I met someone last week who was surprised that I knew where Colmar was. But of course, for any wine lover, it’s the heart of Alsace! Having learned so much about its history and geology through the French Wine Scholar course, I was thrilled to visit the area a couple of years ago. Ireland’s […]
Learn about wine: Grü Ve
Some years ago, at a WSET wine course, I opened a mature bottle of Laurenz V’s ‘Charming’ Grüner Veltliner. The class fell silent in its appreciation. Since then, I’ve been trying to age a few bottles from good vintages (like 2015 and 2013 – ’memorable’ age-worthy vintages) for future enjoyment.When young, Grüner Veltliner is appreciated […]
A Trilogy of Emotions
Tommasi, Casisano & Paternoster I was delighted to accept an invitation to a Tommasi wine tasting. I’d always admired the very traditional labels and hefty bottles. Tommasi started in 1902, and is now regarded as one of the top producers of Amarone, exported all over the world. In Ireland, Tommasi was the first wine agency […]
Learn about wine: Barbaresco
Barbaresco is perhaps one of the most muscular red wines on the planet – pale yet full-bodied, firmly tannic, with high acidity. In youth it gives earth, violets, roses and tart red fruit, becoming more tarry, leathery and liquorice-like with age. It is delicious with hearty winter dishes of slow-cooked beef, rabbit, lamb, venison, white […]
Cabernet Day 2017
Do you like a full-bodied red, with fairly grippy tannin and black fruit? Bold enough to warrant some oak-ageing? A wine that can develop cedar, mocha, graphite with age? Something to pair with hearty roast beef, steak, venison? Then look no further than Cabernet Sauvignon. If you need an excuse to treat yourself, I can […]
How Riesling Ages
I regularly give 6-9 year old traditional Mosel Rieslings at my wine courses. Many students are confounded by its petrolly aromas, and undecided about its honeyed flavours, balanced against finely chiselled acidity. Winemason, one of the leading importers of German wines in Ireland,* invited Anne Krebiehl MW to Ireland this summer, to give a very […]
Single Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Tuscany
Imagine a steak without salt. Enjoyable, but missing something…. Drinking a top notch Italian wine without food falls into the same state of limbo. This was brought home to me yet again, at a Masterclass on Single Estate Extra Virgin Olive oil in Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in Dundrum, presented by David Gleave, MW, of Liberty […]
Introducing Brimoncourt Champagne
A rainy and relatively quiet June afternoon coincided nicely with an invitation from Boutique Wines to the launch of Brimoncourt Champagne in Ireland. The venue was Pichet Restaurant,looking good after a revamp about a year ago. The warm welcome from Johnny and Phil from Boutique Wines, as well as Jeremy from Pichet lifted my spirits […]
Marques de Murrieta
One of my favourite Rioja producers is Marques de Murrieta, which happens to be one of the oldest and most famous estates. It can actually claim to be older than Rioja itself, as Murrieta was established in 1852, and the Denominacion d’Origen (D.O.) was created in 1925! Lucian Murrieta was of South American decent. He […]
Albariňo, anyone?
One of my favourite summer whites is Albariňo, thanks to its light body and fresh taste. Its flavours are subtle and elegant – grapefruit, pear and peach are accented by a certain saltiness, reminiscent of a whiff of seashore. It’s crisp rather than overtly acidic. Occasionally a feint spritz of carbon dioxide is left in […]