New Wine Tasted:

RABL GRUNER VELTLINER 2010

This is the first new wine we have received in store from Austria, and i have been looking forward to trying it since it arrived, as to the best of my knowledge i have never tried Austrian wine.

Produced by Weinut Rabl, and comes from the Kamptal region in lower Austria



The nose was very interesting with hints of fresh green apples and a little pear. On the palate there is a strong sense of tropical fruit mixed with a little spicy note and it has a lengthily fresh finish with just a slight tang of acidity.

Definitely a wine for food, would be a great compliment to Asian food and some meatier fish.

As a first Austrian white tried this was a very pleasant surprise and i can see myself drinking this again.

Tuesday 17th April

As part of our expanding range of none french wines at work we had a tasting session with one of new suppliers on Tuesday morning.
Our company have been very good at organising these tasting recently and they have been very enjoyable, not only to taste the new ranges we are getting but to taste good wines alongside other managers, some of who are very knowledgeable and i learn a lot from them.
The tasting session was with McKinley, they are a restaurant, pub and retail supplier which means their wines are not found in supermarkets, which is always a bonus!!

It was a small enough tasting, 4 whites and 3 reds but that wasn't a bad thing because we weren't as rushed as other tastings when trying to fit in a lot of wines i a small period of time, which also allowed the guy from the supplier running the tasting to give us a little more insight and background on the wines and the vineyards they come from.

The first of the whites tasted was from South Africa, the Rooiberg Classic White 2011.
This is a Sauvignon/Chenin blend. A dry white wine, fresh and clean, with some citrus notes. Well balanced with a fresh, zesty finish, a perfect everyday easy-drinking white.

Second out was Lake Chalice Sauvignon Blanc 2011 form Marlborough, New Zealand.
This wine is produced in quite small amounts, only about 50,000 cases a year of which only about 1000 make it to the UK so it is a rarer wine that deserves a little try.
The nose was fresh and had strong hints of tropical fruit. This wine was beautifully fresh , dry and had a nice level of acidity. hints of gooseberry and a lovely clean subtly finish that lingers just enough. A great wine for a sunny afternoon when treating yourself or enjoying a light salad. More than a match for Cloudy Bay in my opinion.

Next was, and staying in New Zealand was the Alpha Domus The Pilot Chardonnay 2008.
This chardonnay has spent 6 months in oak so should hold some nice Burgundy characteristics. Great nose with hints of oak, wood, and toasted brioche. Fresh on the palate, with a nice balance of cream, oak and acidity and a lingering finish, definitely a great chardonnay.

And for the final white we venture to Chile for the Tamaya Winemakers Selection Chardonnay 2010 from the Limari Valley.
A blend of oak and steel fermented grapes. A very fresh light nose, no hint of those oak fermented grapes in there at all. Clean fresh mineral taste with just a hint of honey and a long lingering finish that leaves you wanting more, a nice alternative to the oaky chardonnays.


And then came the reds.......................

First up and we are back in South Africa for the Rooiberg selected Red 2009 form the Robertson Valley.
This was a pleasant slightly fruity red, ripe berry's on the nose soft tannins and some nice fruit, mostly berry with a hint of plum. Like its white counterpart this a easy drinking everyday red, probably bet enjoyed with some food.

Next up, Aplha Domus The Pilot Cabernet/Merlot 2009 from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Although it states Cab/Merlot mix we were informed that it contained some Malbec and Cabernet Franc too, so this hinted at a Bordeaux style!
Lots of ripe black and blue berry's on the nose, some plum too. Soft subtle fruit flavours, very elegant style with a good finish, a little less fruity than some Bordeaux wines but no less pleasant. Good alternative to Bordeaux if something different is what you are after.

Last up and we are back in Chile for the Tamaya Reserva Syrah 2009, once again from the Limari Valley.
Like some Rhone valley wines this has a little Viognier in there and is aged 11 months in oak. Big fresh ripe raspberry nose, with equally big fruit flavours, lots of fresh berry's raspberry for the most part, wit a subtle finish. Again this is a good alternative for fans of the Rhone Valley wines such as Crozes Hermitage.



And that was it, there was one more wine that we were meant to taste but he didn't have any so he has promised a bottle for the shop.
Overall it was a good tasting, with some nice wines, i look forward to drinking some of them again.

