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.
Curious Wine Chatter
In search of the Mad Hairy Fella
Taming the wild beast: In search of the gorú in his Jumilla spiritual homeLAST WEEK during a trip to Cartagena I decided to make, along with my small daughters Este (3) and Tilly (1), the 150km pilgrimage across Murcia to the wine region of Jumilla, to visit one of our most popular suppliers Ego Bodegas.
Thank you and farewell, Aimé Guibert
WE WERE DEEPLY SADDENED to hear of the passing of a true legend of the wine world at the weekend when the founder of Mas de Daumas Gassac, Aimé Guibert, died at home in Aniane at the age of 91.
Stop press: Sunday Business Post endorses Curious Wines’ fine wine selection
We are honoured to have been finalists in these awards. Thanks to the SPB.
Irish Times piece: Growing wine specialist looks forward to vintage years
Inside Track Q&A: Mike Kane, co-owner of Curious Wines interviewed in the Irish Times. What is your business worth and would you sell it? The business is priceless to me. I was a very miserable but successful blue-chip executive and have never looked back since I started up the business.
Build your own cellar one rack at a time!
IF YOU’RE LIKE US you probably ‘cellar’ your wine in some idiosyncratic combination of fridge, wardrobe, pantry, attic and glove box; and, while those spots will do in a pinch, it’s of course much nicer if you can gather all your beloved bottles in one handy place where the ..
NEW: Domaine de Pellehaut 'Ampelomeryx' (Gascony, SW France)
Devoted brothers Martin and Mathieu Béraut tend this family estate, at three centuries old the longest established in the Gers, just west of Toulouse. As well as creating singular, sought-after wines, the guys make a range of Armagnacs (brandies) and also breed Blondes d'Aquitaine cattle.
Keep calm and drink Prosecco
OKAY SO, earlier on we tweeted a story about a possible looming Prosecco shortage and lo and behold if we didn't end up shortly afterwards speaking about it on Dublin's Spin 1038 FMAnyway, if you like your Prosecco (and who doesn't?), we reckon there's no need to panic.
All good!
Cheers! It's a good day for Ireland.
Curious about the story behind Curious Wines?
From an interview with Curious Wines' head honcho and chief wine taster, Michael Kane - from Think Business. BEFORE TAKING the entrepreneurial path at age 35, Mike Kane had a variety of roles with employers such as C&C, Texaco and GE Money.
We’re expanding! Want to help?
A break from tempting you with our lovely wines, I thought a personal note might be in order to make our big announcement and give you an opportunity to become personally involved in the next exciting chapter of Curious Wines.
With this wine I thee wed
AT CURIOUS WINES WE DO OUR BEST to take the hassle out of party planning.
Two Paddocks acquires new vineyard in Cromwell Basin
TWO PADDOCKS VINEYARDS have this week acquired their fourth vineyard, this one in Bannockburn.
INTERVIEW: Samuel Guibert (Mas de Daumas Gassac)
SAMUEL GUIBERT, owner, winemaker and international marketer at Languedoc 'Grand Cru' Mas de Daumas Gassac, on making unconventional wines, his family's getaway pad in west Cork and why organic certification isn't worth the paper it's written on.
6 Reasons to Decant Wines
1. Coax mute wines into life: While the science is beyond the scope of this post (i. e.
Grape Focus: Tempranillo
THE SECRET INGREDIENT in Rioja and an array of Iberian reds, Tempranillo is widely grown throughout the peninsula, especially the north. Voraciously displacing Garnacha, Bobal and Monastrell as consumers have come to know and love it, it has become Spain’s most-planted variety.
Recipe and wine match: Pears in Red Wine and PX Sherry
Thanks to Foods from Spain for this simple, good-looking, Pears in Red Wine recipe. I've pushed the boat out on the cost of the wine match but the other ingredients don't cost much so it's still a cheap night in as long as you don't eat a main course, rent a DVD or spend any other money that night.
Regional focus: Love the Loire
THE LOIRE, cherished more within France than outside it, includes vineyards the length of the eponymous river, from Nantes on the squally Atlantic coast to aristocratic Sancerre in the interior, hundreds of kilometres to the east.
Curious Fine Wine Sale – Because you’re worth it
Decanter dusted off and brought out for the night, the gentle pop of pulled cork, prized glassware (buffed to a sparkly shine), good food and great friends. For wine buffs there is no greater pleasure than setting the scene and uncorking a special bottle.
No Half-Price Wine Here: The Curious Price Promise
I love the wine business. It’s 5 years since I walked away from paid employment for the last time and started working on the masterplan for Curious Wines. It was a slightly daunting task.
Customer Questions #3: Is a big punt a sign of a good wine?
A WINE BOTTLE'S PUNT is that indent at the base of the bottle, the size of which varies across wines. The perception among drinkers is that a bigger punt equals better juice. Is this the case?Well, yes and no.
Bank Holiday Specials: 27% off The Ned and more – 4 days only!
This coming weekend marks the start of summer proper, such as it is, and to mark the occasion we have 9 gorgeous wines on offer, including long-time customer favourites Dignité Syrah, The Ned Sauvignon Blanc and Borgo Magredo Prosecco.
NEW ARRIVALS: Bodegas Muñoz and Artero (Castilla / La Mancha, Spain)
Founded in 1940, Viñedos y Bodegas Muñoz started as a small plantation in the town of Noblejas, in the heart of La Mancha.
5 NEW WINES from Château de la Négly!
Boutique producer Château de la Négly is located in La Clape, an illustrious subregion of the Côteaux du Languedoc appellation. Meaning “pile of stones” in the old Occitan tongue, La Clape is a World Heritage site that was until the Gallo-Roman period an island.