Australian Chardonnay with Jacobs Creek - Excellent event in June

I've  always been a bit crackers in continuing to say that Chardonnay is a wonderful grape. 'Crackers' because I held firm when it seemed to me that the grape itself received a great deal of unfair criticism. Winemakers, you see, chose to exercise their artistic licence and over elaborate what they had grown in the vineyard. Indeed they often chose to grow a style of the grape in the vineyard that reflected something more than the grape itself. Tut Tut. Then they would ask us to, 'wait a few years and the fruit will begin to show again', - as they encouraged us to drink up glasses of overextracted fruit set up nicely into a mush of oak sap. Tut Tut Indeed.

Chardonnay is one of those very faithful grapes that responds its masters wishes to the nth degree. When the master gets it wrong so does the grape!!

Right now, across the world, winemakers are getting it right. One of those is the team at Jacob's Creek led by the affable and talented Bernard Hickin. Bernard is in Dublin next month and Wines of Australia guru John McDonnell has arranged a fantastic consumer event at Fallon and Byrne. Rare Opportunity. Not to be Missed. Join the experts and see how Australian Chardonnay has evolved over the past number of years.

Bernard Hickin in Dublin two years ago : well worth listening to.

It will be an excellent evening of a Master winemaker showing how to work with Chardonnay to bring a glass of tremendous character to our tables.

  

Here's the Press Release

On Wednesday 19th June, join Wine Australia for Australian Chardonnay - But not as you remember it

During the 1990's Australian Chardonnay was one of the great recruiters for the ABC (Anything but Chardonnay) movement, based on our over oaked and over here style of Chardonnay.

However if there is one variety that has change dramatically over the last number of years from Australia, it's Chardonnay.

Cooler vineyard sites, more sensitive winemaking have contributed to a lighter, fresher style of Chardonnay from Down under.

Join Wine Australia's John Mc Donnell and Bernard Hickin, Jacob's Creek wine maker to discover this change (and be ready to hand back your ABC membership card!)

The Details

Venue: The Function Room at Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2

Date & Time: Wednesday 19th June, 6.45pm - 8.30pm

Cost: 20 Euros per person for tasting and delicious nibbles.

To Book: Direct with our office on ireland@wineaustralia.com

Marks and Spencer Spring Wine Tasting

Marks & Spencer run a number of wine tastings for the Press each year. They use these to highlight a few old favourites and also to introduce new lines. They're always well run and worth getting along to. Love the nibbles afterwards- straight from their own shelves - juice, wraps, fruit and crisps!

This month I was impressed by a few wines in a €7.99 range. The majority of these will stay at that price for the rest of the year.

I took a quick photo of them:

Then I took quick notes. The brackets below contain my interpretation of my briefest of brief notes. 

Welcome to my odd style.

I do my absolute best with inexpensive wines to use trigger words to capture objectivity. Wines that have been made for immediate and simple pleasure/enjoyment should not be subjected to weighty tasting notes. Also, as with all tasting notes, this is simply what I thought on the day and, you know what, all of these will perform well on the patio! You must also bear in mind that there is nothing actually wrong with any of these wines. Does anyone really think that press tastings contain dud wines? Usually the 'first to taste' finds them and removes them anyhow ....... I was first and removed only one of the 70 wines in the room ..... a second bottle was then opened.

1.  crisp, fine (aka: it's properly put together)
     ext. fruity (ie too much on the fruit side; bit obvious and not 'my' kind of wine)

2.  xc (aka: excellent)

    crisp and varietal (ie.This has fine acidity holding a rich and varietally accurate fruit together. Taken with my 'exc' comment and noting that this is a South African Sauvignon Blanc, it has a vibrant yet restrained asparagus, light pea and gooseberry fruit on both nose and palate; has good length; serve lightly chilled; enjoy.)

3.  Don't like. V. ord.

     (I use these when I see laziness and marketing taking over from the fruit in the bottle. Flat fruit. not exciting the taste buds.)

