New Zealand Wines. Ireland Tastings Jan 13th 2020. Trade & Consumer Events

NEW ZEALAND IN A GLASS – 2020 Annual Trade Tasting

Monday 13^th January, 2020

Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8.

Trade:  2:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Consumer:  6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

CONSUMER EVENT
FLAVOURS OF NEW ZEALAND - DUBLIN 2020
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Monday 13th January, 2020
Venue: Radisson Blu, Golden Lane, Dublin 8.
Tickets are now on sale priced at €20.00.
A great idea as a Christmas stocking filler for the wine enthusiast in your life.


New Zealand Winegrowers will hold their 23rd tasting of New Zealand wines in Ireland in January 2020. With a number of key New Zealand wineries showing at the Dublin show in 2020 there will be over 130 New Zealand wines available to taste.



New Zealand wines have very strong visibility and are very much sought after in the Republic of Ireland. In 2018 New Zealand sold 568,265 cases of wine, rising to 6.4% of the total market of 8.9 million cases. Source: Irish Wine Association Sept 2019



Figures for the retail wine sector in Ireland on a MAT basis, for the period March 2018-2019, show that the market for wine in the off trade grew. According to Scantrack the MAT volume figure for 9 litre case sales to March 2019 were 338,465 up +10.94% on the previous year.



MAT figures to March 2019 from Nielsen Scantrack show that off trade sales of New Zealand wine in the retail sector also increased by +10.14% in terms of value.

Source: Nielsen Scantrack March 2019

Dublin Trade masterclass (13:00)

At the New Zealand in a Glass 2020 will be a number of features, including a Pinot Noir Masterclass presented by Martin Moran M.W. Places at the Masterclass must be booked in advance. Please contact Jean Smullen to confirm your place at this year’s Masterclass.

The themed tables this year will highlight Unexpected NZ and Rose

Participating wineries for the 2020 New Zealand Winegrowers annual tasting include:

Babich Wines; Brancott Estate; Felton Road; Hãhã Wine Company Ltd; Hunter's Wines; Lawson's Dry Hills; Nautilus Estate; Oyster Bay New Zealand; Pegasus Bay Winery; Rimapere Wines Partnership; Sacred Hill; Spy Valley Wines; Villa Maria Estate, Wither Hills and Yealands Wines



To purchase tickets click below (Credit Card accepted)

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/new-zealand-in-a-glass-dublin-tickets-80645764653


press release

Cracking Wines at O'Donovan's Wine and Craft Beer Festival

Cracking Wines at O'Donovan's

 Wine and Craft Beer Festival

Paddy from Clonakilty Distillery

I very much enjoyed visiting the 17th annual O'Donovan's Wine and Craft Beer Festival in the Clayton Hotel, Cork City, last Friday night; great to meet old friends and taste some new wines. And it wasn’t just wine. There was mead, from Kinsale of course, craft beers from home and abroad, whiskeys and gins galore including some from new and new-ish producers such as Clonakilty and Beara and more.

The O’Donovan’s staff were busying helping people make the most of it and one of their tasks was to man the tables featuring Gold Star winners from this year’s Irish Wine Show. Some 45 wines were awarded in all and are exclusive to NOffLA (National Off-Licence Association) member outlets nationwide.

Yours Truly with
Gerry Gunnigan
of Liberty Wines

Liberty Wines, with Gerry Gunnigan doing the honours, had two of the winners at their table and, after a conversation, mainly about Mayo, with Gerry, we started with those two. First up was the Italian Alpha Zeta “C” Chardonnay 2018 from the Veneto. Superb tropical fruits and as fresh as could be and it won Gold in the Under €15.00 Old World White Category.

And Gerry’s other Gold winner was the Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 2017 from New Zealand’s Marlborough, which came first in the Under €20.00 New World White Category. Very elegant, tropical fruits again, well balanced and well worth looking out for as the festival season nears. Two fine whites then but perhaps the top white on the Liberty table was the Loimer Lois Grüner Veltliner, an excellent example of the Austrian grape. All their own fruit and organic to boot.

Conor O'Brien (NorEast Beers) with CL

Speaking of Christmas, one to look out for is the Delicato Gnarly Head Viognier from California. “Not over the top in aromatics” but lots of character and a great aperitif. The normal retail price is €18.00 but there’ll be reductions soon! Dave Buckley of Cassidy's also had a couple of well-priced South African whites. The Millstream Chenin Blanc struck a nice balance of fruit and acidity while the Franschhoek Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay had all the typical Chardonnay flavour and a good acidity. Doesn't miss the oak at all.

