Showing posts with label Joe McNamee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe McNamee. Show all posts

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Being Alive on The Night of Ideas. Raw, Naked and Living.


Being Alive on The Night of Ideas. 
Raw, Naked and Living. 
The panel (l to r): Nicolas, Pascal, Oliver, Anna and Colm

Here we are in Cork city centre, in the vaults of a 19th century wine warehouse, watching a French film about a bunch of “neo” winemakers at the foot of the eastern Pyrenees, close to the Spanish border. The showing is part of the ongoing worldwide initiative, Night of Ideas, spearheaded by Institut Français, that celebrates the constant stream of ideas between countries, cultures and generations, and the current theme is ‘Being Alive’.

The documentary is titled Wine Calling, though the Google translation, Wine Rising, of the French Le vin se lève, may be quite accurate as the 90 minutes are a lively celebration of the rise of the organic, biodynamic and natural wine movement. In a preview of the night, here,  I quoted wine importer Mary Pawle who was at last week’s Millesime Bio ( the annual organic wine showcase) in Montpelier. She first attended 20 years ago when there were just 40 stands; this year, there were close to 1,400, another indicator of the rise.

Director Bruno Sauvard followed this revolution in the South of France for over a year, from the harvest to the bottling, revealing a rising global movement for taste and sustainability. During a post-screening discussion in the Cellar Theatre, the film’s producer Nicolas Manuel, when asked about the terms used to describe these wines as a group, said he was somewhat jealous of the English terms RAW and Naked. The term “Living” was used in the film and I rather like that myself.
Steep in Banyuls. Not a place for lazy winemakers! 

Nicolas said he had “a good feeling” about the possibility of a film emerging at the initial meeting with the group in January 2016 but it did take the best part of a year to earn their trust. He reported that no money was made on this film but “it is something you want to share”. A bit like the wines then!

And it’s no joke being out here in the weather. Even though some people joke (a few turn it into a jibe) that natural winemakers are lazy. Early shots in the film, showing workers struggling on the steep slopes of a vineyard near Banyuls, quickly dispelled that notion. Here you have to be on top of it all the time, well for nine months anyhow, in the vineyard and later in the winery. “It’s like giving birth,” one  said.

Besides, you are living on the edge. No matter how good a winemaker you are. “Mastery isn’t a word we use around here…We adapt and improve each year… It’s a trial and error process.” They acknowledge that nature is the boss. And then there’s human error, illustrated when one of the group (they each have their own vineyard, by the way) poured the wrong grape juice into a blend. No way could he reverse that error. He’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out.
Ready to roll at the cellar

And, in the face of nature, for instance the constant battle between yeasts and bacteria, Jean-Francois Nicq, summed it up: “Doubt is crucial. Certainty a disaster.” Doubt keeps you on your toes!

Joe McNamee was the moderator of the discussion and he asked Dr Oliver Moore (UCC Centre for Cooperative Studies and ACR2020) for a general view on the environment now. Oliver admitted he was not “super-optimistic” but was encouraged by some positives including “the teenage revolution”. “A lot of hope but barriers are huge”.

He also said the reaction to the EU’s ACR2020, for smaller farmers and running “parallel to CAP, is interesting. “It’s a push for something different”. “The current system is wasteful, especially the fertiliser element”. Monoculture in wine “is not a positive - we need more biodiversity”. We had seen horses working in the vineyards in the film and Oliver remarked: “Horses can produce horses; tractors can’t produce tractors.” 
Horses working in North Cork in 2014

Kilkenny’s Le Caveau was founded by Pascal Rossignol and family in 1999 (time for a 21st celebration then!) to sell artisan wines (including organic). The man from Burgundy recalled his first taste of natural wines. “No going back. You really get hooked.” Though he admitted that the first trade tasting produced mixed reactions.

Colm McCan, who works with Pascal in Le Caveau, reminded us that as far back as the 80s, Myrtle Allen ran a restaurant in Paris, a restaurant that sold natural wines! He agreed with Oliver that changes can already be seen, eg the rising temperatures in Bordeaux and elsewhere. He also sympathised with the winemakers in the film who because of their methods find themselves outside of the appellation system and agreed with them that your name is more important than the appellation stamp. And you’ll see that Le Caveau stock quite a such few wines.

