Our house red is made predominantly from a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the Vin de Pays de Vaucluse. Its easy-drinking and compatibility with food make it one of our most popular wines.

To view product page and for more details, click on Cuvee Jean Paul Rouge.

And we’re off! We’ve only been talking about it since we launched the site but we’re delighted to finally launch our tasting videos feature.

Those familiar with our product pages might’ve noticed some changes over the last month or two as we’ve added discrete page tabs along the top, for tasting notes, reviews and now videos.

If you didn’t believe that Matt and I take the arduous responsibility of tasting every single wine ourselves, well think again, as either or both of us will be in the frame from now on with our picks of the day.

Will we be biased? Er, yes, of course. We pick all Curious wines ourselves and are proud of them. But the purpose of the videos is to try and show in the simplest and non-geeky terms possible whether you would like to drink them. Let us know what you think, we’re open to all feedback and suggestions as to how to make them more relevant to the average wine consumer.

So first up, we thought of no better place to start than our house white, Cuvee Jean-Paul Sec from France’s Côtes de Gascogne, so here’s what I thought on my most recent tasting. Cheers

Our house white has been lapping up the limelight once again, this time from the Irish Examiner’s Blake Creedon and Frank O’Brien of Robert Francis Wine. Cuvee Jean-Paul (click here to view) is one of the very the best wines available in Ireland at €8 - we, and our customers have known this for quite a while - but now the critics have woken up to our best kept secret and it’s time for everyone else to sit up and take notice.

Cuvee Jean-Paul is a rather unfashionable blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard, but if you like the zippy fruit characteristics of a Sauvignon Blanc, you’re going to love this.

Blake Creedon (Irish Examiner): “…a fresh and fruity white - one of the best value at the moment being the grapefruity mouth watering Cuvee Jean-Paul Sec Cotes de Gascogne.” (July 2009)

“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.” (May 2009)

Frank O’Brien (Robert Francis Wine): “On the palate the Cuvee Jean-Paul has good balance, a lovely freshness and good acidity. For me, flavours of melon predominantly come through, which follows through to a nice finish. The crisp, freshness of this wine make this the perfect summer sipper either on its own or with lighter salads, seafood or chicken dishes. I defy anyone not to like this wine. 87+ points.” (July 2009) Click here to see the full review.

The brother of the white is a luscious Syrah/Grenache blend. Together they have been our most popular wines for weddings this year.

Cuvee Jean-Paul is part of our 10% off all French wine for July & August. That’s 12 bottles for €86.40 (any mix) delivered to your home or office, anywhere in Ireland. Yes indeed, hard to knock.

On Sunday I said goodbye to Bandon and hello to Ballincollig. Perhaps I still have a bit of the student in me, but to be a stones throw away from the beating heart of Cork City is a great experience.

With living away from my dearest brother (and, might I add, I’m deeply saddened by the fact that I will no longer be awoken by three screaming children at 6 in the morning), I’ve had to think about starting a wine collection for myself, instead of raiding his.

So here’s the collection of my personal everyday favourites that are helping to make the wine rack look a bit more healthy… for now anyway.

The three whites:

Palazzi Chardonnay: Pure and simple, this white from the Piemonte region of Italy is all about the varietal. There’s been no contact with oak and fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks. The kind of Chardonnay that would convert any non-Chardonnay drinker.

Sierra Grande Sauvignon Blanc: It’s organic, but that’s not the reason I’ve picked it. I love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but I can’t afford to drink it everyday, so in this case Chile fills the role for a racy Sauvi to keep the NZ temptation at bay.

Domaine du Chateau d’Eau Viognier: Another organic white (honestly, I’m not usually this health conscious). Viognier just does it for me, and it’s a great alternative to any of the noble grape varieties. Elegant aromas of peach, apricot and flowers - although a natural match to pork, it’s stunning next to my once-a-week fish dish (there’s a great fishmonger in Bandon who I’ll keep going to).

The three reds:

Cuvee Jean Paul Rouge: The first I opened upon my arrival, and it coped well with a Guinness stew and my new house mates. I don’t think they were just being polite saying that they loved it as well. Simply good grape selection and great wine making.

Santa Alicia Reserve Malbec: This knocks the socks off any other Malbec at this price. Although I’m mad for the other reds in this range, the Malbec has something a little different. Naturally a little more vegetal (in a nice way) than the noble grape varieties, it’s had the treatment in the winery that you would expect of a €15 bottle.

Stickleback Red: Had to have the big Aussie in there somewhere. I love the almost milkshake-like consistency of warm climate Shiraz, which in this wine, is blended with Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ben Glaetzer is one of the world’s top winemakers and Stickleback is his entry level range. Worth decanting.

So if you have a perfect six, feel free to tweet me or leave a comment. Bet they’re not as nice as mine.

With people having to tighten their belt and watch their spending these days due to the dreaded “R” word there is no better way to save a few Euros than by cooking at home instead of eating in fancy restaurants.

So out goes the fancy fish and chips in the city centre bistro at 20 euros and in comes the home cooked version with this super simple recipe. The fish and chips are both cooked twice in piping hot oil which leaves them lovely and moist in the middle and delicious and crispy on the outside, and with a little delicious home made tartar sauce on the side you are laughin’

The best part about the whole thing is that the money you have saved can be spent on a tasty little bottle of white which the lovely lads over at Curious will help you choose……

Mike’s wine match:

The first thing I consider when wine-matching is the strength of flavour of the food and, the tartare sauce aside, fish and chips are all about protein, starch and deliciously guilty grease. The strongest flavour from the tartare sauce will be the vinegar from the gherkin and capers, and the lemon juice, so a wine with a nice bite and acidity will be your safest bet and help you cut through the oil on the fish and chips at the same time.

Our house white Cuvee Jean-Paul Sec is just made for this dish. It’s a Colombard Ugni Blanc blend but possesses distinct Sauvignon qualities - fresh, zingy and aromatic with a lovely acidic bite making it perfect for cutting through the grease of the chips whilst bringing out the flavour of the fish.

Best thing about it too - at €7.99, it’s as cheap as chips!

Niall Harbison is Co-Founder and Master Chef at Look and Taste.