Sherry, of course. And probably Port too. Talking to some wine merchants, and this is the only time they sell any of the stuff. If I were to pick one, I’d go for a Sherry. The great thing about Sherry is that you can go from bone dry to sweet, it’s literally a world of discovery. I’d go with a dry Puerto Fino sherry, perfect as an aperatif and available just about everywhere from independent wine shop to supermarket. Look out for Lustau.

Bubbles must make an appearance. There’s plenty to choose from. Tattinger has been walking out the door at Tesco where they have it down to €25, sometimes back to €60, then back to €30. That’s a bit of a bargin. But even at €25, you can get two bottles, almost. of Jacob’s Creek Sparkling. Blanc de Blancs is the ultimate crowd pleaser and perfect for parties.

Hosting a party?

For a ridiculously drinkable red, La Mano from Mencia (the grape) grown in a place called Bierzo in northern Spain. Not massive on the wine scene here, so you’ll pick up some novelty points. It got the brambly fruit and the rustic spice which will appeal to Cotes du Rhone lovers too. At €7.50 it’s also the wine to replenish your cellar with after the seasonal depletion. 

If there’s still a deal on (and even if there isn’t), try the Shiraz or The Fergus (a blend) from Tim Adams from Tesco. He’s a top bloke and makes great wine. See the interview I did with him last year.

For the white, I’m a fan of Le Courlis Sauvignon Blanc from The Corkscrew. There’s an interesting story behind this one. The winemaker and owner, Aynard, sent me some samples about two years ago now while I writing for the Tribune. He was looking for an Irish importer so I brought the bottle over to the lads and we tried it together. It has been continuously selling out since then. If I’d just become that importer, I’d be doing quite alright now.

As for fizz, look no further than the above Jacob’s Creek. Available in most convenience stores and supermarkets.

What to drink with the big bird?

For starters, whatever it is, it must be paired with Gavin Quinney’s Chateau Bauduc Bordeaux Blanc Sec. Austerity used to be a good word before the recession hijacked it. The French were the best at it, keeping overly generous tropical flavours in check in favour of elegance and complexity. While the French were at that, along came an Englishman and began to show them what’s what. A really stunning Sauvignon Blanc, quite unlike any of the new world styles we’ve grown accustomed to. Favoured amongst Gordon Ramsey, Rick Stein and TV’s Oz Clarke. This is a million miles from Oyster Bay and it’s all the better for it too. Down to €11 at the moment.

Onto the main event. I find it a challenge matching the turkey, trimmings and a wine. Classic matches are Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, but they can get crowded out by the brussels sprouts, chestnuts, cranberry sauce and whatever you’re having yourself.

I like something a little more robust and my wine of the year has to be Mas de Daumas Gassac. At €38, it’s expensive, but Michael Broadbent has been placed it in his top ten wines of the world. That’s good enough for me. I met the affable winemaker, Samuel Guibert. He’s a regular visitor to Ireland too, so it’s definitely buying local!

From not too far away, two other reds I love are from the same stable. First, the little brother, Les Orbiers de La Peira. It was my wine of the year last year and the 2009 is arguably better. For €20, it’s hard to find better. That’s not all folks, it has a big brother, La Peira Las Flors 2008. Both hail from the little known Terrasses du Larzac appellation, uncovered for us by Gary Gubbins who has an uncanny knack of seeking out amazing wines from the Languedoc. He’s like a pig with truffles! They’re both listed here on rednosewine.com.

That’s the old world taken care of. What about the new world? I was bowled over recently by three from South Australia’s Langmeil. They have some of the oldest vines in the world.

Typically, it’s Shiraz and in particular their Valley Floor and Orphan Bank. The Valley Floor really sings and at €17 you’ve got serious quality going on. Very polished wine. A step up in price at €36 and history is the Orphan Bank.

The vines were planted in the mid 1800′s and were to be torn out to make way for property. That was until Langmeil stepped in and transplanted them to a safe place where they continue to make great wines.

