Time for a change!

So this is a sadish day... we are moving on form our home on Blogspot... yes i know, there'll be a number of very sad faces out there! (cyber consoling pat on the back for!) Now I'm not saying that Blogspot did not more than adequately meet our needs over the last year or so- but now its time to take this Blog to a new level! That's why we've moved to.... (whisper) wordpress... I know- prob a little bit cheeky putting this link on this blog- But the people deserve an explanation!!

So from now on you can read all about our musings at http://www.woodberrys.wordpress.com/
Also for all those facebook fanatics out there you can now find us there under thomas woodberry wines.
Anyways- I hope you will all follow us over to our new home at Wordpress! And if not I hope you enjoyed all the blogs we've posted up at this address over the last year!

Last days to enter sweepstakes!!

First off... apologies to for taking so long to get back to the blogging- been pretty busy these last couple of weeks, what with our New Zealand wine dinner and our new promotion. Anyways this is just a little reminder that there is only a few days left to enter our sweepstakes we're having in store! Basically for anyone who doesn't know we've decided to throw together 2 competitions to coincide with our Woodberrys 5-A-Side promotion. Its pretty easy- there will be 2 draws for whoever guesses which team will win the World cup (whoever wins will get a case of wine!!) and the second one is for whoever guesses the golden boot winner (the winner gets a magnum of prosseco!!) Obviously we can't keep it going right up to the final so we'll have to stop taking in entries after the group stages are over... But hasn't it been an interesting world cup so far? The Brazilians are playing actual football, Maradonna turned out to be a pretty decent manager, the French are all but out and the English aren't good as expected... well somethings never change! So if you think that the English team might actually rally, or that David Villa might start knocking in the goals at any stage now then you've only got a couple more days to get into the store and enter!

Chateauneuf-du-CRAP???

Well as you can guess from the title this blog takes a good look at the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region in the south of France. Its famous for a couple of reasons- firstly its got a cool name, the popes new house, and a cool name is really what its all about! Just look at the d'Arenberg wines in Australia! However, cool name aside some people question the regions legitimate claim to being among the best wines in the world. It gained a huge amount of popularity when the messiah of wine Robert Parker started singing its praises all those years ago- and since then not only has the region gone from strength to strength but it has also made Robert Parker an honoury member of their village! Well can you blame them???? After all since he started promoting the wines in the states, sales have increased fourfold!! And all they do is make him an honoury member??? I'd make him King!

Anyways- so the wines are sometimes accused of not being worth the price... because they're are a little too rustic and of limited appeal. Now this is where i could go on and on about how the region allows 14 different grape varieties, and has such an array of different soil types that its preposterous to even suggest its got limited appeal! But you know what- that's not what wine is about! Its important to know these things if you're producing wine, and its even interesting if you like wine a lot! But at the end of the day, what makes wine so universally appealing is- ironically- its inconsistency. Each vintage is different, each grape is unique, and most importantly- everyone's palate is absolutely different! So i could tell you all about how i really like the wines form this region, but that's just my opinion! At the end of the day these wines just agree with my palate, not all mind, but definitely i have tried some great wines from around there and i didn't think they were overpriced or of limited appeal! So give them a try- because that's what its all about! For those who stick with the same bottle of wine all the time, that's grand but you shouldn't be afraid to branch out- lifes too short...

And now for something completely different!

Alright, so for something a little different today I'm going to be focusing on Coffee.... but not just any coffee- THE BEST COFFEE I'VE EVER HAD! Let me put this in context... for years there i never once had breakfast... my morning routine consisted of standing out in the back garden with my boxers on with a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. And for 5 or so years that was what i woke up to... But recently- and I mean majorly recently i quit the cigarettes... yes yes, I now walk around in a daze, constantly agitated by how itchy the nicotine patches are, chewing an inordinate amount of gum, and being genuinely amazed at how nice flowers smell.... But what's my point??? Well I knew the real challenge would be those moments i used to enjoy a smoke on my own- like the coffee in the morning... so i abstained from the coffee for a while, simply out of not wanting to ruin my new healthy lifestyle by waving temptation in front of my face.

But yesterday morning i decided to have a coffee- made from my swanky espresso machine! And i realised that if i don't want to smoke, then I'll have to have a coffee that will be so good i won't even have time to think about smoking! Now my choice was Maria Sole (like the build up to the plug?) which we sell in the store! But it was easily the best coffee I've ever had- here's why! It didn't have that big caffeine kick to it, which is nice because then it simply gives you an alert calmness, also it didn't have a big acidic side to it either, which is fantastic because i suffer from chronic indigestion and heart burn, and finally it was full of flavours- and that's what made me think about doing the blog on it, because with wine the thing I've come to love is how different flavours pop up on your palate and you have differentiate between them. Now maybe it was my taste buds coming back to life after years of smoking, maybe the coffee was absolutely amazing- but one thing is for sure, the coffee distracted me form ever even thinking about cigarettes!

So there you have it- a coffee so good, it completely distracted me from ever even thinking about that which I could not live without for so long! Now that my little spiel about my endeavours to quit smoking are over, we'll get back to normal order soon with some bizarrely cleverly titled blog about wine like.... I don't know.... Chateauneuf-du-CRAP???

Talk to ye soon!

Rapberry Lemonade just the thing

We’ve got two new Pressé varieties; Raspberry Lemonade tastes as gorgeous as it looks. Real raspberries and real lemon juice give this drink a fresh zingy taste. Or perhaps our Organic Orange & Jasmine; a zesty blend of real orange, lime and lemon juices with a hint of fragrant Jasmine would be more to your taste? A perfect to unwind in the garden with at the end of a busy day of sunshine.


 Why not give them all a whirl and then let us know what you think…maybe one of our fabulously fruity fresh faces could become a new firm favourite! Or maybe you'll stick with the Old favourites like Organic Elderflower or traditional Organic Lemonade. All Belvoir pressés are currently on offer at two bottles for €5.

Interesting facts about wine!

