Wilson on Wines

Madly expensive or sold by the jug: the extremes of US wine

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First published in the Irish Times, Saturday, November 18th, 2017

US president Donald Trump doesn’t drink alcohol, which may explain a lot, but what wine will he serve to guests at his Thanksgiving dinner? Quite possibly his own, from the Trump Winery in Virginia which is run by his son Eric. I have never tasted the wines and I understand they are not available in Doonbeg, at his hotel in Co Clare, so we will have to look elsewhere for our Thanksgiving wines.

As political commentators bemoan the lack of a middle ground in US politics, they are only reflecting what wine critics have been saying about American wine for years. To borrow another political term, it is not so much a squeezed middle but the absence of one. Wisdom has it that the US (for which read California) delivers very well at the top end, with a range of high-end wines, usually rich, powerful Napa Valley Cabernets, costing anything from €80-€300. The Golden State is also well represented at entry level with bucket loads of inexpensive jug wines that constitute a surprising 7 per cent of the Irish market. And between the two extremes? Very little up to now, with only a few wines less than €50, and virtually nothing in the key €10-€20 range. This may be about to change.

On a trip to California earlier this year, a local sommelier lined up an amazing series of wines, featuring everything from Gamay to Ribolla Gialla, all in that elusive middle price range. The reason we haven’t often seen them here before is simple. California, with almost 40 million inhabitants, is happy to lap up all that is on offer.

However, at €20, or a little more, you can find a decent range of wines in Ireland. Marks & Spencer probably has the best range of inexpensive American wines including New York, Oregon and California. The Underwood Pinot Noir for €20.50 is pretty good as is the Shiraz below. O’Briens have a new range of Californians on their shelves, and JNwine has always had a very good range from the US.

California and Oregon further north produce very good Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The best come in at around €50, hardly give-away, but certainly competitive against similar wines from elsewhere.

The two Love wines below are from an urban winery in Berkeley, the home of alternative America. Two delicious liberal wines with which to celebrate Thanksgiving? I am sure we will be talking turkey again in the coming weeks, but if you are celebrating Thanksgiving Day, the traditional bird is a great way to show off your best red or white wines. Try to avoid anything too tannic, but a rich white wine, or a soft red of any kind will do very nicely, as will all of the wines below.

Murphy Goode Chardonnay 2015, California 13.5%, €17.95

Medium-bodied with plump ripe peach and pear fruits, and a hint of smoky oak. Perfect with turkey and pumpkin pie. Stockists: O’Briens

Marks & Spencer Paso Robles Shiraz 2015, California 14%, €15

Rich and rounded with smooth dark fruits and a touch of vanilla oak.
Stockists: Marks & Spencer

Love White 2015, Broc Cellars, Berkeley, California 13.5%, €25

Really enjoyable off-beat wine with luscious concentrated pinepapples, lemon and peaches. Stockists: Green Man Wines; The Corkscrew; 64 Wines.

Love Red 2015, Broc Cellars, Berkeley, California 13%, €27

Made from an eclectic blend of Carignan, Valdigue and Syrah. Juicy and lively with lots of liquorice and dark fruits too. Medium-bodied wine with real character and style. Stockists: Green Man Wines; The Corkscrew; 64 Wines.

Tags: Broc Cellars, California Wine, Love Red, Love White, Marks & Spencer Paso Robles Shiraz, Murphy Goode Chardonnay

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Rioja Reserva: Four fine frugal bottles for special occasions

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First publisjed in The Irish Times, Saturday November 11th, 2017

Having a roast of lamb this weekend? Or turkey on Thanksgiving? Our favourite wine to go with celebratory dinners is Rioja, and not just any Rioja. In Ireland it must be a Rioja Reserva. However, they range in price from €9 to more than €50, so what should we buy?

It used to be simple. There were only three kinds of Rioja: Crianza, which had been aged in oak barrels and then in bottle for a little while; Reserva, which had gone though the same process but for a longer period; and Gran Reserva, which had spent a very long time in both barrel and bottle before being released. The theory was simple, too; Rioja came ready-aged, so there was no need to wait before drinking it. It was smooth, rounded and soft. And we loved it.

