Weekend wine with Blake Creedon
Spirits too obviously — especially good Irish whiskey — and even good-quality Irish hand-crafter beers can be a great addition to the midwinter feasting.
I’m taking a look at some of the options here, and on my blog you’ll find further details of wine shops that will deliver your order anywhere in the country. And below is a handful of bottles which I have happily given as gifts — or brought along to dinners — in the last few months.
* ANOTHER seasonal event took place at midnight on Thursday, when the 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau wine was released at an official party in its native Beaujolais region close to Lyon in southern France, and at publicity dinners and parties around the world when the new wine was uncorked to the cry of “le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!”
It’s a tradition that causes wine fans around the world to laugh or cry (or a bit of both). Their mixed feelings are understandable, not least as Beaujolais Nouveau is, naturally, one of the most simple and unprepossessing wines you will find.
It also causes grief for advocates of Beaujolais. Most wine fans agree that the light gamay grape will never amount to a serious one to seek out. But carefully-aged Beaujolais wines from its 10 crus can develop beautifully, not unlike its posh neighbour up the road in Burgundy, pinot noir.
But even with all those caveats, I like it. I like the celebration, and the cheeky fresh raspberry cherry flavours typical to Beaujolais Nouveau, and the fact that it’s one of the rare reds that is improved by being chilled. Febvre and Co import Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau and look out for it this weekend at €9.99 in SuperValu, Centra, Superquinn, O’Brien's, Carryout, Cost Cutters, Barry Group, Donnybrook Fair and independent off licences.
Along with a bottle of Ireland’s finest, anyone who enjoys either a nice glass of whiskey or a good story (or both) will enjoy The Whiskeys of Ireland by Peter Mulryan (O’Brien Press, €25). As well as providing a practical guide to the history and the different styles, it’s jammed with fascinating stories which tell quite a lot about our country.
* YOU might also consider a gift of a wine course at Ballymaloe in Shanagarry, Co Cork, from March 2 to 4 next year conducted by Mary Dowey. Wine weekend packages cost from 495pp including two nights bed & breakfast; with Friday dinner and wine talk; Saturday wine course with lunch, afternoon tea and gala dinner; Sunday morning champagne workshop. Phone 021-4652531 and see www.ballymaloe.ie.
BEER?
As a Christmas gift?
The idea seems pretty mad if you’re thinking those slabs of mass-market generic beers.
But a whole new world has opened up in recent years with the growing number of craft beers and ciders being made by hand all around Ireland now. And if you’re thinking gifts with meaning, a selection of uniquely Irish gourmet beers could be just the ticket.
A number of retailers specialising in good beers have gift offers, such as the following.
* Deveney’s of Dundrum have introduced the five-bottle Beer Bag filled with a selection of Deveney’s rare and unusual seasonal beers; a beer glass and snack. for €20. More serious gifts they’re reintroduced The Beer Box for €45 (if you collect it in person) or €50 delivered to the door of your choice nationwide.
See www.beerbox.ie
* Bradley’s off-licence on North Main Street in Cork has a selection of Irish foodie goodies which they will also deliver nationwide. It’s worth visiting the store in person just to check out their beer section — including more than a hundred from Wales, Ireland Scotland and England.
* McHugh’s Christmas gift catalogue includes the Irish Craft Beer Hamper — for €12.99 you get four beers from the Mitchelstown, Co Cork, brewery packaged with an 8 degrees glass.
However why not go freestyle and put together a selection yourself? You could start with a selection of pale ales — emerging as one of the key styles of Irish beer, pale ales will please even the most avid beer aficionado but as quite a gentle style won't be too off-putting to the newbie.
You could also have fun putting together a geographic themed selection, choosing beers from Cork, Kerry, Belfast, Waterford, Sligo, Carlow... as well of course as the capital in the shape of the Porterhouse's gorgeous award-winning stouts.
