We all have a memory of a wine that we fell in love with and when we think about it, we’re transported back to the special place/people/time where/when we had it.

Fast forward to a random weekday night or Friday/Saturday night and we try to recreate that moment with said bottle of wine. However, reality sets in, as we scramble to find said bottle of wine and your local wine specialist at your local Cavavin says “I’m sorry we don’t have that particular wine”. Your head hangs low, your heart sinks and all ideas of the perfect night in with said perfect bottle of wine are lost. But, hope is quickly restored as your friendly and enthusiastic Cavavin wine specialist says, “What did you like about that wine?” and all of a sudden your perfect night in with your perfect bottle of wine is restored, thanks to Cavavin’s unique way of shopping for wine. It’s difficult to recreate the place, the weather or the people but we can help to recreate that perfect bottle of wine!

As we nearly turn the page on another calendar month and before the madness of December lands on us, why not try to find your perfect wine for these long dark winter months ahead. The last thing you want to be doing is trying to find this on Christmas Eve! So let’s use this time while we have it, to expand our boundaries, trust our palate and taste outside our comfort zone. Why not even join for some free wine samples every weekend in-store or make a night of it at one of the wine tasting events in Galway or Limerick. And let’s not forget our much anticipated Christmas Wine Fair in Limerick or Galway - the perfect time to find your perfect Christmas wines.

Do you buy the same bottle of wine - your tried and trusted Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc -because you can’t find another that tastes just like it? Or what’s written on another wine bottle label tells you nothing about the wine so you just keep buying your tried and tasted same one?

What is it about that wine that you love and why can’t you get it in another wine?
There are a long list of variables that influence our tasting decisions, e.g. mood, weather, company/people, food, time of day. All of these variables will influence how the wine tastes in my opinion.

Given all these variables, Cavavin has the perfect solution for you - a decision-maker/personal shopping assistant/wine guide that some of you may not even know about - the Cavavin wine style guides. All of the wines in our shops or online are categorised by style and taste e.g. Crisp and Zesty white wines or Dark and Complex red wines.

Why is this unique and how will it help me find my perfect wine?
Most wine shops categorise their wines by wine region or country. To you, and most people it tells you nothing about the wine unless you’ve been to that country or wine region. It tells you very little about what flavours you’ll expect when you taste the wine. So you may pick the Rioja off the shelf because that was the perfect wine you had but when you bring it home it tastes nothing like the one you had and unfortunately your evening is now just not the same!

All Malbecs don’t taste the same so how will I know which one to pick?
Yes this is true as Malbec, like a lot of grape varieties, is grown in many different wine regions and countries. The main flavours in wine derive from the fruit/grapes, the soil/location and the climate of where the vineyard is. All of these factors influence how the wine/Malbec will taste. So if you want a Malbec that is rich and full-bodied with lots of dark complex flavours one from the Dark and Complex section should tick all the boxes. Or, if you prefer a Malbec that is more fruity and medium-bodied with less complex flavours then you would try one from the Smooth and Juicy section. Wine fruit flavours are the primary flavours in a wine and run on a scale from fresh and light e.g. citrus, tart/fresh new season berries, crisp apple/pear, to ripe, fleshy and exotic e.g. jammy/dried/ripe berries, black plums/cherries, stone fruits (apricot, peach) or tropical fruits.

Some wines (red or white) are highly concentrated in only fruit flavours making them fresh and fruity - these wines would be categorised as Delicate and Fruity or Smooth and Juicy reds (some not all) and Crisp and Zesty or Explosive and Fruity whites (some not all). In other wines, as the fruit flavours settle after the initial sip or two, and if present, your taste buds may detect flavours such as coffee, leather, tobacco, toast/smoke, caramel, creaminess, chalk, dough/fresh pastries. These tastes/flavours are secondary flavours and develop due to winemaking methods e.g. barrel ageing but also can develop from the soil/region/naturally occurring in the grapes.

As you taste more wines from the different Cavavin Wine Styles and sections your palate will start to decide what it likes, will reject flavours it doesn’t like and over time may begin to enjoy flavours you never thought it would! That wine or wines will then begin to lodge in your palate and muscle memory and slowly over time a Cavavin wine will become your new Perfect Wine and that memory of your perfect wine that can't be found will become a distant memory and be replaced with a new more accessible and easier to find wine! As you become more familiar with Cavavin wines you will start to explore more wines and go outside your comfort zone. You will begin to ask yourself what you like about the wines as you’re tasting them and if you don’t want to keep mental logs of the wines then another great shopping feature of Cavavin is that we keep a profile of all your wines (once you share your details of course) and all the hard work of trying to remember that perfect wine is taken away from you! A tasting profile will start to develop and just in time for Christmas!

So next time you are shopping for that Perfect Wine, consider shopping for it at Cavavin and let us help you find the perfect wine(s).