We post about 10 Newsletters a year, on a monthly basis, excepting January and August. In between we blog and from time to time send subscribers information on limited offers as well as information on up-coming tastings and events, we also send subscribers advance notice of any sales we may be having. Sign up to receive notification of new issues, and receive your subscriber-only discounts, by filling in the box below on the left, or just drop us a line and we'll add you to the list wine@thewinestore.ie

We were planning on looking at great BBQ wines and some delicious rosés this month, but every time we peer out the window there's another grey cloud, and although we have heard reports of flip-flops we are still in our woolly jumpers. We have some lovely big red Côtes du Rhône aprons, sommelier size that would look great on the barbecuer. We thought we might save them for next month and then realised that this month you might use them to keep warm. So the first 5 orders of either this month's Simone Joseph Chardonnay and Côtes du Rhône mix (see below for more) or Domaine de Fondrèche, 'L'Instant Rosé' will each get a lovely big apron too.

That said we are ever optimistic and just in case the sun makes a surprise appearance you will need to be prepared so we have a rosé from Sebastien Vincenti at Domaine de Fondrèche on offer.

Domaine de Fondrèche is owned by Sébastien Vincenti who produces organic wines in Ventoux. Fondrèche is one of the best run if not the finest estate in the Ventoux. Shrewd consumers should have been stocking up on these wines for a number of years as they represent terrific values. They all exhibit beautifully pure fruit infused with plenty of Provençal character. According to Robert Parker "This is the superstar estate of the Côtes du Ventoux". Sebastien is currently working towards being totally biodynamic. His vineyard of 37 hectares is located on a plateau where the soil, has very good water retention capacities and so gives water to the plant only when it is necessary. Sebastien works organically and is currently in the process of converting the Domaine to being totally biodynamic. Even the sheep manure he uses as fertiliser comes from organically reared sheep. Both in the vineyard and in the cellar everything is carried out according to the lunar calendar. 

 The 'L'Instant Rosé' 2011 (usually €15.45 a bottle) is produced with "drinkability" as the priority. It is made from: 50% Cinsault, 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache and you can buy a case of this wine this month for €155.00 which is a saving of over 15% and includes free delivery. To avail of this offer please click here.

This month we also have on offer some wines that have made it into the press recently, a mixed case of Simone Joseph wines, 6 bottles of the Chardonnay 2011 and 6 bottles Simone Joseph Côtes du Rhônes 'Vignes Parallèles' 2011 both of which were Bottles of the Week in the Irish Times of 27 April last:

The mixed case is currently available for €132.00 - which includes free delivery, and represents a saving of just over 15%, for more, or to purchase, please click here.

This month also brings us World Sherry Day, 26th May (for more see www.worldsherryday.com). Sherry is one of those drinks that always seems to be associated with Granny and Sunday lunch, but as an apéritif, paired with tapas (we're so international now) it is making something of a comeback. Have you tried a Sherry cocktail yet?

We have some Sherry on offer, at the moment, limited availability, from Bodegas Gutierrez Colosia and the prices below will remain until World Sherry Day, 26th May, or while stocks last:

Colosia Oloroso, case size: 12x37.5cl, 18% abv                        Initially dry, amber and mahogany in colour, with a strongly fragrant aroma. Full bodied with nutty flavours, this Sherry has been aged for a minimum of 5 years.

Grapes: Palomino.                

on offer at €66.95 for 12x37.5cl, including free delivery.

  to buy please click here.

Colosia Amontillado, case size 12x37.5cl, 18% abv                                                                                

Dry. This is an aged Fino with an extra five years spent in the ‘solera’ system. Dry, intense and with  highly complex aromas.

Grapes: Palomino                                                      

on offer at €121.95 for 12x37.5cl including free delivery.

to buy please click here.

Oloroso Sangere y Trabajadero, 12x37.5cl, 18% abv                                                        

 Initially dry, amber and mahogany in colour, with a strongly fragrant aroma as its name implies. Full bodied (nutty) and has been aged for at least seven years.

Made through the oxidation ageing process.

on offer at €121.95 for 12.37.5cl, including free  delivery.

to buy please click here.