HERE’S another suggestion for a uniquely Irish gift that would grace the finest drinks cabinet — not just an Irish whiskey, but a pure or single pot still Irish whiskey. Unlike most modern spirits, which are produced on the conveyor belt of continuous fractional distillation, the single pot still class of whiskeys are made in batches in (you guessed it) a single pot still.
The still in question — a massive bulbous apparatus whose basic shape has changed little from that of the ancient alembic — is an impressive sight, and one of the many good reasons to visit the historic Midleton distillery which is open for tours from spring to autumn.
But best of all is what comes out of that still: What single malt whisky is to Scotland, so single pot still whiskey is to Ireland — the most interesting and most sought-after of our spirits. In fact, Irish Distillers are at present celebrating the haul of gold medals their single pot still whiskeys won just last month at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) in London.
Among them is the new Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy named for the firm’s master blender launched in April this year, and priced at a breath-taking €160.
More within reach of normal budgets but also belonging in the premium bracket is another gold medal winner — beautiful rich, buttery, Redbreast 12-Year-Old, €45.
Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2007, Tesco, around €11 Weekend wine with Blake Creedon
IT’S that time of year again and, along with other non-perishables, good drink can make a great celebratory Christmas gift — from a simple single bottle costing a tenner or €20, through to a delivery of a case of luxury wines. Spirits too obviously — especially good Irish whiskey — and even good-quality Irish hand-crafter beers can be a great addition to the midwinter feasting.
I’m taking a look at some of the options here, and on my blog you’ll find further details of wine shops that will deliver your order anywhere in the country. And below is a handful of bottles which I have happily given as gifts — or brought along to dinners — in the last few months.
* ANOTHER seasonal event took place at midnight on Thursday, when the 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau wine was released at an official party in its native Beaujolais region close to Lyon in southern France, and at publicity dinners and parties around the world when the new wine was uncorked to the cry of “le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!”
It’s a tradition that causes wine fans around the world to laugh or cry (or a bit of both). Their mixed feelings are understandable, not least as Beaujolais Nouveau is, naturally, one of the most simple and unprepossessing wines you will find.
It also causes grief for advocates of Beaujolais. Most wine fans agree that the light gamay grape will never amount to a serious one to seek out. But carefully-aged Beaujolais wines from its 10 crus can develop beautifully, not unlike its posh neighbour up the road in Burgundy, pinot noir.
But even with all those caveats, I like it. I like the celebration, and the cheeky fresh raspberry cherry flavours typical to Beaujolais Nouveau, and the fact that it’s one of the rare reds that is improved by being chilled. Febvre and Co import Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau and look out for it this weekend at €9.99 in SuperValu, Centra, Superquinn, O’Brien's, Carryout, Cost Cutters, Barry Group, Donnybrook Fair and independent off licences.
Along with a bottle of Ireland’s finest, anyone who enjoys either a nice glass of whiskey or a good story (or both) will enjoy The Whiskeys of Ireland by Peter Mulryan (O’Brien Press, €25). As well as providing a practical guide to the history and the different styles, it’s jammed with fascinating stories which tell quite a lot about our country.
* YOU might also consider a gift of a wine course at Ballymaloe in Shanagarry, Co Cork, from March 2 to 4 next year conducted by Mary Dowey. Wine weekend packages cost from 495pp including two nights bed & breakfast; with Friday dinner and wine talk; Saturday wine course with lunch, afternoon tea and gala dinner; Sunday morning champagne workshop. Phone 021-4652531 and see www.ballymaloe.ie.
BEER?
As a Christmas gift?
The idea seems pretty mad if you’re thinking those slabs of mass-market generic beers.
But a whole new world has opened up in recent years with the growing number of craft beers and ciders being made by hand all around Ireland now. And if you’re thinking gifts with meaning, a selection of uniquely Irish gourmet beers could be just the ticket.
A number of retailers specialising in good beers have gift offers, such as the following.
