We are often asked about the difference between Prosecco and Champagne.

Prosecco is made in the Veneto area, near Venice, from the glera grape varietal. The wine is fermented as normal, and then fermented a second time, in a tank, producing bubbles. The wine is bottle under pressure, preserving the bubbles.
Prosecco is a light-bodied, easy to drink wine, with very subtle peach, melon and red apple flavours. It should be enjoyed while young and fresh.
So what are the pros and cons for Prosecco against its more illustrious rival, Champagne?

Pros
• Very affordable
• Easier to drink; less acidity & lighter pressure
• Some have screwcaps -easier to open

Cons
• Less flavour
• Goes flat more quickly
• Doesn’t always have a ‘pop’ sound
• Some reports of headaches
• Some are string closure – you need a corkscrew!

Champagne is a sparkling wine from the Champagne region, about 120km north-east of Paris. It is made usually from a blend of three varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Each varietal ripens at a different time, so each is harvested and fermented separately.

The following Spring, the winemaker makes a blend of all three varietal wines. Most Champagne is a blend of vintages (ie ‘non-vintage) – so the winemaker adds in some older Reserve wine from previous vintages, which adds complexity. The wine is then bottled, and a mixture of yeast and sugar is added to each individual bottle to create a second fermentation in the bottle. The long, slow fermentation which follows produces millions of tiny bubbles.
After this, the bottles are aged for at least 15 months. The dead yeast cells in the wine eventually break down and give bready, biscuit flavours.
A further process is required to remove the yeast cells from the wine, and finally the bottle is topped up with a mixture of wine and sugar.
Champagne is medium to full-bodied, with lots of tiny bubbles, crisp vibrant acidity, and flavours of fresh-baked bread, pastry, green apple. Non-vintage will improve with up to five years age. It is an aperitif before a meal, or at the start of an evening, to get the taste buds going. Serve with pastry canapés -vol- au-vents, cheese straws or gougeres.
Arguments FOR Champagne:
• Lots more flavour
• Lots more bubbles, much finer, and very long-lasting
• Most romantic wine on the planet
• People know you’ve spent a lot!

AGAINST Champagne:
• Expensive
• Some find it tastes bitter
• Difficult to open; especially with manicured nails!
• Possible heartburn

At Molloys, we are fans of both!
For value for money, you can’t beat Borgo da Sassi Prosecco Frizzante. Its silver label has a nice ‘bling’ factor. If you are a victim of headaches after drinking Prosecco, then try our Fascino Organic Prosecco. With organic wines, winemakers don’t need to add as many sulphites.  Again, it comes in a really cool bottle, and is very keenly priced.
Going up a notch in price, Botter Prosecco carries more flavour and more bubbles, as it’s a Spumante (fully-sparkling). All Spumante have a wire muzzle closure. Our La Marca Spumante is from the prestigious Conegliano di Valdobbiadene region, and is pretty much top of the range. (It’s been recommended several times by The Sunday Times).
If you find Champagne too bitter-tasting/heartburn-inducing, then choose ‘Extra Dry’ Prosecco. Why? ‘Extra Dry’ Prosecco has more sweetness (12-17g sugar per litre), which offsets the acidity. ‘Brut’ Champagne has less than 12g sugar.

Our exclusive Jean Comyn Champagne has been highly praised in The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, The Irish and The Daily Star. It’s also won a coveted Silver Medal at the International Wine Challenge.

Jean Comyn, exclusive to Molloys

So, which one gets your vote?

Studies show that even a short break from alcohol can improve your weight, skin, immune system, sleep and create healthier drinking habits. Personally, I’ve never felt an urge to completely give up alcohol. This January however, I decided to restrict myself to drinking only the 7 units of alcohol a weekly. This is the recommended weekly intake for women. So, although I can’t say my January was completely arid, it was a lot drier than usual. Here’s what I learned over the last month.

Going out is not the same

Restricting myself to a quota of 5 drinks on a night out proved far more difficult than I imagined. Although the fifth drink usually brought me to the cusp, it did not push me over the edge, which made dealing with people who had went over the edge, far more difficult. This meant having to bow out early on certain nights. On the bright side it made for a far less wicked hangover the following day.

