The past week in Dublin has seen some unusual weather patterns – a big yellow disc has been seen in the sky and admittances to hospitals for hypothermia are on the wane. In short, Spring has sprung!
The first thing any Dub does is to assess whether it’s warm enough to sunbathe – and to be honest it’s still marginal. The second thing is to fire up the barbecue! Who knows if we’ll get another chance to use it this year?
If you’re wondering what you could be drinking with your charcoaled oops I mean chargrilled food then this delicious South African Shiraz could be right up your street.
Disclosure: Sample was provided, but opinions are entirely my own
Bellow’s Rock Coastal Region Shiraz 2013 (€15.49 down to €9.99, O’Briens)
Bellow’s Rock Coastal Region Shiraz 2013
As you can see the Coastal Region is a large region, with a considerable distance between the littoral and most inland parts – expect quite a big temperature variation.
“South African wine regions” by Western_Cape_rural_education_districts.svg:
South Africa makes quite a range of styles of Shiraz, and the style in the bottle is sometimes – but not always – indicated by the use of Syrah (more Northern Rhône) or Shiraz (more Australian).
This is firmly in the latter camp, with big, sumptuous, sweet berry fruit and a little vanilla oak on the finish. It’s closed with a handy screw cap and was still drinking very well five days after being opened.
It tastes like a premium wine and €15.49 is a good price, but €9.99? Get several while it lasts and your BBQ reds are sorted for the whole summer!
And as an aside, here’s my regular soundtrack to the summer – at the first sight of sun each spring I always play Chicane’s “Behind The Sun”
I’ve been seriously into wine for over two decades, but only writing about it for less than two years. Blogging is a great way of expressing your passion, whatever it is, and can be thoroughly rewarding.
The hardest part is starting, but then it’s important to get a bit of momentum. I think these three fairly self-evident rules are the A-B-C of improving the quality of your writing.
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Unless you’re a natural born writer, reading other writers’ output can help improve your own for several reasons:
Firstly, just seeing how other people use words can inspire you to use language better, how to express what you’re saying succinctly and eloquently. We’re not going for the Pulitzer or Booker Prizes, but it can make your writing more readable.
Secondly, even if you’re knowledgeable about the subject matter, it won’t hurt to read others’ viewpoints, and the chances are that you will learn plenty. Speaking just about wine, the more you learn the more you realise you don’t know…
And finally, for now, you can see what works in terms of structure, layout, titles, images, labelling – all the fiddly bits that take a while to get used to, even on easy to use blog packages such as WordPress. They aren’t part of your writing per se, but they are part of communication, which is what it’s all about.
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Practice makes perfect, so they say, but even if in reality perfection is unobtainable, nothing makes writing better and easier than doing it.
It often takes a while to find a writing style or “voice” that you’re comfortable with, but just keep going. In some ways it’s like speaking in public, with all the guidance in the world you need to keep doing it to put tips and tricks into practice.
If you’ve got a dozen posts under your belt, then take the time to have a rest and re-evaluate what you’ve written.
Edit
Some people can just start writing there and then, and end up saying exactly what they want in the way they wanted to say it. I admire these rare beasts, but I am not among their number.
If your spelling and grammar aren’t great this is a must. Even if your readers don’t judge you when you use poor grammar, as the meme goes, it can distract them from the content of your blog.
If there’s any factual content, then asking the google to check it can help to stop you from looking silly.
If you can get someone else to read what you’ve done, even better, as a second pair of eyes is always useful.
So for me, it’s much better to get as much down as possible, even if it’s stream-of consciousness stuff, then come back to edit it later.
And if your subject happens to be wine, and you’re “investigating” a particular topic, then it wouldn’t hurt to follow Ernest Hemingway’s maxim:
For a long time I was almost purely a red wine drinker. Then, due for inconvenient minor health reasons I had to give up red wine, so I became solely a white wine drinker. That led me to putting some serious “research” into white wine, so now although I drink red again, over 70% of my cellar is white.
But what about rosé? It’s neither fish nor fowl, neither red nor white – why does it even exist?
It’s the duck-billed platypus of wine!
It doesn’t have the freshness of white or the pleasing body of red – it falls between two stools and does neither thing well.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that it’s the fastest growing wine category in France, so if you venture into a French supermarket you will see more pink than white – what gives?