We then came across an outstanding Verdejo, by Spain’s Protos, at Comans Wines. A fresh and balanced wine from the Rueda with a dry lingering finish. Priced at €15.00, though, like most of the wines, it was reduced for orders during the festival.

Denis and Kate
Kinsale Mead

The Vineyard were showing a pretty impressive white from the Loire, the dry and refreshing Chateau de la Roulerie Petit Chenin 2018.  Nearby, Damien from Tindal had a couple of excellent Pinot Grigio from the Veneto and he was very enthusiastic about both. You could see though that special care had been taken in producing the Zenato 2018, refreshing, soft yet with good character, a really good wine indeed. The San Giorgio 2018 was well balanced, clean and crisp.

In between, we had a chance to chat with Denis and Kate from Kinsale Mead and to taste their Atlantic Dry (white) mead and their Wild Red Mead and to hear of some plans in train and for the future including barrel-ageing and using Irish Honey. Looking forward to seeing the results but it could be a while yet for us punters as the enterprising couple keep their fingers crossed!

No problem finding Malbec when we started on the reds. Mackenway’s Callia “Alta” from San Juan in Argentina, was very juicy, very drinkable, and made an immediate impression with its “fruit bomb” of flavours. The Kaiken Terroir Series Vistaflores 2017, from Mendoza, on show at the Liberty Table, was a somewhat more serious drink, full bodied and silky, the Malbec enhanced by some Petit Verdot and Bonarda.

A couple of superb Crianzas followed. Some of you may be familiar with the El Coto Rioja Crianza, a harmonious mix of red berry flavours, juicy tannins and a well judged touch of oak that help make this the biggest selling Crianza in Spain. This was on the Mackenway table with an RRP of €17.00, with a reduction off that available on the night, as was the case for most if not all of the wines in the show.

Back to Damien then at the Tindal table and he was singing the praises, quite rightly too, of the Luis Cañas Rioja Crianza 2016, saying the extra calcium in the vineyard’s soil makes a difference to the thickness of the skins, so more colour, more concentration and you could taste that in this dark fruit flavoured wine, hints of the oak too and a long and very satisfying finish. Normal price is €23.50 and again the offer on the night brought it down to 19.97 per bottle.

Gold Medal

We finished the wines at the Cassidy Table with Dave taking us through two from California. First up was the Delicato Gnarly Head Zinfandel from old vines between 35-80 years and weighing in at 14.5% abv. Intense and bold the notes declared and yes indeed it is a big wine, loads of fruit. And lots of fans too for this style.

For me though, the next one, the Delicato Gnarly Head Authentic Black, was more to my liking. It is bold enough, full bodied enough “to rock your palate” but the Zinfandel has been toned down through the addition of Petite Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot. Should be superb with food as Dave indicated.

And there was some food around, including Carrigaline Cheese with the dedicated Padraig in attendance having overseen the Irish Cheese Awards the previous evening. Didn’t get much of a chance to try the food and we were heading to Dockland in any case. 

But we did have a beer with Conor O’Brien of NorEast Drinks. The Whitstable Bay Organic Ale, a delightful light coloured ale that is brewed using the brewery’s own chalk-filtered mineral water, is a soft blend of hops and malt. Liked that and must watch out for it next time I visit O’Donovan’s.

Watch for these excellent wines in O'Brien's November - December Sale!

Two excellent wines from South America feature in O'Brien's current promotion.

Dozens and dozens of wines are reduced in the current O'Brien's promotion that runs up to the end of the year. I've picked a few and have a couple of South American beauties below for you. Some of the others are pretty good too and I'll come to those in the next week or so. In the meantime, check out this magnificent Malbec from over 1,300 meters in the Andes foothills - that's higher than Carrauntoohill. The other, a Cinsault, a very pleasant light red, comes from the highly regard Di Martino winery in Chile.

Once upon a time, we bought red and white and maybe rosé. But now you'll see organic, biological, natural, even orange on labels. Can be confusing, I know. O'Brien's have put a handy leaflet together to explain the terms and I'll reproduce parts here from time to time. The first two are below - hope they help!

Casa de Uco El Salvaje Malbec Los Chacayes (IG) 2016, 13.5%, €16.95 (19.95)

Purple is the colour of this organic wine from a high altitude vineyard in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The rich aromas of ripe dark fruit rise to meet you. And on the palate the big flavours (plum, dark cherry and blackberry) are matched by an excellent acidity, a harmony relayed to the decent finish (not overly long). An immediately engaging wine and Very Highly Recommended. Just 2,500 bottles are produced and the wine has been fermented in large concrete eggs.

Los Chacayes is one of four wine areas in Tunuyan in the Uco valley. The vineyard Casa de Uco is located in the valley, tucked against the foothills of the Andes Mountains, and close to Mendoza. El Salvaje (wild) also figures prominently on the label and is the overall name given to a series of organic wines that also includes, among others, a Pinot Noir and a white blend.

