Showing posts with label Wines of the World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wines of the World. Show all posts

Thursday, December 1, 2022

WINES OF THE WORLD ARE EXPANDING! WINES AS ALWAYS BUT NOW SPIRITS GALORE AS WELL



BREAKING NEWS.......


WINES OF THE WORLD
ARE EXPANDING!
Kate & Thomas of Wines of the World have been in touch: As of today December 1st we are delighted to announce we are expanding our range!

Of course you can still purchase all of your favourite wines, now you can also purchase the spirits of your choice.

Are you looking for a special bottle of 10 year old Irish Whiskey or rather a peated Scotch?

How about a fancy Gin for your favourite Gin&Tonic?

Or are you looking for liqueurs to mix some delicious cocktails over the Christmas Period?

We invite you to explore our new portfolio, which we will constantly update and expand! Visit shop here

Over 170 different premium spirits from around the world - truly SPIRITS OF THE WORLD!


Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Supermarket Wines. Wines in Multiples. Celebrity Wines.

 Supermarket Wines. Wines in Multiples

Celebrity Wines. 



Supermarkets are where many of us bought and buy our first wines, and where many still buy all their wines. 


Two that I started with, decades ago, were the Sangre De Toro Red and Vina Sol White. Both are produced by the renowned and respected Torres family of Spain. I enjoyed those for quite a few years and both are still going strong in Irish supermarkets.


It is also in supermarkets that you’ll find most if not all of the celebrity wines, such as the Graham Norton Shiraz below. Graham now has quite a few to his name, including two Proseccos, even a gin. He and his Invivo wine professionals seem to be much appreciated.


Most of these celebrity wines are well made, not overly structured, and usually easy drinking. Not talking here about wines produced by celebrities that actually own vineyards, but rather about those who have teamed up with wine professionals to make one wine or sometimes a series. 


You will find decent wines at entry level prices in supermarkets and multiples. The first two below are good examples. The third, an easy-drinking bulk wine Sauvignon Blanc, hasn’t the longest finish but I don’t think that will be a major handicap when you’re enjoying it with a few friends and a chat in a pavement café or during a back garden interlude.


You don’t hear too much about bulk wine but, according to The Buyer, bulk (or rather bottled-in-market wines) it is the fastest growing part of the wine industry. 


Wine Folly: Some bulk producers have state-of-the-art automation methods that make solid, clean, and consistent wines year-after-year

So good value can be found for different reasons. And the reason in the case of the Romanian Pinot Noir from O’Brien’s is historical. Romania is only now recovering from the grim grip of the former Soviet Union on its wine industry and so prices are somewhat lower than the norm. But, with top wine companies investing there, expect to pay more in the future. In the meantime, enjoy!

Andre Goichot Fleurie (AOC) 2019, 13%, Supervalu €14.65 (€10.00 when on offer, as it was this Easter)



Fleurie is perhaps the best loved and also one of the very best of the Beaujolais area’s ten crus.  I’m quite a Fleurie fan and always look forward to opening a bottle and this was no exception, especially since I had enjoyed the 2018 not too long ago.


It is mid to dark ruby in colour. Cherry scents are prominent when you nose it and on the palate it has lots of deliciously fruit (raspberry, cherry) with a hint of spice and, importantly, with a refreshing acidity that helps create harmony right through to the dry finish. 


Medium bodied, it is soft and easy drinking, not a blockbuster or anywhere close to blockbusting, but it has character enough to pair well with a wide range of lighter dishes. The label recommends hard and soft cheeses and classic roasts, be it red or white meat. Worth a try also with spicy food.


Fleurie, like all ten crus, is in the north east of the Beaujolais region. Here, the Gamay grape thrives on the granite soil. The crus that produce the flagship wines are: Chiroubles, Saint Amour, Fleurie, Régnié, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent. Not everyday, you can try out a cru for this price!


Graham Norton’s Own Shiraz, South Australia 2017, 14.5%, Wines of the World and Supermarkets.



This was one of some very enjoyable wines - my first time meeting this particular Shiraz - at a Wines of the World Blind Online Tasting with Kate Barry (of Barry & Fitzwilliam) in 2021.


The Graham Norton Shiraz is from South Australia and is a mix of fruit from different regions offering a reasonably complex wine with a deep ruby colour. It’s a bold in aroma and on the palate,  a juicy wine with character, just like the man himself! Perhaps that’s why they called it Shiraz rather than Syrah (the French name for the grape denotes, mostly, a quieter wine). It is a juicy and fruity wine and easy drinking for sure.


