JN Wine

12/11/2024

*Last remaining tickets to the JN Seasonal Selection Tasting at Waterman House*

We have just a handful of tickets remaining to this highlight of our yearly events calendar held in Waterman House, Belfast, this Thursday 14th November! 🎉

Come and sample a fantastic, hand-picked selection of red, white, Champagne & sparkling, Port, and dessert wines featured in our Christmas 2024 brochure 🍷

This is a great opportunity to discover wines from our ever-growing range by artisan producers from around the world and to plan for your Christmas festivities 🎄

We are delighted to be joined by Filipe Teixeira Pinto from Herdade do Soboroso and Mark Bingley who will be showcasing Louis Roederer, Marqués de Murrieta, and Ramos Pinto 🥂

Secure your tickets for the last remaining session (5pm - 6.30pm) today! Tickets are available through our website - link in comments below 🙌

Waterman House Herdade do Sobroso Wine & Country House Champagne Louis Roederer Marqués de Murrieta Ramos Pinto - Port & Douro Wine

09/11/2024

We’re celebrating all things Rioja today in our free Saturday tasting 🇪🇸

First up we have the Bodegas Paco García ‘El Yergo’ Tempranillo Blanco 2023, a deliciously modern and unique interpretation of white Rioja. Tempranillo Blanco is a natural mutation of the better-known black variety and is a speciality to the village of Murillo de Río Leza where Paco García is based in the Rioja Oriental. The handpicked grapes are fermented in steel before ageing in new Burgundian oak barrels for 6 months. The result is a wine that combines rich texture with sprightly fruit, showing notes of ginger, spiced vanilla, jasmine, and ripe lemon 🥂

Next we have the Bodegas Urbina Crianza 2015, an unashamedly classic rendition of Rioja tinto that undergoes 12 months of ageing in French and American oak barrels before a long rest in bottle prior to release. Hailing from the Rioja Alta subregion, this Crianza exhibits a racy acidity and hints of orange peel and dill alongside the more typical notes of dried cherry, sweet to***co, and coconut expected of the style 🍷

Both will be open for tasting from 12pm and for the duration of chef Niall McKenna’s book signing session. Call in to sample and celebrate Rioja Month with us in store 🎉

Be sure to check out our Rioja blog too, ‘Behind the label’. Follow the link in the comments below 👇

Bodegas Paco Garcia BODEGAS URBINA Rioja Wine

07/11/2024

It’s International Merlot Day! 🍇

Today we’re celebrating this oft-misunderstood grape variety that in the right hands and terroirs can produce some of the world’s most sumptuous, dependable, and downright pleasurable wines 🍷

With our Christmas 2024 promotional offer of £20/€20 off case purchases (totalling £150/€150) now live, it’s the perfect time to stock up on your favourite Merlots, Merlot-blends, and other exciting wines from our vast portfolio 🙌

Follow the link below for more details as well as Ts & Cs 🔗

04/11/2024

Niall McKenna's new book 'What's it all about?' has been released 🎉

To celebrate its launch, Niall will be joining us in Crossgar to sign copies of his new book which will be available for purchase from JN Wine. Niall will be preparing some canapés from the book and we will have some wine open for tasting too! 🍷

Join us for a book signing:
📅 Saturday 9th of November
📍 JN Wine Tasting Room, Crossgar
⏰ 2pm - 4pm
*No tickets required!*

'What's it all about?':
"It’s not just about making food you’ll enjoy eating, it’s about making time you’ll enjoy having. It’s a journey across 20 years of cooking in Belfast — at Niall's first restaurant in the city, James Street South, its Bar and Grill sidekick, The Great British Menu TV show, Hadskis, Cast and Crew, and now finally in his new place, Waterman. The recipes in his book are customer favourites from that time and Niall's too."

