wine trip to cherbourg

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30 carandtravel.ie Wine makers are like frustrated chefs and we mere mortals should think of wine as a condiment to accompany our food. So said Martin Moran, one of Ireland's top independent wine writers and broadcasters who linked up with Irish Ferries to host an October Bank Holiday weekend wine lovers' mini cruise to Cherbourg. This was a heaven-sent opportunity for us to sample some good wines during the onboard tastings. Wines that could be bought ashore in Cherbourg where one outlet, The Normandie Wine Warehouse, operated by Chris Bullimore, offers discounts of up to 12.5 percent to Irish Ferries customers. This is on top of the substantially cheaper prices you're paying compared to Irish stores. We joined the large gathering of like-minded folk in a special area of the luxurious Oscar Wilde cruise ferry on the evening of Friday 23 October, licking our lips and salivating in anticipation of the evening ahead. This proved a labour of love for the wine maestro, one of three such Wine Masters in Ireland. And he also proved a very accomplished performer. "I'm a professional drinker and I also get to take my work home with me!" he joked, warning that tasting is different to drinking, and that smelling a wine is so very important. All around us we could see noses twitching. He taught us all about professional tasting so we now know a thing or two about what to expect without even opening a bottle! It seems there are several 'Ss' to remember in wine tasting. Sight, Swirl, Sniff, Slosh, and Spit or Swallow. We also learnt that you don't always 'drink with your eyes' as the colour of wines can vary from grape to grape and from continent to continent, depending on the climate and the soil. Wines we sniffed and swirled, and too often swallowed, varied hugely in colour, smell and taste, but all were relatively inexpensive compared to what we'd pay back home. Some were youthful and fresh, others sweetish, acidic or tangy. So the tongue is important as it tells you if the wine is sweet, dry, salty, tangy or zesty. "When it's in your mouth, suck in some more air, sniff it, then swill it around your mouth, asking yourself what flavours you can taste." It appears that women are more sensitive tasters than men, and young women have the most sensitive tongues and palates of all. We were advised to buy what we like, and 'not what the fancy label says you should' which proved good advice. While Pino Noir is a favourite brand for many, we learned the Holy Grail of wine making is really Bordeaux, the largest wine producing area in France, producing some 500 million bottles a year. "But it's hard to get it right," we were warned. Decent Burgundy will cost from €12 a bottle. Many small French villages produce Chablis, a classic wine, but they are all quite different. Chardonnay is probably the most A Wine Cruise to France The Left Bank Brasserie, one of three restaurants on board. Chris Bullimore and Martin Moran compare wines at the Oscar Wilde on-board tasting.

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Article about an Irish Ferries wine run to Cherbourg, from Irish Car+Travel magazine.

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carandtravel.ie

Wine makers are like frustrated chefs and we mere mortals should think of wine as a condiment to accompany our food. So said Martin Moran, one of Ireland's top independent wine writers and broadcasters who linked up with Irish Ferries to host an October Bank Holiday weekend wine lovers' mini cruise to Cherbourg. This was a heaven-sent opportunity for us to sample some good wines during the onboard tastings. Wines that could be bought ashore in Cherbourg where one outlet, The Normandie Wine Warehouse, operated by Chris Bullimore, offers discounts of up to 12.5 percent to Irish Ferries customers. This is on top of the substantially cheaper prices you're paying compared to Irish stores. We joined the large gathering of like-minded folk in a special area of the luxurious Oscar Wilde cruise ferry on the evening of Friday 23 October, licking our lips and salivating in anticipation of the evening ahead. This proved a labour of love for the wine maestro, one of three such Wine Masters in Ireland. And he also proved a very accomplished performer. "I'm a professional drinker and I also get to take my work home with

me!" he joked, warning that tasting is different to drinking, and that smelling a wine is so very important. All around us we could see noses twitching. He taught us all about professional tasting so we now know a thing or two about what to expect without even opening a bottle! It seems there are several 'Ss' to remember in wine tasting. Sight, Swirl, Sniff, Slosh, and Spit or Swallow. We also learnt that you don't always 'drink with your eyes' as the colour of wines can vary from grape to grape and from continent to continent, depending on the climate and the soil.

