "As the old joke goes, we have good news and we have bad news... The bad news is that we are now out of stock of both The Trouble with Dreams 2013 and The Trouble with Dreams 2014. The Trouble with Dreams is now just available from 2015 in standard 75ml format and we also have 2017 magnums. The good news is that both #ZODO and Cuvée Boz, our very exciting new Blanc de Blancs are coming soon! If you haven't seen the #ZODO label, it's a glorious sight to behold..."

Cheers 210111 -Wine, Beer, Spirits- Rascals, Supervalu, O'Briens Wine, Clonakilty Distillery, Blacks Brewery and Distillery

Cheers 210111

Wine, Beer, Spirits

Rascals, Supervalu, O'Briens Wine, Clonakilty Distillery, Local Enterprise Office, Blacks Brewery and Distillery, Wines of the World, Klaas de Jong

RASCALS: YOU BUY THE BEER, WE’LL MAKE THE DONATION

 

For every webshop order in January we’re donating €1 to The Irish Blue Cross. 

Less than a hundred feet from us here in Goldenbridge Estate, Inchicore, is the headquarters for The Irish Blue Cross. Pets need their help and they need your help! Due to COVID-19 government restrictions, their operations have changed significantly. The Irish Blue Cross is already extremely stretched due to the global pandemic and they are working around the clock to treat the tens of thousands of patients already on their files.

The Irish Blue Cross is an animal welfare charity with a practical and caring approach at the heart of their clinical work. The veterinary team provide information, support and education on how to be a responsible pet owner and ensure precious pets have a happy and healthy life.

More info here

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Supervalu's Current Wine Offers Focus on Organic and Vegan, also on Alcohol Free

Supervalu's first wine offer of the year focuses on a selection of Vegan wines plus a range of Low Alcohol wines for January. It is up and running and due to end on January 20th after which another tempting offer will kick in. Just remember that, just like O'Briens below, Loyalty points will not be earned on the purchase of alcohol products.

The WINE OF THE MONTH is GIGONDAS REMY FERBRAS 75cl at only €12, was €19.66. This excellent wine from the Lower Rhone grows on a rocky argillaceous limestone terroir, to allow the best expression of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The classic vinification preserves the authenticity and elegance of this wine. To be served with roast lamb, game and casseroles, also perfect with mature cheese.

Rioja, with two from Finca Labarca and one by plus the La Maldita Garnacha, is well worth a try. I have my eye on the Abellio Albarino (now at €10.00 instead of 13.76). Made entirely from hand-harvested Albarino grapes, this Spanish wine, from the Rias Baixas area, has a mid-gold colour. Quite rich aromas of white fruit, apple and pear, and also peach. There is a striking refreshing minerality on the palate where the same fruit flavours shine through fresh and crisp.

The Albarino grape is a distinctive Northern Spanish variety. Its refreshing characteristics make it very versatile with fish and particularly with seafood. Often recommended for Asian also.

On the dry for January? Then help is at hand from two well-known producers. Torres feature with Naturo Muscat and Syrah while Freixenet have a Cava on offer, all non alcoholic.

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More info here

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Tour Experience Temporarily Closed   After a very different kind of Christmas to previous ones, we have entered in to 2021 with wishful thoughts and high hopes for a great new year.   Due to the most recent government guidelines we have temporarily closed our Visitor Experience, and distillery shop.   Our online shop still remains open, to purchase any gift vouchers or products.   We appreciate all your support and understanding during these uncertain times. We are looking forward to reopening again soon and welcoming you back.   Wishing you a happy and safe new year! ****** From: Local Enterprise Office South Cork Register here ****** Hopefully this post isn't too long for you guys, a hell of a lot happened in 2020! We also have a special offer on Spirits so im  going to put that in here first as these deals always sell out super fast. Once you have yours you can read this Annual wrap up at your leisure! All the news from Blacks + January specials here  ******

Happy New Year from Wines of the World!

 Wishing you all the best for 2021.

Two New Organic Wines by Michel Lynch.

 

We have two new organic wines available on Wines Of The World from the Bordeaux region of France supplied by our top French winery. The Michel Lynch Organic White and the Michel Lynch Organic Red. Click here for more details.

NEW! Complete Season WineMasters Spain now available!

🇪🇸

by Klaas de Jong. See free trailer here

A still (not a video!) from the series

 

Wine for Good - a charity fundraising initiative from O'Briens Wine in aid of ALONE

 O’Briens Wine Make Everyone A Winner.

Update from O'Briens (22/12/2020): Raised a total of 30k for Alone through our Wine for Good charity fundraiser, O'Briens would like to thank their customers, wineries, winemakers and Irish wine suppliers whose generous support have made this initiative possible. 

Wine for Good - a charity fundraising initiative from O'Briens Wine in aid of ALONE

A few months back, O’Briens Wine announced a charity fundraising initiative, Wine for Good, to take the place of the fund-raising they normally do at their November wine-fairs (knocked out by Covid19). ALONE was the nominated charity and the individual donation requested was €100.00.

