HAPPY BIRTHDAY NASH 19!

NASH CELEBRATE 19

Rory Allen and Joleen Cronin

Hard to believe that Nash 19 is just 19 years “old”. It is so much part of Cork City that we assume it has been there for decades.

The name was almost accidental. Claire Nash had to come up with a name for company registration purposes in double quick time. She noted the street number on the paperwork and was inspired to add it to her own name and hence Nash 19.

Little did she know that 19 Princes Street would go on to become one of city’s favourite restaurants. The esteem in which Clare, her staff and her restaurant are held was very evident on Friday night at the 19^th anniversary bash, attended by our 200 people including Lord Mayor Cllr Terry Shannon.

 The restaurant has seen a big increase in size since its opening day and other services (eg shop, food to go, catering services and so on) have been added. Read all about it here 

Despite the place being packed, we had a terrific night, with some great little dishes, starting with early season Galway Oysters. Many of her local producers (who are grateful for her encouragement) were present.

The English Market is a regular call for Nash 19 and representatives from here included O’Connell’s Fish and Tom Durcan. Kanturk’s ebullient butcher Jack McCarthy was in top form, kept on his toes by son Timmy, an able dealer himself and well able to match the rapid fire quips from Jack.

Spoke too to Evening Echo editor Maurice Gubbins, there with a party from Fermoy. Kinsale PR ace Jackie Dawson, daughter of the famous international Ronnie, was looking forward to the rugby game on Sunday.

Speaking of internationals, had a terrific chat with Sinead Gunnigan who recalled her trips to soccer internationals (when Jack Charlton was in charge) with her late uncle John, a great man for local soccer in Cork and well known in the drinks business in which he worked.

Sinead was attending the event with her husband Gerry, the Mayoman who heads up the Liberty Wines  operation in Ireland, and he was obviously very happy with the way their  Ca dei Frati (Lugana) was flying. Some good wine in Nash 19 and before we left, Claire treated us to a glass of smashing Turkey Flat Butchers Block (Shiraz/ Grenache & Mouvèdre) from the Barossa – great stuff.

No need for any major formalities on this happy occasion. Claire, who was supported on the night by family members, spoke as did local food pioneer Myrtle Allen. Rory Allen was another Ballymaloe man at the party and he was in top form as was restaurateur and photographer Joleen Cronin from Crosshaven.

While we were enjoying the party, the Nash 19 staff were busy, busy. As always, their usual efficiency and courtesy shone through. Claire herself regularly praises her team and they are a credit to her. I did have time for a small chat with key staff members Mairéad O’Brien and Pamela Kelly. Both were in top form.

All good things come to an end. That was true of the party but Nash 19 itself looks like going on and on. Let’s raise a glass of Ca dei Frati or Butchers Block  to another 19 years.

YALUMBA'S JANE FERRARI IN BALLYMALOE

Jane Ferrari with Maurice O'Mahony (left) and yours truly at Ballymaloe

KNEE OP FAILS TO HALT FERRARI


Jane Ferrari, the roving ambassador for Yalumba Wine Company (Australia), was in Ballymaloe yesterday. Despite being in the process of recovery from a recent knee operation, the indefatigable Aussie was in top form.

Busy, busy, busy. In the afternoon she spoke to the Cookery School, early evening she conducted a wine tasting and later a full scale wine dinner. And all that after a hectic few days and nights in Dublin.

Dodgy knee or not, she kept her lively show on the road. She also writes a blog and her latest post concerned the Irish game v Australia. Obviously she likes her sport and, also obviously, her sportsmen, including current favourite Ronan O’Gara.

But back to the wines, all produced in the Barossa area by the long standing family company and available here through Cassidy Wines.

Started off with the Pewsey Vale Riesling, produced in the high country above the valley floor and costing about €13.00. “This Riesling is absolutely spot on with Mediterranean-Asian crossover food,” said Jane. “It is essential to have this well chilled,” added Ballymaloe sommelier Colm McCan.

Jane then moved on to their Barossa Eden Viognier 2009, perfumed and luscious and made from super ripe grapes, handpicked. “This means the yield is halved but the wine is pretty elegant.”

The second Viognier, the Virgilius Eden Valley 2008, comes from the same 22 acre small yield vineyard. At €30.00, it is double the price of the first one. Hints of ginger in the peachy apricot aroma, it is an “unctuous and complex wine...at its best with food....complements a wide range of flavours”.

