The term ‘wine club’ can mean different things to different people. From our perspective we wanted to create a club that was inclusive but not demanding and built on two of our core values: have fun and be curious. Above all, it had to be flexible: let members decide for themselves what parts of the club they would like to participate in.

So, introducing the Curious Wine Club, an exclusive programme of benefits for customers of Curious Wines, designed to help you explore, experience and enjoy wine on your terms. Through regular tastings, events, wine courses and our dedicated Club magazine, you can deepen your knowledge, broaden your horizons and lift your wine appreciation to new heights.

Membership is completely free – you just need to be a customer of Curious Wines. After that you can participate as much or as little as you like. You can earn first dibs on exclusive tastings and master classes, or you can just snap up the occasional secret parcel.

It’s our way of showing you two more of our core values: be passionate and be appreciative.

If you’re an online customer of Curious Wines you’re already signed-up. Or, if you’ve registered with us in-store, welcome to the club. Either way, you’ll be receiving an email shortly to let you know all about the club and an invite to our exclusive launch party on August 30th.

If you haven’t received an email and feel you should have, or want to join the club, it couldn’t be easier. Make a purchase online and we’ll automatically invite you at check-out, call into us and sign up in person, or call us free on 1800 99 18 44 and we’ll sign you up over the phone.

Our autumn schedule of tastings and events, including a brand new Wine for Beginners wine course, will be announced in the coming days and weeks, so if you want the inside track you know what you’ve got to do.

Love wine? Be curious.

On Thursday 17th May Wine Australia will be hosting The Riesling Revolution with a fantastic line up of winemakers dedicated to this amazing yet largely misunderstood grape variety.

The three winemakers are from three of the great Riesling growing regions of the world and include Tim Adams, based in Australia’s Clare Valley. Tim established Tim Adams wines in 1984 and has developed a reputation as a brilliant and fiercely independent winemaker. From Germany’s Rheingau, Carl Ehrhard expertly marries tradition with innovation in making and packaging his delicious range of wines. And lastly, from Alsace, Séverine Schlumberger of Domaines Schlumberger is custodian of both this famous house and its vineyards.

This is sure to be a fantastic tasting, with three Riesling heavyweights from different parts of the world coming together to share their passion. That passion will be obvious for all to see on the 17th of May at the Grainstore in Ballymaloe House. The evening will be hosted by John Wilson, Irish Times Wine Scribe, and self confessed “Riesling disciple”. This is something that doesn’t come around too often, so be sure to make it if you can!

Where? The Grainstore, Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork

When? Thursday 17th May 2012 @7pm

Cost: €25

For more information or to book a place, please contact Colm at Ballymaloe, Colm [@] Ballymaloe.ie, or John McDonnell at Wine Australia – Ireland [@] WineAustralia.com. You can also contact Ballymaloe directly on 021 465 2531 or email res [@] ballymaloe.ie.

The next wine tastings to be organised by Wine Australia are themed around sticky wines, also known as sweet wines or dessert wines.

The first tasting is in Cork, for which Wine Australia are sponsoring two complementary tickets to our readers (see the bottom of this post for details on how to put your name in the hat for a chance to win), with a second tasting the following day in Dublin.

Tuesday 6th December: Hayfield Manor Hotel, Cork
Wednesday 7 December: Ely Bar and Brassiere, IFSC, Custom House Quay, D1

Affectionately known down-under as “Stickies”, the story of the Australian wine world is steeped in fortified and dessert winemaking. They seem to find favour around Christmas time, so it’s perfect timing for you to go along for what will be a truly unique insight into this Australian heritage.

Leading the presentation duties is Chris Pfeiffer, owner and winemaker of Pfeiffer Wines in the Rutherglen (www.pfeifferwinesrutherglen.com.au). A regular visitor to Ireland with a huge passion for these wine styles, Chris is the ideal person to take you on this sweet journey.

So whether you have a sweet tooth, are looking for a different present for the wine lover in your life or on occasion you’d just prefer to pour (instead of make) your dessert, this is the tasting for you.

The cost is €20 per person, which includes the tasting and tasty nibbles afterwards. Only 30 places are available at each event so please book your passage early.

For the Cork tasting, book direct with Wine Australia on ireland@wineaustralia.com or 065 7077 264.