Wines we sniffed and swirled, and too often swallowed, varied hugely in colour, smell and taste, but all were relatively inexpensive compared to what we'd pay back home. Some were youthful and fresh, others sweetish, acidic or tangy. So the tongue is important as it tells you if the wine is sweet, dry, salty, tangy or zesty. "When it's in your mouth, suck in some more air, sniff it, then swill it around your mouth, asking yourself what flavours you can taste." It appears that women are more sensitive tasters than men, and young women have the most sensitive

tongues and palates of all. We were advised to buy what we like, and 'not what the fancy label says you should' which proved good advice. While Pino Noir is a favourite brand for many, we learned the Holy Grail of wine making is really Bordeaux, the largest wine producing area in France, producing some 500 million bottles a year. "But it's hard to get it right," we were warned. Decent Burgundy will cost from €12 a bottle. Many small French villages produce Chablis, a classic wine, but they are all quite different.

Chardonnay is probably the most

A Wine Cruise to France

The Left Bank Brasserie, one of three restaurants on board.

Chris Bullimore and Martin Moran compare wines at the Oscar Wilde on-board tasting.

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The all important Reception desk is on the 5th deck where you will find staff very helpful. The ship operates on Irish time but all times on your ticket are local so reset your watch when you land. There are three different restaurants on board, on Deck 7, which cater for all tastes and pockets. Bring plenty of newspapers or books to read during your journey as sea travel gives you plenty of time to pass. And your iPod, well charged. If you are bringing chargers, make sure to bring a European plug adaptor as the sockets in cabins are all 2-pin. Use the kiddies play area on board or visit the cinema which shows both ordinary and kiddies films. The actual voyage time to Cherbourg is 18 hours. Book the Irish Ferries Priority ticket to disembark early at Cherbourg as you have only five hours ashore between the ship docking and sailing again. You must pack all your belongings and take them with you when you disembark at Cherbourg. You will be allocated a different cabin for the return trip. If time allows, explore the interesting streets and shops in the attractive town centre. There's ample parking on the quays. All wine can be preordered online from the Normandie Wines Warehouse. Email your order to [email protected]. Directions to the warehouse are on a leaflet at the Reception desk. You can sample most of the wines in the store.

Even in rough seas, the stabilising system works very well. However, if you are unfortunate enough to feel a little bit queasy, lying down is the best cure. That said, even if you don't feel 100 percent, do make the effort to take the lift to the top sundeck and watch out for dolphins. They were there to greet us on the way home! Further information from www.irishferries.com, or tel 0818 300 400.

A Wine Cruise to France

popular grape variety and a decent bottle starts at around €11. The French, it seems, prefer their wines 'young'. The weather can dramatically affect grapes. "It depends on where they are grown," he said. "If in a cold climate, you will get apple, or citrus flavours, along with high acidity, but when grown in, say the South of France, then the wine will resemble peach or melon flavours because of all the sunshine. In South Australia, it will have tropical fruity characteristics." There are less than 10 key great wine varieties and you don't have to try every bottle in the shop to see what you like. But if you really like a particular wine, whether it is expensive or inexpensive, that is the key to successful wine shopping. The trickier part while tasting is to be able to spit out! And Martin demonstrated the polite way of doing this. We were warned, though, never to swirl and spit at the dinner table! The majority of those at the tastings had already booked their wines online from the Normandie Wines Warehouse, which is a five-minute drive from the boat. They then arrived to find their orders neatly stacked up outside the premises. Staff loaded the cases into boots, trailers and vans. Chris Bullimore provided the wines

at the onboard tasting event in October. However, he subsequently organised his own Wine Fair on board the Oscar Wilde to Cherbourg at the end of November. Present on board were growers and winemakers from up to 20 quality French estates who gave talks and tastings of wines from Alsace, Beaujolais, Champagne, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux and Languedoc, including an exclusive range of Vin de Pays wines from just €2.95 a bottle! It's doubtful that wine lovers have ever had such an opportunity to meet so many growers from all over France. One of the nice things about shopping for wine in France is that there are so many to choose from, with 101 little applications 'finds' — and 60 different application wines in the Loire alone, rarely found in shops. But remember, you cannot resell your wine in Ireland and customs may need to be convinced that your over-loaded car, or trailer, is carrying booze for your own personal consumption. That said, it could be, of course, for a family wedding or anniversary party. By the way, a picture of a lady on the top of wine bottles is

proof that duty has been paid in France. This is what Excise inspectors check for when they check out wines being sold in Irish restaurants and off licences. Ten cases of wine per person is generally acceptable at Irish customs. The cost per person for the trip from Rosslare to Cherbourg was €99 including a bed in a 2-berth ensuite cabin, plus €89 for a car when two or more adults travelled together. Remember that each extra adult beyond the two severely compromises your wine storage space!

Trish Whelan

Some things to remember

Clockwise from above — a 5-star suite; a

3-star cabin; and The Merrion Lounge.

Chris Bullimore makes a suggestion in his Normandie Wines Warehouse.