Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Feb 07, 2010

THE nights are still cold and its another seven weeks before the clocks go forward and the evenings take a stretch - but, hey, February 1 was the official start of Spring and next Sunday is Valentines Day. 

I always toast the coming of Spring with something pink, still or sparkling. A decent bottle can lift the spirits after the dark, cold days of Winter.

The same kind of wines that will be well received next weekend with the hand-written inscription, ‘from your Valentine’.

However, the words have sent a shiver down my spine ever since a friend ‘who knows these things’ told me their origin - attributed to St Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity.

The story goes that one of the last things he done before he died, on February 14, 269 AD, was to leave a farewell note for his jailer's daughter, who had become his friend. He signed it ‘From your Valentine’.

In France the day is celebrated in the village of St Amour, situated in the north of the Beaujolais wine region. 

Again its a Roman who attracts French lovers to the picturesque village, reputedly named after a disaffected soldier, Amor.

St Amour is also the name of a Cru Beaujolais, one of 10 crus that represent beaujolais. These gamay grape wines can be tight and reserved when young, but after a year or so they become supple and fruity, with flavours of apricot and cherries.

Rizzardi Fior Di Rosa,

Bardolino, Italy

€14.95 at O’Briens Wines

Elegance throughout from stylish bottle to last sip. A blend of local corvina, rondinella, sangiovese, molinara and negrara grapes that is gushing with raspberry and strawberry aromas. Wonderfully balanced with a soft fruit palate and nice length. Chill down and treat yourself - and partner - to some grilled king prawns and a glass.

Chateau de Pennautier Rose 2008,

Cabardes, France

€7.95 until St Valentines day at Dunnes Stores

Transport yourself to the south of France with just a sip of this excellent merlot and syrah blend rose from near Carcassone. Beautifully smooth, dry and elegant with soft fruit flavours, great acidity and length.

Torres San Valentin 2008

Penedes, Spain

€8.99 on promotion and widely available

A 100 per cent garnacha grape wine. Cherry colour with wonderful blackberry jam aromas. Silky palate, soft tannins with blackberry and pomegranate flavours. Good length and finish. Perfect for the man in your life next Sunday. 

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Jan 31, 2010

FROM Bierzo in the northwest to Jumilla in the southeast, we are fast discovering the vast array of great grape varieties and wines emerging from Spain these days.

But ask most wine lovers to name one Spanish region off the top of their heads and Rioja would most likely spring to mind.

Wine has been made in Rioja - situated south of the Cantabrian mountains in the north of Spain - since Roman times but modern winemaking techniques only arrived in the region around 1850.

An exodus of winemakers from Bordeaux escaping the phylloxera pest which was devastating vines in France brought new growing techniques and oak-barrel aging to Rioja.

While the production of white Rioja has increased in recent years, it is red wines that are synonymous with the region and here the Tempranillo grape is king.

This thick-skinned grape brings a richness, vibrant colour, a fair amount of alcohol and aging potential to the table.

But what makes Rioja so approachable, and a great food wine, is its blending with up to three other grapes - Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha (Grenache).

Mazuelo can add depth and vibrancy to the blend, Graciano elevates the wine with gorgeous glints of vibrant purple and spicy, fresh aromas, while Garnacha brings concentration, big red berry flavours, spice and soft tannins.

White Rioja is made with Malvasia, Viura and Garnacha Blanca grapes.

Both red and whites are classified based on aging in oak barrels and bottles.

The Crianza category is used to describe a wine that has spent 12-18 months in oak barrels, and at least another year in bottle.

Reserva wines will have been aged in oak barrels for 18-24 months, and 12-24 months in bottle and are known for their deep and complex flavours. 

The Gran Reserva category sees the wines aged in oak barrels for 24-36 months, and 36 months in bottle. They will have intense depth, with hints of cedar and wild berries on the palate.

Luis Cañas Rioja Reserva 2004 

Rioja, Spain

€22, widely available

Brilliant ripe black cherry red colour with excellent depth. Fruity aromas with elegant nuances of fine oak. Velvety in the mouth with a long finish. A Reserva with plenty of class and style framed by  24 months in oak with nice, spicy tannins. Try with
stews and hard cheeses.

Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2005

Rioja, Spain, 

€15 or less, widely available

Nicely rounded, with a soft finish. A wine made in a modern style that makes it very approachable. Ruby red in colour with sweet cherry aromas and silky oak flavours. It has a light, smooth velvety texture and is a great accompaniment to roast lamb. A balanced wine that is also well suited to pork, lamb chops, grilled steak, venison and cheeses.

Irish Mail On Sunday Wine Column - Jan 24, 2010

FAVOURITE wine? Reds, whites, fortified and sweeties. Pick just one bottle? I need time to answer, come back in a year.

Ask me to choose a bottle that I have not tried yet and one name instantly comes to mind - La Tâche Romanée-Conti from Burgundy, France. 

The 2005 vintage sells for around €2,500 a bottle, if you can buy one of the 4,500 produced that year. 

So, unless someone uncorks a bottle and offers me a glass then the chances are I may never taste what wine critics regard as the greatest wine.

What makes the wine so sought after is the grape - Pinot Noir. A delinquent grape plagued by difficulties from when its buds appear in May through to bottle aging.

It can be affected by every known bug and disease found in vineyards. Should the grapes reach maturity and are not picked at the right time they shrivel and dry out.

It is the most temperamental grape, but for all its faults it is capable of producing the most alluring and sensual wines that age gracefully for decades.

It will have a bouquet of cherries, strawberries and raspberries, with hints of mushroom, earth, truffle and leather. Oak can impart further aromas of vanilla. On the palate it has a soft and velvety texture.

The very best pinot still comes from Burgundy. But even a moderate quality bottle can set you back €50.  Thankfully, New World producers like New Zealand, California and Chile

are producing excellent pinot at affordable prices.

As temperamental and difficult as it may be, the grape has caught the imagination of winemakers worldwide. 

It is a classic food wine,  perfect with grilled salmon and roast beef, or any dish that features mushrooms. Classic French cooking has creations based on pinot, such as Coq au Vin and Boeuf Bourginon.

Try a bottle... soon.

Montana South Island Pinot Noir 2008

Marlborough, New Zealand

€12.60 and widely available

Winemaker Patrick Materman has managed to produce the best entry level pinot currently available. This elegant wine has wonderful berry flavours of strawberries and cherries with smoky hints of oak. It has, in small amounts, all that one would expect from a great pinot - fruit driven with fine tannin structure and good length.

Gold Label Pinot Noir 2008

Vin de Pays D’OC, France

€10.46 from Marks & Spencer

Grapes grown close to the Mediterranean in southern France make for a soft, smooth wine that is fruit driven with the ripe strawberry flavour typical of pinot shining through. Nice, soft tannins add to the pleasure of this wine with a decent length. Great with creamy cheeses.