Well obviously there are numerous facts about wine... but are any of them really all that intresting??? Indeed the google search of Interesting facts about wine really only brings up mostly just facts... which is for the most point simply stuff that is obvious! So the point of this Blog is to wade through the list of facts, so that we can put the more interesting ones on display! This way the next time you are having a conversation about wine you can actually uses the phrase- "Interesting fact about wine!", Without having to settle for the less riveting "Fact about wine!".

So number one- when a wine is young, the nose is referred to as the aroma, but if the wine is older its generraly called a bouquet!

Number 2- Romans discovered that mixing lead with wine not only helped preserve wine, but also gave it a sweet taste and succulent texture. (Come to think of it when there was lead in the pipes in Galway i did notice sweet and succulent notes!) Poisoning has often been cited as one of the causes of the decline of the Roman Empire! Well i find it interesting... maybe thats becasue is studied classics....

Number 3 (makes number 2 that little bit more interesting... maybe...)-The prohibitionists, or the “drys,” in the early twentieth century fought to remove any mention of wine from school and college texts, including Greek and Roman literature. They also sought to remove medicinal wines from the United States Pharmacopoeia and to prove that Biblical praises of wine were for unfermented grape juice.... riiiiggghhhttt.....

And lastly at number 4 (obviously there are way more than four interesting facts out there about wine, so feel free to leave some in the comments box!)- Oenophobia is an intense fear or hatred of wine... This is useful for any number of reasons, million dollar question on who wants to be a millionaire... etc... but i just find it ridiculous that anyone could have an INTENSE hatred of wine- I get the fear, because that's what a phobia is, an irratioanal fear of something harmless! But to hate wine... intensely?? well thats a new one!

Anyways there's my top 4 interesting facts about wine that should stand you well at the next fancy pancy dinner party you attend! Feel free to add some of your favourites too!

Damn my forgetfulness!

So I new this date was coming up and i was really excited about it and everything.... then i forget all about it! What am i on about??? well our blogs one year anniversary obviously! Anyways just wanted to say that have enjoyed doing the blog over the last year and hope everyone has ebnjoyed reading it- might get a little wierd at times (like the pinotage post) it might be a little funny hopefully (like the bluffing your way through wine tasting post) but i always hope you find it entertaining! So after a year if there is anything you would like done differently- like maybe not go for so many exclamation points!!!! please let me know!
Also while I've got you ear! June 16th- keep this day free! Thats right- we've finally gotten around to organising some sort of wine tasting event. We'll be focussing on New Zealand wines- which i know will be a hit with everyone. So while we don't have much more info on it than that, we thought we'd let you know cause spaces will be limited! Anyways you can easily book your place now by e mail, phone, or popping into us in the store!
So one alst time- happy 1 year to us, and thank you everyone who has read the blog over the past year... and don't worry, we can only get better at it!

Pinotage!

Definitely one of the more interesting grape varieties out there- Pinotage! Every now and then its nice to venture into the obscure- in the words of Captain James T Kirk "To Boldly go where no man has gone before!" And while pinotage is hardly where no man (or woman- we'll be a bit more politically correct than that chauvinist Kirk!) has gone before, it would definitely be a very different variety for a lot of people! Its South Africa's signature variety, and as such anyone who has travelled to South Africa will generally fall in love with it. But for those who just try it once of, it can be a bit of a shock to the senses- but we'll get back to that later. First off as always the technically bit of info! Its a blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, and is the brain child of one Abraham Izak Perold. Now clearly good old Abraham loved- and i mean loved!- his Pinot Noir, but he was sick and tired of how finicky and difficult the damn grape was to grow right? rumour has it (and by rumour I mean complete fiction that i just came up with to make the story a little more interesting...) he used to lie awake at night ranting like a lunatic sometimes neighbours would hear him screaming at night time in vineyards at the pinot noir grapes as they were growing "why can't you be more like cinsaut???" he would inquire "why?????" until one day by complete chance he was drinking he's Pinot Noir- as he usually would cause he loved it so much- but when he went to top up his glass he accidentally picked up a bottle of cinsaut and poured it in to the same glass. Naturally our hero was scared of his creation- "what have i done?" he cried as he fell to the floor "I've created a monster!!!" he proclaimed as he tore he's hair out! He was clearly fond of a bit of drama... but as he calmed down, he looked upon his Frankenstein with pride- holding it up to the light he uttered one word, one word which solved all the heart ache he had suffered over the years with that damn pinot noir grape, one word which ended an era of heart break and ushered in a new era that would define South African wine forever- one word: Pinotage!

Well now that that digression is over we can go on.... for anyone looking for a more accurate account of the origin of pinotage you can find it here at wikipedia, but to be honest with you i think i prefer my little bit of fiction.... Anyways if there is still anyone reading this we'll get back to Pinotage! Now the actual name comes from a marriage of the words pinot noir obviously, and the name by which cinsaut is more commonly known in South Africa- Hermitage. Now more about that unique taste which can be a bit off putting at first. It typically produces deep varietal reds with smoky bramble and earthy flavours- definitely unique but not all that obscure i hear you say! But its the addition of flavours of caramelised bananas which is where this wine gets interesting... now it sounds like a strange combination, especially when you get the addition of some tropical fruits with it as well- but you're really going to have to trust me, when its done right its a fantastic wine. The complexity the variety offers is 100% unique and as such its no wonder its such a special wine, and no wonder at all that it is the variety that defines not only South African wine, but also South African wine innovation. There will be more on South African wine in the next couple of weeks... but don't worry I'll work on cutting out the obscure bits of fiction!

Break the Rules! Thats what They're there For!!

What rule? You ask, why the most basic food pairing rule, part of our collective inheritance, White wine with fish, red wine with meat. Part of the fun and enjoyment many of us get from wine is the experimentation side of it. Now I'm not suggesting having a big brooding Aussie Shiraz with a light piece of plaice, but there are thousands of different wines out there and hundreds of different fish, so why not break the rules and add some excitement to your fish dishes! White wines work particularly well because of their high levels of acidity, just think of lemons with fish, again acidity, helps deal with the oily side of fish.

