WINENOW

MY IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY WINE COLUMN - JUNE 13, 2010

2010-06-16T21:41:00.001+01:00

MAKING a good wine is one thing, selling it quite another.

Marketing might be a dirty word to winemakers but without it the results of their labour may stay on the shop shelf gathering dust.

Today much time and money is spent on presentation. And in the case of a very cheap wine the cost of the marketing, label and packaging can amount to more than the value of what is in the bottle.

Savvy wine buyers can tell quite a lot about the wine they are buying by examining the packaging. Wine labels can give up a lot of information. The two important tips are:

Alcohol level: By law, the alcohol content of your wine must be clearly visible on the label. It can tell you how ripe (and sweet) the grapes were. A very low alcohol wine (under 11 per cent) suggests that not all the sugar turned to alcohol during fermentation and the wine will taste a tad sweeter.

A low alcohol wine (11 to 13 per cent) will invariably be light bodied, a little more subtle and with more acidity and tanginess. Higher alcohol wines will be full of flavour, full-bodied - and strong.

Look of the label: Traditional - or old-fashioned - labels more than hint at old style winemaking techniques. It suggests a wine that has been made following a successful formula down the years.

Many new or modern-style label designs are only chosen after months of marketing research and are aimed at attracting a specific group - a young or female market for instance.

A cartoon-based label may well attract a younger audience, introducing them to a fruit-driven, easy drinking wine in the bottle. Something a little more stylish with a vibrant colour scheme might attract a more female market and wines that are off-dry, fruity and low in alcohol.

Don’t forget to email with your wine queries to wine@mailonsunday.ie

Quinta Da Lixa Vinho Verde 2009

Minho, Portugal

€9.99 from good independents

Light, refreshing and low in alcohol, Vinho Verde is Portugal’s answer to Spain’s Cava. This fine example has the Trajadura grape giving it body and length and Loureiro its aromas of apple and grapefruit. Lively with nice minerality and a little sparkle.

Pouilly Fume 2008 Classic Collection

Loire, France

€12 from Superquinn

A nice golden yellow colour with distinctive smoky, gunflinty mineral notes on the nose and peach and mango flavours on the palate of this 100 per cent Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Great with grilled white flat fish or goat’s cheese. Excellent value.

MY IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY WINE COLUMN - JUNE 06, 2010

2010-06-16T21:39:00.000+01:00

WHAT have Mexico, Algeria, Serbia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Paraguay got in common?

Answer: All have reached the World Cup finals, which begin in South Africa on Friday next - and all produce wine.

Indeed, of the 32 finalists, only seven don’t have vineyards and winemaking facilities.

Algeria is one of the oldest winemaking nations, tracing their vinous heritage back to the Phoenicians.

The Mexicans have made wine since the 17th century, the Japanese can trace limited wine production back to 700 A.D., while Denmark and the Netherlands have burgeoning wine industries, as does England.

But it’s the traditional Old and New World wine nations, the ones that dominate the shelves of our favourite wine shops - that look set to do the same in South Africa this summer.

The finals give wine lovers the opportunity to introduce themselves to grape varieties they have not tried. I will be spicing up my enjoyment of the tournament from the couch with some new varietals and bottles.

By the time the last 16 in the competition has been finalised I will have said goodbye to wine-producing nations like Greece, South Africa, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand.

So that bottle of Teliani Valley, Tsinandali white 2008 from Greece, a Pinotage (South Africa), a Californian Zinfandel and a fresh Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand will have been polished off.

My quarter-final line-up gives me with the opportunity to open a Nyetimber 2005 Classic Cuvee, England’s most coveted sparkler from west Sussex, a dry German Riesling and a rich, full-bodied Italian Amarone - as I say goodbye to these nations.

Surprise package in the last four - Uruguay - allows me to open a bottle of Tannat, the red grape from southwest France that has found a new home in south America.

My wine recommendations today represent my two finalists. May the best team win.

Catena Malbec 2006

Medoza, Argentina

€18 from good independents

One of Argentina’s great Malbecs. Dark violet in the glass, the nose has concentrated dark fruit aromas with and floral and vanilla notes. Nice soft fruit - cherry and blackberry - palate with spice, supple tannins and flinty finish. Drink with a nice, big steak

Marques de Murrieta Reserva 2005

Rioja, Spain

Around €20 in good independents

Classic Rioja with Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo grapes with characteristic strawberry and oak hints on the nose. Big, ripe red soft fruit flavours with a great balance of acidity, nice roundness and well integrated tannins. Roasts and hard cheese are the perfect match.

MY IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY WINE COLUMN - MAY 30, 2010

2010-06-16T21:38:00.000+01:00

TOUCHING on the subject of en primeur a couple of weeks ago, I never thought I would be returning to the subject again so soon but there has been tremendous interest from our readers.

En primeur is the process of buying wines before they are bottled and released onto the market. In a good year - and 2009, particularly in Bordeaux, has been been described as nothing less than outstanding - you can make anything up to 40 per cent savings.

All the talk right now is about the classed growths, your Château Latours, Lafite, Mouton Rothschild and Margaux. But top châteaux only account for around 3 per cent of the wines produced in the region.

And if conditions were perfect for making fines wines at these superstar houses, then it had to be the same at many of the lesser known vineyards.

But remember en-primeur prices are based on the tastings and judgements of a team of experts - who have been wrong in the past - and that the value of the wine might only show a small appreciation over the coming years - or none at all.

If you want to take a punt on the 2009 vintage then seek out a reliable broker or importer, like Stuart Smith at FromVineyardsDirect (01 845 6745) or check out their website www.fromvineyardsdirect.ie where a selection of solid wines from reliable châteaux are on offer right now at excellent prices.

Château Maume 2009, a predominantly Merlot based wine, is offered at €72 a case. With taxes, duty, and delivery charges paid, the wine will be delivered to your door in late 2011 or early 2012 at around €8.60 a bottle.

I tasted the supple Château Maume 2004 recently and it was still drinking well. My notes record that it cost €12.65 when it was bought at a Dublin wine shop in 2007. So you can see the savings that can be made.

Grand D’Arte Touriga Nacional 2008

Estremadura, Portugal

€12.99 and available in good independents

Touriga is Portugal’s greatest red grape. This excellent example comes from a region influenced by the Atlantic, making for a wine that retains that characteristic violet nose with a wonderful soft texture, well integrated tannins and excellent length.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2007

South Australia

€12.89 (€11.35 on promotion) widely available

Believe me, Jacob’s Creek make excellent wines - and the quality just gets better, particularly in the reserve range. Peach and citrus aromas with generous hints of oak, white peach and citrus flavours on the palate which is soft and has nice length.

Cork? Screwcap? What about Bag In The Box?

2010-06-16T14:18:00.004+01:00

Here is a very interesting piece by U.S. wine economist Mike Veseth

Wine’s Future: It’s in the Bag (in the Box)

October 4, 2009

One of my favorite globalization books is The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger by Marc Levinson. It is the story of how the invention of the standard shipping container (those 20-foot steel boxes you see on ships, rail cars and truck beds) made international trade much cheaper, more efficient and more secure. Now it looks like another kind of box is about to shake up the wine world.
Cheap and Nasty
I’m talking about box wines or bag-in-box (BIB) wines (the Australians call them cask wines) that feature an airtight wine-filled plastic bladder inside a cardboard box. You use a built-in spigot to get to the wine. They can be found on the bottom shelf of the wine wall and behind the bar and out of sight at your local restaurant. They come in several sizes — 3 liter and 5 liter containers are the most common.
Box wines have a bad reputation. They first appeared in the 1970s and were filled with generic bulk wines. They were one step down from the popular 1.5 liter “magnum” bottles of “Burgundy,” “Chabils” and the notorious “Rhine” wine. Box wine was cheap, nasty stuff that acquired a frequently deserved bad reputation.
[Re]-Thinking Inside the Box
It’s time to reconsider box wine. Screw caps had a bad reputation, too, until quite recently. We associated them with low grade swill until fine wines appeared under screw cap (the New Zealand producers were in the vanguard) and we began to appreciate that that screw caps have many advantages. Now screw caps are actually associated with quality for some types of wine, especially youthful whites, and no one expects to pay less or get less because of the screw-top closure.
The technology of box wine is very solid. The airtight bladder is a neutral container that is well suited to holding wine for relatively short periods of time. (Don’t cellar box wine — consume within a year of production — check out the “drink by” date on the box.) The bladder and spigot do in fact protect the wine from oxygen in the short run, so it will last longer once opened (especially if the box is stored in the fridge) than similar leftover wine in bottles.
Bladders are so good at the particular thing that they do that they have become an industry standard technology for bulk imported wines, which are shipped in huge bladders inside steel shipping containers(big bag in big box) and then bottled in the import market. So you may already be drinking box wine and not know it.
The Box Also Rises
The most recent Nielsen retail wine sales figures (reported in the October 2009 issues of Wine Business Monthly) suggest that box wine sales are growing. Wine sold in 3, 4 and 5 liter containers (most of it is box wine, I think) accounts for just under 10 percent of US supermarket wine sales, according to the Nielsen data (compared to 65% for standard bottles with the remainder in 1.5 liter and other formats). Sales are rising in this category, with 3 liter packages up 8.7% in the last year on a dollar basis, for example, and 5 liter packages are up 9.3% by value.
The total market for box wines rises if we include on-premises sales. Recent data (see previous posts) indicate that box wines (served to customers in carafes and by the glass) are strong sellers in casual dining establishments.
The rise of box wine is part of the trading down effect, clearly, since most box wines fall into the two price categories that are experiencing the highest growth. Sales of wines that are less than $3 per 750ml bottle equivalent have risen 7.1 percent according to Nielsen and by 10% for wines between $3 and $5.99. Supermarket sales of $20+ wines, on the other hand, have fallen by 3.4%.
Nasty, Brutish and Short?
Does this mean that Americans have traded down all the way to the bottom, back to the nasty box wines of the 1970s? The answer, incredibly, is no. Or at least not necessarily, according to the October 15 issue of Wine Spectator. You can’t miss this issue on the newsstand — it features a cover story on “500 Values for $20 or Less” and includes a set of box wine reviews that make interesting reading.
Wine Spectator purchased 39 box wines in packages that ranged from 1 liter to 5 liters. Twenty seven wines were rated as “good” (a score of 80-84) and ten “very good” (85-89). The names of the 2 wines that scored below 80 were not reported.

The top box wine, going by the rating numbers, is a white: Wine Cube California Chardonnay, which sells in Target Stores for $17 per 3 liter box, which is $4.25 per standard bottle equivalent. It earned a very respectable 88 points. Wine Cube is a partnership between Target and Trinchero, the maker of a wide range of wines including Sutter Home.
The best red wine (at 87 points) is the Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2006, which costs $20 for 3 liters or $5 per standard bottle equivalent. Black Box is a widely distributed Constellation Brands product.
Good and Cheap?
Some box wine, apparently, is both pretty good and pretty cheap. Perhaps just to show that they really do rate wines blind, Wine Spectator gave a pretty good 84-point score to a non-vintage Carlo Rossi Cabernet Sauvignon California “Reserve” wine. Five liters for $13, in case you are interested, That’s $1.97 per standard bottle equivalent.
How can decent wine be this cheap? One answer, of course, is that you can choose to make the wine itself less expensive by economizing in the cellar in many ways (less oak or none at all for red wines, for example). But to a considerable degree the box itself is responsible for the savings.
The bag in box container costs less than $1, according to the Wine Spectator article, which automatically saves $4 to $8 compared with a similar quantity of wine in standard glass bottles and the box they come in. Shipping costs are also less since the boxes weigh much less than glass bottles for the same quantity of wine and are less likely to be damaged in transit. There are environmental benefits too, especially in areas where glass bottle recycling is problematic because the sour economy has undermined the market for recycled glass.
Is box wine the future of wine? No. The wine market is too complex to be dominated by any single trend. But with better wine in better boxes (and with consumers embracing a more relaxed idea of wine) box wine deserves to play a bigger role in the future of wine. Another triumph for The Box!

