Cheers . Beer, Wine, Spirits with Bertha's Revenge, Supervalu, Chateau Feely, Wines of the World, Lough Gill, Rascals

Cheers 210502

Beer, Wine, Spirits with Bertha's Revenge, Supervalu, Chateau Feely, Wines of the World, Lough Gill, Rascals

Bertha’s Revenge Navy Strength Gin

Ballyvolane House Spirits Company are delighted to introduce you to a new nautical member of our little herd Bertha’s Revenge Navy Strength Gin.  We have raised the ABV to a lip-pursing 57.1%, and have shuffled the botanical blend slightly to accentuate one or two of the more pronounced flavour notes.  The extra strength gives our merry crew of spices a megaphone through which to convey their message, which is as smooth and as well-balanced as you would expect from a cow riding at anchor.

Bertha’s Navy Strength gin tastes divine when sipped over ice.  She is also an excellent base to gin-forward cocktails, especially a Gimlet.

What is Navy Strength?  Britain historically boasted the largest and most powerful navy in the world and during the Napoleonic wars, more than a quarter of the Royal Navy’s 17,000 men were Irish including including one of Justin’s ancestors, Vice-Admiral Sylverius Moriarty who was born in 1735 at Ballyferriter on the Dingle Peninsula in Co. Kerry.  He was also one of the only Irish-speaking Vice-Admirals in the Royal Navy. More here.

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Meet the Special Guests at Supervalu's Spanish Wine Sale that begins 11th February.

Just a small selection of the many Spanish wines on offer.

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NATURAL APHRODISIACS: LOVE BOXES & VIRTUAL VALENTINE FUN

Natural aphrodisiacs are great for passion and for health. In this article you’ll discover some of these wonders, Chateau Feely’s Aphrodisiac Love Box, a love potion secret from Cleopatra, treats and wines to pair with them AND the Virtual Valentine Party to kick off your Valentine weekend with sizzle and laughter. Check out the Love Box here!

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Monthly Wine Subscription

Wines Of The World

 

You are one of the first in Ireland to know…

 

Our Monthly Wine Subscription now live on our website......Click here for more.

 

We are delighted to introduce our new Monthly Wine Subscription. The perfect subscription for you - The Wine Lover!

Our wine experts carefully select 6 delicious wines and send them to you each month.

These will include:

•            6 Wines (Mix of Red, White & Rosé)

•            Free Delivery Nationwide

•            Tasting Notes for each wine

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Lough Gill Have A Discount For You!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2020

10% DISCOUNT CODE: GOODBYEDRYJAN

As an independent, family-run craft brewery, your support is what keeps us alive and allows us to do what we love and we are very grateful. Thanks to you, we were able to continue creating exciting new beers in 2020. Use the above discount code at the checkout to receive 10% off your next order. This code is valid for until 14th February 2021.

Order here

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Rascals Got A Whole Lot Of Love. In A Box

If you’re looking for a St. Valentine’s Day gift that says ‘Hey, I decided to express my love for you through the medium of beers and chocolates’, well you’re not going to believe this, but we can sort you out! The Love Box is a collection of eight beautiful Rascals beers, sixteen beautiful chocolates, one sizzling hot love songs playlist and a beer-chocolate pairing guide. It’s yours for just €29.95 and we deliver nationwide. It’s the perfect gift for when you want to do that thing where you buy someone a gift but really you’re buying it for yourself too. Don’t pretend you’ve never done that! Buy The Love Box

€1 from every webshop order this month will be donated to our local National Council for The Blind shop. You can read more about the initiative here.

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Cheers #25: Rascals Brewing. Wines of the World Burgundy Focus. Virtual Tour of Chateau Feeley. O'Briens Spanish Sale. Blacks Distillery. Wines Direct.

Cheers #25: Rascals Brewing.Wines of the World Burgundy Focus. Virtual Tour of Chateau Feeley. O'Briens Spanish Sale.  Blacks Distillery. Wines Direct. 

