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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.

You Little Beauty

Beverley, Fleur and Emma

What a cracking week last week. The highlight though was a wonderful Little Beauty Wine Evening in Latitude 51 in Cork’s city centre. Over thirty wine lovers assembled in the beautiful tasting room upstairs and were treated to a wonderful talk and tasting by Fleur McCree, owner of Little Beauty. More than two hours of stories and talking about the five delicious limited edition wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir) on show that evening. Fleur and the crowd were in flying form and it was great fun. And very educational too !

One of the guests, Cork’s own Billy Lyons was kind enough to write a lovely piece on his site. Thanks Billy ! Here’s the link

A huge thanks to Fleur for coming over. In addition to a wonderful tasting, we also had a great series of meetings with customers in the Cork area. Thanks to Beverley and Emma for being such wonderful hosts. Their beautiful wine bar is a must visit. Do yourself a favour and call in for a glass of wine, a craft beer, some delicious food and / or some gourmet coffee/ tea.

Photo used with thanks to Billy Lyons 

L’Atitude 51 “Meet the Winemaker” Evening with Little Beauty from New Zealand

Its an honour for Wine Alliance to be part of L’Atitude 51′s first event in their “Meet the Winemaker” series

Fleur McCree, owner of Little Beauty of Marlborough, New Zealand will present a flight of five of her limited edition wines in a guided tasting in the newly opened L’Atitude 51 Wine Workshop (on the first floor) of . . . .

L’Atitude 51.

1 Union Quay,

Cork City 

021 2390219

Thursday February 9th From 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Entrance Fee is just €12 and places are very limited.

The line up includes a tasting of  . . . . .

• Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc
• Little Beauty Riesling
• Little Beauty Pinot Gris
• Little Beauty Gewurztraminer
• Little Beauty Pinot Noir

Canapés & Snacks will also be served on the evening

Fleur will walk us through the New Zealand wine landscape and will then focus on her beloved Marlborough and her privately owned vineyard. If you want to read up on Little Beauty, check out their website here

L’Atitude 51 is the perfect location for a tasting. Centrally located in in the heart of Cork’s city centre, the owners Beverley Mathews and Emmanuelle Legrand offer a beautiful selection of wines (including a big selection by the glass), craft beers and gourmet coffee and tea. They also offer a delicious selection of homecooked food in a lovely relaxing setting on the banks of the lovely Lee across the road from Cork’s City Hall.

So why not come along and sample each of these beautiful limited edition wines for yourself

Thursday February 9th From 7.00pm – 9.00pm

To book a place, call L’Atitude 51 on 021 2390219

Sauvignon Blanc – I’m getting . . . . . . .

I do a lot of tastings with my customers. I love doing them as it gives me an opportunity to meet with the people who part with their hard earned cash on one of my wines. One of the most regular comments people make is that they struggle to identify and/or describe the aromas and flavours that they are getting in the glass. So I’ve put together a list of some of the aromas and flavours (in no particular order) to look out for the next time you are wondering “whats that I’m getting ?”

Sauvignon Blanc (Old World & New World styles)

• Green apple
• Citrus
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Nettles
• Cut Grass
• Celery
• Gooseberry
• Passionfruit
• Mango
• Tropical Fruit
• Mineral
• Flinty
• Green peppers
• Lime
• White peach
• Nectarine
• Melon
• Cats Pee (please dont ever use this one !)
• Asparagus
• Pea Pod
• Green Bean
• Vegetal

This is by no means the full and final list. Why not add your own aromas and flavours by leaving a comment below.

If you fancy trying a lovely example of Sauvignon Blanc, check out our delicious Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc

Bradleys Off Licence In Store Wine Tasting Friday 16th December

Yes the wine tasting season continues and this Friday the 16th of December, I’ll be in the wonderful Bradleys Off Licence in the North Main Street, the heart of Cork City.

Bradleys have been around for a few years, in fact since 1850. No, thats not a typo. Bradleys have been serving the people of Cork, Munster, Ireland and the World for that long !

No better man than Michael Creedon, proprietor of Bradleys to describe what his wonderful company is all about

“A family business since 1850, Bradleys is a specialist off-licence with a convenience/grocery store attached.

Based on the North Main Street, in the historic centre of Cork city, we pride ourselves in carrying the most extensive range of wines, beers, spirits and liqueurs available in Cork.  That’s right – apart from the brands you expect to find in a quality off-licence, we also carry those you just can’t find anywhere else!   Furthermore, if we don’t stock what you are looking for, we also specialise in sourcing your requests.  Maybe you are looking for a wine for your wedding, or that special bottle for a big occasion.  Possibly a chocolate stout is more to your taste, or an after dinner Limoncello.  Whatever it might be, look no further!

Next time you are in Cork, please feel free to visit us and browse our shelves.  And if you can’t carry it home, nationwide delivery can be arranged. “

We are going to kick off the wine tasting at 5pm and I’ll be pouring a selection of wines. We are starting with the following and will go on from there  . . . . . . . . . .

Beso De Vino Macabeo 2010

Little Beauty Sauvignon Bland 2009

Beso De Vino Seleccion (Syrah / Garnacha) 2009

Kangarilla Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

So if you are in the area come on in and have a taste of some delicious new wines and some old favourites

See you then !

