Welcome to The Wine Snug
This is a safe space where we talk about all things wine.
Have you ever wanted to understand more things about wine? How about discovering new and exciting bottles? Or simply, getting a better gauge on the wine lexicon?
I’m here to give you all the tea about wine - pun intended.
From practical advice when shopping for your next bottle to food pairing tips and everything in between.
Picture this. You are invited to dinner at the house of a new acquaintance. You are not going to show up empty-handed, right? (even when the host says don’t bother, please, do bother. Always).
You want to make a good impression, so you choose to bring some wine. You might feel overwhelmed with all the options available if you are not wine savvy.
This is where The Wine Snug will come in handy so let’s get cracking.
Ladies & Gentlemen, Her
This is the first post of a series. To give you some context on why I decided to create a series, let me tell you a little bit about myself (and if you want to know more, visit the About section).
In short, I am an energetic person who gets easily bored, loves trying new things and at the same time, loves planning and organising every aspect of my life.
I am the type that would feel anxious about not having reservations when going out for dinner on a Saturday night (yes Karen, there are more critical things in the world but this is a blog about wine so no hate here please.)
I usually volunteer to book someplace nice when meeting friends or am the person who does the research for the holidays.
Serendipity, When Anything Can Happen
Anyways, despite planning and organising my life, I do enjoy those (few) moments of serendipity when you go with the flow and end up discovering new places like a cute bookstore or a quirky bar.
To free some mental space and just for the craic*, I created ‘Anything can happen Sunday’. A Sunday where everything goes. From jumping on a train and visiting a town nearby to discovering new cuisine.
*This is an Irish thing. I live in Ireland. It’s pronounced [krak] and refers to having a good time.
This activity has been such a big hit that I wondered, what if I implemented this in other areas of my life? Enter wine.
French Wine Is A Vibe
Currently, I am obsessed with French wine. Also with French food. I know, it is a popular choice but in my eyes, the French can’t do anything wrong when it comes to food and wine.
Don’t get me wrong, I love wine from all around the globe and throughout my life, I’ve been obsessed with other countries: I had my Spanish era after I lived in Barcelona; then I went full on with my Italian obsession after living in Rome.
Right now, it’s all about France.
I adore French wine so I kept on going back to it any chance I got. Aperitivo? French wine. Netflix night? French wine. Restaurant étoilé? surprise, French wine.
There is something comforting about choosing a bottle from a region I love or a specific grape(s) that I enjoy.
Anything Can Happen - The Swirling Series
And of course, French wine is fantastic. But I noticed that I was missing out on discovering other gems from around the world.
Since I was doing this unconsciously, I decided to implement the ‘Anything can happen - Swirling series’.
This way I make the active decision to try something new or different whenever I get the chance instead of defaulting to my fave.
This is the first post of the series. I will be sharing my experiences as I try new and exciting wines.
My latest experience is with wines from Poland.
Polish wine. Wait, what?
Yes, you read that correctly. Polish wine.
I must confess I didn’t pin Poland as a wine producer country. I have tasted Eastern European wines before, sure -Hungarian, Croatian, Czech- but Polish? Not even on my radar.
So when I came across a Polish wine tasting, I took the opportunity to leave my comfort zone and discover something new. And let me tell you, it paid off.
Polish Wine Fest
The event was superbly organised by a group of fellow WSET scholars under the Polish Wine Fest label.
Big shout out to Maja who shared her knowledge and passion for wine with me.
I learned great facts about the wine culture in Poland, my top highlights here:
The official & regulated wine industry in Poland began in 2009. Before then, there were no regulations in the country for the operation of wineries
As of 2022, there are around 380 active wineries and around 550 vineyards in the country
When it comes to cultivated vines, Poland has an area of 620 hectares
For comparison, Spain has 961,000 hectares of cultivated vines and is the country with the largest vineyard area in the world. Forbes, data from 2020.
During the Polish wine event, we had the chance to taste 7 wines that ranged from sparkling to dessert wine passing through pét nat and red.
Pét Nat, You Say?
Pét Nat is the abbreviation for pétillant-naturel which describes wines that are produced with the ancestral method and that are naturally sparkling.
There is loads of information about pét nat wines and their production. Without going into the wine-making process, a good way to summarise the essential characteristics of pét nat wines is:
Pétillant-naturel could be translated to naturally sparkling/bubbly/fizzy (you get the idea)
In general, pét nat wines are slightly fizzy, with less alcohol content and less bubbly than sparkling wines
They are also fruity and very easy to drink
They have no additives hence, they tend to look cloudy
The Swirls
All wines during the Polish wine tasting were very different, of course, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the pét nat Barcelona Merret Mus (image on the upper right in the gallery below).
This wine is from a boutique winery called Zodiak and is a blend of:
40% Seyval blanc
20% Chardonnay
40% Hibernal
This natural wine had notes of peach and citrus. Very refreshing and with that fizzy texture that gives “terrace in the sun” vibes.
Information on where to buy this wine in Ireland will be available soon, watch this space.
Images of some of the wines tasted are below. Starting with:
Wieliczka Winery - Slightly sparkling Riesling 2020;
Zodiak Winery - Barcelona Merret Mus ‘Pet Nat’;
Zodiak Winery - Barcelona Merret Mus ‘Pet Nat’ Rosé;
Plochockich Winery - Ma-Fo 2019 (left) and Turnau Winery - Pinot Noir 2019 (right).
New Wine Temptations
I didn’t know what to expect from Polish wines so I decided to attend the tasting with an open mind. By leaving my comfort zone, not only did I have a great time, but also discovered fab wines.
A big plus is that I got the chance to meet wonderful people who are also passionate about wine.
Thanks to this new experience I am becoming more and more curious about pét nat wines. I’ve always loved bubbles and now I am very keen to explore this distinctive style of wine. Pét nat wines are strong contenders for becoming one of my favourites. I’ll do my homework and will keep on tasting!
The Ultimate Wine Tip
Wine is individual and personal. Many factors influence the tasting experience - I will talk about this in another post.
My wine advice is to try new grape varieties, regions or styles. Give the quirky ones a chance. Leave your comfort zone and you might discover your new favourite wine (and if not, you will defo have a ball sipping away!)
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