The Barossa valley floor is too hot for Pinot Noir and the Yalumba favourite is Grenache. Jane gave the winemaker’s point of view: “Grenache is easy to get along with. If you’re looking for the Diva of grapes, it has to be Viognier.”

The first Grenache was the Barossa Eden Bush Vine 2009 (€17). The fruit comes from 14 different parcels on the valley floor, mainly river sand. “It is raspberry over rosemary, berry over herb, no heat. The Number One word with Grenache is balance and this medium weight wine is a perfect match for juicy chargrilled pork chops.”

Then we moved on to the Single Site Bowden Vineyard Moppa Block Grenache 2006, darker, more cherry, more intense. This fruit comes from a tiny vineyard and 2006 was a “stellar vintage”. This is a “cracker of a food wine, ideal with roast veal, chorizo and other Spanish, Italian dishes”. Unfortunately, this gem is not available in Ireland.

Next up was their €40.00 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz 2005. “This was originally called Galway Claret and is a bit of a specialty with us. It is the old Claret style and we are trying to keep the style alive. The Cabernet dominates the nose while the long lasting palate is down to the Shiraz. This could live forever!”

Then we moved to Shiraz and “into carnivorous territory”. Stared with the €24.00 Barossa Eden Patchwork 2008, an “old school juicy fruity middle weight”.

Next came The Octavius Old Vine 2004, a “serious heavyweight, long lasting in the mouth, great length of power and the flavours remain, ideal with meat off the bone, including venison fillets and also good with vegetarian dishes such as those featuring Shitake mushrooms”.

We finished on a sweet note with the Yalumba FSW8B Botrytis Viognier, Wrattonbully 2009, €18.00. It is a gorgeous dessert wine and Jane said cheese makers and dessert chefs “are going nuts for it. It goes well too with old fashioned desserts such as apple crumble.”

A lovely end to a lovely evening with a lovely person who entertained and informed with an abundance of down to earth fact and insight and no shortage of good humour. We cheered her off the stage and I reckon she’ll be cheering for Ronan on Sunday.

CONGRATS TO ARDSALLAGH!

Well done to all at Ardsallagh Cheese on winning gold at the Irish Cheese Awards this week. Their Ardsallagh Cranberry Roulade came tops in the New Cheese Section.Two other Cork producers also struck gold and quite a few were honoured. Well done to all. To see the full list click here

BRADLEY’S GREAT PORT OFFER. AND MORE!

BRADLEY’S GREAT PORT OFFER. AND MORE!


“Here's a bit of a treat and a bargain to boot,” said Michal Creedon of Bradley’s (North Main Street) as he introduced his latest offer: a bottle of Taylor’s First Estate Reserve Port at €9.99.

Novice port drinkers can do no better than to begin here: First Estate is a soft and glorious mouthful. It is an outstanding vintage character blend, made at the very first property purchased by the company, Lugar das Lages, in 1744. Rich, fruity and elegant, it is aged for four years in cask and is ready for drinking immediately.

As enjoyable before a meal as after, they say. I’ve tried both ways and it is true. Really nice and a great price. But Bradley’s, who have a huge range of spirits, beers and wines, have a string of other quality wines on offer for less than a tenner. Check out this list.

Botter Prosecco €9.99
Masseria Pietrosa Salice Salentino €9.99
Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir & Louis Jadot Macon Lugny both €9.99
Antinori Santa Cristina & Orvieto, both €8.99
Marques de Riscal Tempranillo & Rueda white, both €8.99
Curio Bay Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) €7.99
Montes Reserva range (Cabernet, Merlot & Chardonnay) all €6.99.

The long established North Main Street shop has recently began selling drink of another kind: loose leaf tea, just like the old days.

Black Teas include Assam, Darjeeling Singtom, Earl Grey Blue Flower and Black Chai.

Green Teas available include China Organic Mao Feng and Jasmine Superior.

Pu-erh, Rooibos, Herbal and Fruit teas are also included. For more details, check here

CULTURE NIGHT AT ENGLISH MARKET

The English Market last night.. Click on image to enlarge.

CULTURE NIGHT

Got the pics up early but waited for the buzz to fade a bit before putting the text together, just in case I got carried away!

Still, 36 hours later, nothing but a good feeling about Culture Night in the English Market. Met Austin, Paul and Billy at the busy Bubble Brothers wine stand and, armed with a glass of red, headed into the aisles.

