Forget soup in a tin or out of a packet. Make it like a chef. This is the perfect starter to any meal and one of the most simple soups you could possibly make.

As no stock is used here, the soft, blue veined Cashel Blue cheese adds a rich, creamy texture with all the body and depth of flavour you’ll need. It’s the classic ingredient, which is also super by itself, paired with a nice glass of chilled white wine.

So long as you’re not too heavy handed with the cheese, a light red will match beautifully with this soup, particularly the main ingredient - broccoli. Try the Gamay grape from Beaujolais. It’s a lovely wine to start the night on in any case. There are six villages to choose from, my current favourite being Moillard’s Brouilly.

If you prefer white wine, I would reach for a Sauvignon Blanc. Ginestet’s Bordeaux Classique Blanc springs to mind as a really good, food-friendly, everyday drinking wine.

You didn’t just think it was the Old World who focused on the significance of region, did you? Those people who are in any way observant will notice that most wines will be labelled with specific regions or sub-regions.

Of the New World countries, it is probably Australia who is currently investing the most time and money into educating the consumer on the importance of regional identification. It’s important because wine from one region to the next can be vastly different, even if it is the same grape being used. You can catch up on Australia’s evolving story in our regional heroes series.

Chile is another New World country to realise the importance of regional identity. If anything, it has the most diverse terroir in the world. After all, we are talking about a country 2,700 miles from top to bottom, which, needless to say, allows it to have an incredibly varied climate, ranging from the world’s driest desert (the Atacama) in the north, to a Mediterranean climate in the centre, and a rainy temperate climate in the south. It is getting almost the whole mix of the southern hemisphere climate.

There are four key regions in Chile - Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley (Valle Central) and the most southerly region simply known as the Southern Regions or Southern Chile. Each has sub-regions and some have zones within those sub-regions. The bulk of Chilean wines are regional, hence wines labelled “Central Valley”, with no other distinction of origin, have grapes sourced from growers throughout several different parts of the region. They are brought together to be processed and bottled in one location, which may even be outside of Chile. A lot of the less expensive wines are made in facilities in Chile and then bottled in the Europe or the USA to save on transport costs.

The most productive region is Central Valley, with the sub-regions of Maipo, Curicó, Maule and Rapel. Rapel Valley consists of two zones called Cachapoal and Colchagua. Just across the Andes is Argentina’s Mendoza wine region. Maipo and Rapel are well known for their Cabernet Sauvignon, with Curicó getting a name for its Chardonnay.

The sub-region of Casablanca, within Aconcagua, is a cooler climate area, producing some fantastic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but perhaps the most fascinating sub-region for me is Limarí Valley, part of Coquimbo, which is the most northerly wine region. Next door to the driest place on Earth, it produces some real blockbusters, the best of which still have the minerality, elegance and poise of the worlds finest wines. To find out more about the promised land of Limarí, click here.

If you’re tempted to indulge, look up Santa Alicia’s Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon and Tabalí’s Especial powerhouse red blend from Limarí Valley. There’s 20% off all Chilean wines for the month of March (prices discounted at checkout).

Thanks to winesofchile.org. Picture of the Guanacos courtesy of Santa Alicia.

Video One: Santa Alicia Reserva Carménère 2008

You’d be right in thinking there’s a whiff of chocolate of this gold medal winning Carménère, but we can assure you the only ingredient is grape juice. If you’re a fan of Merlot, you should like Carménère, and this is one of the best available at normal retail price, never mind with 20% off for the month of March.

For the following wines, click on the links provided for each to view videos.

Video Two: Sierra Grande Sauvignon Blanc 2009

A refreshing organic Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, with those trademark tingling aromatics, crisp acidity and fresh fruit flavours. Easy drinking and a real crowd pleaser. 20% off for the month of March.

Video Three: Last Stand Shiraz 2007

The fruity Last Stand would be on the slightly lighter end of the scale, and perhaps an easier drinking style of South Australian red. One customer observed, “It’s like sitting in the arms of someone warm”.

Video Four: Long Neck Chardonnay 2009

A well-made, inexpensive Chardonnay from South Africa. The winemaker has allowed the grape itself to do most of the work, rather than indulging in the overuse of oak. Rich texture and bursting of tropical fruits.

Video Five: Ginestet Bordeaux Classique Margaux 2005

A superb food wine, the Ginestet Margaux is drinking well now, but put it down for a year or two to see it at its best. Wine from Bordeaux ‘05, and this region in particular, won’t be around for too much longer!

