A Cork gin, GF beer, Tandem Wines at O'Briens. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #20

A Cork gin, GF beer, Tandem Wines at O'Briens.

And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #20

Bhagya and Robert

Rebel City Distillery is a boutique distillery situated in the heart of Cork’s Docklands. Founded in 2020, Rebel City Distillery is the first distillery in Cork city for almost 50 years. Over the last year we have painstakingly renovated the old Ford Building and transformed it into a fully functional distillery where we create, distil and bottle a unique range of spirits on-site. The distillery will produce premium spirits, which draw inspiration from around the world. Read more here.

UNIQUELY CRAFTED BEERS FROM 9 WHITE DEER

We have a range of uniquely crafted beers; our renowned pale ale, a beautiful Irish red ale, an award winning black IPA, the best stout you've ever tasted, our balanced IPA and seasonals such as our Pilsner Ól-e. Everything we do is 100% gluten free.    

Check all the latest here

MEET THE WINEMAKERS WHO SUPPLY O'BRIENS WINE 

TANDEM IN NAVARRA, SPAIN

Bodega Tandem was founded in 2003 by Alicia Eyaralar (right), José María Fraile and a small group of wine-loving friends. The winery is situated in the Yerri Valley in the northern Spanish region of Navarra.

Winemaker Elicia Eyaralar uses traditional, minimum intervention winemaking techniques in the modern boutique winery. The tanks are gravity fed and the wines undergo minimum filtration to give the best expression of the grapes. Stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels are used for winemaking and maturation.

Discover more about their wines at O'Briens here.

We'd like to remind visitors to Micil Distillery that you can rest assured you are in safe hands when you visit our distillery.

Our team are members of the Fáilte Ireland COVID-19 Safety Charter and have completed training to operate all of our tours and tastings in line with current public health advice.

Since reopening, we've reduced the capacity on our tours to ensure the safety of our guests.

This, of course, means spaces are limited so booking is advisable.

To find out more about the Micil Distillery Experience, and how you can book your spot, visit www.micildistillery.com. #MakeABreakForIt #MicilDistillery #TheSpiritOfGalway

Game of Thrones or Game of Rhônes?
Laurent Plantevin from Domaine Plantevin gets hands on with this years' harvest.

Lords and ladies, brothers and warriors — Wine is coming!

Game of Rhônes is the celebration of the great grape varieties of the Rhône Valley. The Rhône Valley has a reputation that precedes itself. It has been a hub of wine culture since Roman times and has earned an international standing for rigorous production that yields outstanding wines. Wines Direct are in the Rhone game and have 6 and 12 bottle cases here.

Two Well Recommended Red Wines. An Old Roots Cinsault from Chile and a GSM from Minervois.

Three Well Recommended Wines. Eight Grape Varieties 

Montes “Outer Limits” Cinsault 2017 DO Valle del Itata Chile, 13.5%, 

€24.99 Baggot Street Wines, Blackrock Cellar, The Corkscrew, Wineonline.ie, Ely Wine Store (Maynooth).

This juicy vibrant Cinsault has a bright mid-ruby colour. Ripe red and darker berries in the aromas, just a hint of the time in oak, floral notes too. Bright fruit again prominent but acidity too in a harmonious palate, a decent wash of spice, and quite a pleasant mouthfeel too. Plus a persistent finish. This blend - there is 15% Mourvedre there also - is Very Highly Recommended.

Food pairings suggested include: Rabbit stew, slow-cooked legumes such as lentils, and very juicy cuts of red meat and game are ideal with this great wine. Serve at 12º to 14ºC (53º-57ºF).

This southern French variety has been planted in southern Chile for well over 100 years, but has only recently been making wines as good as this juicy, peppery and wonderfully vibrant red, quite a few of the better examples coming from Itata.

This ‘Old Roots’ Cinsault is made from dry-farmed, head-trained vines grown in the Itata Valley, where the first grape varieties were planted in Chile 500 years ago.

Aurelio Montes has been regularly lauded as one of the pioneers of top class Chilean wine. Wines of South America: “It's hard to express in a paragraph the extent of Aurelio’s impact on modern Chilean wine. Rightly recognised as Chile’s patriarch of quality wine-making…”

He is always pushing the boundaries as he said in a recent Zoom masterclass. “If you don’t go to the limit, you won’t know what you can achieve.” Aurelio says he is always seeking quality through innovation, never afraid to employ new technology. See more of this maestro’s masterclass here. 

Domaine Luc Lapeyre “L’Amourier" Minervois (AOC) 2018, 13%, €16.15 Wines Direct

Dark and deeply so. Aromas too speak of dark fruits, rich purple plums and intense red cherries, a hint or two of the wild garrigue, a touch of liquorice. And the fruit-driven palate is no less intense, though the flavours now reflect a softer alliance of berries, soft tannins too, all wrapped in a fresh and attractive juiciness. Open my collar, the better to enjoy this complex harmony. I could be here for a while with my new and Very Highly Recommended ami. 

