Wine made from the Scheurebe grape variety is rare enough here in Ireland. I myself only tried it for the first time last weekend. It is a cross between Riesling and what was thought to be Grüner Silvaner, one of the varieties used in Liebfraumilch.

Silvaner, worth noting, is quite a bland variety grown in Alsace and Germany. Not unlike Pinot Blanc, this means that it can take on a good expression of its terroir. However, DNA testing in the late 1990s ruled in Riesling and ruled out Silvaner. The viticulturist who developed Scheurebe in 1916, Dr. Georg Scheu, had been using wild vines to cross with Riesling so the other parent could have been anything.

Back to the Scheurebe. I found ‘bland’ to be the last word you would use to describe it. I’m no expert on Scheurebe, perhaps there are many very unexciting examples made from this cross-breed, but this one wasn’t sort of character.

Being from the 2004 vintage, it has had plenty of time to develop and evolve. The fruit was restrained on the nose, with soft and subtle grapefruit, and even hints of cassis, which I believe it quite common in Scheurebe. It was a touch herbaceous and you could tell instantly it was a mature wine with a slight muskiness, which you’ll often get from older whites. On the palate the acidity was tight enough to hold everything together. I found it to be quite opulent and full, with softened, yet concentrated tropical fruit and spice.

Lingenfelder is based in the Pfalz, a region who’s reputation suffered through the likes of Liebfraumilch. Huge volumes of mediocre wines were being machine harvested from the flat Rhine plane. Today a new generation and a few veterans have helped restore a quality reputation. German tourists and city dwellers now flock to the region to experience the relaxed hospitality on the German-French border and try some dry, full-bodied Riesling that is now one of the staples of the country. Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder), Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) are all successfully grown in the Pfalz.

No doubt a wine for the curious wine drinker, the 2004 Lingenfelder Scheurebe is about as far off the commercial mainstream you’ll find at this kind of price. Not everyone will like it. But a lot of people are going to love it.

With marriage on the cards, the most important thing for me now is looking after the honeymoon. I’m hoping all that wedding stuff will just fall into place by itself. Anyway, Tuscany is where the two of us will be spending our first proper holiday together as a married couple, so I’ll have the chance to check out some wineries if I’m allowed (oh the pain of the thought). At the top of the list will be Dievole, a superb winery who have an interesting project going on in Siena that has caught my attention.

Certosa di Pontignano is an ancient monastery bordering of the states of Siena and Florence. It has a rich history originating from its construction in the 14th century, which included a church, cloisters, cells and other buildings to house twelve monks, three lay brothers and their servants. Situated in open countryside it was once vulnerable to attack, first of all from a band of Florentines who broke in 1449, and during the “Congiura dei Pazzi” in 1478 (a conspiracy against the Medici rule). The monastery was set fire to and then immediately rebuilt before being plundered again in 1554 by German and Spanish militias. Who’d want to be a monk living in the 15th or 16th century?

Despite testing times the heart of Certosa di Pontignano has been kept intact through extensive restorations helped by renaissance contributions during the late 15th century. Since then it has been relatively untouched, and now it houses the University of Siena’s Congress Centre, as well as boasting guest accommodation and a restaurant.

In May 2002 Divole took over the management of the land of Certosa di Pontignano with the University of Studies of Siena entrusting them with the rebirth of the monastic culture. Within its walls an Agro-Environmental Park has been created with vineyards and olive groves. The park is divided into two sections, one for specific cultivation (vines, olives, cereals, aromatic and medicinal herbs), and the other mainly dedicated to the landscape vocation, trying to combine the needs of preserving the historical and agricultural archaeology, and at the same time to give new life to the territory through modern, sustainable landscape management.

Dievole are now carrying on the tradition in honour of the vine-loving Monks with the Certosa di Pontignano Chianti Classico, made from Sangiovese grapes grown on the grounds of the old monastery. These vines are still relatively young, but with rigorous, quality-focused selection and time in oak, it’s the kind of wine I hope to be enjoying a lot of come September. Fresh up front red fruit, and a dry tannic structure that I think will go rather well with that Tuscan cuisine they all say is so good. I look forward with great anticipation and excitement.

Some of you are already well acquainted with Solonio’s Cesanese and Fontanapiana. We’ve now landed two more wines from this terrific Lazio winery in the form of a delightful white made from the Malvasia grape variety, Solonio Rea Silva, and an incredible ripasso-method red made from partially dried Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Solonio Il Grottone.

