Hopefully the storms have passed and the worst of the winter weather is behind us. But as the nights draw in and the temperature drops here are a few warming drinks to get you into the winter mood. A mood for cosying up by a roaring fire with a drink to warm the heart as well as the body. So, put the feet up, relax and unwind. Its much nicer in doors.

We are big fans of hot toddies here in O’Briens but why not try out some mulled cider? Gently warm the cider and add a slice of orange studded with cloves a cinnamon stick for a little spice and you have one of the most aromatic and invigorating alcoholic drinks. Longueville Medium-Dry from Longueville house in county Cork is a great choice for this and you can pick it up on offer at 3 bottles for €10.

For those looking for a gentler winter warmer could do a lot worse than try some warm Sake. Sake is a Japanese rice wine made from polished rice fermented at low temperatures in a process similar to brewing. Heating sake mutes the bitterness and brings out the bolder and drier flavours for a smoother, rounder flavour and a rich aroma. Don’t heat up too much or you will lose the flavours. Serve it warm rather than hot at about 40 degrees. Choya Sake is a great easy drinker and a good introduction to the world of sake.

For a luxuriant winter warmer one has to turn to chocolate. You may have had a hot chocolate with a drop of brandy or rum but if you really want to get the fires burning try it with a dash of Tequila instead. Olmeca Tequila Reposado (on offer this month was €33.50 now €28.95) would be perfect for this. You may be surprised at how well the slightly sweet but smokey black pepper note works with chocolate. If you are feeling extra adventurous, try it with a pinch of cayenne pepper!

I hope you enjoy these winter warmer drinks. They are also the perfect drinks to enjoy while having the annual debate about ‘when does winter actually begin?’

Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on Tuesday 31^st October, please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

As the long weekend stretches out in front of me, I am looking forward to a few days relaxing at home and a couple of family gatherings around the dinner table with some comforting autumnal meals. But one thing is certain, the fire will be lit and a glass or two of wine will be enjoyed.

And at this time of year, with the clock going back, and the evenings drawing in, it’s time move on from the lighter wines of the summer months to richer whites and warming reds.

With this in mind, I have picked out below a selection of wines, all of which would be perfect for serving with the afore-mentioned comforting autumnal meals, but all are equally well-suited for sipping while sitting in an easy chair by the fair.

Starting with the whites, I have chosen two Chardonnays, the first Domaine Begude Terroir '11300' (€13.95 down from €17.95) is from the Pyrenees' cool climate region of Limoux in the Languedoc. It is subtly-oaked, so notes of butter & nut complement the delicious pear & lemon fruit.

Domaine Begude's owners, Catherine and James Kinglake amongst their vines.

My next choice is true Californian classic, with beautifully ripe tropical and citrus flavours are delicately intertwined with aromas of vanilla, honey, & toasted oak on the long, lingering finish, it should come as no surprise that Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay (€19.95 down from €22.95) is the best-selling wine in the USA.

Back to France now for the first of the reds, Ferraton Crozes-Hermitage la Matiniere (€17.95 down from €19.95) is a seriously-classy Syrah with a lively dark raspberry and violet character with a twist of pepper and spice.

Ferraton's organically-managed Syrah vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage.

Next up is Malbec, a grape whose popularity among Irish wine-drinkers continues to rise. From Mendoza in Argentina, Aruma (€14.95 down from €18.45) is a really-beautiful unoaked example so the focus is on fruit by the bucket load with shiny black pastille and plum augmented by some mocha notes.

My last choice, Altos de Luzon (€14.95 down from €19.95) comes from the sun-drenched vineyards of the Jumilla region of South-East Spain. Perfectly-ripe grapes and generous oak provide for dark-berry fruit with notes of liquorice & vanilla on a silk-smooth palate.

Luzon's vineyards are located in the sun-drenched region of Jumilla

Best of all, we are offering 10% back onto your loyalty card for all wine purchased right up until 10.00pm on B/H Monday so why not pop into your local store and pick up a bottle or two.

*Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on October 30th, 2017, please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

It is just three weeks now until our Winter Wine Festival, and as final preparations are underway we are very excited about it here at O’Briens H.Q. With over 60 wineries visiting Dublin for a fantastic weekend of wine, this will be our biggest wine festival yet.

