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Cavas Novas Vinho Verde 2014, Portugal

Posted by on March 11, 2016
Cavas Novas Vinho Verde 2014, Portugal

IMG_4459Cavas Novas Vinho Verde 2014, Portugal
Around €14.50

Lively lemon and pear fruits with a touch of citrus pith. Lovely weight of fruit with a bit of depth, and a crisp dry finish. Drink as an aperitif or with lighter seafood dishes.

Oysters or mussels cooked with a drop of the same wine and plenty of parsley?

Arriving shortly in Ireland. Look out for it in independent wine shops.

Time was when most Vinho Verde was light, fizzy and sweet. Not any more; over the last five years, the region has transformed itself and now produces wines that compare favourably with Rías Baixas just over the border in Spain. Alvarinho is the most obvious comparison, but Arinto, Loureiro and Avesso can all produce fresh zippy wines with lovely mouth-watering plump fruits.

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Sa de Baixo 2014, Douro, Portugal

Posted by on March 11, 2016
Sa de Baixo 2014, Douro, Portugal

Sa-de-Baixo-Colheita-510x1060Sa de Baixo 2014, Douro, Portugal
€13.50

Succulent ripe red fruits with a smooth tannin-free finish. Light harmonious and very quaffable.

A good all-rounder to drink by itself or with white meats – creamy chicken with pasta sounds good.

Available from Redmond’s Ranelagh, On the Grapevine Dalkey, Red Island Wine Co Skerries, 64 Wine Glasthule, Blackrock Cellar, Wicklow Wine Co., Morton’s Ranelagh, McHugh’s kilbarrack & Malahide Road, Power Wine Merchants Lucan.

The Douro Valley is better known for Port. This stunningly beautiful region is responsible for one of the world’s great fortified wines, but also offers some amazing red (and even white) wines. It all depends on where the vineyards are located and which direction they are facing. The cooler vineyards make some very tasty wines. Sadly the best are expensive – everything has to be done by hand here, but every now and again you come across a real bargain. This has been one of my go to value reds for a few years now.

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Graf Josef Grüner Veltliner 2013, Niederösterreich, Austria

Posted by on February 26, 2016
Graf Josef Grüner Veltliner 2013, Niederösterreich, Austria

IMG_1624Graf Josef Grüner Veltliner 2013, Niederösterreich, Austria
12.5%
€14.99

Available from Donnybrook Fair; Gibneys, Malahide; Hole in the Wall, D7; Market 57, Westport; No.21 Off licences; Coopers, Cahir; Shannon Knights, Limerick.

Light and refreshing with peaches and grapefruit zest, finishing bone dry. Great on its own or with fish and lighter white meats.

I was a little concerned by the vintage when I received this sample; however, the Graf Josef was showing no signs of fading away. In fact, I tried the 2009 vintage at a recent tasting and t was still very much together. This is, I think, the least expensive Grüner Veltliner on the market, and in most vintages, it offers great value.

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Lidl Chianti Classico Riserva 2009

Posted by on February 26, 2016
Lidl Chianti Classico Riserva 2009

Image 1Lidl Chianti Classico Riserva 2009
€10.49

Available from Lidl.

Supple soft red cherry fruits and a tannin-free finish. Simple easy-drinking all-purpose wine.

Chianti usually falls into one of three categories; the first covers most of the cheap versions. These are acidic, scrawny, nasty and undrinkable. Then there is the second category, usually but not always from the posher sub-region of Chianti Classico. These are sublime wines, with lifted dark cherries, good acidity and plenty of tannins. They are great with red meat and game. They are also expensive; expect to pay €20 and more; a lot more for the very best. The third category covers a small group of wines that are soft and supple with lush sweet ripe fruits. They don’t taste very like Chianti, which tends to have high acidity. Nor do they have the complexity of a top Chianti Classico. But they are very gluggable on a Wednesday night. The Lidl version is a part of this grouping; inexpensive and light with very easy rounded fruits. For €10.49, you can’t really go wrong.

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Golden Valley Grasevina 2014 Pozega Valley, Slavonija, Croatia

Posted by on February 19, 2016
Golden Valley Grasevina 2014 Pozega Valley, Slavonija, Croatia

Image 3Golden Valley Grasevina 2014
Pozega Valley, Slavonija, Croatia
13%

€14.79 from Marks & Spencer

Floral, with unusual but attractive spicy melon fruits, good acidity and a clean finish. Interesting well-made wine. Drink on its own, or with herby fish dishes.

This wine is made from the Grasevina grape, the Croatian name for Welschriesling. You may not have heard of it, but it is widely grown across central Europe, the Balkans, and Italy. It is typically used to make sweet wine, but can make very gluggable dry white wines too.

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Porteno Malbec 2015, Bodegas Norton, Mendoza

Posted by on February 19, 2016
Porteno Malbec 2015, Bodegas Norton, Mendoza

IMG_1604Porteno Malbec 2015, Bodegas Norton, Mendoza
14%

Available from O’Briens for €10.95 for the month of February

This is a really tasty wine, relatively powerful, and rippling with layers of dark fruit. No oak and no tannins; just a big mouthful of pure supple fruit. At less than €11 for the month of February, this is a real bargain.

Argentina is famous for it’s Malbec. Fragrant, rich and powerful, the wines provide a perfect match for all of these barbequed ribs, steaks and other pieces of smoky charred protein. Cheapskate that I am, I often prefer the less oaky, less extracted mid-priced versions. There is some good inexpensive Malbec around too. The Aldi Exquisite Collection Malbec is worth checking out. It isn’t as good as the Porteño though. This is made by Norton, one of my favourite producers in Argentina.

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Prova Regia 2013, Arinto, VR Lisboa, Portugal

Posted by on February 12, 2016
Prova Regia 2013, Arinto, VR Lisboa, Portugal

IMG_1562Prova Regia 2013, Arinto, VR Lisboa, Portugal
13%
€13.95

Stocked by a large number of independent wine shops and off-licences.

I have been enjoying this wine on and off for many years. Plump tropical fruits with pineapples and peaches, and a good fine crisp acidity. If you are tiring a little of Sauvignon Blanc, this is the perfect replacement. Drink on its own, or with fish. Arinto is widely grown in various regions of Portugal. The grapes retain a good acidity even in hot climates.

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Andreza Reserva 2013, Douro, Portugal 13.5%

Posted by on February 12, 2016
Andreza Reserva 2013, Douro, Portugal 13.5%

Image 21Andreza Reserva 2013, Douro, Portugal 13.5%
€13.99 from Wines on the Green, Red Island Skerries, Blackrock Cellars, McCabes, Martins Fairview.

Made from local grape varieties (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz) this is a very well-priced wine that will go down perfectly with red or white meat dishes. Spicy dark fruits with good acidity, some vanilla oak and a good dry lightly tannic finish.

If you ever take the Ryanair flight to Porto for a long weekend, be sure to take a trip up the Douro valley. Car is probably the easiest means of transport but if you have time, train or boat will add atmosphere. The Douro is an incredibly steep valley with breathtaking landscapes and ancient vineyard terraces dug into the slopes. These vineyards are mainly used to make Port, the drink unfairly blamed for causing our worst hangovers. These days producers are increasingly making very good table wine, such as the Andreza Reserva above.

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