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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Neighbourhood wine shops and bars are popping up everywhere. Who's behind them?
The decline of the high street has been well documented. In recent years, the suburbs of Dublin, as with many other cities, have seen a decline in traditional retail shops as consumers move online or to large shopping centres. Coffee shops and nail bars seem to benefit from changing consumer habits, but they are not alone. Another less obvious sector is the wine shop or wine bar. Over the past decade a number of independent wine shops have opened up, often in areas with more competitive rents, selling an eclectic range of wines, frequently low intervention and usually from small producers. Received wisdom has it that in order to survive, you also need to offer wine by the glass accompanied by a few nibbles. Thus you end up with part wine shop, part wine bar with links to the local community. Most of them seem to be doing very well. The originals in the genre include La Touche in Greystones, Co Wicklow, Grapevine in Dalkey, 64wine in Glasthule, Red Island in Skerries and Green Man in Terenure. Other newish wine shops in Dublin include The Wine Pair on Clanbrassil Street, Lilith in Stonybatter, Neighbourhood Wine, and Cooper's Bottleshop in Sutton and Clontarf. In addition, two older independents expanded recently, Mitchell & Son to The Vaults on Hatch Street and 64wine to Deerpark Road. [ Fancy a great wine bar with top-class nibbles? Here are 10 to head for around Ireland Opens in new window ] Many of these new shops are run by refugees from the high pressure and long hours of the restaurant business. Roger da Silva runs Pinto Wines in Drumcondra. 'I have three kids, and you can't work until four in the morning and go back at 12 the next day. I lived close to Green Man Wines in Terenure, realised there was no wine shop in Drumcondra, and just made the leap.' Da Silva trained as a sommelier in Portugal. 'I started bartending at 16 and then went on to one of the best hospitality schools in Portugal. I specialised in wine and had a passionate teacher. We are still in touch. I wanted to go to London or Paris, but I had a friend working in Dublin who urged me to come over here, telling me, 'People are very nice'. After 1½ years working in hotels and restaurants I met my wife, local to Drumcondra.' READ MORE Covid was a good thing for him, he believes, making him rethink his priorities. 'I have had amazing support from the local community from day one,' he says. He doesn't serve wine by the glass but does hold tastings every Thursday and Saturday. 'People know each other and see it as a night out. We are niche and people get that.' His palate has a preference for European wines, plus Lebanon and South Africa. 'Of course I am Portuguese, so we have 100-150 Portuguese wines. Maybe I am trying to be niche within a niche!' Seán Gargano of MacCurtain Wine Cellar Bottles at MacCurtain Wine Cellar Trudy Ahern and Séan Gargano are both veterans of the Dublin restaurant scene, having worked front of house in a variety of restaurants and wine bars around the capital. Three years ago they decamped to Cork and opened MacCurtain Wine Cellar on MacCurtain Street. Both are very happy with the move, largely driven by wanting to be close to Ahern's family, but Gargano says, 'I don't think that we could have found a shopfront with a similar style and location in Dublin for anything near the cost here in Cork.' The shop has an excellent range, including many organic, biodynamic and low-intervention wines. About 70 per cent of their business is the wine bar, with customers dropping in for a glass of wine and a plate of nibbles before going on for dinner or a performance in the nearby theatre. Balázs Rakamazi of BaRossa Wines Balázs Rakamazi is a Hungarian who started out in Ireland as a chef. He became more interested in wine and tried to cook in places that stocked good wine. 