The Candyman Makes The World Taste Good

Rascals Brewing: "The Candyman is on sale now. Grab yourself a case of 24 or go for the mixed case with one of our core beers. This is our new chocolate salted caramel stout. Golden Promise forms the base malt, while Cara malt and Crystal malt are used generously for rich caramel flavours. We add chocolate wheat for a smooth mouthfeel, a deep brown colour and hints of black coffee and bittersweet chocolate. There's even a smidgen of salt in the boil. It’s a humdinger, if we may say so ourselves."  Details here

Rock On. Stay Safe. Message from Wines Direct!

https://winesdirect.ie/wine-offers-ireland 

Inside Track on O'Briens Current Spanish Wine Sale

with Lynne Coyle MW

"As our Spanish Wine Sale launches, we are reflecting on that fact that, in wine terms Spain really does have it all. From crisp refreshing whites, through sumptuous red berried full flavoured reds and silky Rioja with a peppering of sparkling and solera aged wines, there truly is something for everyone and a fun journey of exploration to be had."

From Cava to Sherry, from Albarino to Godello, there is something for all palates. More info here.

Burgundy Bargains from Wines of the World

Sale Price:€224.00 Original Price:322.00

This is a case of Burgundian wines all with the Pinot Noir grape. Domaine Faiveley is a wine producer in Burgundy, France situated in Nuits-Saint-Georges and established in 1825. Faiveley owns 120 hectares of vineyards in Burgundy, which makes them one of Burgundy's largest vineyard owners, also one of the top producers! Details here

Chateau Feeney. Vineyard Tour?

The vineyard is looking beautiful decked out in Autumn colours. For the latest photos follow us on instagram https://www.instagram.com/chateaufeely/ or on facebook www.facebook.com/chateaufeely and Caro at www.instagram.com/carofeely for our latest photos. 

A Gift From The Spirit of Kinsale

Blacks doesn`t believe in ghosts to much but we are big believers in a well matured spirit. We also love a good celebration, the opportunity to combine the two means we are in the mood for a Halloween giveaway. Starting today new or existing members who invest in a new cask (any type) will receive a free community share (worth €500) in the Halloween community cask. Only 15 shares are available and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. This offer closes on the 31st October, HALLOWEEN. Info here

John Wilson's Selection. Chateau Feely Harvest. White Hag Magic. Wines of the World Double. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #23

John Wilson's Selection. Chateau Feely Harvest. White Hag Magic. Wines of the World Double.

And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #23 

Wines Direct Talk Wine With John Wilson.

 And Come Up With A Great Selection!

Renowned Irish Times wine critic John Wilson knows a thing or two about great wine, so when he gives any of our wines the nod our customers take note. We recently had a chat with John and decided it would be cool to share with you a selection of wines he has recently featured and that we think you'll also find worthy of attention. Click here to see the selection.

HARVEST WHIRLWIND

AT Chateau Feely

In this post Caro Feely shares some photos and impressions of harvest 2020.

"We started almost a week earlier than ever and finished a week earlier than ever. Whirlwind is the best way to describe this harvest.

The photo below is the harvest kickoff hurrah! Merlot for Feely Sparkling Brut Rosé.

We started 24 August and finished 11 September." More details here

AUSTRIA'S 2019 VINTAGE AMONG THE VERY BEST

The 2019 vintage in Austria aroused great expectations right from the start. Now, reviews from experts throughout the world have confirmed it: the wines of this vintage are truly among the best that Austria’s winegrowers have been able to produce in recent decades. More here Get Your Pumpkin Magic from the White Hag We've done it - after years of thinking about it, talking about it and looking at it, we've gone and made a Pumpkin Pie inspired beer! Pumpkin Ale is a huge seasonal favourite in the US, where a bunch of our brew team grew up making and drinking these beers. While there have been a fervent few in Ireland who have committed to making seasonal celebration beers popular, the pumpkin ale has been neglected until recently. … See More Wines of the World  Two offers to consider: The Top Varietals Mix (Case of 6) is a mixed case of our top varietals and top sellers - a mix of the old world and new world, the best of both. Check details here. The Celebrity Mixed Case (Case of 6) is a mix of Graham Norton and Kylie Minogue Wines from the New World and Old World. More here.

Before and after with Chateau Feely. Mystery from Wines of the World. O'Briens Whiskey Cuts. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #21

Before and after with Chateau Feely in the Dordogne.  

Mystery from Wines of the World. O'Briens Whiskey Cuts. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #21

Mystery???

2005

Now

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS AT CHATEAU FEELY

If you read Caro’s books you know that Caro and Sean Feely bought this farm that was in liquidation in 2005. It was run down and in partial ruin. Each year, as budget allows, the Feelys lovingly restore another piece of this small piece of paradise.