Anna Kopecká, the new Director of Programming at the Cork International Film Festival, the local organisers of the very enjoyable and informative evening, was also on the discussion panel. She was able to sympathise with the winemakers who only get one chance a year to get it right, “like the film festival”. She enjoyed the film: “Soundtrack was very special, not what you’d expect, and the film is a great way of understanding what’s going on in the world.”
Prades,  where the great Spanish cellist Pablo Casals lived in exile. See the "cello" at far side of roundabout.

The Film Festival, now in its 65th year, will be held in November. But this out-of-season screening may be followed by others before then as Anna told Joe there’s the possibility of a film club to screen "films like this" (not necessarily about wine). If I remember rightly, the festival did survive as a film club probably in the 70s, when the venue was the Cameo up by Collins Barracks. I attended quite a few there.

And that wasn’t the end of the evening. No shortage of volunteers to clear the chairs off to the side and we all queued up for a tasing or two of the wines made by M. Nicq. His Foulards Rouges (Red Scarves) Rouge and Blanc were the wines and the cheese was supplied by On the pig’s back. The red, a blend of Grenache (80%) and Syrah, is a fresh and fruity delight, easy drinking. The cloudy white is just as pleasant, hard to pick between the two, and we didn't have to in any case!. 

These wines and similar are available at Bradley's, North Main Street, Cork. Indeed, you should also look out for Octobre, another light red from Foulards Rouges. I enjoyed it recently, details here.

By the way, I know quite a few Irish make their way down to that Catalan corner of France, just above the Spanish border. You may know Collioure or the holiday village of Argeles-sur-Mer. Well, leave the coast behind and about twenty minutes later you’ll arrive at Montesquieu-des-Albères where Jean-Francois makes these delicious wines.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Organic Wine Film Features in The 1st Night of Ideas


Organic Wine Film Features in The 1st Night of Ideas

My friend Mary recalls, that back then (twenty years ago),  there were probably about 40 stands, now it’s over 1,200 and still increasing*. She was talking about the organic wine fair, Millésime Bio, in Montpelier at the end of this month. 

Funny how things come together. Just finished reading that message when I noticed this intriguing title on a Facebook post: The 1st Night of Ideas in Cork: 'Wine Calling’. As you probably guessed, the wine word hooked me.

What’s it all about? The Irish Premiere Screening of 'Wine Calling’ is the short answer. Cork International Film Festival, in partnership with the French Embassy in Ireland, Institut Français and Alliance Française Cork, presents the Irish premiere of French documentary ‘Wine Calling’ (Le vin se lève) as part of The Night of Ideas, a worldwide initiative spearheaded by the Institut Français.

The post continues: “While there are more than 3,000 (me: reckon there’s an important zero missing here) wine producers in France, less than 3% of them use natural methods of wine production. For ethical reasons, this small community has chosen environmentally friendly practices, aimed at finding the natural expression of terroir and the living character of the wine. Director Bruno Sauvard followed this revolution in the South of France over the course of a year, from the harvest to the bottling, revealing a global movement for organic taste and sustainability.”

Less than ten years ago I remember a leading executive of the very large importer (UK and Ireland) discounting the possibility. Besides, some prominent wine writers were among the sceptics.  But the message was getting across. In 2013, at that year's Lit Fest in Ballymaloe, Mary Dowey (then with the Irish Times and a source of encouragement to Mary Pawle) said she thought the move to organic and biodynamic was one of “the most positive sides to the wine world”.  

The rise of organic wine has been quite remarkable over a relatively short period of time as Mary Pawle’s experience and figures (approximate) indicate. It was indeed Mary who was telling me about Millesime Bio. She and Ivan will be there.

“Mainly,’’ she says,  “it’s a perfect opportunity to catch up with most of our producers, taste new vintages and tank samples and generally keep up to date with the ever increasing organic wine scene and we usually have one or two gaps in our range that we want to fill.’’ Bio is held over three days, 27th, 28th, 29th January.
The Cellar Theatre in the old wine vaults of Woodford Bourne on Sheares Street, a very appropriate venue.

