On Friday night past I opened a bottle of Côtes du Rhône we got as a sample from a supplier. A really fantastic wine once you got past the funky nose. Melt-in-your-mouth silky tannins, juicy ripe fruit and it just sang with Nigel Slater’s vegetarian mushroom lasagna we’d picked from his Kitchen Diaries book – a must purchase for any foodie.

I normally decant reds, even for twenty minutes, but I didn’t in this case. It performed well from the outset, but there was a considerable amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. It didn’t really bother me much at all, but I’ve gathered from experience that for a lot of people it’s a bit of a turn off.

In this instance I could relate to that a little. The further we got down the bottle the more ‘gritty’ it seemed to feel on the palate. I probably should have run it through the decanter’s sieve but most of it just ended up resting at the bottom of the bottle anyway. No harm done, still a very enjoyable drinking experience.

The important thing to note is that sediment is harmless. If anything, it indicates that you have a wine of quality in your hands. Today most commercial wines are filtered, often to extremes, but I think the sediment shows wine as it should be, in a very pure form. It also shows there has been good extraction from the grapes.

The sediment which develops in red wine is formed from tannins and other solid matter that gradually falls to the bottom of the bottle. The presence of this material helps give the wine character and complexity, but you don’t have to leave it in the wine when you serve it, as I do. Pass the wine from the bottle into a decanter via a sieve and it’ll be sediment free. Easy as one, two, three.

With marriage on the cards, the most important thing for me now is looking after the honeymoon. I’m hoping all that wedding stuff will just fall into place by itself. Anyway, Tuscany is where the two of us will be spending our first proper holiday together as a married couple, so I’ll have the chance to check out some wineries if I’m allowed (oh the pain of the thought). At the top of the list will be Dievole, a superb winery who have an interesting project going on in Siena that has caught my attention.

Certosa di Pontignano is an ancient monastery bordering of the states of Siena and Florence. It has a rich history originating from its construction in the 14th century, which included a church, cloisters, cells and other buildings to house twelve monks, three lay brothers and their servants. Situated in open countryside it was once vulnerable to attack, first of all from a band of Florentines who broke in 1449, and during the “Congiura dei Pazzi” in 1478 (a conspiracy against the Medici rule). The monastery was set fire to and then immediately rebuilt before being plundered again in 1554 by German and Spanish militias. Who’d want to be a monk living in the 15th or 16th century?

Despite testing times the heart of Certosa di Pontignano has been kept intact through extensive restorations helped by renaissance contributions during the late 15th century. Since then it has been relatively untouched, and now it houses the University of Siena’s Congress Centre, as well as boasting guest accommodation and a restaurant.

In May 2002 Divole took over the management of the land of Certosa di Pontignano with the University of Studies of Siena entrusting them with the rebirth of the monastic culture. Within its walls an Agro-Environmental Park has been created with vineyards and olive groves. The park is divided into two sections, one for specific cultivation (vines, olives, cereals, aromatic and medicinal herbs), and the other mainly dedicated to the landscape vocation, trying to combine the needs of preserving the historical and agricultural archaeology, and at the same time to give new life to the territory through modern, sustainable landscape management.

Dievole are now carrying on the tradition in honour of the vine-loving Monks with the Certosa di Pontignano Chianti Classico, made from Sangiovese grapes grown on the grounds of the old monastery. These vines are still relatively young, but with rigorous, quality-focused selection and time in oak, it’s the kind of wine I hope to be enjoying a lot of come September. Fresh up front red fruit, and a dry tannic structure that I think will go rather well with that Tuscan cuisine they all say is so good. I look forward with great anticipation and excitement.

For those looking for great value wines, or a gastronomic holiday, try Gascony. This corner of France is known for its amazing pork (Toulouse sausages), poultry, foie gras, prunes and Armagnac. From Bordeaux down to the Spanish border, the appellations contained within Gascony and the southwest include some familiar names. Bergerac, Cahors, Jurançon and Montravel to name a few. But even outside of appellation laws winemakers are churning out super everyday wines that don’t cost a bomb.

Winemakers here are proud of their traditions. There has been minimal outside influence from flying winemakers and foreign technology, and no one is too keen to jump onto the varietal bandwagon that the world market has created. If Sauvignon Blanc is going to do well on a certain plot of land, they’ll grow it. If Petit Manseng is going to produce something more curious and interesting, they’ll grow that instead. It’s a great attitude to have.