On the road again . . . . . .

Hi,

I’ll be spending plenty of quality time bonding with my beloved car over the next three weeks. In addition to visiting my customers on the east and west coasts, I’ll be taking part in wine fairs too. Always great fun !

The next wine fair is with Der O Sullivan in Tralee this coming Friday, the 2nd December. It starts at 7 (ish) and ends at some stage later in the night. Who knows when Its always a fantastic event and the who’s who of Tralee and greater Kerry will be there to sample the wines on the night. Der and his team always put on a wonderful show and the delicious home cooked dishes will compliment the lovely wine selection on show from a select few of his wine suppliers.

I have been asked to show the following wines

Kangarilla Road Shiraz 2009

Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Little Beauty Riesling 2009

Little Beauty Pinot Noir 2009

Its always a very lively event with a great crowd so that should be great fun

Hope to see you on my travels

Little Beauty of New Zealand Wine Dinner in Partridges, Gorey on November 24th

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL, PARTRIDGES HAVE HAD TO POSTPONE THE SCHEDULED WINE DINNER THIS THURSDAY. IT WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR ANOTHER DATE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO BOUGHT TICKETS FOR THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. PARTRIDGES WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH ALL CONCERNED. THANK YOU.

Partridges of Gorey would like to invite one and all to a special wine tasting and dinner in their wonderful restaurant on the 24th of November. Fleur McCree of “Little Beauty” will come from New Zealand to present her beautiful selection of wines. Partridges are creating a special menu for the night to match each wine perfectly. Fleur will tell stories of her homeland, the wine trade and perhaps the odd reference to being Rugby World Champions !

Partridges have only 38 places, so do not wait to book your table. Tickets for an evening cost €40 per person and will include a superb three course dinner and five Little Beauty wines to try including a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ; Riesling ; Pinot Gris ; Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir.

As an extra incentive, Partridges would like to offer a 10% discount on any wines bought or ordered on the night.

For more info phone 053-9484040 or email info@partridges.ie

All photos are copyright of Little Beauty & Kevin Judd

Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand

Country / Region : Marlborough, New Zealand

Year : 2009

Grape Variety : Sauvignon Blanc

Style : Crisp, Tropical White

ABV : 13.5 %

Drink By : 2014

Price : €15 to €17 RRP

The Winemakers

Little Beauty is a privately owned, Single Vineyard range of wines from Marlborough, New Zealand. Very authentic. Their range includes five varieties (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer).

Discrete, characterful. The Sauvignon Blanc is grown on three different sites. The lower terraces contain stony silt loam soils with fine sandy loam topsoil and gravels over alluvial gravels. Considerable stone is evident in the topsoil profile. Upper terraces contain friable silt loams over blocky silt loams on gravels. The winery uses sustainably accredited winemaking techniques compliant with international specifications.

Little Beauty’s winemaker is Eveline Fraser, formerly head winemaker at the famed Cloudy Bay.

The Wine

The Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is intensely aromatic: reminiscent of passion-fruit, gooseberry, guava and lemon-lime sorbet.

Flavours such as lime zest, ripe mango, gooseberry and tangy grapefruit compete for your attention. Stimulating. Finishes vibrant, long and juicy. Very satisfying.

Serve chilled. Particularly good with tomato and garlic dishes or seafood.

Wine By Brad Semillon / Sauvignon 2009

Country / Region : Margaret River, Australia

Year : 2009

Grape Variety : Semillon (70%), Sauvignon Blanc (30%)

Style : Crisp, Fruity White

ABV : 13%

Drink By : 2014

Price : €15 to €17 RRP

The Winemakers

Wine by Brad is a fresh and funky wine producer from the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia. In 2003 a couple of influential wine dudes and shadowy ruffians decided there was some fun to be had by putting together some pretty neat parcels of fruit and wine from the region, creating their own label, releasing it with minimal fuss, and then remaining anonymous until the dust settles. Brad is our public face. He’s the guy who makes all the decisions. He embodies the grower, maker and marketer, and he enjoys a drop too. There’s a little bit of Brad inhabiting all of us to some degree. Some say he is a mythical figure but we dispute this vehemently! He is the guy we have chosen to represent every aspect of our wine. This wine is Brad.

As best as possible these wines are made to convey Margaret River regionality: a true expression of the varieties and the styles that say Margaret River. But hey, above all we think these wines provide excellent drinkability for your money in an increasingly crowded world of wine.

The Wine

Classic grassy and citrus characters dominate the nose, hints of passionfruit and guava, and a nice piquey spiciness to crisp it up. This has the usual fresh tropical pineapple and passionfruit elements wrapped neatly in scrummy citrus flavours, providing the purrrfect summer cleanser. The ultimate Margaret River white from the ultimate Margaret River vintage. Go on – treat yourself – grab a bottle and pour yourself a big glass. The fruit comes from mostly southern Margaret River vineyards and shows the cool and classy characters this blend is renowned for. Get into it! Perfect with salads and seafood or simply on its own.

2008 James Halliday (94 pts)