First stop was the Alternative Bread Company. The shelves had been cleared of bread and instead they had a tasty small plate menu laid on. Here, I picked the Welsh Rarebit, nice and warm and decorated with some thyme flowers. Loved it and it came a good price, two for €6.00. Besides, there was a big basket of windfall apples with an open invitation to help yourself. Nice touch.

Indeed, many stalls entered into the spirit of the night, everyone relaxed, smiles and goodies all around, even candles at one. Bought some olives at the Olive Stall. They also had a tasting plate as did Iago’s and many more, including a massive cheese platter at On the Pigs Back.

O’Connell’s Fish always back this type of event and Friday night was no exception with oysters going for a euro each, a “real” prawn cocktail for four and also fish and chips. Up then past the three piece band to the entrance hall and to O’Sullivan’s Poultry in particular.

As well as “grazing”, we were doing a bit of shopping and after a discussion on quail and venison with the helpful staff we bought some of the deer for Saturday night’s dinner. And also helped ourselves to a freebie here: a decent square of bread, loaded with Durcan’s Spiced Beef and Caramelised Onion.

Aside from Bubble Brothers the biggest early queue was upstairs at the Farmgate Cafe where Abraham Phelan from the Silk Road Cafe (at the Chester Beatty) was kept busy serving up Palestinian and Lebanese food with exotic names such as Spanah Fatayer, Fil Fil Mahshy, Musken, Dagaj Bil Lemon and Patingan Mahshy.

This was a really innovative touch by the Farmgate and may well be a pointer to the future direction of the festival. If we are to prevent the feeling of same old same old, which may well build up after a few years (after all we have a limited, if large, number of cultural venues in the city), something like this injection from a different culture will become necessary on all fronts.

Perhaps we could send some of our artists across the county bounds and get up a troupe from Siamsa or swap a local music group with one from Galway or Waterford. On the restaurant front, why not have Gregans Castle come to Augustine’s and vice versa?

Going by Friday night, Abraham Phelan and his dishes would get a big welcome at any restaurant here. Presumably there are other accomplished chefs from other cultures around the country who would welcome an opportunity to showcase their country’s food. So, why not?

Why not, for example, have a Thai evening in Fenns Quay. Tripe and drisheen to Waterford; baps to Cork. Go for it. Food is a huge part of the culture, about the only party for many of us out and about in the Market on a well-fed Friday night.

Never a dull dish at Nash19

 NASH19

As its 19th birthday approaches, Nash19 would be forgiven for slipping into a routine. And, yet, there is a routine here: top class food and excellent and friendly service.

The ingredients are familiar, local gems such as Jack McCarthy’s beef, Crowe’s bacon and Durcan’s beef. Quality is assured by this policy and variety is ensured by the imagination of the chefs. You won't be bored with what comes out on your plate.

The policy works. Just look at the customers coming through. We were in early for lunch today (Friday) and, sure enough, the place was more or less full shortly after one and they were still coming in at two.

Started off with a couple of cups of soup (you may also get bowls). Sweet potato has really shot up the popularity charts in recent years and the Roast Sweet Potato and Cumin soup was tasty, spicy and excellent. I went for the Tomato, Bean and Bacon blend and this too hit all the right boxes, plenty of tasty bits, eating and drinking in it!

Main course for me were the Tuscan Style Meatballs (Durcan’s Beef) in a rich tomato sauce on organic spaghetti. An excellent combination of the three main ingredients, well balanced, light yet substantial.

No shortage of substance either on our other main course: Crowe’s farm reared Bacon Loin with Apricot chutney. This was a tempting combination of excellent tender meat matched by the sweet fruit though the accompanying sauce was a bit on the piquant side.

Christine was looking after our table (it isn’t every day you get served by a Master Chef contestant) and was quite proud of their new wine list. CL had a glass of the Amador Parreno Organic Tempranillo, a nice bit of spice and fruit quite typical of the grape and an attractive price of €4.50 a glass.

With my main course having an Italian slant, I picked the Masseria Pietrosa Malvasia Nera. This comes from the south of Italy and has lovely black fruits with hints of spice.

At this point, we could manage just the one dessert between us and the Strawberry Victoria Sponge with a rich vein of cream was well up to the task. Two cups of classic Bewleys coffee brought the total to a little over €57.00.

TINPOT HUT AN ELECTRIC HIT

TINPOT HUT AN ELECTRIC HIT

Aoife McCan, Gerry Gunnigan (Liberty Wines), Fiona Turner and Colm McCan (Ballymaloe) at Electric

New Zealand winemaker Fiona Turner brought her Marlborough wines to South Mall’s Electric last night and they went down a treat with the diners. The upstairs room, with a view, was full and over 70 per cent of the punters took up the offer of five half glasses for a tenner.

