Where did that week go ?

Last week I was in London at the International Wine Fair. The fair itself seems to have been quieter than other years and it seems to be shrinking in size somewhat, in terms of exhibitors and buyers. More and more people (myself included) are looking at Prowein as a one stop source for all wine needs. That said, it was a cracking show for Wine Alliance. The last few days since my return have been a blur of activity (hence the blog / twitter / facebook silence). Lots of follow up to very productive meetings and visiting my ever increasing customer base (thankfully!)

It looks like I have found a cracking entry level Italian range. More on that soon.

The value , quality and presentation of wines from Spain and Portugal continues to astound and I have some really interesting stuff in the pipeline from new regions in these countries.

The sun came out in Ireland and that has resulted in a nice spike in sales. We could all do with a nice summer and a flurry of activity, particularly  in the independant wine sellers market. They need all our support more than ever so why not pop in to your local independent shop and see the incredible value and range there.

The London International Wine Fair

This week I’m off to London for three days to visit the London International Wine Fair

Lots of great wineries exhibiting there and I have a hectic schedule ahead of me meeting with existing suppliers and lots of potential new ones.

Its been a couple of years since I’ve been to the London show – I tend to alternate with the massive Prowein show in Germany.

Some exciting meetings ahead including some French, Italian, Australian, German, Spanish and Portuguese wineries. You never know when you are going to find that next wine gem !

Awesome Portugal

The very first wines imported by Wine Alliance when we started were from Portugal. Not perhaps the obvious first choice but there was something about the wines and the wineries that really clicked with us and of course the price / quality ratio was (and still is) off the charts.

I’m just back from a quick trip to see my two main wineries in Setubal and the Douro Valley. It was a lovely trip with many highlights. My darling wife and fellow director of Wine Alliance came along to meet the wineries and see first hand why I get so excited about Portuguese wines. Well, they certainly rolled out the red carpet.

A short spin from Lisbon brought us to the Santo Isidro do Pegoes winery. Eva, our wonderful guide brought us to one of their best vineyards and it was very impressive. Lots of grape varieties there including Touriga Nacional,  Castelao, Alicante Bouchet, Tinta Roriz, Chardonnay, Arinto to name a few. The list goes on and on. The vineyard manager has worked there for over 40 years.

A full tour of the winery followed and we finished off with a lovely tasting of a cross section of wines from their impressive range accompanied by local meats, breads and cheeses. The single varietal wines really impressed and samples are on their way with my order that leaves this week.

A four hour drive the following day took us to the beautiful town of Peso Do Regua in the Douro Valley, home of Quinta Do Judeu. Its owner, Andre Marinho Pinto brought us to a lovely local restaurant across the river from one of his three vineyards, the beautiful Covelinhas. We piled into Andres jeep and climbed the incredibly steep and terrifying roads to the very top of the estate.

Now, people always say that the views in the Douro are incredible but nothing can really prepare you for the absolute jaw dropping scale of it. Stunning scenery as far as the eye can see. Each of his amazing vineyards left us in awe at the sheer beauty of this incredible part of the world.

So a wonderful trip. What impressed, apart from the incredible beauty of the country was of course the quality of the wine. The Douro is known more for its ports and rich red wines but it was the whites that perhaps surprised the most. Marvelous complex wines that offer amazing value. The reds ( and ports) were awesome too naturally.

Most of all though, it was the people that left the biggest impression. The generosity and warmth of the hospitality was amazing and you can see the obvious pride in their vineyards, wineries and of course their wines. I would heartily encourage you to visit this amazing part of the world if you get a chance. It will astound you.

The Love Bench

I had the above photo on the desktop of my laptop up to last weekend. It’s a stunning photo of the Douro Valley showing a little bench in the Canelas vineyard of Quinta Do Judeu. It’s called the Love Bench and local tradition says that if you sit there with your loved one, then you will never be apart . Like Andre, the owner of Quinta Do Judeu said “I dont know if its true, but I tried it just to be sure !

I went to see this amazing view in person last week to sit on the bench with Regina, the person I married 15 years ago today.  I reckon it was better than just getting a card. But I got one of those too just in case. And some wine.

Oh by the way, here is my new desktop picture. Thanks for taking the photo Andre !

A quick update and the stunning São Leonardo da Galafura

I’ve been on Facebook, Twitter and the blog a little less of late due to a very hectic travel schedule. I’ve been driving the highways and byways of Ireland spreading the Wine Alliance gospel, doing customer tastings, selling wine and looking after the day to day running of the company.

I’m just back from visiting two of my Portuguese suppliers and will be doing a proper blog on the trip shortly, once I’ve caught up on the backlog !

People have been asking me if its a nice place to visit. So to answer the question, look at this very short video of São Leonardo da Galafura near the Quinta Do Judeu Covelinhas vineyard in the Douro Valley.

