[Events] Australia and New Zealand Wine Tastings

I hope everyone had a Happy Christmas and that you all enjoyed some damn fine food and drink over the festive period. For those of you who aren't planning a dry January, here are details of two upcoming wine events, featuring the wines of Australia and New Zealand. And even if you are planning a dry January, surely you can allow yourself a little wine?

New Zealand Wine Fair

When: Thursday, January 21st between 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm.

Where: Hilton Hotel, Charlemont, Dublin 2

The Kiwis are on a wine tiki tour - join them for an evening of meandering, digressing, indulging and awakening the senses. Tickets cost €15 and can be booked here.

Australia Wine Fair

When: Wednesday, January 27th between 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm.

Where: Royal Hibernian Academy, Ely Place, Dublin 2

Taste a selection of Australian wines in a relaxed and fun environment, suitable for everyone from the absolute beginner to the savvy wine lover. Australian winemakers will be on hand to answer your questions and tell you more about the wines and how they are made. Tickets cost €15 and can be purchased online here. 

[Wine] O'Briens Winter Wine Fair

The bi-annual O'Briens wine fair was held recently in the Mansion House Dublin, and for the first time, in the Clarion Hotel Cork. It's a great way to taste some of the hundreds of wines sold by O'Briens as well as meeting the producers, who man the stands and are only too happy to talk you through their wines. 

As Christmas is starting to draw ever near, I've selected six of my favourites from the tasting. To be fair, there were many wines to choose from, but these were the ones that I remember best from my tasting notes. O'Briens have some good reductions in store for the November-December period, as well as their regular promotions. So keep your eyes open. 

La Boissonneuse Organix 2013, Jean Marc Brocard, Burgundy, France

€24.99

A biodynamic and organically produced Chablis, La Boissenneuse combines subtle minerality with crisp green apples and candied citrus fruit. It's really something quite special, and a little different from the traditional Chablis.

Pouilly Fuissé Les Brulés, Château Fuissé, Burgundy, France 2012

€42.00

Here is a good white for the Christmas dinner. Château Fuisseé dates back to 1604 and has been in the Vincent family for five generations. Grown in the famous Les Brulés vineyard behind the château, the grapes get a high sun exposure (hence the 'burnt' aspect to the name). This is an oaky wine with a creamy texture and buttery notes of hazelnut and almond. 

Bethany Cabarnet/Merlot 2011, Barossa Valley, Australia

€12.99 for Nov/Dec (down from €20.99)

This wine was my surprise of the tasting because, to be frankly honest, I did not expect much from a €13 wine. The price tag is deceptive though, as this wine normally retails at €21. From the Barossa foothills, this is a juicy red of blackberries, cherries and vanilla, complete with a nice smooth texture. 

Château Mont-Redon Lirac, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, 2012

€17.99

Here is another red wine that represents immense value for money, and easily competes with wines twice the price. It comes from one of the regions best-regard producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but without the price tag. Made mainly with Grenache (with Syrah and Mourvèdre making up the remainder), there are flavours of ripe berries and a slight peppery spice. This will go very well with roast red meats, while you enjoy the great value.

Beaumont des Crayères Fleur Blanche 2007

€47.00

If you want to kick off the Christmas celebrations with a glass of fine bubbles, this 100% Chardonnay (or Blanc de Blancs) champagne has fine, lively bubbles with citrus and peach flavours, before giving way to a slight touch of the traditional brioche notes. 

Bethany Old Quarry Tawny Port, Barossa Valley, Australia

€22.99 (down from €24.99 for Nov/Dec)

Christmas dinner is over, and now it's time to relax with some cheese and maybe some Christmas cake. To accompany this, I'm suggesting another wine from the Bethany estates, but this time it's a port. Made from Grenache and Syrah, and harvested late in the season for maximum sweetness, the fortified wine is aged in old oak casks for an average of ten years. At first there are strong raisin flavours, giving way to a fino-like finish. 

All wines listed above are for sale through O'Briens, either in-store or online at www.obrienswine.ie. Get 20% back on your loyalty card when you buy any 6 wines before 10pm Sunday, November 22nd. 

[Review] EIPIC at Deanes, Belfast, United Kingdom

EIPIC is very much the jewel in the crown of the Deane's restaurant flagship space on Belfast's Howard Street. It has already claimed a Michelin star in September 2015, just a mere eighteen months after opening. Owner Micheal Deane has clearly statued his vision for EIPIC as being "amongst the finest restaurants in these islands", and chef Danni Barry has fulfilled that dream in double quick time. 