Fiona and yours truly

Naturally enough, both Denis O’Mullane of Electric and Fiona herself were delighted with the success. It was a first time wine and dine venture for Electric while Fiona is in the middle of a busy ten day period in Ireland and the UK.

She brought five wines, three white and two red. The aim at Tinpot Hut  is to make wines that they themselves enjoy drinking. Going by last night, quite a few other people enjoy drinking them too.

First up was the 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (13.5%); pleasingly rich and powerful, it is well balanced with a long pleasant finish. And it is on sale at Bradley’s, North Main Street.

Their Pinot Gris 2010 was another of the whites. A very refreshing drink, medium bodied and flavoursome with an ABV of 13%.

Didn’t expect to see a Gruner Veltliner in the line-up . The Austrian grape though has travelled well and ended up in good hands and the 2010 result is a complex medium-bodied wine, a classic style and a multi-award winner to boot, including gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011.

Another award winner is the Tinpot Hut’s Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2007 (13%). They called it Syrah rather than Shiraz for a reason. The pepper and spice here doesn’t invade your senses but instead contributes proportionately to the overall experience. Ruby red with an aromatic nose, I thought it a brilliant mouthful, a terrific example that brings out the true flavours, mainly plum and pepper on the palate.

The Marlborough Pinot Noir  (12.5%) was the other red. No gold or silver medals here but still a smashing wine. “Classic cherry flavours dominate the palate and are supported by hints of plum and redcurrant.” This 2008 offering benefitted from the “prolonged warm dry summer...all grapes on the vine...were able to open fully, yielding...well developed, intensely flavoured fruit.”

So there we had it, five good easy drinking wines and not a dud among them. And, listening to Fiona explaining her criteria, I don’t think Tinpot will be releasing any inferior wine while she’s around.

And the food? I started with the Crispy fried tripe with chorizo, kale & chilli, then a tender steak and finished with a sweet sweet Strawberry meringue roulade. All top notch. And you can see the full menu here. 

Electric has come a long way since it opened during the Jazz weekend last autumn. Already, it is a fixture in the city. But they are not sitting back. There is better to come as the Electric ensemble is being trained to be the best around. Interesting times ahead in Cork’s “Theatre of Life”

.

Tinpot Hut wines are distributed in Ireland by Liberty Wines. 

HAYFIELD MANOR WINE SOCIETY EVENING

Hayfield Sommelier Sandra Biret - Crowley

HAYFIELD MANOR WINE SOCIETY EVENING

The Rhone valley is synonymous with terrific wines and the area will feature strongly at the Hayfield Manor Wine Society Dinner in November. Enjoyed my trip down there that this summer, stopping at such iconic wine villages as Gigondas, Rasteau, Vacqueyras and at Chateauneuf de Papes itself. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing Jean Louis Smyl of Famille Quiot at the Hayfield.

And I’m not the only one. The hotel’s Paul O’Connell: “We view wine as a vital part of the Hayfield Manor experience, and the superb cellar kept by our Sommelier Sandra Biret - Crowley, is a source of delight for experienced wine buffs and enthusiastic amateurs alike.

Among the carefully selected vintages from some of the great names of the wine world you’ll also discover plenty of bottles that carry less prestige but provide their own special virtues, plus some intriguing wines you may never have encountered before.

Enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge of wine, or amateurs who simply love sampling new and exciting vintages, will relish the specials wine events that are a regular feature in Hayfield Manor. Our exceptional suppliers regularly host events that offer an informal but informative exploration of the world of wine, especially some of its less well know delights, with plenty of entertainment to be enjoyed along the way.

Rhone vineyard

We are also happy to offer exclusive events for groups, so if you’re looking for a corporate event or employee incentive evening with a difference, here’s the solution.”

The first Hayfield Manor Wine Society evening will be held on November 10th with a program of exceptional wine dinners compiled by Sommelière Sandra Biret – Crowley and Jean Louis Smyl of Famille Quiot (Rhone Valley).

This special four course wine dinner begins at 7.00pm with aperitifs and an introduction to the region’s wines. Dinner is € 79.00 per person and includes a 5 course menu specially created by the Executive Chef, Graeme Campbell, to complement the 5 different wines. To book please call 021-4845900 or email events@hayfieldmanor.ie

KITCHEN AT FOTA HOUSE

Fascinating tour! UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS at FOTA HOUSE 
See my full post here

Well equipped

The game carousel

SWEET SWEET AMANDINE

AMANDINE

In you are in Athy this sunny morning for the ploughing, or indeed for any day of the event, I’ll bet you won't easily pass the stand of Amandine Confectionery. 

