Simonsig Shiraz 2004...A tasty bargain.

We at The Vintry have stocked several vintages of this wine over the years because, it  always appeared on the market drinking perfectly, it generally had a nice few years of bottle age under its belt  before release which made it a real bargain.
The last vintage 2003 was €13.95.and the current vintage  2004  is selling at €9.95, because the main agent  was unloading a  parcel and we snapped it up.Tasty stuff with excellent concentration of  ripe black fruits ,a little black pepper and a creamy influence all in lovely balance due to its age.

At 14.5% it is not for the faint hearted but again the lovely bottle age serves to mellow out the alcohol,and there is tonnes of fruit, giving it perfect balance.The Shiraz vines used in this wine are obviously very healthy as there is no sign of the signature elastoplast aromas that one ofter associates with certain wines from South Africa.It is a modern yet authentic South African wine that is a pleasure to drink with or without food.

Evelyn
The Vintry

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Durbanville Hills AttractsThe Girls

Anne,Karen aka Kevin,Evelyn,Reggie,Martina aka Martin,Siobhain,Darina &Oonagh.

No one who knows him can accuse Kevin Behan from Edward Dillon & Co.of being sexist,as it was he who suggested to Oonagh Gildea, brand manager ,to get Durbanville Hills wine maker Martin Moore to host a tasting for the ladies in the wine trade.
Now anyone who has ever met Martin Moore is probably reeling with shock at the idea of putting him into such a scenario because he really is a mans man ,in a true South African rugby hooker kind of a way.However thus the smarts of Kevin and Oonagh ,as it really was a great success.

Maybe we got to see his softer side because it quickly became clear that Martin is truly committed to sustainable farming  using the principles of integrated production and has a genuine  interest in working with his growers on projects that promote the preservation of the land such as water recycling. He is also deeply involved in the promotion of  further education by way of scholarship out of the farm schools in his area.

Like all men, he is into machines and gadgets but in his case it extends beyond the car ,tractor and wine making gizmo's into ice cream and bread making equipment.A keen cook since the age of 13, his empathy with food clearly comes through on the styles of wine that he creates A.Sauvignon Blanc for quaffing. Pinotage for lighter and/or spicy food styles such as chicken,duck and pheasant.  Merlot for slow cooked red meats such as beef, lamb,and venison casseroles and Shiraz for the big roasts. He also recommends that his Pinotage be served chilled with berry pear and/or white chocolate desserts. We tried this combination and he was not wrong!

I must say it was a little strange to spend an evening talking wine without having to listen to the golf and soccer gossip that generally punctuates a wine evening but not in a bad way!

Thanks to All

Evelyn


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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

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Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2008

So two firsts with this white – it’s from South African and also Chenin Blanc, neither of which have been done yet on the blog. Chenin can range hugely in style from dry to sweet but can also make gorgeous sparkling cremants and in good vintages beautiful desert wines from noble rot. This Chenin is from Stellenbosch(about 28 miles east of Capetown) Chenin is the widest planted variety in South Africa and often referred to as Steen. A pretty new vineyard, established in about 1989 but already laden down with awards. They mosly specialise in white, with the winemaker, Mike Dobrovic (pictured below) been nicknamed Mr. Sauvignon Blanc! Although these are the guys that make one of my favourite reds –"The Faithful Hound" called after the memory of an abandoned dog who waited for his master outside an empty cottage on the Mulderbosch farm for 3 years.

                                                                                          

   Mike Dobrovic is a pretty alternative guy and after doing some of the wine route in South Africa a few years back we ended up on his doorstep and instead of the usual tour of the winery and formal tasting we were used to, he simply told us to sit in a circle and handed us all a piece of paper with a philosophical blurb on it. We all had to read ours out to the group while sitting for all intensive purposes in a big comfy sitting room. I’m a demon in those sort of situations especially after a couple of glasses of vino ; it was like being in mass when you were small and being told not to laugh and that’s all you can think of. Plenty of snorting went on ! Unfortunately can't remeber the few lines I had to read out but definitely a winery that stood out from the rest on that trip for not only their wines but also their colourful winemaker. When asked the usual questions about the wines he simply said “the wines speak for themselves”  which in all fairness to him is true...

    I love the way he packages his whites as they really stand out on a shelf; they have a distinctive narrow label which runs the length of the bottle with a red faux-wax seal. It is 100% Chenin Blanc which is aged in wood for 6 months (a mixture of American, Hungarian and second -fill French). The wine is then slightly sweetened by adding some Chenin Blanc noble late harvest juice to the aged wine. The result is a full-bodied off-dry white which was just made to go with the famous South African Bry. It is pale straw in colour with an amazing fruit-filled nose of pineapples with some zestiness, the oak brings some nutty nuances. On the palate it is lovely and clean but powerful. Off-dry finish. The lovely flamed flavours of barbeque chicken or sardines with a drizzle of lemon over it and a good rice salad -Ideal!

                                  Selling for €14.99
                 
 

The Cape of Good Hope - next port of call??!!            

Till next time
Clare



CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION.


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