HERE’S an event promising delicious grub, great value — and an eye-opener if you only ever consider wine for the dinner table. Food & Beer dinner in the Cornstore restaurant, Cornmarket Street, Cork, on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7.30pm.
Reservations on 021-4274777 or reservations@cornstorecork.com. €24.95 a head. Also see http://www.thisisbeer.ie.
While wine is my main interest, overlooking good beer and cider as accompaniments to food is frankly nuts. Just like wine, beers grew up alongside the food traditions on these islands and elsewhere and can be perfectly suited to the dinner table. I’m particularly thinking good ales and stouts, but really there’s a whole world of beer styles that can be perfect with food. Fermented grape, fermented grain. Your call.
Each of three courses on Wednesday is matched to a selection of the international beers marketed by Heineken Ireland. Some of the company’s previous food-and-beer promotions were tutored tastings. I’m not sure if that’s the case this time. But the info Heineken did send includes the tasty-looking menu below. To me this looks like a great value night out.
STARTERS
♦ Duck liver parfait with brioche, Wild mushroom and brown bread dumpling ♦ Goats cheese crostini with sundried tomato pesto ♦ Mini white bean and bacon soup with Paulaner or Zywiec
MAINS
♦ Roast hake on braised leeks and sautéed samphire with a champagne, crab and coral sauce with Heineken or Tiger
♦ Chicken breast with a mushroom duxell, roast swede, scallion mash, savoy cabbage and truffle jus with Zywiec or Coors Light
♦ Slow-roasted pork belly with roast potatoes, sauerkraut, candied walnuts and a cider reduction with Tiger, Affligem or Zywiec
♦ Braised lamb shank with roast orange sweet potato, celeriac and green beans with Affligem or Zywiec
♦ Cannelloni of butternut squash with goats cheese, spinach and figs with sun dried tomato pesto, rocket salad with Birra Moretti
DESSERT
♦ White chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet, flourless chocolate cake and lemon posset, with Paulaner or Affligem
Finally, In my column in the Irish Examiner today (Saturday January 14, 2012) I’m looking at a fascinating book, The Wine Trials, which may change the way you view the wine world. I’ll be posting more about that book, as well as a guide to blind tasting later today.
See below for a link to Tim Minchin's White Wine In The Sun.
I WAS delighted to raise a glass recently in honour of Cork Skeptics‘ first birthday. Part of the worldwide skeptics (or sceptics) movement promoting critical thinking, they meet monthly at Blackrock Castle Observatory and kindly invited me to their December event to present a talk, ‘Suck It And See’.
That title is intended to suggest that our best understanding of wine comes from our own senses, unmediated by a host of other voices from advertising through to the opinions of independent wine columnists and bloggers like me. The subheading, ‘everything we think we know about wine is wrong’ is a deliberately provocative overstatement… But it can be a useful motto to adopt, leaving you refreshed, open-minded, and prepared for a delightful new journey into wonderful wine.
I said then I’d post links to some of the key issues I covered that evening. Here they are. Yes it’s a very long post (and it’s likely to get longer). But firstly, this isn’t a hurrah-here’s-a-wine-you-might-like kind of post and many of the points do need all that background and context. Secondly, this (plus the posts I link to) really comprise a compliation albubm plus extended remixes. I’ve mentioned almost all of the points, in one form or another, in my column in the Irish Examiner and on this blog.
Comments, questions and challenges are of course always welcome —but particularly to this post, and to the links on it.
Some background
The psychology and physiology of misunderstanding is a rich field, ranging from Richard Dawkins pointing out our difficulty in grasping evolutionary time, through to the exploration of the issues on Dr Brian Hughes’ blog. I don’t think anyone’s suggesting we should (or could) shake off our all-too-human perceptual shortcomings which seem to be a hardwired component of our makeup. But we can acknowledge and understand, and thereby work around, them. The components of misunderstanding — such as unwarranted or unquestioning faith in authority figures; misattribution; mistaking coincidence for causality — these are lenses which can interrupt or distort our understanding of the world around us. And, specifically in relation to wine, they can distort our perception of quality and value.
Cork Skeptics
There’s a second chapter to all this: the sometimes well-meaning and mistaken, but often deliberate, manipulation of our wobbly perception by others. Some newspapers profitably agitate readers with nonsensical stories which you could broadly divide into yay (something will improve your health) and boo (something will damage your health). Such stories are often entirely incorrect, or at least so misreported and decontextualised as to be even worse than lies — true-but-misleading. The same media also often presents specious made-up stuff from press releases as fact when reason suggests they know better.
And it’s not just the media. Among the matters previously covered on this blog are, for instance, the way retailers’sales can distort our perception of value; how heavy, carefully-positioned marketing spend keeps upmarket wines such as Champagne high in our affections; and research suggesting we’re positively influenced by higher prices; a refreshing dose of reality from an unexpected source acknowledging the glut on world markets which suggests that broadly speaking the price of many wines may be artificially high. And here is an occasionally-updated post you may find useful for reference purposes — a list of the most common wine myths you may encounter regarding the likes of organic wine, sulphites and more.
The foregoing plus the following new links set out to illustrate some of our perceptual limitations and how they can be manipulated. And the underlying point of all this? I adore wine and want to help clear away some of the guff that surrounds it so we can drink better, and better value, in 2012. Happy New Year!
Start here
Dr Ben Goldacre is one of the most prominent debunkers of media pseudoscience. On August 7, 2009, in the wake of the swine flu panic, he appeared on BBC Radio 4′s satirical news/comedy programme The Now Show. In less than six minutes – along with the show’s anchors, Laura Shavin, Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis – he delivers a tour de force of what you could call fact-based comedy, filleting the travesty that is much of popular media science reporting.
Click to hear Dr Ben Goldacre's tour de force on a BBC Radio 4 comedy show.
It’s not all fun and games, and you may be angered by some of the evidence he provides of borderline psychotic media irresponsibility. Ultimately, the clip is an excellent piece of public service focusing well-deserved derision on the crap we let the media get away with.
The audio clip here on YouTube doesn’t even mention wine. But go on. It really is the best place to start. Follow that link and rejoin me here when you’re done.
Roll up! Roll up! Getcha magic beans!
Everyone from Sense About Science to the National Consumer Agency keeps reminding us that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t. True that is. Given that it’s panto season I might add that anyone who’s been to see Jack And The Beanstalk will know magic beans don’t work or, at best, are an expensive rip-off.
Click hereto read my post on a palpably ridiculous comedy spoof dead-serious articles in two newspapers about a magic bean machine that will make your wine better. Really. It’s tempting to comment that ‘you couldn’t make this stuff up’. But they do.
Those wines are rubbish. But ours are fab. And good for you.
The belief that there is some kind of class system of wine wholesalers and retailers is, I believe, one of the worst and most persistent wine myths.
Wineupmanship: Pay us more than you have to, and look happy about it.
This is suggested to me by, for instance, wine fans practically apologising for buying wine in a supermarket or corner shop rather than a specialist wine store — even though they’re quite often buying better, or at least the same, as they would in a wine specialist. This impression is based on anecdotal evidence and at a later date I’ll look around for harder evidence of it.
While I percieve this bias being projected by us consumers, I suspect some wine traders may well practice wineupmanship, taking advantage of this misperception about the quality of their wares. For now though here’s an extreme example of wineupmanship you might enjoy.
Media boo!
The Channel 4 wine scandal
As a counterpart to media yay! (nonsense ranging from generic wine-is-good-for-you yarns to the magic bean machine press release above) the feral end of the media business loves media boo! stories too.
Dispatches, the investigative current affairs television strand on Britain’s Channel 4, has a reputation for tackling important issues head-on including, for instance, going undercover at a residential care home to expose abuses. On September 5, 2008, it broadcast a documentary named What’s in your wine? which set out to expose a scandal that we consumers ought to know about.
