How do you tell a great winemaker? For me it is not by tasting their flagship wines, the top-of-the-range stuff that costs €50 or more. Given the finest grapes and a generous budget, even the average winemaker can come up with something drinkable. But many struggle to come up with good everyday wines at a reasonable price.
This week, two successful, innovative producers making attractive wines for every budget. Both are based in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, in southern France, the source of many inexpensive wines. Both make some seriously good wines, but, given that it’s January and we’re probably all feeling the post-Christmas pinch, we’ll concentrate on the less expensive.
Laurent Miquel
Laurent Miquel’s family has been in the business since 1790, but he wasn’t always sure if he wanted to follow the previous seven generations. Instead, he studied engineering in France and took a master’s in quality assurance at Leeds University before working with Nissan in Sunderland.
He finally caught the wine bug, returned to France to study oenology, and made his first wine in 1996. The business has been a huge success.
“It is much easier to sell Chablis, champagne or New Zealand Sauvignon,” says Miquel, “but in the Languedoc, we offer diversity, personality and real value for money. We make very fresh, very drinkable wines, and slowly we have built up a solid base of consumers. We are always driven by quality; 80 per cent of what we do is about the vines and the grapes.”
The wines have been stocked by SuperValu, Tesco and Marks & Spencer, and are currently sold by both Dunnes Stores and O’Briens.
The Mas family
The Mas family has been growing grapes and making wine since the late 19th century. In 1987 Jean-Claude Mas received 35 hectares of vines from which he built Domaines Paul Mas, a group of nine estates scattered around Languedoc-Roussillon. In addition, he makes eight signature ranges, including the Arrogant Frog wines, that will be familiar to many. (The wines are usually very good.)
His Château de Martinolles, in Limoux, has featured in this column several times, as have other of his wines, and you will find his bottles in Ireland’s best wine shops and restaurants.
As Mas owns about 650 hectares of vineyards and controls a further 1,312, he has been able to supply some of the biggest supermarkets in Ireland and Britain. He has also supplied a number of Aldi’s Exquisite labels, as well as the Limoux below.
Astélia Limoux 201613.5%, €10.99
It may look like as if it has come in a perfume bottle, but this wine (from Jean-Claude Mas) is a rich, full-bodied, buttery Chardonnay with ripe peach fruits and a dry finish. Perfect with salmon or chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce. Meursault for those on a budget? From Aldi
Claude Val Rouge 2016, Pays d’Oc, Organic13.5%, €14, or two for €22
A blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Merlot, this medium- to full-bodied wine has rich dark fruits, a touch of spice and a nice, lightly tannic grip. Not one to sip on its own, but perfect with red or white meats on cold winter evenings. From Molloys Liquor Stores
Laurent Miquel, Père et Fils Chardonnay Viognier 2016 13%, €9.50
Medium-bodied with fresh lemon zest and succulent peach and apricot fruits. Perfect on its own, but this would go nicely with plaice, sole or sea bass. I had mine with fishcakes. From select Dunnes Stores
Laurent Miquel, Père et Fils Syrah Grenache 2016, IGP Pays d’Oc13%, €9.50
The Syrah adds delicious, subtle pepper, liquorice and dark fruits, the Grenache a soft warmth. Together they make for a lovely smooth wine with juicy ripe fruits. On its own or with lighter red-meat dishes. From select Dunnes Stores
First published in The Irish Times, Saturday December 23rd, 2017
This week, a few last-minute gift ideas for the wine lover in your life. A bottle of wine, or even better Champagne, will always be gratefully received, and as far as I am concerned, will trump a wine accessory every time. Ready-prepared gift packs are not always inspiring, but any wine shop can make up a tailor-made gift box for you. For the woman or man who has it all, a bottle of the recently released Krug 2004 Vintage Champagne will go down at treat. They might even open it while you are there. If that is beyond your budget, then a magnum of the Bénard-Pitois (see below) from the newly revamped Whelehan’s in Loughlinstown makes a statement. Both of these could also be opened to celebrate New Year’s Eve, as would a bottle of Lidl organic Prosecco for €14.99 – available only from December 27th onwards.