Loads Of Room For Activities

I found that, even after a week, you have more time, and energy, to spend on more wholesome activities. So, for a start, I used my local gym more often than usual. But be warned, many people do so during this particular month, so, it means much longer wait times.The gym didn’t prove enough to fill the void, so I started doing hikes on Sunday. Typically a day of rest, (or being hungover beyond help) for me, I decided to start getting more fresh air and Ticknock hill provided this along with some amazing scenery. I also

Better skin

This is not something I’d normally think about but it was something that became really obvious as the month went on - your skin will feel much better! Yes, I normally have very dry skin but committing to the semi-dry January has sorted that out. The fact that alcohol dries out your skin is no secret, so go figure, I drank less alcohol and found my skin was less flaky and my cheeks were not as red as usual.

More Money For Your Pocket

Possibly the most significant finding of all is that I spend all my money on alcohol. For the first time ever I wasn’t sweating for this months pay cheque to come through.  Probably because so much of that pay cheque typically gets spent on nights out. Through observance, I also realized that a greater portion of people's money tends to get spent at the tail of the night, by which stage, people have all fallen in love with each other and forgot that there supply of money is finite.

New year, new drinks

Knowing that I only had 5 drinks to consume on any given night out, I decided I was going to make the most of the units I had at my disposal. For this reason, my approach changed to one of quality over quantity. Where normally I would I have just picked up a crate of whatever beer was cheapest, on a given week, I started to shop for craft beers. Similarly, in bars, I switched from pints of Heineken to craft beers and the occasional cocktail and, along with strolls up Ticknock, this is a habit I will look to continue long after this semi-dry January ends.

Unfortunately for us, drinks companies have yet to figure out how to make alcohol that’s actually good for us. Imagine that, a health elixir that also made us feel as though we can dance like Michael Jackson, sing like Steven Tyler, and express our deepest feelings to complete strangers. Maybe someday that will be a reality, but for now we need to be aware that alcohol is high in calories and can mess up a diet if your not careful. Not to fear however, as there are some tipples that are less deadly to your diet than others. Here are a few we think you should try.

“Diet” Beers

Hufi Gluten Free Beer

In general, beer has been considered the worst possible alcoholic drink one can consume. Packed with gluten, yeast and grains, beers commonly cause inflammation and bloating for those who imbibe in it. In recent years however, in an attempt to shake off the “unhealthy” label, beer makers have been coming up with calorie restricted beers that taste just like beer. Hufi is one such beer. With only 93 calories per bottle, this guilt free brew tastes great and considering with standard beers your ingesting between 144-220 calories, is a dieters best friend. Another low calorie beer we recommend is Skinny Lager. This is a full flavour, full strength lager with half the calories which has become hugely popular in the UK particularly among athletes trying to avoid empty calories.

Wines that won’t ruin a waistline

Although beer is considered the worst for your waistline, wines are not far behind. On average, your standard glass of wine has 125 calories but this can go all the way up to 200 depending on your bottle of choice. Much like beer, your body has to burn off alcohol and carbs from the wine before it can burn off any fat you’re storing, making it tough on your waistline. As a rule of thumb we recommend you drink white rather than red if your aim is to lower your calorie intake. Within white wines, those with lower alcohol (9-12 %ABV) will work out about 110-140 calories per 175ml glass. You will find these typically come from northern Europe or cooler regions. Seek out Pinot Grigio and other Italian whites, and also Spain's Albarino. One wine we can recommend is our Sutter Home White Zinfandel, which has only 70 calories per glass. It's also worth noting that a glass of Prosecco is actually lower in calories than a white wine. If that’s not an excuse to break out the bubbles we don’t know what is!

The best of a bad bunch

NorCal Margarita

While no alcohol is good for you, spirits have the least impact on the waistline according to most dietitians, as they contain the least amount of calories. On average a standard serving of the classic spirits contains about 64 calories. Again, there are a few do’s and don'ts with spirits. For instance, instead of using full fat soft drinks as mixers instead use diet and sugar-free alternatives, the best being soda water and sparkling water. Of all the classic spirits, tequila is said to be the least harm to your waistline, as its the only spirit not derived from grains. So our drink recommendation for all the “new year new me” types is the NorCal Margarita from Paleo pioneer Rob Wolfe. Here’s the recipe;

Ingredients:
1 Lime
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila

Soda Water or Sparkling Mineral Water
Ice
1 Tall Glass

Directions:
Fill glass with ice
Add 3 ounces of tequila
Juice half of your lime into the glass
Top with soda water
Garnish with a lemon wedge

Six Gluten Free Beers That Actually Taste Like Beer

The growth in numbers of people subscribing to gluten free diets has lead to the creation of an entire industry where companies manufacture gluten free counterparts to everyday food and drink products to meet growing demand. Most beers are inherently gluten rich and for that reason we have seen the proliferation of gluten free beers and breweries in recent years. These beers range in quality from great to downright god awful. Here are six we can recommend.