This Shiraz is quite a good wine for a tasting actually. It came to ours in a brown paper bag! Kate enjoyed tasting this one. “A dry wine with medium plus acidity.” She expected a high alcohol count, judging mainly by the burn at the back of throat, and she was spot on. Lots of primary fruit flavours plus some spice. Pretty good finish too and well balanced. “I’m a lover of this wine and I hope you enjoyed it too,” she concluded.


Usually priced in the low teens and widely available, including in Dunnes, SuperValu and Tesco. 


The Bend in the River Sauvignon Blanc 2020, 12.5%, (widely available in supermarkets at around eight euro)


 


The Bend in the River range by Germany’s Reh Kendermann is widely available in this country, especially in the main supermarkets.


The Sauvignon Blanc has a light straw colour with some green tints.  Light fruity aromas plus hints of Elderflower invite you on to a refreshing, balanced and well flavoured wine (citrus-y mainly but also green apple, gooseberry notes too) with a lip smacking finish. The wine is an excellent aperitif and a perfect match to spicy or Asian Cuisine. It certainly has that second glass appeal.


The fruit is raised in South Africa and imported and bottled by Reh Kendermann in Germany. It is therefore what is known as a bulk wine. It is not the only Reh Kendermann wine I’ve come across in recent weeks. They have a few wines (made from home grown German fruit) exclusively with Dunnes Stores and they, retailing around €11.00 to 11.50, are definitely worth checking out here.



Wildflower Pinot Noir Romania 2019, 12.5%, €9 (was 13.95) https://www.obrienswine.ie/products/wildflower-pinot-noir 


Romania? Haven’t heard much about their wine? Reasonable questions. But vineyards were first planted in Romania by the Romans so there is an ancient winemaking history here. Nowadays, according to the World Atlas of Wine, “EU membership has encouraged considerable investment in Romania’s vineyards and relatively well-run wineries”


This Pinot Noir is a pale ruby colour, as you might expect from the varietal. There’s a fruity nose (raspberry, strawberry, cranberry) and fairly spicy too. Very fruity on the palate, richer than you’d generally find in France. But it’s light and fresh, and acidity enough to make it very quaffable indeed. Good finish too. A pleasant intro to the Pinot Noir grape and excellent value.


The label says this is “an outstanding example of this famous varietal and can be enjoyed on its own, slightly chilled on a hot summer evening, or as perfect companion to BBQs where it will definitely keep all your friends happy.”

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

A Treviso Pinot Grigio Stands Out. As Does Our Delicious Saint Chinian Red




A Treviso Pinot Grigio Stands Out. 
 
As Does Our Delicious Saint Chinian Red 

GIOL Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (DOC) 2020, 12.5%

RRP: €13.90-€14  Stockists: Urru, Bandon/ The Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny/ Taste, Castletownbere / The Olive Branch, Clonakilty, The Quay Co-Op, Cork and Mary Pawle


This Pinot Grigio from the Treviso based winery has a straw (even a hint of copper) colour, darker than most. Aromas of ripe peach and apricot plus dry hay, are delicate yet promising. Flavour and texture make an immediate impressive impact on the palate. The flavours follow the aromas right through to a refreshing lip-smacking finish. A crisp and balanced Pinot Grigio that stands out from the crowd and Highly Recommended.


Back to the texture. The wine is kept on the fine lees and has more contact with the skin than usual. You’ll note the words “Skin ferment” on the front label. It is akin to an orange wine, also known as skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine, or amber wine, and is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed, as in typical white wine production, and stay in contact with the juice for days or even months.


You’ll also see the word “ramato” on the label. According to Decanter (Oct 2019), Ramato is for the wine lover who wants more from their Pinot Grigio. “When Pinot Grigio grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to spend time with the juice, a teasing, tactile texture and coppery hue results in a distinct wine style called ramato. It comes from the word ‘rame’ which means ‘copper’ in Italian.”


The vineyard say it is excellent with vegetable hors d’oeuvres, soups and starters, grilled fish with sauces, Parma ham and melon, and soufflés. Serving temperature: 10-12° C. 


They say: For nearly 600 years, our winery has placed an emphasis on nature, quality and beauty. Our family’s long experience is apparent in our esteemed wines. Since 1987, we have been producing wine from grapes grown in our historic vineyards using organic farming methods, respecting both the environment and the raw ingredient. 


* We’ve recently reviewed another of GIOL wines on the site, a Cabernet Sauvignon, here . 





