In vino veritas - what wine are you drinking?

Buddy97mm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119910453#Comment_119910453

Proud to be one of those bucking the trend.

Beanstalk

I can't unsee the suggestion that more are more people are drinking Champagne while fewer are drinking red wine.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119731830#Comment_119731830

Playing with the idea of buying 6 bottles of wine from this list as a Christmas gift for my parents (the wine of the year + white wine of the year + 4 of the other winners) - is it a safe enough route as a gift? I like the idea that they're all award winning wines. Any reason not to pick this way?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957249#Comment_119957249

I think its a great idea and safe enough as a gift. I was half toying with a similar idea myself.

snowgal

Me too,, can’t go wrong if you know a wine drinker

mrm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119862764#Comment_119862764

This offer is still on, if you can find stock.

Castlebar SV never seemed to stock/ restock the shelf but the price label remains on the shelf. But found some in SV Claremorris today. I nabbed 6 bottles. A few auld ladies spotted me, asked me about it and and took a few (left back whatever they had in hand when they saw the price reduction of this). Maybe some left but also may be worth asking in store if they have any more stock. Opened a bottle tonight, for research purposes...damn fine wine! Great value at €20.

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119910453#Comment_119910453

Surprisingly, wine consumption per adult in Ireland fell in 2021 by 14% from 3.26 litres to 2.8 litres. But there was no change in the consumption breakdown between white (47%), red (45%) and rose (7%) last year.

There was a COVID lockdown effect i.e. we drank more wine during lockdown with wine sales in 2020 rising by 12% to over 10 million cases. But last year's decline brings wine sales back below the pre-COVID level.

https://www.drinksindustryireland.ie/wine-sales-down-9-last-year/

the beer revolu

Our alcohol consumption, generally, is on a downward trend since 2000.

Although, if you were to listen to anti alcohol zealots, you might imagine the opposite!

odyssey06

Make it Big - Californian Pinot Noir.

One of those wines, you're surprised by the end of the dinner how much of the bottle has diseappeared...

A quaffable, juicy Pinot Noir. Perfect to pair with overcooked turkey :)

€15 from indies such as Grapevine Glasnevin

https://thegrapevinedublin.ie/products/make-it-big-pinot-noir

Black Sheep

Two bottles of D'Arenberg Dead Arm for Christmas day and St Stephens Day ready for launch. It's pricy but goddammit it's good.

A Kopke 10 tawny for desert.

the beer revolu

Haven't had The Dead Arm in years!

Absolutely loved it at the time. As good as it was 15 odd years ago??

Black Sheep

I don't know! Fifteen years ago I would have been disgusted to be offered wine if there was beer available.

Only had one previous bottle, and that was last year.

Black Sheep

Last night... I used to drink mainly LBV if I bought port, but a factor in switching to tawny is that it keeps for several weeks.

the beer revolu

I much rather tawney, seems less sweet and more complex to me.

I didn't know there was a difference in its once open shelf life.

I can't help suspecting that the idea that port/sherry/vermouth spoiling once opened is overstated - particularly for the average palate.

Black Sheep

It's not that LBVs suddenly become undrinkable after a couple of weeks, they just gradually lose vibrancy and just aren't very pleasant. I gather there are quicker deteriorating older ports but I've bought LBVs mainly.

If a tawny lasts an extra few weeks compared to an LBV in a fridge that's enough to take the pressure off us in terms of drinking it while its at its best.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957249#Comment_119957249

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957259#Comment_119957259

This went down a treat - they're making their way through them the last week or so and all good reviews. I thought there might be some bottles in there that weren't to their taste, but all good so far.

Buddy97mm

Supervalue is not a place I generally visit too frequently, but called there on Friday to avail of Three Swallows for €30. Browsed their wines and saw a very intriguing looking bottle of a wine called 200 gallons Reserva from Portugal. Never heard of it, but was quite taken with the blurb so bought a bottle for €10, allegedly reduced from €15 I think. Opened tonight and am really enjoying, very rich, silky opulent cherry, went down a treat with steak. Will be going back for a few more bottles.

Beanstalk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120039578#Comment_120039578

I had a Ferreria Dawn Antonia tawny port opened about three and a half years ago and sprayed with Argon hiding in the back of my press which i reopened at Christmas and it tasted amazing. Love that argon spray stuff though its hard to get...

The Nal

Any good Zin knocking around? Theres none in OBriens at the moment, which is crazy.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274217#Comment_120274217

2020 can be tricky for California with smoke taint.

You could try Italian primitivo with is supposed to be same grape

https://thegrapevinedublin.ie/products/pasqua-primitivo-desire-lush-zin

odyssey06

LIDL Vino Nobile de Montepulciano 2018, very nice Italian, not too much oak.

Think it was about €10-€12. If you see any bottles knocking around in the LIDL special bins, worth a try.

Black Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274217#Comment_120274217

I'm very late to this but I'd suggest trying De Loach zinfandel. It's available in many of the indie off licences around the place... McHughs, Sweeney's, Clontarf Wines, Fallon & Byrne etc.

Lately I'm still drinking a lot of Australian shiraz, shiraz viognier, cabernet shiraz, cabernet sauvignon etc.

I like d'Arenberg Dead Arm if I'm full of money, and I have a bottle of that I'm saving for some special weekend, but in the meantime d'Arenberg The Footbolt is becoming a favourite... 15 euros in SuperValu, 3-4 euros cheaper than I've seen it in smaller off licences.

Splurged on a bottle of Cloudy Bay Te Koko for the missus for mothers' day. The ultimate safe purchase for her, I think.