Still a social call to some degree for the Kenmare based wine importer but Mary brings good walking shoes. “Nowadays I have to plan my meetings carefully to minimise trekking from hall to hall.  It’s not all work though and we do have plenty of fun meeting up with old friends and importers from other countries who we've known for many years and Montpellier has plenty of decent restaurants to keep us happy in the evenings.”

While Mary and Ivan will be in the south of France, the film will be screened in the intimate Cellar Theatre of the Mardyke Entertainment Complex in Sheares Street, Cork and will be followed by a panel discussion on The Night of Ideas theme “Being alive: ecological balances and the relation of man to the world, in a global context of biodiversity loss as a result of climate change” with special guest contributors: Nicolas Manuel, film producer;  Colm McCan and Pascal Rossignol, Le Caveau Wines; Dr. Oliver Moore, University College Cork Centre for Cooperative Studies and ACR2020 and Joe McNamee, Food Columnist and Food Feature Writer, the Irish Examiner, Contributing Editor with the McKennas’ Irish Food Guide, Contributing Editor with Taste of Ireland. And the finalé will be a wine reception, an opportunity to sample organic and natural French wines, specially selected by Le Caveau Wines.

Tickets: €12 / €10 concession. Book here via the Cork International Film Festival.  The January 30th event is scheduled to commence at 6.00pm and finish at 8.30pm.

Find out about more about the other Night of Ideas events in Ireland :

  • Bio is even bigger again this year. According to the official 2020 listings, Vignerons Propriétés Associés have stall number one while Les Vignerons D’Estezargues have stall number 1356.
  • Spain's Bodegas Pinuaga, one of the growers that Mary Pawle imports from, are very clear in their motives for using organic methods and they explain it well here - you may have to use the translate button! 



Sunday, May 26, 2019

Old Butter Roads Festival's Major Offering in Watergrasshill Today

Old Butter Roads Festival's Major Offering in Watergrasshill Today
Joanne of Thatch and Thyme is producing some great reasonably dishes here, including a delicious plate with something from all the producers. I tried the burger and it is a treat. You get Twomey's Wagyu beef, Hegarty's cheese, Wild Garlic (foraged by Joanne herself), all on a superb Arbutus bun.
The Old Butter Roads Food Festival has a big day in O'Mahony's, Watergrasshill, today (Sunday 26th May). The focus will be very much on the Darina Allen led Symposium on food tourism and specifically how the Old Butter Roads can benefit from the trend. But many will come for the food being cooked and displayed here by the region's producers and restaurants.
To see the full programme, including the participants in the symposium, please click here
Be sure and try the juices at Future Orchard. And get yourself a pack of wild flower seeds. And then there's the mystery tastes. Will you guess correctly!
If you're still going strong by early evening, you won't want to miss the Cocktail Contest. at 5.00pm, Bertha’s Revenge Gin, Longueville House Apple Brandy and Killahora Orchards Pommeau and Apple Ice Wine all step into the ring to see who can produce the finest Old Butter Roads cocktail with the audience as judges! Oh, by the way, children will be catered for too with a Puppet Show, Face Painting and Food of course!
Longueville House have been part of the festival since the start. And Rubert Atkinson, Sales Manager at Longueville Beverages, is a key figure, always helping out his fellow exhibitors. And always giving out samples of their delicious ciders and apple brandy. There is a bar alongside and, of course, a large bar inside.
Jam makers come and go in Ireland but my long-time favourites are Folláin for their quality, variety and consistency. Recently we've been tucking into their sugar-free range. They have those colourful topped pots in Watergrasshill but it the relishes that caught my eye here. Or should I say, excited my tastebuds. Needless to say, we brought a few jars home with us. And here's a tip, bring a shopping bag with you.
Top chef Michael Quinn (formerly Waterford Castle, now lecturing at WIT) will give a series of rolling cookery demos over the weekend, presenting delicious yet simple recipes all featuring produce from OBR members and producers, with plenty of samples available for the audiences. There will be additional opportunities to sample during the Blind Tastings, in which the general public competes for prizes by identifying various foodstuffs while blindfolded.