Chateau Bousquette Pruneyrac St Chinian (2017), 14%

€17.75. Quay Co-Op, Cork/  Scally’s Supervalu, Clonakilty/ Morton’s of Galway / The Grainey, Scarriff, Co. Clare., Mary Pawle


This organic wine has an intense red robe, close to purple. Aromas are expressive, spice, pepper, wild berries and the local garrigue. Believe it or not, I stayed once in a gite near Narbonne (about half an hour away from St Chinian) and the owner was Madame Garrigue.


Madame and myself got on quite well, very well indeed, and this is how my relationship with this wine is going. The palate ups it another notch, dense and silky, tannins smooth as can be. Flavours are delicious, red and darker fruits at its centre and sweet notes of spice in the long finish. Very Highly Recommended. Great price too by the way.


Pruneyrac is from Saint-Chinian, an appellation in the large southern France region of Languedoc-Roussillon. It is made from two local grape varieties: Mourvèdre (predominately) and Grenache noir. This cuvée takes the name of an ancient family from the region who made wine here at the beginning of the previous century as evidenced by old bottles found in the cellars.


The current winemakers suggest this wine will be perfect with a leg of lamb with prunes. Serve at 17 degrees and, if you wish, keep for about 5 years.


Also in wine:




Château la Claymore is a 33 hectare estate owned by the Dubard family, located in Lussac-Saint-Émilion, one of the best Saint-Émilion satellite appellations. The property craft good value Merlot-based wines. 


O'Briens have this reduced from €29.95 to €16.95 (while stocks last or until end of January.)



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February 14th Valentines Day is soon approaching and Wines of the World have a celebrity mix of white, rose and red wines- 2 bottles of each- 6 bottles in total delivered right to your door and we recommend the perfect cheese to pair with each wine!  Get all the details of this Valentine's Virtual Tasting here.






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Jean Smullen (right) tells us, via her ever popular Wine Diary, that New Zealand Wine have been reviewing what to do regarding the Dublin Annual Trade Tasting on the 7th March. It is a difficult decision as hoped to go ahead with Covid precautions in place, but the safety and well-being of visitors, exhibitors and staff is paramount. They also want to ensure the tasting a success for everyone involved and are concerned that attendance could be affected given the current infection rates, which would not do the event justice given your investment in it. Having looked at the Irish trade diary, they have decided to postpone to the event to Monday 9th May 2022. The Radisson Blu Hotel venue remains unchanged.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

CorkBilly Latest Food & Drink














CorkBilly Latest Food & Drink
Week 210820. Update #1

Plan to issue this mid-week with updates towards weekend. If you have any food or drink news, DM me a line or two, plus a link and a photo if available. Of course, if you have "big" news, let me know also and we can do a full standalone post.

Escape to Celtic Ross for this three day lazy summer break

The team at Celtic Ross have created this three day lazy summer break in West Cork to maximise the benefits of a visit to Rosscarbery and experience the variety of culinary offerings at Celtic Ross and the local food producers featured on our menus. This three day escape is a definite opportunity to explore, eat sleep and enjoy!
Inclusions in this package are:
•Bed and breakfast for three nights in a double or twin room
•Clonakilty gin cocktail to enjoy at your leisure
•Dinner in the Kingfisher Restaurant on an evening of your choice
•West Cork style street food from CRAFT
•Afternoon tea for two with a selection of home baked sweet and savoury treats
•Complimentary Rosscarbery walking guidebook
•Complimentary use of the leisure centre.

More details and booking here

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Hederman Smoked Salmon

Coming Fridays & Saturdays to the - freshly made Hederman smoked salmon wraps to go. Have a healthy & delicious picnic lunch.




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Creamy Chocolate Eclairs from Hassett's

Did you know that Hassett's Bakery make their Eclairs with Fresh Irish Cream and rich Belgian chocolate? "Pop into our stores in Douglas, Carrigaline or The English Market to taste how great they are." Check out their video here on Twitter.

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Vienna Woods Hotel


Cork's Vienna Woods Hotel is a country house hotel steeped in history. A ten minute drive from Cork's City Centre, perched among the leafy woodlands of Glanmire, Cork's Vienna Woods Hotel is the perfect getaway for every occasion.
 
Vienna Woods is open for residents and indoor and outdoor dining for non-residents. 
*To comply with government guidelines, indoor dining is only facilitated for fully vaccinated, please have your covid cert/ proof of vaccination and a valid ID. 
Please ring 021 455 6800 or email info@viennawoodshotel.com

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The perfect subscription for you - The Wine Lover!

from Cork based Wines Of The World



Their wine experts select 6 delicious wines from around the world and send to your door each month.