For the Dublin event, direct with ely Bar and Brasserie on wineclub@elywinebar.com and on 01 676 8986.

Each tasting begins at 7pm. If you require any further information please contact John at Wine Australia on Ireland@wineaustralia.com or 065 7077 264.

To enter your name into the hat for two free tickets to the Cork Stickie Wine Tasting, simply answer the following question: Noble rot is a form of grey fungus that affects wine grapes used in sweet wine production. What is the other name for this fungus?

Answers accepted in the subject line of emails sent to contests [@] curiouswines.ie (sorry, but multiple entries will exclude you from the draw).

Pictured: Father and daughter team, Chris and Jen Pfeiffer, Pfeiffer Wines. Sourced from http://www.news.com.au/

Next Friday week, 21st October, will mark the first official collaboration between Curious Wines and Red Nose Wine as we bring an iconic French winery to an Irish institution.

Next week we will welcome Samuel Guibert to Cork to showcase the wonderful wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac. Yesterday, we were welcomed by Darina and Rachel Allen to Ballymaloe, where the event will be held in the wonderful new Grainstore.

Joining us were Sommeliers Colm McCan and Samuel Chantoiseau of Ballymaloe House as we toasted an unmissable event for wine enthusiasts.

Left to right: Colm McCan, Ballymaloe House; Gary Gubbins, Red Nose Wine; Rachel Allen; Michael Kane, Curious Wines; Samuel Chantoiseau, Ballymaloe House.

Left to right: Colm McCan, Ballymaloe House; Michael Kane, Curious Wines; Darina Allen, Ballymaloe.

Left to right: Gary Gubbins, Red Nose Wine; Rachel Allen; Michael Kane, Curious Wines.

Mas de Daumas Gassac, Legend of the Languedoc will be held at the Grainstore, Ballymaloe, on Friday 21st October at 7.00pm. Tickets for the seated tasting are €15 and are available online here or by calling us on 021 432 0233.

Tickets for the separate wine dinner at 9.00pm, where 4 courses will be served with a selection of the Daumas Gassac wines, are available only from Ballymaloe House and are priced at €85, all inclusive of 4 courses, tea/coffee and wine.

Sincerest thanks to Darina and Rachel Allen for their valued support and time from their busy schedules, and to Colm McCan for his expert organising. Pictures courtesy and copyright of Ger McCarthy.

In conjunction with Red Nose Wine, we’re delighted to announce our second top tier tasting of the autumn season and our first to be hosted at the magnificent new Grainstore at Ballymaloe, on Friday 21st October at 7.00pm.

Described by Gault & Millau as “a Lafite in the Languedoc”, “the only Grand Cru of the Midi” by Hugh Johnson and “Exceptional” by Robert Parker, Mas de Daumas Gassac have been the benchmark for Languedoc wines for over 30 years.

We are truly honoured to welcome Samuel Guibert, son of the legendary Aimé Guibert and master vigneron at Daumas Gassac, as he presents the story of this great Estate and a selection of their wonderful wines. As a finale, the informal tasting will include a vertical tasting of the Grand Cru Mas de Daumas Gassac red, a unique opportunity to taste multiple vintages of this iconic wine.

The seated tasting will be followed by a separate wine dinner in Ballymaloe House, at 9.00pm, where 4 courses will be served with a selection of the Daumas Gassac wines including the Mas de Daumas Gassac red.

Tickets for the seated tasting at the Grainstore are available online here, from our own shop in Cork or from Red Nose Wine in Clonmel, or at Ballymaloe. Tickets are €15 and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Tickets for the wine dinner are available only from Ballymaloe House and are priced at €85, including 4 courses, tea/coffee and wine.

Samuel Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac and Michael Kane of Curious Wines at the Daumas Gassas estate, May 2011.

Thursday evening saw the return of Curious Wines to the Cork wine tasting scene. In possibly our most exclusive (and expensive!) line-up to date, Emma Shaw of Langmeil (pictured below at home with her beloved black lab) hosted “Langmeil Barossa and the oldest shiraz vines in the world”, during which a very fortunate audience tasted nine premium wines, including an Australian icon, The Freedom Shiraz.