Fridge lengthens Sauvignon's life!

2010-06-05T01:26:00.001+01:00

Auckland scientists have found that cold storage of sauvignon blanc can triple its shelf-life.

The University of Auckland's Wine Science Programme, which has been studying New Zealand sauvignon blanc, found keeping sauvignon blanc cool reduces the loss of fruit aromas over time.

Associate Professor Paul Kilmartin says the study shows temperature is more important in retaining fruity characteristics during storage than oxidation.

"Our results show that wines in cold storage retain these desirable characteristics for much longer, and this has important implications for how producers, exporters, retailers, and consumers handle their wines."

He says well-managed refrigeration could help to improve the consistency of quality wines sold in New Zealand and overseas and allow the wine industry to cope with changes in supply and demand from year to year.

Philip Shaw wines on the way

2010-06-04T01:41:00.000+01:00

GREAT news. Master (and I don't say that likely) winemaker Philip Shaw has a range of truly marvellous wines - and they will be available in Ireland very, very, soon.

Had the pleasure of tasting many of them at the London International Wine Fair earlier this month. Will put my notes up here over the weekend.

The wines should arrive in Ireland over the coming weeks so watch out for them.

Max on his way to Dublin

2010-06-03T00:41:00.003+01:00

HE is one of Chile's finest winemakers - and he's coming to Dublin to promote the wines he makes at Viña Maipo.

I had the pleasure of tasting Max Weinlaub's wines on a hilltop overlooking his beloved Syrah vines close to the town of Maipo, in Chile's Maipo Valley last October.

The big man's passion for what he does is infectious - and the obvious love and care he puts into what he does shows in the wines he makes.

A Universidad de Concepción student, where he graduated as an Agricultural Engineer, Max went on to pursue a degree in winemaking at Universidad de Chile.

He recalls: 'During the last semester of the Agricultural Engineering degree I took some subjects about microbiology and winemaking.

'Immediately I felt making wine is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. For me, winemaking is a blend of science and art, where talent, skills, scientific knowledge and sometimes instinct, all together lets me create unique wines.'

Max took part in the 1999 and 2000 California harvest seasons, at La Crema Winery (Santa Rosa) and Franciscan Estates (Oakville) respectively.

He arrived at Concha y Toro, one of Chile's largest wine producers in 2000 and until 2007, he works as Assistant Winemaker of the Casillero del Diablo, Trio and Marques de Casa Concha ranges.

He is now head winemaker at Viña Maipo - and he has real job satisfaction.

Max says: 'I love the fact I can turn up to work wearing just old jeans and a polar fleece. Not worried about mud or dust in my shoes. To spend part of my time in the vineyard, hearing birds singing and breathing good air is priceless.

'Other parts of my time that I also enjoy is to travel to different countries to learn from other cultures especially through their local food.'

He added: 'I think that wine-language is universal. What somebody could consider soft, deep, rich, concentrated, ripe or fruity in a wine will be understood by consumers in Mexico, China, UK or Angola. So, wines have the ability to break barriers and to open minds.'

Viña Maipo wines are available in Ireland exclusively through Dunnes Stores. Both the entry level end reserva wines are fine - but the class act are the 'Gran Devocion' series. They are 'normally' on sale for around €14.99 in Dunnes but can be bought 'on promotion' regularly for under €8.

Try them, you won't be disappointed.

(Picture shows Max, with glass in hand, and myself in Chile last October)

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - May 30, 2010

2010-06-02T21:08:00.000+01:00

TOUCHING on the subject of en primeur a couple of weeks ago, I never thought I would be returning to the subject again so soon but there has been tremendous interest from our readers.

And if conditions were perfect for making fines wines at these superstar houses, then it had to be the same at many of the lesser known vineyards.

Grand D’Arte Touriga Nacional 2008

Estremadura, Portugal

€12.99 and available in good independents

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2007

South Australia

€12.89 (€11.35 on promotion) widely available

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - May 23, 2010

2010-06-02T21:07:00.000+01:00

A THANK you this morning to all of you who have emailed with wine queries and seeking advice on wine selection.

Most of you will have already received my suggestions for those special occasions you are planning for and today I want to answer some of your more general questions.

Maureen Gibson from Dublin 9 asks: Does the vintage year on the bottle indicate quality? The short and simple answer to this is that only a small proportion of wines age gracefully and improve.

Well over 90 per cent of the wines bottled each year are fruit-driven and meant to be drunk young - the whites are best within the first two years of bottling, the reds within three.

Wines from the southern hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina) where the weather tends to be uniform from one growing season to another, the vintage, or years means little.

In the northern hemisphere where there can be a lot more fluctuations in temperatures and conditions the vintage play a more important role.

I have been told that jumbo teabags with oak chips are often added to wines to add flavour, please tell me this is not true, writes Geraldine Breen from Swords, Co. Dublin.

Unfortunately it is true - but usually only in cheap, mass-market wines that need the added flavour to disguise bad fruit.

Before we had stainless steel and plastic, oak was seen as the perfect material to store wine while it matured.

Winemakers then discovered that the oak, particularly French and American, imparted to the wine certain flavours that were desirable.

Winemakers did become a little heavy-handed with wood and we began to move away from over-oaked wines. However, when used properly it certainly adds to a wine’s flavour profiles and pleasure.

Keep your emails coming. If you have a question, or are looking for a bottle for a special occasion email me at wine@mailonsunday.ie

Mooiplaas Langtafel White 2008

Stellenbosch, South Africa

€11.99 from good independents

Almost 50-50 blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc from this highly regarded producer. The Sauvignon adds wonderful freshness and a nice citrus tang while the Chenin adds some body and length on the palate and some tropical fruit flavours.

Torres Gran Vina Sol,

Penedes, Spain

€12.99 and widely available

Chardonnay forms the backbone of this aromatic wine with local grape Parellada giving it a lift on the back palate. Gentle oak hints on the nose with notes of ripe peaches. Soft, pleasant palate with some weight and a nice vanilla finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - May 16, 2010

2010-06-02T21:06:00.003+01:00

TWO words dominate the wine world right now - en primeur.

Put simply, en primeur is the business of buying wine early, while it is very young and still in barrel, taking a chance on its quality and getting it at a knockdown price.

You pay upfront for the wine, up to 18 months before it is bottled and released. The advantage is that it is considerably cheaper - and you just might be getting a great vintage at a knockdown price.

Wines from Burgundy, the Rhone, Bordeaux, and Port, are the ones most commonly offered en primeur.

Every spring the great cru classé or first growth Bordeaux houses sample barrels from the previous harvest.

After the tastings, the wine trade release a limited amount of their wines at an opening (the en primeur) price. This is sold in strict allocation to wine brokers in Bordeaux, known as negociants.

Before a grape was picked back in September, the 2009 Bordeaux vintage was seriously being talked up by these negociants.

And after the spring tastings it was compared favourably with the 1947 vintage - rated one of the greatest of the last century.

Rewards can be huge if the wine matures as predicted. Chateau Latour has topped the ratings. Back in 1982 (another excellent vintage) a case of this first growth wine cost €300 en primeur the following year.

The same case last year was selling for in the region of €13,000. A nice return in anyone’s book.

The chances are the 2009 vintage will be exceptional. But it also means that the rest will be very drinkable - and affordable - Bordeaux.

Do you have a question about wine, or are you looking for a bottle for a special occasion? They why not email me at wine@mailonsunday.ie and see if I can help you.

Motueka River Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Marlborough, New Zealand

On offer at €7.99 in Tesco outlets

There is lots of light, flavourless Kiwi Sauvignon around right now. This, however, has refreshing tropical fruit, lemon-lime and grass aromas and a clean, dry lemon and pear palate with medium length. A great value wine.

Aranleon Crianza 2007

Utiel Requina, Spain

Around €10.99 from good independents

Rich blend of organic Bobal and Tempranillo grapes (with 10 per cent of Cabernet) from the exciting Spanish region of Utiel Requina, 100km inland from Valencia. Intense red colour with a floral and spice nose. Ripe cherry flavours with a hint of oak.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - May 09, 2010

2010-06-02T21:05:00.001+01:00

SULFITES get a bum deal from some wine drinkers. They are blamed for bad tastes, headaches and, increasingly, for that ‘morning after’ feeling.

But sulfites, which occur naturally in wine, are vital in the winemaking process and also in its preservation. Bad tastes are more often caused by oxidation or cork taint.

Minute amounts of sulphur dioxide are added during the wine-making process to stop fermentation at the right time. It can also be added as a preservative to stop any spoilage and possible oxidation.

The introduction of sulphur dioxide also protects the wine from bacteria - and without it the freshly pressed grape juice would quickly turn to vinegar.

Developing a headache after drinking wine might easily be explained by the amount you have consumed. That ‘oh well just one more glass’ syndrome could have been the measure to upset your system.

You might get headaches after drinking wine by itself. If that is a recurring problem then try it with some food. That will definitely make a difference in how it effects you.

Histamines, which also occur naturally in wines, may give you a headache brought on by an allergy to them. The histamines are more prevalent in red wines. Switching to whites might bring you relief.

Those who are highly sensitive to histamines might try a proprietary anti-histamine allergy treatment. They work well for many sufferers.

But take all the necessary precautions. Seek advice from your doctor and follow the medication’s instructions.

And don’t get too worked up about the sulfites in wine. Most bottles on our shelves contain less then 10 parts per million.

Do you have a question about wine, or are you looking for a bottle for a special occasion? They why not email me at wine@mailonsunday.ie and see if I can help you.

Domaine Des Lauriers Picpoul de Pinet Prestige 2009

Languedoc, France

€11.99 from good independents

The white wine of choice for locals on the French Med. Heavenly with oysters and mussels, the Picpoul grape makes wonderfully refreshing, crisp, tangy, lime and pear flavoured wines with nice mineral hints and excellent acidity. Keep it a secret!

Pink Elephant Rose 2009

Estremadura, Portugal Rosé

€6.99 and widely available

This rosé blend from Portugal is becoming the wine of choice with spicy, Asian food. The vivid pink colour leads into a nose of raspberries and cherries. The fruity palate has lively acidity and a little sweetness. Bring on my curry please.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - May 02, 2010

2010-06-02T21:04:00.003+01:00

MANY of the most common grape varietals - Cabernets, Sauvignons, Merlots, Chardonnays and Syrahs for instance - are referred to as noble grapes.

They are the backbone of some of the most recognisable wines produced. But Riesling, the most noble of all white varieties, struggles for recognition.

In Germany’s Rhine region, where the grape originated 700 years ago, Riesling is seen as the most versatile of grapes, capable of producing spine-tingling dry wines or the sweetest of dessert wines.

The wines have sweet, fruity flavours, aromas of flowers and fruits, high acidity and petrol notes when aged.

Its those petrol or kerosene notes that tend to turn wine lovers away from the grape. How can a wine have such an off-putting aroma as petrol?

This characteristic develops with age. When young the best Riesling has aromas and flavours of green apples, pears and minerals, with great acidity and freshness. That acidity allows the wine to develop.

Riesling grapes are also very terroir expressive, soaking up through its roots flavours (that minerality for instance) from the surrounding environs.

