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
http://wowireland.blogspot.com/

CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY RATHGAR

 

Wine & Health

DEAR DOCTOR...let us solve your wine problems

Dr Hannah wine therapist 
and perfect housewife

Dear  Dr Hannah,
I was hoping you maybe able to shed some light on  my query. Myself and my girlfriend drink red wine a lot but occasionally we drink white. It strikes me there is clear difference between drinking white wine in a good wine bar or a good restaurant. The difference is not only the quality of the wine itself but the temperature it is served at .Firstly what is the correct temperature to serve white wine? Secondly its very hard to recreate to perfect temperature as enjoyed at a good restaurant or wine bar ,could this be because the wine has been stored at the correct temperature prior to drinking it? If both of these factors play important role in ones enjoyment is there a correct storage temperature or will it differ from bottle to bottle?

Daragh

Dear Daragh,

Thank you  for your inquiry

First off  your  letter would seem to suggest  that the quality of the white wine that you and your girlfriend consume in  good restaurants and wine bars is superior to that which you normally drink at home and elsewhere.This should not be the case as the mark up on restaurant and wine bar wines is in many cases double that of an off license or  wine shop.So in theory you should be able  to buy a wine just as good elsewhere for 50% less .

Why not try  to find a good off license or wine shop  to suit your needs and  that can help you choose the type  of wine you like.Get to know the people working there. Explain what you like and dislike and they will inevitably come up with something you like and  over time can guide you through a whole range of wine styles that will suit your particular taste.

Regarding temperature a lot of restaurants and wine bars actually serve  their wines too cold at  almost beer temperature. In terms of storage they often refrigerate the wines for several days even weeks and this tends to mute the flavour of wine.So Daragh it would appear that white wine is maybe not your thing and that is why you like to drink it so cold.
Temperature is probably the most crucial factor to appreciate any wine at its optimum best. Glass style & shape, food and environmental conditions all play a part but serve your wine at the wrong temperature and it just will not develop to its true potential.

Wine Temperature Guide

The following guidelines should provide the best starting points for your wines...

Young Whites : 10°-12° C
Mature Whites : 12°-14° C

Young and light Rosé : 10°-12° C
Mature and bodied Rosé : 12°-14° C

Nouveaux Reds : 10°-14° C
Young, light and slightly tannic Reds : 14°-16° C
Mature bodied Reds : 16°-18° C
Aged Reds : 18°-20° C

Sweet and aromatic Sparkling wines : 8° C
Charmat methode Sparkling wines : 8°-10° C

Champagne and vintage Sparkling : 8°-10° C

Sweet wines : 10°-18° C
Fortified wines : 10°-18° C


Each bottle of wine will have it's own characteristics and you have a unique palate so these guides are just that - guides. Experiment with the temperatures of your wines and you will soon build your own preference of service temperatures for your favourite wines. It's a good an excuse as any to try more wines!

My advise to you is to approach your choice in wine in a similar way as you approach your  choice in women.

Wines are very similar to women. There are many different types.Some are more complex than others.Some are bubbly others serious.Some are forward others shy.Some have very impressive packaging but this is not a guarantee that they will be enjoyable.Some are for immediate consumption others for keeping. Some need some age for their personalities to shine through and show their true potential.Others if not cared for correctly will not improve with age .For all these reasons, if you persist in your search ,one in particular will eventually appeal over all the others and you will  settle on your favourite.

I do hope this solves your problem.

Dr Hannah,

Wine Therapist


Email or comment back with your wine problems and let Dr Hannah will solve them.

Secreto Carmenere

For some strange reason I don't drink that much Chilean red these days .I think subconsciously it could be down to the alcohol levels which can be a bit high for my taste and, also to the fact that I would generally be having my red wine with food so, I tend to prefer styles that are not too forward and fruity.However for some reason the other night I brought home a bottle of Secreto Carmenere.



It is a wine that certainly grabs your attention with its rich full-bodied ripe black cherry fruits,coupled with lashings and lashings of creamy oak. (in a nice Famous Five, Enid Blyton kind of a way)




It reminded me of an ultra modern Amarone which is partly explained by its alcohol of 14.5%.Like Amarone with good chocolate(70%)in a bottle.... to be exact.So perfect in a decadent  stuff your face kind of a way which ,lets be honest,  is a need that cannot be denied from time to time!
.