* Deveney’s of Dundrum have introduced the five-bottle Beer Bag filled with a selection of Deveney’s rare and unusual seasonal beers; a beer glass and snack. for €20. More serious gifts they’re reintroduced The Beer Box for €45 (if you collect it in person) or €50 delivered to the door of your choice nationwide.
See www.beerbox.ie
* Bradley’s off-licence on North Main Street in Cork has a selection of Irish foodie goodies which they will also deliver nationwide. It’s worth visiting the store in person just to check out their beer section — including more than a hundred from Wales, Ireland Scotland and England.
* McHugh’s Christmas gift catalogue includes the Irish Craft Beer Hamper — for €12.99 you get four beers from the Mitchelstown, Co Cork, brewery packaged with an 8 degrees glass.
However why not go freestyle and put together a selection yourself? You could start with a selection of pale ales — emerging as one of the key styles of Irish beer, pale ales will please even the most avid beer aficionado but as quite a gentle style won't be too off-putting to the newbie.
You could also have fun putting together a geographic themed selection, choosing beers from Cork, Kerry, Belfast, Waterford, Sligo, Carlow... as well of course as the capital in the shape of the Porterhouse's gorgeous award-winning stouts.
HERE’S another suggestion for a uniquely Irish gift that would grace the finest drinks cabinet — not just an Irish whiskey, but a pure or single pot still Irish whiskey. Unlike most modern spirits, which are produced on the conveyor belt of continuous fractional distillation, the single pot still class of whiskeys are made in batches in (you guessed it) a single pot still.
The still in question — a massive bulbous apparatus whose basic shape has changed little from that of the ancient alembic — is an impressive sight, and one of the many good reasons to visit the historic Midleton distillery which is open for tours from spring to autumn.
But best of all is what comes out of that still: What single malt whisky is to Scotland, so single pot still whiskey is to Ireland — the most interesting and most sought-after of our spirits. In fact, Irish Distillers are at present celebrating the haul of gold medals their single pot still whiskeys won just last month at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) in London.
Among them is the new Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy named for the firm’s master blender launched in April this year, and priced at a breath-taking €160.
More within reach of normal budgets but also belonging in the premium bracket is another gold medal winner — beautiful rich, buttery, Redbreast 12-Year-Old, €45.
One of the most consistently outstanding white wines drawn back to, this bottle belies the unfortunate reputation South African chenin has earned, delivers a beautiful fresh and fruity oaked white.
Here’s something the Spanish are great at — marrying local and international wine trends. In this instance, the native cava sparkling wine tradition is boosted by the blending in of the international classic grape chardonnay with the local macabeo. A lovely fresh lemony blend, and well-named as it’s pretty remarkable that they can deliver such a good sparkler at this price.
Spanish is a great way to go when you’re trading up whether it’s as a gift or for special occasions. This is divine all bright cherry but underlaid with savoury spicy layers. Imported by Febvre and stocked in independents including Donnybrook Fair; The Corkscrew, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Sweeneys of Glasnevin and Bin no 8, Clonskeagh.
This fresh, delicious spanish sparker is one of the wines in this year’s National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) Gold Star awards and available at more than 300 independent off-licences nationwide.
One of the most consistently outstanding white wines drawn back to, this bottle belies the unfortunate reputation South African chenin has earned, delivers a beautiful fresh and fruity oaked white.
Here’s something the Spanish are great at — marrying local and international wine trends. In this instance, the native cava sparkling wine tradition is boosted by the blending in of the international classic grape chardonnay with the local macabeo. A lovely fresh lemony blend, and well-named as it’s pretty remarkable that they can deliver such a good sparkler at this price.
Spanish is a great way to go when you’re trading up whether it’s as a gift or for special occasions. This is divine all bright cherry but underlaid with savoury spicy layers. Imported by Febvre and stocked in independents including Donnybrook Fair; The Corkscrew, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Sweeneys of Glasnevin and Bin no 8, Clonskeagh.
This fresh, delicious spanish sparker is one of the wines in this year’s National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) Gold Star awards and available at more than 300 independent off-licences nationwide.
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