This wine is 100% Malbec from certified organic vineyards located at 1300 metres above sea level. This elevation maintains the fresh acidity in the grapes. Unoaked, this is a pure expression of the Uco Valley terroir. 

Enjoy with beef, lamb or char-grilled vegetables. In Argentina, I’m told they pair it with juicy Sirloin of pork, Braised lamb shoulder with roasted parsnips, or Fillet steak with chimichurri. Wine Folly says the perfect Malbec Food Pairing is Black pepper buffalo burgers with blue cheese mushrooms and rosemary infused garlic kale chips. Sounds great to me.

Alberto Antonini, Winemaker Casa de Uco, is enthusiastic: "After 16 years of experience in the Uco Valley, I can affirm that this is the exact area where the best wines of Mendoza are produced. The proximity to the Andes Mountains, the ideal day to night temperature ranges, and the fertile soil with excellent drainage, make this land exceptional to produce high end wines and develop the viticulture and enology in the most natural way possible"

De Martino “Gallardia” Cinsault Itata (DO) 2017, 13%, 14.95 (19.95)

This delightful 100% Cinsault is a light ruby, quite like Pinot Noir. Aromas are rather intense: red fruit (including raspberry) mainly, plus floral elements. Mouthfeel is soft. Smooth and fresh on the palate, the raspberry prominent again, good acidity too, and a pleasing finish as well. Highly Recommended. Maybe Very Highly Recommended if you love these light dry reds as many people do nowadays.

De Martino say this, from their Guarilihue vineyard (22km from the sea), “is a tribute to the coastal vineyards located by the southern region of Chile; it is the cradle of the country’s viticulture, with vines dating back to 1551…. A sustainable agriculture, including dry farming and ploughing with horses are practiced in our vineyards.”

Wines of South America has a very high regard for De Martino and have included some of their wines in Top Ten varietal lists. De Martino winemaker Marcelo Retamal is one of the country’s most accomplished and is known as el doctor.  “He uses no new oak, preferring larger older casks, nd promotes the use of the old ceramic tinjaras, clay amphorae, for fermentation. There are no cultivated yeasts, no filtration, and no intervention.”

The Gallery Is A Natural In Westport. Wine, Books, Vinyl and Chats.

The Gallery Is A Natural In Westport.

Wine, Books, Vinyl and Chats.

We were walking down this narrow alley in the Westport night. And then we saw them. A trio of posh-looking black cats, padding stylishly along as if on, well, the catwalk. Then, simultaneously, they, les chats, executed the smoothest slickest synchronised slow-motion U-turn ever. We knew we were in the right place. We saw the welcoming light in the windows of The Gallery Wine Bar. Our directions had included the phrase “Look out for the cats”. I heard later that one of them is called Pinot Noir.

Peppers and cheese tapa

And inside, you will get various Pinot Noirs amid many listed in a catalogue of terrific wines. Generally though you work off two loose pages which indicate the wines available by the glass. But you needn’t confine yourself to those, good and all as they are. Do check out the full book and look at the shelves on the wall. You may well see something you love as I did when I spotted Ageno from La Stoppa in Italy and the delicious Lettre d’Eloise Chardonnay made by Bertrand Ambroise in the heart of France.

We entered the long and narrow space. It was quiet. But not for long. Owner-operator Tom Ramsell was missing but only for a few moments, chasing down some organic grapes in a nearby shop. We settled in on the cushioned seats, taking in a feast for the eyes and the ears (Tom’s vinyl collection gets a regular outing here). For the eyes, there are shelves of books and bottles; posters all over; take down one of those books if you want to read. Pick up a board game if you’d like to play chess, scrabble, or Jenga or one of the dozens of others available.

Tom, a surfer from Manchester, who found his way here a few years ago, will keep you entertained, telling all about his food, all organic, sourced locally (Dozio’s cheese, for instance) and abroad (rare syrups, a rare black cheese from England’s Wookey Hole). And then the wines will lead to endless conversations especially if you have that extra bit of interest. They have regular tastings here and lots of other events too including live music, record launches and more. It’s a lively spot for sure.

More and more people are arriving and soon the long narrow space is more or less full. By then, we have ordered a couple of tapas and a couple of wines: Bodegas Menade, Rueda ‘Verdejo for her and  Beauregard-Mirouze, Corbiéres ‘Campana’ for me.

The tapas are not small and our two multi-bite selections are Piquanté peppers served with Dozio’s of Mayo soft cheese and a spoon of honey, and a plateful of organic medjool dates with walnuts and served with a rare organic agave syrup.