This isn’t a rant about pink things for the sake of it – I’m quite metrosexual in my dress sense and will happily wear pink shirts and / or ties.
And then the solution finally dawned on me. If it’s any good, treat a rosé like a light red and chill it very slightly, but drink it out of proper red wine glasses. That’s what I did with this delicious Masi rosato.
Rosa del Masi
I do keep harping on about the temperature of wine, but it’s so important for acidity, sweetness, aromas and flavours.
It turns out I’ve been drinking rosé wrong all this time!
Until fairly recently I was very happy with Marlborough Groovies.
But then thanks to some excellent tastings in Dublin I began to realise that, although New Zealand GVs are very nice, they are only analogous to the simpler style of those from Austria. Outside of those, there’s a whole world of flavours and textures to try – see here.
And now, I’ve changed my mind again!
This is why:
Nautilus Estate Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2011
Nautilus Estate Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2011
I’m a big fan of Nautilus Wines, especially their lovely fizz and gorgeous Chardonnay (one of the best in New Zealand in my opinion). It’s great that they’ve planted other aromatic grapes as Marlborough’s dry and cool, long growing season is perfect for them.
Normally this style of Grüner is one that is supposedly best drunk young – which is pretty much true for Marlborough Sauvignons. Alongside citrus and stone fruit and a dash of white pepper, there’s loads of freshness which makes them a joy to drink. But once the freshness is gone, you can’t get it back – there’s no Shake n’ Vac solution here.
But this wine was inadvertently left till four years after vintage, and yes a little of the freshness had gone, but it was replaced by some lovely toasty notes – just like you would expect from a good Aussie Semillon.
It’s a delicious wine, I just wish I’d held on to my other bottles for longer!
It just goes to show: most wine is drunk far too young!
Please ponder that message and put a few “ordinary” bottles aside to try in a few years.
Yet another INXS reference, and yet another link to an article on The Taste – but I make no apologies, and expect more in the future!
Please click through to read the full article here.
So, dear reader, do you have a preference for either Old or New world? Please leave a comment, I would be interested to hear.
Personally, I probably drink wine outside of mealtimes more often than with food, so this perhaps has a bearing on what I like to drink. But then I really love good Riesling, even when the producer says it’s “difficile à aimer” (difficult to love) on its own as it’s crying out for food.
The reasons why we like the wines we do need a great deal more research – though Tim Hanni MW has made a good start.
“Old world new world / I know nothing / But I’ll keep listening” – INXS
This clip is from a 1983 concert performance – when Michael Hutchence still thought he was the second coming of Mick Jagger – but before they became internationally famous.
The track itself is from their third studio album Shabooh Shoobah (1982), which also features “Don’t Change” and “The One Thing”
Some parts of Central Otago look like another world – wild doesn’t even start to cover it. Now vying with Martinborough as the best place for Pinot Noir in New Zealand, there’s an amazing variety of landscapes – some more resembling moonscapes in the former gold-mining areas.
It’s rugged, but beautifully rugged, even on an overcast day.
But it’s not just about Pinot – other varieties do well in the cooler climate down here as well. Chardonnay is an obvious one (Felton Road for example) and so is Riesling. I think it’s fair to say that New Zealand is still finding its feet with Riesling, but there are some increasingly complex, balanced and just plain delicious wines being made.
Peregrine Winery
Peregrine Central Otago Riesling 2010
With excellent acidity, this tastes nigh on dry – the 5 g/l of Residual Sugar adds body and balance without being obviously sweet. It’s a fabulously versatile wine, great on its own on with anything from seafood to Thai. At almost five years of age there are secondary aroma and flavours starting to develop along side the lemon and lime of its youth.
Peregrine Riesling
Alcohol is 13.0% which gives you a hint that it’s no featherweight, but has enough body and oomph to really stand up for itself. This is the type of wine I’d like to buy a case of and drink gradually over the years.
Stockists: not yet available in Ireland, but should have a RRP of €27 – €29
One of the best parts about becoming a blogger has been meeting other bloggers from near and far – from literally round the corner to the other side of the world. Reading their blogs has been interesting in itself, but has also been very helpful in learning how to make my own blog better. Everyone I have met has been polite, pleasant and generous.