To see the full programme, including the participants in the symposium, please click here

Sunday, May 6, 2018

A Bit of Banter. At Old Butter Roads Launch in Blarney


A Bit of Banter
At Old Butter Roads Launch in Blarney
Joe McNamee with, from left, Martina and Tricia Cronin and Lenka Forrest

“Sometimes you need to be broken to get stronger”, said Martina Cronin, Chef at the Square Table where her twin sister Tricia is front of house and manager, at the launch of the 2018 Old Butter Roads Food Trail in The Church Of The Resurrection Blarney on Saturday.

Martina was responding to journalist Joe McNamee whose gentle prompting drew some terrific answers from the chefs and producers on stage. Martina paid tribute to her mother: “The house was very food oriented.” But she was in transition year before she made her mind up to be a chef.

Ciaran Scully, teacher and chef, “had me ready for Dublin” where her education continued under top chefs Ross Lewis and Graham Neville. One of the things she learned along the way and which she and Tricia implemented at the Square Table was to use local as much a possible. “This way we met and got to know the local producers and that in some ways led to this festival.”
Hegarty's cheese

Joe asked Tricia how customers reacted to local produce. Her years in Jacques gave her a good grounding and introduced her to local produce. “I enjoy engaging with the customers on local produce and local producers. But you do need to know your stuff. There’s a lot of homework to be done, especially with new dishes. I find too that now locals and international customers are talking about the Old Butter Roads.”


Lenka Forrest who runs the Old Blarney Post Office Café in the village started here about two years ago and immediately “clicked” with the Cronin twins and Maire, the chair of the Old Butter Roads. “It is important to promote the great food that's within this area to locals and tourists. I was happy to get the call to join the OBR. And happy too to see how Irish food has changed over the past twenty years.”
Victor of Bluebell Falls

Pat Mulcahy
Lenka, originally from Czechoslovakia (“the Czech side!”), didn’t really have a food background. But spotted the closed-up Post Office and rented it. “I didn’t know anything about the business, about the margins. It is a tiny place - you can see us make everything. We use the right ingredients and give good customer service. I like sharing food and love to see people enjoying our food.”

Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin is helping Dan Hegarty of Whitechurch make his great cheese for the past two years or so. He admitted he had no idea about Irish cheese but soon discovered “other amazing cheese makers, Gubbeen, Milleens, Coolea”. Hegarty’s are long renowned for their cheddar but Jean-Baptiste told us that the range is expanding, a Comte/Gruyere style, and had some delicious samples to share.


Zwena McCullough of the nearby Hydro Farm Allotments said she is passionate about growing. “We share everything in the allotments, including the fruit cage. It is organic, no chemicals, we have a great community from tiny tots to the quite elderly. A great variety of nationalities including a Moroccan lady who makes a great tagine! We help educate by running courses and so on.”


Victor from Bluebell Falls was also on the platform - they weren't all up together! And he told Joe his story. We visited his farm recently and you can see all the details here
Hydro Farm Allotments 


Pat Mulcahy from Ballinwillin Farm told us his business includes deer, wild boar, and goats, B&B, lunch, evening meals. He has about 40 meat products, all through organic farming. He found lots of obstacles at the start: “You need to be determined, lots of walls to jump.” Now he works with many chefs to get his food message across.


And while he meets some of the biggest names in the industry it is often at home that he feels the big pride. “The chest expands,” he admitted, “when I’m sitting around the breakfast table with guests from many countries enjoying the farm food as was the case this morning.” You’ll probably be hearing more from Ballinwillin about wellness and the link with food as they are seriously looking at the influence of quality and authenticity on good health.


All together now!

Pat also imports his own wine from Hungary. “Some of the best winemakers in the world are in Hungary but they don’t sell. We were lucky to get into partnership in a cellar and now bottle and import our own range of wine. Growing grapes is like farming - that's what attracted me."