'It got so wine was giving me inspiration to cook dishes. I realised there wasn't a serious representation of Hungarian wines in Ireland.' So he set up Vinifinesse, a company that imports a portfolio of great wines from central and eastern Europe. Ross Turner, meanwhile, worked in Blackrock Cellar and Mitchell & Son. 'Blackrock Cellar was my local shop,' says Rakamazi, 'so we knew each other. He has the retail experience and has all the contacts. I worked part-time in Pinto Wines to learn a bit.' The two joined forces to open BaRossa Wines, a small, very narrow shop/wine bar in Sandymount, Dublin 4. It is crammed with of fascinating wines, mainly European and not surprisingly, with a sizeable selection from central Europe and what they call the Ancient East, which includes Armenia, Georgia, Greece and more. BaRossa does operate as a wine bar but soon discovered that customers want to book in for private tastings, with up to 11 people sitting at flip-up tables that double as storage areas during the day. 'And sometimes people just pop in for a glass.' Rakamazi and Turner run regular tastings and get a great response from locals. The riesling below is one of their best-selling wines, despite costing €35. 'People try a glass and then buy a bottle to take home', says Rakamazi. Sinéad McCarthy & Paul Gartland of Fíon Eile Fíon Eile ('Another Wine') is a brand new wine shop and event space on the North Circular Road in Phibsborough, Dublin. Sinéad McCarthy and partner Paul Gartland both worked in some of Dublin's finest restaurants for many years before opting for a change. They met while working in Michelin-starred restaurant Chapter One . More recently McCarthy was wine manager in Hawksmoor , Gartland in The Greenhouse and Chapter One again with Mickael Viljanen. Prices at the light-filled spacious shop start at €13.50 and there are a few bottles under €15, but they find customers prefer to pay €20-€21.50 for an interesting bottle of wine. 'Locals here are very adventurous and want to try something different. Ninety per cent of people want recommendations,' says McCarthy. One of their first customers asked if they could have a glass of wine, so they have installed tables and chairs and are offering a changing range of wines by the glass. They hope to run classes and possibly a wine school in a large room to one side of the shop. While the shop will require long hours of work, both seem delighted that there will be fewer late nights, and they may even manage to have dinner together. Shop owners pick their favourite wines San Lorenzo, 'Il Casolare' Rosso, La Marche, Italy, Organic San Lorenzo, 'Il Casolare' Rosso, La Marche, Italy, Organic €17-€19, 13% Selected by MacCurtain: this is vibrant and juicy with seductive dark cherry and plum fruits. Enjoy cool with everything from mixed antipasti, pasta dishes, red meats or firm cheeses. From MacCurtain, Cork; 64 Wine, Glasthule; Lilith, D7; Lennox Street Grocer, D8; The Food Store, Claremorris; Rua, Castlebar MOB Lote 3 Dão Red 2021, Portugal MOB Lote 3 Dão Red 2021, Portugal 13.5%, €21 Chosen by Pinto Wines: this is a lovely medium-bodied red wine with blackcurrant and plum fruits, balanced acidity and light tannins on a dry finish. A good all-rounder, but try it alongside grilled lamb chops or medium-firm cheeses. From Red Island, Skerries; La Touche, Greystones; Higgins, D14; Pinto, D9; McHugh's, D5; MacGuinness, Dundalk; Nolan's, D3; Shiels, Malahide; Martins, D3; Leonard's, Trim; Drinkstore, D7; Redmond's, D6 La Moto 2023 Mas Foraster, Montblanc, Conca de Barbera DO, Spain La Moto 2023 Mas Foraster, Montblanc, Conca de Barbera DO, Spain 12%, €23 Fíon Eile chose this lively, easy-drinking red from the hills of Catalonia. 'Bursting with bright summer berries, strawberries and redcurrants, with a touch of dried herbs and a gentle white pepper spice,' says Sinéad McCarthy. 'Light on its feet but full of flavour.' From The Drinkstore, D7; Pinto, D9; Fíon Eile, Phibsborough; Blackrock Cellar; Searsons, Monsktown. Riesling 2021 Világi Winery Terroir Selection, Slovakia Riesling 2021 Világi Winery Terroir Selection, Slovakia 13.5%, €35 From BaRossa, a beautiful complex full-bodied riesling with rich stone fruits, a lively minerality and a long dry finish. Enjoy with all kinds of seafood, white meats and cream cheeses. From Barossa Wines, Sandymount; Pinto, D9; Martin's, D3; Delgany Wine Cottage; Cooper's Bottleshop, D13 and D3
