This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking...

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator – This weekend was all about elegance and sophistication for me…well, as far as my wine selection goes in any case! I had popped in to town on Saturday to run a few errands and, as I always do when I’m in town, I dropped in to our retail shop on 47 South Street to say “Hi” to Kieran and Ally and find out how they were doing. As a result of this intended short interlude in my shopping duties however, Kieran forced me to go round to the deli with him where I ended up buying brie and blue cheese and pate treats! Then, he forced me back to the shop to buy a lovely wine to go with it all – Luigi Einaudi Langhe Rosso Micune 2009. This is a beautiful, extremely well-balanced Italian wine full of intense fruit flavours of plums and brambles with a hint of vanilla and exotic spices that makes for a robust yet very elegant wine, and one which stood up well to the rich flavours of the blue cheese and duck pate I had bought earlier that day - it was truly a taste sensation! I have to say, that it’s been a while since I have enjoyed any wine quite so much with a cheeseboard, but this really did prove to be an excellent choice. I also have to admit to having a serious liking for cheese so for now Kieran is off the hook for leading me astray!

Kieran German, Shop Manager –  Regular readers will know that when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, Mrs Kieran has a far more acute palate than I. So I shall defer to her review of Firefinch Sauvignon, which we enjoyed after cutting the grass this weekend past. “This is just like big juicy bits of chargrilled green pepper, just pulled off the barbecue”, said Mrs Kieran. She added nuance, discussing a slight smokiness and a zippy finish, but I can’t remember her exact words. She also suggested our friend Alex would love it, and I’m inclined to agree. So there you have it, a big thumbs up from the expert. If I could interject, I would say this comes from the same people who make Springfield Estate Life From Stone and I would recommend to fans of that excellent wine to give this a try.

Mark Powrie, Orders Team – This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking…Zorah `Karasì` Areni Noir 2011. I recently tried this at a wine tasting, and it was wonderful. The producer is using traditional methods infused with new-aged methods, and it was really interesting to speak to the producer. The grapes used are indigenous to Armenia and they produce a light wine, with a spicy nose and a longish finish. The 2010 vintage won a Decanter Bronze award in 2012 and I have high hopes for the 2011 vintage also. Coming into the good weather, I am hopeful that this little number will be at the top of many lists. This wine is a rare treat and an absolute bargain….