astrolabe sauvignon blanc 2008

muffinob1

Hi folks we've made a decision to buy the astrolabe sauvignon blanc wine 2008 for our wedding. My question is can someone please tell me does anyone else sell this wine other than O Briens? We're willing to go to the north if we need to.

Please help and give us some names of places!!!

Thanks a mil

Hammiepeters

It's an O'Brien exclusive here. It's a fantastic wine and the screw cap means every bottle is in top condition. I doubt you will get it any cheaper in the north, in fact I doubt you'll find it there. Good choice.

muffinob1

Hammiepeters ya really seem to be the ultimate know it all on wines!! Every thread I go to you're there. They sell it in the UK so presume they do in the north. It's £12.50-£13.50 in the Uk so really is cheaper there that's about 14.00e or less at the mo which is less than O Briens even with the discount they offer!!

It really is a fab wine and since you do know so much do you have an alternative wine? Our corkage is 12.50 and O Briens with discount are charging 14.10 with discount makes this a very expensive wedding wine. We'd be most grateful for any suggestions and judging fromwhat I've read you'll have loads!!!

Hammiepeters

As far as I know its on a bakers dozen on O'Briens website at the moment. !2 plus 1 free at €14. If you are set on nZ sauv blanc you cant go wrong with this wine. Whitehaven, also from O'Briens is a good wine but less tropical, a bit flintier, sancerre like. If you think the wediing guests would go Chardonnay, I think the Chanson Macon villages from O'Briens is a wide range appeal wine at about 9.99.

Hammiepeters

Oh and 12.50 corkage. It makes you weep , doesn't it? Rip off assholes.

muffinob1

It really is crazy and there's no room for discussion today!! Have you ant new zealand wines you want to recommend to me? Or even a good red that wouldn't be mad expensive to compensate for the great white? Also would you have champagne or prossecco? I'm a fan of the 2 but don't know if people would know the difference. Chardonnay is a no-no

Imagine 12.50 to unscrew a top

Hammiepeters

Re NZ. Whitehaven would be a second recommendation. A red option? You missed a good opportunity on the weekend at Tesco. 20% off! Sometimes that goes to 30%. Keep an eye on the run up to Valentines. You might get some value on sparkling. I find it difficult to get anything really nice in red that is less than 15 euro. I think cono sur pinot noir is very good value from chile and would suit a broad range of tastes. All the Chanson wines are good value, Beaujolais,Fleurie, etc. The Tesco Proscecco is ok as and their Premier crus champers is fab. I got a selection of champers in Banbridge last week. I think the Nocholas Feauiatte at £16 Tesco was best buy.

muffinob1

Oh my God you know so much, my local shop is having a great deal on the cono sur you mentioned 2 bottles for 15e so will check that out. Is there an overall preference when it comes to champers over prosecco? O' Briens are offering us great value on a prosecco and it's yummy. It's 20e normally but they will give it to us for 17e a bottle. Would that be ok or should we go with the real deal and have champers

the beer revolu

muffinob1 wrote: »

Oh my God you know so much, my local shop is having a great deal on the cono sur you mentioned 2 bottles for 15e so will check that out. Is there an overall preference when it comes to champers over prosecco? O' Briens are offering us great value on a prosecco and it's yummy. It's 20e normally but they will give it to us for 17e a bottle. Would that be ok or should we go with the real deal and have champers

I think you've answered your own question there.

I've had some awful Champagne in my day, that wasn't very cheap!

Hammiepeters

muffinob1 wrote: »

Oh my God you know so much, my local shop is having a great deal on the cono sur you mentioned 2 bottles for 15e so will check that out. Is there an overall preference when it comes to champers over prosecco? O' Briens are offering us great value on a prosecco and it's yummy. It's 20e normally but they will give it to us for 17e a bottle. Would that be ok or should we go with the real deal and have champers

If you like the prosecco, buy it. Howvever given the same funds, I'd go north and buy Tesco Premier crus Champagne. And yes I would say generally that people prefer Champagne to Prosecco or cava.

muffinob1

Someone has joined our conversation. The bubbles are controversial!!

rediguana

OP, I had that very same Prosecco from O'Briens for my own wedding back in August. It's an excellent choice. I would say to divert the money you'll save by not getting Champagne towards your still wines. The Prosecco is called Mionetto, in case anyone else is interested. The bottle looks "expensive" too, if that matters to you

Are hotels really not open to reducing their corkage fee? I'm surprised at that. Did I not read that one hotel per week is closing? Thought they'd show a little flexibility to win the business. I'm sure you can get it for lower than E12.50 - tell them if they reduce it, you'll switch the money saved towards the menu choices. We did that and they were receptive.

Astrolabe is a brilliant wine, but I wouldn't be devoting a lot of time to scanning the British Isles trying to get it for a couple of quid less. Put a price on the effort of driving up North (if it can be sourced there - I'm not so sure it can be...) and see if O'Briens still aren't the best option.

