Most of the wine consumed at home in Ireland is sold through supermarkets and there is a self-imposed glass ceiling of €10, so the vast majority of wines stocked cost less than that. Given the tax content it doesn’t leave a lot for the poor winemaker. If you want something genuinely interesting you tend to have to spend more and that is best done in a good off licence or wine merchant. Fortunately we have many good wine shops and importers.
In an attempt to promote themselves five wine importers have joined forces under the umbrella title of spit.ie and are hosting a tasting on Thursday October 29th at Smock Alley Theatre, from 6.30-9.30pm and tickets are €25 with about 150 wines on show. SPIT stands for Specialist Professional Independent Tasting and the importers are Winemason, Vinostito, Grapecircus, Nomad Wines and Tyrrell and Co.
Wines Tasted Today on the Show
Vale da Capucha Alvarinho 2012, Lisboa, Portugal, €22-23, blackpig.ie, 64wine, thecorkscrew.ie.
Clever winemaker Pedro Marques, who will be at the Spit.ie event, farms organically and uses very little sulphur in making the wines. The grapes (Alvarinho is the Portuguese name for Albarino) for this white wine were pressed and the skins and put in nets in the ferment like teabag and fished out after a couple of weeks. The result is extra intensity of flavour than you’d expect from this variety.
Radford Dale Black Rock 2012, Swartland, South Africa, €17.50 reduced from €25.95, thecorkscrew.ie.
Swartland is home to some of the Cape’s cutting edge wineries and vineyards. Much of the excitement is about old dry farmed bush wines and granite soils. This blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier had the absurdly low yields of 2.5-3.5 hl/ha when an average French AC appellation allows for 50 hl/ht. It has beautiful subtle berry perfumes and a silky texture that might easily be mistaken for expensive Burgundy. Thecorkscrew.ie also have their wonderful Chenin Blanc on offer at €21.50 reduced from €31.95.
Whiskey Live is on again at the Mansion House tomorrow 24th October. 1.30-5pm or 6 – 9.30pm. Hundreds of whiskies to try. Tickets are €39.50 from http://www.eventbrite.ie/e/whiskey-live-dublin-2015-tickets-17408480233
@winerepublic