Click to view Channel 4's Dispatches programme on wine, presented by Jane Moore.
The programme does indeed point towards some issues which should cause us sceptical consumers concern. But it is so thoroughly compromised that it’s worse than useless. I do recommend viewing the programme, and I’d welcome your comments below. At a later date I intend putting up here a timeline answering each point raised by the programme. Some, such as the litter-strewn Champagne vineyard, do cause me concern. But the programme-makers have as many questions to answer as do the winemakers.
For now, let’s look at some of the broad issues that undermine it, starting with the promises made in the Channel 4 press release which should raise eyebrows even before you see a single frame of the documentary.
With wine consumption in the UK hitting record levels, Jane Moore investigates the many different substances — including fish and dairy products — that can be used to produce wine but which rarely appear on the label of the average bottle.
Anyone who has attended the most basic wine course will chuckle at this paragraph. Because they will know that since time immemorial, naturally-occurring compounds derived from sources such as fish (isinglass), egg (albumen) and clay (bentonite) have been used to refine and filter wines. Big deal. But those with enough interest and time on their hands to sign up for Wine 101 amount to a tiny minority of the wine-drinking population. And this TV programme which purports to inform and educate the public is achieving precisely the opposite, scaring people unnecessarily by couching widely-available uncontroversial facts in terms normally reserved for startling revelations.
Let’s try a more calm approach.
One of the great benefits of EU membership has been the introduction of standardised mandatory labelling on food and other packaging. I think the labelling information on wine could be much better: Processes such as chaptalisation (adding sugar) and the use of fining agents should be disclosed. And in particular, I think the presence of that most misunderstood of additives, sulphites / sulfites, should be disclosed by means of a parts-per-million measure rather than just blankly as “contains sulphites” (see the ‘Contains Sulphites’ entry inWine Myths for more). Isn’t that a reasonable proposition? A wine buyer for the Co-Op retail chain makes similar positive suggestions in the programme. But, embedded as they are in the shriekingly fearful tone of the programme, such reasonable points may be misinterpreted as suggesting there’s some sort of wine conspiracy going on. Let’s go back to that statement from Channel 4.
The health benefits of the occasional glass of red wine are widely acknowledged but Dispatches reveals how a great deal of the wine we consume is enhanced, sweetened or flavoured, creating a drink that one critic describes as no better than, ‘an alcoholic cola’.
“Widely acknowledged” eh? Actually, the health benefits of an occasional glass of wine have never been demonstrated. And nor has the opposite contention. Again I refer you to the Wine Myths post. That sort of assertion is understandable at the water cooler. But this TV programme purports to have expertise in divining the truth about wine and informing us of it, and really should stick to the evidence rather than parading this wilfully ignorant OMGism.
The ‘alcoholic cola’ bit is a quote from veteran wine writer Malcolm Gluck. Which brings me to two aspects of the editing which oversell and undermine the film. Selective editing. The film includes soundbites from two luminaries — former Guardian wine critic Malcolm Gluck and winemaker Randall Grahm. There are brief clips of both, their tone broadly condemnatory of much modern winemaking practice. But each soundbite is bracketed by voiceover from Jane Moore which seems to be levelling more serious charges. Further, we don’t get to hear the full interviews with either. Indeed, not once are we allowed hear the questions that elicited those quotes — not a major problem in a light entertainment show. But hardly best practice in a groundbreaking current affairs programme.
What did they really say? In full I mean. And what questions and prompts were put to them? Any chance Channel 4 would put the raw video online?
I believe their quotes were deliberately taken out of context, that the broad thrust of their comments was not to suggest that any, or even many, wines contain dangerous nasties, but rather to distinguish between the upmarket wines they might advocate, and more popularly-priced ones. It’s perfectly reasonable for them to profess that the latter are not good quality or that they’d prefer not to drink them. But that’s a world away from the panicky feeling induced by the frantic tone set by the two framing devices — Jane Moore’s commentary, and that wretched soundtrack.
[By the way - Apart from one accessibly-priced mourvèdre, I have never bought wines made by Randall Graham. I've tasted a few down the years and they did indeed rock, but they are way outside my price bracket. To give you an indication, here's a link to the nearest stockist of their wines I could find.]
Manipulative audio. Have you ever trawled YouTube for funny movie mashups? You should. Amateur auteurs take clips of popular movie and television hits, edit them together and post them as faux trailers for strange new imagined hybrid movies. Among the most popular are Sesame Street muddled up with Mean Streets (there’s a lot of swearing and violence in that one so you may want to avoid showing it when children are around) and classic horror The Shining as a romantic comedy. They’re a lot of fun – and they’re also terrific examples of how easy it is to manipulate meaning, and the viewer’s emotions, with a soundtrack.
If it weren’t so grossly misleading the public, the Dispatches wine programme would be almost as funny as those mashups. The film is accompanied throughout by a soundscape which is, frankly, distressing. Such manipulation has no place in any reasonable assessment of the issues involved.
But my ‘favourite’ sequence in the whole show is the startling revelation [cue spooky music; odd camera angles] made by a SCIENTIST [man in white coat; test tubes] about the level of residual sugar in various Champagnes and sparkling wines…
Good God, what a reveal! High fives all round the production office! We nailed Big Wine, eh?
Problem is, it’s not a revelation. The sugar levels in various wines including those bubblies are widely available; none of the ‘tests’ fouund any discrepancies from the stated levels; and not only does the process leading to that sugar’s presence in sparklers have a name (‘dosage’), but if you visit any winery making a champenoise sparkling wine, they will actually show the process to you as they proudly demonstrate the intricate business they have to set about to make this fascinating and often delicious wine style.
This programme has to be the most most cynical confection of weaselly, misleading crap about wine I’ve ever had the displeasure to endure. But there’s a positive message for us — we shouldn’t believe stuff just because it’s on telly, in a newspaper, or on a blog including this one: if they don’t provide clear evidence, what they’re saying is quite likely to be untrue or misleading.
And finally…
I’ll add more links as they crop up. For now though, let’s leave the topic as we began it, with comedy, sort-of. There’s a wave of top-class comics such as Dara Ó Briain who riff on and ridicule pseudoscience to devastating effect. Among the foremost is Tim Minchin, whose appearance at Cork Opera House this year was promoted by Cork Skeptics.
The Australian comic’s appeal to both our reason and to our funnybone is certainly reflected in this song, White Wine In The Sun. But it’s also a moving paen to the Christmas spirit, and an expression of love to those closest to us — and enjoying good wine in their company. I think that’s what wine should be all about. ♦
WHAT are you leaving out for Santy? The kettle plus a teabag is a good option, as is a warming drop of port. But there’s never been a better time to choose a slice of cake and a bottle of good beer for the great man’s brief pit-stop. A growing number of bottle shops are stocking a wide variety of good Irish stouts and ales — and if you look harder you’ll find a handful of excellent, rich, limited edition winter warmers which seem particularly apt for this time of year. I detail two of them below.
I’d add to that list an all-year-round brew, the terrific savoury Porterhouse Oyster Stout (33ml / ABV 5.2% / around €1.90) which I think is perfect for when you want just a single bottle. Stockists include Drinkstore.ie online or in their store in Stoneybatter, Deveney’s of Dundrum, and Celtic Whiskey Shop. Here’sa mouthwatering glimpse of Irish beers available to buy online at Drinkstore.
A hamper of Eight Degrees beer and glasses at Bradley's
Some stores are putting together ready-made hampers and some, including Deveney’s of Dundrum and my nearest beer-a-rama, Bradley’s on North Main Street in Cork, can deliver them too. Each stocks an enormous range of beers from hereabouts. If you’ve time, why not drop in and put together a mixed case yourself? You could pick one theme to explore – for instance all WISE pale ales. Or stouts. One tip though: include at least two of each. It’s always far more interesting if you’re able to revisit one that took your fancy, or pass on the second bottle to someone you think might appreciate it.