Warning Scientific Bit:

There's plenty of useful wisdom built into this particular rule. For one, it's meant to stop the pairing of lighter-bodied wines with heavy, over-powering foods and vice-versa. It's also born of the idea that the high tannins and low acidity of some red wines make a very poor (and often grossly metallic) match for the oils found in plenty of seafood dishes. The rule even picked up a bit of scientific evidence last year, when a team of Japanese researchers discovered that the high iron content of red wine exacerbates the 'fishy' aftertaste of scallops.

3 Reds For Fish:

Knowing the background to the rule, however, just gives you all the more ammo to break it.

1) Pinot Noir; An elegant, lighter-bodied, with good acidity red that is a great with simple grilled or baked salmon or trout. A personal favourite of mine is baked salmon with a sweet chill sauce and a fruity New World Pinot.

2) Rioja; a good opportunity to consider the wine's region, and then eat like a local (or vice-versa). The next time you try your hand at paella, go straight for a lighter-bodied Rioja crianza level or below would be best.

3) Barbera; with refreshing acidity, complex fruit-and-earth notes, and very soft tannins, Barbera is an excellent match for tuna's rich, meaty flesh. Throw it on the grill alongside well-oiled veggies, just like the Italians do.

The wine lake... actually not as good as it sounds...

Somebody was telling me (and this really sounds way to good to be true!) that in Laos you can hop on the rubber rings and follow the course of the river where there are bars dotted all along the bank- and whenever you need a top up, or if you spot a bar you like, you can just pull over and get a beer... now i don't know about you, but if this is true I'm thinking Laos could be worth a visit. So when i heard the words Wine Lake.... you can imagine where my mind went first! You can also imagine the disappointment to find out there wasn't a lake you can float around to different bars and top up your wine glass!

So what is this Wine Lake- if its not the greatest holiday destination in the world??? Well essentially it refers to a surplus of wine produced in the European Union every year. They have actually been producing about 1.7..... BILLION!!! bottles of wine more than they sell... So with this excess wine the have this practice called "emergency distillation" whereby they just distill the wine and turn it into industrial alcohol! Now this is far from ideal really- for 2 reasons (at least!) One: it costs the European union 500 Million euros every year to carry out this "Emergency Distillation!"

And Two: It means Grape prices have dropped, and when the profit falls out of anything... there really isn't much incentive for anyone to keep plugging away at it! So is our romantic view of wine growers throughout Europe in decline? We see it here with our own farmers, our fishermen, etc. so really at the end of the day unless something is done this could bring about a change whereby the gap between the rich Chateau's, Bodegas, and Villa's and the poorer Wine producers widens and as such all we are left with is mass produced wine....

So what is being done to drain this Wine Lake- aside from temporary fixes which cost us 500million a year... Well it seems that we have to uproot a lot of the vines throughout Europe- in Bordeaux alone the plan is 17,000 hectares of vines! Chances are this will solve problem number 1, but i don't know what its going to do for problem number 2... But its a situation whereby not everyone can be kept happy!

IBERIAN SUPERSTARS REGION BY REGION PART 2

What makes Portugal different in regards their styles of wine production, as a Nations shy away in some respects from the popular international varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Whereas Tempranillo is king in Spain, Portuguese wines; red or white, are made from varying blends of local indigenous grapes. The following is a list of some of Portugal's main wine producing regions and includes a list of the most common grapes varieties produced there.

DOURO

Douro region, is located some distance upstream, of the Douro river from Porto, sheltered by mountain ranges from coastal influence. The region has Portugal’s 's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origen Controlada (DOC). While the region is associated primarily with Port Wine production, the Douro produces just as much table wine as it does Port. Vineyards dedicated to Port production are usually planted on schist while areas with granite-based soils are used for table wine production. A large number of grape varieties are grown in the Douro region, most of them local Portuguese grapes. For a long time, Vineyards of mixed plantation were the norm, and most of the time, the vineyard owners didn't know which grape varieties they were growing. A pioneering effort were made in the 1970s which identified Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão and Tinta Barroca as the prime dark-skinned grape varieties. This work was important for creating the new wave of top Douro wines and has also led to a greater focus on the grape varieties that go into Port wine. Most top quintas now replant with single-variety vineyards and focus on a limited number of varieties, but older, mixed vineyards will remain in production for many decades to come.

LISBOA

In early 2009, the region was renamed from Estremadura to Lisboa to avoid confusion with the Spanish wine region Extremadura and apparently 'to capitalize on the internationally well-known name of the country's capital'. The region is classified as a Vinho Regional (VR), a designation similar to a French vin de pays. While the Alentejo VR is the largest geographically, the Lisboa region is Portugal's largest producer of wine by volume. The region stretches from Lisbon northwards along the Atlantic coast. The principle grapes of the Lisboa region include the white varieties Antao Vaz, Arinto, Chardonnay, and the reds Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano, Tinta Amarela and Argonez (Tempranillo).

THE SETÚBAL PENINSULA

Península de Setúbal,is another recently renamed region, untill 2009 it was called Terras do Sado, it is a vinho regional (VR) covering the Setúbal Peninsula and the Sado River region. Within the VR is located the smaller the Setúbal Denominação de Origen Controlada (DOC). The region is almost completely surrounded by the Alentejo VR. Red wines produced under the Península de Setúbal VR must contain a blend of at least 50% of one of or a blend of the following grapes Aragonez, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Touriga Nacional. The remaining 50% can include a multitude of indigenous grape varieties. As with the reds, the white wines of the region must contain at least 50% of one of the following or a blend of Arinto, Chardonnay, or Rouperio. The remaining 50% can include Antao Vaz, Savignon Blanc or Ugni Blanc.