Others were donating in kind, namely O’Brien’s wineries, winemakers and Irish wine suppliers. And the wines coming in meant that anyone who paid the €100.00 had the chance of winning a bottle or bottles worth anything from €75.00 to €250.00. Sent off my hundred as fast as I could and just as well as the 200 tickets was sold out in no time!

A few weeks later, a parcel arrived at the door. I was like a kid opening a Christmas present. And as happy as any kid (well, big “kid”) when I spied my “prize”: Domaine Seguin-Manuel "Les Cents Vignes", Beaune 1er Cru 2013 (AOC). And not just a bottle but a Magnum! It was generously donated by Thibaut Marion, owner of Domaine Seguin-Manuel.

An alluring mid ruby is the colour of this Pinot Noir. The aromatics are charming with scents of red berry fruit, spice and floral notes, a hint of toast too; complex yet delicate. More complexity on the palate, vibrant and engaging, silky bright fruit (cherry and blackcurrant) and that spice again and a little vanilla too while tannins are soft. Delicious from start to persistent finish. Just like the O’Brien initiative.

This wine is produced from a tiny plot of 40-year-old Pinot Noir vines in Beaune's Premier Cru area 'Les Cents Vignes'. The grapes are hand-harvested to ensure only the healthiest fruit is used. After fermentation the wine is aged in the finest quality French oak for 12 months.

At 7 years old, the wine has aged perfectly in the Domaine's cellars, developing the complex tertiary aromas and flavours for which top Burgundy Pinot Noirs are so famous. 

Domaine Seguin-Manuel was founded in 1824 in the Côte-d’Or region of Burgundy. It was purchased by Thibaut Marion in 2004 and he farms his 8.5 hectares of small premium vineyard plots organically.  

Cheers 200912. The Drinks Digest. Fidelity. Whiplash. O'Briens Wine. Clonakilty Distillery. Wines of the World.

Cheers 200912. The Drinks Digest. Fidelity. Whiplash. O'Briens Wine. Clonakilty Distillery. Wines of the World.

Fidelity beer festival to return in 2021

Founded by Whiplash and The Big Romance, Fidelity Beer Festival is set to return to Dublin’s

Mansion House on July 16th and 17th 2021, following a break this year.

Building on the success of the first event, Fidelity will once again bring world-class breweries

to the city, many for the first time, for two evening tasting sessions over two days. Unlike

many other beer festivals, Fidelity’s concept is simple – your ticket includes all your beer

samples. No tokens or cash required! Once you collect your specially designed tasting glass

at the door, you’re free to start sampling some of the best beers from a line-up of both

international and local breweries. Whiplash will be creating some limited-edition beers for

the event too.

The festival is designed to allow guests sample at their leisure and take the time to meet all

the fantastic brewers while they serve their incredible beer. As with the previous event,

many of the beers available for sampling will be pouring in Ireland for the very first time,

and each session will have a completely different roster of beers. There will also be a

selection of Dublin’s finest DJs and more to add to the entertainment. The full line-up of

breweries will be announced in 2021.

Tickets cost €62.50 + fees and will be available on Thursday 10th December at 9am from

fidelity.beer.

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Lynne Coyle MW takes you through her picks in

O'Briens Annual Fine Wine Sale

Château Phélan Ségur

CULT, ICONIC & CLASSIC WINES AT REMARKABLE VALUE IN OUR ANNUAL FINE WINE SALE
By Lynne Coyle MW | O'Briens Wine Director


Our annual Fine Wine Sale starts in-store and online 11am Monday 7th December, with our carefully curated selection of cult, iconic and classic wines. On offer are very individual wines from top estates, some famous brands and some made in tiny quantities along with a few new treasures joining the line-up. So, whether gift buying, treating yourself or investing in an exceptional bottle to cellar, this once a year sale presents the opportunity to buy unique wines at exceptional prices, here are a few suggestions to mull over. See the full list of our Fine Wines below (While stocks last, limited quantities available online, customer quotas apply, check your local store too)!  Read more here.

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Clonakilty Distillery Back Open! We're delighted to announce we are opening our Distillery Gift Shop from Saturday 5th December.   Open every Wednesday – Saturday  11:30am – 6pm.

We will also be opening our doors on Tuesday 8th December for the Christmas in Clonakilty Shopping day. More info here *****   Wines Of The World Final Virtual Tasting of the year Our final virtual tasting of 2020 will take place on Friday December 18th. Valued at €95, you can order your case now for only €79.99. You will even receive a little surprise as a thank you for all your support over the year! It is the final few days for orders on our Virtual Tasting Case. More details here

Top Wines 2020 Short List. Look to Chile's Itata for red, to Spain's Navarra for white

 Top Wines 2020 Short List

Found my Red in Itata, White in Navarra

Hard work in Itata - from a Liberty Wines Zoomed Masterclass 2020.