A most diverse selection of organic, biodynamic, natural and skin contact wines 

There is no cooking here, all dishes are assembled on the counter by  Tom himself. He offers a selection of Vegan Plates and we enjoy the superb Baked Moroccan Falafels (described as an elegant blend of Moroccan spices and chickpeas, red peppers, apricots and dates, served with organic Kimchi and organic “spiritual” salad leaves).

The Gallery is also a venue for chats about the environment and sustainability and the future of the planet. Tom is all for organic and natural and saving resources. He’ll take in any old mugs or cups you don’t want and use them here for teas and coffees. He also runs a refill wine service. Bring your own bottle or use one of his.

And you’ll see his ethical streak in most of the food here especially under the Ethical Meat Dish heading and the Sustainable Fish heading. We shared one of the meat dishes: Labourdette Goose Rillettes. These geese are grown in total freedom on lush meadows and are not force-fed. The dish is served with marinated fig (superb), sweet ready to eat black garlic cloves, Velvet Cloud’s sheep cheese with fig and sultan mini-toasts. Quite a treat!

Bt then of course we had moved on to another round of wine, this time enjoying very much the Cantine Rallo, Ciello Bianco ‘Catarratto’ Terre Siciliane IGP, a lovely white; and the excellent Semplicemente red (his white is terrific too), from the late Stefano Bellotti’s winery in Piemonte. My rosso was on its last legs as Tom passed and, before I knew it, he had topped me up generously with the last bit in the bottle. That’s the kind of place this is. Generous, friendly. If you happen to find yourself in the Westport area, do drop in.

* By the way, if you’d like something warm while here, there’s an arrangement with a local pizzeria. Just have your pizza delivered and you may eat it in the Gallery.

The Gallery Café, Wine and Tapas Bar https://thegallerywestport.com/ 

Brewery Lane

Westport

Co. Mayo. 

Also on this trip:
October Wander on Mayo and Galway
Foxford Woollen Mills and Café

The company bikes.

Gallina de Piel. Best of Design and Wine!

Gallina de Piel

The first thing that caught my attention when I got these two bottles were the labels and their amazing designs. Then again, I shouldn’t be too surprised because some of the best label designs I’ve seen in recent years have come from Catalonia.

Gallina de Piel is an exciting winemaking project from the former head-sommelier at El Bulli. David Seijas worked at Catalonia’s famous three-Michelin-starred restaurant for 11 years until it closed in 2011.

Along with Ferran Centelles (another El Bulli alumnus), this highly acclaimed Spanish duo’s aim is to create versatile wines from Spain’s gastronomic northern regions: Catalonia, Aragon and Galicia. They work with local growers, selecting the best vineyards and indigenous grape varieties.

The vineyards are located in the Penedès denomination at an altitude of between 750 and 1,000 metres above sea level on deep clay soil with pebbles on the surface. The vines are aged between 35 to 80 years old and trained on the double Guyot system.

Lithograph for the Mimetic label

Gallina de Piel Mimetic Calatayud (DO) 2018, 14.5%, €20.99

Baggot Street Wines; Blackrock Cellar; McHugh’s Off Licence - Kilbarrack Rd; McHugh’s Off Licence - Malahide Road; Drink Store Ltd; Bradley's, North Main St., Cork; www.winesonline.ie

This first one, the first of the two that I tasted, certainly lives up to its billing. It’s a bright juicy Garnacha (98%) with an engaging freshness. Colour is a mid to a dark ruby. Dark fruits with a touch of herb (marjoram), feature in the aromas. First thing I noticed on the palate is the balance, no extremes in this graph, and that perfect harmony continues between the delicious fruit flavour and acidity. A touch of spice adds interest through to the lengthy finish. Elegant and fresh, this is Very Highly Recommended.

Vinification: Fermentation took place in concrete tanks using natural yeasts for three weeks. The wine then underwent full malolactic fermentation and spent six months ageing on fine lees in concrete tanks with periodic bâtonnage.


Gallina de Piel, `Ikigall` Penedès (DO) 2018, 11.5%, €20.99

Blackrock Cellar; Baggot Street Wines; McHugh’s Off Licence - Kilbarrack Rd; Bradley's, North Main St., Cork www.winesonline.ie

Mid straw is the colour. Fragrant for sure, floral and citrus (lime). Immediately you note that tingly feel at the tip of your tongue, a feel that soon spreads, right through to crisp finish. Citrus flavours are subtly influential in this fresh and rather elegant white. Highly Recommended.

Xarel-lo is a light-skinned grape from Catalonia, northeastern Spain, and is one of the region's most widely planted varieties. It is perhaps best known for its role in sparkling Cava. The other grapes included here are Malvasia (10%) and Muscat of Alexandria (5%).

