Archive for the 'General Musings' Category

12
Jul
10

Wine notes – start a journal

By karwigwines 3 Comments
Categories: Education, General Musings, Wine Notes and Wine Tasting
Wine Notebook

Wine Notebook

Wine notes. Anyone keep them ?

I’m writing today to make a case for EVERYONE to keep a wine journal. Now it does not matter what form that takes. It can be loose sheets of paper that you keep in a shoebox, your iPhone app, your custom made leather bound notebook. Whatever. Just so long as its something that you will use on a regular basis and is easily found.

Why would you bother ? Well, its a great way of learning because it makes you think about the wine you are drinking. You can go back to your notes and see how an older vintage tasted if you are trying a newer vintage. Best of all it  can remind you of a lovely bottle of wine and maybe even the food you had with it and the people you shared it with.

As a wine buyer, wine notes are essential for me. I attended the London Wine Fair a few months ago. In two days I tasted over 250 wines. Now, my memory needs a bit of help at the best of times but there is no way I am going to remember every wine from every producer along with the price and some of the story behind the wine. However, I can open my notebook and read my brief notes and its almost like being there all over again.

But what do I write I hear you say ? The answer is simple. Write whatever will trigger your memory. Some people like to write pages of notes while others keep it to a line or two. My notes vary depending on where I am and how many wines I am tasting. At a wine trade fair, my notes will be brief. If I’m tasting a wine at home I may write longer notes. If it is a truely excellent wine, I will go on for a while.

Use your own vocabulary to describe the wine. You dont have to stick to the traditional script. I mix it up a bit. My longer wine notes have a system to them (thanks to the WSET) but I also throw in some other non traditional stuff too.

Soon you will find yourself with a collection of notebooks and its always fun to pick one up and flick through some of the notes. Lots of good memories and very often it inspires another wine purchase. I read one the other night and as a result the following day I bought a nice Chianti Classico as it reminded me I had not had one in ages. And it was delicious with my Italian pasta dish I cooked at home.

So go on, give it a go. You’ll enjoy your wine all the more.

16
Jun
10

Are you afraid to visit to your local wine store ?

By karwigwines 2 Comments
Categories: Friends and General Musings
Do You Sell Wine ?

Do You Sell Wine ?

Let me paint you a scene.

A customer walked into our retail shop the other day. We greeted him with a smile and a good morning.

“I know nothing about wine” was his opener.

No problem we said. That’s what we are here for. He was in to buy a present for a friend. We asked him a few quick, simple questions about wines he liked, what his friend liked, the food they would be having and how much he was looking to spend approximately on a bottle. A few minutes later he left with two beautiful bottles of wine that cost less than he  had planned to spend. As he walked out the door, he turned and said “I really enjoyed that – thanks”. We were chuffed.

It got me thinking about the whole wine buying experience. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject

It should be enjoyable !

This may seem like a silly thing to say. But it is very important. We love it when people come in and buy wine and then we see them calling in over and over again. We really love that. These people enjoy calling and chatting about wine and getting some great value and getting new wines recommended to them that they love.

No Hard Sell

Never. Ever. I HATE the hard sell. It just annoys me intensely. Does not matter what it is. If someone tries the hard sell approach, it completely turns me off.  When people call here, we help them with their choices if they want our help. We give them as much or as little help and information as they want. If the customer wants a quiet browse, that’s grand. If they want to talk wine till the cows come home, that’s grand too.

Passion

We love wine. We are passionate about the wines we sell and about wine in general. Wine is one of the greatest things in the world. We talk to  people about the wine, wine styles, the wine makers. Not too much information though. No one likes a wine bore !

Wine Knowledge

Apart from knowing about the wines we sell and the people who make it, we’ve done professional study. It allows us to make great recommendations and is invaluable with our wine buying selections. When we are buying our wine, we are looking for great price / quality wine value.

A Wide Range of Wines

We also stock non commercial wines. Wines for the wine lover. We may not sell as many of them but it is worth it because it gives our customers tremendous variety and choice.

Recommendations

We ask a number of questions before we recommend any wine. The kind of wines you like, countries, grape varieties, style, that sort of thing. Once we get a handle on this (it only takes a minute literally), we can recommend something that we know you will enjoy and we can also recommend something new to try that will start you off along a new wine road

Managing Expectations

We feel its very important that people know and realise what they are buying. Sometimes people call in to get a slightly more expensive bottle, a fine  Bordeaux or Burgundy, maybe for a birthday or for Christmas. We chat through the options with people. Sometimes they leave with the Bordeaux or Burgundy but many times they leave with something else completely different. The point is they are very happy with the wine they get.