I know Astrolabe was voted best Sauvignon in the world 2008, or something but, to be honest, many other NZ Sauv Blancs would do a very similar job, if you don't fancy going to E16.

At the end of the day, the price they're charging for Astrolabe is a very fair one.

rediguana

Hammiepeters wrote: »

If you like the prosecco, buy it. Howvever given the same funds, I'd go north and buy Tesco Premier crus Champagne. And yes I would say generally that people prefer Champagne to Prosecco or cava.

I would respectfully disagree with this. Prosecco, in particular, is a much fruitier, easier-drinking style than Champagne and is more likely to appeal to the novice. Most people at the wedding won't be connoisseurs and you could make an argument that spending money on Champagne for them is a waste f money (there's a recession on, don't you know...). Much entry-level Champers is poor and the yawning price difference between Cava / Prosecco and Champagne is too big.

At my own engagement party, we bought in lots of Prosecco (Donnybrook Fair's house Prosecco - a mistake, avoid). Anyway, some guests brought Champagne, some NV, some Vintage, some Rose. People were opening warm bottles of E65 Champagne and topping up other people's glasses of E8.50 Prosecco with it. I was too busy being the good host to do much about it, and I didn't want to be the wine-nazi anyway.

The point is, Champagne will arguably be a waste of money at a wedding. I guess it depends on how rich you are and / or how much you wish to show off.

muffinob1

Thanks for all the advice yeah that's the prosecco it's fab. As for the price of astrolabe not sure I agree bout it being fair my friend lives in Leeds and has found it at £12 a bottle less than 13e, actually think it's another exampl of rip off Ireland

rediguana

muffinob1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice yeah that's the prosecco it's fab. As for the price of astrolabe not sure I agree bout it being fair my friend lives in Leeds and has found it at £12 a bottle less than 13e, actually think it's another exampl of rip off Ireland

E16 for something that won best Sauv Blanc in the world isn't bad! Less than E3 per drink? What does E3 buy these days?

Costs, generally, are 5-8% higher in the ROI versus the UK, so that will explain some of the price difference. But also, the Irish market has shown itself to be less price sensitive than other markets. Producers / retailers are entitled to set any price and see if their product sells at it. If the product shifts, is the price not justified?

I work / study in wines and it used to always bemuse me when I worked in shops and customers would complain that wine X cost less in such-and-such other establishment. Where is the law that says things must cost the same everywhere?

I used to work for O'Briens and Astrolabe was a massive seller for a wine that, for most consumers, would be considered "expensive". Somebody mentioned "Whitehaven" already but why not try that? Three or four euro less. Cracking stuff, and it has the same winemaker as Astrolabe.

Hammiepeters

AS i said , if you like the prosecco go with it. Re the Austrolobe. I'm sure the online offer for that wine is 13 to a dozen which reduces the price somewhat. Regarding ''best SB in the world''. Ahem! Its very good obviously but the fair concerned ,International Wines Spirits Convention London! Wine judges at this show are traditionally aussies and kiwis and give great accolades to New world stuff whilst some seriously top end wine producers dont show their wines at all. But like I say, it is a great wine. Re entry level Champagnes, not all crap. That tesco wine is bloody good.

rediguana

Hammiepeters wrote: »

AS i said , if you like the prosecco go with it. Re the Austrolobe. I'm sure the online offer for that wine is 13 to a dozen which reduces the price somewhat. Regarding ''best SB in the world''. Ahem! Its very good obviously but the fair concerned ,International Wines Spirits Convention London! Wine judges at this show are traditionally aussies and kiwis and give great accolades to New world stuff whilst some seriously top end wine producers dont show their wines at all. But like I say, it is a great wine. Re entry level Champagnes, not all crap. That tesco wine is bloody good.

Yes, the Tesco Champagne does get consistently good reviews from critics.

Competitions aren't the be all and end all and there will always be producers who don't bother entering (even a very prestigious one, like the Decanter awards). But the IWS challenge is a large, well-known competition, and winning "Best X in the World", while not necessarily meaning that X actually IS the best in the world, in an objective sense, can certainly be taken as some broad indication of quality.

muffinob1

God I'm out of my depth here!! I'm afraid I only know what I don't like and do like. As for what does 3 euro get ya.... I think that's the attitude that has this country as it is. It's the principle why should we pay more? It's the same as the 12.50e for corkage!! Why why why?

Now for the 2 winebuffs any suggestions on a red? We're having goat's cheese tartlets or black pudding salad for starter and fillet of beef or a fish combo of tuna, monk fish, salmon and prawn?

Also what do you think of Montana White? Would that be ok or I had the chocolan SB last night and was lovely any opinion there?