Of course, we have plenty of our favourite wineries returning, many of them visit regularly, and it goes without saying that without the support of the visiting winemakers an event of this scale would simply not be possible.

We are always especially appreciative of the expense and effort put in by our winemakers who have to travel the furthest and I’m delighted to say that we are welcoming two first-time attendees from Australia this November.

Domaine Naturaliste Owner/Winemaker, Bruce Dukes

The Margaret River is cradled between, the Indian & Great Southern Oceans. Here following sustainable farming practices owner winemaker Bruce Dukes of Domaine Naturaliste makes wines with a ‘sense of place’ vine by wine and berry by berry he coaxes the best from his vineyards.

His Discovery Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (€16.95 down from €18.95) blend is delightfully complex & layered, the Sauvignon offers aromas of gooseberry and lychee, with the Semillon delivering stone-fruit and grapefruit notes.

While his Cabernet Sauvignon (€19.95) has scents of currants, plums and cedar, supported by cloves and vanilla. The palate is structured and has flavours of mocha and blackcurrants.

Kangarilla Road Owner/Winemaker, Kevin O’Brien

Owner/Winemaker Kevin O’Brien’s Kangarilla Road winery is located in the McLaren Vale, ‘Kangarilla’ is an aboriginal word meaning a place with abundant resources. The vineyards are located on multiple sites and ancient geologies giving our wines complexity. Farming sustainably, using small batch hands-on techniques, Kevin makes wines with natural fruit expression, reflective of site and season.

Kevin’s Street Cred Shiraz (€16.95) was made using grapes sourced from several vineyards throughout McLaren Vale's sub-regions, and was aged in French and American oak, yielding a wonderfully savoury wine with juicy blackcurrant and black cherry fruit with hints of spice on the lively lingering finish.

While we may all be familiar with Aussie Shiraz, the next wine is a little more left field, Terzetto (€17.95) a curious mix of three Italian varieties which gives perfumed tea-brack raisin and cherry on the nose, with palate of prunes, cinnamon and chalky tannins.

The Winter Wine Festival hits Cork Thursday, November 9^th and then moves on to Dublin for Friday & Saturday, November 10^th  & 11^th . If you would like to meet Bruce Dukes of Domaine Naturaliste or Kevin O’Brien’s son Charlie who will be flyiong the flag for Kangarilla Road, drop into your local store or follow this link to purchase tickets online, proceeds from the ticket sales go towards our charity partner The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation and Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

*Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on October 30^th 2017, please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

Autumn leaves are turning to amber and red, which of course got me thinking about red ale. But what is a red ale? It’s all down to the used of kilned malts such as the aptly named Caramel malt, which lends the beer its red colour, however the colour is, and ought to be, secondary to the primary purpose of creating a great tasting beer.

There is a whole range of beers that are encompassed within the ‘red/amber ale’ category ranging from delicate and hoppy to robust and toasty, and almost everything in between. The use of different malt types produce flavours from delicate red fruits to bolder toasty tones. Add to this different hop varieties and fermentation methods and the world of red ales becomes quite large.

So, here is just a few picks from our range of what you might call ‘red ales’.

Franciscan Well Rebel Red is perhaps what many would consider a traditional Irish red ale, soft and approachable with some smooth caramel tones and a touch of sweetness. You can try this out in our 4 for €10 offer.

Also in our 4 for €10 can offer is Rascals Big Hop Red, this takes a different approach creating what is often called an ‘American Amber.’ Think red ale but hopped up with fruity varieties of New World hops. Here Rascals have balanced the sweet caramel malt with a big hit of American hops adding a citrus and pine flavour and aroma.

Dialling down on the hops but in no way losing the flavour and balance is Dot Brew’s Amber Ale. This is a soft, and balanced session ale where the subtle caramel sweetness is lifted with delicate tropical fruit and the lightest hint of pine.

Carlingford Brewing again takes the red ale style in a very different direction with their Taaffes Red. Here its all about big toasty malt flavours with caramel on the midpalate and red fruits balanced with earthy hop notes.

