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.

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

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.

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.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Vintage Guide has recently been updated to show how vintages fared from country to country and region to region, from as far back as 1970. For most of us, vintages don’t affect our buying decisions in any way, and I’m not sure they really should unless you’re thinking of cellaring, or it’s just something that really excites you.

Click on the graph below to view the report in its entirety. The key at the bottom of the chart will help you to better understand the ratings. If nothing else, it is interesting to glance through and see where and when the supposedly poor, average and exceptional vintages lie.

Click on the above chart to view report in its entirety.

From what I can gather from those who do at least consider vintage as somewhat important, it is Bordeaux that seems to be of most concern to people. Perhaps because it is steeped in such tradition and carries the reputation it does, there is always great anticipation within the trade and among consumers as the freshly bottled wines from each new vintage are treacled through to market.

What this guide shows is that it is not only Bordeaux that is subjected to vintage variations. Every region is affected. However, bare in mind that even in poor vintages, exceptional wines can be produced, and likewise, poor wines from exceptional vintages. Also, when you’re talking about wines from the massive brands you’ll see available in the supermarkets, you’re not really going to find considerable differences between vintages. From these wines you’ll get reliability and consistency, but no real character. The price we pay for cheap, high volume wine is boredom.

The Irish winter has been uncharacteristically mild so far. There’s almost a whiff of spring in the air, even though it is still only mid – January. And we’re not the only ones who have been enjoying the milder weather, as most of Europe and North America is experiencing something similar. A sign of a good summer to come? Let’s hope so.

While most of us are making the best of the favourable conditions, many of the northern hemisphere’s Icewine producers are cursing their luck. Temperatures have not fallen low enough to harvest for Icewine, or Eiswein as it is known in Europe. The production of Icewine in Europe, the United States and Canada is expected to be small compared to previous vintages, and many producers are expecting to lose large yields reserved specifically for the sticky sweet wine.

In order for grapes to be harvested in the right condition, temperatures must fall to at least -7C. With such mild weather leading up to harvest, many bunches have been affected by noble rot at such an advanced stage that temperatures need to fall as low as -10C if there is any hope of recovery. It’s not looking like that is going to happen.

Icewine production is down by at least 40% in northern United States and Canada. In Niagara, the harvest has also been adversely affected by a wet autumn, forcing growers to pick Riesling grapes early, thus leaving nothing for Icewine production.

2011 was the smallest Icewine harvest since 2000 and all the indicators would suggest 2012 will be smaller again. With supply falling, some of the more fortunate wineries may be tempted to increase prices, although price was never the main obstacle for followers of Icewine – availability is, and will continue to be. With weather patterns looking more uncertain with each passing year, 2012 may not be the last year that these winemakers are going to want to forget.

Zinfandel has curious history. Californian winemakers have made it famous, but its birthplace was not Napa. Far from it in fact.

Originating in Croatia, where it is known as Crljenak Kaštelanski, it landed in Puglia, the ‘heel’ of Italy, in the 18th century. This early ripening variety is thought to have been introduced by a priest, not an uncommon thing in those days as the Church were the original wine evangelists. The grape then found its way to East Coast United States by 1829, and by 1950 it had reached California. Some Italian winemakers who ship Primitivo to the U.S. label them as Zinfandel.

Puglia incorporates the Adriatic port of Bari (pictured), and in terms of volume is one of Italy’s most significant wine regions. The southeastern province of Salento is generally where the best reds come from, Negroamaro being one of the specialty grape varieties. Primitivo di Manduria makes colossally alcoholic reds from the Primitivo grape, but there are more winemakers than ever now who are managing to bring more restraint, and more importantly, better balance to the wines.

Primitivo vines are quite vigorous and grow best in climates that are warm but not too hot. Thin skins mean the grapes can shrivel if it does get too hot. With the fruit ripening early, the time on vine can be extended to produce a wine with a high sugar content. Weather permitting, the winemaker may even make late harvest dessert wine. Anyone who has tried the Sessantanni Primitivo di Manduria will notice a sweetness from the high sugar, made even more noticeable by the relatively low acidity. This is quite typical of the richer styles of Primitivo.

Just because it is a vigorous vine and early ripener, it doesn’t mean that it’s an easy grape to work with. Uneven ripening means that to achieve better quality the winemaker must ensure unripened grapes are dropped, or that a rigourous selection process is carried out in the winery before vinification.

I think Primitivo, or Zinfandel, is a variety that most lovers of full-bodied red wines will really enjoy. They aren’t for the faint hearted, as the alcohol tends to be quite high, but Puglia winemakers are coming up with more and more fantastic, affordable Primitivo’s where the alcohol is lower (perhaps closer to 13% as opposed to 16% – good example here, just in). At its best, it’s fantastic. Like the aforementioned Manduria… “peaty, smokey, tobacco-like aromas and flavours. Throw in fresh cigar and a blast of incredibly smooth, rounded black fruit sweetness and you’ve got a winner.”

The first weekend in January is a milestone in itself. Those first few days of the New Year can seem a little bleak at first as we emerge from a week or so of heavy indulgence, a lot of highs and maybe even a few lows.

So there I was Friday night, being very sensible. Two glasses of wine Crane Lake Pinot Noir, a lovely little drop, with a cracking meal the youngest brother had prepared.

Neither of us had had the best day after hearing the family dog of thirteen years had died (@curiousmolly‘s best friend, Sophie, AKA the “Beast”, pictured, will truly be missed), and it was not made any better after I decided to kick over my second glass of red onto the carpet shortly after retiring to the sofa post dinner.

This was my second time in the space of a month, so I was better prepared this time round for how to save the carpet. It’s a cream colour… of course.

One of the keys things is to work quickly. Dilute the spillage area with water, using your hand to sprinkle it evenly. Don’t be tempted to rub or wipe red wine stained fabric as you’re more likely to further deepen the stain. Just blot or dab with a cloth or towel.

It is important to keep the stain damp. Don’t allow it to dry out. Once you have blotted up most of the wine and applied the water, you have bought some time. If you have a bottle of carpet stain remover now is the time to use it. If not, I think the most simple stain remover that most people will have immediate access to is a combination of lukewarm water (2 cups), soap or detergent (1 tbsp), and white vinegar (1 tbsp).

Blot the area with the solution using a clean cloth, then dry with a clean towel as you go. Once it looks like the stain has been lifted, apply a clean damp cloth, using cold water this time, before drying again with a clean towel.

Other methods include throwing white wine over the stain, or sprinkling over some salt. These will both buy you time, but you’ll still need to follow-up with a proper clean. Unless stained carpets don’t bother you. I have also read  that hydrogen peroxide is one of the best cleaning agents for spillages, on clothing as well as carpets. Mix it with equal parts soap/detergent. If applying to clothes, wash them in the washing machine afterwards to complete the clean-up.

And there you have it. Spill away to your hearts content.

RIP Sophie x