After some serious consideration, the wines that are to be tasted from the Curious range at this weekend’s Good Wine Show can finally be unveiled. This astonishing mix features no less than 36 wines from eight different countries, providing a clatter of different grapes varieties, regions and price points.

With the addition of more quality wines from Karwig’s and Bubblebrothers, there will be over 100 different wines on show, making for what will undoubtedly be one of the greatest wine drinking experiences Ireland will have to offer this year.

Argentina
Tesoro de los Andes Shiraz Malbec

Australia
Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein
Langmeil Three Gardens
Glaetzer Wallace

Chile
Sierra Grande Cabernet Sauvignon
Santa Alicia Reserva Chardonnay
Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere
Santa Alicia Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
Tabali Reserve Syrah

France
Cuvee Jean-Paul Blanc Sec
Touraine Domaine Pre Baron
Le Fou Pinot Noir
Dignite Syrah
Dignite Viognier
Domaine de Pellehaut Ampelomeryx
Chateau Bauduc Bordeaux Blanc Sec
Chateau Bauduc Clos de Quinze
Moillard Fleurie
Chablis Domaine de la Motte
Chateauneuf du Pape Domaine Chante Cigale
Aureus Cremant de Loire

Italy
Farnese Pinot Grigio
Farnese Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Doricum Nero d’Avola
Farina Ripasso Montecorna
Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco
Borgo Magredo Prosecco

New Zealand
Tussock Sauvignon Blanc
Waipara Springs Sauvignon Blanc
Waipara Springs Premo Dry Riesling
Muddy Water James Hardwick Riesling
Greenhough Pinot Noir
Waipara Springs Premo Pinot Noir

South Africa
Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc

Spain
Quinta el Refugio Tinto
Valdamor Albarino

All wines available for tasting over the two days will be available with special show-exclusive offers attached, so don’t forget to bring the credit card!

Tickets are still available to purchase from goodwineshow.com

For us, and indeed some of the attendees, it was the best possible appetiser in the run up to what is sure to be one of Ireland’s best wine shows of the year. Last Friday’s New Zealand wine tasting in Dublin, exactly a week before the Good Wine Show, went without a hitch as 50 lively Dubliners got to taste our best New Zealand sellers in our long awaited Dublin launch.

A big thanks to Joyce Austin who put on another unforgettable show, and to Lar Veale at sourgrapes.ie, who “projuiced” the attached video and managed to set up a live feed, so our Twitter and Facebook friends could tune in. Isn’t technology just wonderful!?

Joyce took the audience through an evening of 11 world class wines. Four were served blind to showcase New Zealand’s best rising stars - a richly textured Pinot Gris, two salivating Rieslings and a voluptuous Gewurtztraminer. Outside that we had Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs and the surprise of the night a show stopping Pinotage.

Our full tasting line up, all of which have 15% off until the end of December (discounted prices below).

Tussock 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (€11.05)
Waipara Springs 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (€12.75)
Greenhough 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (€13.60)
Waipara Springs 2008 Riesling (€11.05)
Muddy Water 2008 James Hardwick Riesling (€15.30)
Bilancia 2007 Reserve Pinot Grigio (€17.00)
Waipara Springs 2007 Chardonnay (€12.75)
Greenhough 2008 Gewurtztraminer (€14.45)
Waipara Springs 2008 Premo Pinot Noir (€17.00)
Greenhough 2006 Pinot Noir (€15.00)
Muddy Water 2006 Pinotage (€17.00)

And on top of our 15% off deal, every case order from now until next Thursday is in the pot to win a mixed selection of 24 glorious New Zealand wines.

See our full New Zealand selection here – also 15% off

The three gents pictured below are (right to left) Joe Karwig of Karwig Wines, Billy Forrester of Bubble Brothers, and our very own plonker… ahem, I mean chief taster, Michael Kane, owner and founder of Curious Wines.

The shoot was done at Cork Bonded Warehouse on Tuesday morning. The Irish Examiners Blake Creedon has already managed to get hold of a cool photo, which he has included in this blog post.

In case you missed something, here it is in a nutshell…

“Three Irish wine merchants have joined forces to bring a very special wine tasting event to Cork this autumn. Taking place in Cork’s Clarion Hotel on the 13th and 14th of November, the innovative collaboration between Bubble Brothers, Curious Wines and Karwig Wines shows the flair and energy that sets independent wine merchants apart and makes their wine selections such a refreshing change. The Good Wine Show will give guests the opportunity to make their choice from over a hundred wines open for sampling, comparison and purchase at attractive discounts exclusive to the event.”

