Roll up! Roll up! If there was one event we ran last year that captured folks’ imaginations, it was the Curious Mystery Bus Tour. Well, we’re up to our old capers again.

On Thursday 23rd May, we’ll be taking a bus load of Curious Wine Club members on a mystery tour to a top-secret location in Cork (last year it was Aperitif in Kinsale). You’ll depart Cork City at 7.00pm, be taken to a secret location for a wine tasting and plenty of hearty grub, and be dropped back to the city (centre and Curious warehouse) for 11.00pm.

We didn’t blab then and we won’t blab now – you won’t know where you’re going until you get there. But if you’re curious – and we mean really, truly curious – you don’t want to miss this one, you’re guaranteed a great night’s craic. BOOK HERE.

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THE CURIOUS MYSTERY BUS TOUR
Where: That’s the big question, isn’t it?
When: Thursday, 23rd May, 2013, 7.00pm to 11.00pm.
Tickets: €35, bookable online or by calling us free on 1800 99 18 44. Includes return bus journey to secret location, wine tasting and food.

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p.s. This is an exclusive event for Curious Wine Club members. See HERE to find out how to join.

Want to know your Chablis from your Chardonnay, or your Chateauneuf from your Chateau no way?

Our Wine for Beginners course is the perfect introduction to life’s elixir, covering all aspects of wine from how to taste, understanding labels and how wine is made, through to the major grape varieties and the famous wine regions of the world.

Over six informal and fun evenings, you’ll taste while you learn, receiving tasting glasses and notes to keep, and hopefully making some like-minded new friends.

Our next course starts on Wednesday the 20th of February, over six nights, one evening per week over six weeks.

Where: Curious Wines, Kinsale Road Commercial Centre, Kinsale Road, Cork.

When: Every Wednesday for six weeks, starting 20th February 2013, 7.30pm-9.00pm.

Cost: €120 (€90 for Wine Club members).

To sign up, just call us on 1800 99 18 44 or you can book online here. Do hurry, though – you don’t want to be late for school!

It’s our biggest event of the year and your chance to try dozens of Curious wines ahead of the Christmas buying rush – it’s the 4th annual Curious Christmas Wine Fair!

This year we’re taking over a city centre hotspot – the Bowery nightclub, just off Grand Parade in Cork – for the afternoon of Saturday 24th November.

As ever, we’ll have dozens of wines open for tasting, special deals on the day, guest winemakers and some of Cork’s finest local food producers in attendance.

Tickets are only €15 for the full afternoon’s tasting, and are bookable online now.

CURIOUS CHRISTMAS WINE FAIR 2012

Where: Berwick Room, The Bowery, Tuckey Street, Cork.

When: Saturday, 24th November, 2012, 2.00pm to 6.00pm.

Tickets: €15, bookable online or by calling us free on 1800 99 18 44.

Hot on the heels of the arrival of the new Two Paddocks range to Curious Wines, we’re delighted to announce a visit from the Proprietor!

Sam Neill will be visiting us in Cork on Thursday the 8th November, and the Cornstore on the city’s Cornmarket Street will be the venue for a special lunch date with the Hollywood superstar.

There’ll be a Two Paddocks lunch special on the day along with your chance to try Sam’s wines and even meet the man himself. Sam will be there between 1.00pm and 3.00pm before we whisk him off for some sightseeing.

If you’d like to join us, you can book directly with the Cornstore on 021 4274777, or just come along on the day and take your chances you’ll get a seat!

There was a hubbub of excitement yesterday in Curious HQ as we received the first ever edition of our new Curious Wine Club magazine, First Crush.

Packed with features, interviews, recipes, new wines and special offers, it’s our new quarterly treat for members of the Curious Wine Club. The bumper 48-page Winter edition contains articles on Chile, Spain and Shiraz, a special feature on Hollywood superstar and New Zealand winemaker Sam Neill, an interview with Rueda winemaker Carmen Blanco and a seasonal recipe from Fenn’s Quay head chef Kate Lawlor, not to mention dozens of new wines and over 100 special offers for the forthcoming season.

If you’re a member of the Curious Wine Club we’ll be posting your complimentary copy out in the coming days. Alternatively, call into the shop, sign up for the Wine Club and take a copy away with you.

To check if you’re a member, or to check we’ve your most up-to-date address details, pop over to our Members Centre and follow the instructions to log in. Should you need any help at all, or wish to sign up for the Wine Club over the phone, don’t hesitate to call us free on 1800 99 18 44.

You can get your tickets to this unique event at The Cornstore Cork, in the Curious Wines Warehouse, or online here.

