That is “Barbera” is a sweetheart, not “Barbara”. Although I don’t doubt that if your name is Barbara you are also a sweetheart.

Every week I seem to stumble across a new native Italian grape variety. It’s just one of the many things that keeps me curious about Italy. And it would seem that with every bottle I open, I’m tasting my way through hundreds of years of old worldly heritage.

Barbera is a grape variety that has caught my attention lately. I’ve known about it for a while, but for many wine drinkers it is still unfamiliar. It could have been much more popular today had it not been for some bad publicity in the mid-1980’s. A number of Barbera producers decided to add methanol to their wines, killing more than 30 people and blinding many more in the process. The fall in demand for Barbera allowed for Montepulciano to take the hot seat.

This story has echoes of Austria’s disastrous anti-freeze scandal around the same time. Whereas serious longer term damage was inflicted on the Austrian wine industry, the Italians escaped from this one with their reputation as a whole left reasonably intact. Lessons learned have led to a gradual revival of this Italian sweetheart, and hopefully before long it will be rolling off the tongue of wine guzzling enthusiasts as effortlessly as “Montepulciano”.

Thought to have originated in Monferrato, part of the Piemonte region in Northern Italy, Barbera is capable of very high yields, so pruning is important for producing the best fruit for the best wines. To soften the naturally high tannins, winemakers may age in oak, giving the wines an extra richness, with flavours of plummy black fruit and spice. Lighter styles boasting red fruits are also common. For me, Barbera, with its signature high acidity, is one to be enjoyed with food.

Well worth a try, and with 20% off the indicated price until the end of August, our Barbera del Monferrato from Bricco dei Guazzi is a great place to start.

There are few wine producing regions that have a more loyal and passionate following than Barolo. Dubbed the ‘king of wines’ or the ‘wine of kings’, the Nebbiolo’s of this Piemonte sub-region in north west Italy are powerful, and certainly for many, unforgettable. Among the most recent additions to our Italian range, it was a certain Barolo that gave our chief taster one of the greatest wine drinking experiences of his life.

During the 70’s and 80’s there was a shift in what people wanted in a wine. Fruitier, less tannic and generally more accessible, easier drinking wines. Those big acidic Italian blockbusters were not, and still are not, everyone’s first choice, so some Barolo producers started to deviate from the traditional production methods, which involved fermenting the wine on its skins for around three weeks, extracting lots of tannins, before 20-30 days of maceration (for further extraction) and a couple of years ageing in large wooden casks. It would have taken the best part of a decade to soften these robust reds.

With better canopy management, the winemakers began using riper, better quality yields of Nebbiolo, and with modern winemaking technology, they managed to extract colour and flavour without all of the tannin. The traditional approach of 20-30 days maceration was reduced to 7-10 days. Since this change, there has been a steady middle ground achieved, although some will still lean either side of the middle.

The Franco Molino winery has two quite different offerings from the Nebbiolo grape. The 2006 Nebbiolo from the Molino winery itself, and the 2003 Bergadano Bardolo from Molino’s sister winery. The less expensive ‘06 has undergone 8 days fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The ‘03 Barolo is leaning toward the more traditional method, with 15 days fermentation. A malolactic fermentation then turns the tart malic acid into the softer lactic acid, making for a more approachable wine all-round, whilst maintaining an authentic taste of old. The third offering from Molino comes in the form of Dolcetto from the Alba commune. All good examples of traditional, regionally distinctive wines that have taken on a slightly more modern face since the ‘Barolo wars’ of the 70’s and 80’s.

There is 20% off Italy for the month of July and August, including the wines of Franco Molino.

It’s only the most widely planted grape variety in Italy, accounting for around 10% of all vineyards, but Trebbiano is hardly the first white that comes to mind when you think of the wines of Italy. It is a grape variety prized for its resistance to disease and prodigious yields, yet much of it is cruelly underrated by the wine drinking public.

Naturally high in acidity, low in alcohol and often more savoury than fruity, Trebbiano is by definition a classic food wine, if often limited to good quality table wine status. It is known as Ugni-Blanc in France, where it is also widely grown.

Pinot Grigio is the most popular Italian white here in Ireland, and of course there are plenty of fabulous examples from that variety, the Farnese Pinot Grigio from Abruzzo (pictured) being one. Dry, fruity, an undeniably very drinkable crowd pleaser, it probably out-sells the Trebbiano in the same range by 4 to 1, but it is in fact the Trebbiano that is the true wine drinkers wine, and in my opinion, the classier of the two. I like to think of it as the poor man’s Italian Chablis.