Here are two winter beers I’d recommend (These are revised versions of my beer-of-the-week reviews originally published in the Irish Examiner Weekend).
In this assuredly rich and warming seasonal brew, the Mitchelstown-based brewers have lifted a rich, earthy ale with orange, cloves and spiky star anise from Green Saffron.
Eight Degrees' A Winter's Ale
Eight Degrees off-licence stockists
Cork Bradleys Off License, North Main Street, Cork
Number 21, Patricks Hill, Cork
Reidys Supervalu, Mitchelstown, Co Cork
Centra, Mitchelstown, Co Cork
Costcutter, Amber Garage, Fermoy, Co Cork
Brookes Supervalu, Youghal, Co Cork Donegal Dicey Reillys Bar & Off licence, Ballyshannon, Donegal Dublin OBriens off-licences
Celtic Whisky Shop, 27/28 Dawson Street, D2
Deveneys Dundrum, 31 Main Street, Dundrum, D14
Deveneys Rathmines, 16 Upper Rathmines, D6
D Six Off licence, 163 Harold’s Cross Road, D6
Drinkstore.ie, 87 Manor St, D7
Martins Offlicence, 11 Marino Mart, Fairview, D3
McHughs Offlicence, 57 Kilbarrack Rd, D5
McHughs Offlicence, 25e Malahide Rd, Dublin
Mortons, 15-17 Dunville St, Ranelagh, D6
Next Door, 23-25 Sundrive Road, Kimmage, D12
Next Door, Old Swords Road, Santry , D9
Next Door, 294/298 Harolds Cross Road, D6
Redmonds of Ranelagh, 25 Ranelagh, D6 Galway Cases Wine Warehouse, Tuam Rd
McCambridges of Galway, Shop St Laois Egans Offlicence, Peppers Court, Portlaoise Limerick Desmonds Next Door, Raheen, Limerick Waterford Number Five Off license, 5 Tyrone Rd, Lismore Park, Waterford City
Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Dunmore Road, Waterford Wicklow Hollands Fine Wines, 78/ 80 Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Dungarvan Brewing Company
Coffee and Oatmeal Stout 2011
I’m hardly the only beer fan to gingerly sniff at beers with added extras, as I’ve encountered some pretty OTT numbers dominated, rather than supported by, flavours such as vanilla. But in this one, the natural savoury flavour palette of stout is augmented with a lick of coffee, and its texture boosted by the addition of creamy oats. Both additions are subtle and assured, and the whole effect is a gorgeous, rich middleweight stout.
Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal Stout
Dungarvan Brewing Company off-licence stockists
Cork Bradley’s Off Licence
McGovern’s Ballyvolane
Abbott Alehouse
Barry’s Off Licence Midleton
Dublin Redmond’s of Ranelagh
Drinkstore, Stoneybatter
Deveney’s Dundrum
McHugh’s Malahide Road and Kilbarrack
Sweeney’s Glasnevin
Baggot St Wines
Martins of Fairview Dungarvan Tommy Power’s
Twomey’s Eurospar
Limerick Desmond’s of Limerick
Waterford World Wide Wines
Wicklow Hollands of Bray. ♦
THE event below is now of course in the past tense. It’s rare for any more food and wine events to take place this close to Christmas, but if I hear of any I’ll stick details up here.
I will post links to a heap of original sources and/or opinion related to the issues I mentioned during my winey talk at Cork Skeptics’ December meeting. The idea was to highlight how we keep on putting barriers between us and what our perceptions actually tell us about the wine nestling in the bottom of our glasses.
I had intended to post these links on Wednesday and said so here. Unfortunately, one of life’s little wrinkles diverted my attention, and that was followed by a computer crash. And so I’m posting that material much later than intended. I apologise for the delay.
My column in tomorrow’s Irish Examiner Weekend (quite aptly linking in to the broad theme of skepticism) is looking at wine made using organically-grown grapes. Some of my conclusions may surprise you. And I’ll also be looking at another good bottle of beer to leave out for Santy.
As for the Skeptics event itself, a hearty thank you to everyone who endured my peripatetic conversational style. It’s why I generally stick to writing, and why the links I’ll be posting speak louder and better than I can. ♦
[The following was posted on December 6, 2011]
WE’RE coming up to the last few wine events of the year. As ever I’d suggest you check out my hints and tips for making the most of a wine tasting. The line-up of events includes a rare outing for me on Saturday with something completely different.
█ December 10 – Suck It And See, Blackrock Castle, Cork
PART of an international movement promoting critical thinking, Cork Skeptics live here (corkskeptics.org) and also at the splendid Blackrock Castle Observatory (bco.ie). Each of its meetings turns the focus on topics where sceptical evidence-based thinking has been *cough* absent or challenged — ranging from alternative medicine to moving statues, pyramid schemes, scams, GM Foods and UFOs.
A quick word about language: Skeptic is an alternative spelling of sceptic. More importantly, you may hear the words skeptic and cynic used interchangeably. Big mistake. They’re so different you could say they’re opposites. A cynic has all the answers, whereas a skeptic just keeps asking questions.
Anyway, this week Cork Skeptics kick off the festive season by turning their attention to wine, and have kindly asked me along to help. In a wide-ranging illustrated talk, I’ll be presenting a heap of evidence that our prejudices distort out perception of quality and value, and suggesting how we wine fans can suck it and see and learn to trust our own tastebuds.
The whole thing is meant to be provocative and fun and, reflecting the suck-it-and-see philosophy I try to promote in my column.
I was tempted to get the Cork Skeptics to advertise it as a stand-up comedy gig. I don’t presume that I’m funny – but much of the material certainly is hilarious in that cringey you-couldn’t-make-this-crap-up way.
Along the way I’ll explode some of the popular myths about wine. And while on the subject of memes and factoids, we will take a critical look at the media, with some eye-watering examples of both PR-driven non-stories, and misleading reporting regarding wine (and indeed all alcohol) and health. Even worse than misapprehending the science behind wine, I ask whether some media are deliberately misleading their readers on this topic? Come along, take a look at the examples I’ll be presenting and see what you think. I’ll also highlight an empirical study which I suggest makes nonsense of every wine health story.
It takes place at 8pm on Saturday, December 10. Admission is free, it’s open to anyone over 18, and see corkskeptics.org for more details. And you get your money back if not utterly delighted. ♦
HERE’s a list of Ireland’s best wine websitesand below are some general guidelines to getting good wine delivered to your door in time for Christmas day. You should of course bear in mind all the usual caveats when shopping at an online wine retailer. The criteria I’d suggest you consider include…
1. The quality and value of the range of wines it sells; 2. Comprehensive information on each wine, including useful notes; 3. Free or reasonably priced delivery; 4. A range of styles sufficiently substantial to cope with different needs or occasions; 5. Ease of use of the site; 6. Fun and/or useful extras such as blogs, links and more information about wine.
There is also one overriding hygiene factor: clear and accurate information on price, delivery, terms and conditions made clear to the shopper before s/he starts the purchasing process. If any of those issues are in question, forget about it.
Specifically, any wine website worth looking at should be…
VERSATILE: Most sites offer two ways to buy: You can choose one of their pre-picked selections, or you can put together your own mixed cases will-nilly.
INFORMATIVE:It’ll list every wine’s full name, vintage and regional designation. It ought to have a little bit of further information about the wine’s producer and the region.
UNAMBIGUOUS: One of the things you should check immediately – that the site has unambiguous information about 1 minimum order 2 delivery charge, if any.* 3 extra costs, if any.
*The first two points can be related, as often delivery is free if you order over a certain value or volume.
The third point is ultra-important. There should be no extra costs, end of story.*
AUTHORITATIVE: If there are notes about the wines, ask yourself if someone has actually tasted the wine and tried to communicate something of its character. Or is it just vaguely positive-sounding blurb.