Back to Christmas presents. Anyone with the slightest interest in wine would be thrilled to receive the Littorai Pinot Noir or Lismore Reserve Chardonnay below, both superb New World versions of white and red Burgundy. Why not a bottle of each? Speaking of Burgundy, Raymond Blake’s recently published book Côte d’Or (€30, Infinite Ideas) is an outstanding guide to the best wines of the region, as well as being one of the most readable wine books I have opened for some time. At a more modest level, all true wine lovers will treasure a half-bottle of good sherry. I have been spoiling myself with the odd glass of the magnificent Very Rare Dry Amontillado from Marks & Spencer (€12).
There are all sorts of gadgets, gizmos and other wine accessories, often expensive and frequently pointless. A nice decanter (Mitchell & Son, Terroirs and Jus de Vine have very good selections) or a set of glasses are probably the best bet. The one gadget I do use frequently is the Coravin, a cunning device that allows you to extract a glass (or more) of wine from a bottle without actually opening it. You can then return for a second glass months later. This is especially useful for sweet wines and port, but it does work with any wine. They even have a screwcap version available now. The only downside is the price; expect to pay around €300 (from wine shops nationwide).
I covered whiskey a few weeks back, but a subscription to Irish Whiskey Magazine (see irishwhiskeymagazine.com) for details, will provide a year’s reading for the aficionado. Lastly, if you have a nondrinking friend or relative, they should be delighted with a bottle of the excellent Seedlip Spice alcohol-free spirit, €32.50 from specialist retailers, including Mitchell & Son and Celtic Whiskey.
Lismore Reserve Chardonnay 2016, Greyton, South Africa
14%, €39.90
Californian Samantha O’Keeffe has crafted a superb, elegant wine with layers of lightly honeyed toasty soft fruit, a subtle touch of vanilla and a long mineral finish. Up there with the very best white wines I tasted in 2017.
Littorai Pinot Noir 2015, Sonoma Coast, California
13%, €65.99
A wonderfully elegant refined Pinot Noir offering complex, light, refreshing raspberry and red cherry fruits, good acidity and a touch of oak on the finish. With salmon, roast duck or goose.
Stockists: Blackrock Cellar; Bradleys; Clontarf Wines; Fresh Outlets; Green Man Wines; Jus de Vine; Kelly’s; O’Briens; Power & Co; Red Island; Vanilla Grape; wineonline.ie; World Wide Wines.
L Bénard-Pitois Premier Cru Réserve Brut (Magnum)
12%, €75 (€33.95 per bottle)
Make a statement with a magnum of Champagne; the floral, stylishly fruity Bénard-Pitois would be ideal. A complete Champagne, floral and stylish, with a complex blend of fruit and brioche on the palate.
Stockists: Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown
Krug 2004 Champagne
12%, €340
A supremely elegant Champagne with toasted nuts, brioche, orange and lemon zest, and ripe peaches in perfect subtle harmony. A wine of great finesse and sophistication.
Stockists: Select O’Briens stores and select retailers
First published in The Irish Times, December 15th, 2017
Kildare-based winemaker is Simon Tyrrell has been making wine in the Rhône valley for five years now.
A bottle of Irish wine arrived on my doorstep yesterday evening. It wasn’t actually made in Ireland, but the winemaker lives in Co Kildare. For many years, a number of Irishmen have owned properties in France and elsewhere; Lochlainn Quinn at Ch. de Fieuzal, Paddy McKillen at Ch. La Coste and Gay McGuinness at Domaine des Anges. More recently I came across Maze wines from California, owned by Sligo businessman Gerry McSharry, and his son Paul, who lives in Napa and makes the wines.