CBS News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Sip, savor and chill: Magie Wine Bar brings the community together in Miami's Little River
Looking for a fun and affordable wine bar with bold snacks or even full meals in the most relaxed vibe? Magie Wine Bar in Miami's Little River area is calling your name. This laid-back neighborhood gem has become such a hit that owners recently opened a second location in Coconut Grove. But the original Little River spot maintains its come-as-you-are charm, with locals and visitors alike making it their go-to hangout. Chill atmosphere brings community together At Magie, guests can pour their own glass of wine, plus non-alcoholic options and beverages from carefully curated shelves. The concept is the brainchild of co-owner and Food Network's Ciao House Season 2 winner Chef Ivan Barros and his partner in life and love, Caroline Strauss, who created this chill atmosphere to bring the community together. "So here at Magie, we are very kind of low intervention service, kind of come as you are, come with the group, come with friends, come with your loved one," explained Barros. "Choose whatever wine you like. We have red wines behind you. We have some chilled wines, some very unique wines, kind of some staff picks, and then you can have meat and cheese, and we kind of build a charcuterie board for you." Magie operates with no cover charge and no reservations — it's truly come as you are and feel at home. The cozy interior reflects this philosophy, with most furnishings plucked from local thrift stores. The couches make your grandmother's couches look cool again. "It's 'granny chic, '" Strauss laughed. "It's all about being cozy. We want you to feel like you're in your living room. If you want to come here and have drinks with friends, you can. If you want to come grab a snack, you know, this is definitely a place for everyone. It's super inclusive. I want the furniture to feel that way, too." The relaxed vibe is attracting wine lovers from across the city. Des and David Quintero made the trek all the way from West Kendall just to soak up the atmosphere. "This place, the moment we came in with the little outdoor area, the aesthetics, the art, it was, we were sold," Des said. "We love it." Bold snacks and homemade pasta The menu at Magie is intentionally ever-changing, reflecting Barros's philosophy of keeping things fresh and fun. "We give them new things to kind of, you know, grasp on to and just kind of not take ourselves too seriously and make really good food, that's affordable and anybody can come and, you know, have some bites," he said. Among the standout dishes that showcase this playful spot: Dino Nuggets with Caviar: Barros's nostalgic and whimsical take on childhood favorites, elevated with a luxurious caviar topping. Barros's nostalgic and whimsical take on childhood favorites, elevated with a luxurious caviar topping. Spanish-Style Tater Tots: The chef's creative spin on patatas bravas, featuring crispy tater tots topped with house-made aioli and delicious brava sauce loaded with tomatoes, garlic, onions, red pepper flakes and chipotle peppers. The chef's creative spin on patatas bravas, featuring crispy tater tots topped with house-made aioli and delicious brava sauce loaded with tomatoes, garlic, onions, red pepper flakes and chipotle peppers. Campanelle with Tuscan Ragu: Available during Wednesday pasta nights, featuring perfectly al dente homemade pasta with a flavorful sauce that delivers just the right kick of heat. Magie offers excellent value with special weekly promotions. Wednesday nights feature pasta night with three different homemade pastas priced at $15 per plate. From Wednesday through Sunday, 6 to 7 p.m. is "power hour," where wine is $35 per person for all you can drink. With its combination of quality wines, creative affordable eats, and genuinely welcoming atmosphere, Magie Wine Bar has carved out a special niche in Little River's dining scene.