UP TO DATE: It’s quite possible that a site promising “sizzling bargains for summer 2007” might be selling top class wines at good prices. But really you’d have more confidence in the ones that have accurate up-to-date information.
I’d be highly sceptical of any site that pops in a cost such as insurance on top of the list price. In particular, watch out for VAT. It is an offence for a retailer to advertise consumer goods without its VAT component.
Yet one site, http://www.throughthegrapevine.ie, (which should not be confused with the estimable http://www.onthegrapevine.ie) promotes itself as supplying individual customers, providing wedding wines etc. However, it does not include VAT in its list prices, that component being added in later in the purchase process. Some people (yes I mean me) get a bit fuzzy about numbers when they go into three figures and I can imagine a less-than-alert wine buyer innocently clicking ‘buy’ without realising his or her wines have gotten a whole lot dearer.
How can this site justify this? Well it also sells business-to-business and as such is entitled to show ex-VAT prices. But by rights they should emulate those flyers from Dell which clearly show both prices for business and private customers.
Through The Grapevine may not be doing anything illegal but really it is a bit cheesy to say the least and you don’t need people like that in your life. Puh.
El Coto Crianza
Oh and apart from all that, the corporate or private shopper may do better elsewhere anyway. Last time I compared, Through The Grapevine listed El Coto De Rioja Crianza 2004/05 as €120 for a 6-bottle case. Add in €25.80 in VAT and the total comes to €145.80, meaning you’re stumping up over €24 every time you brandish your corkscrew. A high-end premium wine then? Break it out for special occasions?
Well hang on, look up another site, www.karwigwines.ie, and there it is, El Coto Crianza [not to be confused with the Gran Reserva] the same wine for €14.15 a bottle straight up, VAT included. Delivery is free if you buy the right quantity. And even if you’re buying less than that, the €9.50 delivery charge is swallowed up by the 5% case discount or the 10% discount on orders worth more than €200.
The point is — tame your credulity and shop around. If you’ve any comments or questions, please drop me a line at blake[dot]creedon[at]examiner.ie. ♦
Slow Food is hosting a wild food festival in co Wicklow.
█ December 2 – Immigrant support groups’ wine tasting
NASC and Cois Tine are getting together to present an evening of delicious wine and food from 6.30pm on Friday December 2 at Cois Tine, beside St Mary’s Dominican church on Pope’s Quay, Cork. Michal Lewandowski will present a selection of wines (courtesy of O’Donovan’s off-licences) accompanied by grub from (drool) three fine food specialists in the English Market — On The Pig’s Back, Heaven’s Cake and Iago.
Tickets are €19.10 – a fee that wasn’t picked at random: that’s the weekly allowance asylum-seekers receive.
[] Cois Tine (pronounced kush tinn-eh, it’s an Irish language term meaning ‘by the fireside’ chosen to signify hospitality) is a Christian multicultural organisation working to promote “the integration of people from all communities, cultures and faiths”. It works primarily with asylum-seekers and refugees, particularly those of African origin. See www.coistine.ie for more. [] Nasc (it’s an Irish word meaning ‘link’) is The Irish Immigrant Support Board. It links immigrants to their rights, and works across a wide variety of fronts including combating racism, promoting the Cork City Integration Strategy through to direct provision of services. See www.nascireland.org for more.
THE Christmas Wine Fair at Curious Wines on the Kinsale road in Cork takes place from 4pm to 8pm on Friday, and from noon until 6pm on Saturday, with more than 100 wines open for tasting, along with tasty gourmet food. Tickets cost €10, and all proceeds go to Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Phone 1800-991844 or click here www.curiouswines.ie for more details.
This is precisely the sort of tasting I keep urging wine fans to check into. Yes, it’s a commercial showcase of one particular retailer’s range. But it’s also the sole opportunity you will get to dive in and sample any or all of this wide range of wines, free of commentary, advertising, and the suggestions of bloggers and columnists. And if you don’t often dip into such tastings, you may find some useful tips in my post suggesting how to get best use out of open wine tastings.
█ December 6 – Stickies and fortifieds at Hayfield Manor, Cork █ December 7 – Stickies and fortifieds at Ely IFSC, Dublin
THERE’s any number of lesser-visited wine styles I’d urge everyone to check out. Off-dry riesling. Dry riesling. Portuguese wines (all of them). Loire reds and whites. Sometimes it feels like a hopeless mission to persuade people to try out dessert wines or port. Understandable really. After all, what more do you want towards the end of a good dinner than more of the same — a good white or red that you’ve been enjoying?
But discover how a dinner can be turned into a banquet — with tiny glasses of cold botrytis semillon as a beautiful foil to hot bitter coffee, or a rich round spicy port on the couch — and you’ll never look back.
If you’d like some inspiration, there’s an event next week at venues in Dublin and Cork — Ely bar & brasserie, IFSC, and Hayfield Manor Hotel respectively — that you shouldn’t miss. Courtesy of Wine Australia Ireland, they’re hosting a tutored tasting presented by winemaker Chris Pfeiffer whose Rutherglen Muscat has featured in my column a few times. He’ll present a top line-up of Australian stickies and fortifieds, accompanied by nibbles. The tastings in both venues cost €20 per person and begins at 7pm.
For the Cork tasting, book on ireland@wineaustralia.com or 065-7077264. For the Dublin event, book on wineclub@elywinebar.com or 01-676 8986. And if you want any further information on either, contact John at the Wine Australia contact details above.
█ December 8 – Martin’s Christmas Crackers Tasting
(Note change of date)
Martin Moran MW (who presents movies and booze on Newstalk with Sean Moncrieff) has put together an event that sounds practical and inspirational in equal measure. He’s trawled the shelves of the major supermarkets and put together a shortlist of approximately 25 wines chosen to compliment seasonal foods and parties. But as Martin explains on his site, there’s more to it than that and if you want it, he can customise your choices and give you advice on hundreds more wines from the supermarkets’ ranges.
It all takes place at Darc Space Gallery, 26 North Great Georges Street, Dublin 1 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Tickets cost €10, or €15 for two.
█ December 8 – Red Nose portfolio tasting, Clonmel
ON Thursday, December 8, Rudolph the Red Nose Wine Shop Red Nose Wine is hosting a portfolio tasting from 8pm at Hickey’s Cafe, Westgate, Clonmel. Tickets are €15, or free if you buy a €50 voucher – a handy money-saving idea. Click on www.rednosewine.com for details. Last time I checked in, Gary was putting a list of the wines opening on Facebook – and says he’s open to suggestions from customers of further bottles to add to the tasting. Check it out! ♦
EACH Tuesday in November, The Cornstore in Cornmarket Street, Cork is playing host to beer and food pairing events matching menu with beers such as Birra Moretti, Paulaner and Tiger, in association with Heineken Ireland. At each event a beer and food expert will be on hand to take you through the tasting of beers from around the world and how they match with the food on a specially designed menu. A three-course set menu with beer tasting is €24.95, it kicks off at 7.30pm and you can find out more on 021-4274777.
█ November 17 – Cases Wine Warehouse Christmas Wine* Fair
The great big annual wine* fair at Cases Wine Warehouse on the Tuam Road, Galway takes place from 6.30pm to 10pm on Thursday November 17. There will be about 120 wines open for tasting on the night, and there’ll be tasty food provided by Cava restaurant. Other antics include Cases annual blind tasting competition and live music…. *Kudos to Cases for putting good beer centre stage, as they’ve announced the tasting includes a range of delicious beers from Irish artisan beweries including Galway Hooker, O’Hara’s, Dungarvan Brewing and 8 Degrees from Mitchelstown. Tickets, €20, (with all proceeds going to Self Help Africa) from Cases on 091-764 701 or at info@cases.ie.
█ November 17 to 19 – Simply Wines tastings
SIMPLY WINES is probably best known as an online store but you can shop in person there too, and if you’re in the parish I’d strongly suggest you check out their wine fair. They’re holding it over three days with extended opening hours (until 9pm on both the Thursday and Friday, and until 7pm on the Saturday) to showcase more than 80 wines in their range.