But now wannabe winemakers will be pleased to know that you no longer need to move abroad to fulfill your life’s ambitions. Earlier this year, I wrote about several Irish winemakers who have managed to combine living here in Ireland with winemaking abroad. Sinéad and Liam Cabot bought a house and small vineyard in Slovenia in 2007 and made their first wine three years later. They do everything themselves, from pruning the vines to bottling the wine while still living most of the year in Westport, where they run a wine-importing business. Last week, their three Roka wines, from Stajerska in Slovenia, received rave reviews from renowned critic Jancis Robinson (see jancisrobinson.com). The wines include a delicious scented racy Furmint, a crisp floral Laski Rizling, and a red wine, a beautiful pure Blaufränkisch. All sell for €16.99 in independent wine shops.
Also from Mayo is Roísín Curley, where she helps run the family pharmacy in Ballyhaunis. Her two wines from Burgundy, a white St. Romain and a red Beaune, are excellent, but sadly in very short supply. You could try looking in Sweeney’s in Glasnevin, Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, 64 Wines, Glasthule and other independents. Expect to pay around €50 a bottle.
The ‘Irish’ wine that arrived last night is called Oludeo La Soñadora, and comes from Spain. The Kildare-based winemaker is Simon Tyrrell, who has a degree in winemaking from Plumpton College in East Sussex, and has been making wine in the Rhône valley for five years now. The 2016 version of his Les Deux Cols Alizé (see below) is excellent. More recently, with several colleagues in Ireland, he bought three hectares of vines in the southern Rhône. The first vintage is currently fermenting away.
Oludeo 2016, La Soñadora, Yecla, Spain
14%
€16.99 from Searsons, Monkstown; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock.
A rounded medium to full-bodied wine with a certain elegance, combined with abundant dense dark fruits, a touch of liquorice and smooth tannins on the finish. Enjoy now with red meats, or keep a year or two.
Alizé 2016, Les Deux Cols, Côtes du Rhône
13.5%
€16.95 from Searsons, Monkstown; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Cinnamon Cottage, Cork; Drink Store, D7; Lilac Wines, Clontarf; Donnybrook Fair; Green Man Wines, Terenure; Martin’s, Fairview; Ardkeen, Waterford.
Also from Simon Tyrrell. Extravagantly perfumed, with smooth rich ripe red fruits, a delicious refreshing note and a lingering finish. Lovely wine.
First published in The Irish Times, December 16th, 2017
We are creatures of habit. I know people who drink the same wine with the same Christmas dinner every year. It is part of a comforting ritual. Mine is to start the meal with a magnum of Champagne. This year, the magnum cupboard is looking distinctly bare, so I will have to change my ways.
Standing in a wine shop last year for an hour or two, signing copies of my book, I watched a steady stream of customers heading straight to large displays of Chablis Premier Cru and Mâcon, and then on to three huge piles of Rioja Reserva, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Saint–Émilion Grand Cru. There is nothing wrong with these choices, in fact there is a lot to recommend them. Both Mâcon and Chablis are 100 per cent Chardonnay, a variety that pairs very nicely with fish (including smoked salmon) or shellfish as a starter, and with turkey too. Softer-fruited reds such as Rioja Reserva, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a Merlot-based Bordeaux make a fine foil for turkey.
But this year, instead of staying with the usual favourites, why not be a bit more adventurous and go for an alternative Christmas, with wines a little (or a lot) off the beaten track? Christmas is not really the time to have a theme, but I think I might go Spanish, simply because I have been enjoyed so many of their wines over the last 12 months. This would allow me to include a reviving glass of chilled crisp fino sherry to sip while finishing off the preparations, followed by a glass of Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine, and a few nibbles as an aperitif. With the meal, I could start off with a Godello from Valdeorras or Monterrei in Galicia, and then try a soft ripe Garnacha, a more powerful Ribera del Duero, or an elegant Mencía from Ribera Sacra or Bierzo with the turkey. You will find examples of all the above in most independent wine shops and O’Briens.