With both EIPIC and fellow Belfast restaurant OX, claiming Michelin stars in 2015, it was time to revisit Belfast and sample some more of its exciting food and drinks scene. (Read here for my earlier January visit to pre-Michelin star OX). Following some excellent cocktails at new bar APOC, we strolled over to City Hall for dinner at EIPIC. Entering through "Deanes Love Fish", our coats were taken and we were lead through to the calm and serene dining room. Large silver discs gently reflect soft light from one wall, while a slightly askew paining on the far wall triggered my OCD tendencies all night. The Saturday night tasting menu costs £60 per head, with wine options also available.

Once seated, we ordered a bottle of Pike's White Mullet from Clare Valley (£31.95), a lovely wine, made from 79% Riesling, with some Fiano, Pinot Grigio and Viognier. Little delicious filo cheese and onion mouthfuls started the meal, albeit oddly pillowed on a linen napkin, followed by a slow cooked egg yolk of luscious silkiness in a miso broth, mopped up with crusty bread. A great start.

Cheese and onion in filo pastry

[Wine] Aldi Priorat and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Aldi continues to enhance its wine offering, and I recently did a trawl through their French Wine Sale offerings, as well as picking up some other interesting wines from the shelves. My normal preference is for white wine, but these two reds have impressed me. 

Lot 06 Priorat 2014, €13.99

The Lot Series is a new range from Aldi, where each wine has been made by a well-known and well-respected producer of their region. Each bottle is individually numbered and features a beautiful hand-painted label. My bottle was #12,2006 from a batch of 36,000.

Priorat is a Spanish wine region, located close to Barcelona, and is one of only two wine regions in Spain to qualify as DOCa (alongside Rioja). It hasn't been widely known up to recently, but is gaining a strong reputation and producing some of the most expensive Spanish wines. 

This Priorat is made from Grenache with 14.5% ABV. It has lots of red and dark fruit (think cherries) on the nose, which continues on the palate, with some subtle spice. Tannins are firm without being too strong. Very delicious. 

Château Pindefleurs Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2011, €18.99

A Right Bank Bordeaux, this is dominated by Merlot (90%) with Cabarnet Franc making up the remainder. It's a denser beast than the Priorat, with lots of blackcurrants, dark fruit and chocolate, plus a nice smoky woodiness of cedar and oak, complete with good tannins. There's a slight note of violets and mint to balance out the richness. I think I'll be heading back to buy a few bottles for Christmas drinking. 

[Review] Locks, Windsor Terrace, Dublin 8

The tenet of reincarnation sits at the core of the Hindu religion, where the jiva (soul) will continue through endless cycles of birth, death and rebirth until moksa or the final release is achieved. I sometimes feel that the restaurant trade also believes in reincarnation. Occasionally the rebirth is confined to minor tweaks and a lick of paint. Other times, the changes are more substantial; a new chef or a whole reboot.

Sitting in one of the prettiest locations in Dublin, Locks on Windsor Terrace has had an interesting history. As Locks Brasserie, it achieved the highest accolade of a Michelin star in 2012 under Rory Carville, only to lose it the following year following his departure in 2013. It closed in the summer of 2015, and reopened in September as Locks Restaurant, complete with a whimsical swan motif and under the command of head chefs Conor O'Dowd and Keelan Higgs. Higgs had previously worked as head chef in Locks Brasserie and grabbed the opportunity to reinvigorate the venue.

The dining room hasn't changed much, but has been freshened up and finished with lovely little touches. I really liked the warm blood orange bread plates which bought an instant touch of comfort to the table. Incredibly crusty and perfect bread rolls, served with cultured butter were bought to the table, followed by two perfect Kelly's oysters, served in the shell with a small drizzle of shallot vinaigrette (€1.50 each). Potato "crisps" were flat, compressed fried potato slices, served with a divine aioli (€3.50).  

Crusty loaves and cultured butter

[Events] Dublin Cocktail Festival 2015

I'm literally just home from the launch event for the 2nd Dublin Cocktail Fest, courtesy of Great Irish Beverages, and I'm really enthused about some of the very tasty drinks that I've sampled. The whole event is a wonderful recognition of the fantastic cocktail scene in Dublin and the wonderful flourishing Irish distilling industry. 