Hammie checked OB site and it's the reserve that's 13 for 12 not the ordinary one.

My final brain picking question is should we have a wine reception or a bubbles (whichever we pick) reception or both on arrival at the hotel?

Thanks for all your advice

the beer revolu

We served Boon Kriek ( Lambic cherry beer) as an arrival reception at our wedding. Most people liked it and most hadn't tried anything like it before.
It was something a bit different and fun!
Sparkling water and apple juice (Lidl cloudy one) for the non drinkers.

Bearhunter

"Now for the 2 winebuffs any suggestions on a red? We're having goat's cheese tartlets or black pudding salad for starter and fillet of beef or a fish combo of tuna, monk fish, salmon and prawn?

Also what do you think of Montana White? Would that be ok or I had the chocolan SB last night and was lovely any opinion there?"

OP - For the red, your menu would suggest a syrah, so perhaps a decent Cotes du Rhone or a NZ syrah (not as overtly fruity and jammy as Aussie shiraz).
Looking at the fish courses, I reckon SB is going to get overpowered by the options. Have you considered a decent chardonnay?

Montana make great simple varietals. If they're cheap (I have no idea about wine prices in Ireland) go for it.

Hammiepeters

muffinob1 wrote: »

Now for the 2 winebuffs any suggestions on a red? We're having goat's cheese tartlets or black pudding salad for starter and fillet of beef or a fish combo of tuna, monk fish, salmon and prawn?

Light to medium red will do well here. Gots heese,Tuna, salmon, beef will be okay with something like pinot or gamay. That cono sur pinot would be fine. Montana , yeh. I know when I see it by the glass in a pub, i'm happy enough. It's consistent, and okay quality. Sparkling for the reception in my view is perfect. Mix red, white and sparkling on arrival and you will probably waste a little. Have alook at O Bs website. Google O briens wines. I'm sure that wine(austrolobe) is 13 to a dozen.
A famous story doin the rounds about a hotel down here in wicklow doing the corkage at 12.50 thing. A guy bought eight dozen bordeauxs in france for a wedding and brought them along expecting half for consumption at the reception and a residual four cases for putting down for later. At the end of the night when he went to collect them; there they were all lined neatly up with dislodged corks resting in the necks. True story. 12.50 does not buy you commonsense.

muffinob1

oh my god!! I wouldn't be able to stop myself committing murder. Thanks will def invest that pinot. That's crazy....... my 1st years would have more sense

muffinob1

Bearhunter wrote: »

"Now for the 2 winebuffs any suggestions on a red? We're having goat's cheese tartlets or black pudding salad for starter and fillet of beef or a fish combo of tuna, monk fish, salmon and prawn?

Also what do you think of Montana White? Would that be ok or I had the chocolan SB last night and was lovely any opinion there?"

OP - For the red, your menu would suggest a syrah, so perhaps a decent Cotes du Rhone or a NZ syrah (not as overtly fruity and jammy as Aussie shiraz).
Looking at the fish courses, I reckon SB is going to get overpowered by the options. Have you considered a decent chardonnay?

Montana make great simple varietals. If they're cheap (I have no idea about wine prices in Ireland) go for it.

Def won't be a chardonnay cos I don't drink it and will def want one glass - childish and ill informed prob but that's me just know what I like

Bearhunter

"Def won't be a chardonnay cos I don't drink it and will def want one glass - childish and ill informed prob but that's me just know what I like"

Fair enough. How about a semillon then? There are some lovely rich Hunter Valley sems around. Or perhaps viognier.

the beer revolu

muffinob1 wrote: »

Def won't be a chardonnay cos I don't drink it and will def want one glass - childish and ill informed prob but that's me just know what I like

I often come across people who 'don't drink chardonnay' who will readily claim to love Chablis.

Chablis is made with 100% Chardonnay!


The only grape I reckon I really don't like is Zinfandel but I'm still open to tasting one that I like.


I suppose what I'm saying is don't disregard any varietal just because there is a lot of rubbish examples of it around.

muffinob1

Oh I've been to the Hunter Valley and visited a few lovely vineyards and most of the wines I tasted were lovely.

I'm having a delicious glass of astralabe as I type and it's really lovely. I think this is the one for us price aside. I'll have to deal with it.

Only want the Montana because it's on their list and to buy it in and pay corkage on it would save us 6e from per bottle in comparison to buyibg from them, just think that would be a real kick in the teeth for them!!

muffinob1

Think it's the oak on the chardonnay and the dark yellow colour that I don't like. I do kinda like Chablis it just never seems to have that kind of peppery hot taste of the chardonnay - if that makes sense?

I genuinely have never tasted a Chardonnay I liked but I do always try things when they're offered. I've even braved the world of red lately which used to scare me lots

Bearhunter

Try unwooded chardonnays. There are plenty about and they don't give you the feeling that you are sucking a mantelpiece.