Worth mentioning too, the grandfather of both is the Freedom Shiraz from Langmeil. I tried it back in May at the Wine Australia tasting. Barack Obama was in town that day and this is a wine fit for a president. At €63 (down from €70) it’s a wine only our recently retired politicians on big pensions can afford to be drinking. It would be wasted on them too, tut!

For the classic fans, I’d go straight for Mischief and Mayhem’s basic Chardonnay available from The Corkscrew. At €19.95 it’s a glimpse into Meursault, toasty, minerals, creamy. Beautiful.

Meditative reds for later

A red by the fire and a good book. The book is probably on the Kindle, but the wine is still in the glass. Not for long if it’s Zenato’s Ripassa. Normally around €20, you’ll find it in some places on offer at €15. Silky smooth. Available in Next Door off-licences and good wine shops nationwide.

The Mulley’d Wine

For Mulley’d wine, I’ve put up my lovely wife’s recipe a couple of times over the years. I may be sucking up for brownie points, but I’ve yet to taste better.

Most wines mentioned were samples. I paid for those from The Corkscrew. Disclosure: I work on the The Corkscrew’s website. Sorry, award winning website. Ahem.

If there was ever an excuse to get into dessert wine, then Christmas is probably it.

If you’ve never tried them, tried them but remain to be convinced or tried and love them, then there are two events coming up worthy of your patronage.

Wine Australia are hosting them, the first on the 6th December in Cork, followed by Dublin on the 7th.

Downunder they have been producing these wines for over 140 years, they call them stickies.

Over here, they remain a tough sell, with the exception of Christmas.

Presented by Chris Pfeiffer

Chris Pfeiffer, owner and wine maker of Pfeiffer Wines in the Rutherglen will be presenting the tasting. He’s a regular visitor to Ireland with a huge passion for these wine styles, so he’s the ideal ambassador for stickie wines.

Where and when

• Tuesday 6th December, 7pm: Hayfield Manor Hotel, Cork
• Wednesday 7th December, 7pm: Ely Bar and Brassiere, IFSC, Custom House Quay, D1

Cost

The cost is €20 per person, which includes the tasting and tasty nibbles afterwards. Only 30 places at each event so book early.

How to book

For the Cork tasting, book direct with Wine Australia on ireland@wineaustralia.com or 065 7077 264.

For the Dublin event, direct with ely Bar and Brasserie on wineclub@elywinebar.com and on 01 676 8986.

If you require any further information please contact John at Wine Australia on ireland@wineaustralia.com or 065 7077 264

The Channel Island of Sark now joins the south of England as one of the newest regions to produce wine in Europe. The UK and little bits of Ireland are getting pretty excited about the wines coming out of the UK, particularly the sparkling ones.

It will still be a while before Sark wines are available on the shelves here but in the meantime, here’s an initial taste.

Samuel Guibert was in Ireland last week for wine tastings in Tipperary and Cork. He’s the head winemaker of  legend of the Languedoc, or the “Grand Cru of the Midi”, Mas de Daumas Gassac. Started by his father and mother in 1971, he has since joined the business with two of his brothers, Roman and Gaël. When he’s not making wine or flying around the globe talking about making wine he’s a busy father of two sons and a daughter.

Just before he headed south of the Pale, I caught up with him for a chat about making his “Grand Cru of the Midi”.

Samuel opens up confidently in saying there are no bad questions, he’s open to anything. Not something you normally hear from winemakers who are usually closely guarded by their local importers and PR people.

Mas de Daumas Gassac has been called the Lafite of the Languedoc, tell me how it started?

Well, it started with luck! My parents purchased an old farm or “Mas” in 1971. They had fallen in love with the area and found an old farm, almost in ruins.

My father, Aimé, was in the leather business and my mother taught in Montpelier. Neither had any real interest in the wine business.

If you wanted to make money, particularly in the Languedoc, wine was not the way to do it. Back then, getting wine into a glass bottle was an achievement.