You’ll find Simply Wines at Unit 2, Ballyogan Business Park, Ballyogan Road, D18, just around the corner from The Park retail centre, Carrickmines. There’s more details about the wine tasting opportunity here, and a map and stuff here.
And now for something completely different…
█ November 19 & 20 – Wild & Slow, Macreddin, Co Wicklow
This is big. The BrookLodge Hotel, Macreddin Village, Co Wicklow, is the HQ for a busy weekend of food inspiration from 11am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday November 19 and 20. In addition to the food on sale from the stalls, there is a programme of wild-food workshops, tastings, talks and demonstrations around Macreddin presented by Slow Food and sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Bord Bia.
♦ Harvesting hedgerows – what is available for free, where to look for it, and when it is best harvested. ♦ Photo safari in the National Park – a strenuous hike in and around Wicklow, to stalk and photograph the resident wild deer herd and game birds. ♦ Handling and plucking game – a masterclass with licensed game dealer Mick Healy, including a visit to the Wild Irish Game premises in nearby Glenmalure valley. ♦ Game tasting workshop – Taste pheasant that’s been hung for one, two and three weeks cooked for parallel tasting by Ross Lewis of Chapter One. ♦ Game tasting workshop – Tim Daly from BrookLodge presents a sensoray evalutation of three wild meats, rabbit, hare and venison. ♦ Matching game with wines – Martina Delaney, sommelier at l’Ecrivain will host a workshop pairing gamey wines with these traditional meats. ♦ Wild fish workshop – Mick Murphy, licensed traditional snap-net fisherman explores issues of seasonality and sustainability and fisheries management. ♦ Herbalists Freda Wolfe & Clodagh Mulvey on foraging from among more than 400 plant species used in mainstream medicine and alternative therapies alike. ♦ The gamekeeper’s year – Keith Wooldridge, the retired head gamekeeper of Ballinacor Estate will talk you through the year from preparations in spring through to winter shoots, with an emphasis on habitat and environmental management.
THE 11th Cork Wine Fair, organised by O’Donvans Off-Licences, takes place on Thursday November 24 from 4pm to 9pm at the Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay, Cork. About 400 wines as well as beers and spirits will be open for tasting, and there will also be samples of gourmet foods. Two masterclasses, led by two of Ireland’s leading experts, will take place in a side room during the show, featuring the wines of Australia (John McDonnell) and New Zealand (Jean Smullen). All proceeds from tickets (€10) go to the Simon Community in Cork. Booking/enquiries at any of O’Donovan’s 16 stores in Cork city and county or phone 021 4296060.
█ Heineken Ireland is bringing beer and food tasting to top restaurants in Dublin and Cork. Ely Bar and Brasserie, Siam Thai and Roly’s Bistro in Dublin and The Cornstore in Cork will give food lovers and beer fans the chance to come together and sample the natural pairing of beer and food with beers from around the world like Birra Moretti, Paulaner and Tiger. At each event a beer and food expert will be on hand to take you through the tasting of beers from around the world and how they match with the food on a specially designed menu. So whether you’re a beer lover or have never even thought of drinking a beer with your food, there is a beer for you that will add a new dimension to the food you know and love.
These are in the past tense but I’ve left them up here as a sort-of diary. For the latest events, see here.
The wine and beer events here range from dinners showcasing particular wine ranges, through to massive open-ended freestyle wine tastings, and a beerfest next weekend. Any of them would be well worth getting to, and a few are in my view particularly good value for fans of fun and flavour. To add an event, email me – firstname. lastname @examiner.ie – using my name of course. You might also like to take a look here at my guide to making best use of open wine tastings.
█ October 22 and 34 – Halloween apple picking, Co Tipp
A small deviation from the wine, beer and cider — but something that is closely connected: The Apple Farm is offering a great way for families to celebrate Halloween with pick-your-own days this weekend. From 2pm to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, they’re opening the youngest orchard meaning it’s the smallest and easiest to-reach trees (and a memorable hands-on reminder of where our food comes from). There’s no cover charge — you only pay for what you pick. €1 per kg with a minimum of 10kg. See their website here for more details.
█ October 24 – Portuguese Wine Fair, Dublin
One of the highlights on the calendar is the Portuguese Wine Fair which this year takes place at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin 8 on Monday October 24 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Phone 086-8168468 or email jean@jeansmullen.com for details.
█ October 24 – Dylan supper club: wine through the ages
The latest in the current series of cleverly-themed wine and food event at the Dylan Hotel (Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4) is a vertical comparison of vintages from what they say are ‘renowned vineyards’, paired with a four-course supper. €55 per person. From 7pm. Email: reservations@dylan.ie or phone 01 660 3000.
█ October 26 – Port and chocolate tasting, Port House, Dublin
Graham’s Port and Lily O’Briens chocolates are collaborating to present a port and chocolate masterclass with Henry Shutton, winemaker with Graham’s Port in The Port House, Dublin 2 on Wednesday October 26 at 5.30pm. Out-of-towners – make sure you don’t confuse the venue with the equally splendid Porterhouse in Temple Bar. The Port House tapas bar is at 64a South William Street, Dublin 2, near the Powerscourt Townhouse. Phone 01 6770298 or see www.porthouse.ie. Speaking of porter…
█ October 28 to 30 – Octoberfest Cork
WHILE the Franciscan Well microbrewery’s big Easter event is all about indigenous beers, its autumn/winter counterpart is a showcase of international craft beers – with one exception: the brewery’s brand-new limited edition Shandon Century Extra Stout. Whatever way this beer turned out, its launch is enormously significant as it’s the first one the Franciscan Well has ever put in bottle. This is an enormously significant move, as it means the brewery might now begin to address the many many people who can’t (or don’t want to) savour its wares in pubs. Hurrah!
I haven’t tasted it yet and look forward to doing so. I’ll keep you updated in my beer and cider columnlet in the food pages of the Irish Examiner Weekend.[Update - Saturday October 22] I got to try it since this post went up, and it features as my Beer Of The Week in the Irish Examiner today. That ferocious full-throated alcohol level is certainly at the upper end of the scale, and your palate will feel it. Crucially though, the whole is really well balanced: Pouring with a short-lived foamy head, the stout is dense and viscous with (surprisingly) quite a delicately fragrant, hoppy liquorice aroma. Would I stand in a pub with a pint of Shandon Century Extra Stout? No I would not. But I certainly would consider sharing it at the dinner table replacing, say, a sinewey shiraz to accompany a rich roast or a few steaks.
As well as the Franciscan Well’s own pub on Cork’s North Mall, you will find Shandon Century Extra Stout at the Bull & Castle in Dublin. Retailing at just under a tenner, the only off-trade shop they’ve told me about so far is Bradley’s off-licence just a stone’s throw from the brewery on North Main Street, Cork. There’s a note about Bradley’s and its beers here.
Beerfest is back at the Franciscan Well in Cork at this weekend.
Anyway, back to the festival: On the Saturday between 3pm and 6pm, the Franciscan Well, in conjunction with Bord Bia, will present a cheese and beer tasting, pairing local artisan cheeses with various beers, ales and stouts.
You’ll find the brewpub on the North Mall in Cork city. Visit them online here or phone the bar on 021-4393434 or the brewery on 021-4210130.
█ November 2– Wine dinner at Star Anise, Cork
ON Wednesday November 2, Tim and Judy Finn from the Neudorf Winery in Nelson, New Zealand, present a wine dinner at Star Anise restaurant, Bridge Street, Cork.
I haven’t yet encountered the wines from that estate (something I hope to remedy soon) but four factors suggest this will be a particularly promising and great value wine dinner.