Alternatively, you could pick and choose from other countries. The Bellavista Grand Cuvée Brut (€47.99, independents) is a superb Italian sparkling wine, or there is the very tasty dry sparkling Sangiovese Spumante Rosé from Bollamatta (€30, independents). Or furthest off the beaten track, Marks & Spencer have the (delicious) sparkling red Lambrusco Reggiano Secco for €13.30.
From South Africa, I would be sorely tempted to indulge in the superb Lismore Reserve Chardonnay (€39.90, independents) one of the very best white wines I tasted in 2017. For a red, an Australian Grenache [I featured the excellent Willunga 100 (€17.99, independents) a few weeks ago], or the full rich d’Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz (€20, independents, O’Briens and Supervalu) would both do very nicely.
Llopart Brut Reserva NV, Cava, Organic
11.5%, €29.95
Seductive and stimulating with distinctive soft ripe white fruits, hints of brioche and a lovely lingering dry finish. The perfect way to get festivities going. Stockists: Corkscrew; Mitchell & Sons; Redmond’s.
Via Arxentea 2016, Monterrei
13%, €18.50
A Godello blend with plump melon and green apple fruits that fill the mouth, perfectly balanced by a refreshing crisp acidity. By itself, with your starter, or even the turkey. Stockists: Kelly’s, Clontarf; Sweeney’s; The Coach House; 64 Wines; Liston’s; Baggot Street Wines.
Tolo do Xisto 2015, Ribera Sacra
13.5%, €23.95
13.5%, €22
An enchanting mix of ripe red cherry fruits and savoury liquorice in a very stylish elegant wine. A perfect partner for turkey, goose or duck. Stockists: O’Briens
Pago de los Capellanes Joven 2016, Ribero del Duero
13.5%, €22
An utterly charming rich smooth wine with supple pure dark fruits and a rounded finish. This would go nicely with turkey, ham or any red meat. Stockists: Mitchell & Sons, chq, Glasthule, Avoca Kilmacanogue & Dunboyne; Myles Doyles, Gorey.
First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 9th December, 2017
Some are sedate, refined affairs with polite conversation. Others are huge, loud, clan gatherings, semi-organised chaos with a horde of noisy children and even noisier adults. If your Christmas dinner falls into the latter category, then it is quite likely that your wine selection will be based on quantity rather than quality. This is not the best time to roll out that expensive bottle you squirrelled away for a special occasion. If you do open it, chances are that cousin Ronan down the other end of the table will knock most of it back while you are carving the turkey or finishing off the sprouts.
However, this does not mean buying caseloads of the cheapest possible wine. Spend €1 or €2 more and your guests will notice the difference, and thank you for it. There are plenty of very drinkable wines at anything from €8-€15. Today I’m doing a round-up of the multiples. I generally go for a bottle of fizz to gets things going (with nibbles to provide soakage) followed by a medium-bodied white and red wine. Remember to provide interesting adult soft drinks for those who don’t drink alcohol.
To start off, Prosecco is hugely popular and unlikely to offend. I have featured the SuperValu Grifón (€9) before, or alternatively the Aldi Cremant de Jura is an outstanding bargain for €11.99. I would also recommend their beautifully packaged rich Astelia Chardonnay (€10.99) and either the smooth, elegant Rioja Reserva (€10.99) or the uber-ripe, hearty Exquisite South Australian Shiraz (€8.79). SuperValu have a very attractive offer of a six-bottle case containing two organic Spanish red wines, both of which would go very well with turkey, for €40.
Tesco’s Finest Prosecco Valdobiadenne (€17.99) may stretch the budget but is worth the premium, while its Picpoul de Pinet (€12) will make a nice change to Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. For a budget red, it is hard to look further than their Finest Limestone Coast Shiraz, mentioned here before but a bargain for €9.
