Sisters are doing it for themselves, again

Following in the feminine footsteps of Femmes Vignes Rhone, a lively group of Languedoc and Roussillon women winemakers have formed an appropriately named association called "Vinifilles" (that link takes you to their website). And why not, especially as it includes illustrious estates such as Château de L'Ou (central Roussillon), Domaine Piétri-Géraud (Collioure), La Grange de Quatre Sous (Assignan near Saint-Chinian although made, deliberately, as vins de pays d'Oc), Clos des Nines (Coteaux du Languedoc), Mas Thélème (Pic Saint Loup) and Mas Champart (Saint-Chinian) to name drop just a few I know. More on them to follow no doubt, e.g. profile and notes on Hildegard Horat's impressive Grange de 4 Sous reds tasted at this year's Millésime Bio organic wine show in January (find her in the Languedoc winery A to Z on the right).

Sisters are doing it for themselves, again

Following in the feminine footsteps of Femmes Vignes Rhone, a lively group of Languedoc and Roussillon women winemakers have formed an appropriately named association called "Vinifilles" (that link takes you to their website). And why not, especially as it includes illustrious estates such as Château de L'Ou (central Roussillon), Domaine Piétri-Géraud (Collioure), La Grange de Quatre Sous (Assignan near Saint-Chinian although made, deliberately, as Pays d'Oc IGP), Clos des Nines (Coteaux du Languedoc), Mas Thélème (Pic Saint Loup) and Mas Champart (Saint-Chinian) to name drop just a few I know. More on them to follow no doubt, e.g. profile and notes on Hildegard Horat's impressive Grange de 4 Sous reds tasted at this year's Millésime Bio organic wine show in January... Check them out on frenchmediterraneanwine.com.

"Soy Argentina" @ Alexis bar & grill, Dublin

Well, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin in fact, but close enough. This buzzing and quite smart restaurant does a good-value "early bird" menu (not sure how early as it didn't say on the menu, but they're open from 5.30pm I think) for €16 (2 courses) or €20 (3), which is pretty hard to beat in the overpriced Dublin area especially when the food is as tasty as it was when I was there last week. We had this Argentinian white wine with our meal: 2008 Finca la Linda Viognier from Luigi Bosca in Mendoza (€22) - click here for full review (on my "wines of the moment" 2005-2010 page, scroll down to Argentina). More info @ www.alexis.ie.
Piles more Argentinian wines (archive page) here.

1945 by Puig-Parahÿ - Roussillon

Talking of ageing red "Vins Doux Naturels" (that slight misnomer given there's nothing terribly natural about adding a good dose of fortifying alcohol, although the residual sugar left in the wine afterwards is of course natural) in my "Mas Amiel" post below, I've published my tasting notes following a winter visit to Domaine Puig-Parahÿ in the central Roussillon, including a 1945 red Rivesaltes (95+ points if you must score such an extraordinary bottle)... more about that filed in the Roussillon winery A to Z, under P obviously...