Things became more complicated as a generation of young Turks decided to make more modern, youthful international wines with plush, rich, dark fruits. Then, as those young Turks aged, a new generation came forward, making lighter, fresher wines, often made from single vineyards and frequently with low levels of sulphur. All of these producers simply put the word cosecha (vintage) on the back label. It was confusing for some, and that may be why a great many Irish consumers stuck to buying Reserva when they wanted something special. It has become our go-to wine when we want to splash out.

The term “reserva” simply means the wine has been aged for a minimum of one year in oak barrels, and at least 24 months in bottle. Start off with a great wine, age it quality oak, you should end up with a sublime, mature, smooth, complex wine. Poor-quality wine aged in poor-quality oak will only get worse.

Each of the multiples will have an inexpensive Rioja Reserva. Aldi and Lidl both have one at €8.99 – see below for the Lidl version, but both are perfectly drinkable. Tempting as cheap Reservas are, at less than €15, I would go for a Crianza instead; they tend to have a bit more fruit. At the moment the multiples seem to be promoting Cune Crianza at €10-€11 a bottle, which is good value, although it may have returned to €15 by the time you read this. The majority of the best-known Rioja Reservas are grouped around the €22-€25 mark, periodically marked down to about €15-€18.

Rioja Reserva is a great choice if you are looking for a wine to serve at a celebration. It is one of the food-friendliest wines, great with white and red meats. In Rioja, they love their lamb; chops grilled on a barbecue, cooked slowly with beans (their version of Irish stew, I guess), lamb shanks or simply a roast.

FOUR TO FORAGE FOR

Cepa Lebrel Rioja Reserva 13.5% €8.99

Light, smooth black cherry fruits overlaid with sweet vanilla.

Stockist: Lidl

Cune Rioja Crianza 2103 13.5%, €10-€11

Medium-bodied blackcurrant fruits, with spice and tobacco. Great value on promotion.

Stockists: Tesco, SuperValu, Dunnes Stores and others.

Conde Valdemar Rioja Reserva 2010 13.5%, €17.50

Enticing elegant smooth black cherry fruits with a spicy note. An award-winning Rioja Reserva.

Stockists: Widely available from independent off-licences.

Rafael López de Heredia, Viña Bosconia 2005 Rioja Reserva 13.5%, €31

Magnificent wine: red cherries, strawberries, an earthiness and lovely mineral backbone.

Stockists: World Wide Wines; Blackrock Cellars; Green Man Wines; 64 Wines.

Tags: Conde de Valdema Rioja Reserva, CUNE Rioja, Lopez de Heredia, Rioja Reserva

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All-purpose red wines that will go with just about everything

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday November 4th, 2017

This week let’s take another look at what I call wet Wednesday wines; red wines, this being winter, that you don’t have to think about too much, but will cheer you up and make a midweek dinner taste that little bit better. Last Saturday I covered the multiples; today, our independent wine shops and off-licences.

The problem with independents is they are so, well, independent. Each has its own individual way of working and its own favourite wines that obviously work for its customers, too. It makes for a fascinating range of wines, usually hand-picked bottles with real character, but sadly too often not available anywhere else in the country.

Our independent wine shops have changed; while some off-licences remain resolutely traditional, many of the wine retailers now stock a much more quirky, eclectic range of wines. Quite a few of them morph into wine bars at certain times of the day or night as well.

For this week’s wines, I emailed 10 wine shops and off-licences around the country and then added in a few of my own current favourites. Most of the responses included a handful of Italian reds, a Nero d’Avola from Sicily, a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or a Valpolicella. All of these tick boxes. If you ever find yourself in a restaurant not knowing what wine to pick, these are fairly reliable all-purpose reds that will cover just about everything on the menu. Every region of Italy has a local quaffing wine. In days past they were drunk instead of water, often at every meal. With modern wine-making, most taste a lot better than they did 20 years ago. If I ever opened a bistro or restaurant, all of these wines would be in the running for my house wines. They are fruity, crowd-pleasing wines that go perfectly with most dishes. Gabriel Cooney of Grapevine in Dalkey put it nicely when talking about his Poggerissi below: ‘it is a wine to drink when you can’t decide what you want: simple, approachable, great value and hits the spot every time’.