“ Lapeyre has an unmistakable gift for creating wines that are intriguing, charming, elegant and refreshing.” I cannot argue with that in the face of this excellent blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Wines Direct say it pairs well with Pork and Poultry, Hearty Roots, Game plus Beef and Lamb. Reckon it could also handle spicy meals.

O'Briens Irish Whiskey Sale. Wines Direct go French. Waterford Eyes USA. Plea to help Lebanon winemakers. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #19

O'Briens Irish Whiskey Sale. Wines Direct go French. Waterford Eyes USA. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #19

O'Briens September Irish Whiskey Sale has begun! There are some superb whiskeys on offer and to help you choose we have picked out the must try whiskeys with something to suit each budget. These are the whiskeys that should be on every whiskey aficionado’s list.

This 12 Year Old Redbreast is just one of those reduced.

More details here

The French Harvest Sale!

with Wines Direct

To mark the start of the annual French Harvest we would like to give you up to 15% off on over 60 of our favourite French wines—the pièce de résistance is FREE DELIVERY on all orders (6 bottle minimum).

 Take a look at the wines, or if you're finding it hard to choose, check out our French Harvest Mixed Case. Please think of the Mixed Case as our personal recommendation to you. More details here

Waterford heading to USA

WATERFORD WHISKY IS ON THE WAY TO AMERICA

Many of our friends Stateside have been waiting very, very patiently for Waterford Whisky to become available. That long wait is almost over. Arriving at the beginning of October will be three totally unique Single Farm Origins, and available from the middle of October will be Organic: Gaia 1.1, Ireland's first organically certified whisky. Read more here

Why Lebanon, its people & wines deserve our help So it may seem tactless to write about Lebanon’s wine industry while it absorbs the full impact, literally and existentially, of its very own 9/11. But in a nation that actually produces very little else – pace the cannabis sector – wine stands out as its most high-profile export. Alongside its magnificent cuisine, and arak, the national drink, akin to, but better than, pastis, it captures Lebanon’s vitality, warmth and generosity of spirit. More from Michael Karam here 

Blackwater Tasters Club, Paddy Borthwick Collection, White Hag, Graham Norton and more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #17

Blackwater Tasters Club, the Paddy Borthwick Collection, White Hag, Graham Norton's 10m bottles and more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #17. Even a recipe! The Blackwater Distillery Tasters Club Launches "We are thrilled to launch Blackwater Tasters Club, Ireland's first craft distillery subscription club, and you are one of the first to know. This month's box containing a Jaffa Cake Gin & lip-smacking Limoncello - fresh from our stills! Subscribe and you will receive two of these experimental, once off and utterly delicious gins or other spirits delivered straight from our distillery to your door every 2 months. All the info here. Paddy Borthwick Collection! Wines Direct are pleased to present to you an exceptional case featuring the best of New Zealand's Paddy Borthwick. Paddy Borthwick is a regular visitor to Ireland, and a firm favourite with Wines Direct customers and staff for two reasons: his wines are excellent, and he is a charming, easy-going guy who is great company. Paddy is a maverick whose experience in the vineyards of France and Switzerland has made him into one of New Zealand's most talented winemakers. More here. The White Hag Offers Fresh Beer (& Face masks)

Some new mixes up on the store including our Craft Range Sample #1 mix, IPA Range Sample mix. A fresh batch of Bran & Sceolan - Irish IPA is also just off the line and ready to fill your fridge! A limited stock of our face-masks are also back in stock and can be purchased along with your beer order! More info here.

GRAHAM NORTON ANNOUNCES 10 MILLION BOTTLES!

• Graham Norton’s wine and spirits range celebrates landmark year with ten million bottles

• Graham Norton’s Own Sauvignon Blanc and Prosecco are now amongst the top three selling wines in their respective categories in Ireland.

18,311 kilometers apart and an 11-hour time difference - watch as Graham Norton and Invivo & Co make their new wine virtually! Over a two hour video call, the business partners made their new wine and you can check out the highlights here.

WATCH GRAHAM MAKE HIS NEW SAUVIGNON BLANC VIRTUALLY NOW here

The new blend of Sauvignon Blanc is out in September

Spanish Wine and Tapas:

Manchego Cheese with Red Wine & Honey Glazed Chorizo. 

An easy recipe to enliven your staycation!

Many of you would be living the Tapas life as we speak, but because of the current situation, we find ourselves recreating holidays at home. Our contribution to your staycation is A Ticket to Spain case and a tasty (and easy) Tapas recipe for Manchego Cheese with Red Wine & Honey Glazed Chorizo. See the recipe here.

Spirit of The White Hag, Pinot Noir Day, Wines Direct, Lebanon, Drinks Theatre, and more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #16

Spirit of The White Hag, Pinot Noir Day, Wines Direct, Lebanon, and more on wine, spirits and beer in Cheers #16

Spirit of The White Hag 

As we complete our 3-year barrel aging programme, we're opening pre-registration for our Spirit programme, using ex-beer barrels to finish aged Irish Whiskey.

We have a huge collection of barrels taking their place in the whiskey programme, having previously housed some of our most loved barrel aged beers.

We're already 12 months into this project, so the first bottled liquid is coming this winter.

