Today we are going to look at two interesting wines from the South of France currently on offer in Dunnes Stores. The French Wine Sale has become a staple of the Autumn season in the wine trade. Look out for the French Wine Sale, in Lidl starting on Monday September 1st which will feature an amazing range of premium wines from Bordeaux. Dunnes Stores will be holding their French Wine Sale from September 9th .
Both sales are great news for the more adventurous wine consumer who loves the opportunity to sample wines from the classic French wine regions of Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Rhone and the South of France. Both wine sales have an exciting range to tempt their customers.

2013 Laurent Miguel Albarino €17.00
(Currently on offer for €11.50 until Aug 18th) Stockist: Dunnes Stores

I recently visited Château Les Auzines in Lagrasse, a magnificent estate in the Corbières Appellation run by Laurent Miguel and his Irish wife Neasa. The Miguel family have been growing vines in the nearby Saint-Chinian AOC region since 1791 when the family acquired the Casa Viel Estate, previously farmed since the early middle ages by the monks of the Abbey de Fontcaude.

Les Auzines is a unique estate in the Corbières appellation found in the Languedoc region . Isolated on a rocky plateau 350 meters above sea level, it overlooks the village of Lagrasse in the heart of the region’s stunning rugged countryside. The estate is situated between the Alaric Mountains and the Alzou gorge. The name “Les Auzines” comes from Occitan “little leaves from oak tree”.

Albariño is a white grape native to Galicia. Miguel Torres is convinced that this is Riesling brought from Germany in the distant past. It is the most important grape of the DO Rias Baixas and it has experienced a spectacular boom in recent years and is likely to be the next white grape to go global. Already producers in Australia and New Zealand and even further afield are looking at it as a potential crop because of Albarino’s wonderful aromatic charachteristics.

Albariño is one of the great aromatic white grapes, it has lovely citrus and stone fruit aromas and a beautiful crisp acidity. Albariño makes a wine that pairs wonderfully with seafood, especially shellfish.

Laurent Miguel’s Albariño has peach aromas on the nose, ripe sweet citrus fruit sears through on the palate and the wine has a lovely crisp acidity backing it up. Exceptional wine, very well made and something different to offer guests as an aperitif when they arrive at your house. Serve with fish hors d'oeuvres.

2012 Chateau Pennautier €16.00
(Currently on offer for €11.00 until Aug 18th) Stockist: Dunnes Stores

Chateau Pennautier is one of the few palatial residences to be found in the South of France. Owned by Nicolas and Miren de Lorgeril, the estate has been in their family since the Chateau was first constructed in 1620 by their ancestor Bernard de Pennautier, who was Treasurer to the State of Languedoc. Today the house is a historic monument. In July 1622 the King of France Louis XIII paid a visit and left his travelling furniture behind in the room he stayed in. There are so few examples of this type of furniture left in France that the furniture itself, as well as the Chateau have both become historical monuments. The Chateau as designedby the famous French architect Le Vau, who was also responsible for designing the Palace at Versailles.

In the heart of the Cabardès appellation, the vines grow on the sunny, rugged hillsides south of the Montagne Noire, at an altitude of 200 to 400 metres. The views are breath taking, from the vineyards you can see the entire Pyrenean mountain range to the south and Massif Central to the north. Carcassonne is about 10 km away.
The AOP of Cabardès is one of the youngest in France. It was only awarded in 1999. The key to the wines of the region is that they are allowed to blend grapes from Mediterranean France (such as Syrah and Grenache) with grapes from the Bordeaux region, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The climate here is Mediterranean and the soil structure is clay/limestone which means red grapes both from Mediterranean and Atlantic France perform well here. One of the key factors influencing the microclimate are the moist Atlantic winds called the Cers which flow across from the eastern region of Toulouse.

This wine is made from a blend of Cabernet Franc 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Merlot 20%, Malbec 10%, Syrah 20%, and Grenache 20%. It has lots of ripe fruit and a really good structure. Tannin is firm but there is tons of fruit to back it up. Serve it with grilled lamb chops or a selection of ripe hard cheese.
Whiskey Live – Saturday 25th October, 2014

Whiskey Live is an international celebration that brings together whiskies from around the world, great food and a range of education and entertainment to make learning about whiskey both fun and stimulating. Whether you are a whiskey enthusiast, an uninitiated newcomer or just looking for a day out that offers you something different, Whiskey Live has something for everyone. Tickets are €37.50. This will be the fourth year the event has taken place, and tickets are available for two sessions, 2.00-5.30pm and 6.00-9.30pm.

To buy a ticket on line go to:

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/whiskey-live-dublin-2014-tickets-12176392919

For more events go to the wine diary www.jeansmullen.com