We look forward to seeing you there! 🍽

Niall Mckenna Waterman House James St

02/11/2024

Today in our Crossgar store we’re featuring something a tad different for our complimentary Saturday tasting ✨

We’re delighted to host James who will be showcasing his Aghinlig Orchard Ice Cider 🍏

Made in small batches of 12 bottles, each one of these rare elixirs contains the equivalent of 100 apples, the juice of which is cryoextracted to concentrate sugars, acids, flavours, and aromas before it is aged for a year in chestnut barrels and then bottled ❄️

A completely unique and totally homegrown product that will appeal to fans of vinously analogous dessert wines such as Ice Wine/Eiswein, Vino Passito, and other pure, fruit-driven styles 🙌

Call in from 12pm to taste special product for free and avail of the opportunity to chat to James about the process and all things cider 🍎

28/10/2024

28/10/2024

The shorter days and cooler evenings of the autumn tend to call for reds with more robustness and spice and whites with more texture and body to help keep the impending chill at bay; all the while retaining the ample fruit and ripeness that is befitting of this season of harvest 🍇 🍂

Check out our ‘Top 10 Autumn Wines’ blog for some suggestions of red, white, sweet, and fortified wines from our portfolio that meet these requirements alongside suitable autumnal food pairing suggestions 🍽️ 🍁

Link in comments below 🔗

(Attached image shows the vineyards of Maison Ventenac in the Cabardés autumn 🇫🇷)

Maison Ventenac

24/10/2024

Sincere thanks to all who came along to our sold out Seasonal Supper Club with Chef Roy Abraham 🙌

Chef Roy and his partner Julie plated up a stunning array of dishes with a strong theme of seasonality and local produce running throughout. Moreover, the quality of food was as superlative as ever and we think we speak for all in attendance when we say that each dish on the tasting menu was artfully conceived and utterly delicious 🍽️

We tried to think a little bit outside the box with our wine accompaniments, with the Salwey Kaiserstuhl Spätburgunder and smoked scallop dish perhaps being the most pleasing (and arguably surprising!) pairing of the evening 🍷

Be sure to follow Chef Roy and his new catering venture: C R Catering

And keep an eye on our socials and the events page of our website for more exciting events coming up! Link in comments below.

18/10/2024

Open for tasting this Saturday 19th October will be these two stunning new arrivals from the esteemed Domaine Zind-Humbrecht of Alsace 🇫🇷

Zind-Humbrecht requires little introduction to many wine lovers. Established in 1959 after the fusion of two winegrowing families, Zind-Humbrecht has received acclaim across the globe for producing some of the most pristine, complex, terroir-driven wines coming out of Alsace, with some considering their single-varietal, single-vineyard wines to be the finest examples of their individual grape varieties to be found anywhere in the world 🍇

We’re delighted to welcome the arrival of the 2023 vintage of their estate wines. Sourced from gravelly terroirs in Turckheim, with plots located just under some of their most revered sites such as the Clos Windsbuhl, these cuvées offer delicious, accessible drinking while you wait for the single-vineyard wines and Grand Crus to mature in the cellar! ⏳

Open for tasting we will have the beautiful estate ‘Turckheim Riesling 2023’ and ‘Pinot Blanc 2023’, both of which will be subject to a weekend-only discount of 15% off! Call along from 12pm to sample these delicious wines for free and pick up your own bottle at these offer prices while stocks last 🍷

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Turckheim

18/10/2024

Some highlights from a wonderful Umani Ronchi dinner at Waterman House, Belfast yesterday evening ✨

A huge thank you to all the guests that came along to what proved to be a fabulous night of superb food and deliciously paired wines 🍽️ 🍷

Gratitude extends naturally to Alessio Glorio from Umani Ronchi who shared his unique insight of these special Marche and Abruzzo wines to those in attendance with gusto. A huge thank you also to our friends at Waterman House: Head chef Cathal, Helen and Mark, and all the team at this spirited Cathedral Quarter restaurant 🙌

Be sure to look out for the next event we're holding at Waterman House: our annual Seasonal Selection tasting. Some tickets still remain for this highlight in our yearly event calendar - check the link in the comments for more details 🔗

Waterman House Umani Ronchi

16/10/2024

We were thrilled to host artist Orlagh Milligan and her inaugural exhibition ‘The Harbour’ at our JN Tasting Room last Friday evening 🙌 🖼️

A wonderful attendance of guests bore witness to the beautiful collection of works which serve as a poignant reflection of Orlagh’s childhood experiences in the County Down fishing village of Ardglass, where the ocean and fishing culture were integral to her upbringing 🌊 ⛴️

For those that weren’t able to make it along to the exhibition night, we will be keeping the works on display in our Tasting Room until this Friday evening, the 18th. So be sure to come along to our Crossgar store to view these stunning pieces for yourself in person before then 🐟 🦀