It should be great value

In addition to recommending a wine you will love, more often than not, you will leave with your wine having spent less on the bottle(s) than you thought. We smile every time it happens.

So dont hide in the shadows. Call in and enjoy the wine buying experience from your local independent wine shop. Its relaxed, fun and you leave with cracking wine at an equally great price.

13
May
10

Fancy a Wine DVD – check these out wine lovers

By karwigwines 2 Comments
Categories: DVD, Education, General Musings and Wines
Wine DVDs

Wine DVD's

 

I’ve always liked movies. When I was small, there was nothing better than a trip to the cinema. The big screen, the sound, the sweets, the popcorn. All good. I still love going. Over the last few years due to the presence of my little darlings, the opportunities to go to the cinema are few and far between. Instead I tend to watch DVD’s on the home system. This has naturally led on to wine related DVD’s (much to the dismay of my children – “Dad, thats soooo boring”). I thought I’d share some titles with you 

So, in no particular order, here are some worth checking out 

  • Jancis Robinsons Wine Course
  • Wines of Northern Italy
  • Wines of Central & Southern Italy
  • Journey Into Wine : Australia
  • Journey Into Wine : Spain & Portugal
  • Journey Into Wine : South Africa
  • Journey Into Wine : Budapest To The Black Sea
  • Wine For Dummies
  • Mondovino
  • Mondovino – The Series (yep – all 10 hours of it !)
  • Pairing Food & Wine
  • Oz & James Big Wine Adventure : France
  • Oz & James Big Wine Adventure : California
  • Floyd Uncorked
  • Merlove
  • The Wine Route (a fine series often shown on TV)

All of the above are packed full of interesting wine facts and information. 

If you fancy a bit of wine related fiction, you could do worse than checking out the following . . . . . . . 

  • Sideways
  • A Good Year
  • Bottle Shock

And dont forget the popcorn !

30
Mar
10

Online Wine Information Sources Worth Checking Out

By karwigwines 2 Comments
Categories: Education, General Musings, Wine Books and Wine Websites

Where would we be without the Internet ? It seems no matter what I buy these days, its my first port of call to get more information or read a review.  I’m firing up Google quicker than you can say gewurztraminer. I find its a brilliant source of material on wine. Better still, most of it is free !

I was speaking with some customers the other day and they were asking me about different wine websites that I’d recommend for someone looking to learn a little more about this fascinating subject. So here are some to get you started.

If you log on to a wine site that isn’t listed here, please leave a comment below with the details. I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting online sources of wine content !

www.graperadio.com/

http://wine.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Main_Page

www.wineanorak.com/

www.decanter.com

www.thewinedoctor.com/

www.wset.co.uk/default.asp

www.wineeducation.com/basic.html

http://winefornewbies.net/

http://tv.winelibrary.com/archive/

http://winecast.net/

http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/u/Winebasics.htm

http://m.youtube.com/profile?desktop_uri=%2Fjancisrobinson&user=jancisrobinson

http://www.wine-pages.com

http://www.andrewjefford.com/

http://www.encyclowine.org/?title=Main_Page

http://www.jeansmullen.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://www.nataliemaclean.com/

http://www.robertfranciswine.ie/wordpress/

http://www.sourgrapes.ie/

http://www.winespectator.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine

I hope this adds to your wine reading, listening and viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

22
Mar
10

kevin from fenns quay restaurant drops in for a chat

By karwigwines 5 Comments
Categories: Friends, General Musings, Guest, Restaurant, Tasting, Uncategorized and Wines

Cork is blessed with many fine restaurants. One of my favourites is the wonderful Fenns Quay Restaurant in the city centre. Kate Lawlor along with her cousin Kevin Crowley and his partner Pennapa Wongsuwan took over the running of Fenn’s Quay restaurant in the summer of 2008 from the original owners Pat and Eilish O’Leary.

They sum up their philosophy as . . . . .

We use only the best produce from the best local suppliers and treat it with care and attention to detail.

They have a marvelous menu for breakfast, lunch and evening meals. The restaurant itself is comfortable and relaxed, the service is top notch and very friendly and the food and wine are superb.