ALENTEJO

Alentejo is portugal’s largest wine producing region, located in the south of the country. The entire region is entitled to use the designation Alentejano VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origen Controlada (DOC) level under the designation Alentejano DOC. Located in the southern half of Portugal, the Alentejo region covers about a third of the country and is sparsely populated. The region’s other notable wine export is cork, but in recent years the table wine produced in this region have garnered attention. There are eight sub regions of the Alentejo region that are entitled to the Alentejo DOC designation. The names of the sub regions may be indicated on the label together with the name Alentejo, for example as Alentejo-Borba. As in the rest of Portugal the majority of wine produced in Alentejo uses indigenous Portuguese grapes the most important red varities are Agonez, Touriga Nacinonal, Touriga Franca, and the most important white grapes are Arinto, Rouperio and Antao Vaz.

IBERIAN SUPERSTARS REGION BY REGION PART 1

RIBERA DEL DUERO

Ribera del Duero is a Spanish (DO) located in the country's northern plateau. It is also one of several recognised wine-producing regions to be found along the course of the Duero river others include Toro and Rueda. The Ribera del Duero is located on the extensive, elevated northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. As its name suggests, the region follows the course of the Duero river for approximately 115 km.The region is characterised by a largely flat, rocky terrain, Ribera del Duero is dedicated almost entirely to the production of red wine, the vast majority of production is dedicated to Tinto Fino (the local name for Tempranillo), the most popular grape in the northern half of the Spanish peninsula. The Albillo grape is the only white variety grown, white wines being mostly destined for local consumption.

RUEDA

To west of Ribera Del Duero along the Duero River is Rueda DO. It is known primarily for its quality white wines based on the verdejo grape. The climate is continental (long hot summers, cold winters) with a certain Atlantic maritime influences. Temperatures vary widely and can drop below zero in winter (-1°C) and can reach 30°C in summer, which is not as high as similar wine-producing regions in Southern Central Spain. There is a risk of frost, freezing fog, high winds and hailstones in winter/spring. On the other hand there is only a very small possibility of drought. Rueda mainly produces whites from Verdejo, Viura and Sauvignon blanc, and a very small amount of reds.

TORO

 The area covered by the Toro DO is to the west  along the Duero river  from Rueda D.O and Ribera Del Duero. Toro has experienced rapid growth in the last decade with the number of producers almost trebling in number, it is considered the rising star of the Spanish wineworld. The area has an extreme continental climate (long, hot summers, cold winters) with small Atlantic influences. Temperatures vary greatly, ranging from -11°C in winter to 37°C in summer. Rainfall is light, with high chance of drought. Wine produced here is almost exclusively red from the local variety of Tempranillo called Tinta de Toro, almost no other red grapes are grown and the small amount of  whites produced, are for local consumption only. Due to the long hours of daylight Toro wines tend to be high in Alcohol and to gain Toro D.O status a wine must be vinified at 15% ABV or less.

New Arrivals!

So i think this could be the start of something great for our little blog- becasue at the end of the day we get a lot of new wines in pretty regularly into the store. But last wednesday we started our Iberian Superstars promotion! Which has meant that we have now got a lot of new Spanish and Portuguesse wines on offer at the moment! Now we geenrally send out e mails to whoever is on our database detailing what exactly is on offer, but it only recently occured to me (yes i am a bit of a slow learner...) that not everyone is on our database... Well first off shame on you if you aren't, but do not fear becasue this will become a regular little blog segment detailing what is new!
First off they way we work our special offers is easy- you can get 2 for €20, 2 for €25, or 2 for €30! and if that wasn't enough.... we are always have some fine wine that has 20% off it! Also feel free to mix across the offers- we don't mind that! So enough of me rambling on explaining how a special offer works, I'm sure ye are all more than capable to figure it out!
First off- in the 2 For €20 range we've got 3 new ones! A white from Prova Regia, a red from the Douro region, both of which are portuguesse, and finally a red from Navarra.... but something a little different! The white is made from 100% Arinto, and has an exuberant nose of passionfruit and pineapple, the palate is then vibrant and refreshing! The red (Porca de Murca) is made from some of the more traditional grapes to come from Douro region, this wine is pretty good value with a palate full of sweet red cherry and currants. The finish then offers a great sweet black pepperiness which lingers nicely. The Spanish red (Pagos De Araiz) is interesting- 60% Tempranillo, 20%Merlot, and 20& Cabernet Sauvignon... Don't think i've ever tried a blend like this before, but Navarra can be much more mellow than the neighbouring- and much more famous region of- Rioja so this blend of big grapes could actually be pretty nice (I'm actually going to take a bottle home tonight just to see what its like, I'll let ye know in the comment section below tomorrow!)
So on to the 2 for €25's- Quite a few new ones- 5 in total for this section! First up Urbion Crianza- 100% Tempranillo from Rioja, Lovely intense cherry colour with mineral and Roated coffee aromas. The palate is meaty but balanced- a must for anyone who likes Rioja Crianza's! Second- not quite a new one, its actually been in the store about a month already, but thought it could do with a mention- Vina los Valles Crainza 70:30- The 70:30 stands for 70% Tempranillo 30% Graciano, but what will really wine you over is that its organic (no that doesn't mean no sulphites, but it is still nice to know!) Medium Bodied, deep cherry red colour. Subtle aromas of ripe red fruits, with elegant spicy notes of leather. Well balanced maturity and a nice acidity- Well worth a try, cause the Graciano really brings something new to this Crianza! Third- Quinta Dos Aciprestes. Imagine my dissapointment... we've had the reserva of this wine for a while now, and it is fantastic! It really is- it's even manageed to win over some of the most die hard Rioja fans, and that takes some work! So anyways, I finish work on Saturday and take a bottle of this home lookkin forward to it because it's a blend I've never tried before- Touringa Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tempranillo! Should go great with Roast pork... but it was corked... almost ruined my evening! But these things happen and no matter how careful the producer is- but rest assured i will try it and leave the notes in the Comment box.
Forth- one of the 2 new whites in this range. Tempestad Godello. If you like unoaked Chardonnay then this is for you! Fresh minerality on the nose, it has a rich, balanced palate with a touch of creaminess on the lingering finish. And 5th- Dilluvio Albarino (take note of my oh so cleverly titled blog below!) needs a bit to open up, but otherwise a classic Albarino, and very good value.
OK so in the 2 for €30 range we've got 2 new ones! Pegos Claros Garrafeira- A warm enticing nose with a sweet blurt of raspberry, nice figgyness and velvety tannins with blueberry fruit! Definitely something different and well worth a try! And secondly- Herdade Da Farizoa, Alentejo Res, 2006. One of the more interesting blends to come from this region, which gets a lot of sunshine. And that's just what makes this so interesting- Touringa Nacional, Tempranillo, and Syrah.... yes thats right! Wonderful flavours of deep plum, with touches of fig. Blackberry, black fruit gums dominate on the palate, but also get some support form some freshness with firm supporting tannins! Well Worth a Try!
So thats the lot, but we do have around 35 wines from Spain and Portugal on promotion at the moment- so you'll definitely find something you like in there! Anyways look forward to seeing ye soon!