Bergerac is the most Bordeaux-like appellation. It lies to the east of the famous region, also on the river Dordogne. Many growers here use traditional Bordeaux varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc for reds and rosés, and Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon for whites. Some of the dry Sémillon’s from Montravel are exceptional, and for those with a sweet tooth, Jurançon makes sought after sweet white wines made from Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Courbu. Cahors is a red wine region for fans of Malbec, or Côt as it is known among the locals. At least 70% of the blend must be Malbec, with the remainder being made up by Merlot and/or Tannat.

Gascony and the southwest is a hive for garage winemaking. Whereas most of the appellations of the Languedoc region to the east make use of the same basic collections of red and white grapes, an even more diverse picture prevails in the southwest. For a good entry point into Gascony white, try our house wine, Cuvee Jean Paul Blanc, which is a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard. For something even more curious, the Ampelomeryx is sensational, and unashamedly noncommercial. More from the southwest here.

It is almost two years ago that the story of the fake Pinot Noir scandal came to light. Twelve French merchants and Co-op executives from the Languedoc were caught flogging the equivalent of 18 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir to the US giant Gallo for their brand Red Bicyclette.

A few weeks ago a California judge approved a class-action settlement entitling many wine drinkers to a refund nearly a year after the ‘dirty dozen’ were convicted of selling the fake wine to E&J Gallo wines and Constellation Brands Inc, who bottled the juice under various labels, including Gallo’s Red Bicyclette, before selling it to unsuspecting consumers in the United States.

The two companies will set up a $2.1 million fund to be divided among anyone in the United States of legal drinking age who files a claim. For the three people who brought the lawsuit to court, they will share $58,000 between them with their lawyers receiving up to $400,000 in legal fees and another $400,000 going to the company handling the claims and disbursement.

Details will be finalised in April.

The plaintiffs allege that this wine was still mislabeled when it was sold to consumers in the United States. The defendants deny these allegations and contend that if they received any mislabeled wine, they themselves were victims of the convicted French suppliers. Nevertheless, the defendants have agreed to make certain reimbursements to consumers who purchased the wines in question in order to assure customer satisfaction and resolve the claims made in this lawsuit without expending more time and money.

Source: www.FrenchPinotNoirSettlement.com

With 20% off Spain in January and February, I thought why get a good paella recipe up and pair it with a few great value wines. For best results, use real chicken stock here. It’s a handy recipe you’re bound to use again and again.

Chicken & fish paella (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
25g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
8 free range chicken thighs, skinned
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
225g of long grain rice
1 tsp saffron strands
1 pint of warm chicken stock
1 bay leaf
225g frozen peas
1 red pepper, seeded & diced
2 tomatoes, quartered
100g peeled prawns
100g shelled mussels
8 unpeeled prawn
lemon wedges to garnish

Method
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan or paella dish. Add the chicken and fry until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Fry the onion and garlic until golden and then add the rice and cook for a minute, stirring. Return the chicken to the pan with the saffron, stock and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock if necessary. Stir in the vegetables, heat for a few minutes and remove the lid, adding the mussels and prawns to heat through. Serve up with lemon wedges and a nice bottle of Spanish white!

The wine match

In my previous post I said that Spain is doing inexpensive wines well. As an example the Mont Marcal Blanco made its own way into our top 10 whites last year without us really having to push it. The feedback has been terrific. It would be a lovely little everyday wine to pair with Paella.

I’ll stay with white because I do think it goes better with this dish, although if you do go for red probably the lighter unoaked Spaniards (San Pedro Rioja) would work best. Pazo de Monterray Godello or the Valdamor Albarino are my two mid-range choices. Outside of Spain, but staying with the Spanish varietals, Bleasdale’s Pott’s Catch Verdelho has been earning great praise recently. A touch of savouriness will work well here.

My first taste of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was what started my love for wine. It always helps of course when you’re out there and you’re actually tasting it in the winery. Then I came home and very quickly realised that the overripe branded bulk wines of Oyster Bay and White Cloud are nothing like the wines I tasted in Allen Scott’s, Jane Hunter’s or Cloudy Bay. There’s no cheating the market, you have to pay a little extra for good wines from New Zealand.