(1) While price certainly isn’t everything, you may take the €20+ per bottle retail price of these wines as some indication of the level they play at. (2) They are imported by the multi-award-winning James Nicholson Wines www.jnwine.com whose range I regard as one of the best on this island. (3) The venue: Even with its various awards and highly reviews, Star Anise is one of the most underrated restaurants I’ve ever visited — exquisitely-prepared food served with cheery informality. (4) Value: After a glass of James Nicholson bubbly you’ll be dining from a menu created to match some of the Neudorf wines, all for only €65 a head. To book, call Star Anise on 021-4551635.
█ November 17 – Cases Wine Warehouse Christmas Wine* Fair
The great big annual wine* fair at Cases Wine Warehouse on the Tuam Road, Galway takes place from 6.30pm to 10pm on Thursday November 17. There will be about 120 wines open for tasting on the night, and there’ll be tasty food provided by Cava restaurant. Other antics include Cases annual blind tasting competition and live music…. *Kudos to Cases for putting good beer centre stage, as they’ve announced the tasting includes a range of delicious beers from Irish artisan beweries including Galway Hooker, O’Hara’s, Dungarvan Brewing and 8 Degrees from Mitchelstown. Tickets, €20, (with all proceeds going to Self Help Africa) from Cases on 091-764 701 or at info@cases.ie.
█ November 24 – Cork Wine Fair
THE 11th Cork Wine Fair, organised by O’Donvans Off-Licences, takes place on Thursday November 24 from 4pm to 9pm at the Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay, Cork. About 400 wines as well as beers and spirits will be open for tasting, and there will also be samples of gourmet foods. Two masterclasses, led by two of Ireland’s leading experts, will take place in a side room during the show, featuring the wines of Australia (John McDonnell) and New Zealand (Jean Smullen). All proceeds from tickets (€10) go to the Simon Community in Cork. Booking/enquiries at any of O’Donovan’s 16 stores in Cork city and county or phone 021 4296060. ♦
Bill Casey is one of the six top-class Irish food producers in O'Connells Donnybrook on Tuesday. Click pic to visit their site and see more below.
I’M leaving this post here as it may be useful as an aide-memoire or whatever. But the events here are in the past tense which is why they’re in grey.
THE calendar of public dinners and tastings is pretty hectic at this time of year. Wine dinners and tutored tastings can be great fun, and are often terrific value.
For me though, the occasional big open tastings tick both of those boxes (fun and good value) but also offer us consumers an invaluable sense of what’s out there and whether it’s good value or not. So if you’re going to wine fairs like Lohan’s, this detailed description of how open wine tastings work, along with suggestions on how to navigate them, may be useful. The other new stuff is my latest column over at the Irish Examiner, about some cracking value wines at SuperValu plus, because it’s well worth repeating, the old caveat about wine sales.
█ See below for some great forthcoming dinners and tastings. First though, a quick look back, at the antics over the weekend just past. Festivals of Irish craft brews aren’t new, but the weekend’s All-Ireland Beer Festival at the RDS was a bit like a founding AGM. A glance at the event’s website will give you a sense of the scale of it. About forty or so beers and ciders plus a handful of whiskies were being poured by their makers, who ranged from old hands O’Hara’s of Carlow through well-established businesses such as Porterhouse, to new kids on the block, Dungarvan and Eight Degrees.
Although my main interest is always in bottled beers and ciders for home consumption, dipping into the draught product is always a welcome eye-opener, and I tried quie a few of both.
I loved the fruity, spicy Metalman Pale Ale from the cask, am as delighted as Meatloaf by three of the four bottled ciders made by Tempted? and fell head over heels in love with the chocolatey bottled Cúl Dorcha porter from Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne aka West Kerry Brewery. I’ll follow up on these, complete with stockists etc, here and in my beer & cider columnlet in the Irish Examiner in the near future.
<— There are links to all three over there.
The Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne / West Kerry Brewery stand at the All-Ireland Beerfest.
I usually take pictures at tastings etc only as a memo for myself – sometimes the layout of a hall or a tasting table is a useful synaesthetic memory-jogger especially at big tasting events. There was no such need at Beerfest, but I did snap a handful including the one above – a reminder of the beautifully-presented beers at the West Kerry Brewery stand. If ever there’s a competition for the worst photo ever taken, this is my entry. Still though.
█ September 27 2011 – Food producers & winemakers in O’Connell’s of Donnybrook Wow. Even alongside some of the other rich pickings, this is likely to be an outstanding event. O’Connell’s have worked with several of their partner food producers and with wine importers Febvre to put together an enormously impressive and yet chilled-out food and wine evening. You will choose your starters in the style of a buffet – but you’ll be picking them up directly from the producers as follows…
Organic smoked salmon from Bill Casey Shanagarry Co Cork Chorizo, Salamis and Cheese from Gubbeen Organic Pork and Vegetables from Alan Pierce, Gold River Farm, Co Wicklow Organic Chicken from Mary O’Regan, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford Hereford Prime Steaks, Christy Broe, The Irish Hereford Prime Beef Society Fresh fish from Shellfish de La Mer, Castletownbere, Co Cork
Then, the mains and desserts will be served to you at your table. And Carlos Martínez Bujanda from the top-class Bodegas Conde de Valdemar, Rioja, will be on hand to pour complimentary wines. There will also be a tasting flight of the winery’s wines at 20% off the normal price. Speaking of which, your final bill depends on what you order thereafter, including their €20.95 all-night early bird. That’s good value.
Kudos to O’Connells et al for the imagination to put together an event that’s both useful and exciting, and also so accessibly-priced. All the details are here on O’Connell’s website. Go book.
█ September 28 2011 – Latin American wines at The Merrion The Merrion Wine Society’s second dinner this year is focused on wines from Latin America. The six-course dinner will be accompanied by wines from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay presented by Mary Dowey, wine editor of The Gloss. Book tickets (€90) now on 01-2755310 or email register@thegloss.ie.
Winequake, September 29
Well, we seem to have dodged the satellite falling from the sky, and the neutrino antics at CERN haven’t melted the space-time continuum just yet. But the laws of physics are under threat on Thursday September 29, when several really good events compete for our attention. I believe there may be more to follow but the first three confirmed are as follows…
█ September 29 2011 – Yalumba tasting and/or dinner in Co Cork One of the best tutored tastings I’ve been at was conducted by Jane Ferrari. As she’d say herself, ultimately it’s what’s in the glass that matters most, and Yalumba does make terrific wines, from entry level to posh upmarket bottles. But the presentations that Jane brings round the world are themselves superb — informative and highly entertaining. This event is in two parts as follows
7pm Jane will present a tutored tasting on various wines made by Yalumba (€10). 8.30pm Wine dinner, with each course paired with one of Yalumba’s wines, which Jane will introduce (€75). Book now on 021 4652531 by email to res@ballymaloe.ie and see http://www.ballymaloe.ie.
█ September 29 – Lohan’s Wine Fair Salthill Co Galway Taste more than 100 wines as well as international beers, whiskeys and spirits, speciality cheeses, cakes and canapés at Lohan’s big annual wine fair – and as if that weren’t enough, there’s entertinment laid on too. As ever, the entire proceeds go directly to local charities – Croí which supports families affected by heart disease and raises awareness of the issue; and Cystic Fibrosis, the most common life-threatening genetically-inherited disease in Ireland which has the highest incidence of it in the world. Tickets (€20) are available from Lohan’s Bar & Restaurant, 232-234 Upper Salthill, Galway, 091-522696, or email goodtimes@lohans.ie and see www.lohans.ie.
█ September 29 – Wilson & Caviston in Greystones Co Wicklow St Patrick’ Parish Centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow, is the venue for what promises to be a highly entertaining evening in a good cause featuring John Wilson, wines from Mitchell & Son, and food from Caviston’s – with all proceeds going to the Parish Fund. Tickets are €15 and are available from the parish office on 01-2010648.