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Notions restaurant review: This is intelligent, considered food, without ceremony
Notions Address : 74 Francis St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 KA43. Telephone : N/A Cuisine : Modern International Website : Cost : €€€ It's called Notions – which tells you everything and nothing. Once an insidious put-down designed to keep you in your place, it's now tossed around half-laughing by the same people who used to mean it. Oh, notions! – as if ambition were something to be embarrassed about. It's an interesting name for a restaurant – either dry wit with a flick of the fringe, or a quiet middle finger with polite defiance. Possibly both. Notions is what happens after Two Pups cafe on Francis Street, Dublin 8 , closes for the day and flips from flat whites to fermented funk. It's the evening shift – a hybrid wine bar and restaurant with no minimum spend. You can drop in for a glass and a couple of snacks, or do as we do: rifle through most of the menu, which runs on a spine of nibbles, snacks, and plates (small and large). The wine is natural – of course it is – organic or biodynamic, probably foot-stomped in a 200-year-old stone trough for Percheron horses. Everything's by the glass, arranged not by grape or region but by natty wine taxonomy – Go-To, Elegant & Playful, Lil' Funky, Mad Funky – a spectrum from 'you'll like this' to 'you might not, but at least it's interesting'. [ Summer 2025: 100 great places to eat around Ireland Opens in new window ] The staff are charming and quick with tasters. A few natty heads linger outside, but most – including two high-profile influencers – are just here for a good glass and a bite. We steer clear of the funkier stuff and go for a bottle of Château Coupe Roses (€48) – crunchy red fruit, bursts of bramble, a vin vivant – which throws off a reassuring amount of debris. READ MORE We start with sourdough (€6), baked that morning in Bold Boy, the in-house bakery. It's topped with whipped cod's roe and chives chopped with the kind of precision that would earn full marks from @ratemychives on Instagram. A Connemara oyster (€4) with jalapeño granita leaves my mouth tingling, the oyster's brine a prominent note against the heat of the granita. Notions, Francis Street, Dublin 8. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times And then on to the snacks, at €9 each. Radishes are piled on top of romesco sauce and dusted with hazelnuts. The romesco delivers a rich, peppery depth, lifted with a splash of wild garlic oil. Ham hock croquettes are made with a light hand – hot, loose, and smoky with Gubbeen, with an assertive mustard mayo. If you're a little croquetas-jaded, these will restore your faith. And the tempura of purple sprouting broccoli, dappled in filaments of a light crunchy batter, is glossed with gochujang mayo and dusted with nori powder. The small plates section is where the chef starts speaking in ingredient haiku: oyster mushroom, shimeji, black garlic, tarragon (€12). It is a great dish. The oyster mushroom and shimeji have an earthy, roasted edge, the black garlic smoulders, and the tarragon adds a bit of punch. Notions: From left, radish, romesco, chive oil and hazelnuts; asparagus, guanciale, gnocchi, Parmesan and cavolo nero; Connemara oyster with jalapeño granita; caramelised white chocolate, strawberries and buckwheat sponge. Photograph: Alan Betson Ham hock croquettes, mustard aioli with smoked Gubbeen. Photograph: Alan Betson Sommelier Finn Lowney and chef Andrew Kelly. Photograph: Alan Betson Crispy purple potato, greens, anchovy dressing (€14) turns out to be the dish of the evening. The Ballymakenny potatoes are smashed, cooked in their skins, and just this side of charred. The greens are a mix of rocket, kale and roasted spring onions, and the anchovy dressing is sharp, with a smoky finish pulling the whole thing together. On to the large plates and asparagus, guanciale, gnocchi, Parmesan, kale (€18) is smaller than expected – but the price reflects it. Pan-fried spears of asparagus are nestled alongside gnocchi and crispy cavolo nero in a Parmesan cream, with crispy guanciale adding a punch of salty umami. Iberico pork cheek, nduja, butter bean cassoulet, salsa verde (€26) is a satisfying dish. The meat is tender without falling into 'melts in the mouth' territory; the cassoulet is loose, thick, and rich with nduja heat; and the salsa verde is snappy, vivid with acidity, bringing a welcome counterpoint. For dessert, there's just one option – caramelised white chocolate, raspberries, and buckwheat sponge (€10), an unfussy end. The raspberries are sharp, the sponge is light and nutty, and the white chocolate comes in just enough to soften the edges. An unfussy end: Caramelised white chocolate, raspberries, and buckwheat sponge. Photograph: Alan Betson Andrew Kelly, who heads up the kitchen, has an impressive background – Ballymaloe, Noma , Bastible , Potager – and it shows. The food is intelligent, modern and deeply considered, but never overwrought. The kitchen works with a precision that quietly outclasses the influencer glow in the diningroom. There's technique, sure, but also restraint – the rarest thing in a city still impressed by edible flowers and truffle oil. There's no plate pile-up. No ceremony. The pacing just works. And Notions? For all the irony, all the shrugging cool, here's the joke: it's not style over substance. It's quite simply, substance, styled well. Dinner for three with a bottle of wine was €165. The Verdict: Small plates, natural wine, and no minimum spend. Food provenance: Crowe's Farm, Ballymakenny Farm, McNally Farm, La Rousse and Caterway. Vegetarian options: The menu is primarily vegetarian. Wheelchair access: Accessible room with no accessible toilet. Music: Soul, jazz and reggae.