Another seriously good drinking Trebbiano from Italy are those of the Lombardia region, specifically on the shores of Lake Garda. The soil is made up of layers of calcareous clay created during the post-glacial era of the lake. It gives the wine its characteristic straw colour, accentuating the aromas of almonds and slightly salty, sappy flavour. Our choice is made by the Lugana Tenuta Maiolo.

If your preference is that savoury style, then Italian Trebbiano might be the economical answer to Chablis, particularly if there is 20% off Italy during July and August.

Celebrating both the opening our new wine warehouse in Cork, and the strange warm, sunny thing in the sky for the last couple of months, it’s to two of our favourite countries we go for a summer of quality quaffing. We’ve 20% off both Italy and New Zealand for the months of July and August, with some unbelievably extra juicy deals struck with three of our Kiwi wineries.

First to Italy, and the most diversified wine-producing country in the world. From crisp Trebbianos to fruity Pinot Grigios, light Montepulcianos to powerhouse Amarones, and with Prosecco, what is becoming everyone’s favourite bit of fizz, we want you to explore more this summer. We’re in the process of bulking up the range, with 12 new wines being added in the coming weeks, so whether it’s established favourites or new curiosities, there’s never been a better time to explore.

It’s no secret we’re crazy about New Zealand, and summer wouldn’t be summer without a classically-styled Sauvignon Blanc from the land of the long white cloud.

New Zealand, more starkly than most countries however, has suffered recently from over-production, producing uncharacteristically thin and unexciting wines. Well, quality’s fighting back!

In addition to our 20% across the board on all New Zealand wines, we’ve done our best deals ever on Savvi with three of our most quality-focused producers. Until 31st July only*, when you buy six Sauvignon Blanc from Greenhough, Waipara Springs or Muddy Water, in addition to our 20% off, you’ll get a seventh bottle absolutely free, compliments of the winery! That amounts to an insane 31% off the normal retail price of these three top drops.

And it gets even better. Buy any two bottles from these three producers, either as part of a mixed case online, or over the counter in our Cork warehouse, and you’ll get entered into the draw for a summer sizzling mixed case worth €225. And, buy any 12 bottles, we’ll double your odds.

These are some of the best quality, every-day drinking wines available in the Irish marketplace, at their best  value ever. As we only ship 2-3 times a year from New Zealand, however, and our next shipment is September, these deals are strictly while current stocks last, so don’t hang about if you want to grab those bargains.

Full range of Italian wine here.

Full range of New Zealand wine here.

Range of Sauvignon 7 for 6 offers here.

Promotions exclude allocation wines, wines supplied by producers or distributors on a limited allocation basis where demand exceeds available volume.

[* The original post on these promotions declared a six week buying period for the additional 7 for 6 offer. This has now been limited to the end of July, which was the intended promotional period for this extra special offer. The underlying 20% off New Zealand will remain until 31st August.
Apologies for the miscommunication. All offers remain valid only while stocks last.]

Back in January we thought we’d be smart and put up a wine for the second Twitter Blind Wine Tasting that no one could possibly guess. That’s until Lar Veale came along and nailed the grape variety and the region on the head. It was sour grapes all round as we went from smug to mug.

The wine that night passing the lips of curious wine drinkers across the country was the Poggiobello Merlot. It received great praise from all involved and from our perspective it was a nice experiment to introduce something that isn’t necessarily at the top of everyone’s wine shopping list. But there’s more to Friuli than just good Merlot.

Friuli-Venezia Guila, as it’s also known, consists of 11 DOCs and 3 DOCGs. Between them there is over 30 different grape varieties grown, including those international classics, such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a region that has really upped its game recently as it now rubs shoulders with the likes of Tuscany in terms of quality and world prestige.

Poggiobello

We currently carry the Pinot Grigio as well as the Merlot, but the Sauvignon Blanc may well be an addition in the near future as it has really impressed at tastings. If Alsace were to produce a Sauvignon Blanc it would be exactly like the Poggiobello. Amazing concentration and fruit weight, yet it still showing incredible elegance. Quite a serious wine.

Poggiobello estate is located near the town of Oleis di Manzano (Province of Udine). The vineyards cover an area of 110 hectares (270) acres. They are terraced and cover two large amphitheatres. The soil made up of Eocene marl and sand are extremely meagre and provide excellent drainage. The weather is also very well suited for viticulture and grape ripening, especially for the white varietals that benefit from the warm breezes from the Adriatic Sea, which is only 30km away, and from the Julian Alps that protect the area from the cold winds of Northern Europe.