█ October 21 – Mas De Daumas Gassac in Ballymaloe Two importer/retailers, Curious Wines in Cork and Red Nose Wine in Clonmel, are co-hosting a two-part event with this top-class idiosyncratic winery in Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co Cork. 7pm — There’s a tutored tasting including a vertical comparison of different vintages of Mas De Daumas Gassac Rouge led by Samuel Guibert in The Grainstore theatre at Ballymaloe. Tickets, €15, from either retailer as above, or from Ballymaloe. 9pm — Four-course dinner at Ballymaloe House accompanied by wines of Mas De Daumas Gassac. €85 per head. Email colm@ballymaloe.ie to book for either or both events, or phone Ballymaloe House on 021-4652531.
♦ Other forthcoming attractions include Dingle Food & Wine Festival – October 1 and 2. http://dinglefood.com Cork Wine Fair – November 24 Taste of Christmas, Dublin – November 25.
♦ I’ll be adding more items here as they crop up, so please check in again. To add an event, email me – firstname. lastname @examiner.ie – using my name of course. And please don’t wait til you have the details finalised: As soon as you know who / what / when / where, please let us all know.
] Family of Four & Grenache 23 [] Nofla SIP 7 gold star wards 2 [] Pio Cesare Donnybrook September 28. [] Portugal 24/10 []
SOME cracking wines showed up at a wine tasting held by SuperValu last week, and provide the basis for today’s wine column in the Irish Examiner. It was their first media tasting in, I think, eight years. And although I was surprised to discover they showed only 33 of their 143 ‘Specially Selected’ range, picking six highlights proved too much for me, so I squeezed in several further bottles I’d recommend.
For this reason there was only room to barely mention two things which deserve a better airing.
1. Price is everything
The tasting coincides with SuperValu’s World of Wine promotion which starts tomorrow with reductions of up to 50%. As ever, shoppers should remember the ancient caveat about sales: the reduction is immaterial, and what matters is the quality you perceive in the wine, and the price you’re paying at the till.
Many wines in many stores will be ‘reduced’ at any one time. However you must realise that often the ‘reduced’ price is in fact the destination price, intended all along. A retailer can quite legally put a few bottles up on its shelves priced at say €15 (when any objective tasting would rank it at, for instance, €10) for a month or so and then ta-dah! reduce the price to €11.
There’s nothing new in this. There’s been what you could call a permasale in all sorts of wine retailers for years – not just the big supermarkets.
What are we looking for? Price/quality, that’s what. When I suggest readers check out a wine sale, the bottles I recommend fall into two categories – those I’d happily pay ‘full’ price for, which are even more attractive now they’re reduced; and bottles which I believe are only ok value or even overpriced at the ‘normal’ tariff, but which offer good value in the sale. In SuperValu’s sale, not only are there quite a few that I think are well worth buying at their full price, there are even a handful that I think are underpriced: I’d happily pay more than their full price.
The rule remains – focus only on what you’re getting for what you’re spending. I’d go further. We’re seriously missing the point if we focus only on the likes of Tesco, SuperValu, Dunnes etc. Sure, those supermarkets and big chains deserve our scepticism – but every other wine business is, after all, a business, and each will use whatever way it can to welcome our lovely lolly too.
For instance, some salespeople can talk up their wines and indeed their entire shop. As Gary Vaynerchuk, the mentor to a generation of social media wine marketers said, “don’t sell wine, tell a story” – meaning one can sell more wine at higher prices by talking up the “passionate winemaker in the small, family-owned vineyard” narrative that pushes our aspirational buttons… Even though there are other wines which are just as good made by winemakers who are equally passionate in other similarly family-owned vineyards at lower prices in other stores…
It’s what’s in the glass that matters, and the price you paid for it.
No wine seller has a monopoly on puffing itself up, just as none has a monopoly on providing good value. Shop wisely and you will find super wines at great value in every store. If the smart shopper’s caveats and scepticism are a sort-of retail slalom course, the highlights I picked from SuperValu’s selection whizzed through those obstacles this week. I’d recommend them for your shopping list when the sale starts.
2 Excellent beer and wine events this week
Being the time of year, there just wasn’t room in the column for more details about some of the beer and wine events coming up. The All-Ireland Beerfest, a great evening with Yalumba, Lohan’s Wine Fair… I’d recommend you check them out in my guide over here. Enjoy!
NB: I’m leaving this post with previous events up for reference only – if you want to see up-to-date listings of forthcoming tastings etc pop over here.
█ September 21 – Tinpot Hut winemaker in Cork
OH my. This is so promising. A tasting menu of some potentially top-class wines, presented by the winemaker, delivered at a very modest price and in a flexible way (to accompany a budget set menu or à la carte as you choose). It’s a pity it was set up at the last minute, as I’d have been there in a heartbeat if I could rearrange. So go and check it out for me.
While I haven’t tasted the wines in question, they certainly have a promising pedigree. Co-owned by Matt Thomson and Fiona Turner, the Tinpot Hut marque — comprising wines from both north and south islands of New Zealand — has picked up various posh awards.
Fiona is on a brief visit to Ireland and will be at Electric on the South Mall in Cork on Wednesday September 21. I don’t yet know if there’s a format but from 5.30pm, anyone dining from the early bird menu can also plug into her wines — a half glass each of the Tinpot Hut sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, grüner veltliner (gv), pinot noir and syrah. I’m interested in all of them, and am particularly intrigued by the gv which is rarely seen outside its native Austria. That’s five wines and your snap for €29. If you’d rather order à la carte, you can just add the wine bit as above for just €10. Ah come on, like.
You’ll find all the info about the event in Electric on their website here. And again if you’re involved in such events, please drop me an email and let me know.
█ September 22 – Big tasting at Ely
More than 70 wines and cocktails on offer at Ely’s second BIG tasting. It’s €20 or, for a set three-course dinner, €35. 6pm and 8pm. Book on wineclub@elywinebar.com or 01 678 7867.
█ September 23 to 25 – The All-Ireland Beer Festival at the RDS More than 40 beers and ciders (along some whiskies) will be pouring at this new festival which clearly aims to become a major annual fixture. It’s open on Friday (4pm to 12.30am; Saturday noon to 12.30am; Sunday noon to 6pm. Tickets are €10 per day or €15 for a three-day pass. You have to change your cash into festival ‘Beer Bucks’ to buy food and drink from the exhibitors at an exchange rate of €2.50 per buck, each of which buys you a half pint. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.ie or from The Bull and Castle pub near Christchurch on Lord Edward St D2, and L Mulligan Grocer at 18 Stoneybatter D7. www.irishcraftbeerfestival.com.
█ September 23 Culture Night There’s one deviation from the wine and beer events on this list, and it’s a biggie. On Culture Night this Friday, hundreds of venues nationwide throw open their doors to the public late into the evening, many of them hosting special events, and all free of charge. Here’s the nationalCulture Nightwebsite.
Take my manor, Cork, as an example. There are 200 events in 75-plus venues, all quite rightly mashing up the arts — exhibitions, plays, film screenings, readings etc — with culture in the widest sense.
To give you a sense of the event’s breadth, you could… ♦ bring the littl’uns to the excellent Graffiti theatre-in-education in Blackpool, ♦ paddle your boat up and down the Lee, ♦ tour the innards of the Everyman Palace Theatre, a beautiful Victorian music hall whose stage was once graced by Miss Minnie Cunningham, ♦ join the Lord Mayor for City Hall’s open evening, ♦ be serenaded aboard the three Culture Bus shuttles laid on for the night, ♦ go to church for tours & talks by architectural and historical experts, ♦ drop in on rehearsals in the bandroom of the Butter Exchange Brass Band, ♦ visit the barracks that provided troops for conflicts ranging from the Napoleonic Wars through to UN peacekeeping missions…
And even if you got through that impossible itinerary, you’d still have experienced less than a tenth of what’s on offer. See what I mean? Download the PDF on theCork Culture Nightwebsite or, better still, seek out the printed booklet in arts venues, libraries etc all over the city.
