Chateau Montesquieu Cotes du Rousillon

After 4 years in 66, I upped sticks this week and moved abode to across the city. Now living in "a mixed bathing" situation my wine choices had to be re-thought and wanting to make a good impression on my first night but with little or no money to my name I decided to opt for a Southern French that we have on special at the moment for a reasonable €9.99.

 This is a blend of  Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from close to Perpignan. It was a lovely rich ruby red with a purple rim and a gorgeous nose of blackberries, cloves and violets. A good weighty palate with juicy dark fruit flavours and fine silky tannins. We had it with simple lamb chops, roast potatoes, carrots and a dash of gravy which worked really well. The only complaint being that there wasn't enough... We're all gonna get on fabulously well!!

Till Next time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

La Cruz Tempranillo-Syrah 2008

  There are some really great value red wines coming out of Spain at the moment. Quaffable,soft, fruity and ready-to-drink Tempranillos are everywhere and are giving New World wines a run for their money as crowd pleasers.
 However if like myself you prefer more to a red wine than strawberry and jam flavours alone, this is well worth a try. A blend of 70% Tempranillo and 30 % Syrah this has a lot more going on than you would expect for the price tag actually about €4 to €5 more. It has all the red fruit aromas and flavours you would expect from the tempranillo grape but a gorgeous earthiness and spice backs it up. Aged for 4 months in oak givng it gorgeous vanilla complexity. The grapes come from all their own vineyards which surround their 100 year old cellar just 10 km outside Toledo which was once the capital of Spain. During my year in Spain we visited this stunning walled city which is situated about an hour south of Madrid. The Díaz Bermejo family have been making wine since 1996 when they took over Finca Loranque. This red is their entry level wine and if you can get past the hideous label, worth every penny of the €9.49 price tag.

Till Next Time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

El Lagar de Isilla Verdejo 2010

New to Cellars this week is this 100% Verdejo from Rueda. This winery focuses mainly on Ribera del Duero wines and this white is new to their portfolio. In fact we have stocked their Joven for the last few years so I was looking forward to trying this. Rueda is just south west of Ribera with the Duero river flowing into it.It is a relatively new DO, only receiving it's status in 1980. An area that is famous for it's white wines with Verdejo being the most widely planted variety although Sauvignon blanc and Viura are also quite common.
Opened it for tasting in Blanchardstown last sunny Friday and it walked out of the shop. Pale gold with green flecks and a very aromatic nose; full of pears and apples. Tingly fresh on the palate with tropical fruit flvours and red apples. Clean and crisp with great finish. Try with chicken salad, crab, prawns or any shell fish. Only €12.99 and "My Choice of the Week"
Till Next Time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Setanta - Cuchulainn Shiraz 2007

 As the name suggests, this family run business has Irish blood running through it's veins. First generation Australians, Sheilagh and Bernard had grown up listening to folklore from their Irish born parents and when Sheilagh married Kiwi, Tony, also of Irish descent, there was no getting away from their heritage. Despite the fact that between the three of them, they had absolutely no wine knowledge apart from appreciation they realised their dream of making wine and with James Halliday rating their winery in the top ten and regularily receiving 5 stars they were obviously born to it.
 Tony and Sheilagh look after the marketing of the company and when it came to naming it , they wanted to keep hold of their Irish connections, Setanta was the obvious choice. Each varietal in the range is named after a mythical character from these yarns. The shiraz I tasted last night is called Cuchulainn but we also stock an Emer Chardonnay and Black Sanglain Cabernet Sauvignon. Love them or hate them their labels are very distinctive, with each label depicting one of the adventures of Setanta.
 Bernard acts as viticulturist and also winemaker which after going back to do a post grad in viticulture and spending time in  cooler climate winemaking countries, he seems to have mastered the technique of winemaking in Adelaide Hills.
It had been a few years since I had tried these wines so decided last night was as good a night as any to be good to myself! Not as dark in the glass as you would expect from an Aussie Shiraz actually more ruby red. Christmas cake fruits were the first thing that jumped out at me from this very aromatic nose with some plums and black licquorice. On the palate, the black licquorice is still there with some complex fruity undertones of plums and prunes. Really good length. This vintage was rated 93 Points with Halliday.

Selling for €21.99 in our Blanchardstown store now.