The wines below are all €12-€13, possibly more than you normally pay for your midweek wine. However, you should notice a big jump in quality compared to a bottle costing €8-€10. The winemaker is probably getting 50 per cent or more for a wine at this price.

SIYPS, which stands for sommeliers in your pockets, is a newly created online site where you can buy wines selected by a team of experienced sommeliers. Check out siyps.com. While on the subject of innovative wine retailers, a big shout-out for Dave Gallagher and his team in Green Man Wines in Terenure for their Best Wine Award from Georgina Campbell.

FOUR FINE WINTER WARMERS

Madregale 2016, Rosso Terre di Chieti 12.5%, €11.95

Light fresh juicy cherry fruits and light tannins. This is very good everyday drinking and great value for money; a great all-purpose wine to drink by itself, or with most foods. Tomato-based pasta dishes sounds good.

Stockists: Avoca; Blackrock Cellars; Fallon & Byrne; Le Caveau; Listons; MacGuinness Wines; Green Man Wines; World Wide Wines.

Ciello Rosso Nero d’Avola 2016, IGT Terre Siciliane 12.5%, €12.95

Light and fresh with delicious dark plum fruits and a supple finish. As with the Madregale, you could drink it by itself or with all sorts Of dishes; just avoid anything too robust. Pizza?

Stockists: Le Caveau; Baggot Street Wines; The Garden Shop (Ballymaloe); Blackrock Cellars; Bradleys; The Corkscrew; Fallon & Byrne; Listons; Green Man Wines; 64 Wines; World Wide Wines.

Poggerissi Rosso 2016, Rosso di Toscana 13%, €11.95

A lovely glassful of smooth supple juicy ripe cherry fruit. This is a real steal, a wine that has been one of my favourite wines for years. Another “house wine” that will go well with most white meats and lighter red meats, too. Creamy chicken and mushroom pie.

Grapevine; Liston’s; Poppy Seed and Morton’s, Galway; Cabot & Co, Westport.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015 Le Salare, Fratelli Barba 12%, €12.95-€13.50

Another “house wine” in the Wilson household. I defy anyone to dislike this. Light refreshing toothsome pure dark plums, with subtle spice and a soft finish. Chicken or pork.

Stockists: Sheridans Cheesemongers (all shops); Lettercollum Kitchen Project; Clontarf Wines.

Tags: Ciello Rosso, Italy red wine, Le Salare, Madregale 2015, Pogerisso Rosso

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Warming red wines for wet Wednesdays

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 28th October, 2017

It is a dark, wet Wednesday evening, when the damp seems to creep in to every bone in your body. Your partner comes in looking weary after another hard day in the office. You know you don’t drink on a Wednesday, but this evening circumstances seem to dictate otherwise. The aromas of a freshly baked lasagne or a herb-scented warming stew seem to demand that you open a bottle of red wine. And so, over dinner, you have one glass, maybe two, of a simple, easy-drinking red, and the world seems a slightly better place.

We are not looking at wines that will have you searching for superlatives, but we do want a wine that tastes of something and will offer a little interest. Most really cheap wines are fine but boring. They taste as if they been manipulated by a team of winemakers to cover over any faults, leaving a medium-bodied, slightly sweet, rounded red wine with slightly confected fruit. And they have. They are drinkable but bland and a little boring.

Sadly, post-financial crisis, most prices at the cellar door are beginning to increase a little. So whereas once you could find plenty of interesting wines at that magical €9.99, most seem to have crept up in price. This week I walked into four of our biggest retailers and bought a bottle of red wine in the €10-€13 range. It is impossible to keep up with the ever-changing prices in supermarkets, so some of these wines may cost less (or more ) by the time you read this. But all should be safely within the €10-€13 price bracket and maybe even less.