This Dungarvan based company makes delicious French style cakes of all shapes and sizes and all are tempting, especially the succulent Pear & Almond and Lemon Meringue Tarts that have been shortlisted for the 2011 Irish Food Awards in Dingle at the end of the month.

But you don’t have to go to Athy to get your hands on these sweet things. Amandine has a permanent stand in the mall at the Mahon Point Shopping Centre and also at the City Square Shopping Centre in Waterford.  The products are also available in Dungarvan (in (Dunnes Stores and Twomey’s Eurospar in Abbeyside) and in Midleton (Hurley's SuperValu).

Claire O'Connor is a busy person and, aside from the Ploughing Championships, you see her at various food festivals in the southern half of the country – I met here most recently at Midleton. Claire is from France, from the Var department in the region of Provence. She was educated at the Ecole superieure de commerce de Montpellier and now lives in Dungarvan

Claire, a follower of Munster rubgy, has brought a real taste of France to Ireland, her delicious selection of artisan confectionery includes cakes, tartlets, birthday and photocakes and more. Why not have a look at her Facebook page .

In Ballymaloe with Skillogalee's Dave Palmer

SKILLOGALEE WINE-MAKER DINNER AT BALLYMALOE

Wine with a smile

Clare Valley wine-maker Dave Palmer (above, right) and his wife Diana were in Ballymaloe this weekend introducing some of his wines during a top notch five course meal. The Wales born one time economist delivered his to the point information with a great deal of practical insight (as you’d expect) and also with a large measure of sparkling humour.

Of course, we did start with their

EL GORDO

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Pics from today's Spanish Wine Show in Cork....post to follow..click on image to enlarge
Top:Claire Lemasney (Gilbeys); Mark McCloskey (Greenlea); Stephen Morrissey (Barry & Fitzwilliam), Paul Kiernan and Billy Forrester (Bubble Bros).
Bottom: Antonio Lorente & Rafael Salazar (Vinos Tito); Joe Karwig and Billy Lyons; Bren Smith (Mackenway) and Marcus Gates (Karwig).

THE BIG SPANISH WINE SHOW

“Wines from Spain: Changing Ways 2011” was the name of the big Spanish wine show that was held in the Imperial Hotel (Cork) yesterday. El Gordo (The Big One) is associated with the Spanish lottery but there was no gamble in

Roger Ravoire Wine Dinner at Donnybrook Fair

Lubernon vines with Ménerbes in background

Roger Ravoire Wine dinner at Donnybrook Fair

Olivier Ravoire (above) from Roger Ravoire will host a wine dinner on Wednesday 19th October at 7.45pm in The Restaurant @ Donnybrook Fair. Olivier will introduce a selection of wines from his family’s winery located in the heart of the

LES GOURMANDISES: Premiere classe

LES GOURMANDISES

With recent Food & Wine kudos for both the chef and the sommelier, you’d have thought we were on a good thing when we visited Les Gourmandises at the weekend. Well, we were but we knew that even before the awards were announced as this Cook Street restaurant is, and has been for some time now, one of the very best in Cork.

Started with the Les Gourmandises tasting plate: Parsnip Soup, Black Pudding with Foie Gras and breaded John Dory with green puree. The Parsnip soup was delightful; the Black Pudding outshone the Foie Gras while the fish was spot on. A good start is half the battle.

Next up for me was the Roasted duck leg confit with confit potato and cherry. A beautiful piece of duck, so well cooked. It also looked fantastic, a tempting light colour, and it fell away from the bone at the slightest touch. Tasted as well as it looked, much better than similar efforts I ate in the Dordogne in the summer of 2010.

CL was also very happy with Fillet of Cod with Celeriac and Apple puree and mushrooms. The fish and puree combination was top class, every little bit welcomed onto the palate. We both got a side dish of sautéed potatoes, shaped into small globes, not much bigger than marbles (or glassy alleys, as we say around here).

We each had the same dessert: Red Berry Jelly and Lavender Panacotta, with a Lemon Madeleine. I’ve had some variation of this here previously. It was fresh and lively, a really smashing way to finish off a meal, the combination of sight and taste sending two happy customers on our way into the night.