So, they had all this land and didn’t know what to do with it. They thought about planting asparagus, sage, maizse or something else until a good friend, Henri Enjalbert, paid them a visit. Enjalbert was the Dean of the School of Geography in the University of Bordeaux so he knew a thing or two about soils.  After walking around the property it reminded him of Cote d’Or in Burgundy.

Glacial deposits, very rich in minerals led him to believe that my parents could make a Grand Cru wine here, but he also added it could take them 200 years. But from a terroir perspective, he said there was something exceptional in this valley.

So, they decided to plant some Cabernet Sauvignon and seven years later, with the help of Emile Peynaud, made their first vintage.

Peynaud’s name is synonymous with some of the most revered chateaux in Bordeaux. Why the Languedoc?

While he consulted with some of the top Bordeaux houses, he said he wanted to be present at the birth of a Grand Cru.

And it didn’t take 100 years either, Daumas Gassac very quickly became known as the “Lafite Rothchild of the Languedoc-Roussillon” (French magazine Gault-Milau) and “the only Grand Cru of the Midi” (Hugh Johnson).

“We managed to make something truly unique, not just in Languedoc, but in the whole of France. It became more than just a wine but a powerful idea. It changed people’s mindsets. Languedoc was no longer about cheap, bulk wine.

While all the comparisons, Grand Cru of the south, the Lafite of the Languedoc are always a fantastic tribute and acknowledgement, I prefer “Grand Cru of the Midi” because it’s our own name. And all this stature also comes from being the first to break out but it’s still a nice recognition.

What it means, though, is that people have full belief in making amazing wine in the Languedoc, we’re no longer stuck with a name for bulk wine.

Now, what makes Languedoc exciting is not the negotiants, but the small producers making one or two thousand  cases. They’ve converted their garage into a cellar and they’re also focusing on non-chemical, organic farming. It’s quite a revolution.

So, is Daumas Gassac a good representation of wine from Languedoc?

Actually, Gassac is probably atypical of a Languedoc style because we have very much a Bordeaux influence with the Cabernet Sauvignon. But at the same time we’re definitely not making a Bordeaux wine. Putting us in with other wines from Languedoc would be like putting a New Zealand Pinot Noir in with Australian Shiraz.

When Emile Peynaud worked with us he imparted his philosophy which we have adopted. For us, wine should be about finesse, complexity and balance.

The Mas Daumas gassac Red wine is a blend of about 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 other grape varieties. In terms of the land, the Gassac estate (45 hectares total) is made of over 63 individual vineyard plots in the middle (like little clearings) of 4,000 hectares of Mediterranean forest (“Garrigue”).

Each vineyard/clearing is planted with a different cépage (vine) and since we harvest everything by hand, they are all picked over a three to four week period.

All the non Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are picked in the first week and blended together in the tank, before fermentation. The Cabernet Sauvignon is harvested and fermented separately.

It is only after the fermentation that we will blend the Cabernet wine with the non Cabernet wine and will let it macerate for another few weeks.

We then we use old oak rather than new. It helps with oxygenation, without imparting strong oak flavours.

So, your father started this with a little help from his friends what about you, the next generation?

Well, the challenge was to go from one generation to the next unnoticed and I think we’ve done that successfully. I’ve been at the helm of the winemaking for the last 12 years, though my father is still involved.

Our role is the same but we constantly face new challenges and keep innovating with new methods, new techniques but only as long as it respects our philosophy, nature.

So, you mentioned nature. In making a wine, how much is nature and how much is the winemaker?

Well, that depends on who you ask. Many people would say they make the blend, so they are making the wine. But we’re vignerons, we don’t make wine, nature makes wine. We have 15 different grape varieties in the red and we use all of them every year because it represents the vintage. Perhaps we have less “personal impact” on the wine. We’re not going for a “style”, but that’s okay too, that’s our philosophy. Both ways are right.

Speaking of style, the whole “Parkerization” debate still rages on, what’s your take on it?

