Stellar sellers

IT CAN BE difficult for the independent retailer to compete with the big boys. Supermarkets sell far greater quantities of wine, and can negotiate better prices from their supplier. Some buy locally, but many now go direct to the producer. Many of the more forward-thinking, smaller retailers have started to do likewise. Some use it purely as a price-driven exercise, cutting out the middleman, allowing them to increase their own profits whilst still selling cheaper. For this style of direct importing a retailer will probably stick to his fastest-selling wines. These will not always be the most interesting.

Others see it as an opportunity to indulge in their personal favourites, while offering their clients a unique range. Niche wines don’t always sell well (that’s why they are niche), so it requires an extra sales effort and enthusiasm on the part of the retailer. We are already seeing a drop in the number of quirky, hand-made wines as a result of the recession. I worry that the range available will drop further. So this week, we celebrate a few of the many small retailers who strive to make special wines available to the wine lover.

WINES OF THE WEEK

Bilancia Merlot Cabernet 2001, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay 13.5%, €18.95.Aidan and Jimmy Redmond have been running one of Dublin's finest off-licences for many years. Their enthusiasm for interesting wines (and beers and spirits) has never waned. There is always something of interest, some sourced locally, others imported from abroad. In recent years, they have focused on New Zealand, and offer some wonderfully different wines. Bilancia, based in Hawke's Bay specialises in some of the more unusual grape varieties. This Merlot Cabernet blend is starting to show a deeply attractive maturity. There is a leafy touch to the nose, and medium- to full-throttle dark fruits with a dash of dark chocolate, given plenty of backbone by the tannins and structure. A very stylish wine now, and it will improve further. Stockists: Redmonds, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Montefalco Rosso Arnaldo Caprai, 14%, €19.95.64Wine, a shop in Glasthule, has been taking south Dublin by storm. A combination of truly mouth-watering wines at every price and a well-chosen range of foods make for an essential destination. You get the feeling that Gerard Maguire and his staff have created a real sense of excitement in the borough. If you live elsewhere, take a look at 64wine.com.

Arnaldo Caprai is the kind of producer we need to see more of. His mould-breaking estate has revived the fortunes of an ancient but faltering region. By updating viticultural practices and cutting yields he has created some thrilling wines. There is a frankly strange dessert wine that combines sweetness with drying tannins; a superb dry red made from the local Sagrantino grape, and the most affordable, the Montefalco Rosso, made from a blend of Sangiovese and Sagrantino. It is a magnificent wine, elegant and almost claret-like, but riper, more intense and cheaper, too. It exudes class with its beautiful sheen of dark forest fruits, and lengthy dry finish. Try it with fairly plain roasts of red meat to show off its true glory. Stockists: 64Wine; Sweeney’s, Glasnevin; Lilac wines, Philipsburg Avenue, Fairview; Thomas’s, Foxrock.

Collioure Blanc Cornet Cie. 2007, 14%, €14.95.A relative newcomer to the wine scene, Cases Wine Warehouse in Galway is run with great enthusiasm by Peter Boland and his team. The list (available online) is packed with gems, available for nationwide delivery. White Collioure is rare, but can be stunning. The vineyards lie close to the Spanish border, around the picturesque town of the same name. I came across this wine a couple of years ago and was hugely impressed. It was every bit as good as I remembered. Made from a blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Roussanne, Marsanne and Vermentino, this is amazingly fresh but full-bodied. Clean, lean wetstone nose; rich and powerful, oaky, but with a lanolin texture, apricots, peach-stones and a bitter finish. Really interesting top-drawer wine that will continue to develop, and a bargain at this price. Stockists: Cases Wine Warehouse, Tuam Road, Galway, cases.ie, tel: 091-764701; Karwig, Carrigaline, Co Cork; The Celtic Whiskey Shop, Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

Château Paradis, Cuvée Tradition, Coteaux d'Aix en Provence 2007, 13.5%, €15.50. Red Nose Wines, run by Gary Gubbins, is another newish online operation. As well as sourcing wines from local importers, he has imported wines directly from a number of countries. France, and Provence, the Loire and Languedoc look of particular interest. The website rednosewine.com is well worth a browse. Château Paradis has been run by Philippe and Juliette Deschamps since 2003 with the assistance of well-known winemaker, Michel Tardieu. A concentrated, young, deeply tannic wine packed with dark herby fruits; firm and long, this will certainly improve further. I would recommend decanting an hour before dinner, and try it with a Provençal stew.

TWO UNDER €12

Réserve de la Saurine Blanc Vin de pays du Gard 2008, 13.5%,€9.49A cheerful wine with full plump rich rounded fruits, and everything in proportion. Great party fare, or with prawns. Stockist: Marks Spencer.

Sticks Shiraz Viognier 2008, 14.5%, €10.99A very enjoyable wine with some real class for the price, which is a special for the month of March. Smooth, ripe but nicely balanced Shiraz that grows on you with every sip. Distinctly moreish. Stockist: Direct Wines, directwines.ie.

jwilson@irishtimes.com

ONE FOR THE DIARY

The Porterhouse chain of pubs will be running its 7th Annual Beer and Whiskey Festival from 26th-4th April. During the festival each outlet will highlight a range of beers from seven Irish micro-breweries. In addition to the Porterhouse brews, expect to find beers from the White Gypsy Brewery, the Hilden Brewing Co, the Galway Hooker, the Carlow Brewing Co, the Whitewater Brewery, and the Franciscan Wells Brewery.