The Aubane community seem to be ahead of the posse on the Old Butter Roads as they celebrated the 250th anniversary 20 years back and Celeste Buckley told us on Saturday about another celebration on May 18th next, the 270th, with a five course meal at the local community centre to be followed by music and dancing. “We have a very exciting menu for the event and are really looking forward to the night.” Details on here
Jean-Baptiste

Kanturk too will be involved and we heard from Timmy McCarthy, the 5th generation butcher from the town. “We can't move forward without taking inspiration from the past. We have a rich array of producers and it all needed direction. This is a platform to promote the area!”


Joe McNamee then officially declared the event open. “This is a tremendous initiative. Food and tourism are intertwined and contributed to the country's recovery. The quality of the food and the movement of small premium producers led to this. But don’t reserve your support for special occasions. Support these producers in your weekly shopping.”

Chairperson Maire Ní Mhurchu, a founder member, then invited us to sample the trays of tasty bites laid out for us and so we did. “We all have a passion about food,” she said earlier. “We are a  cooperative group and intend to show the area at its best. Our new website has been launched. As you know our logo is the Milk Churn.”

Joe McNamee launches the 2018 event.


“This is a great unspoiled area, yet very close to the city. There is a great heritage here and that shouldn't be forgotten either and the Aubane celebration is part of it as it the cart outside built by the local mens shed.”

Soon the celebrations began. Indeed, I suspect they had already begun in nearby Blairs Inn. Next stop after the church opening was Lenka’s cafe where Pat Mulcahy was roasting one of his wild boars. Lots of events coming up over the month so do stay in touch with the website and also their Face book page

Also of interest:


Thursday, November 30, 2017

Winning Blas Producers at Bank of Ireland Food Series

Winning Blas Producers 
at Bank of Ireland Food Series
Rosscarbery producer Avril Allshire with moderator Joe McNamee

Bank of Ireland Startups, who helped get the successful Backyard feature off the ground during this year’s Blas Awards in Dingle, hosted a number of follow-up events last Tuesday, including one at their premises in Patrick Street, Cork. Joe McNamee was the moderator for the evening and the principal speakers were Artie Clifford of Blas and local chef Kate Lawlor.

Lia Boyland was involved in setting up the latest Workbench Food Series Event and she welcomed us to the Workspace at the bank, explaining that the digital progress in the banking sector has freed up the space for “events like this evening”. Work spaces are available during the day - bring your laptop - and you'd never know who you might meet.

We knew though we were going to meet Artie as not alone was he a panel member but he also launching the 4th edition of the Blas na hEireann Buyers Directory.  Artie, involved in the founding of the Dingle Food Festival eleven years ago and in setting up Blas a year later, was delighted to launch the book here.

“Thank you all for coming. Eight thousand inserts (from the 10,000 copies) will be coming with your Shelflife magazine. It makes it easy for buyers and chefs to find good Irish produce. There is no charge for inclusion - it is something we want to give back. We hope this is a useful guide for sourcing Irish products and that many of the producers listed here will become your suppliers of tomorrow.”

There is a lot of work going into the new Blas website and it will include a searchable catalogue of producers, and will be ready soon. “Next, we want to do a roadshow during the year to build on it, to talk among ourselves, producers, buyers, chefs, and to get our own solutions.”

We would soon find out more about Artie, the face of Blas, as Joe McNamee asked the questions before the discussion proper (which would include quite a few producers) began. Artie, from Dundalk, was a commercial fisherman, then a ship's engineer and a skipper. In 1992, the work was in Dingle so that was where he went, his family still in Dundalk before they eventually joined him in Kerry.

Later, Artie worked in a  fish factory, most of the output for export. When the MD retired, Artie took over and looked at adding value: smoked fish, paté, chowder and so on for the home market. But costs went up, prices didn't and eventually, in 2010, the company was sold. By then Blas was just a little baby and Artie was making a few bob at Farmers Markets.

And his future then began to take shape. He told us about the first food festival in Dingle and the start of the famous Taste Trail there. “People came back year on year. In the second year of the festival, the awards became part of it and we worked hand in hand.” 