Ripasso, meaning ‘repassed’, is produced using the leftover grape skins and seeds from the fermentation of recioto and Amarone. Valpolicella wines can undergo an extended maceration period on these skins with the remaining fermenting yeast cells feeding on the additional food source to boost the alcohol level and give a fuller body and a richer flavour and colour. These wines are labelled Ripasso della Valpolicella.

Ripasso-method, or Ripasso-styled wines, can be made in the same way, or they can be produced using partially dried grapes, such as the Il Grottone. We were really impressed by this one on first taste, but it just got better and better when enjoyed properly at home. It’s the best ripasso-styled wine we’ve tried on the market. I reckon it needs food to get the best out of it. Mike thinks it doesn’t.

We had both wines open in the shop a few days after receiving them and the great feedback wasn’t only directed at the red. The white Malvasia was getting rave reviews also. Malvasia is one of those varieties that falls under the shadow of the noble grapes. It’s not as easily marketed as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but that’s why we love it. Giving people the ‘wow’ factor from wines they wouldn’t otherwise try is what we’re all about. That’s where the ‘curious’ came from.

Give these two proudly ‘uncommercial’ wines a shot and you’ll not be disappointed. Normally €12.99, an introductory offer of €9.99 per bottle is valid through the end of December.

So you all know by now we’ve got some pretty amazing wines in our line up, but some are a little more fun than others when it comes to their packaging. Meet Barbera da Vine, our sexy new Barbera from Piemonte, north-west Italy. If you’ve yet to experience Barbera, you can read more about the variety here.

Inspired by the bomber art of the 40′s and 50′s, the Barbera da Vine character was created to mirror the personality of the wine. Sexy – but attainable, Italian, always good with food and the perfect conversational partner. Barbera da Vine is a little bit cheeky, vivacious and very fruity. Her tone of voice allows a little innuendo and just a like the pin-up characters of the 40′s and 50′s – would certainly raise blood pressure along with a few eyebrows.

Graham Wharmby, Winemaker

“I’m on a ridge in the Italian Piemonte Hills, waist deep in picture-perfect vineyards – I think I’ve found Barbera. She’s looking good, I need to know more. I try a little squeeze, Wow! This isn’t just Barbera, this is beautiful Barbera. Such intrigue. Vivacious and approachable, whilst underneath she’s as serious as a lightening strike! She’s warm, generous and… ooh, I want to say minerally, spicy, savoury, you get the picture. She’s deliciously graceful, vividly pretty and then she delivers that cheeky whip-crack of high-heeled acidity – I’m convinced! I took a lot of care with her… I think you’ll love her.”

Vineyards

Fruit is sourced from a number of growers with mature Barbera vineyards. Most of the fruit comes from around the town of Nizza in the heart of the Barbera d’Asti zone.

Winemaking

A detailed selection of the best grapes is made at harvest. Following the alcoholic fermentation a proportion (10%) of the fruit is matured in second and third year oak barriques for around 12 months whilst the remainder is aged in large Slovenian ‘Botte’. The two components are blended to give complexity and depth.

Tasting note

Barbera da Vine vividly displays all the best characteristics of this delicious variety. Impressively deep colour, almost black at the heart; …spicy notes of salami skin on the nose subtly underpin the rich cherry fruit aromas whilst the generous ripe fruit and that vibrant acidity combine to give the ‘oh-so-drinkable succulence’ to the wine. Barbera just has to be THE food wine bar none!

Barbera da Vine has been joined with another Barbera from Piemonte – BBQ Barbera. You can view our three terrific wines from the Barbera grape variety here.

A few weeks ago our first batch of Lison Classico DOCG (bottle pictured, right) landed into the shop. It joins its sibling, the Goccia Pinot Grigio, which is also fairly new to the range. The new Goccia, a really lovely, elegant white made from the Friulano grape, is produced by Tenuta S. Anna estate, located in the Lison Pramaggiore district of eastern Veneto, about 50 km east of Venice, in Italy’s north eastern corner.

Lison Classico comes with an interesting story which might explain why more people don’t know what it actually is. Until recently it was known simply as ‘Tocai’, or ‘Tocai Friulano’. Sound familiar? It shared a similar sounding name to the famous Hungarian sweet wine, Tokaji. The Tokaji denomination refers to a geographical area of Hungary, specifically the wine growing area of Tokaj that takes its name from the Hungarian city of the same name.