Now for something completely different! We do like our red ales in Ireland but of course we are not alone here. The Flemish region of Belgium has a long tradition of brewing red ales albeit quite different to traditional Irish red. Flanders red ales are sour ales aged in cask before blending with younger ales. Expect complex fruitiness reminiscent of red wine, alongside rich malt and an unmistakable sour tang. Perhaps the most famous is Rodenback Grand Cru, well worth checking out.

As they say, you can have any colour you want, as long as its red!

Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on 31^st October 2017  please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

This week I’m very happy to introduce a new brewery to Ireland, Birrificio Del Doge, hailing from the Treviso area of Italy. The story of how the brewery came about is a familiar one when a pair of craft beer fans, the Giuman brothers, decided to try their hand at brewing their own. After years of perfecting their recipes these homebrewing enthusiasts decided to take the plunge and in 2013 they took it to the next step and opened their own brewery with the help of professional brewer Federico Casarin. Their philosophy for brewing and beer styles takes a leaf out of the German tradition with attention to detail in the brewing process and a focus on ingredient selection, such as their pride in their local spring water.

Earlier this year they added a new line of beers with their Doge People range with a focus on easy drinking but flavoursome beers. First up they have two quite different lagers with the smooth, light and biscuity Take Easy Helles lager and the more robust malt driven Keep Up Vienna lager with caramel sweetness and a dry finish. Their Now You IPA is very easy drinking, smooth and fruity with a light resinous finish. While their Belgian style golden ale Go Over is full, soft and rounded with honeyed fruit and a touch of sweetness. You can try out the full range for yourself as they are current on offer for a superb price of 5 for €10.

Salute!

Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on 31^st October 2017, please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

Visiting the Wines From Spain Trade Fair earlier this week, I was reminded of just how diverse and exciting the range of wines produced in Spain is. Also on show at the fair was a delicious selection of tapas, Iberico ham and other cured meats.

Given that Tapas is now one of Irelands’ favourite dining styles, I thought I would use this week’s blog to highlight some Spanish wines perfect for matching with these tasty treats.

I am taking it as given that most of us are familiar not just with the wines of Rioja but also those made from Albariño, so for my selection, I have gone with some lesser-known regions and grape varieties.

To start I am going with a white from the Monterrei D.O., which is the youngest Galician Designation of Origin, is located in South-Eastern part of the region with a continental climate, as opposed to the maritime climate of Rías Baixas, where most Albariño comes from, this means the wines are not quite as dry and lean as Albariño. Alma de Blanco Godello (€11.95 down from €14.95) is a great example of this style, it is a wonderfully fresh lively wine with aromas and flavours of green apple, pineapple, and lime zest but with surprising depth, richness and minerality. Serve with seared scallops for a match made in Heaven!

Seared Scallops would be perfect with Alma de Blanco Godello

Staying in Galicia, my next choice is a bit of a mouthful in more ways than one, Pazo do Mar Treixadura (€16.95) is from the Ribeiro D.O. Once you’ve figured out how to pronounce it (tray-shah-DOO-rah is pretty close) you will find that you have in your glass a wine with a classic cool climate fruit profile predominantly Green Apple and Citrus, but with nice underlying stone fruit and floral notes, the finish is long and refreshingly dry. I would pair this wine with a Seafood Paella.

A classic seafood paella would be the perfect match for Paz do Mar Treixadura

On to the reds, my first choice Gran Volante, (€9.95 down from €14.95) is a blend of old vine Garnacha from Aragon, old vine Alicante Bouschet and Tempranillo from the Alforins area in inland Valencia and old vine Monastrell from Murcia. Made by Scottish wine-maker, Norrel Robertson MW, who has been making wine in Spain for 15 years. (Norrel also puts together the blend for Porta 6) this is quintessentially Spanish with rich, dark fruit and notes of spice & Mediterranean herbs, subtle vanilla on the palate & smooth supple tannins. A plate of Iberico ham would set this off nicely.