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Notions review: No style over substance here. This is intelligent, considered food, without the ceremony
Notions Address : 74 Francis St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 KA43. Telephone : N/A Cuisine : Modern International Website : Cost : €€€ It's called Notions – which tells you everything and nothing. Once an insidious put-down designed to keep you in your place, it's now tossed around half-laughing by the same people who used to mean it. Oh, notions! – as if ambition were something to be embarrassed about. It's an interesting name for a restaurant – either dry wit with a flick of the fringe, or a quiet middle finger with polite defiance. Possibly both. Notions is what happens after Two Pups cafe on Francis Street, Dublin 8 , closes for the day and flips from flat whites to fermented funk. It's the evening shift – a hybrid wine bar and restaurant with no minimum spend. You can drop in for a glass and a couple of snacks, or do as we do: rifle through most of the menu, which runs on a spine of nibbles, snacks, and plates (small and large). The wine is natural – of course it is – organic or biodynamic, probably foot-stomped in a 200-year-old stone trough for Percheron horses. Everything's by the glass, arranged not by grape or region but by natty wine taxonomy – Go-To, Elegant & Playful, Lil' Funky, Mad Funky – a spectrum from 'you'll like this' to 'you might not, but at least it's interesting'. [ Summer 2025: 100 great places to eat around Ireland Opens in new window ] The staff are charming and quick with tasters. A few natty heads linger outside, but most – including two high-profile influencers – are just here for a good glass and a bite. We steer clear of the funkier stuff and go for a bottle of Château Coupe Roses (€48) – crunchy red fruit, bursts of bramble, a vin vivant – which throws off a reassuring amount of debris. READ MORE We start with sourdough (€6), baked that morning in Bold Boy, the in-house bakery. It's topped with whipped cod's roe and chives chopped with the kind of precision that would earn full marks from @ratemychives on Instagram. A Connemara oyster (€4) with jalapeño granita leaves my mouth tingling, the oyster's brine a prominent note against the heat of the granita. Notions, Francis Street, Dublin 8. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times And then on to the snacks, at €9 each. Radishes are piled on top of romesco sauce and dusted with hazelnuts. The romesco delivers a rich, peppery depth, lifted with a splash of wild garlic oil. Ham hock croquettes are made with a light hand – hot, loose, and smoky with Gubbeen, with an assertive mustard mayo. If you're a little croquetas-jaded, these will restore your faith. And the tempura of purple sprouting broccoli, dappled in filaments of a light crunchy batter, is glossed with gochujang mayo and dusted with nori powder. The small plates section is where the chef starts speaking in ingredient haiku: oyster mushroom, shimeji, black garlic, tarragon (€12). It is a great dish. The oyster mushroom and shimeji have an earthy, roasted edge, the black garlic smoulders, and the tarragon adds a bit of punch. Notions: From left, radish, romesco, chive oil and hazelnuts; asparagus, guanciale, gnocchi, Parmesan and cavolo nero; Connemara oyster with jalapeño granita; caramelised white chocolate, strawberries and buckwheat sponge. Photograph: Alan Betson Ham hock croquettes, mustard aioli with smoked Gubbeen. Photograph: Alan Betson Sommelier Finn Lowney and chef Andrew Kelly. Photograph: Alan Betson Crispy purple potato, greens, anchovy dressing (€14) turns out to be the dish of the evening. The Ballymakenny potatoes are smashed, cooked in their skins, and just this side of charred. The greens are a mix of rocket, kale and roasted spring onions, and the anchovy dressing is sharp, with a smoky