Wine

goonup

Hi guys,

My better half & myself are gettin married in Nenagh in Augest. I was wondering if any one knew of a good place to buy wine. We are looking at buying 130 bottles aprox. Would it be worth going up North ?

Thanks,
Goonup

moco

I wouls say so. In Asda they have 3 bottles for a tenner offers and you would probably get better than that too if you shopped around.

magneticimpulse

Apparently with the hike in tax, cross border shopping for alcohol is meant to be really expensive.

I would buy it direct from the continent. When is your Wedding? I would also recommend Lidl for wine.

This is some advice I gave on wine here before:

If its not for a while yet, I would recommend a trip to Bordeaux and then a trip to St. Emillion (as in May they have open doors to all the Chateux's) and you can try the wine and buy the wine at Factory prices.

A bottle of Red St.Emillion there could be 7 to 14 euro a bottle. Whereas in Ireland it could be 50 euro a bottle.
http://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.co...tml?m=5&id=121

You also cannot go wrong with a Medoc wine. I think their Portes Ouvertes (open doors) is around April time.
http://www.medoc-bordeaux.com/User/n...N&menuOuvert=0


I also might add

Bordeaux Region:
2000 Exceptional Year Vintage Score: 99
2005 Spectacular Vintage Score: 97

With even better news that 2009 and 2010 getting rave reviews. If you are to have lovely wine for such a special day. I would take advantage of the Bordeaux 2009/2010 vintage. Since it is a young wine, the costs is still really really cheap!!! However in some years time...these years will be top money.

None of the off-licence's in Ireland or Northern Ireland stock anything like this. And you will get really ripped off and overcharged. If you dont travel...I would recommend Lidl!!! You might laugh, but they had some 2005 St Emillion over the Christmas period. Another option is to buy crates direct from the suppliers in France?? (or spain or Italy...depending on your tastes and what you like). Or if you have some time...drive over via Roscroff and even the Supermarkets sell ok bottles of French wine for 3 euro a bottle. This is better around October time after the havasting season for better selection or values. But I also got some great deals in the supermarket over the summer and not knowing much about wine myself, every bottle tasted fantastic (this would not be the case in Ireland)

If you do push the boat out...I recommend Chateau Brown from Pessac-Leognan (their open Chateau is around 7th of December each year).
http://www.chateau-brown.com/

As for what people are drinking?? Red/White or Rose? Well 1st it depends on what you are eating. Of course red meats, fatty food would be red wine and then fish dishes white wine. Some cheese plates...red wine. Fruity sorts of summer dishes you can have rose. Someone suggested women would mainly drink white wine??? I think it depends what type of guests you are bringing and where they are from. A good white wine is tricky to get right, whereas the quality of red I think is easier to pin point. You can definitely tell a good red wine, without much knowledge in wine. But flavours of white wine are different for everyone...like a dry wine for dinner, or a dessert wine for afters?? I think there is less hassle with red wine (once its aired before drinking then its fine)...white wine and rose you have to keep chilled etc.

I would have to say alot of my friends would prefer red wine...i think peoples tastes in Ireland have changed. Alot of people are now fond of Rioja's, Sicilia (I like Cantine Colosi) and French wines, more so then some new world wine.

Maybe another thing to look out for is a French Weekend on in the RDS or Hospitality Expo's. Im not sure of the exact name, but I know my family go every year and end up chatting to lots of French people over in Dublin, trying to promote France, Food and Culture and they might also be a source to some wine???