It often strikes me - with a nice little dart of pleasure - that Ireland is one of the best places in the world to be a wine consumer. Scan the shelves of your favourite shop and you'll see bottles from every corner of the grape-growing globe. Look again a few weeks later and, if the buyer is even vaguely attuned to the state of vigorous ferment in which the Irish wine market finds itself, you'll see intriguing new arrivals, made from grape varieties you may never have heard of in places that register fuzzily from some distant geography class. What variety! What luck!
We moan, quite rightly, about wine prices here, rendered ridiculously high by our execrable taxes. It's bliss to visit France, Italy or any other wine-producing country with sunshine and civilisation and enjoy a delicious bottle with dinner for all of £2. But imagine how many wines from how many countries you'd know nothing about if you lived there all the time.
An understandable chauvinism circumscribes drinking habits any place where vines will grow. Everywhere else, though the cost is greater, so is the choice. And nowhere is the race to tempt consumers with new wines more apparent than in Ireland - Europe's fastest growing wine market. We're knocking back more than twice as much wine now than we were when this decade began - 8.8 litres per head, according to figures out this month, compared with 4.3 litres in 1990. And, interestingly, it's not at the very bottom of the market, in terms of quality and price, that the latest growth surge has come, but higher up in the more exciting £6£9 zone.
New Wines
In they're pouring, from every direction - and, if I'm not mistaken, there's a definite shift away from look-alike, taste-alike New World Chardonnays and Cabernets to wines that stand out because they're that bit different. Two terrific new arrivals typify the trend:
Norman's Chandlers Hill Chenin Blanc, South Eastern Australia, 1998 (Superquinn, McCabes Merrion, Duffys Terenure, Corks Terenure, Deveneys group, Kellys Phibsboro, DeVine Wines Castleknock, £6.99-£7.89). It's rare enough to come across a Chenin Blanc from Australia, and rarer still to find one that doesn't belong to the oak-planks-with-fruit-salad school. This has the ripe, tropical flavours you'd expect - but with all the citrussy freshness you might hope for, leading through to a long and rewardingly dry finish.
Domaine du Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages, 1996 (Wines Direct, £7.40 if you buy a case, which may be mixed). Wines Direct of Mullingar keeps on unearthing new talent in the south of France, an area still fizzing with excitement. From Jean Gardies, one of the new generation of vignerons, comes a wine that could cost £3 more: rich, dark, velvety and utterly engaging.
New Grapes
Not new-new, obviously, but maybe new to try and rewardingly different from the aforementioned mainstream varietals. Roll over, Sauvignon Blanc and good old Chard. White grapes on the rise include not just Verdelho, Chenin Blanc and Semillon (see all three above and below), but also Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Vermentino, Albarino. In the red zone, Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah/Shiraz are having to make room for a massive array of rubicund rivals - like Grenache (see below), Sangiovese (now a New World trendy), Carmenere, Malbec, Tempranillo, Zinfandel.
Hill of Hope Verdelho, Hunter Valley, 1998 (Mitchells Kildare St and Glasthule, £8.95). I've a feeling Verdelho, the grape of Madeira, may be my fixation for the summer, thanks to several new arrivals among which this is the star. See Bottle of the Week.
Cannonau di Sardegna, Piero Mancini, 1996 (Sweeneys Dorset St and Fairview, McHughs Kilbarrack, Kellys Malahide Rd, Cheers/Gibneys Malahde, Cheers/Coach House Ballinteer, Bennetts Howth, Lord Mayor's Swords, O'Lorcain's Balbriggan, Callans Dundalk, Nolans Drogheda, Egans Drogheda, O'Donovans Cork, Noble Vines Terryland and some other outlets, £7.99£8.45). Cannonau is what Sardinia calls Grenache, and this example from dentist-turned-wine-maker Mancini shows how tasty it can be. A real sunshine red: sweet, jammy fruit with a touch of caramel and soft, easy tannins, perked up by juicy acidity. Dangerously drinkable.