For some time now I had been meaning to try collaborating with some of my fellow bloggers – and then I hit on the idea of asking them to contribute a recommendation for a Valentine’s Day wine. A cheesy romantic link to V-Day was optional – it could just be a wine that the writer really liked and so would recommend – and just a couple of lines was requested, though some wrote more.
I was bowled over by the reaction – everyone I asked agreed to join in! Some even gave the background as to why a particular wine was romanic for them.
When I was asked to pick a Valentine’s Day wine, Frankie assured me it didn’t have to be in any way traditional or cheesy. Still, it’s hard to resist suggesting Champagne for this or indeed any celebratory occasion.
I first tasted Dominique Moreau’s Champagnes a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love (see…I can do cheesy!?). Dominique’s estate is in the Côte des Bar and named after her grandmother ‘Marie Courtin’. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and most of the Champagnes are bottled in an Extra Brut style.
I say most – in reality I thought all her Champagnes were made in this style until I found her Résonance Brut NV (100% Pinot Noir) lurking on the shelves of The Organic Supermarket in Blackrock. If I’m truly honest, it probably does’t thrill me as much as the Extra Brut NV, but even with that caveat it’s worth tracking down this delicious Champagne.
So chatting with friends I usually get asked for any new recommendations for wine, beer or spirits… with valentines up-coming so did the topic of going for pinks or not…
Pinks are always fun and cute for Valentinesbut after thinking about it I asked what they wanted from their evening, as in light breezy, more seductive or maybe a slight blend…
For wine, if you want to go bright breezy then a good pink bubbly followed by either a more reasonably priced bottle of bubbles or a lovely rose from the Loire should fit the bill. If a blend of fun and seduction then bubbles (Celtic Whiskey shop has some half bottles on sale for €9.99) followed by an elegant red.
For me nothing says seduction than a northern Italian red especially a Brunello di Montalcino – pure seduction! It does depend on your menu and budget. If cash is a touch tight go for its second wine Rosso di Montalcino which is quite beautiful.
See Suzi’s full post including beers and spirits recommendations here.
Love Noir California Pinot Noir 2012Love Noir California Pinot Noir 2012
Perfectly situated in the Valentine’s Day wine section, I found this beauty on the bottom shelf. I’m one to plunder the shelves down under so I bought this wine with cupidity. My expectations for this Pinot were as low as the dust bunnies I am accustomed to shooing away in aisle. However, once home Love Noir had some surprises.
What is that saying? Love thy neighbor? In this case, I bumped into a neighbor fleeing from her inlaws. It was opportune as I was a neighbor in search of a drinking buddy. To tip the scales, the in laws were watching the children. My friend’s walk “to get some fresh air” detoured to my kitchen table and we started to discuss today’s tasting.
Very first thing we noted was the lovely labeling. Gold foil on black matte paper was very classé, and you would never believe it was merely $11 and some change. But haven’t we all been fooled before. There was no coincidence that a wine with “LOVE” in the name was launched during the Valentine’s Day holiday season. I also caught a bit of naughtiness in how they positioned this wine. This is what I read on the back:
“Deep & Rich In Style
Silky & Smooth In Taste
LOVE NOIR
Obsession. Desire. Passion.
This is Love Noir.”
Really? I thought I was reading the book jacket of a subgenre of romance novels. My faith with this vintage was waning. But I poured anyways.
Color was a dark, red purple. The nose was pomegranate, plum, cedar. There was good structure and I could identify 3 distinct layers; fruit first, balanced acids and smooth tannins second and thirdly a lingering woodsy, berry, oak finish. Whether aged in barrel or not, there was distinctly oak in the finish and it was pleasant and complimented the bold fruit nicely.
Hey, “every wine has a darker side.” I think I’ve surrendered to the “LOVE NOIR.” The “richness” of this wine was able to “spark intensity and intrigue.” If I can, I am certain you will “succumb to your urges and experience LOVE NOIR. Love. Changes. Everything.”
I’m not slavish to reading labels, but if you buy this wine, it is the gift with purchase. I rate this wine as a buy again – was quite good for the price and a pleasure to both drink and read aloud even in mixed company!