Tokaji has nothing to do with Italian Tocai wines that are produced from the Tocai vine. The Italian Tocai is light straw yellow in colour, dry and velvety and moderately aromatic with soft peach aromas and an almondy taste. The name of the vine is linked to a number of historical events in the Friuli region and Hungary that have roots going back a number of centuries. Fabbro, the wine expert, has traced the history of the vine starting from 1100 when Italian missionaries introduced a number of the Tocai vines into Hungary.

The age-old dispute between Hungary and a number of other European countries, in particular Italy and France, has now been resolved and the winner is Hungary, forcing the others to create new names their own wines. It was the decision of the European Court in Luxembourg in 2005. Seemed to be a case of who could shout louder. Anyway, Tocai needed a new name and a new identity. Lison Classico it is.

Click here to view the range from Tenuta S. Anna.

Fresh off the boat, we’ve got four brand spanking new wines from Borgo Magredo ready for shipping to a home near you… or your home if you’re keen enough for a taste.

Two whites, a Pinot Grigio and a Friulano, and two reds, a Merlot and a Pinot Nero, will join our already well established Frizzante and Spumante Prosecco from the same producer.

The history of Borgo Magredo began in Grave del Friuli in 1973. Over the 20 years that followed, more than 200 hectares of vineyard have been planted, including cultivations that are experimental in this territory such as Moscato Rosa and Pinot Nero, which later became a great classic.

The wines of Borgo Malgredo currently present themselves in a new guise that’s original and extremely charming, bridging the gap between classic traditions and the modern trend-setting. But more importantly, it is the company’s drive to achieve the perfect combination of century-old enological culture and the contemporary drinking style that have made these wines an easy choice for us.

This style joins ancient flavours with contemporary taste. Friuli is known for varietal expression, and that’s just what you’ll get here. It’s a question of quality without compromise.

These hip new wines are available now at a very cool €11.99 per bottle.

We’re delighted to announce we have three exciting new additions to our line-up from Some Young Punks, Australia’s hottest young winemaking team. Monsters Attack Riesling from the T’N'T range, and Fierce Allure and Lust Collides from the Live and Rare range. Anyone getting a little hot under the collar yet?

Monster, Monsters Attack Riesling (T’N'T)

A full 750ml of Monster Mayhem, bottled up for far too long, breaks and takes over the unsuspecting city. Trixie and Tessa’s middle names are Danger and Adventure but is the maelstrom released by the raging beast too fierce to be calmed by their charms? – will they arrive in time or will a deadly rage be realised?

Fierce Allure Cabernet Sauvignon (Live & Rare)

Biodynamic, single vineyard McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon. Fourteen months in French oak barriques and only 482 cases produced. Classic, herbaceous cabernet, supported with dark red fruit and brooding tannins.

Lust Collides Mataro (Live & Rare)

Biodynamic, single vineyard McLaren Vale Mataro. Fourteen months in French oak barriques and only 524 cases produced. Dark, savoury and seductive, Mataro is the Catalan name for the French Mourvèdre. Wonderfully textured, layered with dark fruits, a spark in the mid-palate and a smooth, soft finish.

“In a well made wine disparate elements co-mingle to create a beautiful and unified impression. Forces fused through allure and collision; Force and beauty as two sides of the same coin.”

Live & Rare

Col McBryde (Australia’s Young Gun Winemaker of the Year), Jen Gardner (self-confessed nerdy yeast expert) and Nic Bourke (self-confessed insidious miscreant) have released some beasts in the past, but this is just taking the biscuit. Enjoy!

The in-fashion Pinot Grigio is hard not to like. It is the perfect lunchtime accompaniment for its not too high alcohol and relatively easy-drinking characteristics. It is an inoffensive and versatile wine, but it can be accused of being bland and boring. True, there is heaps of unexciting Pinot Grigio on the market, particularly the seriously cheap stuff coming out of Italy. But pay a little more, not too much more, and you should find something quite captivating.

Pinot Grigio will usually come in one of two forms. That is ‘Pinot Grigio’ – the dry, lean Italian style, and ‘Pinot Gris’, a slightly fuller, richer and sometimes sweeter style with an almost musky edge. Go to Alsace for a good example of Pinot Gris.

Our most recent additions from Italy come from Tenuta S. Anna, who are producing fabulous sparkling wines, two of which we have acquired, the pink Cuvée Rosé and the red Cuvée Rouge. In addition, the super sexy Goccia Pinot Grigio, in the form of the typically lean and crisp Italian style, but with a much more interesting flavour profile than those bad examples that tend to bore us from time to time.