The Pinot Noir from SuperValu is light enough to drink alongside salmon or tuna, but would also go nicely with chicken and pork dishes. It featured as a party wine a few weeks back as well. The Chianti from Lidl has a little more body and would be more at home with lighter pasta dishes or pizza. You could match the Malbec with a steak but it would also drink well with lasagne or stew and other midweek dishes. The Cairanne is the most full-bodied and would be a good match for grilled lamb or beef.

On a related topic I wonder what will happen to supermarket wines if and when minimum pricing is brought in. If the selling price of a €6 bottle of wine is artificially increased to €8, will they continue to sell the same wine at an increased price and with a vastly inflated profit margin, or will they source a better wine?

In the meantime here are my wet Wednesday reds from the supermarkets. Next week, four bottles in the same price bracket from a few independent retailers.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2014, Fortezza dei Colli
14%, €10.99

Smooth easy red cherry fruits with a lift of acidity to keep it fresh, a hit of vanilla and a nice bite on the tail end. Perfect with lasagne.
Stockists: Lidl

Cairanne 2016, Domaine de La Belle Estelle
14.5%, €10.99

From the southern Rhône valley, a swarthy, powerful, meaty red wine with burly dark fruits sprinkled with spice. A genuine winter warmer.
Stockists: Aldi

Tesco Finest Argentina Malbec 2015
13.5% €12 (€9 on promotion)

Medium to full-bodied with perfumed, juicy dark fruits, all loganberry and plums with a very nicely rounded, soft finish.
Stockists: Tesco

Pinot Noir La Petite Perrière 2015, Saget, Vin de France
12.5%, €10.99 (€9 on promotion or three for €25)

A very friendly, medium-bodied red with soft, sweet, succulent dark cherry fruits, finishing with a flourish.
Stockists: SuperValu

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Where to find great value Prosecco

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 21st October, 2017

Worried you might be getting a Prosecco smile? It has been a tough few months for our favourite sparkling wine, with dentists in the UK recently warning that the deadly combination of sweetness, acidity and fizz could lead to a row of rotten teeth and receding gums.

All sparkling wines, including Champagne, are high in acidity and most of them have a decent dose of sugar too. It is true that some Prosecco are sweeter, but possibly it is simply a victim of its success.

Prosecco has been going through a decade-long boom, taking market share from rosé, less expensive Champagne and other sparkling wines. We like it in cocktails, either as a Bellini or Aperol spritzer. But really, we love Prosecco because it is so easy to drink. Floral and full of ripe pear fruits, it is far more palatable than austere sparkling wines such as Champagne and Cava. It has become our favourite party drink, frothy, fruity and fun.

But the smartest trick Prosecco producers pulled was removing some of the fizz from their wine. Excise duty on a standard bottle of sparkling wine is a massive €7.80 a bottle including VAT, double that of a still wine. A frizzante Prosecco, which has less fizz, and comes in a screw cap or driven cork, is classified as a still wine, and so can be sold at a much cheaper price. A spumante has the full quota of bubbles and a mushroom-shaped cork enclosed in wire.

All Prosecco is made from the Glera grape and comes from a single region in north-west Italy. Entry level is labeled DOC, simply meaning it comes from that region. Bottles with DOCG on the label come from the smaller mountainous region of Conegliano Valdobbiadene (try saying that after a few glasses!) and should be of higher quality.

So where does the value lie with Prosecco? All of the multiples offer inexpensive versions. The SuperValu Grifon frizzante is super-cheap when promoted down to €9 a bottle and a real crowd-pleaser. The Tesco Finest Prosecco (€17.99) is fresh, fruity and not too sweet, and O’Briens have the very smart Rizzardi Spumante. The Aldi Extra Dry DOCG is inexpensive (€12.79) and great value for money. I hear Aldi will be selling magnums, and double magnums of Prosecco (which are great for parties) from November 4th onwards.

If you are genuinely worried about your teeth (remember the story appeared in August, when real news is in short supply) and your health, here are three tips: firstly don’t drink too much – fizzy drinks go to your head much quicker than still; nibble on food as you drink, and don’t brush your teeth for a few hours afterwards. Otherwise, enjoy.