(Apologies for the camerawork, I was conscious of not falling off the wall. Bit of a drop on the other side !)

Best Wine Apps – Wine Temp

The latest in our series features a very simple and useful one that tells you the correct temperature for the various wines you may be drinking.

Introducing Wine Temp

This does exactly what it says on the tin as they say. If you want to know the perfect temperature to serve a wine style, just search for it and hey presto, this app will tell you. Simple !

Why, you may ask, would I be bothered with temperature – is that venturing into the dark, nerdy side of wine drinking ?

Well, the correct temperature of wine can (often) significantly affect its enjoyment. In general we tend to drink our whites a little too chilled (losing aromatics and flavour as a result) and our reds a little too warm (the wine may appear a little jammy and lack some acidity / freshness). Its important to serve the wine at its correct optimum temperature as its then you will get the greatest pleasure from your glass of wine.

Check out a short video I did on the subject

The Riesling Revolution

The Riesling Revolution

Journey to the heart of this great Variety

Ballymaloe, 7pm on Thursday 17th May 2012 €25

Riesling presents a conundrum. For some it produces the greatest white wines in the world, yet by others it is often misunderstood and ridiculed. This unique presentation, organised in association with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland,  with three winemakers from around the world, chaired by Irish Times wine writer, John Wilson, and 12 wine tasting, aims to resolves these two disparate points of view.

Joining us to present the evening are 3 winemakers from 3 of the great Riesling growing regions of the world.

‐ Tim Adams is based in Australia’s Clare Valley and since establishing Tim Adams wines in 1984 has developed a reputation as a brilliant and fiercely independent winemaker.

‐ Based in Germanys Rheingau, Carl Ehrhard expertly marries tradition with innovation in making and packaging his delicious range of wines.

‐ Owing some of Alsace’s most respected vineyard sites, Séverine Schlumberger of Domaines Schlumberger is custodian of both this famous house and it’s vineyards.

Although from different parts of the world, Séverine, Carl and Tim share a passion for Riesling, a passion they will share with us on Thursday May 17th at Ballymaloe. The evening will be hosted by John Wilson, Irish Times Wine Scribe, and self confessed “Riesling disciple”.

The cost per person for the tasting is €25 Euro and bookings can be made direct with Ballymaloe House res@Ballymaloe.ie and 021 4652531.

More Newspaper Coverage

I hope you enjoyed the St Patricks Day festivities and the long weekend. The family headed off to the Mrs home county of Wexford to see the relations, including the latest addition to the clan, Roisin. A week old today and just gorgeous.

My weekend was made even more enjoyable thanks for Matthew Nugent, wine writer with the Irish Mail On Sunday where he was kind enough to review two of my best selling wines.

First up was the limited edition New Zealand Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc

Closely followed by the Portuguese Corgo Da Regua Red

So a big thank you to Matthew for the lovely reviews.

Best Wine Apps – Wine Picks and Pairings: Natalie MacLean

In the latest in our series of wine apps, here is one I use all the time.

Ever wondered what to match with beef, pork, chicken, fish and so on. Well, if you have a smartphone, there’s an app for that as they say !

Say hello to Wine Picks & Pairings: Natalie MacLean

So what can you do with it ?

The big one for me is (obviously) food and wine matching. You can start with the food or the wine and work out the best pairing from there. Quick, fun and simple !

In addition you can . . . . . .

• snap a picture of a bottle bar code with your smartphone
• get professional tasting notes, scores, pairings and recipes
• search 150,000 wines available
• add wines to your virtual cellar with just a few clicks
• share your wines and pairings on Twitter and Facebook

And best of all, its free.

I am a big fan of Natalie, having read two of her wonderful wine books. Well worth checking out too. Packed full of great stories and written in an engaging style !

A sense of place

Little Beauty Vineyard - Marlborough, New Zealand. (Kevin Judd)

Have you ever stopped to think about a bottle of wine ?

Where it’s from ?

What kind of a place is it ? Big ? Small ?

Some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to have been vineyards

Whats the climate like there ? Cool or hot ? Is it reflected in the wine style ?

And what about the people who grow the grapes and make the wine ? Whats their story ?

How cool would it be to sit down after a long days work and drink a glass of your own delicious wine. A wine perhaps, know all over the world.

Thats what I like about good wine. For me, its a reflection of the place its from and the people who make it. And its alive. Its always changing. And the people who make it, they really care about it. Passionately.

Quinta Do Judeu, Douro, Portugal.

The world has become a smaller place and its getting smaller and its natural that we sometimes take wine for granted. Its readily available. But every now and then when I have a glass of really good wine, I stop for a moment and think about whats gone into making it and I’m thankful for the wonderful diversity of wine thats available to us now and for the people who spend their lives making it.