Santa Anna estate is located in the Lison Pramaggiore district of eastern Veneto, near the ancient Venetian town of Portogruaro, about 50 km east of Venice. Eastern Veneto is predominantly known for grain cultivation, but Lison Pramaggiore has been historically devoted to winemaking, a parcel of land with vineyards among fields of corn and soybeans. The Santa Anna estate has 140 hectares (350 acres) of land in this DOC. The soil is rich in clay, sand and limestone.

Click here to view the range from Tenuta S. Anna.

D.O. Bierzo in Northwestern Spain is quickly becoming one of the most recognised regions of Spain, and is home to the Mencía grape, a red grape variety producing fragrant red wines. It is so strongly believed that this vine is related to Cabernet Franc, the local synonym is Cabernet. Only time will tell if Bierzo is to be the next Priorat, a premium region that few knew little only ten years ago.

We were keen to fill the Bierzo gap after being without one for a while. There’s some lovely high-end wine coming from this small region, which officially forms part of Castilla y León, but we really wanted to get something the everyday wine drinker could buy an try. La Mano Mencía Roble was our choice.

Here’s what Jay Miller (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) had to say:

“It is a glass-coating opaque purple color with an alluring perfume of mineral, spice box, cedar, boysenberry, and black cherry. Sweetly fruited, savory, and built for pleasure, it finishes with no hard edges. This lengthy effort is a great value that over-delivers in a big way. It is a splendid introduction to the Mencía grape.” 89 points

La Mano is the Spanish word for hand, as this wine is made by the hands of people who have always worked with Mencía vines. It is produced by Vinos de Arganza, who began in 1966 as a bottling plant before going into wine production in 2000. Along with a number of other producers in the region, Vinos de Arganza have given Mencía a lease of life by improved canopy management and by reducing yields, allowing for more concentrated and complex wines to be made.

The vineyards get some protection from the surrounding mountains, avoiding possible frost damage. In this region the soils are composed of clay limestone and the vineyards are made up of terraces and small parcels. The climate is affected by the Atlantic (the Galician area) and by Continental (the Castilian area) influences. Spain is the land of American oak, which I’m a big fan of. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, La Mano went into American oak for three months before bottling.

La Mano, also recommended by Blake Creedon (Irish Examiner), is proving to be a superb addition to our new wines from Spain, all of which will have 20% until the end of April.

Some people just love animal labels. It’s something I enjoy observing as they place one animal after the other on top of the counter. A giraffe, a lizard, an elephant and a squid. Yes, a squid.

There’s some more good news for curious animals lovers. Just in time for the March/April sale, we introduced eight new wines to our Spanish range. These included three red wines under the La Granja label, meaning “the farm” in English. Adding to our already extraordinary line-up of furry mammals and slithering reptiles, we’re delighted to introduce a pig (Tempranillo), a hen (Syrah) and a zebra (Tempranillo/Garnacha).

I’m always the first to say a wine shouldn’t be judged on its label, so obviously we didn’t bring these in for the fun of it. All three are made by a quality driven co-operative sourcing grapes in Cariñena, a DO (Denominación de Origen) in Spain’s north-east. This is the Spanish equivalent to the French Vin de Pays. Here’s what Robert Parker had to say about the pig, keeping in mind 86 points is a great score for a wine priced at €7.99 (currently €6.39).

The least expensive wine to be recommended in these pages in close to 30 years, the 2009 La Granja Tempranillo is a 100,000 case cuvee made at a co-operative in Carinena. Dark ruby colored, it offers up a nose of red cherry accompanied by a whiff of incense. Sweet, ripe, and tasty on the palate, this nicely balanced effort will deliver uncomplicated, straight-ahead pleasure over the next 2-3 years.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate #188, June 2010, 86 points

About the winery

The Bodega was established 1945, in Almonacid de la Sierra, and came under the ownership of San Nicolas de Tolentino, the patron of the village. This cooperative has today approximately 280 members and 1,700 hectares of vines cultivated.

The red wines produced are made from the Garnacha and Tempranillo. For some years now Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are also cultivated, but to a lesser degree. Garnacha is sourced mainly from vineyards above the Village of Almonacid, at about 600m altitude, while Tempranillo and Syrah is sourced from vineyards below the village. Many of these vines are over 50 years old and therefore some of oldest vines in the D.O. Cariñena.

La Granja range, along with the rest of Spain, has 20% off for the months of March and April.