A lot of this came to a point with the film, Mondovino, where people realised that behind the romance of wine, there is quite a big business.

Parker did a tremendous amount in opening wine to American society who would have never touched wine if he wasn’t there.

But being too powerful or influential meant that winemakers saw that if they got their wine mentioned, they could sell 20% more wine at 20% higher price. And so, you’ve got people looking for this formula or recipe to make Parker like their wine. But not everyone is at this.

Our wine was crafted on a clear philosophy, starting with Emile Peynaud’s motto of finesse, complexity and balance. I mean in 2009 you had Chateau Pavie at 14.5% who many would consider not real Bordeaux.

Remember Bordeaux 1961, the average was 11.5%, not 14 or 14.5% and people are still raving about the 1961 vintage.

For us 12.5% a magic number because at that alcohol level, you’ve got good fruit, good acidity (a key component for a long ageing wine 20-30 years) and dryness – a red should be dry.Up at 14-15% you get something closer to a spirit.

Speaking of magic numbers 12.5% is also an auspicious one  for the Irish. It’s our corporate tax rate. Apart from that you have strong links to Ireland, tell me about them.

My mother is an ethnologist and one of the world leading experts on the Celts and Irish history and traditions and speaks Gaelic. She studied in Trinity College, Dublin.

My parents bought a house in Bantry in county Cork so we came every year since I was a child and we still come back from holidays, so I know the place very well.

Where can you buy your wines in Ireland?

The Mas de Daumas Gassac are available from Red nose wine inTipperary and Curious wines in Cork. And some exciting news, both Red Nose and Curious are offering the 2010 vintage ‘en primeur’ (where you buy the wine before it arrives). By buying this way you stand to save around €10 per bottle.

The classic range are available from both Red nose, Curious wines and Simply Wines and Cases.

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

Australia isn’t all that well known for grapes like Malbec, but over the last 10 years there’s been a quiet revolution which has brought lesser known grapes to the fore. While Italian grapes dominate the international grapes with the Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Fiano, Barbera, Dolchetto, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo becoming more established.

Enter Malbec with its old world origins in Cahors, Loire and Bordeaux but with a new world rebirth in Argentina. But from Mendoza to Bleasdale winery in Langhorne Creek, Malbec has a new home. It’s not that new, however, having been grown there in this South Australian region since 1961.

The Second Innings Malbec from Bleasdale is a little bit different to many of the Malbecs I’ve had from Cahors or Argentina. It’s more Loire-like with brighter fruit, less weight and a freshness you’d normally get with Cabernet Franc.

Lots of bright plums, raspberries and a little bit of chocolate. I’m on the fence on whether to label it medium or full bodied because it’s intensely fresh while having lots and lots of complex flavours.

Ultimately, it boils down to great fruit and freshness, something I always look for in a red. Great wine and a different style of Malbec.

Availability

From Curious wines in Cork for €14.99 (currently down to €11.99)

* as regards the “wine of the week”, I reckon I could be done for false claims having not quite kept up with it, but some day.

Okay, what the hell is that heading about?

Well, to give you some context, John McDonnell, who runs Wine Australia here in Ireland, is on a cycling tour around Munster to raise urgently needed funds for Down Syndrome Ireland (you should donate here - particularly in light of the awful weather we’re having, it can’t be fun, but it’s worth it!).

John and fellow cyclists (including Séan Kelly) are aiming to raise €100,000 – not an easy task in the CEC (current economic climate). 400 miles in 4 days. Ouch.

Anyhoo, after you’ve donated you’ll be entered into a prize draw for some Australian wine related prizes (see the end of this post and skip the next bit).