We were on the Prix Fixe menu which is priced at €27.50 for two courses, €29.50 for three. Do the math and you’ll see that the dessert cost just two euro! Two glasses of Lombeline wine, one Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, the other Syrah/Grenache from the Gard, brought the bill to €72.70.

No complaints with the wines, each was excellent. The following day, by chance, I spotted that The Wine Store sells the Sauvignon Blanc for €10.99 a bottle. The glass at Les Gourmandises is priced at €6.85. The Bridge Bar and Grill in Dublin internet site lists their glass price at €7.00, their bottle at €24.00. These would all seem to be rather large mark ups.

And the other thing about Irish restaurants selling wine by the glass is that you are rarely told how much wine is your glass, whereas in some European countries, Austria for example, you have the choice of one or two decilitres and, in some cases, the glass is marked.

MIDLETON FOOD FESTIVAL

Midleton Food Festival 10.09.11. Click on image to enlarge. Post to follow...

MIDLETON FOOD FESTIVAL

Had really been looking forward to this year’s Midleton Food Festival and neither the food on offer nor the people offering it let me down in any way. A stroll down (and up, and down and up again) the main street this Saturday morning was a foodie pleasure.

Enjoyed my chat with Claire of Amandine who make sweet temptations from the most gorgeous French style pastries to personalised birthday cakes. Two of her pastries, Pear & Almond and Lemon Meringue Tarts, have been shortlisted for the 2011 Irish Food Awards in Dingle and they were the two we bought.

One of the pleasures of these festivals, especially if you go early, is the opportunity to chat with the stallholders and we compared notes with Claire on Provence (where she is from and where we, and she, holidayed this year). Bonne chance in Dingle, Claire.

Also had a chat with Jon Ward and Kevin Aherne from the inventive Sage Restaurant  who played a big part in the festival with a few stands out on the street as well as one in the courtyard.

Also called to the regular Farmers Market which was also running and delighted here to meet up with Noreen and son Henry from Woodside Farm  and also the busy and ever inventive Deirdre Hilliard of Cobh’s Just Food .

Back to the food now. Let’s start with the bread, a lovely sourdough (already tested) from the Granary who have a pleasant permanent position just off the main street. Three lots of cheese came back to the city: two from the Old Irish Creamery  and one from Ardsallagh .

Isabelle Sheridan was manning the On the Pig’s Back stand and here we helped ourselves to some Chicken liver pate and to a slab of Venison Terrine. Also a box of Victoria plums from the Rose Cottage Fruit farm .

At the Farmers Market, we bought the veg from Ballycurraginny Farm (regulars at Mahon Point), got some Pork and Apple Burgers from Woodside and a Muesli and pot of Ratatouille from Just Food.

Madeline from Pure Sushi told me she was delighted with her award at the Mitchelstown Festival and we treated ourselves to a six pack for this evening. Some sweet stuff too. In addition to the cakes from Amandine (who have a permanent stand in the Mahon Shopping complex), we spoiled ourselves with a bag of gorgeous mixed chocolates from Benoit Lorge .

As you know, I regularly buy Irish, buy local. But it is not always easy. Lorge has quite a reputation in the chocolate field and many of you may have seen Eve Chocolates  from Dennehys Cross highlighted in the Evening Echo during the week.

Yet last week, at the English Market, two US travel agents told me they were disappointed to find only two Irish chocolate products on sale in an otherwise well stocked chocolate shop there.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA GEMS FROM MORAMBRO CREEK

Click to enlarge

SOUTH AUSTRALIA GEMS FROM MORAMBRO CREEK

Brad Rey, Brand Manager at Morambro Creek, the home of Jip Jip Rocks and Mt Monster, was at Karwig Wines in Carrigaline last Wednesday and oversaw one of the most fascinating tastings I’ve ever been at.

And it wasn't just because of the wines, which included a few surprises for this punter and were all of outstanding quality, that I’ll remember Brad. It was mostly for his convictions about wine and his common sense.

The Canadian born and raised Brad brought a breath of fresh Rockies air to the proceedings.

 “Most of New World Chardonnay..is concocted crap.”

“Oak shouldn't be the dominant characteristic. Wine is made from grapes and should taste of the fruit.”

“The earth is like a tea bag. All that grows in the vicinity...elephant fennel, wild rosemary..eucalyptus..finds its way in.....and ends up in the glass.”

“Don't wash your wine glass with water (fluoride in Ireland!). Wash it with wine, maybe bottled water.”