Till Next Time

Clare
Cellars, the Big WIne Warehouse

  

Lingenfelder Scheurebe 2004



Rainer Lingenfelder

   Attended a trade tasting yesterday where I had the pleasure of meeting this 13th generation winemaker from the Pfalz region of Germany. Rainer Lingenfelder was in Dublin to showcase his wines with his 16 year old son who seems to be following in his father's footsteps.


"Bird label"

 Their introductory range, Vineyard Creatures, is available here in a Riesling and Gewurztraminer and although serious wines showing great varietal flavours, Rainer told me that with this range he has removed the  "Wine Speak" as he calls it from the label in the hope that it will make it more consumer-friendly. Each wine from this range is also called after an animal from the vineyard and have a very distinctive label designed by atirst, Chuck House. The Riesling or Bird label pictured here is an off-dry riesling yet crisp and fresh and tastes anything but introductory.

 My firm favourite is still their Scheurebe which is an unusual grape variety ( a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner) however apparently widely planted in this region. The name comes from the man who invented it in 1916 called Scheu with Rebe literally translating into vine. Rainer told me how it was a difficult grape to cultivate and unless handled with care can result in an acidic sharp wine. In contrast this a highly aromatic wine with aromas of star fruit and passion fruit. A lovely full bodied white with  exotic fruit flavours and some nutmeg present. No oak used in this wine and medium to slightly sweet finish. Give this a try with some asian food as an alternative to Gewurztraminer, it's also only 10.5% alcohol so a good lunching wine. Sells for €17.99

Till Next time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Muga Reserva Especial 2005

  Arriving to the New Zealand wine fair with only an hour to go, it was a bit of a dash trying to get around to as many suppliers as possible to try new vintages and offerings for the coming year so a relaxing glass of wine was well deserved come six o clock! Thankfully as a result of many rubberarmed colleagues,  a gang of us ended up in Olesya's wine bar, Exchequer Streeet. It was my first time here but I had heard plenty of great things about this place and judging from the full tables on a Monday night in January the rumours had spread. Looking around the tables, the food looked delicious and the antipasti plate we ordered was probably the best I have had in Dublin.

 The wine was a little harder to make a decision on as the wine list is so extensive and includes a great selection of wine by the glass which is a good one to note for future visits. We eventually settled on a bottle of Muga Seleccion Especial 2005 from Rioja, €49 on their list. It is a Tempranillo based wine but there is a small proportion of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano in it also. It spends 6 months in oak vats, 30 months in wooden barrell and a further year in bottle before being released resulting in a huge big compex wine. Toasty and nutty with tempranillo aromas of dark cherries and red fruits. In the mouth it was velevty smooth and had great weight to it. The smokiness and spiciness complimented the fresh fruit flavours and went on long after the last drop.  As I was the only female there I managed to pull the chivalry card and grab the last glass which might not be very new -womanish but a girls got to do what a girls gotta do!
Till Next Time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Chateau Le Coteau Margaux 2003





 After escaping the flu all Christmas and feeling pretty invincible, I woke up feeling lousy on Tuesday morning and after two days of sleep and bad daytime tv, I could take no more so armed with a packet of Neurofen Cold & Flu I coughed and spluttered my way into work yesterday. By 4.30 I was dreaming of re-runs of "The Good Life" and my hot water bottle - a sure sign that all was not right! Throwing the towel in I headed home but not before one of my suppliers made me a present of a bottle of this Margaux on his list to cheer me up.

A wine we stock in Cellars but unfortunately had not tried in a good while so all was definitely not a loss for the day. It's from the left bank so Cabernet Sauvignon based but wines from this appellation are typically not as full-bodied as it's neighbours. Considering the other two Margauxs we stock are Chateau Palmer and Chateau Brane-Cantenac, this is a great introduction to this area at only €29.99.

Feeling mildly better by dinner time I treated myself to a glass of it with some steak and mushrooms and although my senses were not at their best, it was delicious. A verdict seconded by Ruth when she came home.

In the glass it is not as dark as you might expect from a bordeaux blend but on the nose it has tobacco, green peppers and blackcherries. Plenty of fruit on the palate; again cherries and some blackcurrants and a lovely long vanilla finish. After two glasses of this and an early night I felt brand new today and it tasted way better than any lemsip I've ever had.

Till next Time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

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Martin Codax Albarino in Berlin!



"Not another Riesling, pleease!"