Clandestine parcels aside, this month’s all about Chile, so our April contest needed a related theme. Our first thought was a big pot of Mum’s chilli con carne but transport and keeping it warm was always going to be an issue (ok, really bad play on words in any case!).

Thankfully, with the unusually long and chilly winter we’ve been having (ok, we really have to stop now with the cheesy puns), our good friends in Santa Alicia sent us over a couple of Chilean ponchos to keep us warm in the Curious Wines warehouse. You could prise Matt’s from his cold dead hands but, preferring to keep him alive and warm, we’ve put the other one up for this month’s contest, along with a couple of bottles of our favourite Chileans’ finest.

(It’s not Mum’s chilli, but it’s a good second best.)

How to Enter: All you have to do to enter the contest is join (or already be a member of) our monthly newsletter. We’ll draw a winner at random in April when our next newsletter goes out. You are of course completely welcome to un-join the minute after the draw is done, but we like giving discounts, special deals and free stuff to our members, so we hope you’ll stick around!

Congratulations to Aoife Porter, winner of our March contest! Prizes on the way to you Aoife.

MONDAY 8TH MARCH TO SUNDAY 14TH MARCH ONLY

We’re clearing out the warehouse for new wines and new vintages so we’re giving you chance to scoop some genuine bargains in our Secret Parcel Sale.

We’ve put together a limited number of secret cases, 12 different bottles with normal retail prices in excess of €159, for only €105 – that’s €8.75 a bottle, a guaranteed third off original selling prices, and free delivery!

The secret case sale will run for 7 days only or while these limited stocks last.

WHY THE BIG SECRET?

We are fundamentally opposed to the disingenuous marking up of wines to provide false discounts – all our wines are priced competitively and fairly to reflect the quality and price paid to the wine-maker. By clearing stock in this way we can protect these wines, and their makers, from being de-valued for future vintages.

Still not sure? No matter what the price or how good the bargain, our 100% satisfaction guarantee still applies at all times. If you are not completely satisfied with a wine, for any reason, we’ll give you a full refund, without quibble.

Here’s Mike to explain more.

Capers are used a lot in Italian cuisine. You’ll often see them on pizzas, pasta salads and added to tomato based sauces. It’s also one of the main ingredients in tartar sauce. No matter how or where they are used, they always give a nice distinctive, pickley flavour.

In this pasta dish, they combine well with the fresh parsley to make for a very fragrant, healthy meal - which of course, I’ve thought of a wine match for.

Sauvignon Blanc will handle this recipe beautifully. Pretty much any Sauvignon would do, but if you want to be fussy, go for Loire Valley for that drier, more herbaceous style. The Domaine de Pre Baron Sauvignon Blanc is a very affordable wine that ticks all the right boxes. Despite being from the Languedoc, Domaine de Vedilhan Sauvignon Blanc is quite Pouilly Fumé in style, so that would also be ideal.

If you can’t look beyond New Zealand, check out Fairhall Cliffs and Mount Cass for wines that would be more in the mould of a Sancerre or a Pouilly Fumé Sauvignon.

Video courtesy of Look and Taste.

The month of Spain has been and gone, but it’s a close cousin in the limelight for the month of March, with a generous 20% off all the wines of Chile.

Top 10 or so random facts about Chile and her glorious wine

1. Chile’s population is heading on an estimated 17 million. They speak Spanish and their currency is Chilean pesos.

2. More than 4,300 km long and an average of just 177 km wide, the country is rich in geographic and climatic diversity rarely found in a single country.

3. Their principal exports are fish, paper, copper, fruit, pulp… oh, and wine.

4. Chile claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.

5. One of Chile’s founding fathers was Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme. He was of Irish descent, with his father being born in Sligo. There is a plaque in his honour in Merrion Square, Dublin, and in the Garavogue River Walkway in Sligo.

6. Wine grape vines arrived in the 1500s with the Spanish missionaries who needed wine to celebrate the Catholic mass (around 80% of the population are now Catholic).

7. Chile’s signature grape is Carménère, which was thought to be Merlot until the mid-1990’s. It was brought over from Bordeaux, before Phylloxera had hit the region. It is now in the safe hands of the Chileans, and boy, are they making good use of it.

8. The Atacama desert is the driest place on earth. Lying just south of it is Limarí Valley, where some of Chile’s most exciting and concentrated wines are being nurtured.