finish pulling the whole thing together. On to the large plates and asparagus, guanciale, gnocchi, Parmesan, kale (€18) is smaller than expected – but the price reflects it. Pan-fried spears of asparagus are nestled alongside gnocchi and crispy cavolo nero in a Parmesan cream, with crispy guanciale adding a punch of salty umami. Iberico pork cheek, nduja, butter bean cassoulet, salsa verde (€26) is a satisfying dish. The meat is tender without falling into 'melts in the mouth' territory; the cassoulet is loose, thick, and rich with nduja heat; and the salsa verde is snappy, vivid with acidity, bringing a welcome counterpoint. For dessert, there's just one option – caramelised white chocolate, raspberries, and buckwheat sponge (€10), an unfussy end. The raspberries are sharp, the sponge is light and nutty, and the white chocolate comes in just enough to soften the edges. An unfussy end: Caramelised white chocolate, raspberries, and buckwheat sponge. Photograph: Alan Betson Andrew Kelly, who heads up the kitchen, has an impressive background – Ballymaloe, Noma , Bastible , Potager – and it shows. The food is intelligent, modern and deeply considered, but never overwrought. The kitchen works with a precision that quietly outclasses the influencer glow in the diningroom. There's technique, sure, but also restraint – the rarest thing in a city still impressed by edible flowers and truffle oil. There's no plate pile-up. No ceremony. The pacing just works. And Notions? For all the irony, all the shrugging cool, here's the joke: it's not style over substance. It's quite simply, substance, styled well. Dinner for three with a bottle of wine was €165. The Verdict: Small plates, natural wine, and no minimum spend. Food provenance: Crowe's Farm, Ballymakenny Farm, McNally Farm, La Rousse and Caterway. Vegetarian options: The menu is primarily vegetarian. Wheelchair access: Accessible room with no accessible toilet. Music: Soul, jazz and reggae.
The Independent
08-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Chilling red wine actually makes it taste better (yes, really)
Do you remember the summer of 2018? I do. I sweated – a lot! It didn't seem to rain for weeks on end. Just day after day of unending sunshine. At the time, I owned a wine shop and bar in an arch under a railway track on a dead-end street in east London. Receiving deliveries of cases of wine in that heat was not fun. I couldn't keep up with people's insatiable desire for chilled rosé and white, but so many red lovers felt left out. So I started serving red wine in the way I love to drink them: chilled. Now, of course, I'm not for a moment suggesting that my little paradise of wine was responsible for the trend of chilled reds we're encountering today. I was merely emulating what I'd experienced in the bars and restaurants on Le Continent. If you've ever been in a hot country and ordered a red wine, you might find it takes on an almost soup-like consistency. It seems to become denser, heavier and jammier, and isn't particularly appealing. While many reds love to give you that enveloping feeling, it's not something you necessarily want in 35-degree heat, thank you very much. But in countries across continental Europe, they'll be served from bottles glistening with the beads of condensation, pouring the promise of freshness into your glass. And I love to see that this trend has gone mainstream. When the large supermarkets are stocking wines with the specific goal of being served chilled, you know something has hit the big time. Why should chilled reds be the preserve of natural wine bars and Parisienne bistros? In general, we tend to serve red wine way too warm anyway. The commonly suggested temperature is 'room temperature', which is recommended as being between 16 and 18 degrees. Somehow, this idea that 'room temperature' falls around those two numbers is as dated as the aristocratic