12 blockbuster reds for Christmas
"Right, can you give me one more recommendation. .
Curious Wine Chatter
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.
See red and chill out this summer
We are unabashed Rosé fans when the daylight begins to linger a bit longer and you can actually SIT OUTSIDE FOR DINNER.
Elysian Springs: Wine and Local Produce, a Culinary Kinship
Premium Adelaide estate Elysian Springs began as part of a grant of farmland given to pioneer Robert Marley for the production of grain, sheep and cattle.
The Greatest Show Wine
Here at Curious Wines, we are consistently drawn to interesting, small labels and producers, family 'legacy' wineries and the stories that are organically weaved around and through them, lending them cultural and historical credence. Sometimes, the wine itself is only half the story.
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.
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.
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.
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.