The World of Australian Chardonnay – Presented by Jane Boyce MW
Wine Australias John Mc Donnell organised a world of Australian Chardonnay for the 16th September 2008.
The premise behind the idea was to show people that there is more to Australian Chardonnay then the super ripe, over oaked Chardonnays that were hugely popular in Ireland until recent times.
Check back for my tasting notes from this event, which threw up some interesting and disappointing wines.  Continue reading »

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Jansz Premium Non Vintage Cuvee 
Now this is a sparkling wine with some serious pedigree – famous Champagne House Louis Roederer purchased Jansz in 1986. Roederer recently sold the winery Yalumba itself being one of the most famous family owned wine companies in Australia.  
With the Premium Non Vintage, winemaker Natalie Fryar has carefully blended fruit from a number of cool climate locations in Tasmania.  Continue reading »

 
The Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz NV
 
 
No you are not seeing things – the label does say Sparkling Shiraz. I should start by saying that this style of wine may not be everybody’s cup of Guinness however it is hugely popular here at robertfranciswine.ie
 
The Woop Woop winery [honestly that is their name] is based mostly in South Australia, with some of the fruit for this wine coming from Maclaren Vale and Langhorne Creek.  Continue reading »

 
New to Robertfranciswine – Wine List Reviews
Most recent addition to robertfranciswine where I will be reviewing local wine lists. The idea behind this section is to take the stress out of what bottle to pick. Let me do the hard work so you dont have to, as I trawl through the local wine lists. At the end of each review piece I will put forward my recommendations for you to try.  Continue reading »

I have started a new company called Simply Zesty which does online PR and social media. We blog about social media every day on the main blog covering subjects like Twitter and facebook as well as doing video interviews like this one with Jon Snow. You can check out some of the services that we provide here and the clients that we represent here. If you need social media for your business contact us here.  Continue reading »

I have started a new company called Simply Zesty which does online PR and social media. We blog about social media every day on the main blog covering subjects like Twitter and facebook as well as doing video interviews like this one with Jon Snow. You can check out some of the services that we provide here and the clients that we represent here. If you need social media for your business contact us here.  Continue reading »

After a fantastic day with ‘Stories from the sea and the soil’ I had enough time to go to the Cheese & Wine Tasting in the Food & Wine Market. I was early (ensures the best seat and a chat with the host so I could have a snoop around. The shop itself is smallish but very well laid out. They open at 10am and offer fantastic homemade food and wines. Some tables in the centre make it easy to spend your lunchtime in there.  Continue reading »

Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
This weeks picks from Tomas Clancy are
To Try:  Tim Adams, Semillon, Clare Valley 2007, €16 from Tesco (90 points)

plenty of expensive oak and hefty extraction has this semillon bursting with apricot, peanut, mango and honey that might just bring in some converts”

To Buy: La Marca, Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOC NV, €15.49 from Molloys Liquor Stores in Leinster and online at Molloys.com (89 points)

” This prosecco is a cut above the average offerings, with supple lime notes over a wash of fine minerality and good acidity.  Continue reading »

This has to be one of my favorite Turkish street foods.  I got the great opportunity to watch how they are made, not out of choice, I might add!  We had ordered 2 of the pizza’s at this little restaurant right beside the local mosque in Fethiye, and the owner spotted me taking pictures around the place earlier.  He quickly dragged me in to the kitchen, full of pride and instructed me to take pictures of the pizza’s being made!  Continue reading »

I have been playing on the Nintendo Wii for the last 8 hours with only the odd brief hiatus for a toilet break or to eat, so my hand has now formed some sort of claw shape making typing some what challenging. I have to admit I have had a pretty unproductive day, although I was up at 8am which is unusual for me at the weekend, so I felt I had to redeem myself and tell you about the chutney I made with my abysmal tomato crop this year.  Continue reading »

 
Waterwheel Memsie Bendigo Shiraz/Cabernet/Malbec 2006

Sourcing their fruit from the Bendigo Region of Victoria approx 150 Km northwest of Melbourne, Memsie represents the entry level wine for Waterwheels Ron and Peter Cummings. Establishing their vineyard in the 1970’s they have recently earned huge success for their catalogue of wines.
The Memsie red is a blend of Shiraz [87%], Cabernet [7%] and Malbec [6%]. This is a fruit bomb, hedonistic, wine that is rich, lush and powerful.  Continue reading »

Dr. Wagner Saarburger Rausch Riesling 2005

Don’t let the title put you off, Germany produces some of the best low alcohol wines in the world. The fruit for this Riesling is sourced from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer which refers to a collection of vineyards on the Mosel and its tributaries the Saar and the Ruwer. From the 2007 vintage, which was a cracker in Germany, only the word Mosel will appear on the label.
 

Wine has a pale lemon water colour, with pretty solid aromatics.  Continue reading »

I usually cook with French beer and then use the tiny bottles they serve it in for yeast propagation or as the perfect nip bottle for strong beer. I’m not sure of any greater insult to throw at a brewery but it’s often hard to find anything good at all to say about the average French beer.  Continue reading »

I’m delighted to announce that we’ll shortly be welcoming to Cork two gentlemen whose wineries have embraced blogging and the related ways of reaching new customers.  There’s some wine already in the post from them on its way to Bubble Brothers.  Continue reading »

Fratelli Barba Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC “Colle Morino” 2006
Nice purple black coloured wine – almost Ribena concentrate like. Really nice colour, hugely inviting.
Fresh and clean wine on the nose. Cherries with some sourness, blackberries and some pepper. On the palate it is the black fruits that really hit you first. The fruit is soft but not overly rich. It is much more old world ripe, lighter and savoury then a new world fruit bomb.  Continue reading »

Irish Times – John Wilson
This week John Wilson focuses on the fabulous wines from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy.  Continue reading »

My parents, sister and her boyfriend were on holiday recently in a favourite place of ours – Gran Canaria – and they came back with a few little gifts, which included a big toblerone (which has vanished already), a bracelet for me, a photo album, some seatbelt covers for my new car and a lovely little box of saffron!  Continue reading »

I met Matteo in the O’Briens World of Wine tent at Taste of Dublin back in April.
A real gent – here’s an interview he did with Tastoria.com.  Continue reading »

Phew, it’s been a very busy few weeks for me and I’m finally getting round to some baking and of course blogging.
I learnt a few lessons this week, the first being don’t bake when you’re tired, as you will make mistakes! This happened making Viennese Fingers. They are a buttery, shortbread type biscuit originating from…you’ve guessed it… Austria.  Continue reading »

Brennans published their autumn class schedule…read more. It seems that Gary Masterson from the former Fire & Ice Cafe in Midleton is the new head teacher in Brennans. I had the pleasure of taking one of his classes last year and he is very knowledgeable and funny. He is into healthy but yummy food.  Continue reading »