The line-up

Live Wire Riesling 2010 & Eden Valley Chardonnay 2010: Emma decided, being quite a sweet wine, that the Live Wire Riesling would be a good starter to whet the appetite. With many a little unsure of a wine labelled “medium sweet Riesling” (cue nightmares of Blue Nun), there were surprised heads all round. Despite being medium on the palate, it finishes on the drier side thanks to its vibrant, crisp acidity. As for the Chardonnay, I was delighted to note that we converted quite a few members of the ABC club (anything but Chardonnay).

Three Gardens SMG 2009 & Fifth Wave Grenache 2008: The SMG is our best-selling wine in the Langmeil range. Easy drinking and accessible, it’s got its foot back off the pedal just a little, and was adorned by those who like some restraint. The Fifth Wave was out first wine into ‘old vine’ territory. Opulent, rounded and incredibly smooth and juicy, it is produced from 55 year old vines. Terrific bang for your buck.

Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 & Jackaman’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2008: The Blacksmith was the oldest wine of the tasting, although it’s still youthful. I found it to be a great varietal example, herbaceous and cigar-box/tobacco like – arguably more of a food wine than the Jackaman’s. This, again, is where the old vine wines really stood out for their velvety concentration. Many picked this as their favourite wine of the night. More refined than the Blacksmith, although in fairness you would expect it be at double the price.

Valley Floor Shiraz 2008, Orphan Bank Shiraz 2008 & The Freedom Shiraz 2008: The final showdown was all about Shiraz. I think it would be fair to say the Valley Floor got a little lost against these two, not only because of the notch upwards in quality, but because it was nearing the end of the tasting and there was such anticipation for The Freedom. I have a glass of it here from a bottle that was left over last night and I can tell you it is absolutely singing! Check out this video on the ’07 from Tom Cannavan.

I was lucky enough to take home a quarter of a bottle of the Orphan Bank afterwards with half a packet of bread sticks. And, okay, I admit, it was even better than CHOCOLATE*! (*I am the chocolate monster). The bread sticks weren’t bad either.

And as for The Freedom, well, I was still tasting it half an hour after the tasting such was the length and depth in flavour. Certainly not a wine for the faint hearted, but again, the concentration really set it apart, and what I really loved was the balance of oak which brought a heavenly savoury edge. Some thought it needed another few years, I wouldn’t argue with that, but it still showed just why it’s become one of Australia’s icons.

Many thanks to Emma Shaw, and all our guinea pigs on the night, your support and enthusiasm was so much appreciated!

We’re delighted to announce our first tastings of the autumn season and give you the opportunity to taste an Australian icon.

It’s our great pleasure to welcome Emma Shaw of Australia’s Langmeil Barossa Winery to host two portfolio tastings, in Cork and Dublin, on the 15th and 16th of September.

The informally tutored tastings will tell the stories and history of the Barossa, including Langmeil’s own dedication to the heritage of this great wine region. There will be a tasting across the full range from Langmeil, including the 2008 ‘Freedom 1843′ Shiraz, from what are believed to be the oldest shiraz vines in the world and recently given one of the highest ever scores awarded by the world authority on Australian wine, James Halliday.

The tastings will be held on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th September:

Thursday 15th September 2011, 7.30pm-9.30pm: Rochestown Park Hotel, Douglas, Cork.
Tickets available from Curious Wines on 021 432 0233, or you can purchase online here.

Friday 16th September 2011, 7.30pm-9.30pm: Donnybrook Fair, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
Tickets available from Curious Wines on 021 432 0233, and Simply Wines on 01 295 9730, or you can purchase online from Curious Wines here.

Tickets to each event are €15 per person and are available on a first come, first served basis.

Thankfully President Obama decided not to visit Croke Park on Monday, the venue for the annual A+ Australian Wine tasting. Had the American president wanted to poop the party, there would have been a lot of unhappy wine people ushered out the back door.

The crowd was made up of importers, retailers, restaurateurs, wine writers, and that band that groups pretty much all of us, ‘wine enthusiasts’. All were there to see the quality on show from the land down under, and as well as this we got a feel for the diversity, colour and character of the Australian wine community.

If you can imagine a large room with 29 or 30 tables (perhaps 6-10 wines per table) each showing a range of wines from different wineries and importers. The day began with the ‘silent zone’. The winemakers and importers had to leave the room and give the tasters some peace to work away themselves. It was also nice because it wasn’t too busy at that stage.