classes who likely decreed it. Sixteen degrees was probably achievable in their draughty, poorly-insulated country piles – it definitely isn't in our stuffy, central-heated homes. But why do we even chill wines in the first place, whatever their colour? If you've ever tried a warm white wine, it might deliver a lot when you're smelling it, but when it comes to actually drinking it, it tastes muted, flat, lacking any real sense of definition and is flabby and dull. The process of chilling wine actually enhances the acidity and aromatic compounds, bringing your glass to life and delivering far more pleasure. It's like the wine's standing up and paying attention. Of course, not all reds are suited for time in the fridge. I would avoid overly chilling big, heavy reds with high tannins, such as cabernet sauvignon or malbec – the cooler temperatures can highlight an astringent note. Instead, look to the lighter grapes with good acidity and light tannins that are naturally bright and juicy. Grape varieties such as pinot noir, gamay, youthful grenache, frappato from Sicily, zweigelt and xinomavro are all happy fridge-dwellers. And always remember: when it comes to wine, whatever the colour, it's easier to warm them up in the glass than cool them down in the bottle, so don't be too afraid of over-chilling them. Want to give it a try? Here's some affordable inspiration to chill down in the fridge for 20 minutes or so: The Interlude Pinot Noir, Australia, 2024 Available from Co-op, £8.65, 11 per cent ABV Don't over-complicate this uncomplicated wine. It's super simple. Think raspberries and a lick of cinnamon spice, and chill it down for an easy BBQ summer sipper. Le Chouchou Syrah, Gerard Bertrand, France, 2023 Available from Waitrose, £9.75 (RRP £12.75, on offer until 1/7/25), 11 per cent ABV I asked a French friend for a translation of 'chouchou', and she said it's a cute term for someone you like, such as a teacher's pet, or a cute friend. And this wine definitely has a cutesy character about it. A blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault, it's like a posy of pretty scented flowers, bright red cherries and an uplifting freshness – a gorgeous wine for a summer's day. Dangerously moreish, too. Xinomavro Jeunes Vignes, Thymiopoulos, Greece, 2022 Available from The Wine Society, £13.95, 13 per cent ABV Xinomavro reminds me of a cross between pinot noir and nebbiolo. It's an indigenous grape native to Greece, and, in its youthful flourish, is perfect slightly chilled. Delivering heaps of crushed raspberries, juicy dark plums, supported with aromas of wild thyme and rosemary, it has beautiful depth and real character. The lively acidity ties together this bright and energetic wine wonderfully. Lentsch Zweigelt, Burgenland, Austria, 2022 Available from Waitrose, £10, 12.5 per cent ABV An utterly charming expression of this Austrian grape that is perfect with a little chill. Think morello cherries, ripe plums, fresh raspberries and an earthy spice note too. It's brimming with vibrant fruit, and delivers a lot of wine for a tenner. Chateau Picoron Tattarrattat Rouge, France, 2023 Available nationwide, including Highbury Vintners, £22, 13.5 per cent ABV Merlot has lower tannins than its Bordeaux brother, cabernet sauvignon, and here, it's quite simply bursting with vitality and energy. This medium-bodied wine delivers a glassful of soft red plums, sour cherries, wild strawberries and brimming acidity. Made using carbonic maceration – a technique more commonly associated with Beaujolais – the grapes are placed in whole bunches into vats which are then sealed and filled with carbon dioxide to remove the oxygen. This means the grapes ferment within themselves, causing the skins to split and release their juices. Tannins and extraction of colour normally remain low, and what you're commonly left with is a gorgeous, soft and fruity wine. Lovely.