Grifon Prosecco Frizzante DOC, NV
11.5%, €11.99 promoted down to €9

This is classic inexpensive Prosecco, lightly fizzy and full of canned pears and fruit-drops. Serve chilled solo as a party wine (add a few fresh raspberries for a splash of colour) or as a base in all sorts of cocktails. Stockists: SuperValu

Casa Belfi Prosecco Colfondo Frizzante NV
10.5%, €21

One for the hipsters amongst you. Made from biodynamically grown grapes this is an unfiltered, cloudy, bottle-fermented sulphur-free Prosecco. You drink the first half by itself, and the second cloudy part with food. Lightly fizzy, bone-dry, funky, fruity and delicious. Stockists: Le Caveau; Baggot Street Wines; Bradleys, Cork; Green Man Wines; 64 Wines; World Wide Wines, Waterford.

Rizzardi Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry NV
11%, €17.95

A distinctly superior Prosecco with a dash of style. Floral with mouth-watering succulent pear and apple fruits, balanced by cleansing lemon zest, finishing crisp and dry. Stockists: O’Briens

The alternative: Innocent Bystander Moscato 2017, Australia
5.5%, €13.99

The bottle shouts frivolous fun. The wine is dayglo pink, full of frothy bubbles and sweetish juicy grape and cherry fruits. Irresistible. Australia’s answer to Prosecco? Stockists: Mortons; Clontarf Wines; Drink Store; Redmonds; Martins; McHughs; Mitchells; O’Donovan’s; Red Island; Red Nose Wine; wineonline.ie

Tags: Glera, Prosecco

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‘The Graham Norton Shiraz, like his other wines, is very gluggable’

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

Are you old enough to remember falling in love with Aussie wine? With their easy-to-read varietal labels and easier to drink wines, they introduced an entire generation of Irish people to the joys of drinking wine. You no longer needed a degree in French or Italian and an extensive knowledge of geography to order a bottle of wine.

For much of the 1990s and the following decade, sales increased every year until Australia became the best-selling country in Ireland, outstripping France, our traditional favourite. But then it all went a little sour. As the Australian dollar soared in value, and Australian wine producers turned their eyes to China, sales of their wines here took a battering. They were even overtaken by Chile as our most popular wine. Last year China overtook the United States as Australia’s biggest market, with sales worth some $520 million, so the Australians probably weren’t too worried.

During the same period, the world moved away from those big fruit-filled wines that Australia excelled in, and began looking for something a little more subtle. Australia has a wide range of climates (it is the same size as Europe after all) and has always produced a diverse range of wines. In addition to Shiraz and Chardonnay, you could find low-alcohol, high quality Riesling from the Eden and Clare Valleys, and Semillon from the Hunter Valley. But over the past decade, the industry, one of the most dynamic in the world, began concentrating on other cooler climates and lesser-known grape varieties. They also began focusing on high quality wines for the premium market .

Last month the Australian wine marketing body sent a deputation here to introduce their wines to a new generation of the wine trade. We were treated to a very impressive range of wines made from Petit Manseng, Marsanne, Arneis, Grüner Veltliner, Moscato, Dolcetto, and Touriga Nacional alongside some excellent Pinot Noir, Semillon, Riesling and sparkling wines. There was plenty of Shiraz and Chardonnay too, but they were lower in alcohol and more subtle in style, so if you still see Australian wines as a blunt instrument designed to cudgel you into submission, it is time to rethink.

Premium wine costs money to make, and sadly most of the wines were over €20 a bottle, and many were not (yet) available in Ireland. If you are a Pinot fan, the brilliant Gembrook Pinot Noir is available for €576 a case from Berry Brothers. But two of those listed below were included. The Tahbilk Marsanne is one of my favourite wines and brilliant value for money. Prosecco fans should certainly try out the ridiculously moreish frothy Innocent Bystander. The Graham Norton Shiraz, like his other wines, is very gluggable.

Bargain Bottle

Exquisite Collection Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2016, Australia

14%

€8.49

Clean fresh textured red apple and pear fruits with a hint of spice.

Stockists: Aldi

Choice Australians

Tahbilk Marsanne 2014, Nagambie Lakes

13%

€16.70

Expressive fresh pear, peach and tropical fruits. Crisp and dry with a lovely unique character all of its own.