Borgo Magredo

All proseccos taste of apples and sometimes pears. The Borgo Magredo exudes very rich, ripe Cox’s apple and pear William. Although proseccos will never reach the heights of Champagne or their prices, this one brings the fun back into drinking bubbles, whilst possessing the finesse of a wine drinkers’ wine.

This is the heart of the Grave Friuli DOC, where the soil is referred to as “magredi” and the weather characteristics are extremely favourable. The hot summer days are followed by cool, breezy nights and the resulting temperature excursion contributes to create incredible aromas in the grapes.

Borgo Magredo is the largest estate in Friuli and is equipped with the most modern technology with an innovative vacuum-press that crushes the white grapes very gently. A few years back, Donato Lanati, one of Italy’s best oenologists, was appointed to oversee wine operations.

Which country produces more wine in terms of volume than any other country in the world?

The answer is not France, but Italy. According to Wikipedia, Italy was responsible for the production of 8.5 million tonnes of wine in 2007, with France languishing behind in 2nd with 6.5 million tonnes. Believe it or not, China was in 3rd with 6.25 million tonnes.

So what’s the big deal with Abruzzo?

Abruzzo is a mountainous wine producing region in central Italy which lies to the east of Rome. In terms of volume, it ranks fifth in Italy.

The wines are average at best, right?

That’s quite a sweeping statement, but it’s true that there is a lot of very boring wines coming out of Abruzzo. This is largely due to such high yields and poor care of the vines. Much of the wine is consumed as table wine or used in blending, but like many of these places it has some fine exceptions. Those who have access to the best plots of land and are managing the vineyards in the right way are making very drinkable wines with real quality from the likes of the Montepulciano and Trebbiano grapes.

Montepulciano. You’ve lost me now.

Montepulciano is one of Italy’s red grape varieties. It enjoys the warm climate and hilly vineyards of Abruzzo, and since growers have started to get their act together they are now delivering real value. You can get light and fruity styles, but there are also more serious, more robust examples, some of which have had time in oak.

What if I’m looking for a nice white wine?

Trebbiano is the white grape of Abruzzo. It’s the sort of grape that gets slated because it will grow just anywhere and in vast quantities at that, but you could say it’s a bit of a dark horse. Naturally high in acidity, low in alcohol and often more savoury than fruity, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is by definition a classic food wine, if often limited to good quality table wine status. It is known as Ugni-Blanc in France, where it is also widely grown.

Any other nice wines or wineries to look out for?

Pecorino is a white grape variety indigenous to Abruzzo. It’s quite full-bodied, not unlike Pinot Grigio, but again a great food wine and very distinctive to the region. If you’re of the curious minded, well worth a try. For a better insight into a top Abruzzo winery, click here to view our interview with Farnese.

The Farnese range is on sale for the month of May.

If you haven’t heard of them yet, you really don’t know what you’re missing. Italian Winery of the Year three years running (IWSC, 2005-2007), Marco Scarinci helps explain how Farnese have managed to become one of the most consistent and highly rated producers in the Italian wine industry.

1. What is your favourite grape to work with and why?

Our favourite red grape to work with is Montepulciano for a number of reasons. It expresses the winemaking tradition of Abruzzo, and produces reds with great structure and tannins for long living. In the past this grape had huge production problems. More than 180 tons per hectare it was of low quality and mainly sold as bulk wine in Northern Italy to be blended with other grape varietals. Only in the last twenty years has quality really increased, with lower yields (no more than 10 tons per hectare), modern vinification techniques, new technology and more attention in the vineyard. The final result is a unique experience. It is easy to appreciate and drink.

With regards to a white grape, we love the indigenous grape varietal called Pecorino. It’s pretty new in the worldwide wine scene, but with a long tradition in Northern Italy. It has delicate and unforgettable aromas and flavours.

2. Considering the vast volumes of wine produced in Italy, what has made Farnese stand out from the crowd? What do you believe is your key to success?

Farnese was born in 1994 when about 85% of production was in the hands of cooperative wine growers’ associations and only very few of them bottled the wines they produced. They produced wines that were sold with no name to bottling companies from other regions. Throughout the years, the vine-growers experienced the value of their grapes decline more and more among vast quantities and average quality, so a greater appreciation of the regional wines was required.

