Hat-tip to Blake Creedon for spotting the video online.

I’ve been taking a wine gadget, Vin Aire, for a test drive over the last couple of months.

What is the Vin Aire?

A wine aerator through which you pour wine into your glass. The science bit is that it’s based on Bernoulli’s Principle which states, as you all know, that an increase in the speed of moving air or a flowing fluid is accompanied by a decrease in the air or fluid’s pressure.

If, in your misspent youth, you pierced a can of beer while downing in it, that’s Bernoulli’s Principle in action.

From boisterous beer practices back to civilised wine, this decrease in pressure rapidly sucks air into the funnel (the gurgling sound), and mixes it with the wine before hitting your glass.

My “scientific” evaluation process

Now, wine tasting isn’t all that scientific. For example, if you know a wine is expensive or you recognise the wine brand, your brain starts to taste the wine before it’s even in the glass. Read the subjectivity of wine.

Despite the subjectivity of wine, I wanted to evaluate the Vin Aire through a somewhat “scientific” or objective process.

So, for each of the wines below:

• I poured wine into two identical glasses, one through the Vin Aire and other straight from bottle to glass.
• I alternated the order of pouring
• I asked my lovely assistant to switch the glasses so that I was tasting “blind” (I didn’t know which glass was which).
• Decanted the rest for later (a wine scientist needs to relax after intensive hours in his lab, after all)

The wines tasted

1. Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
2. Tim Adams Shiraz 2007
3. Henri Bourgeois ‘La Bourgeoise’ 2007 Sancerre Red (Pinot Noir)
4. Honoro Vera 2010 Garnacha Catalyud, Spain
5. Meerlust Rubicon 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa (Red Bordeaux blend)
6. Leoville Barton 2002, St. Julien, Bordeaux
7. Mas de Daumas Gassac 2006, Vin de Pays d’Hérault.

Vin Aire results

1. More expression on the nose, softer palate initially.
2. Far more expressive nose
3. No difference
4. Massive difference, particularly to taste, much softer
5. No difference
6. More expressive aromas, no difference to taste
7. Nice difference on the nose and slightly softer on the palate

The conclusion

While I did mention a scientific process, I was really having a bit fun with it. To be truly scientific the results would have to be repeatable with a bigger sample size of wines and tasters and tasting blind (not knowing what the wines were).

And if I worked for Vin Aire, that’s exactly how I’d market the device – a “The Vin Aire See For Yourself Roadshow”. Don’t knock it, that’s exactly how Max Riedel sells his wine glasses across the world.

So, from the “scientific wine experiments” I performed, there was definitely a difference for five of the seven wines.

The younger wines tasted seemed to benefit most from it.

How? With the Vin Aire, I suspect it’s a case of “blowing off” trapped gases like opening the window of a bedroom to let the air in.

Decanting, could be similar, but just take longer.

So, if you’ve bought a red wine for consumption an hour or two after purchase (most wines are bought this way), then I’m confident this will work for you.

All that remains is for you, with your new found love of physics, it to choose which shaped glass you’ll pour it into.

WOW! David Whelehan has launched a new blog with some aplomb. I’ve already been drawn in to the fantastic winemaker interviews where you really get a feel for what wine, and their wine in particular, is all about.

I travelled with David in Chile last year and I learnt so much from him. He’s truly an inspiration and we’re lucky to have him in the world of Irish wine.

Without further ado, visit whelehanswines.ie

Food plays a central but often overlooked role in history. Choice of food is rarely determined simply by necessity as, unlike other requirements for survival, it has almost infinite variety. This course explores the tension between culture and environment that has always framed human consumption, focusing on the legacy of gastronomic celebration of food after the French Revolution.

The course takes place over 10 Mondays (Sep 26, Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, Nov 7, 14, 21, 28, Dec 5) from 7.30pm – 9.30pm

How much?

€175

How to book

Print out the Open Learning Application Form 2011-2012 (PDF) or ring +353 1 716 7123 for Laser/credit card payment.

More details

Can be found here.

Lyn said…

Fermoy Estate (Named after John Anderson,
founder of Fermoy in County Cork)

Deirdre said…

Xanadu Lagan Estate (established by Drs. John Lagan, Omagh and Eithne Sheridan, Offaly)
Margaret River, Western Australia

Wine Australia will be in touch with you shortly!

Wine Australia are putting together two tastings to align with two of our group matches against Australia and Italy and you, as a loyal reader of sourgrapes.ie, can win a pair of tickets to each event – that’s two prizes.

To enter, all you have to do is pop a comment below mentioning an Australian wine with an Irish connection – if you can’t think of one, you can copy previous comments.

Winners, at random, will be announced on 7th September.

Thursday 15th, September – Ireland v’s Australia.

Two days to go before our critical match against Australia the theme of the tasting will be about Australian wines with an Irish story.

The triumvirate of Wine Australia’s John McDonnell, wine historian Ted Murphy (author of A KINGDOM OF
WINE: A Celebration of Ireland’s Winegeese) and the Sunday Business Post’s wine scribe Tomas Clancy will take you though the wines and their stories.

When? 7pm – 8.30pm followed by two course supper.
Where? Donnybrook Fair, Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
How much? €30
Book now: Direct with Niall Murphy at Donnybrook Fair on 01 6683556, ext. 20

Thursday 29th September – Ireland v’s Italy

Italy are a potential banana skin for Ireland and it’s our last game in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup.

But strewth, mate, what the hell have Italy got to do Wine Australia? Good question.

Australia is about far more than Shiraz and Chardonnay. They’ve been making some bladdy good wines with Italian grapes. Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Fiano, Barbera, Dolchetto, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo are well established Down Under.

