Last Thursday (7th May) we held our recession busting wine tasting at the Ambassador Hotel in Cork. Thirty-five Curious guests turned up to see what we were doing about the recession, so we featured 13 wines between €7.99 and €19.99 to show that exceptional wine can be sought at exceptional prices, particulary below that all important €10 mark.

Our tasted wines in order:

1. Cuvee Jean Paul Sec (€7.99) There aren’t many wines at this price that would stand up to the Curious house wine. Similar to Sauvignon Blanc in style, this Vin de pays is a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard.

2. Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc (€8.99) This soft and fruity South African has plenty of character, and as I found out quite recently, it’s smashing with a mild/medium curry.

3. Pasquiers Sauvignon Blanc (€9.49) A fantastic, easy drinking Vin de Pays Sauvignon blended with 20% Vermentino. What was an accident in the winery, turned out to be a masterstroke for the winemaker.

4. Tabali Viognier (€12.99, current sale price €11.69) A Viognier to do Viognier justice. Citrus, apricot and pear mingle with great acidity for a well balanced, elegant Limarí white.

5. Orballo Albarino (€13.49) Many people hadn’t tried this varietal before. Albarino is Spain’s answer to Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, and Orballo’s medal winning attempt wowed the crowd.

6. Domaine de la Motte Chablis (€16.99, current sale price €14.99) The star of the whites dropped jaws when the price was mentioned. You could easily pay €25 or more to get this kind of quality elsewhere.

7. Aerus Crement de Loire (€17.99) Loire’s answer to Champagne – except half the price. The superbly made Aerus has very fine bubbles, forward fruit and, like the best Champagne, biscuity aromas and flavours.

8. Cuvee Jean Paul Rouge (€7.99) The brother of the first white tasted. This Syrah and Grenache blend is one of the few wines at this price that’s serious enough to go with food. A great introduction to the reds.

9. Palazzi Negroamaro (€8.99) Dark in colour, this fruity Italian red has ripe berry and bitter plum flavours, with the kind of acidity that would make it even better with food.

10. Sierra Grande Cabernet Sauvignon (€8.99, current sale price €8.09) Full flavoured organic Cabernet, which just shows what Chile is capable of under €10.

11. Quinta el Refugio (€9.99) Many thought that this Spaniard represented the best value for money for red under €10. It’s certainly a great alternative to Rioja, with dark fruit flavours and lots of complexity from the American oak. Fantastic buy.

12. Dignite Syrah (€14.99) For those who like ‘big’ reds with plenty of upfront fruit. The Languedoc is renowned for producing wines similar to those of the New World, largely due to its warm climate.

13. Roland Betton Crozes Hermitage (€19.99) Our surprise wine of the night is for those recession busters who treat themselves at the weekend. For many, this was the best of the night.

A special thanks to our very knowledgeable and informative speaker, Lesley Atkins of Boutinot, who kept the night as fun as it was educational, and to the Ambassador Hotel, who provided us with top notch service and a venue to match.

Lastly, great thanks to our special guest Paul Kiernan, the business writer and wine enthusiast behind Irish blog, Grapes of Sloth. A very nice chap indeed, Paul knows his wine very well, and we were delighted to see he left some very positive feedback on his blog the following day.

Our next wine tasting in Cork is on the 5th of June. If you would like more information, just pop us an email at curious@curiouswines.ie, or join our monthly newsletter to be the first to hear of ticket availability.