Guia Cream, 12x37.5cl, 18% abv                 only 1 case left, please call/email to order.                                                                          

Sweet

This Cream Sherry is an Oloroso sweetened with rich Pedro Ximenez. Its colour is dark. Its aroma is round, crisp and velvety, being full bodied on the palate with an aging at least five years. 


Grapes: Palomino + Pedro Ximénez. 

on offer for €118.95 including free delivery - to buy please call or email.

Guia Moscatel, 12x37.5cl, 15% abv                                                                                         

Sweet

Moscatel Soleado, sweet wine, dark in colour . Made from Moscatel grapes that have been dried in the sun through the traditional system called 'pasil'. Intensely sweet but still very fresh, it has vibrant grape, prune and caramel flavours

Grapes: Moscatel                                                          

on offer for €118.95 for 12x37.5cl including free  delivery.

to buy please click here

Keep up to date:

If you’d like to have more regular postings of what’s going on have a look at our facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wine-Store-Ireland/167219736640022

And if you use twitter we’re there too: @graapples, with some wine chat and a bit more besides.

You can also have a read of our blog here and have a browse through the info below:

Interested in what's happening in the Irish wine world?

Well your first stop has to be wineireland.com 'an online compendium of Irish wine blogs' where you can find all the chat from the Irish Wine Trade in one fell swoop.

Want to know when the next tastings are happening and where? You need to subscribe to Lar Veale's Sourgrapes an upfront, straight-talking and impartially run website, http://www.sourgrapes.ie/

Interesting Irish wine & food blogs, keep yourself up to date with what's happening here:

For anyone living in or visiting Cork, have a look at Billy Lyon's site for up to date reviews of food and wine in the area http://www.corkbilly.com/

If you've more than a passing interest in food you should visit Aoife Carrigy's http://holymackerel.ie/ for daily posts and tips on cooking, in her words, 'because food's worth it!' Newly launched and worth checking out is the group For Food's Sake, a bi-monthly evening of food talk and tastings, they're on facebook and you can also have a read at http://forfoodssakeireland.blogspot.com/

The McKenna's Guides have launched their latest Irish Food Guide, you can visit John and Sally McKenna's site http://www.bestofbridgestone.com/

The cork vs screwcap debate continues. We've come a long way from the screwcapped wine we bought in the '80s but have we yet discarded the idea that a screwcapped bottle implies inferior wine?

Many renowned wine-makers have given up cork altogether and embraced the screwcap and many have converted to plastic corks. One of the producers we work with, Florent Baumard has written about this on his site, you can have a look yourself if you click here 'Why Screwcaps instead of Corks?'

And for more on the cork vs screwcap debate (and to join in), have a look at the Sourgrapes post http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2011/01/06/tim-adams-on-cork-versus-screwcap/

We love ♥ good food as much as we love ♥ good wine, below is a list of restaurants we love ♥ from around the country that we wish we had more time to spend in:

The Winding Stair, in Dublin http://www.winding-stair.com/ Irish food and beers with great wine. what more can you want?
ely wine bars in Dublin, with a list as long as your arm, you could have a different glass of something amazing each time you visit and never taste them all http://www.elywinebar.ie/
The Tannery, Dungarvan - not only is the food amazing but you can stay in beautiful rooms and they also run fantastic cookery courses throughout the year, we are still making the brown bread and smoked mackerel dauphinoise, yum, http://www.tannery.ie/
Locks Brasserie and Pearl Brasserie - run by the same people and well worth a visit, beautiful settings and beautiful food http://www.pearl-brasserie.com/
The Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, http://www.thecliffhousehotel.com/ you just have to conspire to get there at least once in your life.
La Bohème in Waterford, great value and great food with a French accent http://www.labohemerestaurant.ie/
All things Jo'burger, (Crackbird, Jo'burger, Skinflint and Bear) http://www.joburger.ie/
the Brown Bear in Two Mile House, Kildare 'Irish ingredients given a wallop of French cooking style' yum http://www.thebrownbear.ie/
La Vie de Châteaux in Naas, http://viedechateaux.ie/viedechateaux/ great service, great food
the Wild Goose Grill, Ranelagh http://www.thewildgoosegrill.ie/ classic bistro food in stylish and comfortable surroundings.. with nearly three hundred bottles of wine to choose from
Pichet Restaurant, Dublin, a quality dining experience in relaxed and informal surroundings, http://www.pichet-restaurant.com/