He seems to be finding the time to keep Grapes of Sloth alive too, which is great. Keep it up Paul, who needs sleep?*

* or maybe you’d be less absent minded if you did get more sleep …..

Interesting!

I picked these up in Bradleys on North Main st, 4 for €10.

It says on the bottle to decant, so I decided it was the perfect time to give my Vin-Aire a real try out. And I just got my hair cut, so I made some videos
Here’s the vin-Aire in action:

and the verdict on the Vin-Aire:

On the wine – it’s a really nice punchy red wine. I brought it out for Sunday lunch the next day and it went down a treat
with the family. I’m looking forward to trying the white in the range next!

This time around, with The Winter Wine Fair, they hope to raise urgently needed funds for Focus Ireland.

So, what’s on offer?

An enjoyable few lazy hours on a Sunday afternoon in Dublin’s prestigious Westbury Hotel, with an opportunity to taste over 100 of the best wines available in Ireland with great discounts on any purchases, all while enjoying the feel good factor of giving to charity.

The details

The Corkscrew Winter Wine Fair, in aid of Focus Ireland
Sunday, November 20th 12.30 – 5.30pm.
Westbury Hotel, Dublin
Tickets €25 and available online

About Focus Ireland

Homelessness in Ireland is on the rise, while funding for charities like Focus Ireland under immense pressure. Their services for people who are homeless are especially important in winter.

If you’re not sure about wine tastings, Blake Creedon (of the Examiner) has a great guide to attending one. They’re always good fun and this one also supports a worthy charity.

from left to right:
Rogue Mocha Porter, Ór Golden Ale and American Amber Ale.

With about 150 wines on offer, I just scanned the portfolio and then asked for recommendations.
I started with 2 from Barry & Fitzwilliam. They were both excellent, and the spiel and the rep was very friendly and informative.
I moved around and tried a couple from Bubble Brothers, Cassidy Wines, Classic Drinks and Searsons.

My three top picks from the evening were (in no particular order):

• CAMPO DA BORJA, ‘TRES PICOS’, BORSAO (Searsons)
• Zuazo Gaston Crianza 2007 (Classic Drinks)
• Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva 2001(Cassidy Wines)

If you’ve never been to a wine tasting, Blake Creedon had a great guide to making the most of one. It’s a great evening, and you get to try out a range of wines you might not otherwise try. You can really go out of your comfort zone – if you get something you don’t like, just smile at the vendor, gently pour it away and go find something nice
In fact, tell them you didn’t like it. They won’t be offended, and they will know what they have that’s different and be able to find you something you’ll like.

I’ll update with my opinion once I’ve tried it

Update:
um, normally I try to stick to the “if you’ve nothing good to say, say nothing”, but I did say I’d give my thoughts. There’s a great craft beer groundswell in Ireland at the moment, and anyone entering that space has to cope with high entry points.
This offering from Smithwick’s falls short of that. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either. I can’t see what they were aiming at with this – it’s like a watered down version of ‘normal’ Smithwick’s. It should have been an opportunity to develop a new taste and make a mark in the craft beer market.
No masterchef apron for this recipe :/

From Curious Wines, Mont Marçal Blanco 2009. retails at a mere €7.99.

From Bubble Brothers, Mas Codina, DO Penedès 2010. Slightly more at €11.99 but worth every penny.

And from Wine Alliance, Beso De Vino Macabeo 2010. Available around the country and in Bradley’s Off licence on North Main St. I can’t remember the exact price but it’s around a tenner.

You might spot a bit of a trend there with the whites I’m drinking at the moment. I’m also enjoying a lovely white from France, but that’s not available here so I’ll leave it out. Enjoy!