In this post Caro shares some photos from the archives and an excerpt from Grape Expectations, from the day friends, Helen and Derek Melser, cleared the brush and forest and the Feelys discovered the building that would become the Wine Lodge. Much more here as they followed their dream in the Dordogne. 

Wines Of The World

Wines Of The World have two interesting items this week. 

1 - LAST CHANCE TO BUY!

 

"Our next virtual tasting is something special.

This time we are pairing Wine & Chocolate.

Worth over €120, purchase now for just €99

- over a 20% saving!"

2 - This week they put the spotlight on 2 favourites from Australia and 2 from Chile. 

All the details here.

New offers have landed in the Irish Whiskey Sale at O'Briens

The weather is fine, and the O’Briens Irish Whiskey Sale continues, what more could we ask for! This week in the blog we are giving you the inside track on some unique Irish Whiskeys featured in the sale. Natterjack, Dingle, Writers Tears reduced - all the details here

Wines Direct And Winemaker Pier Paolo Antolini Give Finger To Covid 19

The cool thing about this case (other than the excellent wine and its funky label) is its ageing potential. It may be the best time capsule from this crazy moment in time. Who cannot wait to look back on all of this in the rearview mirror while sipping a smooth and beautifully aged Amarone? The Valpolicella Classico is ready for drinking now but can be put away for a few years. The rest can be put away for 5+ years and the Amarone for 10+ years! Just be sure to age your wine in a cool, dark place where temperatures do not fluctuate. More details here

Cheers. Latest Episode #4 . Keeping You Up To Date With Wine, Beers, and Spirits

Cheers. Latest Edition: #4 Keeping You Up To Date With Wine, Beers, and Spirit

Kylie's Rosé Passion

To coincide with her birthday on May 28th, pop icon Kylie Minogue launches her signature French rosé in collaboration with Benchmark Drinks.

Kylie Minogue Rosé is an elegant, bespoke blend made from Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from the sun-drenched southern French Coast, a region known for its innovative viticulture. With a deliciously juicy and fresh first impression, the elegant blend features a beautifully pale pink shade with delicate, alluring aromas of fresh summer berries and white blossom, refined and refreshing on the palate with a fruity, crisp finish.

The wine is beautifully presented in a long-neck curved bottle with an engraved label featuring Kylie’s signature, finished off with a bespoke pearlescent capsule.

Kylie Minogue’s debut Rosé Vin de France will be launching in Ireland on www.WinesofTheWorld.ie and Carry Out Off Licences at an RRP of €12.99. 

Bank Holiday Offers from O'Briens

See more here

Bangin' Biodynamics - Mixed Case From Wines Direct

It is no secret we are unabashedly boastful about Biodynamic wine and their brilliant winemakers. You can always pick out the Biodynamic vineyard over their neighbours. The Biodynamic vineyard is alive with bees and wildflowers. As you walk the rows, one experiences a real joy of the senses visually and aromatically. Details on case here. 

Bank Holiday Sunshine From Red Nose Wine

What a week. The sunshine is definitely helping. And it’s a Bank Holiday even if there is nowhere to go. With that in mind, why not treat yourself this weekend. More and more local businesses are doing takeaway so support one of them, give yourself a break and treat yourself to some sun worshipping wines on this strangest of June Bank Holiday weekends.

We have a big delivery due in for the weekend and some of the highlights include. There are loads of Red coming too, but it is too hot to think about them as I type. More here.

Chateau Feely's Aroma Brain Tasting Experience 12 June

Join us live for a one hour tasting experience- introduction to wine tasting and developing your ‘Aroma Brain’. A journey into wine tasting with a side of aromatherapy. This is complementary to the 2nd event but can be taken separately. More info here.

Wine from a can? Could you? Can You?

Craft beer drinkers have had it their own way for too long. That’s the view of drinks industry veteran Karen Hardwick who believes that the moment in time for quality wine in a can has finally arrived. Zeitgeist Ünion – or ZÜ for short – is her company and its debut wine is Grüner Veltliner, a wine that is loved by Anne Krebiehl MW, who caught up with Hardwick to find out more about ZÜ and how the project came about and why we will all be drinking wine from a can in the not too distant future. Read more. Via The Buyer

Time for US Wine to Follow the EU

The one grocery store item that gets away with revealing nothing about its contents is wine. Food products are required by law in most countries to reveal everything in them. But wine has always gotten a pass.