Orlagh Milligan Art

14/10/2024

Our friends at Waterman House are holding an Umani Ronchi Wine Dinner this Thursday 17th October 🍷

The evening will commence at 7pm with a drink on arrival, followed by a tasting menu paired to an elegant selection of the estate's wines with Alessio Glorio from Umani Ronchi as the host. Alessio will discuss the viticulture and winemaking behind each wine, as well as the history and principles of one of Italy's great wine families 🍇

“Umani Ronchi has been positioned at levels of excellence for years, with a selection of magnificent Crus and a range of wines with impressively high average quality."
Gambero Rosso

“Umani Ronchi is the reference on Verdicchio and Rosso Conero, making high-quality wines for more than 40 years”.
Decanter

“Umani Ronchi is one of the leading wineries in central Italy.”
Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Menu for the evening below:

👉 House Ricotta, Grilled Squash, Truffle & Sage
(Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Terre di Chieti Pecorino 2023)

👉 Grilled Monkfish, Cannelini Beans, Lemon & Sage
(Umani Ronchi Verdicchio Ca Sal di Serra 2023)

👉 Aged Sirloin of Beef, Oxtail Raviolo, Cavolo Nero & Shallot
(Umani Ronchi Pelago Marche Rosso 2019)

👉 Coolea, Figs & Crackers
(Umani Ronchi San Lorenzo Rosso Conero 2022)

👉 Poached Pear, Honey & Vanilla
(Umani Ronchi Maximo 2021, 37.5cl)

With limited availability remaining, why not secure your spot today? (Ticket link in comments).

10/10/2024

JN Wine were delighted to be part of the Euro-Toques 'Young Chef of the Year' competition 2024.

This is our second year of being involved with this prestigious event and we were pleased to be able to provide sparkling, white, and red wines to compliment the menu for the gala dinner at The InterContinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin.

The Euro-Toques 'Young Chef of the Year' competition has become firmly established as Ireland’s premier cooking awards for young chefs. However, it has also become something much more than a competition, as it seeks to nurture and educate the amazing raw culinary talent Ireland has to offer.

After many months of hard work and competition, culminating in a cooking challenge between seven finalists to showcase specific local ingredients, Victor Erisay of Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen was crowned Euro-Toques ‘Young Chef of the Year 2024’ at the InterContinental Dublin.

We were pleased to provide the following wines to accompany the gala dinner:

Bodegas Piqueras 'El Abuelo' Sparkling NV: A delightful sparkling wine from the Almansa region of Spain. It is a blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada grapes. Fruity, fresh, and floral with notes of aniseed. It has a creamy core and long persistent finish.

Companhia de Vinhos Invencível 'Natural Mystic' Vinho Verde 2022: Rita Marques, (a young dynamic Portuguese winemaker) and Marc Kent (long term cellarmaster of Boekenhoutskloof in South Africa) founded Companhia de Vinhos Invencível in 2020. The two winemakers, who had previously collaborated in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in South Africa, and in 2018 and 2019 in Portugal, now embrace a bigger commitment, acquiring an estate in Casais do Douro. 'Natural Mystic' is zesty, with lime and blossom, and deliciously persistent.

Château Garderose Lalande-de-Pomerol 2015: Hand harvested and sorted, fermented in stainless steel, 20% aged in new French oak for 12 months to bring density, body, and earthy notes. A perfectly mature Claret, with hints of cassis, truffle, cedar, and harmonised tannins.

Many thanks again to Euro-Toques for their partnership, and a hearty congratulations to all the talented finalists!

EURO-TOQUES IRELAND InterContinental Dublin Chapter One Restaurant Chateau Monconseil Gazin - Vignobles Michel Baudet

09/10/2024

*Last few tickets remaining!*

🍽️ Seasonal Supper Club with Chef Roy Abraham
🗓️ Tuesday 22nd October 2024, 7pm - 9pm
📍 The JN Tasting Room, Crossgar

We have teamed up with Chef Roy Abraham of C R Catering to bring you another seasonal supper club. Roy will be using the best local produce to create delicious dishes which we will expertly pair with wines from our extensive range 🍷

The evening will commence with a drink on arrival, followed by a four course tasting menu paired with an elegant selection of wines 🥂

Just a few tickets remain, so please book early to avoid disappointment. You can find the tickets through the website link in the comments 👇

07/10/2024

A reminder that we'll be hosting Orlagh Milligan Art for her premiere of 'The Harbour' exhibition this Friday 11th October 🐟🛥

Come along to our Tasting Room in our Crossgar shop from 6pm - 8pm and be greeted with a complimentary glass of JN Sparkling Crémant while you peruse the beautiful works on display 🥂

Further details can be found on the attached post ⬇️

One week until ‘The Harbour’ Exhibition!