Nick Stafford’s Hambleton Ales GFA, 4.8% - €4.19

Nick Stafford's Gluten Free Ale

This World Beer award winner is big on flavour. Full bodied, with initial sweetness giving way to pronounced fruit and hop character with strong citrus finish. A must try for craft beer lovers who are looking to sacrifice gluten without having to compromise on taste.

Estrella Damm Daura Gluten-Free Lager, 5.4% - €3.29

Estrella Damm Duara

The world's most popular and award winning gluten free beer, Estrella’s Duara is probably the least adventurous beer on this list in terms of flavour but a solid go to for lager drinkers looking for a gluten free tipple. It is fruity and floral on the nose with a hint of sweet spices and, while this beer is sessionable, it packs quite a punch at 5.4% ABV.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free, 5.1% - €2.50

Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free

This gluten-free beer uses the exact same ingredients as regular Peroni Nastro Azzurro. A specific enzyme is added at the end of the brewing process which removes the gluten, ensuring Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free can be enjoyed by coeliacs or those choosing to lead a gluten-free lifestyle. A must try for fans Peroni fans looking for a gluten free alternative.

Hufi Gluten Free Beer, 5.8% - €2.00

Hufi Gluten Free Beer

Probably my favourite beer on the list, Hufi is ideal for those people who are gluten averse and calorie conscious. Although it only contains 93 calories this beer does not lack in character or strength. Slightly hopped with citrus flavours and a smooth finish this beer is delicious served cold with a slice of lemon.

Against the Grain Gluten Free 500ml, 4.5% - €3.99

Against The Grain Gluten Free Beer

This gluten free beer is also suitable for vegans. It pours a pale straw colour with a billowing white head; and a grainy aroma with some citrus and grassy hops. The taste is bitter, with some sweet malt and citrus and a fresh green hopped bitterness to finish.

Dungarvan Comeragh Challenger Gluten Free 500ml, 3.8% - €3.40 

Dungarvan Comeragh Challenger

Named after a route on the Sean Kelly cycling tour that runs through the Comeragh Mountains, this English-style pale ale which is brewed using the naturally occurring hard water of West Waterford and hopped solely with Challenger hops to produce a traditional bitter. The malty profile and floral hops make for an elegant and understated ale. The best Irish-made gluten free beer.

Turkey & Ham wine pairings from Molloys

If you are wondering which wine to pair with turkey and ham, then  look no further.
Compared to other poultry, turkey is by nature quite dry.  Baked ham is quite juicy, with soft, pliable protein. When cooked properly, it should also have a certain richness and spiciness with its cloves and honey glaze.

A rich round white will add richness to both meats. Chardonnay is an excellent choice. That includes French Burgundy (eg. Macon, Meursault, Chablis). So too is Pinot Gris (a richer style of Pinot Grigio).

In red wines, that same dryness should be offset by something smooth (ie. low tannin) and fruity. This will match the weight of the flavour, and also complement the cranberry sauce.

Rhône blends and Languedoc-Roussillon reds (Corbières, Minervois, Languedoc AC) are great all-rounders. If you prefer New World wines, Merlot, Shiraz, Grenache and blends of these are a perfect match. 

Baked ham goes particularly well with Pinot Noir and Beaujolais. Another good choice would be a mature (therefore smooth) Rioja or Bordeaux (particularly St. Emilion).

So here are some recommendations from Molloys for your Christmas Day wines:

Ch. Martinolles Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay 2015 is from Limoux in the south of France. Barrel-fermentation & oak ageing add layers of cloves, sweet spice & smokiness to this creamy, buttery, richly-flavoured wine. An Irish Times “100 Best Wines” choice in 2016.

Le Grand Blanc 2012 Rich and round Chardonnay blend from the Languedoc, with a bouquet ranging from tropical fruit, peach, cinnamon and toast to butter and lemon.  An Irish Times Top 100 Wine.   Also recommended by The Sunday Business Post:  "Stunning wine.. Rich acacia and white flowers on the nose give way to the perfumed viognier. Then the nutty, toasty apricot and honey notes of a southern Burgundy star emerge. The finish is smooth and delicious.”

