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Most of these 10 good-quality Greeks were sampled at an enlightening tasting organised by the
Northern Ireland Wine & Spirit Institute led by Lisa McCully; and three others also bought from the Wine Society (impressive Greek range) and Marks & Spencer (moderately adventurous). They all show this diverse country should be on your wine radar, although it's not the place to look for bargains.
I've always been a Chardonnay fan, even when it seemed to become unfashionable and suddenly everybody wanted nothing but Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. In recent years, there's been a gentle shift away from in-your-face oaky Chardonnays towards either a purely unoaked ripe fruity type Chardy (does what it says on the label); or what a winemaker might call a more 'reductive' lees-influenced style.
Castel di Salve is a relatively old winery dating from 1885, established by the Duke of Salve, Antonio Winspeare, in an area of southern Puglia known as Salento. You'd be right to think that surname doesn't sound very
Pugliese or Italian even - some online research reveals that he was a bit of an interesting character...
Tasting notes and recommendations include this proper dry rosé made from local variety Negroamaro, two white wines and five reds also showcasing Primitivo and Malvasia Nera.
This sumptuous tasting was organised by the Northern Ireland Wine & Spirit Institute in Belfast a couple of months ago and was led by regional expert Anne McHale MW, who communicated a few nuggets of juicy information from the region, which I've regurgitated here rather randomly.
This comparison of one of the world's most celebrated varieties, from three entirely different countries / states, is condensed from a couple of generic wine tastings held in Dublin recently. I've narrowed the Pinot talk down to 25 flavoursome recommendations, many of them available in Ireland, the UK and the US; and some brief info about the regions featured.
My pick from a recent California Wine tasting in Dublin of half-a-dozen random reds and a white made from varieties such as Zinfandel, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Grenache noir and blanc and Viognier. This is the first of a few posts highlighting California red and white wines available in Ireland and the UK.
Justin and Amanda Howard-Sneyd in their 80+ year-old La Roque Carignan vineyard.
What has the Roussillon, in deepest Catalan France, got to do with English bubbly, you may be wondering? Well, it's the same couple behind Domaine of the Bee, kickstarted in 2004 with the purchase of some old vine plots near Maury (which is Occitan but never mind), and Hart of Gold, an upmarket English sparkling launched with the 2010 vintage.
House of Arras - Tasmania.
Established in 1995, Arras produces some of Australia's finest (and dearest) traditional method sparkling made under the watchful eye of founder winemaker Ed Carr. The story goes that Ed went to cool-climate Tasmania in 1988 to look for suitable sites... Nowadays, blocks of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are selected from six regions 'with varying terroir from inland to coastal, and warm/dry to cool/wet.'
d'Arenberg - McLaren Vale, South Australia.
The Osborn family has farmed vineyards in the McLaren Vale since 1912, and chief winemaker Chester has been running the operation for over 40 years. Their eccentric and wide range is sourced from over 25 varieties including many Mediterranean and other French, Spanish and Italian grapes, some of which are picked from very old bush vines.
This is the first of a few 'themed' posts featuring my favourites from a recent
Australia and
New Zealand wine tasting in Dublin.
Why not start with a dozen classy white wines made from the ultimate wine-geek variety Riesling - does it now figure on people's wine shopping lists, or is everyone still obsessed with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio? If it's the latter, you're missing out.
Domaine Bila-Haut (Chapoutier)
Chapoutier made a move on the Roussillon more than 20 years ago establishing a vineyard and winery base in Latour de France in the north (first vintage 2001). Further projects and wines followed from nearby Lesquerde to Collioure and Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Côte Vermeille coast, some from owned vineyards and some in partnership with other growers.
Now run by Clémence Fabre and husband Louis-Jacques, this centuries-old wine family owns five vineyards in the Minervois and Corbières in the Languedoc. Recent departures from traditional winegrowing include estate-grown barley and hops, which are supplied to a Béziers brewery; and Clémence's brother André set up a cidery producing 'real' ciders two years ago. Hence, the quirky 'Pet Nat' (pétillant naturel) Vranja reviewed in this post, a "natural sparkling wine made from quince, apple and pear..."
Domaine Sol Payré
Didier and Tatiana Rodriguez farm 56 hectares of organic vineyards, which mostly lie between Elne and Ortaffa south of Perpignan heading towards the magnificently moody Albères hills on the Spanish border, as well as a few blocks in the Maury area in the north.
David Loiret, La Part des Anges (see below).
Château Planères
This fourth-generation estate winery is owned and run by the Jaubert family and is found in the pretty countryside of Les Aspres zone in the central-southern Roussillon, just outside the blink-and-miss-it village of Saint-Jean Lasseille. Some of these wines are new labels.
The
Roussillon wine people in Perpignan (green link goes to the local wine industry website, known as the CIVR for short) held a suitably tasty trade event in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, which showcased a dozen estate wineries and co-op cellars. The last articles I posted about the Roussillon were grouped by geographical area and wine style...
This line-up of ten Coup de Coeur (meaning personal favourite, top pick or 'wine of the moment' to coin my usual jargon) Roussillon champions were chosen by a London-based panel of wine media and educators from an extensive tasting organised by the Roussillon wine association in Perpignan.
The Wine Society is the world's oldest cooperative wine merchant, or 'member-owned community of wine lovers' to use their own words, based in Hertfordshire UK. Here are my dozen top picks from their recent Belfast tasting in tantalisingly random order.
Following my post on
Cabernets from Argentina, this second instalment of a short duet about Argentinian reds moves on to Malbec, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Malbec is a familiar proposition nowadays: the variety came from southwest France to Argentina in the 1850s and now represents 40% of red grapes (
winesofargentina). Syrah has a shorter history but has gained ground over the last decade, producing sometimes superb varietals and as a component of full spicy red blends.
The first of two features on red wines from Argentina centres on Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc and combinations with other grapes. Some of these include the nation's darling variety Malbec as a lesser percentage of the blend; the next post will cover wines made from all or mostly Malbec and/or Syrah, where Malbec or Syrah take the lead role (with other grapes). So, if you're still with me, here are 10 sexy Argentinean Cabs worth lifting.
The casse-croûte of the cassoulet in Malepère.
Located to the northwest of
Limoux and southwest of Carcassonne, Malepère is the most westerly of the Languedoc's appellations and probably one of the least known wine areas in the whole region. There's an eclectic mix of Mediterranean and Atlantic vine types, and the local wine people have cooked up an interesting story around how climatic influences from both 'sides' suit these nevertheless dissimilar grape varieties (seven authorised).
Background: Château de Flandry, Limoux, Languedoc by RMJ. Header: Lavail Vigne, Roussillon © CIVR.