Wine is quite a unique product because of the tax it is subjected to. With the rate of duty being a fixed cost on every bottle sold (for which VAT is also payable), there is a ballpark price to pay where you can be assured, provided the retailer is pricing honestly, that the required investment is going not towards government, transport and packaging costs, but into the wine itself. Generally speaking, paying €5 or €6 for a bottle and you’re in for something that won’t be terribly exciting or at worst something pretty nasty. You’ll always be able to buy bargain basement wine, but the cheapest wine will never be the best value wine.

Tax is a problem facing every winery around the world who are looking to sell into Ireland and be competitive. But at the minute it is extra difficult for the likes of New Zealand and Australia. They are producing wines in economies that are performing well so they are high-cost economies (Australia probably more so than NZ), which from their point of view is not good for exports. The United States suffers from the same thing. This is part of the reason it’s so difficult to find an €8 bottle of Californian Pinot Grigio to compete with an Italian alternative. Add higher transport costs to that and you start to get the picture.

Strong currencies, the Australian dollar being the biggest culprit, and a weakened euro means that value for money particularly for sub €10 wines is taking a bashing. In fact, certainly in Ireland, I think it would be safe to say everyone, supermarkets included, has been struggling to offer the same kind of value in the sub €10 price bracket from these countries that would have been achievable in the past.

A price rise of €1 might not deter people going for a €16 bottle of Barossa Valley Shiraz over a €15 bottle of Rioja, afterall many will still shop on the style of wine they are after, but a lot of people will find €8 is better spent on a Spanish or Italian wine. The difference €1 makes at the lower price end is comparatively more significant in terms of that all important price vs quality ratio. The range of quality in the €6-10 price bracket is bigger than that in the €12-16 price bracket. Whereas the best value might be found between €10 and €15, each euro will need to work harder in the €5 – €10 bracket.

I have no doubt that Australia and New Zealand still offer great value. Many of my favourite wines are still from there, but for my money I’d be off to Chile, Spain, Italy or France for the cheaper wine. The likes of Rueda is offering terrific value alternatives to the Oyster Bay’s of this world, and the Languedoc is now throwing up robust reds that would beat many Australian’s in an arm wrestle. These things always go in swings and roundabouts, but for the foreseeable future I can see demand for the aforementioned New World wines falling only to the benefit of the less expensive European winemakers.

Since I’ve been on the front line of this game I’ve always really enjoyed helping people to discover new wines outside of the norm, away from the standard Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet. Carménère is one of those varieties I like to start with because it’s not a million miles away from Merlot, so it’s not a big step for even infrequent wine drinkers. In fact, you may already know, for many years Carménère was mistaken for Merlot in Chile.

As reported in Harpers Wine & Spirit Reviews last week, a very prominent Master of Wine, Tim Atkin MW, claimed Carménère is now ready to move into the “Premiership” of grape varieties, even if not quite making it into the “Champions League” just yet.

Carménère will produce quite robust reds with high tannins. Atkin was pointing to the fact that the tannin and greenness of the variety is the most difficult thing for winemakers to manage. With such an improvement in Chilean winemaking as a whole over the last twenty years, the bar has been raised considerably.

South American wine expert and fellow MW, Peter Richards, agreed the advances in Carmenere now meant the wines were largely unrecognisable to the ones being produced only a few years ago. It was now possible, he argued, to start assessing Carmenere not on whether it was a green or not, but on where it was being made and by who.

Extract, Harpers Review article 17/01/12

Where it is made and who it is made by is an important issue when it comes to judging wine from a critical point of view. Those that have this sense of place, or “terroir”, or have the signature of the winemaker written all over them, are prized for having the x-factor. That little extra point of difference or unique character they have over other wines in their category. They must stand out from the barrage of average wine and winemakers are now achieving this with the Carménère grape.

Santa Alicia’s Reserva Carménère is my weapon of choice for many a curious wine drinker stumbling across our shop. It gets somewhat more serious with the chocolate blockbusting Gran Reserva Carménère.

Three wines caught the attention of two Irish wine writers in last weekend’s newspapers.

Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc 2010: “Outside of the Loire, the other region making thirst-quenching Chenin is South Africa. This little cracker from coastal vineyards in Paarl is excellent value. Fresh, dry, with tropical fruits on the palate.” Matthew Nugent, Irish Mail on Sunday.

My take

The Coastal region of South Africa is renowned for its fine and expressive fruit. The adaptability and versatility of this wine is what makes it a success for me. Keenly priced, this is an all-round crowd pleaser, and can be matched with a wide range of foods or simply on its own by the glass. It has been one of our most successful new world house wines.