Ladies and Gentlemen Mr Al Barino!

I know- I should be shot for the amount of cheesy puns in my titles but i swear i can't help it! And yes that's Dean Martin in the photo and not Mr Al Barino ... Anyways as you may (or may not) have guessed this blog is all about Albarino. Now some may say that Verdejo is the king of Spanish whites... and this may still be the case but i just think that Albarino brings something a little different to the table! Don't by any means get me wrong- Verdejo is fantastic, its actually a close relative of Sauvignon Blanc! (and for that reason i would say that for anyone sick of Sauvignon Blanc, like i alluded to in my last blog, then i would strongly suggest trying some Verdejo!) But this blog is not entitled Mr Ver Dejo so we'll get back to the business at hand! So whats so special about Albarino??? Well its not unheard of for people to come in to us looking for something a little different from time to time! Now usually its a different type of style or a slightly different variety from one variety to the next... but the odd time we get someone looking to go the opposite direction all together! As in switch from red wine to white! Now there are certain thing this entails- number 1, they want it full bodied, number 2, they want it relatively dry, and 3 they are pretty open to suggestion. And that's where Albarino strolls in to the equation!
Basically Albarino is a big thick skinned grape grown mostly a long the west coast of Spain and Portugal. Now the reason it thrives here is because of it thick skin- it can withstand a lot of sun, and humidity, and as you can imagine it plumps up into these big juicy white wines. Its actually because of this thick skin that they tend to be very aromatic wines with really rich flavours of peach and apricot. But the Albarino is at its absolute best when matched with seafood! So does this make Albarino the grape of choice for this summer for our red wine drinkers??? I think it might...
One last little side note, we started our promotion today on Spanish and Portuguese wines (we've gone for the title of Iberian Superstars!) and as usual there is a lot of very good wines to be had! So that's why we had a blog on the Spanish and Portuguese variety today, and over the next couple of weeks we'll be having a few more informative little blogs on Spanish and Portuguese wines! Anyways look forward to seeing ye in the shop and talk to ye soon!

Another One Bites the Dust???

Debated in doing this whole blog in the style of an obituary but figured that would be a bit morbid... and obviously a little bit premature! Wine, like anything else, follows trends... i hate to admit it, but its true. No where is this more true that with our old friend Chardonnay... ah yes Chardonnay! It was the apple of so many eyes there for a while, and now its seems like you have to physically make people try some... but recently I've noticed some people not only picking up 1 or 2 different Chardonnays.... but some have even come in and bought half cases of Chardonnays from different regions.... (if you were one of those people and you were wondering why i was looking so pleasantly surprised then hopefully this will answer some questions for you) At first I simply ignored this anomaly... No No it couldn't be making a little come back! I use to say to myself as i wrapped up the bottles and bagged them.

But then (as i would do most days) i was checking to see if there was any interesting wine news out there (cause sometimes an blogger like myself needs some inspiration!) and all these articles started popping up about New Zealand Sauvignon's.... but not in the way I had come used to! The changes were slight, but definitely there! Instead of critics raving about this new wine from the Marlborough region- they were looking a bit like reviews of the last the last few seasons of Friends; ya they're still kinds funny, but would they not think of doing something new?

And all this started me thinking again about Chardonnay... and how people used to like it.... And before i knew what had happened I couldn't stop thinking about Chardonnay's fall from grace. Basically it was a victim of its own versatility- too readily available, too easy to grow, and much too popular for any dishonest wine producer to not bottle and sell of cheap. All of a sudden the supermarket shelves, the restaurants, and even some wine shops were flush with all this Cheap Chardonnay! Now I'm not saying you have to spend a load on your Chardonnay! Far from it- you can actually get some pretty good ones around the €10-€15 mark, But (and we saw this with the Ernest&Julio Gallo Pinot Noir Scandal) there are some producers out there who simply want a profit, and they don't care how they get it! So all this bad Chardonnay inevitably started putting people off the stuff... but they had to drink something! So why not move to the complete opposite end of the spectrum- BOOM! Sauvignon Blanc!

Don't get me wrong! I'm not saying that Sauvignon Blanc is going to become the new Chardonnay... but all I'm saying is be careful if you don't want to ruin it for yourself! Because there are still a lot of people out there who want to make that quick buck. It may even have started happening... I'm not naming names... cough Cloudy Bay cough cough! but a certain well know New Zealand brand just finished in the bottom few wines at a blind tasting in New Zealand.... Hmmmm! I hate to say it... but maybe 5 years down the line will people be put of Sauvignon completely???

A Horse is a Horse!