Kevin is a regular visitor to our warehouse and shop in Carrigaline so the last time he called in, we asked him to tell us a little bit about his restaurant and especially his wine preferences.

How did you originally get into wine Kev ?

What wines / regions interest you at the moment ?

Thanks to Kevin for calling in to chat to us. Make sure to put Fenns Quay top of your list of places to try out. It really is a brilliant place to eat and he has a wonderful wine list including some from Karwig Wines ;-)

19
Feb
10

How To Taste Wine – Looking At The Wine

By karwigwines 2 Comments
Categories: Education, Gary Vaynerchuk, General Musings, Grape Varieties, Sight, The Look Of Wine, Wine Tasting and Wines

  

The Look of Wine

The Look of Wine

 

In our previous post How to Taste Wine – Preparation,  we set the scene for some things to consider before you even pick up the glass. 

This week, we move on to the first of the senses we use – Sight 

The first thing we look for when picking up the glass is the wines clarity. This is vital. If there is cloudiness, there may be a problem. If its an older wine, it could just be sediment. If not, it could be a problem of re-fermentation or a bacterial problem. If there is a problem, it will be confirmed on the nose and / or the palate. 

There are forty shades of green as they say so you can be as creative as you want with the description of the wines colour. You also need to look at the intensity of the wine colour as this tells you a lot too. The best way of looking at the colour is to tilt the glass away from you at a 45 degree angle against a plain white background. This allows you look at the body colour of the wine and the graduation of colour towards and at the rim / edge of the wine. 

In general, 

Reds get paler with age. The colour of the wine is influenced by the grape variety and how it is made. Reds can range in rim colour from Purple – Ruby – Garnet – Tawny – Brown as they age. 

White wines tend to have a broad watery rim. They can have a greenish tinge in youth and can go all the way to a fairly deep yellow. If its a young white wine and it is showing a yellow colour, it may have received some oak treatment. 

Thinking back to my WSET studies, we classified the wine colours as follows 

Red Wines : Purple – Ruby – Garnet – Tawny 

White Wines : Colourless – Lemon Green – Lemon – Gold – Amber – Brown 

Rose Wines : Pink – Salmon – Orange 

Swirl the wine in the glass and look at how it coats the side of the glass. This produces ‘tears’ or ‘legs’ and gives an indication of alcohol content or residual sugar levels. Sweet / dessert wines can produce an oily effect on the sides of the glass. 

Are there bubbles ? Some white wines will have tiny bubbles (petillant) intentionally. This is a little CO2 left in the wine to keep it fresh. 

So there you go. Next week we move on to smelling the wine. Some say that this is the most important of all the senses where wine tasting is concerned. Or as the great Gary Vaynerchuk likes to call it – “The Sniffy Sniff”

17
Feb
10

Riesling – nope, its not just sweet wine that smells of petrol

By karwigwines Leave a Comment
Categories: Education, General Musings, Grape Varieties, Riesling and Wines
Riesling

Ahhhh Riesling

 

Last week we started our blog series of what aromas and tastes to look for in different grape varieties. We began with the wonderful Sauvignon Blanc.  

This week, we are sticking with white grape varieties and are talking about one of my personal favourites, Riesling !  

Here are some things to look for when picking up your next glass . . . . .  

Riesling

  • Green Apple
  • Herbal
  • Mineral
  • Flint
  • Minerality
  • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Citrus
  • Rose / Jasmine / Floral
  • Honeysuckle
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Passionfruit
  • Guava
  • Tropical Fruit
  • Kerosene
  • Petrol

   

If any of you Riesling fans out there want to add to this list, leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.  

The next part of our “How To Taste Wine” blog series will be posted later this week so stay tuned.  

Till then, enjoy sniffing and slurping your Rieslings, be they from Germany, Austria, France, Australia, New Zealand or whereever ! You will find a lovely selection here