From O’Briens the ever -popular Protocolo (€9.95) is hard to resist, but I was bowled over by the Garnacha featured below. For white wines the new Duffour Côtes de Gascogne (€9.99) is great value, or the Yalumba Organic Viognier (€13.95) will go nicely with starter and main course. For sparkling wine, the Rizzardi Prosecco Frizzante for €12.50 will certainly get the party started.
Shoppers at Dunnes Stores should head for the Viognier below, and for red wine, to the fruit-filled El Circulo Rioja Crianza(€10.50) or the warming, spicy Visan La Souco (€11.50). Spar, Eurospar and Londis all have the smart, richly textured, buttery Couveys Chardonnay (€10.99) and soft, ripe Eugenio Bustos Malbec below from Argentina.
Tesco Finest Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV
11.5%, €17.99
Frothy ripe pear fruits, balanced very nicely by crisp lemon zest. Great on its own, with nibbles, or even alongside fishy starters.
Stockists: Tesco
Laurent Miquel Solas Viognier 2016
13%, €12.50
A very seductive wine bursting with exotic fruits, luscious peaches and subtle toasted almonds. This would go down a treat with lightly spicy prawns and other shellfish, as well as turkey.
Stockists: Dunnes Stores
Eugenio Bustos Malbec 2016, Mendoza, Argentina
12.5%, €9.99
A lighter, juicier style of Malbec with ripe plum and loganberry fruits overlaid with vanilla and spice. With turkey, ham and spiced beef.
Stockists: Eurospar, Spar, Mace & Londis.
Tandem Inmune Garnacha 2015, Velle de Yeri, Navarra
14%, €14.95
A very moreish ripe bouncy red wine with herby aromas and vivid, pure black fruits. A real crowd-pleaser to drink alongside turkey and ham.
Stockists: O’Briens
First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 2nd December, 2017
It is hard to believe, given the vast array of bottles on display at Dublin Airport and other outlets, but there are still only half-a-dozen distilleries actually producing whiskey in this country. The rest buy in mature stocks and further age, finish, blend or otherwise leave their unique mark on the final product. Some are excellent, others ordinary, and price is not always a good indicator of quality. Certainly there appears to be an appetite for €100-plus offerings. This autumn we have a flurry of new releases from producers anxious to catch the important Christmas market. Interest in Irish whiskey is at an all-time high, crossing all ages and gender, so this could be the ideal present for that difficult friend or relative.
In September, Walsh Whiskey released the excellent Irishman’s Founder’s Reserve Florio Marsala Cask Finish (€70). If that is beyond your budget, Writer’s Tears Copper Pot (€45) is another, more affordable star from the same source. The Dublin Whiskey Distillery sounds like a made-up name but claims a noble history. It was originally founded in 1830 by John Brannick, who served as master distiller at two of Dublin’s great distilleries before founding his own. DWD closed in 1940 but has now been revived by a group of Dublin businessmen. The Heritage Edition is a blend of whiskey from three different distilleries, aged for five to 10 years in Bourbon casks, primarily first fill.
Irish distilleries
Dingle was to the forefront of the new Irish distilleries, and therefore also one of the first to release whiskies produced in their own distillery last year. This autumn sees the release of four new small batch whiskies available in limited quantities. This includes the Dingle Single Malt (€65), aged in Bourbon, Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Casks; the Dingle First Single Pot Still (€90), aged in Pedro Ximenez Casks; and the Dingle Single Malt (€78), aged in Port and Bourbon Casks, the last available exclusively from SuperValu.
Speaking of SuperValu, it recently expanded its whiskey range to include a number of exclusives. As well as the Dingle above, they now offer very limited quantities of two single-cask whiskies from Powers, both retailing at about €200. Aged for 15 years in cask, these are superb, rich, full-flavoured spirits, classically Powers in style. Elsewhere, the 2017 edition of Midleton Very Rare (€180) has been released, in a new very smart luxury bottle and wooden case, as has the Mitchell’s Green Spot Ch Montelena Whiskey, aged in Zinfandel barrels from Ch Montelena in California, a follow-on from their excellent Green Spot Ch Léoville-Barton.