This is the reason why we started our so called “Quality Project”, to which there was a prize for the vine-growers who chose to produce good quality grapes. Each vine-grower may ask the cooperative to which they belong to become a member of the “Farnese Quality Project”, our technicians will then inspect the vineyard and see whether the vineyard is capable of producing grapes of a high enough quality. Once the technicians have given their approval, an agreement is made with the producer according to which the vine-grower shall work under the careful supervision of our technicians that make sure they carry out their work as instructed. This includes a strict observation of the maximum quantities that each vineyard may produce and if this exceeds the limit at the beginning of August, then they will choose the amount of grapes that have to be removed from the vines in order to have the quantities required. All vine-growers taking part in our quality project do not get paid for the amount of grapes they produce but the quality of their stock as a result of lower yields per hectare.

Another aspect is related to the winemaking style, which is very far from the traditional approach to vinification. A more modern approach with the focus on indigenous grape varietals which produce easy drinking wines with expressive fruit and less of the heavy oak usage.

Essentially, we have been successful because we have a good team who are young, professional and very motivated. We have built up a good brand and we understand how the market is changing and how to act quickly.

3. What is your favourite everyday drinking wine, and what would be your desert island wine (if you could only ever have one more wine)?
With regards to the red absolutely Montepulciano d’Abruzzo because it is so strictly related to our history and traditions, while for the white Pecorino. My desert island wine would be Lagrein from Trentino Alto Adige.

4. If you could no longer grow grapes in Italy, where would you go to grow them?
We would like to go to Argentina or South Africa because there is great potential there.

5. What is your long-term outlook for the Italian wine industry?
The Italian wine industry has changed somewhat in the last few years, but the real chance and opportunity is in the worldwide market. We need to promote ourselves and invest more and more in the indigenous grape varieties which give a real expression of our territory.

Thanks to Marco Scarinci, Farnese.

Our range from Farnese.

Our first tasting video of a sparkling wine! ‘Quite characterful with apple juice concentrate, grapes and sherbet on the nose and palate.’… ‘Fresh, clean and fragrant, well balanced.’ - Wine International, Cava & Prosecco Tasting, August 2005.

To view product page and for more details, click on Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco Spagorosso.

The island of Sicilia (also known as Sicily), is situated at the foot of Italy and is one of the country’s most important regions in terms of wine production. The hilly and mountainous terrain coupled with scorching temperatures, unbroken sunshine and low rain fall also make ideal conditions for the most beautifully ripe fruit and vegetables.

Deriving its name from the town of Avola on the Island’s southern tip, the red Nero d’Avola truly is a Sicilian great. These wines are generally big, long lived reds, with sweet tannins, and plummy-like dark fruits. Many winemakers would compare it to Syrah in the way it’s treated in the vineyard.

The native white wine, Catarratto, is crisp and appealing. It accounts for around 38% of plantings, and is primarily used as a table wine in Sicily, although there are some interesting examples, the best of which show good characteristics with lovely citrussy notes. There’s not much Catarratto available in Ireland, but it’s well worth a try if you have the opportunity to buy.

Sicily has a number of co-operatives, one from which we have sourced an award winning Nero d’Avola and a Catarratto under the name of Doricum. We were very impressed by the price vs quality ratio of both, in particular the red.

Feudi di Sant’Eufamia is the name of the co-operative, whose members own a massive 4,500 hectares in the Salemi area of western Sicily. The aim of the group is to produce wines of a consistently high quality that express the local terroir and grape varieties whilst being approachable, fresh and modern.

I would say those goals have been achieved in style. Remember the name - Doricum.

It has been in the pipeline for a while now. The Italian DOCs of Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Vallpolicella have been promoted, alongside the ranks of Chianti Classico, to the status of DOCG, the highest possible quality level in Italy.

Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) is the first step up from Vino da Tavola, or Table Wine. This is part of the QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in a Specified Region), of which Amarone has been under since 1990.

The highest level, DOCG, is a system that aims to recognise traditionally outstanding wines and establishes the geographic origin, grape variety or varieties to be used, minimum alcohol content and ageing requirements.

It is suspected that the move was to protect the status of Amarone abroad, particularly to take advantage of the American market, which is the single biggest importer.

What’s so special about Amarone?

Amarone is predominately made from the native Italian grapes of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Altri Vitigni is another that may be used. The grapes are carefully harvested when ripe and are allowed to dry and shrivel, usually over 120 days. This process, known as desiccation, helps to concentrate the juice before pressing. Fermentation will take longer with Amarone because of the reduced water content (up to 50 days).

The result of hard work, patience and skill at the hand of the winemaker, is a rich, complex and luxurious red wine, with low acidity and flavours of stewed fruit. If fermentation is stopped early, a sweeter wine is produced (Recioto della Vallpolicella). Ripasso is partially aged Valpolicella that has been in contact with the lees of the Amarone. It is fermented twice to obtain a dryer style.

Two awesome examples from Farina.