Among such esteemed company I felt like something of a charlatan, but given that it’s principally based on social media, and I tweet a LOT, there might be a grain of truth in it. Of course the other writers in the top 10 have newspaper columns and have published books, so it’s not as though social media is their main outlet (and if any paper needs a new writer, drop me a line 😉 )
I’m often suspicious of marketing in the wine world, perhaps because my original profession is far from the creative side of things. In particular, I have wondered if marketing budgets trump wine quality itself – there are a few big brands whose wines I think are just swill – you know the ones I mean.
But are marketing and quality wine mutually exclusive? Here’s a wine that puts that to the test. Disclosure: the bottle was kindly supplied by O’Briens
Lanson Rosé NV “Valentine’s” (€54.99, currently €44.99, O’Briens)
Lanson Rosé NV – back
This is Lanson’s non-vintage rosé Champagne in special packaging. I have some colour-blindness, but even I can tell it’s VERY PINK. It comes with a pen so that you can use it as a Valentine’s message to your spouse / partner / crush.
Lanson Rosé NV – front
Most readers will be more interested in the contents than the packaging – this is a wine blog after all. So how is the liquid inside?
Lanson is not yet that well-known on the Irish market but is among the top few in the UK. They block malolactic fermentation in the base wines, so the end product remains very fresh tasting – and it works! The acidity isn’t fierce, but this remains far more refreshing than some rosés (in particular) which can be insipid.
The assemblage is 32% Chardonnay, 53% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier, which shows on the nose as red fruit, and then to taste there’s lots of fresh strawberry and raspberry with a citrus lift.
I’m not a rosé drinker in general, but quality rosé Champagne is really growing on me.
And the packaging – is it Romantic, Tacky or Kitsch?
In my opinion it’s all three, but then so is Valentine’s day!
One of the best parts about becoming a blogger has been meeting other bloggers from near and far – from literally round the corner to the other side of the world. Reading their blogs has been interesting in itself, but has also been very helpful in learning how to make my own blog better. Everyone I have met has been polite, pleasant and generous.
For some time now I had been meaning to try collaborating with some of my fellow bloggers – and then I hit on the idea of asking them to contribute a recommendation for a Valentine’s Day wine. A cheesy romantic link to V-Day was optional – it could just be a wine that the writer really liked and so would recommend – and just a couple of lines was requested, though some wrote more.
I was bowled over by the reaction – everyone I asked agreed to join in! Some even gave the background as to why a particular wine was romanic for them.
So sincere thanks to all who contributed!
Santa Sofia Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2009 by Tim Milford “Rex Vinorum” (@timmilford) of TimMilford.com
Santa Sofia Amarone Della Valpolicella 2009
If you’re going to do a Valentine’s wine then you can’t really go wrong with Italian. Surely, the Italians would go for a wine with some “Amore” on this most romantic of days. So why not try this 2009 Santa Sofia Amarone Della Valpolicella?
Available from Mondial Wines for £36. 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara; this wine exudes sensuality with characteristic dried fruits (raisins and prunes) on the nose and a smooth, well rounded, balanced body. At 15.5%, this wine could help get the evening going…!
Southbrook Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 by Carol (@GinandGriddle) of Gin And Griddle
Carol & hubby drinking rosé on the Southbrook patio
A combination of a little unusual & romantic for us, as its a wine region we love, and will be returning to for our 5 year wedding anniversary this June.
A Canadian red, Southbrook’s Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ve been to Toronto many times and always get out of the city to Niagara on the Lake, Beamsville, the Niagara Escarpment – the fantastic wine region in Ontario. Some wonderful vineyards & wineries, one of which is Southbrook.
Having tried (and loved) many of Southbrook’s wines while in Canada, we were delighted to find Southbrook’s Cabernet Sauvignon (2012 I think!) in Marks & Spencer’s… Blackcurrant, blackberry & raspberry flavours, very smooth & full bodied made from organic and biodynamically farmed grapes.
This fine good value Spanish sparkling wine is made using the Traditional Method has fine bubbles with citrus, apple and pear aromas, On the palate, light and fresh with a cleansing acidity leading to a lingering citrus finish which reminded me of baked lemons. Lovely as an aperitif and its lively acidity and lemon notes makes it ideal for sharing over a romantic seafood platter with your Valentine.