   After a busy month of all work and no play, a weekend away was badly needed so a last minute brainwave saw us booked onto a flight to Berlin to ring in the New Year.  Determined to try to get to the end of as many bottles of Riesling as possible over the weekend and with my two trusted and willing comrades in tow by the Sunday we were Riesling-ed and Schnitzel-ed out of it! A change of tack was needed so we headed to the nearest tapas bar in Mitte and settled in for the night. Still happy to veer away from Sauvignon Blanc(their tipple of choice) but on the condition that neither the word trocken or halbtrocken be seen anywhere near the bottle... we really had over done the "when in Rome". It was one of those amazing dark taverns lit solely by candlelight with tiles on the walls and napkins all over the floor, ironically typically Spanish! It would have seemed weird to order anything from their extensive list but a Spanish wine. We went for the Martin Codax Albarino which was ridiculously good value on their list at €20 and one we sell in Cellars so knew it would put a smile on the girls' faces! Straw yellow and bright in colour. A nose full of apples which I thought might be a problem as slightly reminiscent of the last Riesling we had drunk but had a lovely vegetal or herbal undertone. On the palate it was so fresh there was a slight zing to it. Full-bodied with some lemon flavours and minerality on the finish. Quite dry but lovely balanced acidity which worked really well with the tonne of seafood we ordered!

Feeling a little tender on our way home we decided our next weekender might be to Spain and an authentic Spanish tapas bar. Definitely more a patatas bravas than a sauerkraut kind of girl...

Great start to 2011, thanks girls xx

Till Next time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

1865 Carmenere

Tried this wine a few months ago in our wine club and loved it's spicy flavours and the typical green pepper aromas of this variety. It had beautiful silky tannins and a vanilla smoky finish. It was the wine that stood out for me that night and a couple of days later we listed it on the Naas road. This is from the same producer as Gato Negro which Ev previously blogged about as a great value red but at €14.99 it is more of a treat!

 When one of my oldest pals,Shell, came out to visit me in our new store in Blanchardstown village and asked me to reccommend her a nice bottle of red for a romantic meal in that night I knew it would be right up her street.

 Always nice to get a bit of feed back on any recommendations so I asked her to scribble down a small tasting note on the wine. So after our ritual Monday morning phone call discussing all the important issues of the world including who wore what out on Saturday night, how Wagner as making a mockery of our sacred X factor, blah blah... You get the idea!  She finally got around to the 1865 Carmenere with a glowing report!

Appearance: dark purple

Nose: she thought the nose was quite sweet and woody aromas

Palate: much drier than she thought it would be which surprised her after the nose. She thought there was cherrry flavours to it.

Verdict: Really smooth and definitely a wine she will look out for again.

Satisfied customer!

Till Next Time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs NV





The highlight of the drinks industry social calendar for me is always the first weekend in November when I throw on my glad rags and head for the Four Seasons and the Irish Champagne Academy Dinner. After a quick glass of chardonnay, we hit the hard stuff! As usual there was the pre-dinner tasting of the 16 Grand marque champagnes in magnums... you might have stopped wondering why this is the highlight of my year at this stage! The biggest conundrum of the night is generally deciding over a glass of Krug or Pol Roger! Champagne never fails to impress me and not in a pretentious Celtic Tigeress way but in a true appreciation for the houses and their different styles. There is always one that steals the night for me every year and hands down it was Ruinart last Friday. Made from 100% Chardonnay. Pale gold in colour with delicate fine bubbles. On the nose there is citrus fruits and apple aromas. Gorgeous lively palate. Smooth and elegant with subtle honey flavours and citrus fruits. There is a certain smokiness on the finish. Almost Ladylike in style!

Till Next Time

Clare

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION

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Tapas and a bottle of Rioja... Heaven!