12
Feb
10

I Don’t Know Much, but I Know I Love You! : An Ode to Wine by @Grayzie

By karwigwines 5 Comments
Categories: Friends, General Musings, Grape Varieties, Guest Blogger, South Africa and Wines
In the true spirit of Valentines Day, Grace Cunningham aka @grayzie shares her thoughts on loving wine. For anyone who does not know @grayzie, she best describes herself on her Twitter profile . . . . .
Chocolate eating, wine drinking, rugby watching shoe maniac recently moved to Cork.
So thanks and over to you Grayzie
My philosophy, when it comes to wine, is to keep it simple and fun. I’m not an expert, I don’t have a cellar and could have anything from a €7 to a €50 bottle in the house. I am an amateur enthusiast and have a limited knowledge, but to me that does not matter. I enjoy knowing a little and learning a little. The amount you know about wine in general, or a particular wine, does not mean you enjoy it more or less than an expert. For me, the most important thing is that wine brings people together. I love people, and I love wine; the two together is the perfect combination.
Where do I start when describing why I love wine? I love sitting down to dinner with good friends sharing a glass or two. I love the excitement on Christmas day or an occasion when opening a special wine. Will it taste exceptional? Will we all like it? I love pairing wine with food and getting it right. I love the pop of a champagne or sparkling wine cork, as it usually means a celebration or happy event. I love that I can drink vintage Champagne with a burger and chips, or a cheap and cheerful Chardonnay with Caspian Sea Beluga Caviar!
I love how the flavour of a wine evolves in my mouth from the first sip to the last drop. It is just such an amazing journey. I love how a wine can change as it opens up. Wine is a product of the landscape. Grape, soil and climate and all of nature’s gifts collude to ensure that no taste is duplicated from vineyard to vineyard, or even from year to year. I am captivated by the concept of terroir, of wine dynasties, the Widows of Champagne and even the banal topic of bottle closures. I find the whole wine industry fascinating.
On holidays in Stellenbosch, South Africa a few years ago my husband and I visited a wine farm recommended by the owner of the guesthouse we stayed at. He gave us the directions, and off we went ready to taste. We arrived at the gate and had to be buzzed in. We entered a beautiful pristine farmyard and were greeted by a sheepdog on opening the car door. We entered the tasting room, overlooking the rows of vines and mountains of Franschhoek. We chatted, tasted and learned. Our host played rugby and had been to Limerick (where we are from) to play, much to our delight. We purchased some wine and headed off into the Stellenbosch valley for further delights. We only opened the last bottle recently. The memories of our holiday came flooding back, especially that evening spent chatting in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. At that point, the quality of the wine was almost irrelevant, as it had fulfilled its goal of reliving memories and happy times in a very special place.
Is there a better way to end your day than with a glass of wine? So what if the wine has aromas of freshly cut grass, petrol, pencil shavings, or cat pee! So what if it scored 95 Parker points; just drink the wine you like, and enjoy it!
Amen to all that we say.
Enjoy Valentines Day everyone from the Karwig Wines matchmaking team.
Helping people fall in love with their perfect wine for the last 30 years.
27
Jan
10

Yes Miles, I am drinking Merlot

By karwigwines Leave a Comment
Categories: General Musings, Merlot, Uncategorized and Wines
Merlot

Merlot

Hands up who has seen the movie “Sideways” ? Pretty much everyone. Remember that great scene where Miles and Jack are outside the restaurant, before meeting their lovely dinner companions for the evening. It goes like this . . . . .

Jack : If they want to drink Merlot, we’re drinking Merlot.
Miles : No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f@#!ing Merlot!

This scene is responsible, in the opinion of many experts for the decline in popularity of Merlot, particurally in the US. It’s even been given a name – “The Merlot Effect”. Decanter magazine ran an article on this a couple of years ago. It was very interesting. On the flip side, the movie helped to send sales of Pinot Noir through the roof. Ironically the movies in-joke was that Miles’ prized bottle of wine was a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc. Whats one of the dominant grape varieties in it ? You guessed it. Merlot.

Merlot, like Chardonnay (Bridget Jones gets the rap here) has had a hard time of it of late. And its not fair really. Merlot has an awful lot going on for it.

New World style Merlot is usually medium to full bodied and bursting with plum and blackberry flavours. The tannins are soft and it is very easy to drink. Its intense purple colour is a thing of beauty. It normally is right up there in terms of alcohol and when its well made (and there are lots of examples) the fruit, tannins and acidity can handle it. Merlot handles oak really well too, giving it a lovely toasty aspect.

Bordeaux, its most famous location, can offer different styles. It can do the above style very well but also a style that is more red fruits (raspberry and strawberry) than black fruits. The grapes are sometimes harvested earlier resulting in lighter body wines with less alcohol and higher acidity than their New World style counterparts. Some examples can veer towards a greener, more vegetal expression. They are brilliant and complex when they are made by good producers.

Merlot as a single varietal has so much to offer. It is often blended with other varieties, most notably with Cabernet Sauvignon and the results can be sublime.