There are 500 places at the founders table.

thewhitehag.com/spirit

NZ celebrates Pinot Noir success story

Wind the clock back 20 years and Pinot Noir was barely known, leave alone grown, in New Zealand. But today there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the variety, and on 18 August Kiwis will be doing just that. Full story here. via Jean Smullen

Wines Direct. Ticket to Spain

Buy yourself a ticket to Spain! We figured you may be missing out on a summer holiday right now, so we put together a memorable case of some of our bestselling wines from Spain. It will not replace the white sand between your toes, but there are white wines that will put a smile on your face and reds that are Spanish sunshine in a glass. So, get out the Tapas and get on board! We are going to take you from Rioja to Rias Baixas. See the details here

Lebanon and its winemakers

 now need help!

The devastating explosion that rocked through the port and streets of Lebanon this week also sent shockwaves around the world. But as the dust settles on this unique, vibrant and historic city, the sheer scale of the damage is only just starting to be assessed. It leaves a city, and a country, already on its knees from months of economic and political turmoil that has wiped out people’s savings as its currency has collapsed. Here leading Lebanese journalist and wine critic, Michael Karam, puts this week’s shocking events into context, with a wine industry already dependent on international sales for its future, now desperate for all the support the international wine community can spare it.

More, via The Buyer, here.

Drinks Theatre at Ballymaloe

"Our fourth event of the Summer Series at the Drinks Theatre at Ballymaloe, Seamus McGrath and Colm McCan are delighted to be joined by Sacha Whelan of Smith & Whelan Wines who will present a talk and tasting of a selection of wines - on a Summer’s evening!
Fully seated, socially distanced, limited numbers, pre booking essential - tickets only available through eventbrite - link.

New microbrewery in Cork + Wines Direct + SuperValu cheers #15

New microbrewery in Cork + Wines Direct + SuperValu, and more on wine, spirits and beer in Cheers #15 South of France! with Wines Direct

Do you love Bordeaux wines but not always the price? Look no further than the South of France. The combination of terroir and unique varieties result in wines rivalling those of Bordeaux — both in quality and price. The South West of France stretches from the southern edge of Bordeaux right down as far as the Pyrenees. It may not be the most recognized wine region, but it is an absolute treasure trove of hidden gems. The scenery is not bad either – vineyards and lush forest with winemaking as a way of life.  Check out the case (6 and 12 bottle) here.

SUPERVALU HALF PRICE Wine Sale*
13th to 26th August

*Selected Wines only

NOW €7.49

MONTEMAR RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 75cl

was €14.99 Save €7.50

NOW €8.49

EXCELLENCE SAINT CHINIAN 75cl

was €16.99 Save €8.50

NOW €8

BLOSSOM HILL SPARKLING ROSÉ

75cl was €18.99 Save €10.99

NOW €7.99 EACH was €15.99 Save €8

• WILLOW HILL CHARDONNAY 75cl
• SAN VALENTINO PINOT GRIGIO 75cl
• EDEN LODGE OLIPHANTS RIVER
• VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC 75cl

NOW €8.99 EACH was €17.99 Save €9

• CASTILLO DE ALBAI CRIANZA 75cl
• LA CHÂSSE BLASON D’OR COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES 75cl
• PABLO OLD VINE GARNACHA 75cl
• REY DE COPAS GRAN RESERVA 75cl
• CUVEE LE JOUR ET LA NUIT CARIGNAN 75cl
• CEPAS PRIVADAS MALBEC 75cl

NOW €9.99

SAMMICHELI CHIANTI RESERVA 75cl

was €19.99 Save €10

NOW €12.99

GRAN TROYA CAVA BRUT 75cl

was €26 Save €13.01

Other great offers

€8

ARESTI BELLAVISTA CHARDONNAY 75cl

was €12.99 Save €4.99

€8

COMBEVAL IGP COTES DE GASCOGNE 75cl

was €11.99 Save €3.99

€8

BODEGA SAN TELMO SAUVIGNON BLANC 75cl

was €10.99 Save €2.99

€15

FINCA LABARCA GRAN RESERVA RIOJA 75cl

was €19.99 Save €4.99

€13

LANGHORNE CREEK ZINFANDEL 75cl

was €15.99 Save €2.99

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New Microbrewery and Restaurant Open in Cork

Thompsons Restaurant & Microbrewery in MacCurtain Street, Cork!! 😁 Have a sneak peek inside through the tallest chimney in Cork while we prepare to open our doors on Thursday 6th August! More details here!❤

Bookings are now open at thompsonscork.ie 🥳🥳

Mo

Did you know that McConnell’s Irish Whisky was the first ever recorded Irish Whisky Brand in Northern Ireland. From 1776 to today, it’s had its ups and downs, but who doesn’t love a good comeback story. More here.

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Bright, bold and full of personality, Shiraz is one of Australia’s most established and loved varieties. It is grown by 4 out of 5 wineries and represents nearly half of Australia’s red wine grape plantings. Read our Market Bulletin to discover the latest data and trends for Australian Shiraz. Read more here.