Mary Dowey calls to three off-licences that have been settling in nicely in south Dublin
All that I know about wine retailing could probably be written on the back label of a bottle. And the prose would be sober in tone. Selling wine successfully has never seemed easy, and seems even less so now that competition in the market is increasing by the day. How do you make sure that your own tastes and those of your customers coincide? How do you get the arithmetic right, with so much cash tied up in stock? How you do survive those endless 10- or 12-hour days? Wine merchants who make a fist of it deserve thunderous applause.
I've learnt not to rush out and write about brand new wine shops because a significant number die in infancy - underlining the fact that this business is fraught with hazards. But three worthwhile additions to the southside wine scene have all survived their first couple of years and look as if they are here to stay.
BRECHIN WATCHORN WINE
"Italy is our mistress," Stuart Brechin says with a twinkle. "And France is our wife," adds his business partner, Gavin Watchorn. The two, who previously worked together in Oddbins and O'Briens, have a habit of finishing each other's sentences. Sharing the same thoughts, not to mention the same passions, has helped them to establish a clear direction in Ranelagh's newest wine shop.
Well located just a few steps from the Luas on one side and Morton's famous family supermarket on the other, with an apron of private parking, Brechin Watchorn is firmly oriented toward the Old World, with the Loire, Alsace, the south of France and Italy areas of special interest.
"We sell more from Languedoc-Roussillon and Italy than anywhere else," they report. That is not to say that France's most famous regions are neglected - far from it. "Burgundy is wonderful, but Bordeaux is probably easier to sell."
Then there's the mistress factor - a solid wall of Italian wines, from the lofty heights of Gaja and Aldo Conterno through a troop of exciting Tuscans to more affordable southerners such as Leone de Castris Salice Salentino 2001 (€12.99).
By the way, Brechin Watchorn runs a dinner-party service. They'll choose wines to match your menu, supply tasting notes for the host and hostess and rent out elegant glassware if required. No point asking about their September wine course, though: it's already all booked up.
BIN NO. 9
Sheer disbelief - that's what I felt, suddenly spying Bin No. 9. Apparently defying the laws of prime location, it's off the beaten track - tucked into a leafy residential nook of Goatstown. And it's stylish in a low-key sort of way, with a flat grey-brown front straight out of Farrow & Ball, counterpointed by slim silver letters. White walls, pale wood, slate floors, halogen spots ... "I didn't want just another black box," says owner Andy Kinsella, alluding to the wine trade's heavy obsession with tradition. No indeed.
The smart surroundings would count for little, were it not for the wide-ranging, carefully chosen bottles on display - 400-500 in total, with the focus firmly on talented small producers rather than big brands. Italy, France and Spain occupy 80 per cent of the space, reflecting the preferences of Kinsella and his customers. "The south of France is very strong, and I've found myself being charmed by Italy more and more," he says.
Delicious-looking Italian deli products are also here, waiting to work the same magic as wines from outstanding producers such as Michele Chiarlo, Zenato and Tommasi.
While he was a marketing executive with Guinness in Ireland and in Germany, Kinsella nurtured the notion of opening a wine shop. "I felt that the experience of buying wine should be more fun," he says.
There are so many wine gems here that I gave up trying to write them down after the briefest of attempts (the list begins Domaine des Baumard, Domaine du Pégau, Verget, Château Tahbilk, Casa Lapostolle, Lawson's Dry Hills, Klein Constantia). Tantalising new discoveries are also plentiful, including Chain of Ponds Sangiovese-Grenache Rosé 2003, a screwcapped Australian which is currently going down a treat (€12.95), and Hazendal Bush Vine Chenin Blanc, our white Bottle of the Week.
"This is a big catchment area," says Andy Kinsella. "A lot of customers drive over from Donnybrook or down from Dundrum because it's not too far and it's easy to park." I'm not surprised. This richly textured shop is a treat.
HOGANS
My visit to the two-year-old wine shop on Rathfarnham's main street is one of those "if only you'd come next week" experiences. A heap of new stock is expected - sourced directly by Brian Hogan, who feels strongly that the future of his business depends on bringing wines in straight from the producer rather than via an importer.
Unlike Bin No. 9 and Brechin Watchorn, Hogans has a strong New World emphasis. Hogan is particularly excited about Spy Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (€16), as well as a new allocation of Cloudy Bay ("we sell loads and loads of Sauvignon Blanc"), and reports that his Firefly Shiraz from Australia (on special offer at 10) walks out of the shop in six packs.
Hogan has worked as a warehouse hand and a sales rep for two major companies, as well as for a Côtes du Rhône vineyard. "I got that job years ago by going to VinExpo, the major French wine fair, with two batches of CVs - one in French and one in English," he grins. "I had to stay on a campsite, so my suit was hung up in the tent." That may give you a measure of this man's enterprise.
Bottles of the week
Hazendal Bushvine Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch 2003. South Africa has recently begun to realise that the fruit of low-yielding Chenin Blanc bushvines can produce sensational white wines. Here is one. Aromas of mangoes and honey prepare you for a mouthful of rich, exotic flavours, but crisp acidity cuts through the middle. Try it as a summer aperitif, or with Indian fish, chicken or vegetable dishes. From Bin No 9, Goatstown, €10.50; also Mitchells, Kildare St & Glasthule; Red Island, Skerries; Halpins, Wicklow & Gorey.
Castello di Monastero Sangiovese Toscana 2001. Since decent Chianti has become so damned expensive, the hunt is on for the next best thing. Made from Sangiovese, the main grape of Chianti, in Tuscany, its home territory, this is a strong contender. Best with food. It will dress up a pizza or pasta - or give you an excuse to make bistecca alla fiorentina. From Brechin Watchorn, Ranelagh, 13.99; also Claudio's, Georges St Arcade; Corkscrew, Chatham St; Carvills, Camden St; Cheers, Perrystown; Carpenters, Carlow; Grape Escape, Lucan; Vine Inspiration, Enniscorthy & New Ross.