Irish Times – John Wilson
Lustau Don Nuño Dry Oloroso, 20%, €12.99 – €13.50
 I featured the medium-dry Apostoles Palo Cortado sherry as one of my top 50 wines of the year recently. However, I have also bought a half-bottle of this very tasty dry Oloroso. Lustau make some of the very [...]
Pale lemon coloured wine, with solid initial aromas. Touches of peach, some zesty citrus just nice clean flavours. This wine is classed a frizzante as opposed to an out and out sparkler which is a really good tip if you are looking for some [...]
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Wine Australia goes to the rugby – Ireland v’s Italy
Saturday 6th February.
After the huge success of our outing to the Australian match last month, we’re off to the rugby again.
Join us for a delicious lunch at The Exchequer on Exchequer Street served with some tasty Italian themed [...]
Australian Wine Course.
February/March, Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.
Wine Australia, in conjunction with Fallon and Byrne, is delighted to offer a 4 week Australian wine course. Want to
learn more about Australian wine, or wine in general, this could be just for you. The plan for the [...]
Christmas Presents from Wine Australia
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ÂBarossa Tasting and Dinner.
Tuesday 26th January 2010, Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.
Join us to celebrate Australia Day 2010 at our Evening in the Barossa.
With over 160 years of wine making history, and home to some of the great names of the [...]
La Cuvée Wine Producer Dinner with the wines Of Chateau Fontareche
La Cuvee [Restaurant on top of Eno Wine] are hosting a wine producer dinner on Thursday, November 26th. Max has created a wonderful menu to compliment the extraordinary wines chosen by Richard McMahon. The wines chosen are from [...]
The Goodwineshow Cork 2009
Over the past couple of weeks/months you probably saw references to the Good wine show either here on my blog, other blogs in Ireland or the national press media.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the event on the Saturday. From what I could see [...]
 John Wilson’s Favourite Australians
Click here to view the embedded video.
John Mc Donnell has come up with yet another fantastic tasting !!
“During the summer I gave John (Wilson)Â the task of pulling together his selection of Favourite Australian wines.
The task wasn’t to draw up a list of Australia’s best wines, but [...]
Wine Fair by Thomas Woodberrys in the G Hotel
Details from Woodberrys are
“We are returning to the G Hotel, Wellpark
Sunday 22nd November , 2pm – 7pm
There will be over 100 wines for tasting, along with various hamper & gift ideas.
We have decided to reduce the Entrance fee [...]
For those of you who missed it check out the fantastic article by Tomas Clancy on Wine online in Ireland and the boys from Curiouswines.
With a nice mention for @karwigwines, @bubblebrothers, @smallsip [sourgrapes], myself and a few others. Great to see a writer [...]
Irish Times – John WilsonÂ
WINES OF THE WEEK
Beaujolais 2007 Georges Duboeuf, 12%, €11.99Â
Nice light, juicy nose; very attractive light wine with a lovely strawberry edge and good, but not overdone acidity. Stockists: Super Valu/Centra; Kelly’s, Vernon Ave, Clontarf; ADM Londis, Yellow Walls; Martin’s, Fairview; Spar, Milltown and Leeson Street; Jus [...]
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In the second of my wine series with Karwig Wines I taste the Carl Ehrhard Riesling Spatlese Trocken 2008.
This wine retails for €18-€19 approx. Please check instore for discounts. Lets see how it gets on.
Also check out the revently revamed [...]
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Here at robertfranciswine.ie we are massive fans of John Mc Donnell and Lar from Sourgrapes.ie so it is a real treat to have them both in the one film. (Well technically lar does the production) Click here for lars tasting [...]
Chewing the fat with Peter Hughes of O’Briens
Following on the recent wine series on a selection of wines from O’Briens. I put some questions to Peter Hughes the store manager at their recently opened shop at the Galway Shopping Centre. Here is what he had to say …. [Que dramatic [...]
Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
TO TRY :Croix Milhas, Ambré, AOC Rivesaltes NV, €6 (down from €12)
for a half-bottle, until December 28 at Tesco (88) This example of one of the great dessert wines of France is from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, next to Spain. Rivesaltes is a fortified wine, [...]