Merlot is very adaptable. Its grown all around the world. France (notably St Emilion and Pomerol) [2/3 of the worlds Merlot is grown in France], Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Argentina and Chile to name a few.  Each country produces its own style of Merlot, from reserved, complex versions to full on fruit bombs and everything in between.

Merlot is one of the great ones. So if its been a while, please revisit this wonderful variety. Its just too good to ignore.

Yes, even you Miles.

P.s        You might like to check out this DVD if you are feeling the Merlove

14
Jan
10

Love wine ? My thoughts on the important stuff

By karwigwines Leave a Comment
Categories: General Musings
The Guilhem Trinity !
 
I love working in the wine trade. It’s wonderful working at something you have a passion for. There is one small downside though. People rarely bring me wine anymore.
 
I’ve spoken to other people in the trade and they experience the same. Why ? Well perhaps people think that as we are surrounded by wine all day, it is pointless bringing a bottle. But more than that, it could be that people feel we will be “judging” the wine. People hand over a bottle saying “its probably terrible” or “you probably wont like this”. Thats not the way I think. I appreciate people taking the time (and expense) to bring a bottle and I LOVE trying all kinds of different wines. So I want to air some of my thoughts on what I feel is really important to remember.
 
Wine is fun ! Enjoy your wine. This is the most important point. Wine is one of the most wonderful things in the world. You dont need to know anything about wine to enjoy it. I always encourage people to try new wines and if possible, read a little on the subject. It certainly increased my enjoyment and continues to do so. Wine is fun ! Worth saying it twice I think.
 
Wine does not need to be complicated. I love reading about wine and learning new things. Maybe thats not for you. We can both enjoy the same wine. Wine is after all about enjoyment. It is there to be shared with friends, great food, laughter and conversation. Enjoy wine on whatever level you want.
 
There is no such thing as right and wrong in wine. Lets take this scenario. I taste a wine and rate it highly. You try it and you dont rate it as highly. Thats perfectly ok. Its not that I am right and you are wrong or vice versa. Its that there is no right and wrong in terms of wine. We are BOTH right. 
 
Trust your own palate. Dont ever be intimidated by other wine drinkers, especially self declared wine experts. Your opinion is every bit as valid and important as anyone elses, whatever your level of wine experience. The real experts I have met over the years (that genuinely know the most about wine) would never “force” their own opinions on a wine onto another. They are interested in hearing others views and will respect them, whether they agree with them or not. If some wine snob tries to “bully” you at a tasting, ignore them. No true wine lover would act like that. They need to be ignored. Better still, if its your house, throw them out :-)
 
Taste widely. Its fun developing your tasting palate. And not just wines. Taste say, blackberries. Remember what they taste like. You will then be able to smell and taste blackberries in a wine. If you taste a wine and you think it tastes like one of your favourite childhood sweets, then say so. Thats perfectly ok. You dont have to stick to the traditional script. Dont believe me ? Check out Gary Vaynerchuk’s video wine reviews. And he is changing the wine world (with a little help from you and me) !
 
Finally, develop relationships with wine shops that care about their wine. Call in. Talk a little, maybe learn a little. Try something new. We love when people call in regularly. We get to know our customers better. We get to know what they like and it allows us to gently steer them down a wine road that they will love. Proper wine shops are fun, relaxed places. There is no pretence. We are simply there to help you choose a delicious wine that suits your mood, your palate and your pocket.
 
Hope to see you soon in Carrigaline
31
Oct
09

Welcome to the Karwig Wines Blog

By karwigwines Leave a Comment
Categories: General Musings

Welcome to the Karwig Wines Blog.

Its a first for us and over the coming days, weeks, months and years we plan to fill these pages with all kinds of wine related content.

Our plan is to publish regular blog posts and to cover a wide variety of topics.

So if you are interested in content like Grape Varieties, Wine Producers, Wine Regions, Wine Reviews, Wine Books, Food & Wine Matching and a whole host of other good stuff, then this is the place to come back to.

We hope that you will enjoy this blog for many years to come.

And remember,

Life Is Too Short To Drink Boring Wine ! 

Karwig Wines 


Because Life Is Too Short To Drink Boring Wine . . .

Karwig Wines are importers, wholesalers and retailers of selected and estate bottled wines from all over the world. Its all about the wine. We have one of the broadest selections of wine from quality Old World and New World producers.

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