Region by Region- Australia: Coonawarra

So its been a while since our last blog... Apologies, Apologies... just been pretty busy! But we have finally arrived at my favourite region in Australia- Coonawarra (favourite not just because its got a cool name). Why is it my favourite? i hear you call! Well simply put Cabernets from this region are Incredible. The region's climate is Similar to Bordeaux in its climate.... but so too is Margaret River... so whats the big deal about Coonawarra? (This photo on the left will make more sense in a bit)

So its got the right Climate... what else could it be that adds to this already brilliant region? Well its their soil, other wise known as terra rossa- meaning red soil. Now i was about to go into a huge amount of detail about why this soil is so important to its terroir... But essentially all you need to know is that this top layer of soil is free draining but thin, and so the next layer has to be broken up for the roots to... well... take root in... and what all this means is Coonawarra grapes are filled with an intensity rarely found elsewhere! Forget the left bank in Bordeaux- Cabernets from Coonawarra are taking over.

SPRING SALE ENDS THIS SATURDAY

OUR SPRING SALE ENDS THIS SATURDAY, THERE ARRE A FEW GREAT WINES LEFT BUT STOCK NUMBERS ARE LIMITED ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR ARE:

REDS:

NICHOLAS POTEL VOLNAY, FRANCE WAS €36.95 20% OFF NOW €29.19

CHATEAU DE PIERREAUX BROUILLY, FRANCE WAS €17.95 20% OFF NOW €14.36

QUINTA DE PERIDIGAO DAO, PORTUGAL WAS €21.95 25% OFF NOW €16.46

WAIPARA SPRINGS PINOT NOIR, NEW ZEALAND WAS €17.95 20% OFF NOW €14.36

WHITES

SUVIA SOAVE CLASSICO, ITLAY WAS €16.95 20% OFF NOW €13.56

CAVE DE GENOUILLY COTE CHALLONAIS WAS €16.95 25% OFF NOW €12.71

MADFISH UNWOODED CHARDONNAY WAS €16.95 20% OFF NOW €13.56

GREENHOUGH 'HOPE VINEYARD' CHARDDONAY WAS €21.95 30% OFF NOW €15.36

Region by Region- Australia: Margaret River

Next stop on our intrepid journey through the different wine regions in Australia is.... Margaret River! Interesting fact about Margaret River- it is only about 40 years ago since the first vines were planted there.... A fact that gets even more shocking when you learn that Wine produced in Margaret River only accounts for about 3% of Australia's over all wine... But it accounts for about 20% of its Premium Wine- so it seems they're doing something right!
The region itself is strongly influenced by the coast- more so than any other Australian wine producing region, and is similar to a Mediterranean climate. The soil is predominantly gravely or gritty sandy loam which overall is ideal. Basically in a dry year- Margaret River wines are pretty similar to Bordeaux. So technical bit over with- which accounts for most of their success in the wine making business. But whats that thing that makes Margaret River unique? Well its their youth as a wine producing region. It is after all roughly 40 years old... So progressive techniques are encouraged here- its not stagnated by a dependency on the past. Instead its youth as a region gives it the freedom to innovate and Produce new and exciting wines!

JANUARY SALE

Check out our January Sale with upto 30% of Selected Wines. Quanties are limited. If you wood like a copy of our sale list, just drop us a quick email to woodberrywines@eircom.net

Region by Region: Australia- Clare Valley!

So as ye know by this stage we're slowly but surely making our way through the different wine regions in Australia in order for Australia day! yesterday was Barossa, today its the Clare Valley. Now just like Barossa the Clare Valleys altitude suits the Riesling grape perfectly- but breaking with most Australian regions the predominant red grape to come from here is Cabernet Sauvignon not Shiraz. More on that in a bit- but now for the technical stuff!

The climate is moderately continental, with cool to cold nights and warm to hot summer days. The higher altitude, compared to other wine regions in South Australia, ensures cool nights even during the heat of summer allowing the fruit to ripen more evenly and slowly. Rainfall is predominantly in winter - spring (June - September) with an annual average of around 630 mm. Summers are dry and make irrigation desirable but also ensure a minimum of fungal diseases (if you remember the Barossa doesn't bother with irrigation....). Varied soil types throughout the valleys are another feature, ranging from red to brown grey over basement rock.
All sounds pretty straight forward- but whats in the terroir?? What sets the Clare Valley apart?? What lets people know that this wine encompasses the personality of the place?? Well if you remember i was saying the main grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon (in the reds anyways). This is important because the Clare Valley has an abundance of eucalyptus around it. And for some reason (not too sure on the sciencey bit of all this...) the Cabernet grape soaks this up, and clare valley reds are given this slight, but really nice, minty eucalyptusy edge. So there you have it again- you can read all the facts about the wine you want, but it always comes down to the personality of the wine- and how that personality gels with your own! Try some Clare Valley Cabernets- i gurantee they'll be among the most interesting wines you'll ever try!

Region by Region- Australia: Barossa

So in anticipation of Australia day we will be staring a Blog series on Australian wine regions- yes yes i know its New World, and most people prefer Old World... but for those of you who have never dared to experience the delights of Australia then we are planning something small for the big day itself! We'll keep you posted on that over the next couple of weeks.

But now its back to the business at hand, and we've got some business at hand! Australia isn't necessarily the biggest producer of wine in the world- I've heard Bordeaux actually produces more wine than all of Australia... But after all its Quality not Quantity! Now i'm not claiming that the Quality in Australia is better than Bordeaux- but what i am saying is you shouldn't ignore Australia just because its New World. In fact Barossa boasts some of the oldest vineyards in the world- so stick that in your pipe. But what is it that makes Barossa so unique? Well the area itself is divided up into 2 sub-regions one is the warm and dry valley which is ideal for Shiraz. The other is 250 meters above sea-level and is cool with more rain which suits riesling down to the ground. They're the basic facts- but that doesn't answer the question. The answer lies in the terroir (a word i hated when i first started writing these blogs- but now i get it... its not just the french being pretensious and wanting to lump all the different characteristics of wine into one word- its about the personality of the wine! A bottle of wine should have a beggining middle and an end- no overly complicated plot twists, but no satic characters in it either!) So whats the Barossan terroir like? well from what i gather (from reading about it, but also listening to Louisa Rose- a prominent wine maker in Barossa) its all about nature mixed with science. The older vines are grown without irrigation- which leaves them entirely at the mercy of nature- and that can be a major gamble, but when both elements work in harmony you get truly unique wines! Wines which have that begging, middle, and end!

New Years Resolutions.

Happy New Year To All.

Hopefully you all got over the festive season with out a hiccup and enjoyed a couple of bottles of wine in the process. We are hoping to get a little feed back from our readers on what wines they tried and liked.

This is the time of year we all set about making our News Resolutions, quiting smoking, taking up running in the morning, all those good intentions. But in discussing it with some of the customers who have been in to us since the New Year one of the most common resolutions in regard to wine has been to expriment, not only with different regions and countires but even grape types and colour. If you want to try something different what is stopping you like it, love it or loathe it every wine you try brings you futher into the great adventure that is the fruit of the vine. So if your one for resolutions, you could try the usual suspects, but i heartly recommend taking up something that will feel like a reward for doing all the others!