The Port House, Pembroke District, Dundrum Town Centre



 Met Ruthie after work last night to try out a new haunt in Dundrum, The Port House. To be honest had tried out their branch in town when it first opened a couple of years ago and was not that impressed with it but maybe I was just unlucky as it had been a particularly busy night and a gang of us were squashed onto a table that should really only have sat half of us. Last night was a totally different experience though and the atmosphere seems way more chilled out from that of the one in town. Spread over two of the Pembroke cottages, unlike most of the restaurants in Dundrum there is plenty of room between tables and lit by candlelight with exposed brick walls it has a cellar feel to it. Loads to choose from on the menu but we settled for calamares with aioli mayo, bouquerones,  goats cheese salad and chorizo in a red wine sauce with onions. One nicer than the next! They have a pretty extensive wine list with most of the Spanish appelations covered. Good value also as we paid €26 for the Ibericos Rioja Crianza which I sell in Cellars for €12.99. This is Torres' Rioja and relatively new to Ireland. Everything you expect from a crianza from it's deep red appearance to the blackberries and blueberries on the nose with an oaky spiciness. Really velvety and round in the mouth and the spice coming through on the finish. A really great offering for house wine prices. Dessert was pretty amazing also; I went for home made doughnuts with hot chocolate and Ruthie had her all time favourite creme brulee. You won't be able to keep us away from this place now that we have found it and with a smoking area being finished off  in the next week or two it is like it was purpose built for us WOW girls. Have we found our new headquarters?!

Till Next time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Terre a Verre " Les Roches " Picpoul de Pinet

 My white grape of choice is always Chardonnay, preferably big and buttery and from Burgundy, this works well when out with Ruthie or Dad but with any of the girls it's anything but. I never have been the biggest advocate of Sauvignon Blanc however after a pretty gorgeous summer which was stuffed full of weddings, bbqs and hens I feel myself and this grape need some time apart.  It goes without saying that I love red wine but when it comes to one glass of vino after work or socially, white is generally my preference and sometimes big and buttery is just too much -  translating into a very unshareable wine!
Terre A Verre might have a little too much shareability and as I have got used to having a full bottle to myself when out with the girls this might take some getting used to!
In the glass it is straw colour with hints of green not unlike a sauvignon blanc in appearance. The nose is subtly floral with aromas of fresh pear. In the mouth it is dry yet surprisingly full-bodied and obvious that the wine spent time on it's lees but still has a gorgeous minerality to it with a good balance of fruit present.
 Picpoul de Pinet is the biggest white growing region in Languedoc with Picpoul itself being one of the oldest french varieties.  It is a fragile grape that was nearly completely destroyed by phylloxera but is becoming quite popular again. It is one of the varieties permitted in chateauneuf and is often used as a blending wine in the Rhone in both it's red and white forms(Picpoul Noir & Picpoul Blanc) but on it's own it makes for a perfect seafood accompaniment and with it's minerality possibly a good Loire substitute and at €12.99 definitely one we can work with.

Till Next Time
Clare

Santa Rita Pehuén Carmenère

  Myself, Ruth and Ev recently attended the Santa Rita "Local Heroes" dinner in the Merrion hotel where along with other members of the trade, journalists and restaurateurs we sat down to an unbelievable meal cooked by Sebastian Maturara, the Chilean chef,  flown over especially and  all accompanied by some of their finest wines. Nights like these I forget about the long hours, harsh duty rates and anything else that bothers me about the wine business and I figure we have THE BEST jobs in the world!
 Santa Rita launched this campaign last year to honour the heroes who fought for their independence from Spain in the Civil war. One of these heroes, Bernard O'Higgins and his 120 man army sought refuge in the cellars of Santa Rita and after resting up went on to win independence for Chile. It was because of Bernard O'Higgins' Irish connections that Santa Rita launched this campaign here in the hope of finding more brave Irishmen and women of the more local kind. The 120 range is so called after these brave men but it is their more premium wines that really impressed on the night.

  The star of the night for me was the Pehuén  Carmenère. This is a single vineyard Carmenère from the Apalta region. This grape needs a long growing period to ripen fully so the Apalta valley is perfect for this. The wine is called after the native Chilean tree better known to us as the monkey puzzle tree. A deep, dark and luscious colour displaying chocolate, dark cassis, spices, coffee and plenty of fruit on the nose. Big and robust in the mouth with beautiful complexity and a smoky finish that went on long after the last drop. This retails for €54.99 but worth every cent so maybe (dare I say it) a Christmas treat!  It needs full-flavoured foods to work with as Sebastian showed us with delicately cooked lamb served with a traditional Chilean corn based  salsa. The flavours worked beautifully with this wine. 

Beautiful match

  
  A memorable night with great food and beautiful wine but seriously suffered the next morning even though we sensibly dragged ourselves home after the dinner. Recommended Copper Face Jacks to Sebastian... I wonder how that worked out!
Till next Time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION

Le Voyage d'Ulysse 2006

 This gorgeous Cotes du Rhone Villages  would be a lovely accompaniment to Roast Lamb this Sunday. It's a blend of Syrah, Carrignan and Mouvedre. It is a gorgeous ruby red in the glass with aromas cherries and vanilla from the oak ageing. Cherries follow through to the palate with some raspberry flavours also present. The finish is typically Rhone; spicy with fine tannins. 