Remember my post on Bluffing your way through wine tasting? Well this follows on from that just a tad. Basically when your palate and other senses are developed a little better you'll occasionally come across the smell of horse hair in your red wine (sometimes transfers over to Chardonnay but usually red wine). Now this is nothing unusual, and won't do you any harm... but it is caused by Brettanomyces (pronounced Bre-tan-no-my-seas this will come in handy later when we talk about the wine tasting). OK so skip ahead at any stage if this gets boring- but essentially its from a strain of yeast called saccharomycetaceae... and basically this strain does particularly well where there is a lot of carbohydrate! Which would explain why it was first discovered way back in 1904 in the Carlsberg Brewery (probably weren't the best beer in the world back then) by a guy who was trying to get to figure out why a load of British ales kept spoiling- the name brettanomyces actually comes from the Latin British Fungus!

Now there is some debate whether or not its the worst thing in the world, because a number of wine producers around the world actually allow a little bit of it in their wine production- and even some Belgian beer producers use brettanomyces as their only yeast! But its a very difficult thing to control- its grand if you're Belgian, making beer, and want to only use this particular yeast... But if you're a wine producer, making wine, and want to give your wine some complexity... then a yeast that makes your wine smell like Horse Hair might not be the best option.

As far as the experts think it most likely gets into vineyards through fruit flies, and makes itself at home in the oak barrel's. But once it gets in its pretty difficult to get out, and it is thought to be a pretty big indication of uncleanliness in the vineyard! Now there are certain things that will help stop the spread of this yeast- cleanliness being number 1, but the addition of.... Sulphur Dioxide! will also help stop it! Yes Yes those poor poor sulphites doing so much to help our enjoyment of wine and they get such a bad wrap for it too!

So next wine tasting you're at- sniff the glass, go through the motions just like we talked about a week ago, and if you smell horse hair (it'll be pretty slight at the start)  you announce it to the group- like you'd announce the fact that the dog peed on the carpet (kinda annoyed but you know blaming the dog isn't really the solution)- then if someone questions you, you simply poor out the rest of your wine refill the glass with some water, poor that out, and then sniff it again and that horse hair smell will be much more pronounced!

Sun Again??? Oh its BBQ Time!!!!

Sweet Sweet Sunshine... Well kinda... chances are if you're reading this then you're not outside enjoying this glorious weather- maybe you're a work, maybe your hungover and the sun is not your friend today, but whatever the reason is... I can see no reason why you wouldn't be getting ready for a BBQ later! I know, I know i already talked about how Rose is the perfect wine for a sunny day- but for a BBQ... well the Rose simply won't cut it! Picture it- a sunny Friday evening sitting out in the garden, full of delicious grilled meat, and your sitting back in your chair listening to the birds with a glass of wine in hand... nothing can possibly beat that!

So hopefully I've got you sold on the idea of the BBQ- but now is where we have to make a decision... what wine will be in your glass?? Its a tricky one- not because its a difficult pairing, in fact the opposite, its because there are so many wines suited to this moment! Now i can't tell you what drink will be appropriate here- Oh No! That's entirely up to you! But what i will do is tell you what my top 3 choices are for this evenings BBQ are. So in reverse order-

• In at number 3.... Its Shiraz- Australian definitely, but preferably not Barossa... Way too peppery and big. Instead what I'm looking for is a Clare valley Shiraz, with it mellow fruits and that perfect eucalyptus touch that they always have- definitely perfect for relaxing with.
• The silver medal goes to Malbec from Mendoza! It may be a bit too big- but with grilled beef Malbec just takes on new life! No wonder the Argentinians are so fond of it!
• And my number one pick! What wine will be in my glass tonight as I sit in my chair with some friends and an excess of meat around me... Its got to be Grenache! Its one of the most planted varieties in the world- usually added to give an extra bit of flavour in certain regions like Rioja, or the Cotes Du Rhone. But on its own it has really rich berry-fruit flavours with some spice, but what makes this the perfect one to relax with is the fact that it tends to not have much acid or tannins in it which makes for a mellow relaxing wine on its own. And on a sunny day like today isn't that what its all about???

One final note- I'm sure all the millions of you avid followers may of noticed this already, but for those of you who haven't...  I've started adding some links to other blogs on our "along the vine" section! Now i spent a lot of time going through some of the lesser known blogs online seeing if there was anything good out there (just in case ye're not satisfied with our own one...) and to be honest there's a lot of mediocre ones but there's also one or two pretty decent ones- so feel free to have a look around... just don't forget about us!! 

The Italians sure are PRO-secco!

So the title warrants some explanation if you have no idea how the Italian classification system works. Basically you know how ridiculous and absurd the French system is... well the Italian one is slightly better... kinda. This is actually a great example of how these laws are enforced to protect quality of wine. Now if you say prosecco, generally people think (like champagne) its a region- but their wrong, its actually the grape. Don't worry its a pretty forgivable mistake to make. But that is all about to change. Essentially on 17th of July last year there was a rule passed to ensure that Prosecco was no longer a wine produced form a particular type of grape, but rather the wine of a precise geographical area. Anyways back to the system of classification itself. So there used to be 3 classes- DOCG, DOC, and Vin de Tavola (VDT). So DOCG guaranteed the right grapes from the right region- DOC operates on the same principal, only DOCG wines have to pass a blind taste test first! This brings us to VDT (table wine)- does exactly what it says on the tin, or does it.... Well basically all the fuss about DOCGs and DOCs is great, but it leaves very little room for development of different styles. But this didn't stop the Italians- oh no! They kept experimenting, while conforming to the DOC rules, but they would still produce a lot of wines not made in the traditional method! So what happened was the VDT section became bit of a lucky dip- there were some of the most amazing wines lumped in with some of the worst all because the producer added a touch of a grape that wasn't permitted in the zone! So in fairness, the Powers that be (like good old berlusconi above) stepped up and created a fourth classification- IGT, or indicazione geografica tipica. So this didn't guarantee anything except that the wine was made in a non traditional method. I think this is a pretty good compromise- if anyone has ever tried the Montezovo Ca'Linverno you'll know what I'm talking about!
Anyways back to the Prosecco! So as i was saying above, because Prosecco was the grape and not the region, anyone could just label the bottle with Prosecco and therefore it would just fall under the IGT class. But as with anything that does well... the quality starts to fall, because its being over-produced! So... in order to fix this the name of the grape will no longer be Prosecco- its going to be know by Glera. And the region best known for its Prosecco (Conegliano-Valdobbiadene) now falls under the DOCG label, and all the other little regions around it fall under DOC.