Stockists: Wines Direct, Mullingar & Arnott’s.

Innocent Bystander Moscato 2017

€13.99

5.5%

Dayglo pink, bubbly and sweet with juicy grape and cherry fruits. Frivolous and fun.

Stockists: Mortons, Clontarf Wines, Drink Store, Redmonds, Martins, McHughs, Mitchells, O’Donovan’s, Red Island, Red Nose Wine, Wineonline.ie

Graham Norton Shiraz 2015, South Australia

14.5%

€15

Exuberant and showy – not unlike Norton himself, a big wine with heady ripe plums and spice.

Stockists: Tesco, SuperValu, Centra.

Tags: Aldi Limestone Coast, Australian Wine, Graham Norton Shiraz

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Warming red wines for wet Wednesdays

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday October 28th, 2017

In the meantime here are my wet Wednesday reds from the supermarkets. Next week, four bottles in the same price bracket from a few independent retailers.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2014, Fortezza dei Colli
14%, €10.99

Smooth easy red cherry fruits with a lift of acidity to keep it fresh, a hit of vanilla and a nice bite on the tail end. Perfect with lasagne.
Stockists: Lidl

Cairanne 2016, Domaine de La Belle Estelle
14.5%, €10.99

From the southern Rhône valley, a swarthy, powerful, meaty red wine with burly dark fruits sprinkled with spice. A genuine winter warmer.
Stockists: Aldi

Tesco Finest Argentina Malbec 2015
13.5% €12 (€9 on promotion)

Medium to full-bodied with perfumed, juicy dark fruits, all loganberry and plums with a very nicely rounded, soft finish.
Stockists: Tesco

Pinot Noir La Petite Perrière 2015, Saget, Vin de France
12.5%, €10.99 (€9 on promotion or three for €25)

A very friendly, medium-bodied red with soft, sweet, succulent dark cherry fruits, finishing with a flourish.
Stockists: SuperValu

Tags: Aldi Cairanne, Fortezza dei Colli Chianti Classico Riserva, La Perriere Pinot Noir, Lidl, Supervalu wine, Tesco Finest Malbec

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The best wines to drink with pizza

Posted by admin on December 8, 2017

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday, 14th October, 2017

Who doesn’t like pizza? One of the happiest times in my life was when, as a student, I worked in a branch of Round Table Pizza in California. I was happy, but rapidly gained weight, as a diet of two pizzas a day, every day for a month would count as serious carb-loading today. I declined the offer of a place at its Pizza University, which was probably good for my health. In the restaurant we offered beer (Budweiser) and a choice of three wines – red, white and rosé – all served from a tap linked by pipe to wine kegs out the back.

So what should we drink with our pizza? Beer is good; I tend to go for a lighter IPA or a crisp Pilsner. But most of the time, I drink wine. As a broad rule I tend to prefer light fruity red wines with pizzas that have tomato sauce and/or meats such as salami, sausage and pepperoni. Italian reds tend to be have good acidity and are relatively low in alcohol – perfect for cutting through melted, fatty cheese and matching the acidity of a tomato sauce. Steer clear of red wines with a lot of tannin. This is not really the time for a fine Bordeaux.

Given that the southern parts of Italy are very fond of all sorts of tomato-based dishes, it is not surprising that they have the wines to accompany them. Red wines such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Nero d’Avola both work well. From elsewhere in Italy, an inexpensive Chianti, a Valpolicella or a Barbera from Piemonte share the same fresh juicy character. All of the above are usually fairly inexpensive, €10-€15 a bottle. Outside Italy, an unoaked Rioja or a Beaujolais would do equally well. If I have mushroom pizza, I usually go for an inexpensive Pinot Noir. With a spicy pepperoni, I sometimes leave Italy and go for an Australian Shiraz or a Malbec from Argentina.

White wine can go equally well with some pizza; Chardonnay with a margarita or red peppers, or something lighter with a pizza Bianca (no tomatoes), seafood, goat’s cheese, mozzarella or with fresh Parma ham and rocket. Again, I would instinctively look first to Italy, and Soave, Pinot Grigio, a good Verdicchio, or a white from Campania, such as the Gerco di Tufo below. A dry rosé goes really well with lighter pizza, and is a fantastic match for pissaladière, the Provençal version of pizza.