New Regions
Meaning areas that are becoming more interesting by the day, as the potential source of worthwhile discoveries. You've plundered the north of Spain, south of Italy, south of France, Argentina? Move on, ahead of the posse, to Greece, which is only just beginning to shower us with goodies. Or, in the New World, take a look at Washington State - creeping up on California.
Notios, Country Wine of the Peloponnese, Nemea, 1997 (Oddbins, £7.99). A smoky, spicy, tangy, appetite-whetting red. Light the barbecue, I say. Bring on the sausages. It could just as easily feature under the New Grapes heading, since it's made from Agiorgitiko.
Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, 1994 (Vintry Rathgar, Carvills Camden St, Sweeneys Dorset St and Fairview, Murphys Rialto, Masseys Costcutter Ballyboden, Raheny Wine Cellar, Texaco Lucan, O'Donovans Cork, Greenacres Wexford, usually £8.99 ). The Pacific Northwest - Oregon and Washington - has gone from nowhere to significant new region in less than 30 years, with a reputation for wines that are subtler than the heavy California hitters. Not many have reached Ireland, but here's one worth welcoming: a mature, well made Cabernet with lingering overtones of coffee, prunes, leather . . . Elegant.
New Trends
The biggest trend of all is towards more distinctive, more memorable wines. That goal is making some producers work hard at choosing particular grapes to suit a particular area - like Semillon for many parts of Australia, which it suits miles better than Chardonnay. Others, convinced that grapes of outstanding quality hold the key, are putting the effort into organic or bio-dynamic viticulture:
Hardys Mill Cellars Semillon, South Australia, 1997 (selected Superquinns, Comet Santry, Martins Fairview, Lord Mayor's Swords, Cheers/Gibneys Malahide, Hallinans Ballybrack, Pettitts in south-east, In A Nutshell New Ross, Mill Wine Cellar Maynooth, Galvins Cork, usually about £7.49). Signs are that Semillon's emerging at last as Australia's unfairly eclipsed white beauty. This one will show you why. Smooth, creamy, lemon-curd character, yet it's as fresh on the palate as a citron presse.
Domaine de Jacques Blanc Saint-Emilion, 1997 (Redmonds Ranelagh, Good Food Store Pembroke Lane, Sweeneys Dorset St and Fairview, Egans Drogheda, Connemara Hamper Clifden, Treats Kenmare, about £9.99, or contact Mary Pawle Wines (064 41443) Mary Pawle continues to expand her handpicked range of organic wines as the anti-chemical, anti-pesticide trend gathers momentum. This surprisingly herbaceous, succulent St Emilion is a good ambassador for biodynamic methods, the most rigorous of all. It will hold your interest until the bottle's empty.
New, Part Two
One of the hottest names to be added to the portfolio of David Dennison Fine Wines, Waterford, is the high-profile Rhone oenologist Jean-Luc Colombo. Well known for consultancy work with top producers and for his own wines, especially a massively structured Cornas, Colombo has been visiting Ireland this week to introduce his wares. Tel 051 853777 /853444.
Buyers For Cellars
News for those of you who spend serious money on the most sumptuous bottles imaginable. Mitchell & Son has launched a new initiative in this small but beautiful end of the market, with their Fine Wine Broking List. Sent out monthly by post or email, this alerts interested customers to many outstanding wines which can be obtained through Mitchells from mainly UK-based vendors at prices which are keener than those usually seen on a fine wine merchant's standard list because no capital is tied up. Petrus, Le Pin, Mouton, DRC, Rayas, Guigal's single vineyard Cotes-Roties - they're all here in good vintages along with the leading Super-Tuscans and the best of port. Payment with order, delivery usually within 10 days. Tel 01 676 0766, fax 661 1509.
Rioja Ravaged
The worst freeze in years devastated Rioja's vineyard on April 16th, with damage all the more severe after a spell of unusually warm spring weather which had produced vigorous shoots on the vines. Although losses haven't yet been fully evaluated, the word is that 60 to 90 per cent of La Rioja Alta's vineyards have been affected. And Rioja was already in trouble for its steeply rising prices. Now it may be frozen out entirely.