For those who have been ‘put off’ by those German styles I recommend the great south Australian Rieslings from the Clare and Eden Valleys.

The grape variety has been grown in these two regions for over 170 years. The warmer climate helps develop thicker skinned grapes that have a slightly oily texture with beautifully balanced, fresh lemon and lime fruit flavours when young.

The two regions, within comfortable driving distance of Adelaide, are reasonably close but produce two markedly individual styles.

The Clare Rieslings are elegant, with lemon zest aromas great minerality and green apple flavours. Eden Valley wines are characterised by lime zest on the nose, steely dry on the palate with lime juice flavours.

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2009

Clare Valley, Australia

€17.99 from good independents

A golden hue in the glass with characteristic floral and lemon notes on the nose, along with hints of ripe mango and lychees. Lovely flavours of honey, orange blossom, apricot and delicate spice on the palate and a lingering finish.

St Hallett Riesling 2006

Eden Valley, Australia

€15.99 from good independents

Great structure yet delicate wine. Still quite light on the palate with a wonderful lime tang and fragrant blossom aromas. Lingering flinty and lemon finish. This wine is a real stayer and will develop over the next five years.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Apr 25, 2010

2010-06-02T21:03:00.003+01:00

THE mistake we make when trying for a wine and curry match is that we tend to pair them all with a single favourite varietal whether it be red, white or rosé.

Think about it - matching half of the world’s cuisine with just one wine - and you soon realise how ridiculous that proposition really is.

Thai green or red curries, robust or subtle Indian dishes, spicy Chinese fare or Vietnamese food all need to be treated differently when choosing a wine.

Think about the intensity of the spices in the dish before making your selection. One word of warning, trying to find a match for a meal with a high level of heat from chillies is nigh on impossible.

With lightly flavoured curries and subtly spiced dishes, chilled, aromatic, off-dry whites (like gewürtztraminer) are a safe choice. Simple, fruity reds or rosés (lightly chilled beaujolais perhaps) work well.

The abundant acidic flavour of vinegar and yoghurt found in many Indian curries can make them difficult to pair.

Years of ‘experimenting’ has left me pairing mild curries such as a Korma with a cool Viognier - low in acidity but with enough body to stand up to strong-ish flavours.

Spicy and medium flavoured curries I match with a soft, fruity, low-tannin Merlot, and for a highly-spiced, powerful curry I head for a Zinfandel, a red packed with juicy fruit and some spice that can stand up to even a Vindaloo.

The Thai New Year arrived recently and the most popular wine on many restaurant lists was Pinot Gris from France’s Alsace region. Thai food flavours are sweet, sour, hot and salty. Gris has a touch of sweetness (residual sugar) and muskiness that can match the spices used in this cuisine.

And before you ask, a simple match for fish and chips (minus the vinegar) is a chilled Cava!

Hugel Gewurtztraminer 2006

Alsace, France

€13.30 from good independents

A nice golden hue in the glass with characteristic floral notes on the nose, along with hints of ripe mango and lychees. Lovely flavours of honey, orange blossom, apricot and delicate spice on the palate and a lingering finish.

George Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008

Beaujolais, France

Around €12 and widely available

Delicate cherry colour with a wonderful ripe strawberry and raspberry nose. Light, soft berry fruit flavours - dominated by crushed strawberries - on the palate with gentle tannins and a pleasing freshness and clean acidity. Nice, soft finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Apr 18, 2010

2010-06-02T21:03:00.000+01:00

WE start with a question today: What countries are the largest wine producers in the world?

I doubt you would have trouble naming the top four - France, Italy, Spain the the U.S. - but the fifth? Germany, Australia, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand are all possibles. But it’s Argentina that rounds out the top five!

The south American nation has a wine making tradition stretching back five centuries. Way back then the grapes (Criolla Grande) were planted by missionaries to ensure a supply of communion wine.

Later, as the country’s population increased with mass emigration from Italy and Spain, domestic wine varieties arrived from Europe and Argentina developed a real taste for wine.

But what was produced was high volume, low quality wines. Domestic demand for these table wines sustained the industry and so high-yield vineyards for bulk production developed with the red Criolla Grande and Bonarda varieties being the largest plantings.

Then, about 40 years ago, domestic wine consumption - as high as 90 litres per person, per year - began to fall dramatically. The wineries looked to Europe for new markets.

Vineyards began to pull out old vines and plant international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah and Malbec. But it wasn’t until the 1990s, when massive financial input helped modernise the wineries, that Argentina became recognised as a producer of quality wines.

Reds remain their top wines, led by single varietal Malbec or blended with other international varieties. There has also been large plantings of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Tempranillo in recent years and they are beginning to produce interesting wines.

Torrontés is the most popular white variety, capable of making clean and refreshing wines. But red is where its at in Argentina and they remain some of the best value wines available.

Norton Privada 2006

Mendoza, Argentina

Currently €16.39 at O’Briens Wines

One of Argentina’s high-end wines - and a bargain at €16.39. A real treat with that Sunday beef or lamb roast. A powerful blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with lashings of black fruit and spice flavours. Well structured and with a lengthy finish.

Michel Torino Coleccion Malbec 2009

Mendoza, Argentina

Under €9 and widely available.

Malbec’s growing reputation in Ireland has been spearheaded by this excellent entry-level wine. Distinctive plum aromas on the nose with hints of oak. Fruit flavours on the palate are underpinned by generous spicy notes. Well integrated wine with soft tannins and a nice round finish. Best choice to accompany steak.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Apr 11, 2010

2010-06-02T21:02:00.000+01:00

A COLLEAGUE received a rather expensive cut glass decanter as a present last Christmas.

The container has pride of place in his cabinet - but doesn’t spend much time there because every bottle that has crossed his door since January has been decanted.

He has been very democratic about this practice. A supermarket special costing less than €6 or a Bordeaux costing five times that have all got equal treatment.

They are decanted and left to ‘breathe’ for the same amount of time before being poured. Watching him go through the motions, I can’t force myself to tell him that modern wines rarely need decanting!

Winemaking methods in the winery have changed so much over the past two decades that the need for decanting - to remove any sediment from the bottle - is rare these days.

The sediment is the solid material that settles to the bottom of the bottle. It is harmless and can be a sign that the wine is of an older vintage, has been hand-crafted - and not filtered before being bottled.

It might not be the prettiest thing to look at in a glass but sediment is perfectly okay if you happen to drink it but it can taste quite bitter.

To decant an old wine pour it slowly from the bottle into a decanter - or any another clean bottle or receptacle. Stop the procedure when you to see the sediment enter the neck of the bottle.

Wines made to age in bottle can throw a sediment. It evolves as the tannins and pigments in the wine start to break down and thus create the particles.

Decanting your wines before drinking only exposes the liquid to its biggest enemy air and it will start to oxidise and die. So leave it as late as possible to open your bottles.

Gavi 'la Battistina' 2009

Piedmont, Italy

€9.95 from O’Briens Wines

A dry, crisp and aromatic unoaked white made with the Cortese grape. The zesty is all apples and pears with a hint of lime. The palate is dry but quite zippy with stone fruit flavours, great minerality and good length. Perfect with a plate of steamed mussels.

Cranswick Estate Shiraz 2008

South East Australia

€13.99 in good independents

A medium-bodied (not in your face) Australian Shiraz that is lightly oaked with characteristic ripe blackberry fruit flavours, and nice undertones of spice, black pepper and vanilla. The wine has some complexity and a lengthy finish. Great with roast meat dishes or with a selection of mature hard cheeses.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Apr 04, 2010

2010-06-02T21:01:00.000+01:00

LET’S set the scene - a nice restaurant with a superb menu, exciting young chef in the kitchen, good company, and a lengthy wine list.

Food has been ordered and time has been spent poring over the wine list. Then the wine waiter arrives with your selection. The bottle is opened with all the usual ritual, and a sample presented to you for approval.

You taste it - and immediately realise there is something wrong. But what? You can’t send the wine back just because you don’t like it only if there is a genuine fault.

The biggest peril is cork taint, or TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), the serial killer of wine, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of the problems after a bottle has been opened.

TCA only forms in the wine after bottling. It cannot be detected until the cork is pulled. Its then when you get the characteristic musty, moldy or wet cardboard smell.

The fault is a set of very undesirable aroma and flavour characters that are imparted to the wine following contact with the cork. Six chemical compounds have been found to contribute to cork taint.

How to avoid it? Think screwcap - particularly for whites and everyday wines. This closure provides a very good seal and is easy to open.

How good are they? I recently tasted some whites from Australia that were bottled under screwcap in 1985 and they still tasted fresh. Even some French winemakers have switched to closure.

I still like cork. I believe that the complex red wine aging process is better served by this closure. The trace amounts of oxygen that get through cork play an important part in the wine’s evolvement.

But for everything else it’s screwcap. They have helped reduce the number of faulty wines from almost one in ten bottles to almost zero.

Vieux Chateau des Combes 2007

Saint Emilion, France

€14.95 at O’Briens Wines

Excellent Bordeaux at a great price. Based on Merlot, with a good dash of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this blend would go perfect with roast lamb. Very approachable with red berry fruit flavours and a hint of oak. Easy drinking with nice, soft tannins and good length.

Vega Real Roble 2007

Ribero Del Duero, Spain

€14.99, widely available

AN enticing ruby red colour leads to an nose of ripe raspberries and hints of oak. This great value Ribero Del Duero offering is made with the Tempranillo grape and has a deep red with an intense raspberry nose. Palate is bursting with soft berry fruit flavours with nicely integrated tannins and a balanced finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Mar 28, 2010

2010-06-02T21:00:00.002+01:00

THE level of alcohol in wine is an issue these days as we become more health conscious.

Drinking too much of it, whether in wine, beer or spirits, can raise levels of fats in the blood, leading to high blood pressure - and possible heart failure.

An increased calorie intake is another side effect, which can lead to obesity and a higher risk of developing diabetes.

During the 1980s, alcohol levels - particularly in wines from California and Australia - reached up to 16 per cent. Winemakers believed that this is what the market demanded.

But many of these alcoholic fruit bombs were unbalanced. The fermentation process - where the natural fruit glucose (sugar) is turned into alcohol by yeast - was either lengthened or extra yeast added.

Australia now leads the way in producing low alcohol wines. The preferred process is quite natural. The grapes are picked slightly earlier which results in less sugar, and therefore less alcohol.

The most common chemical process is what they call reverse osmosis, or the spinning core method, which removes alcohol from the fermented grape juice.

I use my own tried and trusted method. if I want to cut back on my alcohol intake I drink cooler climate wines - or choose grape varieties that traditionally produce lower alcohol wines.

And remember the benefits of just consuming wine in moderation - reduced risk of heart disease.

Research also suggests that alcohol consumption, in conjunction with high intakes of fruit and vegetables, could explain the phenomenon known as the 'French paradox'.

The French diet is considered quite high in fat, especially saturated fat, but the death rate in from coronary heart disease is relatively low. A glass or two of wine with meals - and those vegetables and fruit - seems to do the trick.

Lindemans Early Harvest Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008

South East Australia

€11.99, widely available

One of Australia’s modern low alcohol wines. The alcohol is quite low - 8.5 per cent - but it doesn’t unduly affect the finished product. Nice passionfruit and melon aromas on the nose while the palate has the characteristic fruit flavours of Semillon and the citrus

flavours of Sauvignon. Balanced, with a crisp dry finish.