My own favourite home-made pizza is the umami, made without a tomato sauce but scattered with a few chopped cherry tomatoes and some or all of the following; anchovies (essential), onions, black olives, capers, garlic, roasted peppers, finished with a dusting of Parmesan. With it I usually go straight for a medium-bodied Chianti.

Greco di Tufo 2016, Castellore 13% €9.99

Crisp textured autumnal yellow fruits. Perfect with seafood pizza.

Stockist: Aldi

Chianti Colli Senesi 2015, Medici Riccardi 12.5% €9.99

The refreshing light red cherry fruits and good acidity would go nicely with a ham or salami pizza.

Stockists: Lidl

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015, La Piuma 13% €12.95

Medium-bodied rounded plums and dark cherries. With a cheese special?

Stockists: O’Briens

Valpolicella 2016, Alpha Zeta 12.5% €14.99

Instantly pleasing gluggable juicy light red cherry fruits. With a classic Margarita pizza.

Stockists: Callans, Dundalk; Clontarf Wines; Mannings, Cork; The Malt House, Trim; Power & Co, Lucan; Red Island, Skerries; wineonline.ie

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Wines to keep you warm this autumn

Posted by admin on December 7, 2017

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday October 7th, 2017

I cling to the dying days of summer for as long as possible, hoping against hope that the days won’t get shorter and the temperature won’t drop. Sadly, inevitably, the weather has changed, the leaves are turning and autumn has arrived.

As the season changes we move on from the lighter wines of summer to something a little more warming, not necessarily to anything quite as big and powerful as the robust winter reds, but we certainly drink more red wine, or white wines with a little bit more body and texture. We still drink fresh, crisp whites and light reds from time to time, of course, but many of us instinctively drink seasonally. Sales of rosé plummet, and of red wines increase, once the sun disappears.

Choosing a wine is as much about mood as about the food you are serving. I often find myself returning to old favourites, such as the Protocolo below. Like a favourite old coat or jacket, or a cosy blanket returned to the sofa, they offer a certain comfort at this time of year.

My favourite autumnal wines include mellow Riojas, some of which can have a definite aroma of autumnal undergrowth, as does mature Pinot Noir. Both are perfect for all of those game dishes that become available for the next few months, or pork with roasted vegetables – onions, butternut squash and root vegetables. If you add a couple of apples the white Château Saint Auriol below would work well. If you add a little spice a fuller-bodied Grenache or Shiraz would be perfect.

For white wines with a little more richness and body, go for Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne or maybe a Godello, from Spain. All of these work really well with white meats and fuller-bodied fish dishes. I had a great fish pie this week that was perfect with a medium-bodied Chardonnay. Chenin Blanc from South Africa also has that comforting cushioned richness that seems just right on a colder evening. I have also enjoyed several warming curries in the past few weeks. My lamb bhuna worked a treat with the Grenache Noir below on a damp Thursday evening; the Château Saint Auriol went nicely with a creamy chicken curry.

Around this time of year all of those back-to-school expenses start to bite. If you are self-employed the taxman is waiting impatiently for his annual payment. So, this week, four budget wines, all widely available and all well under €15, to keep us warm in the cooler evenings.

BOTTLES OF THE WEEK

Protocolo 2014, Castilla, Spain 13.5%, €10.95

An old favourite that is on song. Light, smooth cherry fruits with a hint of vanilla spice. Perfect all-purpose wine. From branches of O’Briens

Tesco Shiraz 2016, Limestone Coast, Australia 14.5%, €9

Instantly gluggable full-bodied red with generous blackcurrant fruits and a nice seam of acidity to balance it out. Serve with red meats. From branches of Tesco

Château Saint Auriol Chatelaine Blanc 2015, Corbières, France 13%, €12.99
Perfumed, medium-bodied, textured white wine with peaches and toasted nuts. Serve with creamy chicken or pork. From branches of SuperValu

