Wines for warmer days
The great Burgundy winemaker Benjamin Leroux gave a fascinating talk at Kelly’s Resort Hotel in Rosslare a few weeks ago about his (superb) wines. He mentioned in passing that there have been five August harvests in Burgundy since the turn of the millennium. It used to be normal to have just three or four August harvests every century.
If the warming trend continues, perhaps soon we will be talking about growing conditions in West and North Cork or the Sunny South-East.
Speaking of which, the West Waterford Festival of Food is on this weekend with lots of drink-related events and talks on beer, cider, gin, and whiskey. A highlight (as always) will be the ever-excellent Dungarvan Brewing Company’s range of special brews that are only available this weekend.
Dungarvan Brewery will also be featuring its distilled beer produced with the recently launched Blackwater Distillery, which is based in Cappoquin (my mother’s home town, so I might be biased). Blackwater No. 5 Gin is one of the best of the new Irish craft and I am looking forward to their whiskey in a few year’s time.
Selections this week are aimed at the cash-strapped. O’Briens has an Easter sale with 42% off around 90 wines and is gearing up for its spring wine fair in Dublin Castle on April 24 and 25. Admission €15.
O’Donovan’s Off-Licences in Cork have some new bin-ends and bargains such as Peter Lehman Shiraz and Chardonnay reduced to just €8 (from €11), and some good Chilean and Argentinian wines from Santa Rita and Dona Paula at low prices.
The Dunnes Stores Mediterranean wine sale continues until April 27 with good-value wines from France, Italy, and Spain. Strictly speaking all the Dunnes’ wines below are from Atlantic-influenced regions (excluding Alsace) but perhaps I am being pedantic.
Best value under €15
Paco Y Lola Albariño 2013, Rias Baixas, Spain - €12.50
Dunnes Stores has this old favourite at the best price this month but you will also find it in the other multiples. Light fresh aromas of peach and apricot with a crisp mineral-influenced palate. From one of the larger co-ops, and although not as intense as the best Albariño, this is excellent value.
Stockists: Dunnes
Chateau Bois Pertuis 2012, Bordeaux, France - €11.00
One of the best supermarket Bordeaux wines around, with lots of bright juicy fruit — plums and blackberries at first taste followed by blueberries and blackcurrants. This also has enough structure to cope well with steak or, better still, roast lamb.
Stockist: O’Donovan’s Off-Licences Cork
Grand’Arte Alicante Bouschet 2008, Lisboa, Portugal - €9.99
This is reduced from around €13 (due to its age, I suspect). Alicante Bouschet is a rather unfashionable red-fleshed grape (a rare thing), common in this part of Portugal. Deeply coloured, with lots of soft plummy fruits and lingering spicy touches. Perfect for dishes with chorizo and paprika.
Best value over €15
Lagar da Costa Albarino - €16.99 (was €19.99)
Stockist: O’Briens
This is a little more serious than the Paco Y Lola with more of everything: Aromatic white peach aromas, creamy lemon flavours mixed with pear, and a chalky fresh finish. Try with some shellfish, squid, or even octopus (the Galician favourite).
Arthur Metz Steinklotz Riesling 2013, Alsace, France - €16.00
Stockist: Dunnes Stores.
Good-quality Riesling is never cheap but it can be good value given the pleasures this grape can offer. This has bright clean aromas of chalk and lemons (no petrol), and is made in a fresh, light style with touches of candied lemon on the palate along with green apple.
Burchino Toscana 2009, Tuscany, Italy - €17
Stockist: Dunnes Stores.
A blend of the Chianti grape Sangiovese plus some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Smoky ripe fruit on the nose with dense, complex, and dark brooding fruit on the palate — try with steak Fiorentino (chargrilled and rubbed with good olive oil). This will likely benefit from a year or two extra aging.
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