So this will all start to take effect around the end of the year- so for those of you who love your Prosecco this is what you'll be looking out for. The highest end Prosecco will say Conegliano-valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore. The next level will say DOC Prosecco. And if it says Prosecco and you don't see the DOC or the DOCG, then its most likely some cheap knock off- note for the IGT it will have to say Glera (the grapes new name).

Bluffing your way through wine tastings!

So when you first start to drink wine, its really just a case of smiling and nodding along with the other tasters... however, the longer you spend wine tasting- the more uncontrollable the urge is to say something... maybe its to do with the amount of alcohol you've drank, maybe you just have a natural sommelier inside you just bursting to get out! But whatever it is, when you've got a nice wine in your glass it certainly warrants comment!

So your there with some red wine in your glass. You sniff it- and smell something interesting, but you can't quite put your finger on it.... Well how do you let everyone else know you've spotted this without actually saying what it is? Its a tricky one... But the best way I found was to pull a shocked/confused face, look to the person next to you, say in your most convincing tone of voice "there's something on the nose", now this next bit is crucial! You pause like your trying to think really hard what it is (tilting your head and staring off into space with a pensive look on your face usually conveys this pretty well!) Then you sniff again, and again look pensive! Now you may actually put your finger on what that extra little smell is- but don't worry if you don't because this will have bought you enough time for somebody else to intervene and say what they think it is. Now this is then where you swoop in, nod in agreement, and then change what they said slightly! For example your pulling you pensive face, staring off into space, and somebody finally pipes up and says "its got a bit of blackcurrant"- you then lean in nodding and say "yes, like a nice bit of cassis" then lean back in your seat with a smug look on your face! Now if your with people and nobody knows what it is in the wine (best way to spot this is look around and if everyone is staring off into space then its safe to assume nobody knows) then nobody is going to venture a guess- do not panic! this is your moment to shine, because everyone is too afraid to be wrong, they're probably a little impressed at you for spotting that extra little bit in the first place, so you just pipe up and say something vague but succinct enough to make it sound like you know what you're talking about like... "oh this has such classic malbec flavours!" Now this won't make you look like an expert straight away- but what it will do is give you practice in getting the actions down for when you do spot something in the wine that nobody else can put their finger on! Essentially when you're wine tasting your training your palate- so the more you do it the more you'll recognise certain characteristics, like peppery notes in shiraz or vanilla in oaked chardonnay.

So at this stage you've been to a few wine tastings- your palate is developing nicely, and you know what you're smelling in the glass! Well you are about to enjoy a pretty gratifying experience in wine tasting! Now they rarely happen (to me at least...) but when they do it is imperative ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE! that you milk them for everything they're worth. Now this doesn't actually differ all that much from faking like you know what you're talking about- you smell it, look confused, say the line, and stare off into space, but when you go back for your second sniff you pull the glass away from your nose and with a face that looks like you're saying EUREKA (careful not to actually say eureka) you let them all in on what it is- probably something difficult to spot like tobacco, or leather! At this stage now you've come so far- you've earned the respect of all those around you, and confirmed to yourself that these wine tastings are actually working, so it would be a real shame to fall at the last hurtle... So as nonchalantly as possible you sit back with the most intellectually smug face you can muster and let everyone else basque in the glory of you expert palate!

Its no surprise that there are certain recurring smells and tastes with different grape varieties, but through training your palate you can spot not only these but the ones that are unusual- it just takes time that's all. But while your bidding your time, there is absolutely no harm in faking it a little bit! One final point we are slowly but surely getting our act together on organising wine tasting evenings- its just debating on the format of them. We're not sure if we should focus on one grape variety (like cabernet) and try them from all over the world to see how different they can be, or we might just do it region by region... So if ye have any suggestions or any particular preference don't be afraid to let us know- either below as a comment, or telling us in store, or even if it suits you can e mail us at woodberrywines@eircom.net

Anyways look forward to hearing from ye, and hope ye enjoy your next wine tasting where you can stare off into space looking like an expert!

Easter is a coming!!

With Easter around the corner it's important to remember that there is more to this Holiday than Bunnies and Eggs (Is it me or are they getting cheaper and cheaper?). Easter in Ireland means the real start of spring daffodils are appearing around the place and the weather is becoming milder and there is the long awaited stretch in the evenings.

And as I said above aside from the bunnies, Easter is a time for another cute animal, Lamb. This time of year lamb starts making its way back to our dinner tables and lamb needs nice reds to accompany it the traditional wines chosen include Chianti, Rioja and Bordeaux, but this year why not try something new some Portuguese Reds, or some of Spain's other wine producing regions like Toro or Ribera Del Duero, or even a nice new World Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet blend. Spring has arrived time for us to shake of those winter blues and try something new.

Rose Wine for the summer days...

I think this is officially the 2nd sunny day we've had this year... and you know what that means! Yes its time to finally burn all those warm clothes we wrapped ourselves up in this winter- the coat, the hat, the gloves, and even the scarf... burn them all the summer is officially here! I'm off to boots to load up on the sun screen (lord knows i can't handle the sunburns) and buy a nice new expensive pair of shades, because we all know its worth the investment....