La Voyage, featuring Shortcross gin, from Koh restaurant

[Events] Upcoming wine tastings

Wine tastings are a great way to sample many different wines in one session, and they often come with the benefit of being able to meet the winemaker or distributor. This gives the true wine enthusiasts a chance to ask questions, while the more "dedicated" drinkers can simply get on with the job of tasting. 

The Irish wine calendar is pretty packed at the moment, but here are the details of three upcoming tastings to which I am particularly looking forward. And with the dreaded C-word (Christmas!) starting to loom, these tastings also represent a great opportunity to pick out your Christmas wines or presents.

1. SPIT Wine Festival

About: SPIT is both a professional and consumer tasting event. If you love wines and are interested in something a little out of the ordinary, meeting winemakers and tasting wines made with less intervention at the winery, then SPIT is the wine tasting for you. SPIT is a door to find wines with a strong and unique sense of identity and discover more about wine culture in Ireland. Wines will be presented by Grapecircus, Nomad Wines, Tyrrell and Co, Vinostito and WineMason

When: Thursday, October 29th. 18:30 - 21:00

Location: Smock Alley, Dublin 2

Cost: €25

Link: www.spit.ie

2. Ely - The BIG Rhone Tasting

About: Rhone Wine Week returns this November and will be bigger and better than ever. Similar to the hugely popular "ely Big Tasting", there will be a host of winemakers on hand to talk you through a fantastic selection of wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cote-Rotie, Gigondas, Vacqeuyras, St. Joseph, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas, Beaumes de Venise, Condrieu and of course, Cotes du Rhone. The Big Rhone Tasting will offer a huge selection of wines from the most diverse of all the French wine regions, if not the world. From price to style, from people to "terroirs", the Rhone delivers.  

When: Wednesday, November 4th. 18:00

Location: Ely CHQ, IFSC, Dublin 1

Cost: €15

Link: www.elywinebar.ie

3. JN Wines – Meet the Winemakers

About: This is an informal and relaxed walk-around tasting from established wine merchants James Nicholson, where you can chat to the winemakers, taste the wines that interest you and tailor the experience to suit you. You don't need to be a wine expert to enjoy it; interest and a bit of enthusiasm will suffice! It is the perfect opportunity to broaden your wine drinking horizons as well as your wine knowledge while you familiarise yourself with the JN Wines range. Come by yourself, in twos or as a part of a group. The JN team will be on hand to guide you around and answer any queries. With over 20 winemakers and 100+ wines to try, be sure to give yourself enough time to get around.

  

When: Friday^, November 6th.

Location: Smock Alley, Dublin 2

Cost: €15

Link: JNwine.com Events

4. Spain Uncorked!

About:  Wines of Ribera del Duero and Rueda invite you to join them for an evening of Spanish wine discovery! Renowned Irish wine writer, Liam Campbell, will host a series of wine walks taking you through the wines of each region. There will be plenty of wine to sample from both Ribera del Duero wine regions as well as a Spanish music performance to bring some Olé! to the party.

When: Wednesday, November 11th. 18:30 – 21:00

Location: Smock Alley, Dublin 2

Cost: €20

Link: Eventbrite

5. Cases Wine Warehouse Winter Wine Fair

About:  We head west for the 9th annual Winter Wine Fair from Cases Wine Warehouse, which will showcase over 100 of the wonderful wines stocked by Cases. All proceeds from the evening will go to a local beneficiary, the development of a sports hall at Scoil Mhuire National School in Clarinbridge. The many wines open on the night will be from a diverse range of countries, regions and grapes, while also featuring many old favourites. There will be live music, a raffle and the annual Cases Blind Tasting Competition for anyone who fancies testing their palate.

When: Friday, November 13th. 18:30 – 21:00

Location: Cases Wine Warehouse, Tuam Road, Galway

Cost: €20, available from Cases Wine Warehouse and local shops.


6. O'Briens Winter Wine Fair

About:  The O'Briens twice yearly wine fairs are hugely popular and this year, there will be a Cork wine fair for the first time ever. The Cork event will have 140 wines to taste from 25 winemakers, while the Dublin event will feature 250 wines from 50 winemakers. 

When: Thursday, November 12th. 18:00 – 21:00 (Cork), Friday & Saturday, November 13th-14th (Dublin)

Location: Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay, Cork and The Mansion House, Dublin

Cost: €15 (Cork) and €20 (Dublin)  with early bird tickets available for the Dublin event. Tickets