Chef Kate Lawlor was the other main guest on the night and, like Artie, she too has had her ups and downs and is fully committed to using Irish produce. An early visit to Brussels with her CIT class inspired that commitment. They were there to promote Irish food and a belief took hold that it was as good as any. She joined Fenn's Quay in 2001 and that “amazing journey” included taking it over in 2008. 

“We built a bond with local producers. I enjoy food, it should be fun and that was why I used some of the local slang on the menu. Sad to let it go this year but the producers are still talking to me.”

Artie Clifford

After the closing down of Fenn's Quay earlier this year, she took a much needed two month break - “I had run out of ideas, though there was a sense of satisfaction as well as sadness. I enjoyed the two months off and a highlight was the weekend in Dingle. This year I had the time to relax and enjoy it.”

Immediately afterwards she joined the newly reopened Oyster Tavern and the aim is to get it back to its “iconic status”. There are great young chefs there and Kate is just the person to help them. It is right alongside the market so she is back in there buying local again. “The connection  between chef and producers in very important. It leads to personal relationships and a better understanding of the product.”

After the introductions, it was time to meet the producers and we’ll cover the interesting exchanges in the next post, now available here.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Rhone Week Dinner at Greene’s. Wine, Dine, Talk

Rhone Week Dinner at Greene’s
Wine, Dine, Talk
Superb wine


The Rhone came to the Lee last Wednesday night, its two ambassadors, Bruno Boisson of Domaine Boisson and Simon Tyrrell of Les Deux Cols, introduced to the diners at Greene’s by none other than the Menu himself Joe McNamee. Top chef Bryan McCarthy ensured the food matched the excellent wines for the Rhone Wine Week Dinner.

Under gentle prodding from Joe, Bruno told us he is the owner of Domaine Boisson and that it has been in his family for 150 years. The little village of Cairanne is near better known villages such as Gigondas. He produces about 90,000 bottles a year, fifty per cent of which is sold in France. The Irish market is important to him. “It takes a lot, thanks to Tindal’s and their loyalty.”
Bruno, Joe, Simon

At 18 years of age, Bruno started Oenology school and later travelled to the Barossa in Australia. “It is important to see things “more global”, not just in a “tight” local view. While the family had been growing grapes for generations, it was only in the late 80s that Bruno’s father started bottling his own wines.

Cairanne “is becoming cru now. We are very proud of that and we remember the efforts of past generations”.

Simon’s trajectory was quite different to Bruno’s, his immersion in the wine business  happening “by chance”. In 1989 he was working in Willie’s Wine Bar in Paris, a bar that specialised in Rhone wines. The interest grew and grew. By 2009, he had a small negociant business but decided to go further. Back to college then in the UK and, after getting much advice, he began to buy grapes and, by 2012 was making his own wine. And, just now, he has bought his first vineyard, near St Nazaire.
Pork Belly

Simon explained that in the Northern Rhone, there is just one variety and that is Syrah. In the South, there is “more blending, less new wood.” “The wines are more generous, higher abv but they are balanced. There is something about Grenache based wines, lovely warm mouthfeel.” He reckons that they are very popular in Ireland because of our climate and gastronomy. “They have a roundness and warmth and nothing goes better with lamb.”

And what are the prospects for the current vintage? It has been getting a very good press, not just in France but in many neighbouring countries. Bruno revealed that friends of his are saying that the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape will be “the best since the legendary 1990…. time will tell.” Both agreed that 2015 was a good year and Simon reckons that 2016 has even “more finesse, more acidity”  and “will be better than 2015!”
Venison

Not all good news though. Later, after dessert, Simon told us that the well-known Muscat De Beaumes De Venise was struggling with much unsold as demand is shrinking for sweet wines generally. The producers are switching to making dry wines but then find that people are confused, thinking that because it is Beaumes that it must be sweet! A rock and a hard place!

Oaky, let’s start at the beginning of the evening and a lovely welcoming cocktail: Kalak Vodka Martini, rocks, twist. Kalak is an Irish made premium vodka, one worth looking out for!
Dessert

Our first starter was Goatsbridge Trout and crab, cucumber, seaweed, squid ink, nasturtium, radish and this was accompanied by Vin de France ‘Les Terrasses’ 2015 by Chateau Pesquie, an organic blend of Viognier (70%), Roussane and Clairette. The 70% is significant as it is higher than the AOC rules allow and so the wine can only be sold as Vin de France. Demoted it may be but it’s a good one. 