WINE DINNER WITH CHATEAU BAUDUC

Where: The Cornstore, 40A Cornmarket Street, Cork.

When: Thursday, 18th October, 2012, 7.00pm to 10.00pm.

Tickets: €45, bookable online or by calling us free on 1800 99 18 44. Includes five course tasting menu and matching wines.

Next up for the Curious Wine Club is our first wine dinner and the first visit to Cork for Gavin and Angela Quinney of the wonderful Château Bauduc.

Bauduc needs no introduction to customers of Curious. House white at the three Michelin-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for eleven consecutive years, special selection at Rick Stein‘s and regulars in our own top 10 sellers, Château Bauduc are the essence of modern Bordeaux.

‘Excellent red, white and rosé, all marked by their sheer drinkability. Affordable, approachable, Bordeaux needs another 100 Bauducs – and fast.’ – Oz Clarke’s Wine Buying Guide.

‘Gordon Ramsay uses it as his house wine, Rick Stein has it on his list and I’ll have another glass please’ – John Wilson, The Irish Times.

On Thursday 18th October, we’ll be welcoming Gavin and Angela to The Cornstore in Cork for a five course dinner, with each course specially created to match each of the five wines from the Château.

You can get your tickets to this unique event at The Cornstore Cork, in the Curious Wines Warehouse, or online here.

WINE DINNER WITH CHATEAU BAUDUC

Where: The Cornstore, 40A Cornmarket Street, Cork.

When: Thursday, 18th October, 2012, 7.00pm to 10.00pm.

Tickets: €45, bookable online or by calling us free on 1800 99 18 44. Includes five course dinner and matching wines.

Roll up! Roll up! If there was one event that captured the imagination when we launched our autumn calendar of events and tastings a few weeks ago, it was the Curious Mystery Bus Tour.

On Thursday 25th October, we’ll be taking a bus load of Curious Wine Club members on a mystery bus tour to a secret location. You’ll depart Cork city at 7.00pm, taken to a secret location for a tutored wine tasting and canapés, and dropped back to Cork city for 11.00pm.

We didn’t blab then and we won’t blab now – you won’t know where you’re going until you get there. But if you’re curious – and we mean really, truly Curious – you don’t want to miss this one, you’re guaranteed a great night’s craic.

THE CURIOUS MYSTERY BUS TOUR

Where: Well, we could tell you, but… Bus departs Cork city, bus returns to Cork city, that’s all you’re getting.

When: Thursday, 25th October, 2012, 7.00pm to 11.00pm.

Tickets: €20, bookable online or by calling us free on 1800 99 18 44. Includes return bus journey to secret location, tutored wine tasting and canapés.

This is an exclusive event for members of the Curious Wine Club. Not a member and want to join? Find out how to, here.

On Thursday 4th October, we welcome Ivan Acebes Garcia of Rueda winery Castelo de Medina to Cork, for a wine and tapas night in Café Gusto.

Receiving many compliments and a rapidly growing fan base as a result of our summer Spanish sale, the Castelo de Medina range typifies the very best of Rueda: crisp, racy whites, abundant in fresh tropical fruits and perfect matches to a wide range of foods. We’ll have free sampling on the night, specials by the glass, and specially-created tapas dishes to enjoy with your wine.

This is an open event as part of the Curious Wine Club so no booking is required.

TAPAS NIGHT WITH CASTELO DE MEDINA

Where: Café Gusto, 3 Washington Street, Cork.

When: Thursday, 4th October 2012, 7.30pm to 9.00pm.

Entry: Free, no booking required.

Continuing our autumn programme of events and tastings for the Curious Wine Club, Friday 21st September sees the first visit to Cork of Scott Collett of Woodstock McLaren Vale.

Owner and viticulturist Scott will be presenting his range of whites, reds and fortified ‘stickies’ while regaling with stories of McLaren Vale, the Woodstock winery, spirits, ghosts and 12-gauge shotguns.

My father’s rule about drinking was “never before 5pm”. My rule is “never drink alone”. But rules were meant to be broken. I try to keep off the spirits; “drink spirits, see ghosts”.

The venue is the ever-so gorgeous but ‘cosy’ wine cellar in the Hayfield Manor, Cork, so numbers are limited. As such, preference will be given to Wine Club members first. (Not a member? We’d love to have you, find out how to join here.)

DRINK SPIRITS, SEE GHOSTS: SCOTT COLLETT, WOODSTOCK

Where: The Hayfield Manor, Perrott Avenue, College Road, Cork.

When: Friday, 21st September 2012, 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Tickets: €15, bookable online or by calling us free on 1800 99 18 44.