What’s happening on the Tour de Munster

With that in mind, here are some of the latest updates from the Tour de Munster’s John McDonnell, via text message…

1. That’s a long day, 185kms, 6.45 hours in the saddle, even Sean Kelly had enough. But now overlooking the Shannon from Ballina to Gods own country, dinner on the way so all well with the world. Tempered by the thought of a longer day to Tralee and nasty weather on the way. But that’s tomorrow, Tonight we party. Best, John mc D – August 11th, 8:14pm
2. Morning everyone, calm (misty and flat) before todays Met predicted storm here this morning. Another 4 counties today, and about 200 ks, another long one. Making a guest appearance on Clare FM at 9.45am ish, tune in. Talk to you then, John – August 12th, 8:35am
3. 14.35, lunch in Limerick. 60 miles done, yet still only 15 kms from our start, doesn’t seem fair. Your fellow sponsors Leo Mannion and John Nilan will vouch that I made it to Ennis (and am not texting from poolside in Killaloe!). Head Wind building, could be a cruel afternoon, j – August 12th, 2:31pm
4. Welcome to Tralee, a mere 197 kms today in just under 8 hours. Met prediction wrong again and weather Gods smiled. But didn’t help, my worst day in 4 Tour de M’s. Suffered, Need harder training with the Burren CC. DSI collectors in every town so great to support their bucket shaking. Best, j - August 12th, 8:51pm

Australian wine prizes you could win, but only if you donate

1. Two nights self catering accommodation in Ballyvaughan, with tickets to both the Allwee Caves and Birds of Prey Centre, and dinner on one evening at Wine Australia HQ in Ballyvaughan. Estimated value €300  (I would have said priceless, having spent and evening in Ballyvaughan with a certain Tim Adams, Craig Smith and of course, Wine Australia Ireland supremo, John McDonnell).
2. A Wolf Blass Wines Gift Pack. Estimated value €80
3. A Penfolds Wines Gift Pack. Estimated value €80
4. €100 voucher for Ely Wine Bar.
5. A 6 pack of a selection of Australian wine. Estimated value €100
6. Yet another 6 pack of delicious Australian Wine. Estimated value €80
7. An “In your home” Australian tasting for 12 people hosted by John Mc Donnell from Wine Australia. The estimated value of wine €300 (sources tell me that no Penfolds Grange is included with that).
8. Two tickets to celebrate International Grenache Day on Saturday 24th September in ely Bar and Bistro, IFSC, worth €130.
9. 2 tickets for Wine Australia’s warm up tasting and supper before Ireland’s legendary, historical and heroical triumph over Australia in the rugby world cup or #rwc as they’ll be calling it on Twitter. Takes place in Donnybrook Fair, Thursday 15th September. Worth €60.
10. Finally, 2 tickets for Wine Australia’s warm up tasting before the Ireland v Italy match in the Rugby World Cup. Dunne and Crescenzi, Sandymount, Thursday 29th September. There’ll probably be some Australian wines made from Italian grapes there – worth €30

So, a pretty decent chance of winning something, but only if you donate to John’s Tour de Munster in aid of Down Syndrome, Ireland.

Permission-based marketing > social media?

The side point I was alluding to from the title was that despite all the hype around social media, you can’t beat permission-based marketing.

What do I mean by that? If someone gives over their guarded email address or phone number they are saying that they want to hear from you about stuff you are marketing/selling in the future. It’s far more direct and targetted for the marketeer, far more relevant for the recipient. That, to me, is absolute  gold and, I’d argue, far more valuable than a Facebook Like or Twitter follower.

And as the subscriber, when you do hear from that marketeer, it feels a little bit more personal and relevant than a Twitter or Facebook update. I’d predict that email and SMS will remain more effective than social media for a good time to come.

Links

• John’s fundraising page on mycharity.ie
• Tour de Munster website
• Down Syndrome Ireland
• Wine Australia, Ireland

If blind-tasted, I would have placed it somewhere between Chassagne & Puligny Montrachet, i.e. richier creamier styles than your benchmark Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. While the grapes are grown further north (around 400km), up on the North Island’s Hawke’s Bay, that only accounts for part of the difference.

The real difference starts with the Easthopes, a couple who make the wine from the vineyard to the winery, the differences between this and the sauvignon blanc we’re used to couldn’t be starker.

