Wine News

Burgundy

Lovers of good burgundy might like to know that Kelly's Hotel, Rosslare, now has a series of mixed cases available for sale. If you crave the marvellous Burgundies of Domaine Ramonet, Pierre Jacqueson, Emmanuel Rouget or the stellar wines of Denis Mortet, you can get them here, and prices are decent, rather than the obscene amounts traditionally demanded for good Burgundy. There are also splendid wines from Paul Avril – the great Clos des Papes and ace quaffers such as the petit Vin d’Avril. Tel: (053) 32114

Rioja

If Rioja is more your thing, then the excellent expanded range of Riojas offered by Approach Trade wines of Carrick-on-Suir will ring your bell. Rafael Alvarez has been offering the cream of Spanish winemaking for a decade now, and these new arrivals show the same dedication to innovative craftsmanship that has always characterised the Approach Trade wines – just try the red and white wines of Palacio Remondo, for example, for perfectly delivered winemaking at decent prices. Spain has been stealing the kudos in culinary matters for several years now, and these Riojas show the same sense of ambitious creativity that marks the new Spanish cooking. For details of the new Rioja list, Tel: 051 640164

Through a glass, brightly

We tend to associate wine tumblers with fresh young beaujolais drunk in a bistro with some simple food. A simple wine such as this, the belief goes, doesn’t need a glass with a stem.

But, ever-eager to turn convention on its head, the Riedel company's O wine tumbler is a serious wine glass, without a stem. Both the red and white wine glasses cost a tenner each, and come in packs of two, and they aren't just for people who live in tiny apartments with no room to store big stemmed glasses. These are fun tumblers, but they show the characteristics of the wines perfectly. And, if you are in Mitchell's buying a pair, check out this issues six-pack review:

The Wine Six-Pack

Kaimiria Estate Unoaked Chardonnay 2002: sweet and sour and slinky, with a hint of Key Lime pie, a great Friday night wine.

Domaine le Cazal Minervois 2001: rich and fat, but the initial sophistication of the texture gives way to a ruddy rusticity.

Domaine de l’Engarran 2002: we noted that this was “dangerously good”, thanks to elements of honey and coconut: another big weekend wine.

Chateau Etienne des Lauzes St Chinian 2001: earthy and distinct, a rustic wine with hints of nutmeg and game.

Reserve Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone 2003: not a typical c-du-r, as it has loads of fruit and a more luxurious texture than one would expect. Extremely good.

Domaine de Cauvy Faugeres 2003: archetypal South West France winemaking, very simple and direct, a wine for an omelette and a piece of good cheese.

Mitchells, Tel: 01 676 0766