Pedro Parra “Vinista” Itata Chile 2018 Liberty

Clos des Fous “Pour Ma Geule” Itata Chile 2016 Liberty

Montes “Outer Limits” Cinsault 2017 DO Valle del Itata Liberty

Leonardo Erazo “A Los Viñateros Bravos” Volcánico País 2018 Itata (Chile) Le Caveau

Azul y Garanza Naturaleza Salvaje Blanca Navarra 2019 Mary Pawle

Blank Canvas Grüner Veltliner Marlborough (2013) Liberty

Ata Rangi “Lismore” Pinot Gris Martinborough 2018 Liberty

While most of the wine I drink these days comes from Europe (much of the red from France), it seems my favourite red wine area for 2020 is Itata in Chile. Light reds are emerging as a personal favourite and here in Itata, with the likes of Pedro Parra, Aurelio Montes and Leonardo Erazo working their magic, we are enjoying beautiful bottles based on País but also Cinsault. The four listed above are superb and I'm not inclined to pick any one over the others.

Aside from the Itata wines, Beaujolais, Burgundy and the Loire (Cabernet Franc), will also feature on my shopping lists. Indeed, the Passetoutgrains below is a gem. Navarra has some outstanding winemakers including Azul y Garanza and Tandem. Also in Spain, Bodegas Pinuaga made a big impression on me early in the year.

No Itata equivalent in the whites but the two from New Zealand  are outstanding and are distinctive examples of Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Gris. Austria is, of course, the home of Gru-Vee and Diwald come up with the goods year after year as indeed does Judith Beck. The three French whites featured are each worth looking out for. And Spain has come up with a stunning Garnacha white, by Azul y Garanza, pipping the Kiwis for my white of the year!

The Short List 2020

RED

Chile

Pedro Parra “Vinista” Itata Chile 2018 Liberty

Clos des Fous “Pour Ma Geule” Itata Chile 2016 Liberty

Montes “Outer Limits” Cinsault 2017 DO Valle del Itata Liberty

Leonardo Erazo “A Los Viñateros Bravos” Volcánico País 2018 Itata (Chile) Le Caveau

France

J.M. Cazes Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape (AOC) 2016 O’Brien’s

Domaine Lacour Bourgogne Passetoutgrains (AOP) 2017 Le Caveau

J-C Regnaudot Pinot Noir Bourgogne (AOC) '17 Le Caveau

Château du Cèdre Héritage Malbec, Cahors (AOC) 2016 Le Caveau

Domaine de Brau PURE Pinot Noir, Pays D’Oc (IGP) 2015 Mary Pawle

Italy

GD Vajra Nebbiolo Langhe (DOC) 2018 Liberty

Spain

Bodegas Pinuaga Tinto “Colección” Vino de la Tierra de Castilla  2016 Mary Pawle

Tandem Ars Nova Navarra (DO) 2014 O'Brien's

Azul y Garanza  “Naturaleze Salvaje” Navarra (DO) 2017 Mary Pawle

Portugal

Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro (DOC)  Douro Tinto 2017 Liberty

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WHITE

Spain

Azul y Garanza Naturaleza Salvaje Blanca 2019 Mary Pawle

New Zealand

Blank Canvas Grüner Veltliner Marlborough (2013) Liberty

Ata Rangi “Lismore” Pinot Gris Martinborough 2018 Liberty

France

Meyer-Fonné Gentil Alsace (AOC) 2018 Le Caveau

Bertrand Ambroise Lettre d’Eloïse Chardonnay “Coteaux Bourguignons” (AOC) 2017 Le Caveau

Rijckaert Chardonnay Arbois (AOC) 2018 Bradley’s/Wine Mason

Germany

Lingenfelder Riesling Trocken Kabinett Freinsheimer Musikantenbuckel Pfalz (DP) 2018 O’Briens

Portugal

Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro (DOC) Douro Branco 2019 Liberty

Austria

Diwald Grüner Veltliner (Wagram, Austria) 2018 Mary Pawle

Beck Weissburgunder Austria 2019 Le Caveau 

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Red and White Doubles

Fancy a good pair of red and white on your table at Christmas table or indeed at anytime? Why not try the Le Caveau pair, the Passetoutgrains (16.95) and the Gentil (18.00), listed above.

Lingenfelder Riesling Trocken Kabinett Freinsheimer Musikantenbuckel Pfalz (DP) 2018

Tandem Ars Nova Navarra (DO) 2014. Both from O’Brien’s

Diwald Grüner Veltliner (Wagram, Austria) 2018 Mary Pawle

De Brau Pure Pinot Noir Pays D’Oc (IGP) 2018 Mary Pawle

GD Vajra Nebbiolo Langhe (DOC) 2018 Liberty Wines

Pieropan Soave (DOC) Classico 2019 Liberty Wines

Andre Goichot Fleurie (AOC) 2018 Supervalu

Guy Saget Sancerre (AOC) 2018 Supervalu 

See the Long List here. 

And the Good Value List here.

Both should help you you in your quest for good wine in the run-up to Christmas and well into the New Year.