Bleasdale Pott’s Catch Verdelho 2010: “Spain’s Verdelho grape has settled well in Langhorne Creek. Naturally crisp acidity with melon, pineapple and guava notes. Nice weight and a lingering finish.” Matthew Nugent, Irish Mail on Sunday.

My take

Verdelho is a variety that has always been prized by Bleasdale, Australia’s second oldest winery after Yalumba. Some of the vines are approaching 90 years old, even in Spain that is very rare, but it is testament to the efforts and persistence the family has taken with this fabulous grape. I think freshness is key at this stage of the 2010, but it should start to take on some nice secondary flavours soon. Quite a subtle wine, there is a simplicity to its delight, but drink on and its depth of flavour will become more and more evident.

Pago de Cirsus 2005: “This beauty is just one bottle worth checking out in Curious Wines’ current Spanish sale. 20% off? How bad! A blend of cabernet, merlot and tempranillo it’s all about fresh ripe fruit but elevated by that delicious savoury whiff of coffee and spice.” Blake Creedon, Irish Examiner.

My take

Just to the northeast of Rioja is the trendy DO region of Navarra. It is known for two styles of red. The lighter Côtes du Rhône style, or the fleshier, weightier, alcoholic type of wine that the Pago de Cirsus is. At 14.5% it’s a bit of monster, and a customer even said recently it needs about four hours decanting to soften down. This is from a particularly good Navarran vintage, and if anything it seems to have improved with age. Tight on stock at the minute, though!

Pictured: The new label Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc – coming soon.

The story of a law professional who gave up the city life to fulfil his dreams in the world of wine. In the second part of this two part story, we learn more about this meticulous man and how he is managing to produce wines of such brilliance. To view part one, click here.

The terroir − the unique climate, soil and topography of the Terrasses du Larzac appellation is what defines the wines of Pascal Fullá, and of course the grape varieties. But it’s what he does with the components, how he chooses to work with them, that sets Mas de L’ecriture apart. The difference is in the detail. These are handcrafted wines, made with meticulous attention.

Geography and geology

The vineyards are situated in the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon, a short drive north of the capital city of Montpellier, on the outskirts of a small village – Jonquières. This is Coteaux du Languedoc country, yet still having the honour of working within the Terrasses du Larzac appellation. The soil here is stony, sandy-clay beneath Jurassic limestone, and characterized by the exceptional quality of its drainage, which forces the vines to put down deep roots. This gives the potential to make wines with a distinct sense of place.

It is not unusual to find fossilized oysters and mussels amongst the vines − witness to a time when the waters of the Mediterranean washed over this land. Writing in Decanter, Andrew Jefford described the Terrasses du Larzac as “the Languedoc of everyone’s retirement dreams: open, uncluttered countryside where the fennel plants sway idly by the roadside, where olive trees mark property boundaries… the terraces themselves tend to be limestone rubble weathered from the Causse above… the vineyards laid out like picnic rugs on those pale stones give way, as the hills rise, to scrubby forests patrolled by boar.”

Pascal is the first to recognise the diversity he has at his disposal. For example, a 1.5 hectare plot of Syrah vines growing on a unique soil studded with quartz, sandstone and silica, allows for a wine of amazing subtlety and finesse. In comparison, two hectares of Syrah planted on mainly clay soil, brings concentration and freshness to the wines.

Grape varieties

The varieties planted on the 10-hectare estate are vinified and aged separately. By treating each variety as a wine in its own right, through vinification and maturation right up until blending, its specific characteristics are taken into account, from one year to another, and the blends are adjusted accordingly.

Take Grenache as an example. In 2002, the rain that fell before harvest gave this cépage remarkable softness and finesse, while the heat wave of 2003 concentrated its aromas and structure; in 2004 and 2005, the same grapes made wine of a more traditional Grenache style.

Syrah is the estates predominate grape (35%), followed by Grenache (27%) and Mourvèdre (20%); Carignan (12%) and Cinsault (6%).

Harnessing the elements

In 1999 Pascal installed an independent weather meter on the estate. Its sensors measure air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, vine leaf moisture, soil humidity, the strength and direction of the wind, and the atmospheric pressure. The station transmits the climatic data it collects every 15 minutes directly to Le Mas de l’Ecriture. This data is run through a software programme to decide how best to anticipate diseases (such as oidium, mildew and rot), and it means the absolute minimum amount of treatment products are used.The wind is a valuable ally. The Mistral and Tramontane blow regularly across the Jonquières terroir, keeping the vines dry and disease-free and helping the team to farm organically. The 2011 vintage was the first official Ecocert-organic year for the winery).