Brown Brothers Chenin Blanc 2007

South East Australia

€10.99, widely available

One of Australia’s icon family-owned vineyards. Pale straw in colour with citrus, tropical fruit and melon aromas. Crisp dry palate with some green apple and melon flavours and a hint of vanilla and honey. Well balance and decent length.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Mar 21, 2010

2010-06-02T20:59:00.004+01:00

MALBEC, the red grape originally from France that Argentina has made its own, is currently wowing the U.S., while the continued healthy sales of Chilean and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in Ireland and Britain keeps the grape at the top of the popularity charts this side of the Atlantic.

Yes, new world wine regions are very much in vogue. But given a fair shake by the consumer - and a little more exposure in the media - I believe that two very proud wine nations much nearer to home could be just as popular.

Portugal and Austria are currently producing some of the best value and most exciting wines available.

The problem is that the people who make them just don’t talk them up enough - and their respective national marketing bodies don’t get the necessary funds to do a proper job at highlighting their undoubted quality.

Austria’s grüner veltliner grape, is capable of making complex, full flavoured, spicy whites with a distinctive white flower and cracked pepper edge to them.

The nation’s rieslings are worth seeking out too, as are their reds made with the zwiegelt and blaufränkisch grapes. But it is the grüner veltliner, or gru-vee, as it has been dubbed, that has become quite trendy.

The wines of Portugal have become a personal favourite in recent years.

The Prova Regia Arinto was my 2009 white wine of the year and I think the encruzado grape, with its sophisticated and subtle bouquet and delicate apple and peach flavours, is just waiting to be discovered here.

And the reds of Portugal, from grapes varieties like touriga nacional

tinta roriz (Spain's tempranillo and also known as aragonêz), baga and castelão are to die for. Get along to your local, friendly off licence and discover these great wines soon.

Esporão Reserva 2005

Alentejo, Portugal

€14.99 from Superquinn

A big, hearty, deep-coloured red blend of trincadeira, aragonêz and cabernet sauvignon grapes with chewy plum and blackberry flavours and a slightly roasted savoury edge. Nice hints of oak on the palate too. A chunky wine that goes great with all red roasts and steaks.

Winzer Krems Goldberg Grüner Veltliner 2007

Kremstal, Austria

€14.99 at dood independent off-licences

A very enticing fruity yet minerally nose leading into the grape’s characteristic peppery spiciness on the palate with some green apples and a hint of citrus. The wines has nicely integrated acidity with a medium finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Mar 14, 2010

2010-06-02T20:59:00.001+01:00

WE have had a ‘bad’ winter. A little snow, cold snaps, rain and gloomy days and we all feel sorry for ourselves.

But nothing we have suffered this season - or any other - could compare with the natural disaster that befell Chile recently in the form of that 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

Yet such is the resilience of this nation’s people that despite the unfortunate loss of life and massive destruction their industry already has them on the road to recovery.

The Maule Valley, Chile’s oldest wine producing region was particularly affected by the quake but thankfully it now transpires that damage is not nearly as bad as feared.

Figures suggest that just 12.5 per cent (valued at €184 million) of the country's cellared wine has been lost.

While the Maule region bore the brunt of the damage, Cachapoel, Colchagua, Maipo, Casablanca and Bio Bio also suffered minor disruptions.

But Rene Merino, president of Chile’s most important wine export association, said the industry’s infrastructure has been built to withstand earthquakes.

He added: 'Most of the damage in wineries was done to the old buildings which are used as offices and for tourism. Modern wine facilities were not affected and vineyards have not been damaged. The 2010 harvest is little affected.’

So, while choosing a bottle over the next week or two can I suggest that by enjoying one from Chile you can help.

And while at it why not trade up slightly - you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of your purchase.

For years we have thought of wines from Chile as been cheep, cheerful and reliable. Now is your chance to discover what exceptional quality and value is available in the €12 to €15 price range.

Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2007

Central Valley, Chile

Around €12.50 and widely available

This wine has a brilliant yellow colour with green hues and and intense aromas of citrus fruit and maracuya with a herbaceous backdrop. Concenrated on the palate with good acidity, firm structure and excellent persistence.S Blanc has a nice mix of citrus flavors, most notably grapefruit.

Vina Maipo Carmenere 2007

Maipo Valley, Chile

Around €12.99 in Dunnes Stores

Dark, solid ruby red in the glass with a wonderful nose of spicy chilli with a some vegetal notes in the background. Hints of chocolate and coffee on the palate over great dark berry fruit flavours. Soft tannins with a long finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Mar 07, 2010

2010-06-02T20:54:00.001+01:00

OUR nation has played a pivotal role in the wine history for hundreds of years.

Many of the Irish nobility and soldiers who fled the country after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, either ended up serving in continental armies or in Bordeaux, then the centre of the wine business in Ireland.

Within five decades these families were so influential that they were exporting almost 4,500 tons of claret back to their homeland - four times the figure sent to Britain - in 1739-40!

To this day some of Bordeaux’s greatest vineyards bear Irish names - Château Phélan-Ségur (after Frank Phelan from Tipperary), Château Léoville-Barton (Anthony Barton from Kildare), Château Lynch-Bages (Michael Lynch from Galway) and Château Kirwan (Edward Kirwan from Wexford).

Many others, including the world famous Château Margaux and Château d’Yquem, have long standing Irish connections. And we must not forget our links in the sherry business, with names like Garvey and O’Neal.

That great wine tradition has been carried into the modern era. In Australia wines made by the Barry family (originally from Armagh) in the Barossa Valley, the Tyrells (from Sligo) in the Hunter Valley and the Cullens (from Clare) in Margaret River, are amongst the best not only Down Under but in the world.

And in the important U.S. wine regions of Napa and Sonoma in California, the descendants of emigrant Irish families like Paul Dolan (Wexford) and James Concannon (the Aran islands) make some of America’s most prestigious and sought after wines.

Coincidentally, James Concannon was born on St Patrick’s Day 1847, and as we prepare to celebrate on March 17, here are three modern wines with strong Irish connections.

Chateau Haut Garrigue Semillion Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Bergerac, France

€12.45 from O’Briens Wines

Sean and Caroline Feely moved to Bergerac in southern France at the start of the new millennium and have already built a sizeable reputation for their marvelous organic vineyards. This Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend is made with the fruit of vines that are over 50 years old.

It is a crisp dry white, well balanced with nice peach aromas with a palate that has hints of gooseberry and citrus. Great seafood wine.

Cullens Mangan Vineyard Sauvignon Semillon 2008

Margaret River, Australia

€26.99 from good independents

A fresh and zesty 70/30 per cent blend of organically and biodynamically grown Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon made by one of Australia’s iconic winemakers, Vanya Cullen. Only wild yeasts are used in the fermenting process. Lemon, honeysuckle and floral aromas lead to a crisp, fine lemony finish. Not too high a price for such an iconic wine.

Bird In Hand Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Mt Lofty Ranges, Australia

Around €20 from specialist wines shops

Andrew Nugent (no relation, but his ancestors come from Co. Cork) has a growing reputation for his wines from this South Australian vineyard. Great sparklers, merlots, shiraz, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are joined by this excellent Cabernet Sauvignon.

Blackberries, spice and cassis on the nose leading to a complex palate of soft berry fruit and nicely integrated tannins.

Food and Wine Matching

2010-05-29T23:08:00.000+01:00

(Courtesy of Winenews)

Food Pairing Principles

When pairing wine to food try to match similarities of richness, texture, intensity, and flavor of the food to the wine. Here are some tips:

Similarities: Match wine and food with similar richness and texture such as fish in a butter sauce with a buttery chardonnay.

Flavor: Pair wine and food with similar flavors, such as a pepper crusted steak with a strong peppery syrah. Earthy foods, such as mushrooms, go well with earthy old wines. The dominant flavor is the key, especially when the food has a sauce. Typically the sauce is the dominant flavor.

Balance: Always try to balance the acidity and sweetness of the food to the wine. For desserts the wine should always be as sweet or sweeter.

Regionality: Typically a regions food goes well with local wines. For example an Oregon or Washington pinot noir goes well with Northwest salmon.

Cooking Method: Light wines go well with steamed or poached foods. Medium and full bodied wines go better with grilled, roasted, or braised dishes that have intense flavors.

The Keys to Flavor Matching

One of the most important elements to harmonize between wine and food is flavor. For example, a tangy tomato-based pasta sauce requires a wine with comparable acidity. Without this balance between the acidity of the dish and the wine, the partner with lower acidity tastes flabby and dull, while the other, too tart.

To find an acidic wine, you can choose one that is made in the same area as the food. Years of matching the regional cuisine and wine as well as similar soil and climatic conditions make this a safe bet. For example, you could pair a tomato sauce fettuccine with a Tuscan chianti. Or you can select a wine from a cool climate where the grapes don’t ripen to great sweetness, and maintain their tart, tangy edge. Crisp New Zealand sauvignon blancs and French chablis serve these dishes well.

Acidic wines also work well with salty dishes. For example, oysters are both salty and briny with an oily mouth-coating texture that can smoother most wines. However, a sparkling wine from California , a Spanish cava or French champagne can both refresh and cleanse your palate when eating fish. Carbonated wines also work well with spicy foods. Hot spice in Asian, Thai, curry and chili pepper dishes can numb the palate. Many of these foods also have high acidity from citrus ingredients such as lime juice as well as sweetness. Therefore, you need a wine with an acidic backbone as well as a touch of sweetness such as an off-dry California sparkling wine with lots of fruit.

While off-dry, acidic wines go well with many dishes, the two most difficult wines to pair with food are also the two most popular: chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. New World chardonnays can taste of oak, and are buttery, flavorful wines that overwhelm many dishes. But you can still enjoy chardonnay with your meal. Pair it with butter and cream sauces to marry similar textures and flavors.

Conversely, cabernet sauvignons can have bitter dark fruit flavors with mouth drying tannins (the same sensation you get from drinking well-brewed tea). Therefore, they find their happiest match in foods with juicy proteins such as a rare steak. The protein softens the tannin making the wine taste smooth and fruity. Steaks done with crushed black peppercorns sensitize your taste-buds, making the wine taste even more fruity and robust. However, the way in which the dish is prepared also has an impact. A well-done steak, for example, may taste too dry with a tannic cabernet.

Proteins are also at work with the marriage of wine and cheese, the cocktail classic. Red wines tend to go better with hard cheeses such as blue cheese as they can accommodate more tannins. However, whites suit soft cheeses such as brie and camembert as the creamier textures require more acidity for balance.

Game birds such quail, pheasant, turkey, duck, squab and guinea hen have earthy flavors that are more robust than chicken. Wild game often goes better with racy red wines that have a gamy quality to them, the classic being Burgundian pinot noir. The flavors of pinot noir — plum, cherry, mushrooms, earth and even barnyard (that’s a positive adjective) – accentuate the same gamy flavors in the food. Other wine options for game birds include Spanish rioja, Oregon pinot noir and lighter-style Rhône Valley wines such as Côte-Rôtie.

One of the most challenging flavors to balance is sweetness. Dishes with a touch of sweetness such as glazed pork do well with off-dry wines such as riesling and chenin blanc. However, rich desserts such as chocolate and crème brulée demand a wine that is sweeter than the dessert, or the wine will taste thin, even bitter. Sweet wines such as sauternes, Canadian icewine, late harvest wines and port will work not only for their sweetness but also for their unctuous texture.

Wine Variety Guidelines

When the marriage of food and wine works well, each enhances the other, making the meal greater than if you had consumed them separately.

Following are some suggestions for help deciding the best food matches for several popular wine types:

Red Wines:

Cabernet Sauvignon: Roasts & spicy red meat, spicy poultry, duck, rabbit, pate, sausage, kidneys, and cheeses like cheddar & blue.