The lads have been working hard in the run up to the show (looks like they’ve been having fun too), but it finally looks like everything is falling into place. Ticket sales are doing really well and we expect a big surge before a sell-out. Many people will be making the journey from all over the country, including Dublin and Galway. It’s just fantastic to see such an interest in this kind of event.

Everything is geared and ready to go, including an obscene amount of wine that needs to be tackled. Well, what are you waiting for?

Click here for more information and ticket sales.

Images by Gerard McCarthy (087-853-7228)

We’re hitting the road for Dublin, a year after our first, much lauded public tasting in Cork. As a result of being inundated with requests from our loyal customers in our nation’s great capital, we just had to bring the party north - and believe me, you’re going to love it.

We’re delighted to welcome back Joyce Austin of New Zealand Boutique Wines, all the way from Auckland, to host a seated tasting of New Zealand’s most exciting new wines. Our followers here in Cork will tell you how relaxed, informal and enjoyable our tastings are, and Joyce is sure to work the crowd whilst serving up some of the world’s top Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs and the rest!

Our last tasting with Joyce was a sell out. Don’t miss it – join us for what promises to be a wonderful night.

Places are limited to 40 people, on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are €15.00.

Date: Friday 6th November 2009 - 7:30 PM

Location: Clarion Hotel Dublin IFSC - Quote Curious Wines and enjoy bed and breakfast at the Clarion for €130 single occupancy or €145 double occupancy.

Ticket Price: €15 - click here to book on-line, call us on 023 884 3898 or email us at curious@curiouswines.ie.

To receive announcements of upcoming wine tasting events, both ticketed and free of charge, join our Newsletter.

And on the seventh day, she rested…

Well, actually, it’s even more impressive than seven days. Five days after announcing our plans for the Good Wine Show, to be held in Cork city 13-14 November, you can now go online and buy tickets from the official Good Wine Show website, with more details on the hottest wine event of the year below.

What’s in store?

Join us for one day or two to sample your choice of more than 100 wines and a selection of some of Cork’s finest food at The Good Wine Show. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur, a casual wine drinker, a gourmet foodie or a holiday shopper, you’ll enjoy a friendly, relaxed and fun atmosphere to taste, nibble and shop in at the centrally located Clarion Hotel in Cork’s city centre.

Friday, November 13th, 2009

The Good Wine Show is open from 3 PM - 8 PM.

• Wine Tastings: All day.
• Food Purveyors: All day.
• Prize Draw: 6 PM - Drawing for a “Best in Show” mixed case of 12 worldly, wonderful and very drinkable wines courtesy of all three wine merchants.

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

The Good Wine Show is open from 11 AM - 4 PM.

• Wine Tastings: All day.
• Food Purveyors: All day.
• Prize Draw: 3 PM - Drawing for a Luxury Food and Drink hamper packed with posh nibbles, three bottles of wine and your very own set of wine accessories.

You can purchase tickets for one day or two on the Good Wine Show website, on our own website or from Bubble Brothers, or from these retail outlets around Cork. Tickets are priced at €15 for one or €25 for both days.

Fans and followers tuning into us on Facebook or Twitter over the last month or so have been subject to a cruel (if unintentional) teaser campaign, with the “plotting (of) something exciting for Christmas”. Despite pleading, offers of bribery and even threats of violence from someone resembling Austin Powers’ arch-nemesis Dr Evil, we’ve retained both our decorum and our discretion as the detail was fleshed out.

So, the not-so big secret? In partnership with Cork’s “other two” great independent wine merchants Bubble Brothers and Karwig Wines, we’re delighted to announce the first ever Good Wine Show, to be held Friday 13th and Saturday 14th November 2009, in the Clarion Hotel, Cork.

It’s the first time three independent wine importers have joined forces in Cork to show off their portfolios in a dedicated sample-and-buy event, and with the opportunity to taste over 100 different wines in one place and special discounts for the occasion, it’ll be the premier wine-buying show coming up to Christmas.

The sessions will run from 3pm to 8pm on Friday 13th, and 11am to 4pm on Saturday 14th, and tickets will cost €15. More details to follow in the coming weeks, including when and where to buy tickets.

See you there?

For those desperate wine drinkers who are dying for us to do a tasting in Dublin, we’d encourage you to go along to Wine Australia’s Adelaide Hills tasting next month. It’s a good opportunity to warm yourselves up before Ireland’s best wine e-tailer comes to town, plus you’ll get to try an array of sublime wines from South Australia. A no brainer, really…

Although the Hills have been in the shadow of their bigger, more historic neighbours of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, it is starting to develop a hot reputation for its scintillating wines.

Marty Edwards from the Lane Vineyards will be there to take guests on a tour of the region. As well as being Vineyard and Export Manager for his company, Marty is also a member of the Adelaide Hills Wine Show Committee, so he’s an ideal candidate to head the tasting.

