Showing posts with label Riesling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Riesling. Show all posts

24 April 2015

Game of Thrones & Wine


Thanks to obscure reddit thread ... aka google images

Having apparently nothing better to do than imagine what Game of Thrones characters might be swilling I thought I best record my thoughts for posterity. These things are important after all. 

I am also wondering how many people have found this post in search of actual bollocks about the series? (I do quite enjoy it aside from all of my misgivings)

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@thobiasinkblot is a keen wearer of scarves and enjoys a good Cabernet. He has been writing for Empty for ages and ages and currently can be found in an undisclosed location near London. After getting the wine bug he has a distinction in level 2 and 3 of the WSET he plans on attempting the Diploma in 2015. He also is quite fond of narratives in the third person. If you'd like to contact him email: emptyglassie@gmail.com

12 February 2015

The Blueberries






Rob's Big 2014 French Romp

My 2014 will be marked by two happenings. First, the stoking of my old flame, French wine and the second my discovery of the phrase 'fannybaws'. As only one of those is truly relevant to Empty I feel it best that I linger on it for the purpose of The Blueberries.

29 September 2014

Empty and Full; The Stop, Start Nature of Empty


[Hey there folks, we are having some issues with Empty on Wordpress, so just temporarily I will get this up here - Rob]


It’s been a long time since I’ve written in a way reminiscent of my old prolific empty self. There are a million excuses I could make as to why, but, very simply it boils down to one factor; passion. I have been working in ‘wine’ retail for quite a while now and if there is one thing I am certain of it is that there is a negative correlation between the amount of £6 wine one sells and your passion for wine. Thankfully, I am finding, there is a two step remedy; acceptance and focusing on the good wine in life. This leads me to writing this post; I have been really complacent with this passion of mine and I think it’s about time I start writing about it again.

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@Rob_Gilmour has been writing for Empty for too long to mention, he is currently working in wine in Edinburgh where he runs @Wine_Edinburgh and somehow has found time to be Vice-President of the @IWSScotland. Being a balanced multifaceted individual Rob's only interest in not wine, he is also interested in wine education as well having passed with distinction his WSET L3. If you'd like to contact him email: emptyglassie@gmail.com 

23 September 2012

A Hard Day's Riesling



Jim Barry, The Lodge Hill Riesling 2007
Sometimes big and bold is quite simply better. This Riesling is a testament to that fact. Jim Barry rave about the Lodge Hill site, saying that its high elevation brings a unique intensity to the grapes grown there. I for one happily agree, this wine certainly is intense.  
The colour is inviting, reminding me of the straw bales which are everywhere right now. The nose is striking, with tart citrus fruits and orange blossom sending the senses into overdrive. Minerality and lime create a mouth watering palette. The real treat however is a tingly acidity which can’t help but re-energise the soul.
For me this wine is the essence of Australia. Brash and beautiful, it storms its way into your heart and leaves a big old smile on your face. This is the sort of wine you want to come home to after a hard day. It peps you up for the evening and will go excellently with any asian food; provided it lasts that long of course.

Score: B+ (88)

(Available widely for €19.99)

~ Will Blumlein

14 July 2012

Reasoned Riesling Reactionaries

Nothing is beyond the  repertoire of armchair activists such as ourselves here at Empty. That's right, we said it, armchair activists.  Bugger that, while Germany, is and always will be one of leaders  for propagating the quality of the wino's favourite grape we have to all dust ourselves off and realise, the Aussies really have led the charge on getting Riesling noticed. Not mentioning them, is by our books, rather uncool. So we did what any self respecting wino aficionado would do. We answered the four questions we shouted at our computers in the wee hours of this morning. Where's Australia? Where's Austria? Where's Alsace? Where's the Kiwi's? (Also watch out for some of the Riesling that sadly doesn't make the Irish market; USA, Chilean etc.)

05 June 2012

Empty's Full Glass on Wine Australia


Rob and Shane give a post-mortem on Monday's wine Australia trade fair marking any notables from the day. Comments on the master classes, the Riesling table. We'll also be updating this in the near future with a podcast of the opinions of the guys. For now read way! Hope you enjoy, and as always comments and debate welcome!  

03 June 2012

A Stickie Situation....


In the wake of Wine Australia, I have been rather predictably on a bit of an Aussie trip. Cabernet being the main offender for the moment. However, it would be a blatant lie to insinuate that this is something rather new for me. Last year, maybe that was the case, but now, I am the right-proper Aussie pusher. So in the interest of critical thought, I decided I'd have a go at something a little different. The "Stickies". No, not those of the northern variety; I am, mind you, rather gangly and the only possible outcome ensuing such a feat would be the repeated hurting of myself. Fearing for myself as I always do,  I felt happening upon a safer plan of action the better option. Thus, the Australian dessert wines, which just so happen to also be called "Stickies". These little buggers are unpopular by the very nature of their existence, they are after all dessert wines. Which shouldn't in our ideal world matter, it is after all just another style. Yet the game is as always played through the  eyes of the consumer, and guess what, we are a rather prejudice aulde bunch. Like to believe it or not. 