The 2018 vintage didn’t enjoy ideal weather but it all came good towards the end. The grapes underwent cold maceration for five hours before fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 15°C. The wine then spent four months ageing on fine lees before filtration and bottling.

If strong winds are forecast, this is the wine that you need!

If strong winds are forecast, this is the wine that you need!

Breton Avis de Vin Fort Bourgueil (AOC) 2017, 12.5%, €21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Immediately north east of the confluence of the two rivers (Loire & its tributary Vienne) you come to Bourgueil and appellations named after that town and its close neighbour St Nicolas de Bourgueil. Wine is so important here that there is a huge wine bottle outside the church in St Nicolas and a large bunch of grapes is a centrepoint on at least one roundabout. The reds here and in Chinon, across the Loire to the south, are often excellent. As the World Atlas of Wine declares: "For its quality, it is absurdly undervalued".

Cabernet Franc is the red grape in these parts and this is a slightly unusual example, made in the style of a Clairet (indicated on the label), a cross between a rosé and a red. 

Colour though is dark enough, mid to dark ruby. Aromas are of fresh red fruit. It is undeniably fresh and light on the palate, easy-drinking and something of a thirst quencher. Barely a trace of tannin, just enough to dry the lips a bit - and a pleasant finish to boot. This vin de soif is Highly Recommended for that picnic or a sneaky glass at lunch before returning to the daily grind. 

A husband-and-wife operation in the Loire Valley, Catherine and Pierre Breton, based in the commune of Restigné, have recently celebrated their 30th vintage and have built their reputation on making pure Cabernet Francs from Bourgueil and neighbouring Chinon using biodynamic viticulture and vinification.

The vineyards see ultra-intense organic care, no mean feat in this northerly clime though by no means unique either; they avoid chemical fertilisers and weed killers, restrict yields and harvest by hand. The Bretons use indigenous yeasts and their desire for “natural” winemaking comes through strong in their resistance to the use of sulphites, with typically just 10 mg/l added at bottling to many cuvées, although some are bottled without any sulphites at all. And they are bottled unfiltered. This one is raised in Grenier wood barrels until spring, bottled in April with minimal sulphur. There was a little bit of sediment in this bottle, nothing to worry about but you may prefer to decant.

The wine’s name is a reference to the maritime warning “Avis de Vent Fort” (meaning strong winds are in the forecast), and is a play on words to evoke the idea that if the weather is bad, one should sail back to shore and have a glass of wine instead.

FANCY A WINE GOOSE CHASE AT ST. PETER’S CORK?

media release

FANCY A WINE GOOSE CHASE AT ST. PETER’S CORK?

St Peter’s Cork is hosting a fun, interactive wine tasting and storytelling event with Irish wine expert Susan Boyle on Friday October 25^th to celebrate the venue’s new wine license.

Susan Boyle’s one-woman theatrical performance will fuse interactive wine tasting with storytelling in the stunning historic setting of St. Peter’s Cork and is an ideal way to kick off the October bank holiday weekend.  

During this engaging, entertaining and informative show, Susan will take you on a trip through Ireland’s 2,000-year history with wine and introduce you to the tenacious people who transformed our wine world and didn’t let coming from a grape-free land stop them. 

Beginning at 7pm, the audience will taste, explore and immerse themselves in wines and brandy with an Irish connection. It promises to be a very different theatre experience with an abundance of Irish hospitality and wit. 

Audience members will have the opportunity to put their senses to use and will leave with a new insight to a drink that has been part of Ireland’s history for much longer than we might think.

Tickets for 'A Wine Goose Chase', priced at €30.00 per person, are available from www.eventbrite.com  (https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-wine-goose-chase-with-susan-boyle-tickets-74262223309)

My Picks from O'Brien's October Promotion

My Picks from O'Brien's October Promotion

O'Briens October promotion is now in full swing, with reductions on dozens of wines from around the world ranging from 8 to 40 per cent until 28th October. Watch out too for their upcoming Italian Sale (16th to 28th October). My three top picks include a couple of loveable Italians.

Vola Volé Trebbiano D’Abruzzo (DOP) 2017, 12.5%, €13.95 (17.95)

There’s a bee dancing on the label here, letting other bees know the orientation of a food source. I’ll do a little dance too and let you know about a very lovely wine indeed. The wine in the bottle is influenced by the bees also, with the fermentation yeasts carefully selected from the pollen the bees collect in the wildlife parks surrounding the vineyards.