County Corkis weighing in for the first time this year, with a full programme of events at County Hall, right on the doorstep of the city. But there are also events going on from Beara in the west to Youghal in the east, and many points in between: Baile Mhuirne, Ballydehob, Bandon, Carrigaline, Castlelyons, Castlemagner, Castletownbere, Charleville, Coachford, Cobh, Crookstown, Cúil Aodha, Cullen, Eyeries, Fermoy, Freemount, Glengarriff, Goleen, Kilworth, Kinsale, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Millstreet, Mitchelstown, Schull, Shanagarry, Skibbereen, Youghal. So take a look at the County Council site above or ask around locally.
█ September 23 – Second International Grenache Day at elyCHQ
Grenache (aka garnacha) is the secret star of many beautifully-perfumed wines, particularly from southern France and northern Spain, but also from Australia and beyond. Here’s a whole evening’s opportunity to get up close and personal with the grape.
5.00pm to 6.30pm – seminar
6.30pm to 7.30pm – tasting
8.00pm til late – dinner.
Tickets are €65. For information and bookings, drop in to elyChq in the IFSC (http://www.elywinebar.com) or phone 01-6720010.
█ September 27 – Food producers & wine in O’Connell’s of Donnybrook
Wow. Even alongside some of the other rich pickings, this is likely to be an outstanding event. O’Connell’s have worked with several of their partner food producers and with wine importers Febvre to put together an enormously impressive and yet chilled-out food and wine evening. You will choose your starters in the style of a buffet – but you’ll be picking them up directly from the producers as follows…
Organic smoked salmon from Bill Casey Shanagarry Co Cork
Chorizo, Salamis and Cheese from Gubbeen
Organic Pork and Vegetables from Alan Pierce, Gold River Farm, Co Wicklow
Organic Chicken from Mary O’Regan, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
Hereford Prime Steaks Christy Broe, The Irish Hereford Prime Beef Society
Fresh fish from Shellfish de La Mer, Castletownbere, Co Cork
Then, the mains and desserts will be served to you at your table. And Carlos Martínez Bujanda from the top-class Bodegas Conde de Valdemar, Rioja, will be on hand to pour complimentary wines. There will also be a tasting flight of the winery’s wines at 20% off the normal price. Speaking of which, your final bill depends on what you order thereafter, including their €20.95 all-night early bird. That’s good value.
Kudos for the imagination to put together an event that’s both useful and exciting, and also so accessibly priced. All the details are here on O’Connell’s website. Go book.
█ September 28 – Latin American wines at The Merrion
The Merrion Wine Society’s second dinner this year is focused on wines from Latin America. The six-course dinner will be accompanied by wines from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay presented by Mary Dowey, wine editor of The Gloss. Book tickets (€90) now on 01-2755310 or email register@thegloss.ie.
Winequake, September 29
Several high-profile and otherwise worthwhile events are likely to compete for our attention on Thursday, September 29. I believe there may be more to follow but the first three confirmed are as follows…
█ September 29 – Yalumba tasting and/or dinner at Ballymaloe Co Cork
One of the best tutored tastings I’ve been at was conducted by Jane Ferrari. As she’d say herself, ultimately it’s what’s in the glass that matters most, and Yalumba does make terrific wines, from entry level to posh upmarket bottles. But the presentations that Jane brings round the world are themselves superb — informative and highly entertaining. This event is in two parts as follows
7pm Jane will present a tutored tasting on various wines made by Yalumba (€10). 8.30pm Wine dinner, with each course paired with one of Yalumba’s wines, which Jane will introduce (€75). Book now on 021 4652531 by email to res@ballymaloe.ie and see http://www.ballymaloe.ie.
█ September 29 – Lohan’s Wine Fair Salthill Co Galway
Taste more than 100 wines as well as international beers, whiskeys and spirits, speciality cheeses, cakes and canapés at Lohan’s big annual wine fair – and as if that weren’t enough, there’s entertinment laid on too.
As ever, the entire proceeds go directly to local charities – Croí which supports families affected by heart disease and raises awareness of the issue; and Cystic Fibrosis, the most common life-threatening genetically-inherited disease in Ireland which has the highest incidence of it in the world.
Tickets (€20) are available from Lohans Bar & Restaurant, 232-234 Upper Salthill, Galway, 091-522696, or email goodtimes@lohans.ie and see www.lohans.ie.
█ September 29 – Wilson & Caviston in Greystones Co Wicklow
St Patrick’ Parish Centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow, is the venue for what promises to be a highly entertaining evening in a good cause featuring John Wilson, wines from Mitchell & Son, and food from Caviston’s – with all proceeds going to the Parish Fund. Tickets are €15 and are available from the parish office on 01-2010648.
█ October 19 – Malbec tasting dinner at Thornton’s
The Corkscrew on Chatham Street presents a dinner showcasing Argentina’s finest with winemaker Mariella Molinari presenting some of the premium wines of Argentina’s Catena Zapata to accompany a five-course menu created by Kevin Thornton. Tickets are €120 per person. See www.thecorkscrew.ie or phone 01-6745731.
█ October 19 – Roger Ravoire at Donnybrook Fair
Olivier Ravoire will present wines from his family’s Roger Ravoire Rhone winery in The Restaurant at Donnybrook Fair from 7.45pm. Phone 01-6144849 to book.
█ October 20 – Mitchell’s October Wine Tasting
On Thursday October 20, from 7pm, Mitchell’s present a tasting of new additions to their range in their CHQ shop. It’s an excellent consumer-friendly format that other retailers might consider emulating: You pay €10 to take part in the tasting — but you get a voucher for the same amount that you can redeem in store on the evening.
█ October 20 – Food and beer at Cornstore Cork
Applause please for what looks like a terrific five-course tasting menu, each course paired with a selection of German, English, Scottish and Belgian beers. To pick just one menu item…
Pan-seared Ballycotton sea bass with roast pumpkin, sautéed spinach, grilled baby sweet corn with carrot and orange emulsion accompanied by Schneider Weisse Kristall
That sounds both delicious and a great match, as does the venison with celeriac, kale and cabbage matched with a doppelbock. Some of the matches sound a bit surprising to me — for instance Fuller’s Honey Dew pale ale with the salmon — although the latter is cured with treacle… But preparing to be surprised is half the fun of it, and you are in safe hands at the Cornstore, and that assuredly confident menu. It ought to be a delicious, interesting evening putting beer back where it belongs, on the dinner table. Cornstore, Cornmarket Street, Cork at 7.30pm on Tursday October 20.
Tickets (€45) from 021-4274777 or reservations@cornstorecork.com.
█ October 20 – Mas De Daumas Gassac in Thurles, Co Tipp █ October 21 – Mas De Daumas Gassac in Ballymaloe, Co Cork
TWO Irish wine importers and retailers — Curious Wines in Cork and Red Nose Wine in Clonmel Co Tipperary — are collaborating to put on three great opportunities to meet wines and the people behind one of the Languedoc’s classiest names, Mas De Daumas Gassac. Samuel Guibert will present some of their wines at a dinner at Inch House, Thurles, Co Tipp, at 8pm on Thursday October 20 (60 from 052-6182939 or gary@rednosewine.com). And on Friday October 21, he’s in Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co Cork to present a tasting at 7pm (15) and a dinner at 8.30pm (85). Contact Ballymaloe on 021-4652531; Curious Wines on 021-4320233, or mike@curiouswines.ie.
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] Family of Four & Grenache 23 [] Nofla SIP 7 gold star wards 2 [] Pio Cesare Donnybrook September 28. [] Portugal 24/10 []
Dingle Food & Wine Festival October 1 and 2. http://dinglefood.com.[] Cork wne fair 24/11 [] Taste of Christmas 25/11.