Next up was the Pork belly, Black pudding, apple, celeriac, and cider and the wine here was Simon’s Cotes du Rhone ‘Cuvée D’Alize’ 2015 by Les Deux Cols. “My staple wine”,  he said, “named after a local wind and a blend of Grenache 60%, Syrah 30 and Cinsault (“the Pinot Noir of the South”). No oak here, just stainless steel. His idea was to make “a moreish wine”. Reckon he pulled it off!
Endangered?

After a refreshing Espuma, we were onto Wild Irish venison, artichoke, potato, onion, elderberry and Domaine Boisson’s Cairanne 2014. “It is important to understand the real place of wine is on the table with food,” said Bruno. “This was a little late but it has higher acidity so good for food. I don't want to get too technical, not too much cerebral. Just enjoy it.” We certainly did.

And Bruno had quite a family story for his next wine, the Massif D’Uchaux ‘Clos de la Brussiere’ 2011 from a disused vineyard that his grandfather bought in the local Cafe du Commerce (where you could buy virtually anything in the good old days). There was much rock picking to be done before the ground was cleared. “He picked rocks. We pick grapes.” The grapes are Grenache (60%) and Mourvedre (40). A gorgeous serious wine with bright fruit and spicy notes and quite a perfect match for Mike Thompson’s Young Buck cheese.
In the Southern Rhone

We finished with Chocolate Pecan Cremaux Tart, preserved cherry and pistachio and the Muscat Beaumes de Venise 2014 by Chateau Pesquie, a very good example, sweet yes but with the acidity retained.

Simon summed it all up: “A very diverse valley with a very diverse range of wines.” And he made a plea to please drink the odd glass of Beaumes de Venise at the end of your meals!
Harvest in Cairanne

Sunday, November 22, 2015

L’Atitude Hosts The Menu at Pieta House Fundraiser

L’Atitude Hosts The Menu at Pieta House Fundraiser
Joe's very happy with help from Derek (left) and Yoann (L'Atitude)
It was a good night in L’Atitude 51, with Joe McNamee (The Menu) and Leslie Williams (Examiner Wine Correspondent) in command, Joe in the kitchen, Leslie pouring a selection of wines. And all present, customers, L’Atitude owners and staff, joining together in supporting Pieta House, the centre for the prevention of self-harm or suicide.

Pieta House offers One to One counsellling, Family support, Self/Family/Friend referral, and Free professional therapy. Pieta House in Cork is at Highfield Lawn, Model Farm Road and the phone number is 021 434 1400. See the contact details for other areas at www.pieta.ie
Beaujolais bán
Back to Joe and Leslie who gave us a great evening, good food and good wine and a large measure of craic, all made possible by the staff at L’Atitude and the sponsors. Check out the list below, a list that includes many of the top local producers.

Bubbles were served as we arrived. Not just any bubbles. Ours came from the Wiston Estate in the South of England. This Blanc de blancs is very highly rated and produced by Limerick winemaker Dermot Sugrue. The same bubbles also made an second appearance, perfectly accompanying the Oyster dish. There was a choice here as the Oysters came complete with a shot of the new premium vodka Kalak.
Leslie in action
Have to say O Risal by Terras Gauda has been one of my favourite Albarinos for a while now and I was delighted to see Leslie pour it when the Chicken and Dillisk broth arrived.

Thursday of course was release date for Beaujolais Nouveau and we were treated to a natural one. “This is from the Gamay grape, a wine for pleasure. So drink it and be happy,” exhorted Mr Williams as he poured. He is always full of surprises and one was his introduction of a white Beaujolais, quite a beauty too, made from Chardonnay by Jean Paul Brun.
Harty's Oysters
And soon we would have another unexpected twist from Leslie when he poured a Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2012 Vintage Port to accompany the Beef Brisket. A lovely dish and a gorgeous port but did they go together? Opinion was divided!