Very light straw colour, clean and bright. Aromas are of light intensity, more floral than fruity. Lightly apple flavoured (more citrusy if it warms up a bit in the glass) with a noticeable acidity, it is light and crisp and easy to drink. Light seafood dishes are a suggested match. Perhaps with a Goatsbridge trout salad.

This wine comes from Cantina Orsogna in the mountainous Abruzzo region of eastern Italy. This cooperative specialises in crafting organic and sustainable wines from local grape varieties. The Vola Volé range of wines are dedicated to the protection of bees by protecting their habitat from pesticides and herbicides and is certified by Biodiversity Friend.

Trebbiano is known as Ugni Blanc in France, grown mainly for the Cognac and Armagnac distilleries.  According to Wine-Searcher, its high acidity acts as a natural antiseptic, keeping the grapes and wines free from bacterial spoilage, a natural substitute for sulphur, handy as sulphur is not compatible with brandy making.

Cortese “Nostru” Nerello Mascalese Terre Siciliane (IGP) 2017, 13%, 12.95 (14.95)

This is another Italian bottle with an eye-catching design. The agave grows widely in Sicily and the relatively new owners here took inspiration for the Nerello Mascalese design from the plant as a symbol of the Sicilian landscape. Indeed, the designs on all the Nostru range are based on symbols of local culture and life, as expressed in authentic Sicilian Majolica ceramics. 

Likewise, the wine is made “in the most traditional and natural way to reflect the true character of the estate’s terroir and its grape varieties” Their methods include fermentation in terracotta. And their ambition is to rediscover precious varieties from Sicily’s past including this “Nerello Mascalese grape, the prince of native red grape varieties of Mount Etna.”. 

Eye-catching label aside, this fresh and light wine has a ruby robe, towards the dark side. Red berries and a hint of spice in the complex aromas. It is fresh and lively, again that spice and fruit, elegant with silky smooth tannins, harmony throughout right to a very satisfying finish. Another excellent Italian.

Emiliana “Indigo” Viognier Gran Reserva, Valle Casablanca (DO) Chile, 2018, 14.5%, €11.95 (16.95)

Emiliana are the largest producers of estate grown organic wines in the world and this organic Viognier comes from their Casablanca Valley vineyards.

Thirty-five per cent of it is aged in French oak for 5 months. I remember drinking Viognier first years ago down in the Languedoc area during family holidays. I was probably buying the cheap stuff from the bottom shelf and didn’t particularly like the sweetish flavours of the liquid. At the time, I was never sure either about the pronunciation (vee·o·nyei - hear it here). But you need have no worries about this beauty.

Light straw colour with hints of green, very bright and clean looking in the glass. Aromas are complex, exotic fruits (mango, pineapple, etc) with blossom notes as well. Palate too is intense, lush fruit and a touch of honey but also well balanced through to a long and pleasant finish.

Other tips!

Louis Jadot Fleurie

Jadot make wines in Burgundy and also in neighbouring Beaujolais. Fleurie is one of the ten crus in the latter region and straightaway you notice its bright light red colour. It is one hundred per cent Gamay. Red fruits, acidity, some tannins, well balanced. A lovely drop as we might say around here.

Astrolabe Pinot Noir

The province of Marlborough has long been recognised as ideal for the growing of Pinot Noir and here winemaker Simon Waghorn takes full advantage of the local advantages: leafy vineyards, ripe fruit and cool climate growing. 

Aromas are cheerful, ripe fruits (cherry and berry). Full bodied, flavours of plum and brambly fruits, well balanced, the oak (11 months of it) harmoniously integrated, supple and silky in a long and totally satisfying finish.

Tons de Duorum

From Portugal’s Duoro comes the gorgeous Tons de Duorum Red. No shortage of ripe fruit flavours on the elegant palate, refreshing with a little spice there too, fine tannins and a lovely soft finish.

Gaia Assyrtiko Wild Ferment

The grapes are grown high up in circles around the top of the craters on Santorini, one of the Greek islands. Sometimes wines from hot climates lack acidity, but that is not the case here. Try it with shellfish, also smoked fish. Well worth a try!

La Côte Blanche de Sophie Bertin Sancerre

This is a star from the Loire. Not that you’d know it from the pale straw colour. The magic starts with the aromas, intense, white fruit and floral notes, minerality and more, full of promise. And that promise is handsomely delivered on the palate.

Tacchetto Bardolino Classico 2014, 12.5%

This has a very light red colour and indeed is nice and light in many respects, including the fragrant fruity aromas. It is fresh and fruity too on the palate, a little spice too, good acidity and quite a long finish, a beautiful light, smooth easy-drinking wine, good either with or without food.