An Evening in the Adelaide Hills is on Thursday 3rd September at the Royal College of Physicians at Number 6, Kildare Street. Tickets are 15 Euro per person and are available from John McDonnell (065-707-7264 or email john.mcdonnell@wineaustralia.com).

If you want to be the first to know about Curious Wines wine tastings this year, you can sign up to our monthly newsletter.

Saturday night was the last meeting of the Bandon wine club until September. Around twenty people (myself included) met up at ‘Seats Cafe’ in town, where we were all treated to homemade lasagne (it wasn’t quite BBQ weather!), a fantastic array of wines and live music, courtesy of some very talented members. It didn’t end until the early hours of Sunday morning, thanks to an endless supply of vino, entertainment and good company.

The Bandon Wine Club has gone from strength to strength in a very short period of time, from its first meeting in January. Six months and six meetings later, there will be a little break for the summer, before starting into a new itinerary in September, which will include informal wine classes.

Wine clubs are a great way of giving a group of people access to a range of wines from around the world that they probably wouldn’t otherwise have tried. If you would like Curious Wines to host a wine tasting for your club, feel free to get in touch.

Here’s to the future success of the Bandon Wine Club. Long may it continue to show ambitious wine drinkers of the endless variety out there!

Friday night saw Joyce Austin return from Auckland to present our fourth public wine-tasting, in Cork’s Ambassador Hotel, and we’ve a special 48-hour sale to mark the occasion.

We had an overwhelming response to tickets, with 50 hungry wine lovers treated to an intriguing evening of world-class New Zealand wines. In a tasting of eleven of our newest arrivals from New Zealand, it was a combat zone as each person pitted their skills in a blind tasting evening. Needless to say there were a few surprising revelations with a healthy quota of both red faced and proud-as-peacock faces! There was a huge buzz as our gathering delved into a new taste experience in pairings of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with delicious summer sipping Rosé.

Check out what a couple of tasters thought of the night: our thanks to Brian Clayton and Manic Mammy for your kind words and support, we’re absolutely delighted you enjoyed the evening.

To mark the tasting, and our goal of making New Zealand one of your top summer picks, we have a 48-hour sale on all New Zealand wines until midnight Thursday, 11th June, with 10% off across the board. In particular check out this cracking mixed case selection, hand-picked by Joyce herself. It’s a delicious case, so if you’re sipping New Zealand, now’s the time to buy.

Wines tasted on the night were:

Muddy Water Pinot Noir Rosé
Waipara Springs Sauvignon Blanc
Tussock Sauvignon Blanc
Waipara Springs Chardonnay
Mount Cass Chardonnay
Coney Piccolo Pinot Gris
Tussock Pinot Gris
Greenhough Dry Riesling
Waipara Springs Riesling
Bilancia Pinot Noir
Waipara Springs Premo Pinot Noir

Congratulations to Wietse Buwalda of Crosshaven, Co. Cork, who scooped €220 worth of wine and a pair of New Zealand crystal wine glasses in a prize draw for orders placed on the night.

And finally, our thanks as always to Joyce for a great night’s education and entertainment. There are already rumours that Curious Wines’ first Dublin tasting could be a New Zealand night this side of Christmas, so watch this space.

It was a little bit of a gamble going with the theme of Recession Busters for our third public wine tasting a couple of weeks ago in the Ambassador Hotel in Cork. Between economic armageddon, sick pigs and turmoil in the Catholic Church in Ireland, there’s a view that people should be cheering up and trading up in their wine purchases rather than suffering the paradoxically bad value of paying over 40% tax on any bottle less than €10 in this country.

However, with the confidence of young polar bears bounding across thin Arctic ice, we threw caution to the wind and invited Cork’s most astute palate Blake Creedon along to put our value-lines to the test.

I was delighted when Blake once again made a feature of us in his Saturday column for the Irish Examiner last weekend, but particularly pleased that five of the six wines picked out for mention were in that price-critical sub-€10 bracket. Price-quality ratio is such as important aspect of critical wine-tasting and the key to any independent wine merchant’s ability to beat the supermarkets on real value.

Even better, Blake’s favourite white of the 13-bottle tasting was our house white, the Côtes de Gascogne Cuvee Jean-Paul Sec, retailing at only €7.99 but one of the hits of the night with the main audience:

I’m only too glad to do my bit to rehabilitate the reputation of this lovely blend… Tangy grapefruit on the nose sets the scene for this lovely colombard and ugni blanc blend. My best white of the tasting.

Well, like the hundreds of people who’ve tried our Monsieur Jean-Paul since we introduced him to the Irish market seven months ago, we’ll drink to that. And thank-you Monsieur Creedon.