Grenache Noir 2016, JC Mas, Sud de France 13.5% €8.49
Soft, seductive ripe strawberry and raspberry fruits. Another good all-purpose wine. Serve with red or white meats. From branches of Aldi

Tags: Aldi Grenache, O'Briens, Protocolo, Saint Auriol, SuperValu

Posted in: Irish Times

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Give Merlot and Chardonnay a second chance

Posted by admin on December 7, 2017

Sideways (2004): “If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving”

First puyblished in The Irish Times, Saturday September 23rd, 2017

Fashion is a fickle business. In the not-too-distant past, a wine producer wondering what grape varieties to plant in a new vineyard would have gone straight for Chardonnay and Merlot.

These were, after all, the most sought-after wines around the world. Given that a vine takes three years to produce grapes and a decade to make decent wine, predicting future trends can be a dangerous business.

Nowadays, I suspect Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Malbec would be at the top of the list for any prospective producer.

But a decade or so ago, Merlot was everybody’s darling. It is widely planted in North and South America, and elsewhere, too, is relatively easy to grow and produces decent yields.

The wines are very attractive, too, medium-bodied with velvety soft, rounded plummy fruits and none of those drying tannins associated with Cabernet Sauvignon. Even better, Merlot doesn’t require lengthy ageing. All of the wines, even the very best, are drinkable from the start.

How the mighty have fallen. Merlot became a dirty word largely thanks to the 2004 movie Sideways, where Myles, the main protagonist says ‘If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any f***ing Merlot.’

Suddenly, everyone wanted Myles’s favourite, Pinot Noir, instead. Sales plummeted, particularly in the US. Yet we continued to drink Merlot, sometimes unwittingly, as most of the red wines of Bordeaux and the surrounding area will contain some Merlot in the blend. In areas such as Pomerol, it makes up 100 per cent of the wine, including the most famous pure Merlot of all, Petrus.

As for Chardonnay, it may have reached tipping point when Bridget Jones began drinking large glasses to console herself after her latest disaster. Much of the Chardonnay produced back then was heavily and clumsily oaked, and often high in alcohol, too, when the world began looking for something lighter and fresher. Enter Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

This is unfair on Chardonnay, one of the greatest grapes of all, and these days made in a much more appealing style. In my experience, most consumers love Chardonnay – until they see the label. As with Merlot, the French have us drinking it unknowingly. Just about every bottle of white Burgundy, from Chablis to Meursault to Mâcon is 100 per cent Chardonnay.

These days most less expensive Chardonnays are unoaked and a degree or two lighter in alcohol. They make great food wines, but are also perfect on their own. A good Merlot is supple and fruity; a real crowd-pleaser, in other words.

So this weekend, spare a thought for two of fashion’s forgotten victims, and try out a bottle of Chardonnay or Merlot. You should be in for a pleasant surprise.

Aresti Bellavista Chardonnay Reserva 2016
13%, €12.99 (€10 on promotion)

A very well-made, medium-bodied wine bursting with peach fruits and fresh, zesty acidity. Perfect on its own or with salmon.
Stockists: SuperValu

Lettre d’Aloise Chardonnay 2014
Coteaux Bourguignons, 13%, €17.95

A delectable, elegant white Burgundy with floral aromas and free-flowing fresh green fruits.
Stockists: Le Caveau, Kilkenny: Fallon & Byrne; World Wide Wines; 64 Wines; Green Man Wines; Mitchell & Son; Bradley’s, Cork

Santa Rita Merlot 120 Reserva Especial
Central valley, Chile, 13.5%, €11.99

Mellow, rounded ripe plum fruits with a dusting of spice. With or without food.
Stockists: widely available including SuperValu, Centra, Tesco, Dunnes Stores.

Atalon Merlot 2011
Pauline’s Cuvée, Napa Valley, 14.5%, €27.45

Ripe, voluptuous dark fruits with roasted coffee and black olives. A big warm hug of a wine.
Stockists: O’Briens

Tags: Atalon Merlot, Chardonnay, Lettre d'Aloise Chardonnay, Merlot, O'Briens

Posted in: Irish Times

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