Includes:

  • A mix of 6 different wines each month

  • Free Delivery Nationwide

  • Tasting Notes for each wine

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BILLY LYONS
corkbilly.com (from Irish Times 18th Nov 2013)

Dublin gets the column inches, but Cork has a renowned food scene, and there is good value to be found, says Lyons, who has blogged about food in Cork since he retired six years ago. He had a few local favourites (in 2013).

Cicchetti at Gusto Nov '13

“At Cafe Gusto, Washington Street, six Cicchetti (Italian tapas), two main courses (from a large choice) and two glasses of good wine costs €30 for two, Thursday to Saturday. At the House Cafe in the Opera House, typical fare includes Ballyhoura wild mushrooms with free range egg in a delicious omelette for €8.50. Small-plate menus are increasingly popular. Jacques, in the city, and the Greenroom at Sage in Midleton are also worth a call.”

More on the Gusto Cicchetti here


The Coffee House

Coffee House - Fermoy Café
Vine leaves from Kilworth!

A friend of mine in the Fermoy area  is very enthusiastic about the newish Coffee House in the town. It is run by Tom and located where the French restaurant  (La Bigoudenne) used to be many years ago.


"Tom has his own coffee roastery in Poland so has a very unique selection of coffees. His wife, Kasha, bakes all their cakes and breads and they do a roaring trade on a Friday night for interesting takeaway at very good value, from 12e per person, a feast! 

He is a real character who is not very good at self promotion! He does a great lunch during the week that is well worth checking out if you are in the area!"

More details on the Coffee House Facebook here.

Priory Coffee Arrive In The Victorian Quarter



The brand new Priory Coffee Co. on MacCurtain Street, Cork City, opened on Monday! "We can't wait to welcome you! You can come in or use our handy Priory Hatch for Coffee & food on the go! "

Priory are already well established in North Main St Cork (next to Gate Cinema), in Youghal (Main St), Mallow (106 Main St), Fermoy (Brian Boru Sq), and Riverstick.www.priorycoffee.com

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CORK HOTEL STAFF JOIN LORD MAYOR IN CYCLING TO DUBLIN AND BACK IN AID OF COPE FOUNDATION

 

Lord Mayor, Cllr. Colm Kelleher with Aaron Mansworth and Sandra Murphy of the Trigon Hotels clocking up the kilometres.

Trigon Hotels cycled the distance from Cork to Dublin and back during a six-hour spinathon in Cork City Centre last Friday. The event raised over €1,000 for Cope Foundation.


Hotel team members took to static bikes on Harley Street which were kindly given by UCC’s Mardyke Arena. They travelled 576km and burned a combined total of more than 14,000 calories. 


A team of 40 people were involved in the event including cyclists and bucket collectors. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Colm Kelleher was among the supporters to cheer on the participants. 


Lord Mayor, Cllr. Colm Kelleher said “It is wonderful to see this collaboration with Trigon Hotels and Cope Foundation and Ability@work. Inclusivity is imperative in the workplace and it is great to see Trigon Hotels foster such a close relationship with the Cope Foundation. It has been challenging for charities to have fundraising events since the pandemic began due to not being able to organise and host their usual events and so it is really important to support charities and companies when they do organise events.”


The Watergrasshill Vineyard
Did you know there's a vineyard in Watergrasshill? It is small, experimental and in its infancy. See more on its Twitter account: @Ireland_Wines


Design POP Info
Quite a lot of food interest in this month's Design Pop.
For instance, you can see creative studio Play Nice team up with food obsessives Currabinny at Wandesford Quay.


Play nice studio


Play Nice are a creative studio based in Dublin that designs, builds and styles eye-catching immersive spaces for people and products. Our aim is to create playful digital or physical worlds of colour for people to engage in and enjoy. That can range from providing creativity for photoshoots, temporary pop-ups or permanent work in public or commercial spaces.


Currabinny

William Murray & James Kavanagh gave birth to Currabinny after a discussion on how they could turn their unwavering obsession (food) into a career. William studied & grew his love of food at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Co. Cork - which is headed up Darina Allen & Rory O’Connell. In Ballymaloe, William nurtured his love of dishes that are unashamedly created with lots of real butter, Maldon Salt & seasonal, fresh vegetables. James comes from the other side of the food world; marketing. Having worked for two of his favourite Irish brands; Kerrygold & Barry’s Tea, he has learned what goes into making a beautiful product. Witnessing the passion & quality that goes into making a Barry’s teabag, and how the perfect grass has to exist in order for Kerrygold Butter to be as delicious as it is, has strongly influenced his food ethos.  


All the info on this and many other events here