12 blockbuster reds for Christmas
"Right, can you give me one more recommendation. .
Curious Wine Blog
New Alsace: Introducing La Cave du Vieil Armand
La Cave du Vieil Armand is one of the smallest cooperative cellars in Alsace, pulling together the vineyards and generational expertise of 80 wine growing families across 10 municipalities.
A little relief from COVID: temporary VAT reduction effective now
In July, as part of a list of measures to help boost the economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced a temporary reduction in the standard rate of VAT, from 23% to 21%, to run from 1st September 2020 to 28 February 2021.
The beautiful hill (and wines) of Colli Orientali del Friuli
Colli Orientali del Friuli (free-oo-lee) is the most renowned DOC in the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region of north-east Italy, its calcareous and sandstone soils combined with Alpine geography and altitudes making it capable of producing world class white wines and some of the very best in Italy.
Pigs, Vermentino and Baby Super Tuscans: The Il Muro Family Farm, Tuscany
Il Muro estate has been owned by the Pancaro family for more than two centuries.
New Super Tuscans: Meet “the Guv’nor”
Something completely new here, folks. 'Governo' is a winemaking technique going back to 14th century Tuscany whereby a proportion of the harvest is held back, partially dried and then added to the already fermenting first portion of the harvest.
Curious Easter opening times
We are closed Good Friday and Easter Monday however couriers are still running on Friday and any orders received before 1pm on Thursday 9th April should be delivered Friday or Saturday. Orders received after this time will be dispatched Tuesday 14th for delivery Wednesday 15th April.
Coronavirus update: business (nearly) as usual
UPDATE AS OF 16/4/2020We are managing to dispatch everything on time but please allow an extra 1-2 days on normal delivery times while the Covid-19 shutdown continues. This is due to courier capacities being exceeded in certain areas.
Finding the Grail: the vineyards of Nardò and the divine wines of Schola Sarmenti
I've mentioned before my stock reply to the oft-asked question I get in the shop, "what's your favourite wine out of all of them?". It's like asking me which of my kids is my favourite — it depends on the day. Schola Sarmenti is unapologetically my favourite child right now.
Parental Advisory: Sam Brannigan & Nelson’s Kahurangi Estate
About a million years ago, when my now early teens were in nappies and we were just getting Curious Wines off the ground, I met Sam Brannigan at a wine tasting in Enniskillen.
On the detective trail to Bergerac
So I have to confess, up until very recently whenever someone mentioned "Bergerac" my immediate thoughts would go to John Nettles driving around Jersey in a Triumph roadster*.
Taste the Gravels: the new world classics of Hawke’s Bay
The last of the new finds for this year, from one of the world's furthest wine outposts (well from Cork anyway) and New Zealand's oldest winegrowing region, Hawke's Bay.
‘A Leviathan bottle to end all comparisons’: the 99 point Moorooroo Shiraz
Amidst the Schild family estate in Australia's Barossa Valley lie four rows of gnarled, ancient Shiraz vines, planted in 1847 by Johan and William Jacob (of the famed creek), just eleven years after the foundation of South Australia.
You’ll Never Walk Alone — Claymore Wines Part II
A couple of weeks ago we introduced the eye-catching (and utterly gorgeous) Claymore Wines, a new range of music-inspired labels from Australia's Clare Valley including the Joshua Tree Riesling, Bittersweet Symphony Cabernet and Dark Side of the Moon Shiraz.
You had me at “chocolate”… Introducing Zonte’s Footstep
Chocolate Factory | Shiraz | McLaren Vale from Zonte's Footstep on Vimeo. Many of you will be familiar with our stand-out wine of last year, newcomer Elysian Springs' Spring Lamb Syrah, from Australia's Adelaide Hills.
Kangaroo Where? Introducing The Islander Estate Vineyards
Six months previously we'd never even heard of Kangaroo Island but in planning our trip to Australia I went straight to looking for wineries on the hunch that just off the south Australian mainland someone would have planted vines there.
Rocking Clare Valley: Claymore Wines Part I
Claymore Wines founder and owner, Anura Nitchingham, has three great loves in his life – wine, music and football – and he celebrates all of them through the winery he began in the 1990s, having arrived there with his family after a successful medical career in the UK.
Australia’s Winemaker of the Year 2018: Paul Hotker, Bleasdale
The first bottles of Bleasdale Wines in Ireland landed into our small (and constantly freezing cold!) warehouse in Bandon in late 2009. We were just over a year old and planning our first direct shipments from Australia the following Spring.
New arrivals: Bordeaux
Bordeaux is virtually guaranteed to throw up something new and interesting every year as there’s probably nowhere that vintage is more important, or unpredictable.
New arrivals: Wither Hills
Fans of our top-selling wine for the last two years, The Ned Sauvignon Blanc, might be interested in the latest addition to our New Zealand range. Named in the World’s Top 50 Most Desired Wine Brands by Drinks International last year, Wither Hills was founded by none other than The Ned’s Brent Marris.
Top 10 Reds of 2012
With the Christmas buying season contributing so heavily to overall sales, November and December can see some late movements in our top-sellers list for the year.
Top 10 Whites of 2012
With the Christmas buying season contributing so heavily to overall sales, November and December can see some late movements in our top-sellers list for the year.
Sugar and spice and all things nice: Classic mulled wine
They say that smell is the most powerful of the five senses in terms of evoking memory and emotion, and there's simply nothing beats the heady aromas of mulled wine to remind everyone that Christmas has officially started. This is our tried and tested recipe at home.
Budget 2013: the GOOD news!
We'd been warned it would be a bad one but Budget 2013 exceeded expectations both in terms of reductions in personal income and further taxes on outgoings. We'd anticipated an increase in the excise duty on wine but nothing like the €1 on every bottle as of midnight last night.