Pinot Noir: Roasted beef or turkey, braised chicken, cold game birds (duck, rabbit, partridge), veal, truffles, and cheeses like Gruyeres.

Merlot: Roasted beef or turkey, braised chicken, cold duck, lamb, veal, venison, liver, stew, meat casseroles.

Shiraz : Heavily spiced or barbequed meats, braised chicken, chili, goose, meat stew, garlic casseroles, ratatouille.

White Wines:

Chardonnay: Seafood with butter sauce, pasta with cream sauce, veal, chicken, turkey, ham, and cheeses like Emmenthal & Gruyeres.

Riesling: Ham, pork, clams, muscles, Tandoori chicken, lobster Newberg, Coquilles St Jacques, Asian dishes, sashimi, and mild cheese.

Sauvignon Blanc: Ham, quiche, Irish stew, grilled or poached salmon, seafood salads, and strong cheeses like goat.

Gewurztraminer: Spicy dishes, Thai food, curry, pork & sauerkraut, smoked salmon, and spiced/pepper cheeses like Muenster.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Feb 28, 2010

2010-05-29T22:23:00.002+01:00

THEY say its good for the soul, so I’ll start today with a public confession - I was a card-carrying member of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) club.
I became quite sniffy about it - even though the grape is behind the world’s greatest whites from Burgundy.
I was reminded of that embarrassing indiscretion at a wine club tasting this week when many attending were apprehensive when told that at their next tasting chardonnay would take centre stage.
Thankfully I got over my prejudice, resigned from the ABC club and have drank superb burgundies and chardonnays from all over the world recently.
The grape has regained its position as THE greatest white variety. Sauvignon blanc is still fashionable but it just doesn’t have the finesse or elegance of chardonnay - and the fad for Pinot Grigio will pass.
Oak - the over-use of it particularly in Australia and California - lies behind the massive fall-off in chardonnay sales during the late 90s.
So much of it was used - the Aussies nicknamed the over-alcoholic finished product ‘Dolly Parton‘ wines (too much upfront) - there was a real danger of getting splinters in your mouth!
Such wines are rare these days, winemakers across the world have toned down the oak and by sourcing grapes from cooler climes increased the freshness and acidity in their wines.
Wines from Australia’s Adelaide Hills and Yarra Valley are worth seeking out as are those from Chile’s Leyda Valley.
And back in Burgundy it is possible to drink well these days for around €15. Look to Chablis, Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.
I will return for a detailed look at chardonnays for the summer in the coming weeks. Today’s two recommendations will go down well for Mother’s Day next Sunday.

Domaine du Closel La Jalousie 2007
Savennieres, France
€19.99 from Superquinn

Classic Savennieres Chenin Blanc with great honeyed waxy fruit and good mineral backbone. Lemon gold in colour, with minerals, herbs, peaches and nectarines on the nose. Medium bodied palate, with a creamy texture and lifted nectarine palate. Will age well, as it has great, juicy acidity. A real discovery.

Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Rose
Various Regions, Australia
Widely available at €14.99 but shop around for promotions
This is a real favourite. A bottle fermented sparkling wine made with chardonnay and pinot noir grapes with a lemon citrus aroma from the former, and strawberry and red currant characters from the latter. The wine finishes soft and round, with wonderful lingering fresh berry flavours.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Feb 21, 2010

2010-05-29T22:20:00.001+01:00

WE are generally a nation of red wine drinkers. We love our big cabernets, jammy merlots and alcoholic syrahs and shiraz.

We have even taken a liking to the hearty malbec grape, especially those from Argentina.

But there are so many more reds out there that seem to sit on the shelf because we remain unadventurous or just afraid to try them.

Take Grenache, a grape with Spanish origins, where it is capable of producing cherry and pepper flavoured wines that can be quite alocholic. It tends to be used in blends but is producing some deep coloured, fruity wines in France’s southern Rhone region

Speaking of the Rhone, Mourvèdre, a velvety purple colour grape with a powerful flavour that hints of licqourice is beginning to emerge as a single varietal wine in its own right.

In Spain’s ultra-hot Jumilla region the same grape – called Monastrell - is feted for the wines it is capable of producing.

Italy’s Sangiovese and Nebbiolo grapes are well worth seeking out.

Sangiovese is grown in Tuscany - especially in the Brunello de Montalcino and Chianti regions. It produces medium to full bodied reds with high acidity and plenty of tannin to give a sour cherry, plum, and dried herbs flavours.

Nebbiolo is the grape variety used in Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont. The wines are full bodied and powerful with a complex bouquet of berries, flowers, herbs and wood.
And we must not forget the Dolcetto grape from Piedmont. It makes wines that are easy to drink with flavours of cherries and red berry fruits.

A real favourite of mine is Portugal’s Touriga National – normally an essential part of Port but increasingly available as a table wine that can be highly tannic yet very concentrated with a smooth velvet finish.

Other red grape varieties to look out for are South Africa’s Pinotage, and California’s Zinfandel.

Heartland Dolcetto and Lagrein 2007
Langhorne Creek, Australia
€14.75 from better independent off licences
The Aussie blend packs a powerful punch at 14.5 per cent alcohol with lovely aromatics and savoury tannins. Purple in colour, it has cherry and coffee aromas and intense earthy flavours of spice cherries with good acidity and nice length. Perfect with pasta.

Velenosi Brecciarolo, Rosso Piceno Superiore 2006
Marche, Italy
€13 from better independent off licences
This wine is made from Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes and is a deep ruby red. A wonderful woody spice and vanilla nose with lovely blackcurrant fruits on the palate and light tannins providing just enough grip. Will go well with full-flavoured Italian meat dishes.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Feb 14, 2010

2010-05-29T22:15:00.001+01:00

THERE is an unquenchable thirst for wine knowledge out there. Wine courses sell out quickly - no matter what the price - and many have large waiting lists.
Yet despite all this unbridled enthusiasm to learn about all things vinous, we remain, for the most part, very unadventurous when it comes to trying something different.

We are creatures of habit so when looking for a bottle for the weekend we invariably end up choosing a shiraz, merlot, cabernet, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. These five grapes account for almost 80p per cent of all still wine sales.

Nothing wrong with that. There are truly some great wines out there made from these noble grapes. But there is so much more to be tasted - around 5,000 varieties!

In Spain alone there are over 600, among them is one of my favourite whites, the beautifully refreshing albarino from Galicia which works perfectly with shellfish.

Across the country in the Rioja region viura is the most important white grape, where it makes a lighter-bodied, lower-alcohol wine which is great to drink during in hot weather to quench the thirst.
In Portugal the citrusy and refreshing arinto is causing something of a stir these days and now the encruzado grape from the Dão region in the north of the country is getting the attention it deserves.
This is a beautifully fragrant white which can have aromas and flavours of apricots and nectarines and great acidity.
And we must not forget those beautifully scented white varieties from France’s Rhone region - marsanne, viognier and roussanne.
Further afield Argentina can boast torrontes with its enormous fragrance ranging from peaches to orange peel. The wines tend to have good, fresh acidity which makes them an ideal food wine.

These are just a few white varieties - along with my two recommendations below - which you may not have tried yet. So why not try something different this week? We will look at unusual reds next time.

Bethany Semillon 2005
Barossa Valley, Australia
€11.95 at O’Briens Wines

This outstanding example of an Aussie Semillon is a bright, gold colour with aromas of lemon and honey. The wine is soft on the palate with an oily character with complex nutty honeysuckle and lemon flavours. Barrel fermented, the wine also has a subtle hint of oak. A goof partner for prawns or with steamed mussels and crusty bread.

Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2007
Alsace, France
€13.95 Widely available

One of Alsace’s signature whites from one of the great producers, this Pinot Blanc is perfect as an aperitif. It is a light wine that has clean citrus and green apple fruit flavours, good structure and bright acidity. Good alongside fish and chicken dishes.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Feb 07, 2010

2010-05-29T22:12:00.001+01:00

THE nights are still cold and its another seven weeks before the clocks go forward and the evenings take a stretch - but, hey, February 1 was the official start of Spring and next Sunday is Valentines Day.

I always toast the coming of Spring with something pink, still or sparkling. A decent bottle can lift the spirits after the dark, cold days of Winter.

The same kind of wines that will be well received next weekend with the hand-written inscription, ‘from your Valentine’.

However, the words have sent a shiver down my spine ever since a friend ‘who knows these things’ told me their origin - attributed to St Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity.

The story goes that one of the last things he done before he died, on February 14, 269 AD, was to leave a farewell note for his jailer's daughter, who had become his friend. He signed it ‘From your Valentine’.

In France the day is celebrated in the village of St Amour, situated in the north of the Beaujolais wine region.

Again its a Roman who attracts French lovers to the picturesque village, reputedly named after a disaffected soldier, Amor.

St Amour is also the name of a Cru Beaujolais, one of 10 crus that represent beaujolais. These gamay grape wines can be tight and reserved when young, but after a year or so they become supple and fruity, with flavours of apricot and cherries.

Rizzardi Fior Di Rosa,

Bardolino, Italy

€14.95 at O’Briens Wines

Elegance throughout from stylish bottle to last sip. A blend of local corvina, rondinella, sangiovese, molinara and negrara grapes that is gushing with raspberry and strawberry aromas. Wonderfully balanced with a soft fruit palate and nice length. Chill down and treat yourself - and partner - to some grilled king prawns and a glass.

Chateau de Pennautier Rose 2008,

Cabardes, France

€7.95 until St Valentines day at Dunnes Stores

Transport yourself to the south of France with just a sip of this excellent merlot and syrah blend rose from near Carcassone. Beautifully smooth, dry and elegant with soft fruit flavours, great acidity and length.

Torres San Valentin 2008

Penedes, Spain

€8.99 on promotion and widely available

A 100 per cent garnacha grape wine. Cherry colour with wonderful blackberry jam aromas. Silky palate, soft tannins with blackberry and pomegranate flavours. Good length and finish. Perfect for the man in your life next Sunday.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Jan 31, 2010

2010-05-29T22:10:00.001+01:00

FROM Bierzo in the northwest to Jumilla in the southeast, we are fast discovering the vast array of great grape varieties and wines emerging from Spain these days.

But ask most wine lovers to name one Spanish region off the top of their heads and Rioja would most likely spring to mind.

Wine has been made in Rioja - situated south of the Cantabrian mountains in the north of Spain - since Roman times but modern winemaking techniques only arrived in the region around 1850.

An exodus of winemakers from Bordeaux escaping the phylloxera pest which was devastating vines in France brought new growing techniques and oak-barrel aging to Rioja.

While the production of white Rioja has increased in recent years, it is red wines that are synonymous with the region and here the Tempranillo grape is king.

This thick-skinned grape brings a richness, vibrant colour, a fair amount of alcohol and aging potential to the table.

But what makes Rioja so approachable, and a great food wine, is its blending with up to three other grapes - Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha (Grenache).

Mazuelo can add depth and vibrancy to the blend, Graciano elevates the wine with gorgeous glints of vibrant purple and spicy, fresh aromas, while Garnacha brings concentration, big red berry flavours, spice and soft tannins.

White Rioja is made with Malvasia, Viura and Garnacha Blanca grapes.

Both red and whites are classified based on aging in oak barrels and bottles.

The Crianza category is used to describe a wine that has spent 12-18 months in oak barrels, and at least another year in bottle.

Reserva wines will have been aged in oak barrels for 18-24 months, and 12-24 months in bottle and are known for their deep and complex flavours.

The Gran Reserva category sees the wines aged in oak barrels for 24-36 months, and 36 months in bottle. They will have intense depth, with hints of cedar and wild berries on the palate.