This wine won the gold star award at the Irish wine show for New World Red  under 14 euro and given the fact that I liken it to Amarone would suggest it is really good value as it retails at €13.95.

The grape variety in this wine is Carmenere which originally came from Bordeaux  but it became virtually extinct in France when an insect,that came over on a vine cutting from America ,decided to munch its way through the vineyards of Europe.
However cuttings of Carmenere had already been brought to Chile and planted out but it was assumed to be  Merlot to which  it bears a close resemblance until it was genetically fingerprinted  in 1994. 
So for Chile this gave them a unique grape variety to work with and Carmenere  is now considered their flagship wine. So in terms of value you are looking at top of the range wine making at a value price because not too many people are familiar with the grape variety yet.

Enjoy

Evelyn 
THE VINTRY,RATHGAR

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATIONhttp://wowireland.blogspot.com/
CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY RATHGAR

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
http://wowireland.blogspot.com/
CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY RATHGAR

Stop That Bus

LOVE BOX 2010

A hot English summer's day,Love Box,Victoria Park, London,Grace Jones and one essential drink... a glass of Pimm's.What more could we ask for?An English summer drink through and through.This drink is so popular  that it is often thought of as the number two English drink, tea of course being the first.

And I was in London after all so i decided to go native!


Recipe for Traditional Pimm's No 1
Easy - Take a jug or glass and fill it with ice, mix one part Pimm’s No. 1 with 3 parts chilled lemonade, add some mint, cucumber, orange and strawberry.

Bottoms Up

Julie

DEAR DOCTOR...let us solve your wine problems

Dr Hannah Our Resident Wine Therapist 

and Perfect Housewife

Dear  Dr Hannah,
I hope you can help me.

My husband Eamonn and I argue all the time about the best way to clean our wine glasses.He likes to use washing up liquid but I don`t and, every evening after dinner, we have terrible arguments about this and generally end up not talking to each other. We have been married for ten years and I am beginning to think our marriage is in crises.Things have got so bad that I cannot decide whether to give up wine, use disposable glasses or just leave him. Can you advise us as I want to save our marriage?  

                                                                                                                                                                          Yours in desperation,

                                                                                                     Carmel

Dear Carmel,

My, My, you and your  poor husband Eamonn do seem to have a serious problem here. Try as we might to ignore it, the truth is that wine glasses do need just a little bit more care in the washing arena than your average glass. Keep in mind that the liquid in the wine glass is typically a bit pricier than your glass of milk or orange juice, so the extra measures to ensure a clean glass could be viewed as merely protecting a valuable investment.

 Every marriage can have its problems however I must admit that yours is particularly complex and as such has several solutions.  My advice Carmel, to both you and Eamonn, is that you can take one of  the several approaches below which should help restore happiness in your marriage:

The Rinser Method

As easy as it sounds, just rinse, rinse and triple rinse your wine glasses with hot water. Make sure that all of the residual wine is removed and allow glasses to air dry, turned upside down on a clean towel.

The Washer Method

Using a very mild detergent, sparingly add a drop to each glass and sponge the soap around to remove all wine stain. Then rinse the heck out of the glass. Soap residue left on your wine glass will interfere with the flavor and aroma of wine.

The Soda Method

Often reserved for delicate crystal glasses, washing soda (or baking soda if you are hard pressed) will gently clean the glass and absorb residual wine. Washing soda is available in most grocery stores in the detergent section. Remember that crystal is much more porous than typical glass and is more likely to absorb odors from its surroundings, including storage companions - like a cupboard full of coffee or cleaning detergents used in the process.

Dishwasher Method

Wine glasses that have shorter stems and that are not made from crystal are ideal candidates for the good old dishwasher. Just use a bit less detergent than you would for a normal, full load and don't set the wash cycle on "heat dry," so that you avoid baking on detergent that has not washed clean. Once the cycle is complete, immediately remove glasses and hand dry with a cotton (lint-free) dish towel.

Why not try to introduce a bit of excitement into your marriage by taking turns with the various methods above.  The method may vary, but the result should be the same - a clean glass of wine, every time.

 Carmel, I hope this advice helps you and Eamonn resolve your difficulties.

Doctor Hannah

Wine Therapist


Email or comment back with your wine problems and let Dr Hannah will solve them..