Lastly, the Irish Whiskey Awards recently crowned Teelings The Revival IV as their favourite whiskey, with Jameson Black Barrel as the best in the sub-€60 category.
Dingle Single Malt Batch No.2 Irish Whiskey 46.5% (€65)
A very attractive medium to light-bodied whiskey with refined subtle citrus peel, vanilla and toasted nuts. Stockists: Dingle Whiskey Bar, The Loop, Dublin Airport, specialist off-licences and select SuperValu.
DWD Heritage Irish Whiskey 40% (€48)
A rich full-bodied whiskey with honey, milk chocolate, caramel and hints of Christmas cake spice. Stockists: Specialist off-licences and The Loop, Dublin Airport.
Mitchell’s Green Spot Pot Still Whiskey, Zinfandel finish. 46% (€69.95)
Full of warmth and character with delectable red fruits, pears, apples and toasted hazelnuts. An enticing, intriguing whiskey. Stockists: Mitchell & Sons, chq and Sandycove, and specialist off-licences.
The Revival IV, Teelings 15 year-old Single Malt Irish Whiskey 46% (€120)
Finished in Muscat casks, this is a medium-bodied fruit-filled whiskey with peaches, lemon zest, candied orange and lemon, and subtle vanilla. Stockists: Specialist off-licences including the Celtic Whiskey Shop.
Róisín Curley is a pharmacist, working in the family business in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo. At the same time, she makes her own wines in Burgundy, one of the most prestigious French wine regions of all. “It began with a simple love of wine,” says Curley, “and a need to know more, which in turn led to the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) wine courses.” This is the standard path taken by many Irish wine lovers, but Curley took it a lot further. She studied for a masters (and was awarded a scholarship) in viticulture and oenology in Montpellier and Geisenheim Universities in France and Germany.
This was followed by a year at Château Latour in Bordeaux, comparing standard and organic viticulture for her thesis, and then a vintage in Château Grillet in the northern Rhône.
She chose Burgundy as her winemaking home through a series of coincidences. “It was never a dream,” she says, “because I never even thought I could dream about making wine in Burgundy. I am a huge fan, my favourite red grape is Pinot Noir and I love Chardonnay. But it was never my intention from the start to do what I am doing.” She had friends and contacts in Burgundy, and was introduced to the owner of a winemaking facility, who rents out space to small winemakers.
“It snowballed from there. All the time I was pinching myself; I never even tried to do this because I didn’t think it would be possible.”
“I don’t need to be in Beaune all the time. Obviously, I have to be there for the harvest and winemaking, but I have a space that is fully staffed, a whole support system that I can call on anytime I want.
“The toughest part is sourcing the grapes… no actually, to be honest, the toughest part is the French system and the fact that you are dealing with grapes and alcohol. It is so tightly regulated and difficult. The best way to find grapes is to meet the growers and make friends with them. My St. Romain is from guys I know really well. They farm organically too. I go to the vineyards, but they pick the grapes.”
Curley’s first releases are from 2015, hailed as a great vintage in Burgundy. However, 2016 was a different story. “My Beaune vineyard was destroyed by hail and frost; I made no wine.” She did make Saint Romain however. “2017 is fine, I have equal amounts of both, and even some Nuits Saint Georges. Burgundy is in huge demand at the moment and the last three vintages have been small. It is becoming harder and much more expensive to buy grapes. The price of my St. Romain has doubled in a few years.”
Curley’s first two releases, a white St. Romain and a red Beaune Clos des Rouards, both from the 2015 vintage, are excellent, superior to many more expensive wines from better-known producers in the region. Anyone interested in trying Ballyhaunis Burgundy will need to buy quickly; Curley made a mere 300 bottles of the white and 1,500 bottles of red.