Luis Cañas Rioja Reserva 2004

Rioja, Spain

€22, widely available

Brilliant ripe black cherry red colour with excellent depth. Fruity aromas with elegant nuances of fine oak. Velvety in the mouth with a long finish. A Reserva with plenty of class and style framed by 24 months in oak with nice, spicy tannins. Try with
stews and hard cheeses.

Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2005

Rioja, Spain,

€15 or less, widely available

Nicely rounded, with a soft finish. A wine made in a modern style that makes it very approachable. Ruby red in colour with sweet cherry aromas and silky oak flavours. It has a light, smooth velvety texture and is a great accompaniment to roast lamb. A balanced wine that is also well suited to pork, lamb chops, grilled steak, venison and cheeses.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Jan 24, 2010

2010-05-29T22:08:00.001+01:00

FAVOURITE wine? Reds, whites, fortified and sweeties. Pick just one bottle? I need time to answer, come back in a year.

Ask me to choose a bottle that I have not tried yet and one name instantly comes to mind - La Tâche Romanée-Conti from Burgundy, France.

The 2005 vintage sells for around €2,500 a bottle, if you can buy one of the 4,500 produced that year.

So, unless someone uncorks a bottle and offers me a glass then the chances are I may never taste what wine critics regard as the greatest wine.

What makes the wine so sought after is the grape - Pinot Noir. A delinquent grape plagued by difficulties from when its buds appear in May through to bottle aging.

It can be affected by every known bug and disease found in vineyards. Should the grapes reach maturity and are not picked at the right time they shrivel and dry out.

It is the most temperamental grape, but for all its faults it is capable of producing the most alluring and sensual wines that age gracefully for decades.

It will have a bouquet of cherries, strawberries and raspberries, with hints of mushroom, earth, truffle and leather. Oak can impart further aromas of vanilla. On the palate it has a soft and velvety texture.

The very best pinot still comes from Burgundy. But even a moderate quality bottle can set you back €50. Thankfully, New World producers like New Zealand, California and Chile

are producing excellent pinot at affordable prices.

As temperamental and difficult as it may be, the grape has caught the imagination of winemakers worldwide.

It is a classic food wine, perfect with grilled salmon and roast beef, or any dish that features mushrooms. Classic French cooking has creations based on pinot, such as Coq au Vin and Boeuf Bourginon.

Try a bottle... soon.

Montana South Island Pinot Noir 2008

Marlborough, New Zealand

€12.60 and widely available

Winemaker Patrick Materman has managed to produce the best entry level pinot currently available. This elegant wine has wonderful berry flavours of strawberries and cherries with smoky hints of oak. It has, in small amounts, all that one would expect from a great pinot - fruit driven with fine tannin structure and good length.

Gold Label Pinot Noir 2008

Vin de Pays D’OC, France

€10.46 from Marks & Spencer

Grapes grown close to the Mediterranean in southern France make for a soft, smooth wine that is fruit driven with the ripe strawberry flavour typical of pinot shining through. Nice, soft tannins add to the pleasure of this wine with a decent length. Great with creamy cheeses.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Jan 17, 2010

2010-05-28T00:27:00.001+01:00

OXYGEN is probably wine’s biggest enemy.

For hundreds of years the cork stopper was wine’s saviour - keeping it in the bottle and the harmful gas out.

The introduction of the cork is down to the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon who saw the great qualities of cork as a closure and replaced the then standard wooden stoppers wrapped in hemp and soaked in olive oil and bunged tightly into the barrel’s opening.

And so for centuries cork was the closure of choice. But then scientists discovered the problem of corked wine where what comes out of the bottle tastes musty.

The problem was caused by a tainted cork contaminated by the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, or TCA to you and me.

A badly corked wine will have a characteristic damp, moldy cardboard box smell. Believe me, you will recognise it as soon as you smell it. It will be undrinkable but harmless if you do.

The realisation that their industry was in danger of sinking gave cork manufacturers a massive hygiene wake-up call and conditions, particularly in Portugal, have improved immeasurably.

While all this was going on the screwcap entered the market and the great cork versus screwcap debate began, and continues remorselessly.

Tainted corks are still around. At one stage as many as 10 per cent of bottles were affected. That figure has been cut to about 2-3 per cent in recent years.

The number of screwcap bottles on the shelves has grown dramatically. But in recent times screwcaps have been found to have a problem - reduction.

It happens when sulphur compounds build up in the neck of the bottle because of the lack of oxygen. In extreme cases the wine can smell and taste of sulphur.

So you choose your closure and take your chances - and the battle for the hearts and minds of the consumer is in full swing with the Portuguese Cork Association signing up no less a person than soccer coach José Mourinho to be their roving ambassador!

Catena Malbec 2006

Mendoza, Argentina

€10.99 and widely available

The wine is a dark, violet colour with deep bluish black tones with dark fruit aromas with hints of vanilla and mocha. On the palate there is lush black cherry flavours, with spice, tobacco and leather. It has a soft finish with supple tannins.

Chilcas Piedra Felix Pinot Noir 2006

Maule Valley, Chile

Around €13.99 at good independents

Rich and smooth, this 100 per cent form the San Rafael in the Maule Valley is fermented and aged in first and second use French oak barrels for 13 months. Deep red with in colour with plum and cassis aromas. On the palate is all red cherry, spice and mint. Great, long finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Jan 10, 2010

2010-05-28T00:24:00.001+01:00

THE holiday period allowed me open some exceptional bottles of wine to share with friends and relatives.

Some were old-ish (1994), others mere babies (2009). Several were rather expensive - one set me back €140 - and some were less than €15. But they all had one thing in common - a high enjoyment quotient.

They are gone now but I still get a tingling sensation when I remember the enjoyment they brought to me and those who shared them.

But one question kept popping up at these impromptu tastings: How long will this wine keep?

The answer, in the case of over 90 per cent of wines, is they won’t - and they should have been drunk yesterday! They were made to be drunk fresh and young, certainly within two years of vintage.

I won’t be drinking any cheap and cheerful whites older than 2007 this year. The reds will be no older than 2006.

For those who have invested their hard-earned cash in a bottle or two to ‘lay down’ the quandary is: Am I pulling the cork too early, or have I left it too late?

The answer is - open the bottle. It’s all part of the excitement and enjoyment of drinking wine. I’m reminded of a saying I heard some years ago. Opening a bottle is like going on a blind date, you won’t know what it’s like until you do.

There are tickets still available for the New Zealand consumer tasting at the SAS Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8 on January 19).

Consumer tickets, at €15 each, are on sale at www.newzealandwineevents.co.uk (credit card payment accepted), To pay by cheque or postal order contact: Jean Smullen at jean@jeansmullen.com or by phone at 086 816 8468 for an application form.

With over 40 wineries showing their wines the event is thoroughly recommended.

Castelinho Lagar Dos Saraivas 2001

Douro, Portugal

€19.99 at good independent off-licences

A must-try blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa grapes. Intense ruby red colour with notes of black cherries and blackcurrants on the nose. Then hints of coffee, vanilla and licorice hit you! A big and persistent palate with those cherries and soft black fruits shining through. Perfect winter warmer with braised, stewed or roasted meats.

Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2008,

South Australia

€10.99 and widely available

A wonderful perfume of lemon, honeysuckle, melons, and herbs permeates from the glass. On the palate the tart acidity makes way for a full-bodied white with flavours of ripe apricots, citrus, and spices. Can match the heat and flavours of Mexican food and many curries.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Jan 03, 2010

2010-05-28T00:10:00.005+01:00

AS a new year begins to unfold, it’s time to make some predictions for 2010, and pray they don’t come back haunt me in the months to come!
GRAPE EXPECTATIONS: There is a buzz about Portugal’s arinto, which manages to retain great freshness even in sweltering temperatures. Zippy on the palate with a little edgy character and bundles green apple and citrus fruit flavours.
Across the border, in Spain’s Galicia region, the godello grape is causing a stir. The minerals in the hills that surround Bierzo is what makes for a great godello. The wines are delicate with lemon and wildflowers in the bouquet and a long, bracing finish. The best combine the minerality of Chablis with the acidity of sauvignon blanc.
On the red front this could well be the year that smoky, full-bodied malbec wines from Argentina move from being a good second division wine to a top first division title contender.
Chile has finally got it right with carménère, a grape that is currently a real favourite of mine. From entry level to super premium bottles it delivers with an enticing nose, great ripe red fruit flavours and wonderfully soft tannins.
COUNTRIES TO WATCH: This could be the year that the Old World kicks back against the New World - but Chile will continue to dominate the market in the good value category.
That’s a pity, because the country has much, much more to offer. Wines in their premium (around €11) and super-premium (up to €20) categories knock spots off wines from the the rest of the world that are priced appreciably more.
Argentina could also make inroads in the market here but one feels that unless they get behind a major marketing campaign they will remain very much in the shadow of near neighbours Chile. They have the wines but we just don’t hear enough about them.
I see the market share for Portugal and Spain continuing to grow. A national programme of modernisation in Portuguese wineries is finally paying off while Spain has become the home of good value wines in Europe as well as making some of the continent’s iconic wines.
Torres Viña Sol 2007
Catalonia, Spain
(Widely on promotion at around €10)
Elegant, fresh, fruity aromas with fine spicy hints from this perfect aperitif made with the parellada grape. Smooth, rich and crisp on the palate, with plenty of fruity apple and pineapple flavours with a touch of spice.
Montes Classic Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Colchagua Valley, Chile
(Around €17 and widely available)

An intense ruby red colour, the nose has caramel, cinnamon, candy and hints of mint, with plenty of fruit and some oak. A spicy, full-flavored wine, with good body, fruit and firm tannins with a lengthy finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Dec 20, 2009

2010-05-28T00:06:00.002+01:00

AS 2009 draws to a close, my wine tasting notes show I have ‘tasted’ - as opposed to ‘drunk’ - close to 2,500 wines this year.

A mixed bag of white, red, rosé, still, sparkling and fortified. From all over the world, including some unusual locations, like Jordan, Brazil, India, Luxembourg, Peru - and Ireland!

Surprisingly, compiling a top twenty list didn’t prove too ardous. Reducing that list to just three - the best of the year for this fledgling column proved a little harder.

But after much deliberation, here are my three Wines Of The Year for 2009.

Prova Regia Arinto 2008

Bucelas, Portugal

(€11.99 and now widely available)

Irish born Field Marshall Arthur Wellesley - later Duke of Wellington - helped to popularise this white wine after discovering it when staying in Bucelas, 35km north of Lisbon, during the Peninsular Wars of 1807-1814.

The micro-climate in this beautiful valley helps the grapes maintain a cool, dry crisp nature and produces a fresh and zippy wine with great acidity. With shades of a light lemon colour in the glass, there are notes of pineapple, passion fruit, limes and lemons on the palate. Chilled, it is perfect with grilled, flat fish. Wonderful alternative to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Emiliana Coyam 2006

Colchagua Valley, Chile

(Currently €16.39 and exclusive to O’Briens Wines)

A powerhouse blend of six grapes - syrah, merlot, carmenere, cabernet sauvignon, mourvedre and malbec - this is a certified organic wine, from a biodynamic vineyard, made by one of the Chile’s great winemakers, Alvaro Espinoza.

With minimal interference the wonderful terroir is allowed express itself through the hand-harvested and hand-selected grapes.

With due care during vinification, Espinoza has produced a ripe and muscular wine of exceptional quality with lush fruit - and subtle oak. It is supple in texture and persistent on the finish, tasting of blackcurrants, toast, cedar, cherry and spices.