MWC Pinot Gris 2015 Flavours of ripe red apples, with a hint of spice. Generously flavoured (for a Pinot Grigio), nicely rounded acidity. “this Aussie is rich enough for a big meal, and a crowd-pleaser to boot.” – The Daily Star.

Ch. de Farel Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2015 This estate was known to supply the Papal Palace at Avignon in the fourteenth century. It’s beautifully smooth.  Subtle peppery, spicy notes lead into ripe red cherry, followed by slightly gamey earthy notes on the finish. This wine was awarded a Gold Medal by Gilbert & Gaillard.

MWC Shiraz Mourvedre 2014 is a Aussie blend of Shiraz (giving blackberry and pepper) and Mourvedre (offering smokiness). This is a rich fruit-driven red. Awarded 90 Points in James Halliday’s Wine Companion 2016 “Very good value, ready now.”

Sancho Garces Rioja Crianza 2014 is beautifully smooth and ready for drinking, as well as being undeniably great value. Mature slightly dried/stewed bramble fruits, vanilla and coconut, with a feint lick of sweet spice on the finish. Don’t let its inexpensive price put you off – it’s a cracker!

Ch. Chante Alouette 2012, St. Émilion Grand Cru: Situated next to the famous St. Émilion estates of Pavie & la Gaffeliere, old Merlot vines produce extremely concentrated and lengthy wine. Powerful, with ripe intense fruits, exploding to give great concentration of dark fruit, graphite & toastiness; finishing very long. “a St. Émilion Grand Cru with serious breeding” - The Daily Mail said.

Winter Warmers from Italy

One of the fastest-growing wine styles has been for rich, full-bodied red wines, which are smooth and fruity enough to be enjoyed with or without food.  These wines are made for this time of the year - perfect for wrapping yourself around on cold winter evenings.  Sharing is optional...!

Northern Italy is synonymous with this style. The production method involves drying the grapes for several months after harvest. This concentrates the flavours and sugars. Then the grapes are fermented very slowly, and usually aged for a year or more in old oak vats.

Amarone della Valpolicella is made in this method, using premium quality Valpolicella grapes (Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella). It’s full-bodied, about 16% alcohol, and smooth, with dried fruit, chocolate, dark rum, sweet spice and leather.

The dried grape skins left over from the Amarone fermentation hold so much flavour that they can be re-fermented with standard Valpolicella. This ‘passito’ (passing over/re-fermenting) results in Ripasso, or Ripassa della Valpolicella. It’s like a mini-Amarone in style, and almost half the price.

A similar technique is being used in other regions, and often producers leave some residual sugar in the wine, to make it even more palatable. Governo is a traditional Tuscan process, of setting aside bunches of grapes at harvest and drying them, then pressing them in November and introducing some juice into young wines that had just finished their alcoholic fermentation. This adds tannin, sweetness, and alcohol.

These rich full-bodied wines are amazingly good with hearty winter dishes like beef/lamb cooked in red wine, blue cheese. We also discovered at our staff wine course that Amarone is fantastic with plain chocolate! All are sure to be well-received as a wine gift.

We directly import quite a few of these, as part of Molloys Exclusive Wines range. Our Gran Passione is incredibly popular. A Food & Wine review says it all:
• "sexy, velvety, amazing".
• 5/5 would buy it again - as "a special gift for parents... "

Gran Passione Rosso del Veneto: Full-bodied, yet smooth, with generous dark and dried fruits, sweet spice, and a rich warm chocolate and fruity finish.

Oltre Passo Primitivo: A delicious sweet red, made from the Primitivo grape, in southern Italy. Flavours of cherry chocolate liqueur, stewed plums, vanilla, and hints of smoke.

Ca’ Vittoria Appassimento ‘Gold Release’ - This re-fermented red wine manages a superb balance between warm rum, and rich flavours of Christmas cake and chocolate, with a really long fruity, slightly smoky finish. (A longstanding customer told us it's the best wine we've ever brought in - that's good enough for us!)

‘Governo’ Rosso Toscano - Multi-layered flavours - roast coffee, chocolate, ripe baked plums and cherries, toasty, vanilla; quite vibrant, finishing with a nice grip of tannin, and light hint of sweetness. An ideal partner for rich foods.

Winter Warmers from Italy, from Molloys

PEARSE THE ORIGINAL – Molloys Liquor Stores

Taster thoughts by Lee Wilson

Having just opened their doors this past August, the Pearse distillery is Dublin's newest edition to the Irish Whiskey market. The first of four releases, The Original comes with a green label which helps showcase the copper bronze colour of this classic looking bottle.