There are 10 pieces in this collection, and all are professionally framed. I haven’t shown you everything on social media as I want there to be an element of surprise at the launch night! Can’t wait for you all to see the new work 🥂

Info below ⬇️

Location: JN Wine Tasting Room
(located in their shop in Crossgar)

Date: Exhibition runs from the 11th Oct - 18th Oct

Launch Night: Friday 11th Oct @ 6pm - 8pm
Complimentary glass of sparkling courtesy of JN Wine

No tickets required - free entry to JN Wine all week to view the artwork 🦀

Everyone welcome!

🐟🐟🐟

04/10/2024

We were thrilled to welcome the inimitable Nigel Greening of Felton Road Wines to our Crossgar tasting room yesterday evening for the latest instalment of our ‘Cellar Select’ tasting events 🍷

Having hosted Nigel at a similar event in the Tasting Room seven years ago, it was wonderful to have him back and learn all that has changed since then at this flag-bearing estate for world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling in New Zealand’s Central Otago region 🇳🇿

Alongside the stellar lineup of wines, Nigel talked attendees through the unique developments Felton Road has made in recent years, including in: precision viticulture, their responses to climate change and environmental pressures, the increasingly ‘hands-off’ approach and quest for purity that they’re adopting in the cellar, as well as Nigel’s erudite and often humorous reflections on current issues within the wider wine trade such as corks vs screwcaps, the state of market, competitiveness vs collaboration between producers et al.!

We are sincerely grateful to Nigel for devoting his time and energy to this event and the others held over the course of his visit to Ireland. Thanks also to all those who attended - we think we speak for everyone when we say that the wines and presentation from Felton Road were second to none! 🙌

02/10/2024

JN retail team member and Fine Wine Manager Alex has just returned from working ‘les vendanges’ with Domaine Justin Girardin in the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy 🍇 🇫🇷

Justin will be familiar to many JN customers, having recently showcased his wines personally at our Annual Portfolio Tastings in Belfast and Dublin earlier this year. Justin is a fantastic young vigneron based in Santenay, representing the 13th generation of his family to farm and make wine in the revered ‘Bourgogne’ winegrowing region. Justin’s wines have become real customer and staff favourites in recent times, with his hands-off winemaking style producing elegant ‘vins de terroirs’ that represent excellent value in the wider Burgundy context, as well as receiving well-deserved critical acclaim from experts the world over 🏆

Alex was delighted to join Justin and his team to work the 2024 harvest, broadening his practical experience both in the vineyard and in the cellar. 2024 was a tricky year where - like in the UK and Ireland - rain and cool conditions meant for difficult flowering in the spring and a challenging ripening period over the summer, with mildews and later Botrytis affecting yields considerably. Despite this, weather was largely ideal during the harvest and while it’s too early to tell, one can predict white wines with brisk acidities and more mineral profiles in 2024 than the ‘solar’ expressions of 2023 and 2022, and red wines that show good fruit intensity (thanks to small berries) with moderate alcohol levels and red-fruited, floral, fleshy profiles 🍷

While in Burgundy, Alex also received the long-anticipated news that he had passed the first stage of the Master of Wine exams. He will proceed to the second stage later this year before sitting the infamous, four-day long ‘S2’ exams next June. We hope you’ll join us all in wishing him the best of luck! 🤞

Sincere thanks to Justin Girardin and his family for allowing Alex to come along on the journey of the 2024 harvest and for their hospitality and kindness. We look forward to the fruits of their collective labours beginning to see bottle next year - watch this space! 🍷

01/10/2024

A huge thank you to artist Colin Woodward and to all who attended our inaugural ‘Watercolour & Wine’ event on Saturday past 🙌

We speak on behalf of everyone when we say that it was a great success, and Colin’s expert guidance and engaging presentation style was warmly received by all in attendance. We think we did okay with the wine pairings too 🍷

We look forward to welcoming Colin back for similar events in the future. In the meantime, swipe through to admire some of the masterpieces created on the day 👉🎨

Woodward's Watercolours