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Vouvray Les Dimes 2015 – Wine of the Week from O'Briens Wine 2

Vouvray Les Dîmes 2015 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens Wine

The ability to solve problems creatively is known as “lateral thinking”. When we look outside the patterns and the obvious answers and make a choice that might be unexpected but works, we’re thinking laterally. This applies to everything, from puzzles to high-risk decisions to the wine we serve. Wine lovers who feel like treating themselves to …

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Insight Vineyard Pinot Noir – Wine of the Week from OBriens Wine

Insight Vineyard Pinot Noir – Wine of the Week from O’Briens Wine

If grape varieties were able to practice martial arts (I know I’m pushing it but I do have a point), Cabernet Sauvignon would go for the uber-mainstream but powerful Karate; Syrah might practice something intense and with a good kick like Taekwondo, perhaps Zinfandel’s smooth strength would find a rhythmic outlet in Capoeira, and Pinot Noir… Pinot …

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Il Meridione Nero d'Avola – Wine of the Week from O’Briens Wine 2

Il Meridione Nero d’Avola – Wine of the Week from O’Briens Wine

The Sicilian city of Avola offers many wonders to wanderlusters looking for that sweet combination of history (think of loosing yourself wondering its ancient pre-Roman roads); coastal charm and numerous food festivals and local traditions. The area names one of Sicily’s most important red grape, Nero d’Avola, simply meaning Black from Avola. And while visitors might indulge in their …

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Mionetto Vivo Rose Prosecco – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Mionetto Vivo Rose – Wine of the Week from O’Briens Wine

Hello May! Mother Nature drives us towards summer and we impatiently keep asking her are we there yet? Trickster as she is, her intermittent reinforcement keep us passengers on the Emerald Island on our toes, making picnic plans with an asterisk and booking outdoor tables while asking the host if there’s space indoors in case relocation becomes …

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Contrapunto Albarino 2015 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Contrapunto Albarino 2015 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

The second edition of the Spanish Wine Week in Ireland is back, and the occasion is ideal to discover new favourites and revisit Spanish bottles we love. Across the country, tastings, dinners, trails and more are being organised to showcase what the country has to offer to wine lovers, often along with delicious Spanish food and …

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Alamos Malbec 2015 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Alamos Malbec 2015 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

In the late nineties and early noughties, many wine lovers proudly labeled themselves as ABC’s -Anything But Chardonnay- drinkers. Then, after the success of Oscar winner Sideways (2004) it became trendy, almost cool, to snub Merlot and after that, Pinot Grigio was public winenemy number 1. When I recently read a what’s “in” and what’s “out” piece on wine trends, displayed in the …

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L'Extra par Langlois – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

L’Extra par Langlois – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

When an obscure candidate unexpectedly wins, we call it a dark horse. It might be an athlete from a country where proficiency at a discipline is unheard of, a beauty queen that steals the judges’ heart at the last minute with a surprisingly witty answer to a shallow question, it might even be an actual dark horse at …

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Masi Campofiorin 2013 - Wine of the Week from O'Briens 2

Masi Campofiorin 2013 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? It’s a Supervenetian! While the name sounds like Clark Kent’s alter-ego, had his rocket landed in Valpolicella instead of Smallville, the term refers to a different type of hero, one created by winemakers in the northern Italian region. Masi, one of the biggest and most prestigious wineries in the …

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Gnarly Head Zinfandel - Wine of the Week from O'Briens Wine

Gnarly Head Zinfandel – Wine of the Week from O’Briens Wine

When a city or a region becomes known as “The X capital of the world” you can expect Xs coming from that place to be the benchmark against which all others will be measured. Paris is the epicenter for fashion lovers, Berlin is it town for vegans and Melbourne’s infamously viral deconstructed latte makes a good case for the Aussie …

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Selbach Riesling Mosel QbA - Wine of the Week from O'Briens

Selbach Riesling Mosel QbA – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

If Riesling was a musical instrument instead of a grape, it would be a flute. Capable of adapting to rhythms as varied as a captivating lullaby, a folk metal headbanger, a classic symphony or even an eerie tune, its distinctiveness doesn’t make it a tiny bit inflexible. In Germany, both are often featured in legends. While …

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Canard Duchene Rose - Wine of the Week from O'Briens

Canard Duchene Rose – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

While some people are to Valentine’s Day what the Grinch is to Christmas, this day is for the lovers so let’s embrace the holiday in all its heart-shaped glory. Bring in your handwritten letters, your scented candles and your red roses; the world has enough cynicism already so it could use a bit of romance! What embodies more …

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Romeo & Juliet Passimento White 2015 - Wine of the Week from O'Briens

Romeo & Juliet Passimento White 2015 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Italy has always been a source for romantic inspiration… Think gondola rides in Venice, joyfully sharing a gelato in Rome or having an intimate picnic on a sunny afternoon in a beautiful park in Tuscany. With Valentine’s Day getting closer, we decided to give a nod to the country’s allure and embrace the amore. Romeo & …

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Rawson's Retreat Shiraz Cabernet 2013 - Wine of the Week from O'Briens

Rawson’s Retreat Shiraz Cabernet 2013 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Famous duos usually have a ying and yang dynamic going on: the good cop will bring you coffee while the bad cop will get the information, Han Solo will shoot enemies while Chewbacca flies the ship. For this reason, Cabernet Sauvignon’s most common sidekick is Merlot, complementing each other as the tough and the mellow. Rawson’s Retreat Shiraz Cabernet …

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Vincent Julienas La Conseillere 2

Vincent Julienas La Conseillere 2014 – O’Briens Wine of the Week

There’s camping and there’s glamping. There’s Beaujolais and there’s Beaujolais Cru. While you might not be a fan of a rustic and purposely unsophisticated escape no matter how beautiful the landscape; dissing all outdoors overnight stays because of a distressing excursion that only served to remind you how much of an urban creature you are, it’s …

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Mas Buscados Tinto 2014 - Wine of the Week from O'Briens

Mas Buscados Tinto 2014 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

Wanted: Paco Oso, Paco Toston and Paco Lagarto. Their “crime”? Producing the grapes behind Mas Buscados Tinto 2014, a Tempranillo and Petit Verdot blend from Castilla in Spain, a Vino de la Tierra geographic indication known for its diverse and palate pleasing good value wines. Fun fact: “Mas Buscados Tinto” is Spanish for “Most Wanted Red”. In a …

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Wine of the Week from O’Briens: Lanson Black Label NV Champagne

Wine of the Week from O’Briens: Lanson Black Label NV Champagne

Drinking Champagne just because of random reasons is an absolute pleasure, but sharing it on New Year’s Eve just feels perfect. Have you ever asked yourself why the last day of the year is so closely linked to the world’s most prestigious bubbles? Since Medieval times, French kings were crowned in Reims and it would be customary for them to spend …

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Wine of the Week from O'Briens: Marc Kreydenweiss Kritt Pinot Blanc 2014

Marc Kreydenweiss Kritt Pinot Blanc 2014 – Wine of the Week from O’Briens

There are many ways to get a party started. Play upbeat music, make sure all guests have been introduced to each other and, after all that effort you put into getting everyone together, relax and let food and drink do their magic. And just as the bites that will mark the beginning of a wonderful …

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Wine of the Week from O’Briens: Norton Malbec Reserva 2013

Wine of the Week from O’Briens: Norton Malbec Reserva 2013

A memorable instant can shape history: Mexico, 1986. Argentina and England battled in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup just four years after having fought each other during the Falklands War. On the 51st minute, Diego Maradona’s “hand of God goal” and his subsequent “Goal of the Century” brought victory for the South American nation, which would end up …

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