The name of the wine means “The Journey of Ulisses”. Frederic David, the winemaker, named the wine after his 7 year old son, Ulisses and runs the vineyard with his father who bought it on his retirement in 1991 and moved the whole family down from Paris. I actually met Frederic when he was over in Dublin before Christmas and he spoke so passionately about not only his wines but the land itself that it would be difficult not to get enthused about them. He is very conscious about pesticides and trying to minimise the amounts used in the winemaking process as much for the wine he makes as for the land he is farming. He was telling me the property itself has a beautiful 16^th century chapel on it which he is renovating at the moment in the hope that they can eventually accommodate weddings on the vineyard. Can you imagine getting married amongst the vines and olive trees….?!

His best pal actually owns an Irish bar in nearby Nimes which he goes every Thursday for live trad sessions and to watch the rugby even admitting to donning our green jersey for some matches so there seems to be a bit of Irish in him!

 He is a rather small producer, making only 5 wines..3 reds - one of them actually being a Kosher wine, a sauvignon blanc and a gorgeous rose. This is his top wine and on special in Cellars for the month of September at €11.99

Till next time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse, Naas Road

Doña Paula Malbec 2008

In the words of Mika... Big and beautiful comes to mind when you take a sip of this luscious deep coloured  red. There are plums, blackberries and some coffee aromas. On the palate it is soft and round with sweet tannins. Malbec is a real favourite with a lot of my customers and for all those red meat eaters out there you need to try it with a juicy sirloin steak.... There is a reason why it is known as the "Original Steak Wine"

 From the Mendoza region of Argentina this is 100% Malbec and a true expression of what the grape can produce. Argentina have really taken Malbec as their own even though it has a long history in the Cahors region just south of Bordeaux. Here the grape produces a highly tannic wine with black fruit  and violet aromas. It only reached  Argentina in the late ninteenth century where originally due to high yields it was served as a  mediocre table wine. As winemaking techniques improved and yields controlled, it has gained worldwide recognition and deservedly so.

 The Claro group which are the Chilean company behind Santa Rita and Terra Andina to name but a few acquired vineyards in the late 1990s in Argentina and Doña Paula was founded. As winemakers they believe in protecting the environment and try to do their utmost to ensure that neither the environment or their workers are at any risk by avoiding pesticides and allowing natural processes to control pests.

Give this a try for €13.99 and you won't be disappointed.
Till next Time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse
CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION

Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

 An old favourite of mine is this Californian Zinfandel; a robust and full-bodied luscious red.  This is actually a blend of Zinfandel and  Petite Sirah, the fomer being the dominant grape at 76% means that it is complying with USA labelling laws by referring to itself as a single varietal.
 It has a nearly purple colour to it with a nose of juicy plums and blueberries with some spice and vanilla evident. It spends 18months in oak with 30% of it New and the balance being French. It is a big wine with buckets of soft fruit flavours yet the wood ageing brings plenty of complexity to it. At €14.99 this is an introduction to their range, they strive to make full-bodied reds with plenty of"zinfindelity" as they call it themselves. They are actually running a campaign at the moment called "No Wimpy Wines" which you can sign up to on facebook, this is a campaign to seek out "full-throttle, full-flavoured wines"!
 Ravenswood started up as a garage operation by a guy called Joel Peterson known affectionately as the "Godfather of Zin" . With a degree in microbiology he dabbled in wine-making as a hobby. It was in 1976 that he revealed two single vineyard Zinfandels to the world. With the help of Reed Foster who looked after the financial end of things, Ravenswood was born.

"The Godfather of Zin"

The name Ravenswood comes from a story Joel tells of his first ever vintage . The story goes that he arrived at Dry Creek on a wet and miserable day to collect the barrells of grapes just picked for his debut Zinfandel only to find they had fallen over and the grapes scattered everywhere. as he collected them all back up again, 2 ravens watched overhead cawing. It had started raining everywhere except in the small patch where he worked and as the sun came out a double rainbow set in the sky. He believed the ravens to be watching over him and cheering him on so they have become the company mascot ever since. After then seeing the opera Lucia de Lammermoor where he recognised a lot of himself in the main character, Lord Ravenswood. "All that passionate beauty and madness captured perfectly how I felt about my crazy hopes for a winery" Joel was quoted as saying, Ravenswood was born.
 Whatever way the name came about he is the biggest Zinfandel producer in the world and claims to be there for every bottle produced. He works with over 100 Californian growers to get the perfect grapes for each range and with 3 years behind him he manages to produce consistently super wines that are equally as delicious on their own as with food and definitely worth checking out .