Perrier Jouet Millesime 1998

Epernay, France

(Good independent off licences at around €51)

My splash-out wine. Dominated by Chardonnay, this classy champagne also has large dollops of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.

It has a pale yellow colour and a steady stream of bubbles. It has a nose of orange blossom, honey and brioche with hints of vanilla. The palate is rounded with yeasty and ripe citrus flavours. Lemon zest adds to a long, memorable finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Dec 13, 2009

2010-05-27T23:45:00.002+01:00

PROSECCO, once Italy’s cheap and cheerful bubbly, has had a makeover in recent years - and is proving a real hit with Irish wine lovers this Christmas.

Made with the grape of the same name, Prosecco comes from the Veneto region in Italy’s northeast, traditionally around the villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso.

Back in the swinging 1960s the drink was generally sweet - very sweet - and little was drunk outside the region where it has been made for hundreds of years.

However, with new production methods and a reduction of sugar levels, wine sales have dramatically increased annually as the export market grew.

We have taken to the wine because of its adaptability - and price. An exceptional bottle will cost you less than €29.

The wine has obvious charms. Light and fizzy, delicate and fruity are descriptions that I associate

with the modern style. It adapts well to all sorts of foods. Indeed, it goes particularly well with spicy Asian dishes.

But its as an aperitif that Prosecco has truly made its name in recent years. Record numbers of bottles will have their corks popped in Irish homes this Christmas day.

Search out bottles with either Valdobbiadene or Conegliano on the label. The wines from these two towns will be richer and more concentrated.

Wines from around Conegliano are generally softer and creamier. Those from Valdobbiadene drier and crisper.

And do remember to drink Prosecco young and never more than two years old. Salut!

La Pieve Prosecco

Veneto, Italy

On promotion at €13.99 in good wine shops

Excellent value wine from a major distributor. A very easy going wine with creamy, peach and pear fruit flavours on the palate. With just 11 per cent alcohol, it has an easy going refreshing style.

Ca’ Vive di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco

Veneto, Italy

Widely available at €14.99

Deliciously light and frothy on the palate with citrus and pear flavours. The nose has a characteristic green apple bouquet. With a crisp backbone, this Prosecco has good length in the mouth and a nice aftertaste.

Yellowtail Bubbles

Southeast Australia

(On promotion at branches of Dunnes Stores at €14.49)

Excellent, persistent bubbles with a nice tropical fruit nose with hints of lemon and biscuit. Well rounded in the mouth with an engaging freshness and palate of citrus fruits and pineapple. Good length and soft finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Dec 06, 2009

2010-05-27T23:39:00.004+01:00

WE have all heard the story. It’s the last night of a wonderful summer holiday and the happy couple head off to a little restaurant they discovered earlier for one last meal.

Everything is perfect. The table has been booked for 9pm and the weather is such that dining al fresco under the stars, with the gentle, hypnotic sound of the tide breaking on the beach, is a must.

The food is fresh and simple - vegetables, fish and breads. Then there is the wine. Local wine that proves to be a match made in heaven.

This perfect Kodak moment that will be remembered for a long time - especially after picking up a couple of bottles of those wines at a supermarket (for little or nothing) on the way to the airport.

Then, on a wet late Autumn Sunday, one of those bottles picked up in warmer times comes out of the cupboard to accompany lunch in an attempt to re-create that evening on a holiday island in the Med.

Disaster - and the wine gets most of the blame. But the bottle was there to accompany the meal and to enhance the enjoyment of the occasion.

The chemistry that made that Kodak moment so wonderful included location, the company, the weather, food and then the wine. It is hard to re-create on a wet and cold weekend in Ireland!

The synergy of local food and wines is a powerful one that has worked - locally - for generations.

Cheap wines don’t travel well. They are normally made from indigenous grapes that produce a light, fragrant, refreshing glass that loses elegance and flavour quickly. Best enjoyed where they came from.

But wines that come from the hotter parts of the continent can help lift lunch on a wet and gloomy winter Sunday with their depth of flavours.

My two recommendations today will, I believe bring a little sunshine to your weekend table
.

Casa De La Ermita Crianza 2004

Jumilla, Spain

€14.99 at good independents

Did I say sunshine? I still remember standing among the vines that carry the Monastrel grapes that make up the best part of this super blend on a July mid-day back in 2006 as the thermometer touched 45 degrees Celsius!

A dark purple red colour in the glass with a nose of ripe red cherries and some cinnamon. Nice, soft tannins with hints of oak over ripe cherries and some spice on the palate. Enjoyed best with roasted red meats.

TerreRare Carignano Riserva 2003

Sulcis, Sardinia

€18.99 at specialist wine shops

From vineyards just outside Alghero in the northern part of the Mediterranean island come this warming 100 per cent Carignano (Carignan grape in France) wine that has had 12 months in oak and the same in bottle before being released.

An intense ruby red colour with ripe raspberries accompanied by spicy notes on the nose. Rich and concentrated with strawberry flavours with a touch of vanilla. Great with a simple roasted chicken - and perfect with strong Irish red cheddar.

MIDWEEK BARGAIN BUY:

Protocolo Tinto 2007

Castilla La Mancha, Spain

Reduced to €8.99 at O’Briens Wines

Excellent 100 per cent Tempranillo making for juicy, fruity red that has a strawberry nose and palate.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Nov 29, 2009

2010-05-27T23:17:00.003+01:00

ONE of the things that I love about the wine business is the honesty of the winemakers.

Take the wonderfully named Antonio Bravo von Bischoffshausen, who makes wines for Vinedos Emiliana in Chile.

I mention Antonio - a great character and so passionate about what he does - because the Emiliana labels are probably the closest you will get to a truly organic or biodynamic bottle of wine.

But while visiting him at the winery’s flagship vineyard in Chile’s Colchagua Valley recently he said frankly that there is NO truly organic wine on the market.

And that won’t change, he said, until something else besides sulphur dioxide (SO2) is found that can do the job in the winemaking process and is approved for use by international organic organisations.

SO2 has been has been used as a preservative for 200 years. Freshly pressed grape juice has a tendency to oxidise and spoil due to contamination from bacteria wild yeasts present on grape skins.

Sulphur dioxide helps inhibit the growth of molds and bacteria, stops oxidation and preserves the wine’s natural flavour. Wines without it are very unstable.

So what passes for ‘organic wine’ is actually ‘wine made from organically grown grapes’. The sulfites are still there. A natural by-product of the fermentation process.

Most winemakers believe that to make, good, and stable, wines sulfites must be added.

Under present EU regulations, the words ‘contains sulfites’ must appear on a wine bottle label if there are more than 10 parts
per million of sulfites in the wine.

The World Health Organisation reckon about 0.4 per cent of the world population is considered ‘highly allergic’ to sulfites. The highest risk group are asthmatics - but only 5 per cent of that group are actually allergic.

For moderate wine drinkers, the average level of sulfites found wines can, at the most, cause a little heartburn.

Casa De La Ermita Crianza 2004
Jumilla, Spain
€14.99 at good independents

From the hilltop village of the same name comes this Sancerre made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes. A light straw hue in the glass with hints of pear on the nose. The palate has citrus and melon flavours. Very dry with well balanced acidity. Left field choice to match toasted marshmallows.

TerreRare Carignano Del Sulcis Riserva 2003
Sardinia
€17.99 at specialist wine shops

This Grigio (75 per cent) and Verduzzo blend has a light golden colour and a nose with hints of lime. Some minerality on the palate with lime, flint, peaches and a touch of bread yeast which adds to the wine’s depth and body. Screaming out for fish - but also a good accompaniment for cheese fondue.

MIDWEEK BARGAIN BUY:

Protocolo Tinto 2007
Marcos Eguren, is ranked in Spain's top 5 premium winemakers making some of the world's most famous wines. With Protocolo, Marcos turns his hand to making a really delightful juicy, fruity red with aromas and flavours of strawberries. Surprisingly round and enticing.
Price €8.99
Add to Basket
Country: Spain

Style: Juicy Fruity Reds

ABV: 13.0%

Vintage: 2007

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Nov 22, 2009

2010-05-27T23:15:00.000+01:00

IT never fails to amaze me how some so-called professionals in restaurants continue to serve wine - white and red - at the wrong temperature.
On too many occasions the whites arrive at the table too cold while the reds shiver - or sweat - in their bottles.
As scarves and gloves come out of for the chilly months ahead our favourite whites tend to take a back seat. So serving those heart-warming reds at the right temperature becomes crucial. And sometimes they need to be even slightly chilled!
Serving a wine at the right temperature helps release its bouquet of aromas. It will evolve in the glass and all those characteristic flavours, depending on the grape variety, become more pronounced.
You have bought your favourite bottle of wine to taste all those wonderful flavours so why now mask them by serving it too hot or cold?
Uncorking a bottle of red and letting it sit for an hour does absolutely nothing for the wine. The narrow bottleneck sees to that. It prevents too little air getting at the wine to open it out. Swirling the wine in the glass after pouring it helps aeration. Don’t swirl for more than a minute or two.
Room temperature at this time of the year can mean up go 20 degrees Celsius or more. That’s too hot for even the heartiest of reds. So don’t be afraid to chill your reds slightly.
The best way to chill a wine is in a bucket of ice and water. Rich, intense and spicy reds are best served at 17-18 degrees Celsius, medium to light bodied reds at 15-16 degrees, and juicy and fruity reds at around 12 degrees.
My two wine selections today - which will go wonderfully well with Rachel’s egg-based dishes - should be chilled. The Sauvignon blanc down to 9 degrees and the Beaujolais at 12.

Quando Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Robertson Valley, South Africa
Good Independent Off Licences at €14.99

This medium-bodied, well-structured wine has a wonderful flinty dimension on the palate with gooseberry and lemon flavours and hints of pineapple and peaches. A lingering finish to this award-winning wine makes it one of the best New World Sauvignons.

Joseph Drouhin Fleurie Beaujolais 2007
Burgundy, France
Good Independent Off Licences at around €17.99

A slightly chilled Beaujolais works perfectly with eggs. Made with the Gamay grape, this light to medium bodied top cru from the Fleurie region has good acidity and modest tannins. Nice cherry and raspberry flavours with earthy hints of spice.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Nov 15, 2009

2010-05-27T23:13:00.001+01:00

CHARDONNAY and Pinot Noir are regarded as loners in the world of wine.
They have what it takes to make exceptional wines without a partner. Most other grapes can do with a friend or two in the bottle.
The blending process can bring out the best in the art of the winemaker, but why do they do it in the first place?
The simpler answer is that they blend wine made from different grape varieties in order to add more complexity to the flavour and texture of a wine.

The exercise can also lower or raise acidity levels, adjust the sweetness of a wine, correct a wine with too much oak flavour and raise or lower levels of tannin.

Many of the world’s most famous wines are blends.

Champagne is largely made up of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Bordeaux normally sees Cabernet Sauvignon and or Merlot along with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

The rationale here is that Merlot softens the wine, Cabernet Sauvignon adds the necessary structure; Cabernet Franc deepens the colour and some complexity while Petite Verdot brings some aromatic characteristics to the table.

And then there is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, from France’s southern Rhone region, where up to 13 grape varieties can appear in the one bottle!

These blends are made from classic recipes handed down from generation to generation.

Vintners in Australia and Chile have created new blends - Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon springs to mind - in an attempt to produce a new and exciting wines.

The older wine producing nations - like our recommendations from Portugal and Italy today -
have also embraced blending international grapes with indigenous varieties with great success.

Like Ireland, these nations are currently in the midst of their hunting season with the best wildfowl and venison now available.