High Quality Reds from High Altitudes

Alfredo Maestro “El Marciano”, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, 2017, 15%, €19.65

64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Dark ruby colour. Aromas of dark fruit, cherry prominent. Spicy dark fruit on the palate, fresh powerful acidity, medium to full bodied, deep and generous, a harmonious example of the grape right through to the long dry finish. Very Highly Recommended.

I've seen it referred to as a glowing Garnacha. And why not? Le Caveau tells us winegrower Alfred Maestro’s mantra is:  “Wine made with only grapes, well-kept vineyards, and healthy land.” 

From the  beginning (he started making his own wine in 1998), he farmed organically.  But, in the cellar, he followed the book, followed the herd, until he began to question himself. No additives in the field so why not follow the same guidelines in the winery? And so he began. On his own path, a path that has led to this beautiful expertly crafted wine and others (he makes no less than 11 cuvées).

By the way, the fruit for this one (a great wine with roast pork) comes from 70 year-old Garnacha vines grown on decomposed granite soils at a staggering 1,150 m. elevation in the upcoming region of Gredos mountain range.  

Domaine Bousquet Grande Reserve Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) 2014, 13.5%, €24.35 Mary Pawle

A violet robe for this organic wine. Strong aromas of ripe red and darker fruits. Fruity and spicy on the palate with rounded tannins. Excellent concentration of pure fruit. Its time in oak (it has been aged in French oak for 12 months) has helped leave it velvety smooth and the finish is long and satisfying. Quite exquisite overall and Very Highly Recommended. 

Now what to match with it? The barbecue would be a good place to start. The label suggests grilled red meats, cheeses as well as chocolate based desserts. Some of you may well notice chocolate notes in the wine itself.

A 1990 vacation in Argentina was all it took. For third-generation winemaker Jean Bousquet, it was love at first sight. The object of the Frenchman’s desire: the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Tupungato district of the Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. 

Here, where the condors fly and not a vine in sight, Bousquet discovered his dream terroir, an ideal location in which to nurture organically-grown wines. From that virgin territory, nothing planted, no water above ground, no electricity, the French wine-making family’s venture is now recognised as the source of some of Mendoza’s finest wines. The vineyard is located in the foothills of the Andes and is an incredible 1200 metres above sea level. Here the thermal amplitude contributes to fully ripened grapes with excellent acidity.

Two Outstanding Wines From Recovered Vineyard

Abandoned Vineyard Restored to Vitality and Outstanding Wines Result.

When Carlo Volpi acquired the La Zerba farm in 2003, it had been abandoned and his plan was to start from scratch. But the eminent oenologist Giuliano Noè convinced Carlo not to do so but instead to recover and restore it. The advice was taken and the eventual results are outstanding.

Volpi La Zerba Barbera Superiore Colli Tortonesi (DOC) 2016, 13.5%, €18.80 Mary Pawle

Colour is a mid to dark ruby. Ripe blackberries feature in the quite intense aromas. Light and lively and a little bit spicy on the palate. Dark red fruit flavours now prominent. Tannins hardly a feature. But there is terrific acidity here and that means it will be quite versatile with food. 

Importer Mary Pawle says it can pair well “with more than just antipasta. Works well with steak and duck or goose dishes”. The word from the producers is “salami hors d oeuvres, highly structured first courses, red meat and game dishes.” Versatile indeed. Very Highly Recommended.

Jancis Robinson, while acknowledging the popularity of the grape in northern Italy says Barbera is not intrinsically the most flavourful grape in the viticultural universe – “a vague blackberry quality plus tartness is about as close as one can come to the essential flavour of Barbera”.  Our Zerba more or less fits that description and, at just over 18 euro, is good value and well worth a try.

Colli Tortonesi is one of the dozens of DOC zones in Piedmonte and is very close to Lombardy. The Cantine Volpi company is located in one of the most beautiful wine areas in the province of Alessandria and in the Piedmont region in general. DOC ageing for this wine is a minimum of 1 year. This has had 13 months between stainless steel tank and bottle.

When Carlo Volpi acquired the La Zerba farm in 2003, it had been abandoned and his plan was to start from scratch. But the eminent oenologist Giuliano Noè convinced Carlo not to do so but instead to recover and restore it. The advice was taken and the eventual results are outstanding.

Volpi La Zerba Timorasso Colli Tortonesi (DOC) 2016, 13%, €21.50 Mary Pawle

Released from its very dark bottle, this Timorasso shows a very light straw colour. Delicately aromatic, mainly floral. Full bodied and dry, with melon flavours, it is immediately refreshing on the palate with a fresh and herby acidity. Highly Recommended.

Timorasso, says Mary Pawle, is one of the most exciting Italian autochthonous grape varieties to surface in recent years, from the Colli Tortonesi wine region in south east Piemonte, not far from Gavi in fact. “This ancient variety was brought from the brink of extinction having been reduced to just 120 hectares in 2010. Aromatic, full bodied with good acidity.” The grape is still a bit of a rarity.