Stand no. 25 was a focused table, ‘The Pinot Pulpit’. Fifteen Pinot Noir’s from across Australia, all to be tasted blind as the bottles, and thus the labels, were concealed. There was a tasting route called ‘The Riesling Trail’, taking the taster through 17 different Rieslings. I thought the highlight was the tutored tasting. There were in fact three tutored tastings which took place in a separate room during the afternoon.

I went to the Chardonnay tutored tasting presented by Bernard Hickin, Chief Winemaker at Jacob’s Creek. ‘The Changing Face of Australian Chardonnay’ was the headline title for the session. A class of around 30 enthusiasts tasted nine Chardonnay’s over the space of 45 minutes, with Bernard discussing each one and tying it in with the above title. Aussie Chardonnay is moving away from super-rich, opulent, textured styles and is now offering more restraint and layered complexity using a more delicate balance of older oak.

I was gutted to miss the last tutored tasting – ‘Barossa Through the Ages’, which included a 1980 Eden Valley Cabernet Shiraz, a 2004 Semillon, and two we’re very familiar with here, Glaetzer’s 2005 Amon-Ra and Langmeil’s 2004 Freedom Shiraz. I had to catch a plane and was worried “the beast” might have been holding up traffic. In actual fact it got stuck here for most of the afternoon, so I was fine for time. You can check out Dermot Nolan’s Barossa beauties post on that one. *Damn*

And I must say, going back to Semillon, one of the highlights of the tasting for me was Peter Lehmann’s 2001 Semillon. Seriously, I mean seriously, brilliant.

Every weekend we like to open a couple of bottles to whet the appetite of our curious customers. With this weekend forecast to be a good ‘un, we’re indulging with three of our favourites, two of which are fairly new to the range, and a rosé which is back after a rather long absence. Too popular, that was the problem.

Woodstock Chardonnay 2009

We had the Santa Alicia Gran Reserva Chardonnay open to a great reception a couple of weekends ago. Fear not, this, as with the Chilean, is not the fusty, sugary, oak-ladened type everyone is trying to avoid these days. Only 10% of it has seen new French oak, the rest was fermented in stainless steel tanks. Nice to see an Aussie white with only 12% abv. Refreshing flavours of lime and peaches with subtle hints of ginger.

Château Bauduc Bordeaux Rosé 2010

“St. Tropez meets Bordeaux” according to winemaker Gavin Quinney. Merlot (65%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Cabernet Franc (15%) are picked on the early side of ripeness in the cold of the night and there’s so little time for the dark skins to stain the juice that the wine ends up a pinky pale. James Lawther MW, Contributing Editor of Decanter magazine, had this to say: “Very pale pink. Fresh, red fruit aromas – raspberry and redcurrant nuance. Clean and dry on the palate but with an underlying ripeness of fruit. The freshness is what appeals. Delicious.”

Les Obriers de la Pèira 2005

We had to get one big gun out on show. This is one for Easter, and certainly won’t be out of place at a barbecue should the weather be good enough. Just make sure there are not too many people around, as you won’t want to share. John Wilson recommended it a week or two ago in the Irish Times: “a wonderful example of everything good that the Languedoc can do. Rich and concentrated with delicious dark fruits, a sprinkle of spice, but retaining an elegance, too. This is one of those wines that normally restrained people fight over at the dinner table.”

Wines available for tasting at our Cork shop, Friday (’til 6pm) and Saturday (10.30am – 6pm).

This week is your last chance to commit to Jack Barrett’s six week wine course commencing the 1st of March at the Curious Wines shop in Cork City. There are a few seats spare for anyone interested.

After receiving demand for an intermediate course, Jack will now be incorporating intermediate students into this beginner’s course, so it’s ideal whether you are at beginner or intermediate level (or if you’re stuck in between the two and can’t make up your mind). Jack is not attached to any importer or retail outlet, so these courses are not a marketing or sales exercise. A critical view of each wine will be made and discussed.

It’s a great opportunity to take up a new hobby, learn more about this vast and fabulous topic, meet new people and make new friends, which you undoubtedly will. You will learn how to critique wine, how to detect spoiled bottles and how to make better buying decisions in shops and restaurants. As well as this, you’ll gain a wealth of (further) knowledge on regions, grape varieties and the wine making process.

Reservations by telephone only on 021 432 0233.
Tuesday 01/03/2011 for six weeks, costs €195.