There were three sparklers on the table. A Mt Monster brut, an easy drinker, something like an “Aussie Cremant” was the first. Then came the Jip Jip Cuvee from 2009. Very pleasant indeed and again easy drinking.

Brad maintains that Aussie sparklers are on the up and up. They were up too, many moons ago. They’ve been making them since 1890s and they were extremely popular in Oz in the early 1900s, then seemed to lose their way but are now on the firmly on the way back.

And the third sparkler seemed to confirm this. It was Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz, a medium bodied mouth friendly wine. A very pleasant surprise indeed and Brad recommended using it with pork or duck or “anything you’d use Pinot Noir with”. Must try that.

After knocking much of the New World Chardonnay, Brad opened his own bottle. “I try to let the fruit speak, let Mother Nature do the job.” And this unoaked bottle spoke the fruit. Gorgeous and refreshing with a little richness added through limited contact with the lees, perhaps another lesson from the Loire which Brad knows and likes.

And France was in his mind too when making the Jip Jip 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. Citrusy and soft, fresh and clean and well balanced, made that way because Brad doesn't like high acidity.

He was delighted with his Mt Monster Shiraz of 2008. “Good, the way I want to see it. Very minimal oak. May be served slightly chilled. It is light fruit, blueberries and raspberries and the tannins are fruit tannins. This is about balance and reminds me of the joven I used to make in Spain.”

Then we moved on to a more traditional Shiraz, the 2009 Jip Jip, a multi medal winner that has spent quite a while in 2, 3 and 4 year old French oak. But the oak doesn't dominate. “Drink it on its own; it is easy drinking.”

He was quite proud of the next one also as it has been his “first go” at Morambro Creek Shiraz. This 2008 had been in 20% US oak but from now on it will be 100% French barriques. The annual spend on oak is now massive, well over a million Australian dollars. Good wine, though!

The finish was a beautiful Mt Monster Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. No oak, lovely and bright, not heavy, tannins enough and easy drinking, according to Brad who admitted to being “chuffed by that”. Remember, Brad hasn’t seen most of these wines for a while as they are long gone from Morambro.

The fennel is in here, fresh mint, cassis, blue and red fruits, all in a rich texture with velvety tannins. It has been getting a great reaction.

Morambro is certainly a name (three names really) to watch out for and to make it easier, you can get all three at Karwig Wines.

TOP NOTCH SANTA RITA RESERVAS

FIRST CLASS SANTA RITA WINES

Carlos (right) and yours truly at Isaacs

Carlos Gatica, Chief Winemaker with Santa Rita, the second biggest wine producer in Chile, was in Cork yesterday and brought a strong line-up to the Gilbeys Wine Tasting Lunch at Isaacs.

Many of you will be familiar with the Chilean winery’s 120 series and Carlos referred to the story (with a strong Irish connection) behind the 120 and you may read more on that here.

Santa Rita’s current mission though is to “educate” their Irish sellers, including hotels and restaurants who were well represented here, in an effort to broaden the appreciation of the better Santa Rita wines and particularly their reservas.

The introductory handshake was a very pleasant concentrated white: the Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2010. This was accompanied by a selection of tempting tapas.

Could have happily stayed with those tasty bites but move on we did and Carlos then presented their 2009 Gran Reserva Medalla Real Chardonnay,

This has quite an intense bouquet and is a well balanced wine with silky texture and went down well with a warm salad of Marinated Chicken, smoked bacon and rustic potatoes.

Now it was on to the steak and the first of the reds. This was the superb Pehmén Carménère 2007 made with grapes from an old vineyard in the Apalta Valley. Aging is in 100% French oak barrels for 18 months. Really liked this flavoursome persistent wine.

The cheese made its appearance as it was time for the piece de résistance: a vertical tasting of the classic Casa Real. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon “seeks to obtain the maximum expression of the Alto Jaheul terroir”. New French oak barrels are used.

Many of you will know that vertical tasting means tasting the same wine from different years. The vintages at Isaacs were 2007, 2002 and 1999. The still young 2007, marginally higher in ABV @ 14.5%, was of excellent quality, the fruit concentrated after a good year, but was overshadowed by the other two.

The very elegant and concentrated 2002 (14.4%) was perhaps my favourite. Well balanced with ripe flavours and tannins, it has a full body and “a sleek finish”.

No vote was taken but the number one choice was the 1999 (4.3%), an “opulent” wine from an “opulent” year. The winemaker’s comments covered it all: "As a terroir concept, the 1999 vintage has been undoubtedly considered as the maximum expression of a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon to date.”

