Tandem Ars In (Read more...)
O’Briens Spanish Wine Sale
Tandem Ars In (Read more...)
Tandem Ars In (Read more...)
Wine. Naturally?
photo: Inter-Rhône
There’s been a bit of talk again recently on Natural Wine which has prompted a return to this theme. Natural Wine isn’t really anything, it’s a bit like ‘artisan’ in that there is no clear cut definition. It claims to be, well, natural, in that there are no additives such as sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites in general have had a lot of bad press, yes if (Read more...)
ITALY – BEWILDERING BUT WORTH IT
Of the many hundreds of wines we stock in Cases, the most challenging to explain and least easily pigeonholed are the wines of Italy, the second-biggest wine producer in the world, after France (and in some years, the biggest). Much of this … Continue reading
The Barbecue Trail: Cork’s Grill Kings Share 7 Easy BBQ Recipes!
Burgers, charcoal and Motilium at the ready! It’s seven scrumptious barbecue recipes from seven tong-tastic, grill-focused venues dotted around Cork city and county.
Many people plump for beer at these casual, unfussy events, but tons of wines can hit the spot just as well. The main “rule” to bear in mind is to avoid wines that are overly dry, subtle, austere or expensive – fruity, robust wines are the way (Read more...)
Wine for summer #002
Domaine de la Provenquiére Syrah VdP d’Oc, Languedoc, France 2010
The beautiful little estate is situated right in the heart of the Languedoc, and produces wines from traditional grapes but in a modern, clean style. The Syrah is everything you could want from this grape and this region – packed with dark berry fruit on the nose, but bursting with savoury flavours on the palate- smoky, peppery and black olive. (Read more...)
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 (Read more...)
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 (Read more...)
Who cares about price?
We’ve taken a look at In-Page Analytics report in Google Analytics. It gives a nice visual on where people click on a page.
Interestingly, on the category pages (i.e. pages like red wine or white wine with a long list of products) one really interesting thing we spotted was that price was not something website visitors often click on, despite being the highest or most prominent filter. So, what was? (Read more...)
Sherry: It’s not just for Granny
Ok its International Sherry Day (20th 25th May), I know it’s more than one day and that’s because sherry is more than one wine. I know we all think of it as the stuff in trifles or that stuff our gran drinks, but it is so much more.
What is Sherry?
Quite simply it is a fortified wine from southern Spain with history that stretches back over 3000 (Read more...)
WSET Diploma in Dublin
WSET have just announced dates of the WSET Diploma being held in Dublin. For first semester students, the course starts in November 2013. This course is being run directly by WSET London. On-line booking and information is available on WSET’s website. All queries should be directed towards the London WSET school.
WSET Diploma is the WSET’s flagship qualification, designed to prepare people for senior positions within the (Read more...)
IPA Challenge Cup Final
So I often begin these blog posts as follows, "So I....". This time, given the fact that this post represents the culmination of almost 2 months of conscientious and "careful" beer drinking, it would seem inappropriate to start in such a flippant manner. For those of you scoring at home here are the finalists (l-r):
Goose Island India Pale Ale 5.9% abv
Thornbridge Jaipur India Pale Ale 5.9% (Read more...)
Slovenia – Dix points!
Ah well, Slovenia’s loss in the Eurovision semi-final on Tuesday night is Ireland’s gain – good luck tonight Ryan Dolan. Still, at least the Slovenians have lovely wines to comfort themselves. Even during the Communist era, Slovenia was well able … Continue reading
Brilliant Reputation – Woeful Image
I believe they got that idea from us here in Ireland where St Patrick's Day can last for 10 and, when the Celtic Tiger was roaring loudest, Christmas Day stretched towards three weeks on occasion.
...I said to my colleague John Wilson that something should be done to mark World Sherry Day and magnanimously announced that I would be prepared to contribute a bottle or two to any celebrations – (Read more...)
BALLYMALOE LITFEST
Milan gets a bad rap from tourists – overpriced and pretentious are phrases that are often bandied about – but I must admit to really enjoying every single one of my visits there. With its proximity to Piemonte, Milanese restaurant wine lists are stacked full of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto although I’ve found that, as with most cities, an excursion away from the centre is advised in order to avoid (Read more...) With BYOB all the rage, we’re delighted to announce our partnership with The Whitefriar Grill. Every Monday, as part of the Whitefriar Grill’s Corkage Club, you can bring your own bottle of wine to The Whitefriar Grill. And here’s the best bit…if you bring a bottle from the biggest little wine shop in Dublin, the good folk there will waive the corkage fee for the months of (Read more...)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 (Read more...)Drinking Wine In Milan
All Roads Lead to Rioja
Being lucky enough to give a wine tasting in a delicious tapas bar in Naas recently (@lasrada) I decided to go with Spanish wines. Seems kind of a no brainer or dare I say it predictable. The day that the writing and/or logic as to how and what we write on this blog becomes predictable I will personally send the Empty Glass to the proverbial farm. It is (Read more...) The Corkage Club at The Whitefriar Grill
Battle of the (India) Pale Ales – Semi Final 3: Celtic League and Semi Final 4: American Walkover
Semi Final 3
Brew Dog Punk IPA 5.6% abv
O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale 5.2% abv
I'm expecting a very close contest here. I like both of these ales a lot and I drink them whenever I find them; the O'Haras you can get on tap in quite a few places.
First up the O'Haras, not massively hoppy but smooth and well balanced. This is a beer you could drink (Read more...) Summer Wine Fair