Norrel Robertson MW, is one of only three Masters of Wine residing in Spain

My last choice is an old favourite of mine, Altos de Luzon (€14.95 down from €19.95) is made with a blend of old vine Monastrell, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the sun-drenched vineyards of the Jumilla region in South -East Spain. These perfectly-ripe grapes and generous oak provide for dark-berry fruit with notes of liquorice & vanilla on a smooth palate in this Stellar Spanish Red!  Rich and robust, this can stand up to fuller-flavoured tapas dishes such as Chorizo al Vino.

Luzon's vineyards are located in the sun-drenched vineyards of the Jumilla

Beer is usually grouped into different groups by the type of yeast used. The two primary groups are ale and lager. A third group is a bit of a catch all for beers brewed using other yeast, often described as ‘wild yeast’, responsible for sour beers. But back to ale and lager; ale is made with ‘top fermenting’ yeast at warm temperatures while lagers are made with ‘bottom fermenting’ yeast at cooler temperatures. But of course things are never that simple, enter ‘hybrid beers’. Beers that don’t comfortably sit in either camp. One such outlier is Kölsch.

Kölsch is a style that takes a little of both, being brewed with top fermenting ale yeast but then conditioned at colder temperature like a lager. The cold conditioning gives the beer a dry and crisp finish that one would expect from a lager while the ale yeast delivers subtle fruity aromas normally associated with ale. The style is all about subtlety and balance with light fruit tones sometimes described as vinous (grapey) in character, light sweet malt and decidedly dry finish. Smooth yet crisp and very easy drinking.

A traditional serve from a Kobes

Unusually for a beer style, since 1997 Kölsch has enjoyed protected status under European law, similar to Champagne or more recently Waterford blaas. Only beers brewed in the Cologne area can be label as Kölsch . Outside of this area, and indeed in Ireland, beers of this style are often labelled ‘Kolsch-style’. In Cologne  Kölsch is served in traditional Brauhaus in a 0.2 litre glass, a tall, narrow, cylindrical glass called a stange. Here the servers, called a Kobes, continue to swap out empty glasses with fresh beer unless told otherwise by placing a beer mat over your glass.

If you would like to try out this style at home, without the Kobes serve, then pick up the traditional Früh Kölsch our German sale at 4 for €10. Or you can pick up some great Irish ‘Kolsch style’ brews like 9 White Deer Stag Saor Kolsch, Wicklow Wolf Arcadia Kolsch and  12 Acres Single Malt Lager.

Prost

Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on 31^st October 2017, please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

As our Winter Wine Festival is now just a little over five weeks away, we’re all getting very excited about it here in O’Briens!

With over 60 wineries visiting Dublin for a fantastic weekend of wine tasting on Friday & Saturday, November 10^th & 11, this will be our biggest wine festival yet with over 250 wines to try and I firmly believe it will also be the best we have held. Australia, New Zealand, France, Chile, Germany, Spain, USA and Italy are just some of the countries who you will have the opportunity to explore through chatting with our winemakers and tasting their eclectic wine ranges. On Thursday, November 9^th we’ll also be holding our Wine Festival in Cork for the night only with over 25 wineries and 100 wines to taste.

Of course, we have plenty of our favourite wineries returning, many of them visit regularly,  but we also have some first-time attendees!

We’ve changed things up a little this year as each customer will also receive a complimentary Tipperary Crystal wine glass to take home with them.

Drop into your local store or follow this link to purchase tickets online, proceeds from the ticket sales go towards our charity partner The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation and Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

October may seem a little early in the year to be looking back, but everything in the world of wine seems to be coming a bit earlier this year, with many regions in Europe recording their earliest ever harvest this 2017 vintage.  Also by now, practically all the wine buying is done and almost all the new wines are already on the shelves.

Led by our wine buyer Lynne Coyle MW, the three of us on the wine team have tasted in excess of 3,000 wines this year.

To say that the selection process is stringent would be an understatement, from this number, just over 70 wines have made the grade.

Needless to say, we are very happy with all the wines chosen, but there are far too many to detail here so I have highlighted just a few of my favourites below, if you would like to see a more comprehensive list, you should check out the New Arrivals page

Albarino

To start my selection I am going a wine from North-West Spain, which should need no introduction, I am of course talking about Albariño, which in just a few short years has shot from being a niche-wine to its current position as one of Ireland’s favourite white wines.

