O'Briens Wine Blog

On Thursday 9^th September Aida Toro from Viña Chocalán will be giving us a first hand account of the devastating Chilean earthquake and its impact on the Chilean wine industry.  The talk will be followed by a tasting of a selection of the fantastic Chocalán wines.

Aida Toro is the General Manager of Viña Chocalán; a family owned and run company located high up in the remote foothills of the Maipo Valley, Chile.

Aida started Viña Chocalán with her father, Guillermo Toro, 12 years ago and they bottles their first wines in May 2003.

Vina Chocalán source their fruit from a variety of different terroirs around the region allowing them to produce wines in a range of styles from high quality red wines and white wines with mineral notes and lots of freshness and fruits.

Places are €10 each and guests can avail of a €10 discount on the night on Chocalán wine purchases. 

To book please call Rebecca on 01 2069003.

Please note that The Tasting Room can only be accessed by a staircase.

On Thursday 2^nd September, Sue White of Whitehaven Wines will be joining us for a talk and tasting of Sauvignon Blanc wines from the Marlborough region in New Zealand. 

This is the first in the series of Wine Maker Master Classes that will take place in our brand new Tasting Room at O’Briens, Beacon Shopping Centre, Sandyford.

Sue is the managing director of this family business which produces a quarter of a million cases of internationally acclaimed wines each year.

Sue’s zest for Whitehaven Wines has carried the company to where it is today, a close-knit business which excels in producing exceptional wines.

Places are €10 each and guests can avail of a €10 discount on the night on Whitehaven wine purchases. 

To book please call Rebecca on 01 2069003.

Please note that The Tasting Room can only be accessed by a staircase.

On Sunday 12th September we will be partnering with the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation to hold a fantastic event at The Curragh Racecourse.

The day will start at noon with a Champagne reception followed by a delicious lunch matched with wines chosen and presented by our wine buyer Lynne. Racing begins at 2.15 and a professional tipster will be in attendance all afternoon.

The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation provides direct funding to families of children with brain damage who suffer severe intellectual and physical developmental delay. These are children who, as a result of their condition, require intensive home nursing care and this funding enables the families to purchase home respite care.

The Foundation gives these families the gift of time to do the things that we so often take for granted like shopping, taking their other children to the park, or even just a night’s sleep. For more information visit www.jackandjill.ie. 

So if you fancy a great day out, while also supporting this brilliant charity, book now by calling Liz in the Jack & Jill Foundation on 045 894538 or email liz@jackandjill.ie. Tickets are €100 and places are limited.

If you can’t join us for lunch but still plan to go to the races then please don’t forget to bring your Jack & Jill voucher! Vouchers can be printed below and for every voucher that is presented with payment of full price admission to The Curragh Racecourse on Sunday 12th September, €5 of the entrance fee will be donated to The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. There will be lots of entertainment for the whole family including free candyfloss and activities for the kids.

Please right click on the voucher below to print a copy.

We are pleased to announce some serious accolades for a number of our direct imports. The International Wine Challenge in London and The Decanter World Wine Awards, two of the most prestigious wine contests in the world, have announced their trophy winners for 2010.

Topping the bill is our new super-cuvée Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Domaine Des Sénéchaux 2007. This followed up its gold medal by taking the Trophy for Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Trophy for best Rhône!

In the same competition one of our most exciting new discoveries (due to arrive in September) has also picked up a trophy: Domaine Seguin-Manuel Sauvigny-les-Beaune ‘Goudelettes’ 2008

Judges comment: “Ripe, fresh and tropical aromas on the nose with a candied citrus edge. Candied peel, ripe red apple and melon on the palate. Very well-balanced with good intensity. Fresh, ripe and delicious”

 Another of our exclusive wines was awarded a gold at the IWC as Biodynamic pioneers Emiliana took the honours with their top Cuvée “G”. A complex, uber-concentrated blend of Syrah, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Decanter World Wine awards heaped further glory on Domaine des Sénéchaux awarding the Châteauneuf a regional Trophy. 

Gold medals in the Decanter World Wine Awards also were dished out to 3 of our wines: Beaumont des Crayères fine vintage Champagne, Fleur de Prestige 2002, Gérard Bertrand stunning Pic St Loup Grand  Terroir 2008 and Jean Marc Brocard’s single vineyard Chablis Domaine St Claire 2008.

With the final results of last “Major” (The International Wine & Spirits Competition) still to be announced we have our fingers crossed for yet another gold medal haul!

Guests received a glass of Vina Esmerelda on arrival before a short film. Miguel then outlined his personal insight into the climatic influences of the mountains and sea surrounding Chile and how they impact on the wines. These geological and climatic influences along with vines which have not been grafted gives Chiles a unique growing regions with extensive plantings of healthy vines above fifty years of age still common.

The wines tasted are available through our stores or web site:

We started with the Cordillera Chardonnay Viognier (Chile) – elegant with exotic undertones, ripe fruit with good balancing acidity.

Next came the Ibericos Rioja ( Spain ) – Rich black fruits of blueberries and blackberries with the vanilla tones of new French oak.

The Celeste Ribera del Duero ( Spain ) was spicy, intense and ripe along with notable ripe tannins.

Cordillera ( Chile ) – this was very well received silky tannins, blueberry fruit with clove tobacco and pepper character.

Manso de Valesco (Chile ) – stunning well everyones star of the nights – violet colour, ripe red fruits with spicy undertones powerful but elegant.

The tasting showed not only the diversity of wine styles produced not just by the different grapes but also the individual, careful and specific approach Torres takes to each wine within each region and country.