News / natural wine

Natural wines, low intervention wines, artisan wines, real wines, call them what you will, truth is, we love them and can't get enough of them. From the winegrowers point of view, producing natural wines is as much a professional occupation as it is a way of life. What we like so much about them is that they truly reflect their plot of land, the grapes and their vintage. These wines feel alive, and they probably are since they come from vineyards free of any chemicals, with roots deeply implanted in life-bursting soils. In the winery, only the healthiest fruits made it to the vats, no excessive manipulations took place, natural, local yeasts were responsible for the fermentation, with an 'as long as it takes' approach, and no modern additives were used if only in some case, a dash of sulphur (so2) at bottling stage. Good natural wines will showcase fruit purity, energy and balance. Typically, they will have lower alcohol level, be flavour-ripe yet have a balancing natural acidity and/or tannins which make ideal food partners. Here is a list (far from exhaustive) of the natural wines you can find in our wine shop and website: Cascina Degli Ulivi, Bellotti Rosso – Dolcetto – Barbera Cascina Degli Ulivi, Bellotti Bianco Cortese Pierre and Catherine BRETON Bourgueil Trinch! Frantz Saumon, Montlouis Minérale + Pithon-Paillé, Anjou Blanc Mozaik Chenin Blanc Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny rouge Clos des Grillons, Cotes du Rhone Blanc Gran Cerdo Tempranillo Alfredo Maestro Tejero, Vina Amalte – Castilla y Leon Adega Cachin, Peza do Rei, Ribera Sacra Coste Piane Prosecco di Valdobbiadene ‘Naturale’ Villalobos- The Wild Vineyards – Carignan Reserve Louis-Antoine Luyt, Cinsault ‘Quellu’ Bobar Syrah, Yarra Valley            

This coming May Bank Holiday week-end, the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine will bring some of the world’s best known chefs, critics, commentators, kitchen gardeners, foragers and wine experts to East Cork. The festival will be held at Ballymaloe House and Ballymaloe Cookery School. In addition to the usual festival activities (readings, talks, panel discussions) there will be demonstrations, tastings, producer visits, foraging expeditions, lunches and dinners. The objective of the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine is to bring together a wide, varied and international group of cookery writers, journalists, bloggers and critics whilst also offering a varied programme for professional and non-professional food enthusiasts from Ireland and abroad. We are delighted to be involved in what promises to be one absolutely brilliant week-end! see the full list of events here: http://litfest.ie/ and the wine events here: http://www.ballymaloe.ie/things-to-do/wine-events