A unique and focused approach to viticulture

Having just 10 hectares under vine allows Pascal to get right down to the detail. From the carefully-tended vineyards to the pristine, pink-hued, modern winery, a highly focused approach is applied.

When US wine writer Tom Fiorina visited Le Mas de l’Ecriture, he wrote “To say that Fullá is a perfectionist is
like saying that fellow Catalan Salvador Dalí was a skilled draftsman. This is a jewel of a vineyard. The soil under each vine is arranged almost stone-by-stone. The vines look as if they have been manicured, not pruned, and even the weeds that are left growing between vine rows to draw off excess moisture seem orderly.”

Harvest, vinification and ageing: a labour of love

It goes without saying that the work in the winery is as meticulous as in the vineyard. However, when it comes to winemaking, the aim is to pair rigour with a certain lightness of touch. Gentle extraction is the name of the game. Each parcel and variety is
vinified separately.

After destemming – and without crushing – the grapes undergo a long fermentation in stainless steel or French Haute Futaie oak, followed by a gentle pressing with a vertical, hydraulic wine press, similar to those found in Pétrus and Yquem. Maturation takes place in French Haute Futaie oak barrels (15% Russian oak is also used for a more subtle effect), depending on the characteristics and the vintage. The barrels are housed for 12 months in a cellar where the temperature and hygrometry are carefully controlled.

Finally, blending commences. Each variety brings something different to the mix, and enhances the other. The fruity character of Grenache and Cinsault is underpinned by the structure of Carignan; Syrah brings texture and subtlety, while Mourvèdre adds texture and length.

“Blending is a complex, creative process, similar to painting, or writing poetry. Each year I write a new poem, using words such as fruit, structure, texture, minerality, precision, balance, elegance, freshness, subtlety and length. The blending is the part of my job that I particularly enjoy; it is the culmination of an on-going process that started years before I set foot in the vineyard (our oldest vines date back to 1970) and which will, I trust, continue for many years after my demise. It links me firmly to this region and its noble, sometimes chequered history.”

Pascal Fullá, winemaker/artisan

View the range from Le Mas de l’Ecriture here.

It’s funny how among all the economic strife and uncertainty the Irish people have pulled together to keep our indigenous independent companies in business. As each euro becomes more and more scrutinised, we’re more careful and more thoughtful about where we spend it and what value we get in return.

In the difficult years that have followed the credit crunch, there has been an explosion of small artisan food and drink companies springing up all over the country. From handcrafted beer (Dungarvan Brewery), cider and fruit wines, to farmhouse cheese (check out the English Market in Cork), organic smoked salmon (Ummera Smoked Products) and a renewed demand for higher welfare, better quality meat (James Whelan Butchers).

You can tell I’m no economist, but on ground level I’m getting a sense that more people are making a bigger effort with food and wine at home. Perhaps because there is the option to stay at home and cook a cracking meal instead of spending it out on the town. I also think more people are happy to spend a little extra to get good ingredients and a slightly better bottle of wine.

The release of December trading figures from the big UK retailers is quite telling, and small businesses are now expected to make up the difference. Those who don’t have a job are now looking at other opportunities, probably part of the reason a lot of these artisan food producers are popping up. We’ve all had to work harder at grinding out a niche and as a result it’s brought innovation and opened new markets.

Speaking at Bord Bia’s Small Business Open Day this week Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive of Bord Bia, commented “Small food and drink businesses are important contributors to the recovery and future prosperity of the Irish economy. Their survival and growth does not only bring investment returns for individual businesses, it also underpins the wider local community and the image of Ireland as a provider of high quality, innovative and sustainable food excellence.”

As I always preach, and will continue to preach, support indigenous Irish businesses where you can. By doing this you’re directly aiding the recovery of this economy as well as encouraging more choice for us all as consumers. If everyone relied purely on supermarkets, we’d be open only to commercial, mass produced food and drink with zero choice and poor quality.

Variety is the spice of life, and eating well and drinking well is one of the great joys of life. Accept nothing less.

For more information, go to Slow Food Ireland and Bord Bia.