4.  Super immediate affect; fruity structured; shame about the dark glass!

     (A Rose in a dark glass bottle looks wrong. Clearly this is a bit more than just a simple wine and it has lots of fruit and indeed fruitiness also - it should be screaming sunshine in the bottle - but it doesn't 'cos its in dark glass....)

5. Stony neutral. Well made.
    (I use these when I see a wine aiming to do nothing wrong. Often though they seldom do anything particularly 'right' either. Won't dissappoint but no fireworks)

6. Sour lemon. No.
    (Acid and bland fruit seldom work without skill and excellent fruit attached.)

7.  xc  simple style

     (Fruit and structure are well balanced. No oaking, just honest, crisp Chardonnay fruit expressing itself in a broad and mouthfilling way. Like this one! Looking at the 2011 vintage date this has probably benefited from a bit of bottle age. On another day I might question why they still have this ....hope its not because its from Bulgaria..)

 8. xc fruit driven v structured deep fruit bit dry at end  gvm

    (Its a red and show fabulous wine making with a lot of interesting elements showing in the finished wine. Really good value for money. Have to admit I always like Tempranillo/Syrah blends - they tend to have a poised and gentle power at their heart.)

9.   v soft and inviting.
      (everything a summer Merlot should be. We need to see more of this grape folks.)

I'll blog more about this tasting next week. After all, the €7.99 range wasn't actually part of the 61 wine tasting book!  

Wine, Spirit and Craft Beer Expo in Limerick

Wines  ......  Fine Wines.

Cue ........  Poster for
  
 Wine, Spirit and Craft Beer Expo in Limerick on the 30th of May

Music ......... Emeli Sande blend to Chariots of Fire and finish with a Special Olympics anthem. 

Settle in folks and attend the following - it's one of the good ones!

Press Release

Fine Wines National Off Licence Group is delighted to announce Ireland’s premier Wine, Spirit & Craft Beer Expo, in the Limerick Strand Hotel on Thursday 30^th May, 2013.

This gathering of National suppliers, International  wine growers, spirit and craft beer experts is not to be missed and allows you the opportunity to talk directly to vineyard owners and craft beer producers.  This expo encourages people to be a little more experimental with wine and craft beer, guided by the very people that produce them.

Visitors will be able to choose from hundreds of Wines, Spirits & Craft Beers, on show, to taste. 

We are lucky enough to have several stalwarts of the business giving  Master Classes on the day, with Burgundy & New World Wines, Irish Whiskey & Craft Beers featuring.   These are included in your entry ticket fee of €10 and pre booking is advised are places are limited to 20 per session. 

The knowledge gained from these sessions will be invaluable to any catering trainee/ restaurant staff or enthusiastic beginner.   

Captain Morgan circulating with his “ morganettes”  and the “Tiger Beer” girls also providing tastings of their beer, fun is almost guaranteed.  Participation of local artisan producers of Chocolate, Cheese, Biscuits, Olives & more will add to the overall experience, so something for everyone!

As this is a fund raising event in aid of Special Olympics Ireland, why not bring along a friend, have a little fun, maybe win a prize or two in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere   For those of you feeling energetic you might want to give our Giant Jenga a try, or if not, sit and chat over a delicious spit roasted pork gourmet bap.  With the Special Olympics returning to our city in 2014 this is an ideal way for you to show your support.

Come and join the Fine Wines team and our International visitors for an exceptionally insightful, encouraging and enjoyable experience.   Tickets for this event are on sale in all Fine Wines Stores at €10.  If you take a fancy to any of the wines, spirits or beers on show ,we will be offering  special discounted prices on the night.

John Blake

Managing Director

Back Row: Ralph Parkes Fine Wines, John Blake Fine Wines, Carly Nevin Limerick Strand Hotel, Richard Lynch I Love Limerick  Front Row: Ian Kilgarvey & Evan Keyes Limerick City Special Olympics Club 

Next pic: John Blake Fine Wines - suit; Richard Lynch I Love Limerick - button on lapel! Sinead O’Brien Live 95fm- snake? and shades & Ralph Parkes Fine Wines National Off Licence Group