Follas Novas which is one of the newest additions to the range is a beautifully aromatic Albariño with floral notes, peach, pear, and lemon with a bone-dry palate with a refreshingly-zesty citrus edge to the finish. Albariños generally work very well with all manner of seafood dishes, and a fresh and zesty example like this would be great served with some native oysters now that they are back in season.  (€14.95 down from €18.95 for October)

My next choice, Myburgh Bros. Sauvignon Blanc, is made by the multi-award-winning South African winery M.A.N. Vintners, using a blend of fruit from across the Western Cape; ripe fruit characters coming from the warmer Agter-Paarl, and freshness from the cooler coastal regions of Elgin & Franschhoek.

This is a smooth & aromatic Sauvignon, made in a ripe, yet approachable style, yet far from being simple, 11% Semillon is added to the blend for weight and complexity, with additional complexity coming thanks to three months ageing on the lees.  This type of Sauvignon can stand up very well to punchier dishes such as a Thai Green Chicken Curry. (€9.95 down from €14.95 for October)

El Salvaje Vineyard

My next choice is a red wine is from the Lingenfelder family who have been Wine-Growers in Pfalz region of Germany for fourteen generations, firmly in it for the long-haul, they practise sustainable grape farming. Their Fox Label Dornfelder is a light-red which shares many similarities with Pinot Noir; perfumed raspberry and cherry fruit, savoury undertones with light tannins and fresh acidity which makes it a great match for Roast Pork. (€15.95)

The last wine in the line-up comes from Argentina, where the High altitude, Uco valley sub-region of Mendoza is fast gaining a reputation as the home of Argentina’s most elegant Malbecs. El Salvaje is a wonderfully-perfumed Malbec, floral & spicy on the nose, with deep dark berry fruit on the palate, perfectly balanced by the surprisingly fresh finish. This wine is crying out for a char-grilled Rib-eye steak. (€19.95)

Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on 30th October 2017,  please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.

In 1810 the citizens of Munich were invited to festivities to celebrate the royal marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. The celebration was held on the fields in front of the gates of the city, named Theresienwiese (Theresa's fields) in honour of the Princess ever since. Horse races held in the presence of the Royal family brought the festivities to a close, with the decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year giving rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest. While the horse races are no longer held, the small beer stands that served refreshments in those early days have certainly grown with over six million visitors to the event each year.

The traditional style of Oktoberfest beer is a Märzen. Before refrigeration it was nearly impossible to brew beer during Germany’s hot summer months as it could easily become infected during brewing. In fact, due to a law created in 1553 it was illegal to brew between 24^th of April and 28^th of September. To maintain the supply of beer a stronger and hoppier beer was brewed in March (März in German) and stored in cool cellars over the summer months before being brought up in August or September.

The introduction of pale malt revolutionized brewing

The Märzen style as it was then would have been quite different from today’s understanding of the style and perhaps closer to a Dunkel or Schwarzbier, a dark lager with a roasted character. It was not until improvements in English malting technology brought lighter kilned malts, thereby ushering in paler beers.

Having studied malting techniques in England, Gabriel Sedlmayr II, owner of the Spaten brewery, developed lighter Munich malt and from it the modern Märzen style. His pale Märzen was first sold at the Oktoberfest in 1872 and its popularity soon lead other brewers to follow suit. Spaten Oktoberfest still retains ‘Ur-Märzen’, original Märzen, on its label today. Try Spaten Oktoberfest for yourself, currently on offer at 5 for €10.

Oktoberfest is Germany's largest 'Volksfest', combining beer festival and traveling funfair

We also have a range of other styles on offer in our German sale, starting 27th of September, with a variety of great beers on offer at 4 for €10 or 3 for €9. So, celebrate your own Oktoberfest by filling your stein with a range of beer styles from dark beer like  classic Helles lagers like Weihenstephaner Helle and wheat beers like Paulaner to modern hoppy IPAs such as And Union Friday.

Prost!

Please note prices are correct at time of publishing, these offers will end on 31^st October 2017, please check our website or stores for the most up to date pricing.