 
It must be mentioned off the top, it is rare to find an Irish Whiskey that offers the lover of peaty Scotch an acceptable alternative. PEARSE THE ORIGINAL happily takes its place in the market where an opportunity certainly lies to fill in a void. On the nose, you will immediately recognize this pleasant peaty aroma straight away. Taking in a deeper second breath, you will pick up an added aroma of caramel as the whiskey gets closer to your tongue. The result when in your mouth reveals a flavourful burst with very little burn as it settles on your tongue. Once tasted, the wash is smoother than most, allowing that peatiness you originally sensed on the nose reappearing after the initial swallow.

An agreeably mild, polished whiskey that will satisfy the palate of any aficionado of peaty tasting whiskey. At a very reasonable 42.95 (Euro) and a perfectly balanced 42% ABV, this is a must Whiskey to accompany the others in your collection!
This is a definite recommend and alternative for anybody looking for a quality Irish Whiskey that stands up to any top Islay Scotch.

Nothing is more summery than a glass of chilled Rosé on a warm day.  While many people expect Rosé to be medium-sweet, Rosé is actually made in a range of styles and varying shades of pink.

While it’s often thought that Rosé wines is a blend of red and white, that’s far from the truth. In France, it’s actually illegal (unless you are making Champagne!).  Blending red and white wines is usually carried out in New World countries.

There’s a few different winemaking techniques used.  Any red grape can be used.  The palest-coloured Rosé wines are made by pressing and crushing the grapes lightly, extracting just a little colour from the skins, before discarding them and continuing the fermentation.   This direct pressing method tends to be used for Provence Rosé, which is dry, and tends to be the lightest and priciest of all. 

Most Rosé wines are made by allowing skin contact for 6-48 hours during fermentation – the longer the contact, the deeper the colour.  The level of sweetness is determined by how long the fermentation continues – if a little grape sugar is left at the end of fermentation, it adds sweetness to the wine.

In Bordeaux, wine is bled from a tank of red wine, in order to concentrate colour in red. This ‘saignée’ method produces a dry Rosé, with medium colour intensity.  

If you like medium-sweet Rosé, look towards California (Blossom Hill, Paul Masson), and France’s Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou.  These all tend to be lighter in alcohol, around 10%.  Other areas tend to make Rosé on the dry side, and have average weights of alcohol.  

Spanish Rosé (Faustino, Marques de Caceres), and Bordeaux Rosé, tend to be dry.  Aside from California, other New World Rosés are either dry or just off-dry.    Possibly the world’s most famous Rosé, Portugal’s Mateus Rosé, is medium-sweet, as is the lovely Bend in the River Pink.  

Chilled dry Rosé is lovely with seasonal salads and cold dishes, like salads, shellfish, cold salmon or trout, or tapas dishes. Medium-sweet Rosé is fantastic with spicy dishes, like Thai fish cakes, stir-fries, anything with a hint of chili.

At Molloys, we’ve just expanded our selection of Rosé wines, many of which are on offer.

Cabernet d'Anjou  'Les Volières,'  is blissfully medium-sweet, jam-packed with ripe strawberry and cherry flavours.  This would be fantastic with slightly spicy foods.

Rosé d'Anjou, Domaine des Irises is beautifully perfumed – floral, red berry fruit, which follows through onto the palate, which has a subtle sweetness. 

La Marca Veneto Frizzante Creamy, very fine bubbles give way to delicious tastes of ripe sweet strawberry  & raspberry, with a touch of vanilla and cream on the long flavoursome finish.

Torre Alto Pinot Grigio Rosé – a very flavoursome dry Rosé, with plenty of strawberry, cream, and even a hint of white pepper. Super-long fruit-filled finish.

Voiturette Grenache Rosé A more full-bodied Rosé, where a smidgen of sweetness combines with very ripe summer berries, and a hint of caramel.  

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5 friends dared to live the dream, when they registered Glendalough Distillery in 2011 (they freely admit to plans being fuelled by late night pints!). Gary, Barry, Brian, Kevin and Donal all recall childhood visits to Glendalough.  Records show that monastic sites like this were the birthplace of distilling in Ireland, as early as 584AD.  The Glendalough logo features the legend of St. Kevin, out-stretched in prayer, being given a sign by a blackbird.  