Some overly-enthusiastic Ravenswood drinker!

 Strangely enough the logo (or totem as Joel refers to it) made up of three intertwined ravens which was designed by Californian artist, David Lance Goins is apparently the most tattooed  symbol in the wine business!! In fact so much so that the winery promises free-tasting for the rest of your life if you visit the winery and show your tattoo to them... it might just be worth it!

Till Next Time
Clare

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION
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Something old, something new...

With the Celtic tiger having legged it off to wherever he wandered out from, everyone is keeping a tighter hold on their money and what they are getting for it. Gone are the days of the words"Feck it! It's our big day and it will only happen once!" and  couples seem to more involved than ever in the finer details of their weddings leaving an awful lot of unemployed Francks!

Me and the girls at Jennie & Kevin's

This has been my year for weddings - like the year of the 18ths,21st and 30ths so I have been in the company of many brides-to-be and have heard them swopping money-saving ideas such as DIY invitations and amature flower arrangements. The best of all I heard this week was a bride who really wanted The Dublin Gospel Choir during the ceremony but instead asked her pals to pull out some of the oldies from school and even though they were a bit rusty, these are the things that I think make a wedding really special. Now granted a lot of my friends do enjoy their wine along with the fact that if I am invited to your wedding I have a strict "you better have bought that from me, my family or close friend" policy but putting that all that to the side they have managed to select a wine they love, save money and also return any bottles that they have not used - it's a no brainer.

In the last year hotel's have become more open to the idea of bringing in your own wines and corkage although still high is more manageable as a result myself and the other three W.O.W.s have become experts in what wine goes with beef and salmon!! Two great little wines that are flying out the door for weddings are from Boschendal which is one of the oldest wine farms in South Africa and from Italy . They are both packaged beautifully(which is very important when sitting on a dressed table) but they also offer great value for money.

THE NEW(world) !

The red which is called The Pavillion is a Shiraz Viognier blend from the Boschendal range. Dark fruits on the nose especially plums and blackberries. The palate is very fruit forward but has a lingering spicy finish. Nicely balanced tannins means it works well with meat but the fruitiness of the wine allows it to be a real crowd-pleaser which is exactly what you want.

€7.99 per bottle

The white is a chenin blanc and viognier blend also from the same range. A golden colour with tropical fruits on the nose; melons and pears. This again is a real fruit explosion on the palate which makes for easy-drinking yet well-balanced acidity pairs it well to chicken dishes.

€7.99 per bottle

THE OLD(world)!

This Veneto red is full-bodied with luscious dark cherries and a smokiness on the nose. There is a lovely velvety mouth-feel to this with smooth tannins and a dry complex finish. It is a blend of Corvina(traditional Valpolicella grape) and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a more serious red than the Pavillion but still well priced.

€10 per bottle

The white in this is a pinot grigio and pinot nero blend. Pinot grigio is I think always a safe option for a wedding as it is a very inoffensive grape which sometimes works against it. With this blend thouigh there is more body than you would expect and a lovely creaminess to it. On the nose we have pears and white flowers and in the mouth a gorgeous freshness.

€10 per bottle

 The average corkage seems to be anything between €7 - €10 and with some persuasion it should be possible to bargain them down to the lower bracket. House wines in hotels generally tend to be about €20 so whether you are trying to save money or just get better value for your buck it is definitely something to consider. On The Pavillion range if you got the hotel down to even €8 corkage you could make a saving of nearly €5 per bottle when case dicounts are taken into consideration and when you put that across 100 bottles of wine you might even save your bridesmaids from the  papercuts and tears of DIYing invitations, sorry Celene!! Or if you are after quality you could end up paying the same for something you and your guests thoroughly enjoyed over some anaemic New World house wine.
 In Mary H's words "Shop around"...

Till next Time

Clare
CELLARS,NAAS ROAD

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION
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CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY RATHGAR