There is a spring feel to my wine choices today – two refreshing whites, one sparkling and a lighter, almost summery red wine. All four stood out as offering interest and good value for money in recent trade tastings.
The sauvignon blanc comes from a Sancerre producer and contains a little of the same character at a more affordable price. The importer told me it was his best-selling wine. I am not surprised. Picpoul de Pinet has become a firm favourite with Irish consumers. I thought the latest version from Aldi was very good.
Austrian producer Judith Beck was in Dublin recently to show a range of her excellent wines. Beck farms biodynamically in the Burgenland region. While she produces exciting wines from local grapes such as sankt laurent, zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, you should also keep an eye out for her very tasty chardonnay and pinot blanc. The Ink, featured here, is a blend of zweigelt and sankt laurent.
Limoux, in the Pyrenean foothills close to Carcassonne in the Languedoc, has a long tradition in sparkling wine. In fact, it claims to have been producing it before the Champenois. The firm of J Laurens is one of the leading small producers there.
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Specially Selected Picpoul de Pinet 2023, Languedoc
12.5%, €9.99
Light, easy green apple fruits with a nice twist of lemon zest. Drink it solo, with lighter fish dishes, or salads.
From Aldi
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Jean-Paul Seguin Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Loire Valley
11.5%, €16.95
Lightly aromatic with racy green fruits, citrus zest and a snappy dry finish. A refreshing sipping wine or with most seafood dishes.
From Blackrock Cellar; Higgins, D14; Sweeneys D3; Pinto, D9; Deveneys, D14; McHugh’s, D5; Clontarf Wines; Worldwide Wines, Waterford; Baggot St. Wines.
Judith Beck Ink 2021, Burgenland, Austria, Biodynamic
€20-€21.50, 12.5%
Lively, juicy dark fruits with a very attractive spiciness, and a smooth tannin-free finish. This would work nicely with charcuterie, chicken, and pork dishes.
From Bradley’s Cork; Cass & Co. Dungarvan; Drink Store, D7; L’Atitude 51, Cork; Le Caveau.ie; Ernie’s, Galway; The Fumbally, D8; World Wide Wines, Waterford; Baggot Street Wines; Lilith, D7; Green Man Wines D6W; Martin’s, D3; Matsons Grange, Cork; The NudeWineCo.ie; The Wine Pair, D8; 64wine, Glasthule; Sweeneys D3
J Laurens Crémant de Limoux ‘Clos des Demoiselles’
12%, €31.95
A very stylish sparkling wine with creamy apple fruits, a touch of honey and a lingering dry finish. The perfect aperitif, or to drink with most fish and white meats.
From Mitchell & Son, Glasthule, IFSC & Avoca outlets
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