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1 Holstein copper hybrid still imported from Bavaria, nicknamed ‘Kathleen.’ Legend has it that the bold blue-eyed Kathleen tried to seduce St. Kevin, but was converted to the faith.  The still was brought in IKEA-style, in numbered pieces, which the boys put together.  Apparently it blew a lot of steam from various orifices when it was first switched on!

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2012 Glendalough makes its first Poitín. Double-distilled in a copper pot still, it’s made from sugar beet and finished in virgin Irish oak.  Awarded a Gold Medal at the Irish Whiskey Awards in 2014. 

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A 2 page spread in The Wicklow People local newspaper, on Geraldine Kavanagh who was running Wild Wicklow Foods, led to a meeting about foraging wild botanicals for Gin. “You do realise the botanicals will change with the season?” she warned…   hence Glendalough seasonal gin was borne.

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40+ botanicals used in their gins are foraged by hand by Geraldine Kavanagh. 

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12 months is how long it took to perfect Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin. Customers loved the four seasonal gins, but wanted a year-round version.  Their initial thought was to blend the four seasonal gins together. “That would have been the equivalent of mixing a McDonald’s and a curry on the same plate,” said Gary.  Launched in 2016, it’s just won  a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

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Every 2-3 minutes, is how often Rowdy, the distiller, dips his little finger into the spirit at the end of each batch of distillation. “It’s a tough job and all that” as he says. As soon as it starts to taste like soapy dishwater, he quickly makes the cut.

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7 year old Single Malt commemorates 13 years spent by St. Kevin in the wild. Not being allowed on the lake, two of the more athletic owners hiked down the sheer cliff face to St. Kevin’s Bed and placed a bottle there. (They wonder if it’s still there….)

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13 year old Glendalough Single Malt. Why 13? It’s a reference the jersey worn by Brian O’Driscoll, who happens to be an investor in Glendalough.  (And no, they didn’t pay him. Towards the end of his retirement, he was having a drink in New York’s Brass Monkey Bar, when someone suggested it to him… The boys couldn’t believe their luck!)  And the whiskey? Like Brian, it’s a winner – awarded Double-Gold at San Francisco World Spirit Awards 2015.

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96.44% is the alcoholic strength of the grain spirit bought in for gin. Trust me, it’s mind-numbingly strong!  It’s 100% Irish, and certified GMO-free.  It’s cut down with Wicklow water, and gently heated by indirect heat in ‘Kathleen’.

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Thousands is the amount of juniper berries added per batch of gin. In actual fact, they are cones, rather than berries.  We know the real number, but in the spirits of gin-secrecy, have sworn not to reveal it.

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2 million visitors come to the monastic site at Glendalough each year. They’ve just purchased a site at the approach to the valley, and have fantastic vision for how they want their new distillery to both blend in, and add to the landscape.

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36 countries now stock Glendalough spirits – led by the USA, Ireland, Canada, France, Germany, UK and South Africa. Have you got yours?

What is a Bin-End Sale?

The phrase ‘bin end’ refers to the traditional way of storing wine in a cellar. Each wine was given a different location or ‘bin’, and each had a bin number.  This made it easier for waiters to locate specific wines when ordered by a customer.

A bin end sale is where the last of a particular lot of wine is being sold off, at a reduced price.  There can often be great value to be had, and are a useful way of stocking up, particularly if there’s a big occasion or event coming up.

Reasoning of the Bin-End Sale

At Molloys, we are clearing the decks for our new wines to arrive. We’ve almost twenty wines in our Bin End Sale, which has just started.  A snapshot of what’s on offer can be found below. The wines and quantities will vary by store, by nature of the offer, and of course, when they are gone, they are gone. Avoid disappointment by ordering online now.

Some Amazing Offers 

Vivolo Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 an Italian red with mature aromas of autumn hedgerow, a hint of leather, and blackberry spicy aromas.  Medium bodied, with softened tannins.  Flavours are spicy, peppery, with dark blackberry and blackcurrant. 

Vivolo Merlot 2014 - lovely summery light-bodied red, nice and smooth.  Enjoy summer fruit flavours of ripe plums, watermelon followed by a spicy kick! 

Sancho Garces Joven 2015 fantastic intensity of vibrant ripe black plums & warm spice, with medium tannin and a long finish.  This is a young fruity Rioja, which over-delivers, even at full-price!

Caude Val Syrah 2015 a medium-bodied, smooth Southern French red, with rich juicy berry, herbal flavours, and a touch of white pepper on a really long finish. 

Chateau Minvielle Bordeaux Blanc 2012- fresh, dry, crisp white, with delicious grassy, slightly herbal character.