No such divide though with the next pairing which saw Longueville House Apple Brandy matched with Tarte Tatin. A natural!
Tuna by Sally Barnes
And then a sad moment as we clinked glasses of Riesling in remembrance of Joe Karwig who died recently. The Willi Haag 2004 Riesling Spatlese, only 8% abv, was a terrific match with the Smoked Durrus Dote and the crackers from Sheridan’s.


Still not quite finished. An espresso cup of Golden Bean Coffee Halambo AA (custom-roasted for The Menu himself) was my finalé while CL went for the Kingfisher Teas Moroccan Mint Green Tea with Honey, a sweet drop indeed. And further sweetness at hand too as plates of Yoann’s Muscadine Truffles made an all too brief appearance.
Beef brisket (O'Mahony's Butcher)
PIETA HOUSE FUNDRAISER
L’Atitude 51, Union Quay, Cork
Thursday, November 18th, 2015

Miso & Saffron Butter, Sourdough Bread

Chicken, Dillisk, Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers

Bare Nekked Harty's Oyster/Harty’s Oyster, Kalak Vodka, Honey, Black Garlic Lime Mayo/
Rye Crisp, Mustard Crème Fraiche, Pickled

Cold-Smoked Loin of Tuna, Ballyhoura Mushrooms, Leaves, Radishes

Beef Brisket, King Oyster Mushroom, Oyster Mushroom, Leek, Radish, Cavelo Nero

Smoked Durrus Dote, Sheridan’s Brown Bread Crackers, Garden Cherries & Black Pepper

Tarte Tatin, Vanilla Ice Cream

Golden Bean Coffee Halambo AA (custom-roasted for The Menu)
Or Kingfisher Teas Moroccan Mint Green Tea, Honey
& Joann’s Muscadines Truffles

WINES DONATED BY
WINES DONATED BY
KARWIG’S Carrigaline, Marcus Gates
LE CAVEAU, Kilkenny, Pascal Rossignol
WINES DIRECT, Mullingar, Fionnuala Harkin
TAYLOR’S PORT Porto Chris Forbes
CLASSIC DRINKS Cork Steve Dwyer

PRODUCE SUPPLIED COURTESY OF …
OYSTERS
Joe Harty, Harty’s Oysters, Gortnadiha Lower, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
HERRING
Kirsti O’Kelly, Silver Darlings, Corbally Road, Limerick
KALAK VODKA
Patrick Shelley www.kalakvodka.com
MUSHROOMS, CEP OIL, CEP VINEGAR
Lucy Deegan & Mark Cribben, Ballyhoura Mushrooms
BEEF
Eoin O’Mahony, O’Mahony’s Butcher, English Market, Cork
COUNTRY BUTTER, CRÈME FRAICHE, YOGHURT
Alan & Valerie Kingston, Glenilen Farm, Drimoleague
SOURDOUGH BREAD
Declan Ryan, Arbutus Bread, Mayfield, Cork
VEGETABLES, LEAVES, HERBS
Derek Hannon, Greenfield Farm, Knockraha, Co Cork
CHICKEN, EGGS
Tom Clancy, Ballycotton Free Range Poultry, Ballycotton, Co Cork
SMOKED TUNA
Sally Barnes, Woodcock Smokery, Castletownshend
CHEESE
Jeffa Gill, Durrus Cheese, Durrus, Sheep’s Head, West Cork
BLACK GARLIC
Bryn Perrin, West Cork Garlic, Enniskeane
SHERIDANS’ BROWN BREAD CHEESE CRACKERS
Jane & Richard Graham-Leigh, Cookies of Character, Dunmanway
ICE CREAM
Marcus Hodder, Yum Gelato, Crosshaven, Co Cork
APPLES
James Scannell, Knockmealagula Orchard, Ovens, Co Cork
COFFEE
Marc Kingston, Golden Bean Coffee Roasters, Ballymaloe
MOROCCAN MINT GREEN TEA
Mico & Colm Hassett, Kingfisher Teas, Co Wexford
PREMIER CATER HIRE / NATIONAL EVENT HIRE CORK