In the vineyard

The place itself, quite a bit different from Marlborough and what that means for the plant. Warmer, different soils (and all the other “terroir” stuff I’ll spare you from right here).

Add to that, the viticulture and the careful hands-on management of the vine, from pruning to careful handpicking and grape selection.

In the winery

Fermentation happens spontaneously – this means natural yeasts rather than innoculation. Many wineries use this technique and it means ceding control to Mother Nature in many respects. You’re not sure when fermentation will start, nor when it will end. You’re also not 100% sure what flavour it could add to the final wine.

Next, fermentation occurred in oak barrel rather than stainless steel (the norm for zesty fruity whites of New Zealand).

This next piece sounds gross to the uninitiated, but the fermented wine is then allowed to rest on the dead yeast cells, the lees (the cheating* cheese-eating surrender monkeys call this “sur lie”).

Through fermentation (conversion of sugars to alcohol), the rising alcohol kills the yeast cells and they fall to the bottom of the tank. The wine is stirred (bâtonnage) and this ultimately gives the wine a great creamy texture.

What the wine actually tastes like

First off, nothing like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I was expecting a richer style but within “typical” Sauvignon Blanc parameters i.e. somewhere within the spectrum of cut grass, nettle, capsicum, gooseberry, passion fruit.

What I got was a lot different. Wet slate, unripe mango, mint, flint, minerals, cream. These elements of the overall tasting experience don’t do it justice.

What I will say is that this wine may be made from Sauvignon Blanc. This wine may be made in New Zealand. But it’s both different and better than the sum of its parts. It is a great white wine. And, if I can future-gaze for a moment, I can predict that this will become one of the great white wines of the world, if the owners and all involved continue to make it (and I dearly hope they do).

From Easthope’s understated website, their “hunch” outlines their ambition,

We wanted to know what would happen if a carefully selected Sauvignon Blanc vineyard was afforded the attention to detail normally reserved for icon red vineyards.

We also wanted to know what would happen if this fruit was hand picked, whole bunch pressed, fermented and matured with indigenous yeast in used French barriques, with little intervention.

The result is the inaugural release of The Gatecrasher Sauvignon Blanc. It proves that Sauvignon Blanc, if managed meticulously, has a greater role to play in the ultra-premium wine arena from the New World.

I really enjoyed this wine for a number of reasons. The first, an most important, is taste. Secondly, though, it made me reassess what New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can be, and what you can get out of the Sauvignon Blanc grape, if you really try hard.

Availability

Not much, by the looks of it.  There were only 1,500 bottles produced. As luck would have it, The Celtic Whiskey store has some in for €33, on offer at €29.99.

When @winealliancemoz mentioned he had a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc coming in, I wondered if there was any  room in the market for another one.

Turns out there is.

Little Beauty’s winemaker is Eveline Fraser, formerly head winemaker at the famed Cloudy Bay. That’s a good calling card for starters.

Nice front & rear aspect

The label, too, is a winner for me, with a glossy front and well formed behind, replete with QR code. Deserving of a Harper’s Wine & Spirits Design Award in 2010.

Whether QR codes will gain any traction is open to debate. They may languish down there with RSS, unless a new generation of smartphones has QR readers built into the camera. And the masses figure out what they are.

Nonetheless, the nerd in me loves it. The URL and QR code have the potential to take you beyond the label and learn a little bit more about the wine. Good old brand engagement.

What about the wine?

Back to the wine. All the hallmarks of what made Marlborough burst onto the scene about 15 years ago. Passionfruit, gooseberry, citrus, refreshing zestiness. Notably, this is a 2009 and the extra year in bottle has allowed all the flavours to mellow and integrate. In terms of texture, there’s a little bit of creaminess which is really nice. It softens out all the bright tropical and citrus flavours. It may be down to some lees stirring or partial malolactic fermentation.

A benchmark Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and along with Kevin Judd’s Greywacke (also ex-Cloudy Bay), one of the top to come out of New Zealand in the last year or two.