Winemaker Sinéad Cabot
Sinéad Cabot is another female Mayo winemaker. Newry-born, she landed in Westport via a few years in Dublin, where she and her husband Liam ran a bespoke wine shop in the IFSC. They moved their import and distribution wine business and fine wine company to the west, from where they now supply restaurants, hotels and retailers with a hand-picked range of wines – including their own.
“We work with smaller independent producers, often from less well-known regions. In the recession people went back to inexpensive wines – we had to adapt and change, but we still held on to as many interesting wines as possible. The ‘green shoots’ happened when those wines started to move again.”
In 2007, the couple bought a house with 1.5 hectares of vines in Kog, one of the best wine-producing regions in Slovenia, and began making wine. They are completing their seventh vintage. They do everything themselves – from pruning to harvesting and bottling.
Cabot becomes animated when talking about making wine. “Growing grapes and making wine is an emotional investment, I am fascinated by the whole enterprise.
“You have to prune every vine differently and try to understand it. This year was very hot and we thought we would harvest early but the last few weeks were cooler with some rain, so it all slowed down. You really want to get the juice into the cellar, but if the grapes don’t taste right you don’t pick, no matter what the numbers say. We work in a very natural way, we don’t add anything, so clean healthy grapes are essential.”
She is very happy with the newly bottled 2016 vintage and 2017 is already looking good in the cellar.
The wines, which go under the name Roka (Slovenian for ‘hand’) are very good, and have featured several times in The Irish Times. It is not just home team cheering though – last year the wines received a very high score of 17/20 from Jancis Robinson, one of the most well-regarded critics in the wine world.
Maureen O’Hara hails from Killala in north Mayo and returns regularly to catch up with family and friends. “I love going back,” she says. “The whole area is buzzing with the Atlantic Way, with new cycle routes, cafés, restaurants and pubs.” But these days, O’Hara works in Dublin, running Premier Wine Training.
Maureen O’Hara, founder of Premier Wine Training
“When I was growing up, you were either a guard or a teacher – I was too small to join the Gardaí so I was going to be a home-economics teacher. We had a B&B at home so I used to help with cooking. At the last minute, I decided to study marketing, the buzz word at the time.”
She gained a degree in business management from Trinity. “When I came out of college I started working with Britvic Orange, calling into pubs, then I moved on to a wine company, selling quarter bottles of wine.” The company sent O’Hara on a wine course, and she was hooked.
A 14-year stint in marketing with Findlaters followed. “I loved it, wine was special at that stage. You got a real thrill seeing someone ordering your wine in a restaurant. For most people, it was a treat. It was exciting – I travelled the world and learned from some great people.”
O’Hara moved on but saw the clouds coming when the recession hit. “I could see everyone downsizing so I got out of what I was doing and, having got the necessary qualifications, set up Premier Wine Training. I had been teaching part-time for 15-20 years and really got a kick out of it. I love standing up in front of people telling them the stories and explaining what great wine is all about.”
Wine has become so commonplace some people see it as just another product, anathema to O’Hara. “Wine is all about hand-selling a unique product with a genuine story. I love being part of that.”
THE WINES
Maison Curley Saint Romain 2015
Medium-bodied with peaches, subtle grilled nuts and lanolin, balanced perfectly by precise, clean, refreshing citrus acidity, lingering very nicely in the mouth. Superb white Burgundy.
Attractive fragrant aromas, with silky smooth dark cherry fruits, with good concentration and structure. Delicious ripe, elegant wine that will keep a few years, but dangerously drinkable right now.
€48.99 from Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; 64 Wine, Glasthule; Whelehan’s Wines, Loughlinstown; Donnybrook Fair.
Roka Furmint 2016, Stajerska, Slovenia
Crisp acidity balances the light peach fruits and musky spicy ginger. Delicious, refreshing, racy wine.
€16.95 from Cabot and Co, Westport (www.cabotandco.com); Grapevine, Dalkey; 64 Wine, Glasthule; McCambridges, Galway; No 1 Pery Square Limerick.