05 February 2012

d'Arenberg, The Dry Dam Riesling 2002

If you, like I, have ever watched Shaun of the Dead, it should be needless to say that you will have grasped the rather central thematic concept that a Zombie is someone or something that should by all rights be dead at this point, but is apparently not. Now to another harsh feature of these Zombie types, they come in an endless wave, persistent and never ending. To make sense of this, were I looking for a metaphor to offer the to Riesling here, well, I would most definitely compare it to a Zombie.

01 February 2012

NZ Riesling, an Appraisal & Rant

First thing is first, I am a Riesling nut, and it is one of the grapes that when someone has the ability to do the thing justice softens the very hammerings of the world and I realise that, things aren't actually all that bad, so long as there is this glass of wine in it. However, this is a two way street, cock that up, and I'll be upset, I will be very very upset. Now to the point of this, on Monday I was subjected to a Riesling tasting of 12 Rieslings from the same vineyard, same harvest, the only difference? The winemaker.

09 May 2011

5 wines to try

Shoo Fly, Chardonnay, 2009


€13.95, Mill Wine Cellar
Chardonnay as it should be, beauitful soft and full bodied, with a strong body of melon and elderberries both on the nose and on the plate. The wine opens with peach and minerality showing and developing, grapefruit makes an apperance on the palate. Not the most complicated wine but extremely tasty, offering a lot of taste and a good interesting cool-climate chardonnay from the adelaide hills a region fast stealing my heart. Advice would be to find a bit of spare change and add it to the ten quid bottle you normally get and try this wine. Tis an award winner after all having the title of best white wine on the Irish Market under €20, not a bad reputation to have mind you.




Petit Fumé, Michel Redde et Fils, 2010

€16.99, Mill Wine Cellar
We have sun, we need a crisp clean cut white to celebrate, look no further than Petit Fumé, made by Michel Redde et Fils, this Sauvignon Blanc is what you need, Sauvignon Blanc has risen to popularity of late- especially with the rise of New Zealand wine. While New Zealand is now regarded as the King of Sauvignon Blanc, I feel that this title is fairly undermining of the French examples, we have loire producing some of the most crisp examples of this vartiel, so looking at this pacticular bottle, we have a crisp and clean experience. Brilliantly structured, fresh apple and minerality notes, finishing with acidity to clear the palate after each mouthful. The nose is especially inviting on this, best when just slightly chilled to take the acid edge off. While slightly expensive, this bottle and grape has finally come into it's own, rarely failing to impress. What we're talking about here is a sleek stylish examof what is now just a bulk grape; it has distinct fruit notes and subtle hints to leave you curious. Its greatest drawback (being students) is the price. However remember it is on offer, so it’s well worth picking up as a treat, and in this weather the wine will be one of the most refreshing things on the shelf

Santa Digna, Cab Sauv Res, 2010

€9.99, Wine Mill Cellar
Sun seems as though it would like to stay and as a ritual in it's honour (and as a hopefully attempt to persuade it to stay for a short while longer) I thought I ought to toast to it this weekend. Now we have offered you our white wine selection, but despite two of my bigger predujices, the first that chilean wine will dissappoint and the second that Rosés are a stupid idea and are boring wines  of my own I decided I'd give the following wine a bit of a test drive. So the wine up for tasting? Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, 2010, from Santa digna, chile. So starting out with low expectations, opening the bottle, I was suprised to be greeted by a more than pleasant raspberry and subtle strawberry nose, beckoned by this I knocked a bit into a glass give it a bit of a swirl and slurped me some Rosé, and for the second time in not so long chile has surprised myself. So with this we were looking at raspberry, strawberry, bit of early minerality of a very flithish style. As the wine opened up we started to see the fruits develop a little, we started to get grapefruit and the nose turned slightly Sauv Blanc with gooseberry. What was the biggest slap in the face was how refreshing the wine tasting despite the fact it weighed it at a burly 13.5% alcohol. That fact showed the quality of the make of the wine we were dealing with, that combined with the full body of the wine. I'd have given it a 7, fresh wine, felt a little green at points but nothing overly officious to the palate!

Max Fred. Richter, Mosel Valley Riesling, 2009

€14.99, Corkscrew
A lovely example of Mosel Valley Riesling. Crisp and refreshing as all Riesling should be, it is sweet with a Clean nose, the wine is extremely complicated with melons, pear, apple and a slight hint of citrus making up the main fruits of the wine there is a nice touch of clove to the wine and everything seems to have a thin blanket of honey coating it. To boot it even has a foral smell as it opens which does not get lose on the palate, despite the mass arrays of smells and tastes each one is well defined. Leaving for a truly enjoyable wine that seems to wreak of a come hither note.


Leyda Reserve, Pinot Noir 2009

€14.95, Mill Wine Cellar
New world wine is a bit of a new thing for myself only letting go of my predjuices against many regions. However one predjuice has managed to last the test of time Chilean wine. That is until recently, so recent in fact it was this week, when I found a bottle of Pinot hiding behind large quanities of Shiraz from the same nation. Single vineyard always a good sign. Opening the bottle I was greeted by a warm smelling wine, nice mind you, slowly this developed into a nice red fruit and tobacco form, living up to the warm cilmate Pinot reputation of packing a punch, not only that but this also as it opened smelt meaty, and on the palte started to minic this and also add a sweet red pepper undertone. It kept opening up as the night progress and showed signs of the red berries and other red fuits as well as the prevelant tobacco smell and palate, all in all? A wine well enjoyed.
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