Maipo Valley

Interesting to note that Santa Rita has a presence in six wine areas of the country, allowing it to grow many different kinds of grape and expand its portfolio. Some of their areas are north of Santiago de Chile, some to the south (Carlos lives in Curicó), some are close to the coast, others in the foothills of the Andes. The valleys are Limari, Casablanca, Leyda, Rapel, Maipo and Apalto.

Credit to Gilbeys for putting on this excellent event “the first of many around the country”. Well done also to Carlos for his descriptions and humour and for bringing such a stunning selection to Isaacs.

KARWIG: TRYING TO KEEP THE SUMMER ALIVE

Domaine Houchart 2010, Cotes de Provence Rose, 13%, Karwig.

In Roussillon in Provence, built from stone from nearby
ochre quarries,  I bought the beautiful rosé below left.

Fair play to Karwig Wines. They are trying hard to keep the summer alive and this rosé will bring you a little sunshine from the Midi even if it is dull outside.

They have a great selection on offer and I was tempted by the Bandol (over a fiver off) but, having tasted a string of Provencal beauties this summer, I picked the Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence. 

Marcus Gates was helping me make the choices and he says that the rosés have been flying this summer and the offer will continue for quite a while yet.

This vineyard is located in Puyloubic, a little village close to Aix-en-Provence, and has been producing “for more than 100 years famous rosé, red and white wines”. Not too sure about the fame of the village but rosés in Provence are generally good, even if not always famous.

This pale pink effort by Houchart doesn't disappoint. Nothing weak about this dry rosé as it roams the taste buds, exciting interest as it gently rolls. Nice sharpish flavours of white fruit that hit home. 

WELL FED AT BLAIRS INN

BLAIRS INN

All the hanging baskets and window boxes were catching the sun as I landed at Blairs Inn in Cloghroe yesterday for lunch.

Blairs bills itself as a traditional pub and restaurant and is popular with tourists and locals alike. It is regarded as one of the top gastro-pubs in the country and you’ll be well fed here.

Dishes in Blairs are quite substantial, so we skipped the starter and, while waiting for the mains, enjoyed a bottle of that splendid Stonewell cider (€5.50) from Nohoval. The Braised Shank of Lamb on a basil mash, served with a Redcurrant and Rosemary jus, arrived and looked good in the dish.

Then another dish arrived! With the vegetables: turnips, broccoli and carrots, all cooked to perfection. And that wasn't all as there was also some top notch baked potatoes (smooth roosters) there. Quantity for sure and quality also.

Took my time with that lot but there was zilch left on the main plate and that pleased our hosts no end. Service, with a  smile,  was excellent and courteous and no pressure to take dessert or coffee. Beyond me, in any case.

The bill, for two lamb and two cider, came to €46.90.

THE RETURN OF THE CHEF FACTOR

Chef Factor is back for 2011!

L-R: Sully, last year's winner Christine Crowley, Rachel Allen and Cully.

Colum O'Sullivan, of Cully & Sully, has been in touch with the news that the Chef Factor is to return this autumn.

"We’re proud to say that its return has been widely tipped as one of the hottest events in food to watch out for this year.  The prize is the same as last year- a place on January’s coveted 12 week Ballymaloe cookery course including accommodation, together worth over €12,000 euro and will include two weeks with myself and Cully to learn the ways of the food business. Lat year's winner Christine is doing really well now, running her own tearooms and everything!"

"Again we’re really trying to get across that Chef Factor is for anybody who wants to learn how to cook and develop their own career in food.  You don’t need to be a good cook to enter as the prize is professional training in one of the world’s leading cookery schools. We are simply looking for someone who really wants to win this once in a lifetime opportunity.  You can enter anything you like-from beans on toast  to a risotto, from steak to a cake!"

"We are also trying to remind entrants that Chef Factor is not all about online votes, as while three finalists will be determined by public vote, two wildcards will be handpicked by Cully and I to go through irrespective of votes and all finalists will be on an equal footing at the final. Everybody stands a great chance of winning the top prize!! Entrants are accepted from September 5th, 2011 and the winner is expected to be chosen in Ballymaloe on Saturday the 26th of November."

Entering is the same as last year- EASY PEASY!  All you have to do is upload a simple photo of a dish with the words “Cully & Sully” somewhere in the image and submit this to cheffactor.ie  along with a brief explanation of the dish and the reason why you deserve to win!