“Curious Wines” Has the Eye of the Tiger.

Put the downturn behind you with Curious Wines

I had the pleasure of joining thirty-odd guests last night in The Ambassador Hotel in Cork City for Curious Wines’ Recession Busters Wine Tasting. I was almost a half an hour late as I hadn’t realised it was a tutored event with a definite start time, so apologies to Matt and Michael for my tardiness. Tutor on the night was friendly and knowledgeable Lesley Atkins of Boutinot, a partner of Curious Wines.

The topical theme of the tasting was affordable wines for tough times. Ireland is currently engulfed in an economic firestorm of biblical proportions. New car sales for 2009 are expected to drop back to levels last seen in 1965; unemployment will soar to 18% by late next year; and there is talk of the IMF rolling into town with its big beating stick and slashing people’s wages and social welfare benefits.

Worst of all, middle-class yummy-mummies are being forced to trade down from Macon-Lugny to Andes Peak and, in extreme cases, Little Boomy. Grim stuff.

Curious Wines, with its finger on the national pulse, is here to the rescue with a selection of inexpensive weekday-night quaffers.

Below is a subset of the thirteen wines we tasted. The price is the bottle price; by the case, they are less expensive again. My sheet doesn’t give vintages, but there is no need to obsess over vintages for everyday wines like these, one or two excepted.

Curious has put together some mixed case deals based on these wines. The red is €100, white is €110, the mixed case is €95, and the full tasting case is €125. See www.curiouswines.ie for further details or Phone 023 43898. Delivery is free within Ireland.

For those who can’t understand my esoteric scoring system, I’ve starred the three favourites.

1. Cuvee Jean-Paul, VDP Cotes de Gascogne, France: Ugni Blanc / Colombard. Pale straw / green. Aromatic. Clean green fruits (apple, gooseberry) and sherbet. Very similar to Sauvignon Blanc. Tart and zesty. Needs food. €7.99. 7/10

2. Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc, Paarl, South Africa: Gentle aromas of melon and yellow apple. Soft mouthfeel from lees ageing. Good for drinking alone, or with other people. €8.99. 8/10

3. Tabali Viognier, Lamari Valley, Chile: Captivating nose. Peach and melon. Long finish with slight alcohol burn that is common with this heady grape. Very popular with table. €12.99. 7/10

***4. Domaine de la Motte Chablis Veilles Vignes, France: From low-yielding, forty-year-old vines. Unusually, the wine is fermented in (used) barrels then transferred to stainless steel. Absolutely stunning wine that would surpass many Premier Crus. Reduced to €14.99 (from €16.99) for May – buy it, if you know what’s good for you. 9/10

***5. Aureus Cremant de Loire 2002, France: Lemony-biscuity goodness. Dry finish. Classy label. Ideal wedding sparkler. Unless related to Tony O’Reilly, I cannot understand why a person would buy Champagne for a wedding. The various Cremant are made in the very same way as their more illustrious cousin and offer an infinitely better price-quality-ratio. €16.19 by the case. 9/10

6. Cuvee Jean-Paul Rouge, VDP, Vaucluse, France: Grenache / Syrah. Light red with berry and spice character. Good party option. €7.99. 7/10

7. Sierra Grande Cabernet Sauvignon, Rapel Valley, Chile: Quasi-organic. “Big” wine with aromas of menthol, leather and blackberry. Would match well with charred meats. €8.99. 7.5/10

***8. Quinta el Refugio, Toro, Spain: Vanilla and blueberry wafts from the glass. Inky dark colour. Dense and jammy. Almost everybody’s favourite. I would’ve put the price at thirteen euro, but it’s actually just €8.99. A steal. 9/10

9. Dignite VDP D’oc Syrah, France: Old-vine Shiraz from the south of France. Tiny yields. Herbal nose. A touch over-extracted, but many people like that style. €14.99. 7.5/10