The one that stood out the most for me was the Tamaya Winemakers Selection Chardonnay 2010, and while i am huge fan of oaky chardonnays this fresh mineral alternative really surprised me.

Had a nice afternoon at work on Saturday just gone, we had some wines to sample as part of our few Spanish range we are getting in-store.

So we had a little in-store tasting, for us and for customers. Being Easter Saturday and considering the area in which the shop is located, it wasn't a very busy day but we put 2 bottles on tasting none the less.

Before that me and my colleague tried an Australian red i had opened the night before, The Stump Jump (2009). The Stump Jump is a grenache, syrah and mouverdre blend from South Australia. To be honest i was hoping for a little more from this wine as judging by the blend i was expecting it to be more of a Rhone valley style, a style i have become very fond of recently. However this wine was far too fruity and fleshy/juicy and not enough of the syrah coming through. While not a bad wine, it was just too juicy and sweet for my taste, so after tasting it on the Friday night with a friend i decided to leave it ad try again the next day to see if it would open up a bit and become less like syrup. Anyway on the Saturday tried it again, and it had improved a little but that intense juiciness and sweet after taste were still there and that's just not my preferred style. I'm hoping that we get a few better Australian reds in soon!

However i did have two Spanish reds to try that i was more looking forward to, i have already tried these in a group tasting session last week with the suppliers.

So around 4 we opened a bottle of Valcanto Monastrell 2010. This wine comes form Bodegas Piqueras in the lesser known Almansa region in the south east of Spain.

The wine itself is 100% monastrell, and is aged for 4 months in oak barrels. It is medium bodied and a little smooth but not too strong on the flavour side and lacks a little punch that would make it memorable, its got good ripe berry fruit flavours but is just quickly forgotten. Would be a fine choice with barbecue meat or tomato based pasta or dishes but on its own its a very average wine.

For our second wine we had a rioja, Medieo Rioja Crianza 2008. From Bodegas Del Medievo in the Rioja region, probably Spain's most famous region. This wine is a blend of tempranillo (80%), garnacha (10%), mazuelo (5%) and graciano (5%), it is aged 14 months in oak and spent 12 months i bottle. This was more like the Spanish wine i was expecting, great berry nose, it a hint of oak. Nice full structure and big berry flavours with hints of oak and wood in the background, rich but smooth tannins and great lenght and finish. Perfect wine for roasted red meats but can be enjoyed on its own also.

The wine tasting in store was ok, not too many customers but those who tried seem to enjoy the wines, and gave good feedback, i particular the rioja, which was the resounding favourite.

The rioja was the more enjoyed on the day and was the superior wine.  

"Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy!!"

                                                                                                            Frank Sinatra

Hi there, and welcome to my new blog, To Drink Or Not To Drink, and lets be honest, that is a great question.

Drink has always been a major part of my life, i have worked in many bars and restaurants in Ireland and London and have always enjoyed a few drinks. I am currently the manager of a wine merchant store in north west London.

My tastes have changed throughout the years and moving to London opened up a lot more opportunity to try new things in the wide varied world of drink.

I have come a long way from throwing back pints of Heineken, JD & cokes to fire up the blood and all that sprinkled with shots of tequila and sambucca. Drinking in Ireland at an early age wasn't very varied or exciting, typically you drank Guinness, lager or cider, pints of coarse. 

London however opened my eyes up to a wider world of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, wine and of coarse good whiskey.

Beer still holds its place as my top tipple of choice but that is followed closely by wine and whisky.

i love to try new things, especially beer and wine. My job allows me to explore the world of wine and whisky but at home is where i usually try as many new beers as possible.

Experience plays a huge part for me in enjoying drink, whether it be an exceptional beer in a nice pub with friends or a delicious bottle of wine with a great meal. drink on its own is hugely enjoyable and i have enjoyed many a fine drink by myself, nothing beats enjoying good drink with good friends and good times.

I use a couple of apps on my iphone to record tasting notes and check in to a social networking site when tasting new beers, but i wanted to start a blog to record not only the tasting but the overall experiences i have while trying new beer, wine and spirits because lets be honest, that's what life a drinking is truly about, the experience!!!!