The EU is moving to change that. Read more here via Wine-Searcher

Cheers. Latest Episode.

Cheers. Latest Episode #1
Keeping You Up To Date With Wine, Beers, and Spirits

Rioja and Haro's Old Railway Station. New Wines and Old 

Spanish winemakers have often been criticized for failing to join forces to promote their regions, but perhaps last week’s tasting at Haro’s Barrio de la Estación, an event abut which Yolanda Ortiz de Arri has reported extensively in SWL, may serve to change a few things. Beyond the uniqueness of this hundred-year-old distinguished neighbourhood founded around a railway station, we saw strength through unity in the tastings we attended. The diversity of styles ranged form unique, long-aged reds to modern and even exotic wines. Read more from this excellent article here.

The Buyer
Now New Yorkers are hardly renowned for their quiet and unassuming manner. You can normally hear one coming from a block or two away. But its winemakers, up until very recently, have been particularly shy compared to their counterparts on the West Coast. At least when it comes to exports and finding their way on to premium restaurant wine lists in key cities around the world.  That’s all about to change as New York State has become one of the most coveted regions in the US for aspiring winemakers who are in search of unique soils and a cool climate to make wine.The next step is telling buyers outside the US about the wines they are missing out on, which is what the latest The Buyer’s debate with key importers was all about. Here is the first part of a two part report on a tasting and debate held with leading distributors and merchants just prior to the lockdown.

Wines Direct Ireland have an organic case to make!

White wine from Priorat is not the norm but Mas d'en Gil vineyard Grenache and Viognier are grown at one of the highest points with a constant regulating breeze from the Mediterranean. The result is a beautiful mineral palate with a Mediterranean herb finish. See more here


Wine Australia

Vintage wrapping up in Australia

It has been a cool summer and autumn by Australian standards and that combined with the dry weather is leading to reports of an extraordinary season in terms of quality.

Although not yet complete, it is clear that vintage 2020 is delivering exceptional quality fruit although yields are down. Some regions have finished vintage, whilst others are still wrapping up. You can read more in these reports for Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra.

We will be collating information from the regions and we hope to publish our 2020 vintage report online in July. 

Wine Searcher

Clean Power of Pisa Trumps Chianti

But where/what is Terre di Pisa?

"As you can tell from the name, it's near the town of Pisa, which is famous for its leaning tower, in Tuscany. It's just north of the Bolgheri appellation, which is known for its Bordeaux grape varieties, and in fact there is plenty of Cabernet and Merlot in Terre di Pisa, along with plenty of Sangiovese, because it's Tuscany. The Chianti Classico DOC is not far away, just on the other side of Florence."

Read more here.

Chateau Feely Virtual Wine Experience

Are you wondering how to celebrate a key event with family and friends? Let us organise a Virtual Wine Experience Celebration for you and your guests. We ship small wine packs to all members of your party and organise a celebratory virtual wine tasting event together. More details on this and other wine experiences here.

The Buyer

Why regionality is next step for New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc 

Last week, in the first in a series of webinars, New Zealand Winegrowers asked if consumers and the trade can ‘get past the gooseberry’ to talk about Sauvignon Blanc as a wine in its own right. Jane Skilton MW joined three master sommeliers John Szabo, David Keck and Ronan Sayburn, to debate the issue in a debate that was attended by 500 participants worldwide, including Peter Ranscombe...Read More

Waterford Whisky

The old proverb of “March, in like a lion, out like a lamb” is fitting to describe the weather conditions during the sowing window for spring malting barley in 2020. Wet and cold weather in the first fifteen days of March prevented any ploughing, cultivation or sowing from taking place in the fields. However, no rainfall events in Leinster after St. Patricks Day, combined with higher than average levels sunshine and cold winds, enabled sowing to commence from March 22nd. First out of the blocks to sow this spring for Waterford were growers Barry Ashmore and John Tynan. No rainfall for the remaining nine days in March enabled tremendous progress to be made and all the conventional barley fields for the distillery to be sown by April 1st. This is, by far, the most condensed sowing period relative to the five previous seasons. 

Read more here