When? 6.00pm – 7.30pm followed by tasty nibbles.
Where? Ely Bar and Brassiere, IFSC, Dublin 1
How much? €15
Book now: Direct with Wine Australia on ireland@wineaustralia.com

Innovation isn’t always about doing new things.

In a clever move, Gabriel Cooney from On The Grapevine in Dalkey has (re)started selling wine direct from barrel.

Of course, this was how it was previously done.

However, resurrecting it back does a number of things:

1. Differentiates Gabriel’s shop and creates a great talking point.
2. Cuts down on shipping costs (probably) – cuts shipping weight.
3. Cuts down on household chores (less trips to the bottle bank) and is greener.
4. Cheaper: equivalent to a saving of 25%

Well done Gabriel!

The competition is called “Life can be perfect” and the five winners will be invited to a unique tasting at a secret venue in Paris, to celebrate the vintages that produced this prestigious cuvée (a cuvée is a blend and often many years worth of juice go into a Champagne).

The “Life can be perfect” competition is open until 21st June 2011, and all you have to do is sign up to the Life Can Be Perfect website and recount an exceptional “Life can be perfect” moment.

All entries will then be appraised by the Bollinger Jury, and the names of the five lucky winners will be announced on 27th June 2011.

Starting on Wednesday and running every  Wednesday and Saturday for the month of June, you can get a feel for how it’s done in Spain or Basque country with the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail.

What is the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail?

It’s about bringing a bit of the culinary experience, not just the food, of Spain to Ireland. In practical terms, this means having a few tasty bites in one spot, washed down with a small glass of wine, before moving on to the next restaurant. I remember the ritual fondly from a holiday in San Sebastián/Donostia a few years back.

How does the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail work?

Each Wednesday and Saturday the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail will visit five top tapas venues around Dublin including Bar Pinxto, The Port House, Salamanca Dame Street, Salamanca St Andrews Street and Havana Tapas Bar.

Here’s a map I put together for the Campo Viejo Trail.

Señoras y señores taking part will receive a Tapas Trail map which will highlight the participating restaurants, the map will be stamped as they move from restaurant to restaurant and they will spend 30 minutes enjoying a tapas dish and a small glass of wine before moving en masse to the next venue. 100 people can participate on the trail during each session, they will be split up into five groups of 20 with each group of 20 starting off in a different participating restaurant.

Who is behind the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail?

Irish Distillers are organising it. They manage the Campo Viejo brand in Ireland.

How much does it cost to take part in the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail?

Tickets for the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail are €20

When, exactly, is the Tapas Trail?

Taking place each Wednesday between 6.00pm and 9.00pm and each Saturday between 2.00pm and 6.00pm in participating restaurants throughout the month of June.

How do I book the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail?

Visit campoviejotapastrail.ie

They don’t overload their shelves with their  stock. By removing stock, they place more focus on it. Less is more and all that jazz.

1 . So you left a great job to do what? Is that what your Dad asked you?

Three years of Accenture was more than enough. It was  a good starting point after college and I certainly learned how to be professional, polished and “client-facing”. I also learned new phrases like ‘reach out’ (which means to contact), ‘lock down’ (commit), and ‘close-of-business’ (midnight).

Luckily I got posted to London for the last 6 months of my tenure, and numerous tastings and trips later I had the wine bug.

The opportunity with Decanter was a no-brainer, despite the significant drop in pay. I’ve curbed my Amazon addiction and have been coping just fine.

2. Is the new gig the dream job?

I’m really enjoying it. I’m handling the operations and marketing of the Decanter World Wine Awards, a wine competition in its 7th year. This year we did really well and reached 12,400 entries, making it the largest wine competition in the world.

A couple of weeks ago, Judging Week took place in The Worx, a photography studio in Parson’s Green in West London.

We had over 200 judges flown in from all over the world, including 58 MW’s and 15 MS’s.

The buzz was unbelievable, and my jobs ranged from overseeing regional tastings, running Twitter and Facebook for the DWWA, and fixing Steven Spurrier’s computer.

I was somewhat horrified at the condition of many judges’ teeth. As a result I am already bracing myself for the gradual disintegration of my own if I stick with the wine gig long-term.

Chillingly, the paint on the surface of the drain (where all the excess wine is poured down) erodes away with the acid in the wine as the week goes on, and needs a new coat after each judging week.

3. What wines have you tried that have impressed?

In general, I’m becoming a fan of English wine (sorry Dad) and am passionate about supporting a local industry to where I live.

Climate-change permitting, red grapes struggle to ripen in this country, but some fabulous rosés are becoming available. I tasted some fantastic whites from the Bacchus grape, and of course English sparking wine holds its own on any international stage.

Last week I tried wines from China, Thailand and India, which all won medals in the competition last week for the first time. Encouraging signs for these emerging wine regions.

4. Any other perks to the job?

No more ‘Sunday fear’! Working in a job which I am genuinely happy and passionate about is a totally new feeling, and I feel lucky to be able to say this. I would encourage – no, beg – others to make a similar move!

Pre-tasting wines for the great Steven Spurrier is a regular highlight, just don’t ask him about Bottle Shock.

The opportunity to sit in on masterclasses and learn from industry legends such as Gerard Basset MS, John Radford and Peter McCombie MW is a real treat.

And working with the DWWA team and the gregarious Sarah Kemp (the Publisher of Decanter) is an absolute pleasure.

Thanks Eamon, and if you need any support with the pre-tastings, I’m happy to lend a hand.