These wines are a perfect match for these seasonal treats - but will just as easily accompany a traditional Sunday roast.

Pieve de’ Pitti Appunto 2008
Tuscany, Italy
Good Independent Off Licences at €14.99
Sergio Gargari is fast becoming my favourite producer of affordable Tuscan wines. This blend of Sangiovese and Merlot grapes has wonderful jammy aromas with a soft, well-rounded palate of red cherries summer fruits.

Fiuza Premium 2007
Ribatejano, Portugal
Good Independent Off Licences at €14.99
Touriga Nacional is a criminally underrated grape. Here it adds colour along with spicy and chocolate notes on the palate to its Cabernet Sauvignon partner. Seductive blackberry nose making way for a beguiling and complex taste.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Nov 08, 2009

2010-05-27T23:11:00.002+01:00

THE story of the Carménère grape is worthy of the big screen.

It all but disappeared from its ancestral home in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, wiped out by the phylloxera bug which devastated vines right across Europe in the mid 1800s.

Then it was re-discovered in Chile - but was called Chilean Merlot because the winemakers were unsure what variety it was. They were also a little unsure how to cultivate it.

So when they realised it was Carménère and launched it in Ireland in 1998 to much fanfare it wasn’t well received.

The wines were ‘green’ because the fruit had been picked too early and had not ripened enough. Now, a decade on, Chile has mastered the grape and is producing great wines from it.

Carménère is the most friendly of grapes. Indeed it is the kind of grape that wants to be friends with everyone.

It wraps itself around the winemaker and tells him he is a great mixer and so it makes great partners in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The grape is also capable of making the most approachable young wines and its friendly characteristics means it is set to seduce many new fans over the coming months.

Carménère has a deep red colour with fine aromas of soft red fruits and some spices and berries. Round in the mouth, it has light tannins which make it a wonderfully easy drinker with flavours of cherries and some earthy notes.

And while best drunk young, grapes from older vines can make wines that are well structured with big tannins and flavours. When blended with other grapes its adds great colour and roundness and that softness in the mouth.

Chile won may plaudits at the recent Irish Wine Awards and my two wines this week won the medals in the New World Under €8 category.

They really would be crowd pleasers at a childrens’ party allowing stressed out parents and their adult guests enjoy good wines that won’t break the bank.

Gato Negro Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Central Valley, Chile
€7.99 and widely available.
An intense red in the glass with ripe blackberry and black currant aromas. Gentle tannins balance the soft fruit palate and surprisingly long finish. Perfect with those meaty party nibbles.

Antares Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Central Valley, Chile
€7.99 and widely available.
A nice pale lemon colour with hints of mint, melon and pineapple on the nose. The palate is soft and fruity with a medium body and a well balanced acidity. Perfect with fish, salads or chicken.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Nov 01, 2009

2010-05-27T23:10:00.002+01:00

Pinot Noir is the grape that winemakers love to hate.
It demands complete attention during the growing season, craving warm days and cool evenings.
The grapes are susceptible to almost every affliction known to attack vines, and can shrivel up and die in heavy Spring frosts.
And if not picked promptly when mature, the thin-skinned fruit can quickly dry out.
Pinot is also one of the most difficult grapes to ferment, and those thin skins means colour retention is always a worry.
Yet when all of these distractions are overcome, it can deliver the most sensuous, velvety wines.
One winemaker described Pinot as ‘the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic.’
The spiritual home of Pinot Noir is France’s Burgundy region where a well made wine can have aromas of soft summer fruits - raspberries, cherries and strawberries - along with damp earth, violets, mushrooms, clove and cinnamon.
Traditional Burgundy is also famous for its keynote, farmyard aromas and tends to be full-bodied and rich but not heavy or high in alcohol, with great flavour but without too much acidity or tannins, with a soft, velvety texture.
But being so temperamental, good Pinot from this region can be very expensive.
However, New Zealand, Chile and Australia are producing some excellent Pinots these days at much more affordable prices.
These tend to be lighter, more fruit forward style wines, which still manage to capture the essence and flavours of this noble grape.
These rich, fruity New World wines go perfectly well with poultry and cold meats and soft cheeses - but are a match made in heaven for the earthy, robust nature of game and the accompanying rich stocks.

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2007
Central Valley, Chile
Widely available at €9.99 or under
Best value entry level Pinot available in Ireland. Rich fruit notes of cherry, raspberry, plum and strawberry on the nose. Soft, summer fruit flavours on the palate with subtle smoked hints. Soft tannins and texture with good length.

Westbrook Pinot Noir 2006
Marlborough, New Zealand
€14.99 in good independent off-licences
Bright and deep in colour. The nose has embellished with dark stone fruits aromas, with a vibrant floral lift. The palate is refined, with delicate layers of fruit and oak, leaving a lingering and elegant mineral finish.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Oct 25, 2009

2010-05-27T23:09:00.000+01:00

WHILE December 21 officially marks the start of Winter, for most of us the ritual of turning back the clock last night signals its arrival.

It has become something of a tradition in our house to use the ‘extra hour’ today to take most of the white wines off the rack until the Spring.

They will be replaced by big, beefy, heart-warming reds. The kind of wines that will sit nicely beside, and work wonderfully well, with casseroles and stews.

The colder months ahead also offers the opportunity to try something new, a chance to get away from those overly fruity, gluggable Summer wines.

Cabernets, Rhone reds, beefy Australian Shiraz and concentrated Pinots from Burgundy are all traditional classic winter warmers.

But there are alternatives out there, grape varieties and bottles that won’t break the bank and see you through the colder days ahead.

I’m thinking Malbecs from Argentina, Grenache from the south of France, and Spain’s Tempranillo. Now is the time to try them.

Malbec produces concentrated wines with lush, fat fruit flavours.
Grenache from the south of France can deliver a bagful of flavours - blackcurrants, cherries, pepper, coffee and spices – while a lush texture and soft fruit palate - blackberries, mulberries and raspberries - characterises Tempranillo.

They are also great wines to have around to have around next Saturday to celebrate Halloween. Perfect to keep out the cold around the bonfire.

Don David Malbec 2007
Mendoza, Argentina
€11.99 in good independent off-licences
Concentrated flavours of dark, spicy fruits, with aromas of raisins and vanilla notes. Well balanced, with an attractive aftertaste due to its round and full ripe tannins. Ideal with spicy foods and roasted, grilled or BBQ red meats.

Domaine Cristia VdeP Grenache 2007
Southern Rhone, France
€11.49 from Superquinn
 There is a comforting sweetness to this wine. Nice herb and spice hints underpin a plummy richness. The wine is an ‘easy drinker’ with nicely rounded tannins with enough weight to accompany food or just for enjoying the festive bonfire.

Protocolo Tinto 2008
Catalyud, France
€8.99 from O’Brien’s Wines
Best value red wine for some years now. A 100 per cent Tempranillo with smoky, chocolate aromas and a ripe palate of cherry and spices. Amazing wine, amazing price.

Irish Mail On Sunday WIne Column - Oct 18, 2009

2010-05-27T23:00:00.000+01:00

CHOOSING a wine to have with the Sunday dinner used to be so simple. There was one rule: white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat.

Most of us don’t just eat meat and two veg these days. We are more adventurous. The cuisines of India, China, Mexico, Italy and France have become a familiar part of our diets.

The same goes for the wines we drink. In just a decade or so we have consciously moved away from the reds and whites of France.

Now bottles from Australia, California and Chile - the New World - are more likely to be on the table next to the roast, or chow mein.

The choice is vast, as are the grape varieties and wine styles. It can be a little intimidating and brings some food and wine matching problems.

The easiest solution is to note whether each dish is sweet, acidic or bitter and choose your wines accordingly.

The tannins in red wines can make them slightly bitter and they work well with roasts and steak.

Acidic food types? Think lemon juice sprinkled over your fish and you’ll get the idea.

White wines have varying degrees of acidity depending on the grape variety, but most will have the ability to complement the taste of the food.

Desserts are simple. Serve a sweet wine.

Another rule of thumb would be drink the wines that match the cuisine - Italian wines with Italian food, French wines with French food and so on.

And that brings me to Spain and Rachel’s wonderful recipes today for Tapas.

In the south of Spain they tend to drink a glass of Fino or Manzanilla sherry with these tasty treats. An excellent choice.

But up north, in San Sebastian, it is Rioja - red and white - and they are my ideal matches for these dishes.

Campo Viejo Crianza 2005/6,

Rioja, Spain

€10.99, widely available

Medium-bodied red made from Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo grapes. Intense ruby red colour with aromas of strawberries and vanilla and a fruit forward style with hints of oak. Perfect with Paella, that Sunday roast, casseroles, beef and farmhouse cheeses. Excellent with foods with tomato-based sauces.

Marques de Cacares Blanco 2008

Rioja, Spain

€12.99, widely available

Hints of pears, apples and citrus fruits on the nose from this white made entirely from Viura grapes. Clean and lively on the palate with nice, crisp acidity. Excellent aperitif. Goes well with shellfish, grilled white fish, light rice and pasta dishes.

RIOJA - THE 'REAL' STORY

2010-05-27T12:59:00.002+01:00

FOUND this intriguing story through a link on my twitter page (www.twitter.com/winechat). It was written by a Spanish wine enthusiast.

Setting the record straight May 25, 2010

Last Sunday night I organized a dinner with a group of visiting Canadians with María José López de Heredia from R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia. María José, ever the engaging speaker, treated the group to an enlightening lecture about the 133 year history of her company.

Everyone knows that after phylloxera attacked French vineyards towards the end of the 19th century, French winery owners came to Rioja in search of wine. If you read about this period of history in wine books, it was the Bordeaux wine trade that came here. María José, however, claimed that after extensive research into records in her winery and others in Rioja, it was discovered that most of the French wineries were from Alsace because Rioja wineries were producing white, rather than red wine.

Surprised? I certainly was. María José explained that in the 19th century, more white wine than red was made and consumed in Rioja, and consequently white was taxed at a higher rate.

Did you ever wonder why red wine in Spanish is called tinto (tinted) instead of rouge (red) as in French or negre (black) as in Catalán? According to María José, most red wines in Rioja in the 19th century were whites that were ‘tinted’ with red wine to pay lower taxes! While some reds were produced and exported to Bordeaux, according to historical records, most Rioja was white and shipped to Alsace.

In fact, in the 19th century, doctors recommended consumption of white wine for health reasons because the tannins in red were believed to be harmful.

I think it’s fascinating that María José hired an ethnographer to study the winery archives to set the record straight. I’m sure that because of this research, other interesting facts will come to light about the history of Rioja.

WILL WE FOLLOW SUIT?

2010-05-23T23:55:00.000+01:00

NOW that the new British coalition government has decided to ban
'below cost' alcohol sales - backed by Tesco and other supermarkets -
will the Irish government follow suit?

Tesco – the third largest retailer in the world and the UK's biggest –
said in a press release that it 'welcomed the commitment' as part of
the new government's raft of measures to cut down on alcohol abuse.

Sainsbury's, the UK's third-largest retailer, said it disagreed with
minimum pricing and did not sell alcohol below cost.

2010-05-22T22:17:00.001+01:00

WELCOME TO WINENOW

2010-05-22T20:43:00.002+01:00

May 22, 2010.

This, old and new friends, is my THIRD attempt at a blog. This time I promise to be a little more disciplined and file a little more regularly!

I have a bunch of notes from recent trips (National wine competition in Santarem, Portugal and the LIWF at Excel in London's East End) and will be posting them shortly with pictures. Bear with me and drop back next week.

NEWS FROM WINE NOW

2008-01-31T01:54:00.000Z