Irish Times – John Wilson
WINES OF THE WEEK
Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Walker Bay, 13%, €20.99Â
A very stylish take on Sauvignon; fresh breezy lime peel with vibrant light gooseberry fruits. Classy, quite subtle, clean, crisp wine, with edgy, cool fruit. This would go very nicely with [...]
Irish Times – John Wilson
Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2006, Margaret River, Western Australia, 13.5%, €49.99Â
Expensive, but this is the best Chardonnay I have tasted this year. Fans of white Burgundy, used to shelling out this sort of money for their Pulignys and Meursaults, should have no problem paying [...]
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Hurrah – I made it to 50 !
In the first of my wine series with Karwig Wines I tasted a Prosecco from Lamarca.
Let see how it gets on and see you next time on robertfranciswine.ie
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The Lizard Merlot VDP 20007
Critter wines have been around for a number of years now – this is where the vineyards put a cute animal on the bottle to help you remember it the next time. Yellow tail, Mad Fish and pretty much another animal have in [...]
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In the final part of my Wine series with O’Briens Wines I taste the GSM from Torbreck. This wine retails for €19.99 – Hailing from a hugely successful vineyard in the Barossa Valley I was really interested to taste this wine.
Lets see how [...]
Chateau Bauduc Clos des Quinze 2004
Hardcore fans of robertfranciswine.ie will recognised Chateau Bauduc from a posting that I did on their white earlier this year. I absolutely loved the wine, giving is a very respectable 91 points. I even went as far to cover the wine in [...]
Annual Wine Fair at Cases Wine Warehouse Galway
Its that time of year again – and while it might appear a little early to be putting up and decorating Xmas trees why not get into the christmas spirit early this year. Following on from the very successful event last year, picture [...]
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In the third of my wine series with O’Briens I tasted a Cote Du Rhone that retails for €9.99.
Being from the excellent 2007 vintage I was very interested to taste this wine.
Lets see how it gets on – see you next time [...]
Cobborah Shiraz South Eastern Australia 2009
This wine came free with one of those dinner for two deals in M&S – where you get the starter, mains and desert with a bottle of wine for somewhere between €10 and €15. I have had mixed results on any of [...]
Details of the event from curiouswines website -
“Our last tasting with Joyce was a sell out. Don’t miss it – join us for what promises to be a wonderful night.
Places are limited to 40 people, on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are €15.00.
Date: [...]
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In the second of my wine series with O’Briens I taste a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough - Astrolabe this wine normally retails for €15.99
Lets see how it gets on !!
See ya next time on Robertfranciswine.ie
[...]Click here to view the embedded video.
 Following on from my recent post on the meetforeal taste and smell event. Adrian and Ellen have very kindly forwarded me the tags so I can post the videos here on robertfranciswine.ie
As I mentioned in the previous post I was blindfolded and fed [...]
Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
TO TRY: Moscato Freisa Sparkling Rose’ NV, €9.99 from Marks & Spencer nationwide (rating 87)
M&S is offering a 25 per cent reduction when you buy six sparkling wines, but you have to be careful, as the offer applies only when you buy six [...]
Irish Times – John Wilson
WINES OF THE WEEKÂ
Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Aconcagua Valley, 13.5%, €10.99
 This struck me as a classic example of what Chile does with inexpensive Sauvignon – not hugely aromatic, with medium-bodied, rounded pear, and green apple fruits. It could almost be an unoaked Chardonnay. Easy-drinking and good [...]
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In the first of wine series on wines from O’Briens I am tasting a Chilean Merlot – Karu Estate Grown 2008 Merlot to be exact. This wine retails for an impressive €6.99 – I haven’t had much luck with videos on [...]
Calling All Independent Wine Retailers
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Apologies in advance for the cloak and dagger approach – but I am waiting on everything to be finalised. I am just putting the final touches onto a very exciting new project of mine – which I am hoping to quote mr vaynerchuk [...]
Meetforeal organised a Taste and Smell – The Chemical Senses on Saturday 26th September.
For those of you who missed my previous post - here is some background on the presenter
David Jackson is a Chemist (BSc, MSc, HDipBrew, WSET Cert Wines & Spirits) and has worked [...]
Robertfranciswine.ie keeps on keeping on in Cork
Following on from last weeks part one post I headed on from Fenns Quay to Bubble Brothers main shop at Marina Commerical Park,  just outside of cork city. I have visited Bubble brothers stall in the English Market on a number of occasions and [...]
Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
TO TRY :Cremant de Loire Brut Premier Cru NV, €9 (reduced from €18 during the French wine sale until October 13) at Superquinn supermarkets nationwide (89)
The taxation system in Ireland taxes wine with bubbles at a higher rate than still wines, a political hangover [...]
Irish Times – John Wilson
Egiarte Joven Navarra 2007, 13.5%, €9.99Â
This blend of Tempranillo and Merlot is fragrant, softly fruity and almost too easy to knock back. Go-go juice with a nice kick, to drink solo, or with white and red meats. Stockists : Cases Wine Warehouse, Galway; 64 Wine, [...]
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In an ad hoc video I taste a red wine from Kinsale Co. Cork. Yes – you did read that correctly !
As a present from curiousmike – watch the video to see whether I will be unfollowing @curiousmike as a result ?
1998 – Take a Bow Son, Take A Bow !
Anyone who follows me on twitter may have noticed that I was in Cork last weekend. I love visiting Cork, it is a fantastic city and I have been fortunate enough through twitter to get to know some very cool people there. Hopping [...]
Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
TO TRY: Maison Trimbach, Pinot Blanc 2005, €14.49. from Fallon & Byrne, 11-17 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, and most good off-licences nationwide (89)
One area of France that seems to be almost permanently hidden in plain site is Alsace. It does not seem to [...]
Irish Times – John Wilson
WINES OF THE WEEK
Chablis 1er cru Vaillons 2007 Domaine Jean-Paul Benoît Droin, 13%, €26.45Â
A very fresh, cool nose of lemons and sherbet. Very stylish and classy, with great concentration of rich fruit, well-integrated acidity, and good crisp length. I like this a [...]
Click here to view the embedded video.
First video post in a long time on robertfranciswine.ie since the 15th August ! Fraser has been keeping us very busy indeed since then. Watch out for quick picture of him and his daddy half way through the video [...]
Charity Night At Lohans Â
A taste of All Things Naughty & Nice – In Aid of Cystic Fibrosis, if you can’t make it please forward to your friends & families!
A tasting of Wines, Drinks, Foods and Music from Around the World, An Evening In Aid of [...]
Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
TO TRY: Gran Palas, Brut Rose Cava NV, €16 from Deveny’s off-licence, 31 Main Street, Dundrum, Dublin 16; McCabes, Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin; Jus De Vine, Portmarnock Town Centre, Portmarnock, Co Dublin; good wine shops nationwide (88)
This is an excellent rose’ sparkler created [...]
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 SIX GREAT SUPERMARKET WINESÂ
The multiples are often criticised for lacking adventure in the range they offer. With this in mind, I chose six slightly offbeat wines, each from a different supermarket.
Vignes de St Pierre Vermentino/Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Vin de Pays d’Oc, 12.5%, €5.99Â
Not the most sophisticated [...]
There are a couple of interesting wine sales happening in Galway – with some cool stuff at nice prices.
If you are not on the email listing for Thomas Woodberrys or Cases Wine Warehouse – I suggest you call into the them and get yourself added. Make [...]
Meet for Real – Taste and SmellÂ
Ever wonder why you like apples so much or if like me why you cannot stand parsnips – well Adrian from meetforreal has organised just the event for you - it is on 26th September in the Galway City Museum.
Here is some background on [...]
Sunday Business Post – Tomas Clancy
TO TRY: Tolloy Alto Adige Gewu¨rztraminer 2007, €11 from Superquinn branches nationwide (88)In a move signalling resolute optimism, Superquinn is not just gearing up for its annual French Wine Sale, but is also introducing a whole new selection of wines to the Irish market.
This is [...]
Irish Times – John Wilson
TWO UNDER €12
Dão Grilos 2007, Portugal, 13%, €11.95Â
I have received a number of really good value Portuguese reds in recent weeks. This is another impressive wine, with soft, cooked damson fruits and a lovely smooth finish. Delicious, easy, everyday wine. Stockists: The [...]
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No – not that Cork …. this Cork
On the 13th and 14th November in the Clarion Hotel Cork - some of the leading independent wine retailers in cork are getting together to showcase their wines. If you have not been [...]