9. Chile uses less pesticides in the vineyard than any other wine producing nation. As a result, many of the wines are organic, despite not being certified organic.

10. For reasons that have never fully been understood, Chile remains Phylloxera-free to this day.

Thanks to winesofchile.org for some of the fab content. Click here to view our sale on Chilean wines.

Video One: Langmeil Hangin’ Snakes Shiraz-Viognier 2007

Don’t be scared, there were no snakes used in the making of this video. Hangin’ Snakes is another stunner from Langmeil, the winery who claimed the coveted 5 star accolade from wine critic James Halliday for the fifth year running. An old world style Shiraz-Viognier blend, which was awarded a Decanter Silver Medal last year. €13.99 each when you buy two or more (save €6) for the month of March.

For the following wines, click on the links provided for each to view videos.

Video Two: Santa Alicia Gran Reserva Carmenere 2006

Twelve months in French oak and a further twelve months in bottle before release, there is considerable investment which has gone into this full-bodied Chilean classic. 20% off for the month of March.

Video Three: Pouilly Fume Jean Paul Mollet 2008

Premium Loire Sauvignon Blanc from a family-owned estate and winery. Loire Sauvignon’s are generally a little more restrained and drier than New Zealand Sauvignon. Jean Paul Mollet’s is the perfect example.

Video Four: Heartland Viognier Pinot Gris 2007

“Clear-cut Viognier varietal character in a peach/apricot spectrum is cut slightly by fresh Pinot Gris; an odd couple who nonetheless get on quite well.” (James Halliday - 89 points) Wine Spectator - 91 Points.

Video Five: Sirius Bordeaux 2005

The 2005 vintage was exceptional. Sirius combines elegance, finesse and character, with great concentration and remarkable richness. A modern-style Bordeaux keeping a balance synonymous with the traditionals.

Long Neck Wines have been with us from the beginning. The instantly recognisable packaging is only the start, as they are wines that genuinely live up to their price tag and help keep South Africa’s reputation as a trustworthy producer of quality wines firmly intact.

Credit must go to the purchasing expertise of head wine boffin Duncan McEuen, one of the ‘three amigos’ at Long Neck. Another man behind the giraffe, and another of the three amigos, is Archie Cameron. He tells us that while the USA remains an important market for Long Neck, the migration to other parts of the world have helped turn it into a truly successful global brand. They have even made it to the Antarctic!

1. What is the highlight of making your own wine and what part of the process do you most enjoy?

The highlight for me is walking into the winery and smelling that unique musky and heady combination of wood and grape. It is quite literally, intoxicating!

Not wishing to sound overly capitalistic but I do love watching a container depart for some far away place. That’s always exciting. Sending our wine to Australia, where they make their own very fine wines, is doubly so!

I got a real buzz when I was told that our wines were very popular in one of the Antarctic research stations. Can’t get much further away than that! Check out the photos.

2. Is there a grape variety (perhaps more than one) that you believe is the worlds best when grown in South Africa?

We grow most of the various grape varietals here in South Africa, but to single out one and say it is the best in the world would be presumptuous. My personal favorite is Chardonnay, although our best seller is Shiraz.

3. If you couldn’t make wine in South Africa any more, where would you go?

I suspect South America. I have never visited Argentina or Chile but I think I could enjoy the ‘Hispanic’ way of life more so than say Oz or NZ. Europe is too crowded for me! Needless to say they are great countries for wine production.

4. What was the inspiration for the Long Neck brand?

When we came up with the idea of the label, we wanted to say ‘young, trendy, cool, hip and South African’ all in one go! I think we have succeeded.

5. What do you feel is the long-term outlook for the South African wine industry?

Excellent! More people will experience South African wines this year than ever before, because of the World Cup. I reckon that our wines will become regular items on everyday shopping lists.

Thanks to Archie Cameron and Lucy Godfrey at Long Neck Wines.

Our range from Long Neck.

I’m starting to think we’re doing something right in this new (well, new for us anyway) world of blogging. Last Thursday night we were delighted to hear we were awarded Silver for Best in Blogging at the prestigious 8th annual Digital Media Awards in Dublin! It’s fantastic news, especially considering the competition. Ronan Lyons bagged first place and the trophy, so fair play to him! The winners page can be viewed on digitalmedia.ie

March 27th is the date of the Irish Blog Awards in Galway, so be there or be square!