Excellent Laffitte Family Wines Feature in SuperValu’s French September Sale

An excellent trio of wines from the Laffitte family in Gascony feature

 in SuperValu’s French September Sale

Some of the Gascony vineyards stretch to the foothills of the Pyrenees

Brothers Christophe and Sebastien Laffitte are producing these “Tandem” wines in Gascony (SW France), in a village where the family’s history can be traced to the 15th century. The three wines featured here are “about pleasure and togetherness. We hope you enjoy it at your table with the special people in your lives.”

If you do get to holiday in Gascony, you’ll find the locals very keen to talk about rugby, once they know you’re from Ireland. What they are not keen to talk about is Cognac! So be careful when ordering brandy, you are in the land of Armagnac, Cognac’s big rival. Indeed, some of the grapes that the brothers grow (Colombard, for example, are used in the spirit). Similarly, if you are in the mood for a sweetish drink, be sure and ask for Floc de Gascogne (not the Pinot des Charentes of the Cognac area). 

As the Laffittes indicate, these three wines are meant for regular celebration rather than meditation. A recent CNN article says that, in up and coming Gascony, this "everyday enjoyment" extends far beyond just a daily glass of wine. Pursuit of pleasure is seen as a key part of the Gascon lifestyle. And that fits in too with the aims of Supervalu wine buyer Kevin O’Callaghan who says he has wines in the French Wine Sale (5th to 25th September) that will excite all tastes, from the novice to the most experienced. 

Watch out too for the 12 Special Guest Wines - their run is limited to the duration of the sale. Kevin: “These wines offer amazing value..with customers able to explore the different French regions at prices ranging from €8-€50 and all in between.” The three below are listed as Guest!

Domaine Laffitte Rosé, Côtes de Gascogne (IGP) 2018, 11.5%, €8.00 (11.99).

 The grapes for this rosé (screwcap closure) are Cabernet Franc, Marselan and Tannat. The Tannat will surprise some people as it is regarded as a tough grape. But not in these parts. A few years back, I drank a rosé (Argi Dansa), a very good one I thought, in Irouleguy, and that was made with 80% Tannat.

Colour of this Laffitte is a pale pink. It is sweetly perfumed, mainly with strawberries/raspberries, hints of sherbet. On the palate it is soft and fruity, plus hints of citrus, refreshing and easy-drinking with a decent finish. One to enjoy, for sure, especially during our Indian summer!

Domaine Laffitte Red, Côtes de Gascogne (IGP) 2018, 12.0%, €8.00 (11.99).

This red is an excellent blend of smooth Malbec (80%) and fresh Cabernet Franc (20%). Nose is full; you get the vivid cherry and a whiff of spice from a foot or so away, a little vanilla too. Smooth and elegant on the palate, silky tannins and rounded fruit all the way to the finalé. Versatile: white or red meat, lunch or dinner

Domaine Laffitte Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne (IGP) 2018, 12.0%, €8.00 (11.99)

This Sauvignon Blanc, with its pale gold colour, has surprisingly intense aromas, with citrus prominent. It is ample and lively on the palate, a tangy touch, minerality present, with a decent finish to boot. Not bad as an aperitif and a sure bet with fish and seafood.

Another easy-drinking wine to complete the Laffitte trio, all excellent value. These are among the guest wines, just for the duration of the sale. Try them and if you like them get a few more in. Stock up the red and white for Christmas and a rosé or two as an aperitif when there is more heat in the house than outside!

Great Chance to Explore French Wine Regions

At the entrance to Vacqueyras.
Unfortunately, that's water coming out
of the tap, not wine!

With reductions on over forty wines, the SuperValu French sale provides quite the opportunity to go out and explore the various regions. Of course, Burgundy and Bordeaux will always have their followers. But do have a look at lesser known areas.

I am especially drawn to Burgundy but don’t forget that next door is Beaujolais and I always enjoy a well produced wine from that region’s Gamay grape. André Goichot is a reliable name here and you could do worse than try his Fleurie or the Moulin à Vent (one of the 12 guests!) and both are substantially reduced.

The Loire is well represented in the sale. No shortage of Sancerre on the list. If you like to move off the beaten path there the Coteaux Du Giennois (one of the lesser known areas here) and the Alchimie Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t disappoint. 

I’ve always been a fan of the Rhone reds and SuperValu have an impressive quartet lined up for you: Vinsobres, Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Chateauneuf itself. My favourite is probably the Vacqueyras. A good bottle to have on your table this Autumn, great with duck and roast meat dishes.