Ahhhh if only that were the case... but to be fair we do get the odd freak day of sunshine, sometimes it even hangs around for a whole day, maybe even two! So this raises the question... what will quench the thirst on these freak sunny days we get? Well as the title of the Blog would suggest Rose Wine (or as the Americans say blush wine). Now there are 3 different ways to make Rose Wine. Number 1 Dilution- Generally pretty frowned upon, and with good cause. Its like ribena when you could have actual juice... Now a few places do practice this method, such as champagne, but generally the reputable producers don't bother. Instead they opt for the second Option- Saignee. This is where Rose wine is produced as a by product of Red Wine Fermentation. This is because the Producer would like to increase the intensity of the tannin levels in his red wine. So he drains off some of the juice (which is pink) and then and this provides the other juice with more intense contact with the remaining grape skins. But this juice that was drained can still be allowed to ferment- and BOOM! ROSE WINE! Now for number 3. Pretty similar to number 2 except its not produced as a by product of the fermentation of red wine. Instead they will leave the grape skins in contact with the grapes for a day or two, then remove them. This gives them some of the colour but virtually no tannins are left.

So there you have the three methods... but to be honest the most important part is the grape variety they have chosen to make into a Rose Wine! For example Pinot Noir Rose will generally have strawberry and cream flavours cabernet franc or cabernet sauvignon will lean more to the rose petals and cherry flavours. Either way I'm sure you'll agree that on a warm sunny day, sitting in your back garden, after you've pulled out all that garden furniture from the shed that you thought you'd get so much use out of, nothing can beat a nice chilled glass of Rose Wine! So the next time its sunny make sure your well stocked up on the stuff- you don't want to waste any of the sunny day doing your shopping- the same goes for having a healthy supply of BBQ coal, and plenty of meat to grill!

Spring Food and Wine Showcase

Hosted by The Malt House Restaurant

In Association with Thomas Woodberrys

6 Course Dinner presented with

6 Complimentary Wines chosen by us

Date: Thursday 25^th March

Time: 8pm

Venue: Malt House Restaurant

Price: €40 per ticket

Ticket numbers limited to 40, Available from Woodberrys or Malt House

red wine's benefits to the heart!

So i was pottering around the house this morning when something about the croi charity ball came on the radio- basically they were announcing starting recruiting for the New York City marathon. And it got me thinking.... could i do the marathon? Well its only been a couple of hours but I'm giving it serious consideration. Now I consider myself relatively fit- even if i do smoke, eat a lot, and enjoy beer as much as the next person... but even i realize how much of a challenge this would be! So this started me thinking about healthy little habits to get in to... namely quit smoking, eat healthier, and cut down big time on the beer. But red wine is not without its benefits... Now I'm not saying guzzling a bottle of wine a night is the best way to prepare for the New York City Marathon, but there are certain benefits. One major one is a glass of wine will let you unwind every now and then- I think this is probably one of the more important factors when undertaking something like this, cause i can imagine it being pretty easy to start going insane after a couple of months intensive training. So the Glass of wine every now and then will keep you sane, but what are the technical health benefits to Red Wine.

Well people became to take note of red wine as being good for health around the 1980's when two guys- Law and Wald- started to focus on the French Paradox. Basically they noticed that the french had such a fatty diet with all those cheeses and meats- but they had relatively low rate of heart problems in comparison to the rest of the world! So one thing that jumped out at them was the french consumption of Red Wine. The main idea behind this was research carried out in to one of the components of red wine- resveratrol. Essentially all it is is a way for grapes and other plants use to protect themselves against rot. But it has been discovered to increase HDL Cholesterol (which essentially scour the walls of Blood Vessels taking bad Cholesterol with them) and therefore prevent Blood Clotting. So there you have it... planning on running a marathon like I think i might... then maybe a glass or two of red wine, might give me that extra little bit I need!

Sulphites- solving the mystery...

A while ago we did a blog on red wine headache- basically where people get headaches from red wine after a sip or two. From what I've read it seems the most common cause of this is the tannins in the wine. But one thing that has never really been explained properly by us was the sulphites in wine. Essentially every wine- even organic wines- have sulphites in them. I know I know, people have been scape-goating sulphites for years and trying to avoid them- but I'm afraid they are naturally occurring in the grapes. Its also not all that uncommon for wine producers to introduce a touch more in order to arrest fermentation, but at the heart of it all sulphur-dioxide helps reduce the threat of oxidization, but also kills bacteria... so you see without sulphites- the wine would turn to vinegar! Now there's one more bombshell to be dropped... but i don't know if you'll like it... White wines (wait for it) generally speaking... contain more sulphites than red wines! I was amazed to discover this too but its a fact! Now here's a link to our blog on red wine headache so hopefully if you suffer from it than you might find the answer there.
Just one quick last point on Organic Wine- yes you've guessed it it contains sulphites too- granted these may be on a much lower scale, but next time you pick up a bottle of organic wine check out the back! Having said that I can't really see any disadvantage to organic wine, by removing chemicals and pesticides they let nature take over so the terroir is free to come through the wine- all I'll say though is there are plenty of wines out there that just haven't bothered labelling themselves as organic- so don't be afraid to step outside of the organic range!

Breaking News! A quick note on our changes!

So the problem with anything in life is when it becomes stale... And I don't know about ye, but i thought the old format was getting a bit stale- so i decided to keep ye up to date with the changes We've made! Basically nothing major, a new template background (entitled scribe- I felt this would give our Blog a sense of grandeur! and therefore make the whole experience more rewarding for you guys... I know I know i overdid- but what can I say... I think ye're worth it!) Second little nifty feature for ye to enjoy- Notice above the blogs themselves you'll see changing news captions, well this is linked to google news, with a special view to giving ye the most up to date news on wine! You see how helpful that is? Imagine it- you're at a fancy pancy dinner party and someone says something about this recent scandal with E&J Gallo and the french grape growers... Well how nice would it to not only be able to contribute to the conversation, but also be somewhat of an expert on it?? Well now you can because of our new Newsreel above! And finally- this one is only small, but we have added a little Survey to the left of the screen... purely out of interest, and to give us an idea of what you'd like us to blog about! We're working on getting a website up and running soon- so you'll have to bear with us until that day, but hopefully these nifty updates will keep ye all very happy!

Also a little side note- we'll be closed tomorrow for St Paddys day, so enjoy ye're day and we'll see ye on thursday!