Roka Blaufränkisch 2016, Stajerska, Slovenia
An explosion of juicy dark blackcurrants and morello cherries with a reviving acidity and a hint of spice.
€16.95 from Cabot and Co, Westport (www.cabotandco.com): Grapevine, Dalkey; 64 Wine Glasthule; Tartare Café & Wine Bar, Galway; No 1 Pery Square Limerick.
See premierwinetraining.com for details of Maureen O’Hara’s wine courses.
First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 25th November, 2016
I gave a candlelit tasting to a wine club in Cork recently, post-Ophelia and pre-David. The subdued lighting was enforced, as Fleming’s Hotel had been without electric power for several days. It was a lot of fun, helped I suspect by the intimate atmosphere. The wines, all Beaujolais, were great, but I cannot help thinking that on such a miserable windswept wet evening, we should really have been drinking Grenache. Grenache (or Garnacha as it is known in it’s native Spain) deserves to be far better known. Big, rich and rounded, with sweet strawberry fruits, these are crowd-pleasing food-friendly wines that are perfect for cold-weather drinking.
Thin skinned and full of sugar, ripe Garnacha grapes make for powerful, heart-warming wines, usually with soft-easy-drinking fruit and a very low tannin count.
You can drink it without food, but as it often has a generous level of alcohol – 14-15% is normal – it really is a dinner wine. If you are wondering what wine to serve this Christmas, Garnacha would not be a bad choice; it goes very well with turkey and all of the trimmings too. It is also a happy companion to pub-grub – burgers, steak and kidney pie, ribs, sausages and mash, as well as most stews and casseroles. This would include a Provencal daube of beef, a Spanish lamb and bean stew, tagines and others, but it is a great partner for classic Irish lamb and beef casseroles.
You will generally find Garnacha in warmer climates as it needs plenty of sun to ripen fully. Australia has some very old vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren vale; the Willunga below is made from 100 year-old vines.
Sardinia (where they call it Cannonau) also produces excellent warming wines. But the true home of Garnacha is Spain and France, where it is very widely grown, and often sold at rock-bottom prices. You won’t always see the name on a label, because in both countries, it is generally blended with other varieties. This includes high-quality regions, such as Rioja and Priorat in Spain, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas in France.
Bargain hunters will head for Côtes du Rhône, which generally has at least 50% Grenache in its makeup, often more, and regions such as Campo de Borja and Calatayud in Spain. Most independent retailers and the multiples will offer both for €10-15. Keep an eye out for one of my favourites, Borsao Garnacha, (€13.95 Bradleys, Cork, Searsons and others) and the Flor de Anon Campo (€14.99, SuperValu), and Cruz de Piedra (€13.95, O’Briens). But possibly the best value of all are the many blends from the Rhône valley and Languedoc.
Tesco Old Vine Garnacha 2016, Campo de Borja
14%, €9
Layers of full-on warm ripe plum fruits a little vanilla and a smooth finish. Drink by itself but better with a lamb casserole. Stockists: Tesco
Jean Claude Mas Grenache Noir IGP d’Oc
13.5%, €8.99
This has some very attractive smooth, rich black fruits and a nicely rounded finish. This would go nicely with chicken (and turkey) dishes.
Stockists: Aldi (for a selected period each year).
Willunga 100 McLaren Vale Grenache 2015, Australia
14,5%, €16.95
A heady mix of ripe strawberries, spice and dried herbs in a smooth full-bodied wine. A big smiling mouthful that will keep the winter blues away. Stockists: O’Briens; Blackrock Cellar; Donnybrook Fair; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Martins, Fairview; wineonline.ie
La Bruja de Rozas 2015, Viños de Madrid, Commando G
14.5%, €23
Grown on granite soils, this is a very different, wonderful full-bodied wine with fresh fragrant red cherry fruits and fine dry tannins on the finish. Stockists: 64Wines; Green Man Wines; The Corkscrew; Clontarf Wines; Kellys, Clontarf
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.
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.
