The Côtes de Provence comes to The Twelve, Bearna, Galway
François Matton returns to Ireland a year after I met him here first (see the interview here to find out more about the Château and the wines). Who is he? The proprietor of Château Minuty in Provence...
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By George, that’s rather good!
It’s been a while since I tried a wine from Georgia. Quite a while, infact, and the wine in question was Teliani Valley. I had the chance to try producer Tbilvino’s “Mukuzani” red made from the...
View ArticleEn primeur, wine investment & all that kerfuffle
I don’t think I’ve ever written about en primeur here on sourgrapes.ie, so as it’s starting to get into full swing over in Bordeaux, I thought it was high time. You may have seen the words en primeur,...
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Three from Molloys
I popped into Molloys in Clonsilla recently and spotted, rather narcissistically, a shelf-talker featuring yours truly got my attention first. Well, Molloys sent me on two more samples, so perhaps...
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Wine of the week: Chateau Pennautier Rosé 2010
Dunnes have this down to €8 though I’m not sure how long that’s for. Unlike the sickly, confectionary pink hues you’ll see on supermarket shelves, this is a lighter salmon/copper colour. It’s from the...
View ArticleA wine goose chase
So, Susan, you’re giving a talk on The Irish and wine? Well, not exactly…. A Wine Goose Chase is a bit of a hybrid that’s never really been done before. It’s a one woman theatre show, about Ireland and...
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Israeli wine: Assaf Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Reserve
What’s Sour Grapes been sipping on, you’ve been asking. Well, I’m glad you’ve been asking and one of the better and more surprising is a Cabernet dominated blend from Israel (93% Cab, the rest being...
View ArticleNew Irish wine diploma
A new Irish wine diploma has been announced with an all star cast of lecturers. A “Who’s who” of Irish wine writers are coming together as part of the Diploma in Wine and Wine Culture. A group of...
View ArticleDate for your diary: March 6th for an Italian night at Ely
The Meningitis Research Foundation are putting together a fundraiser on March 6th. Ely are putting the “fun” in this fundraiser in the shape of an Italian wine night. Award winning sommelier (and...
View ArticleKelly’s Wine Vault St. Patrick’s Day Wine Sale
One of my favourite wine shops on DNS (de north side) is in Clontarf. Unfortunately, I don’t get to visit as often as I’d like but when I do there’s always a great deal on. And with the run up to the...
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Enoteca Trastevere, Rome
If you’ve booked flights to Rome, and you’re into wine then check out one of my favourite places to get lost in Europe, Trastevere. Not too far from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist...
View ArticleChardonnay Tasting, 19th June, Fallon & Byrne
John McDonnell, from Wine Australia in Ireland is putting on a Chardonnay tasting next week. The ABC (anything but chardonnay) brigade seem to have quietened down of late. And for good reason. No...
View ArticleWine & Fizz Fest, October 19th & 20th
From running a craft beer festival and a busy off-licence, Ruth Deveney has launched her latest creation, the Dublin Wine & Fizz Fest. It’s happening on Saturdayand Sunday, 19th -20th October, in...
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Take 5 from Cases in Galway
While the sun may be setting on the sourgrapes.ie blog, the odd opportunity brings me out of the woodwork. Peter Boland from cases.ie sent me on some samples a few months ago and I’ve only just got...
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Introjuicing: PR Slides
Back in my days as wine columnist for a national newspaper (ahem), one of the hardest things was getting bottle shots for the wines I wanted to write about. On a number of occasions I’d have to...
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