Happy 60th Cork Film Festival!

Happy 60th Cork Film Festival!

Celebrate with Film. And Food!

Chocolat is one of my favourite films and it is featured as part of the "culinary strand" in this year's Cork Film Festival, the 60th edition. This rather special showing will be in the Farmgate and other culinary highlight venues include Ballymaloe and Christchurch.

November 7th:

An (Red Bean Paste)

The opening element of the culinary strand this year will be the Fab Food Trail and will see twelve guests treated to some of the best produce Cork has to offer. An experienced and engaging guide will lead the way on this walking tour as the lucky few sample the finest foods from cheese mongers, fish mongers, butchers, bakers and more.

The event will culminate with a screening in the beautiful Triskel Christchurch of the Japanese film An (Red Bean Paste). An (2015) is directed by Naomi Kawase, and tells the story of a 76 year old woman, Tokue, who responds to an advert for a pastry kiosk. Initially reluctant to hire Tokue, the owner quickly realises he has struck gold when he tastes her beautiful red bean paste (An). Tokue strikes up a bond with a shy school girl, Wakana, who is a regular customer and the three prove to be a unique unit until they are suddenly split apart.

More info here.

November 9th:

Following on from last year’s festival we will see the return of the hugely successful event in the Farmgate Café in Cork’s English Market. This year, the screening is the French classic Chocolat (2000) directed by Lasse Hallstrom. The film sees you drawn into the world of Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk as they open an artisan chocolate shop in a conservative French village.  Starring some of the best known names in the industry including Johnny Depp, Dame Judy Dench, Alfred Molina and Hugh O’Connor (who also has a film in the Festival this year). 

This event is sure to be a treat. The menu will be a Chocolat inspired menu.

More info here.

November 13th:

 An exciting addition to the culinary strand this year will be the inclusion of the Ballymaloe Grainstore event. This unique evening will see guests enjoy a fabulous meal in the classic Ballymaloe House followed by a screening of Some Like It Hot (1959) in the beautifully converted Grainstore. Some Like it Hot is a multi award winning comedy featuring performances from stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. 

Set in 1929, we follow the exploits of Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemon) as they create female identities to evade the Mob, skip town with a travelling band and vie for the affection of Sugar Kane (Monroe). Lose yourself in Wilder’s hilarious masterpiece in the truly exceptional setting of Ballymaloe Grainstore.


Enjoy a meal at Ballymaloe and the film for €65.00
or
Just the film for €10.00

More details here.

Potatoes in Sea-water. The Gender of Crabs. All at SeaFest in Ringaskiddy!

Potatoes in Sea-water!

The Gender of Crabs.

All at SeaFest in Ringaskiddy!

Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery.

Good for soup. Gerard Collier and a Conger eel

Chef and author Rory O’Connell urged his audience to cook their new potatoes in sea-water “for at least once in your life” while BIM’s Young Fishmonger of the Year Gerard Collier told us how to distinguish a female crab from a male, all that and so much more at the very interesting SeaFest at Ringaskiddy over the weekend. I called there Saturday morning and enjoyed the demos (missed Martin Shanahan as he was on in the afternoon) and visited the fish stalls along with quite a few of the other sea related exhibits.

Gerard Collier, a former trawlerman,  of Fisherman's Catch, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, was first up on the splendidly outfitted demo unit in Ringaskiddy and took us through the handling of fish: how to open the various shellfish, how to clean, debone and fillet everything from Grey Mullet to Thornback Ray.

This is one strong creature!

“There are sixty six bones in a salmon,” he said “and getting them out is tedious!” If you come across a Conger Eel by the way, they are “great for soup”. He had a grey mullet to show as well and, referring to its diet, called it “the vegetarian fish”.

He worked his way through the oysters and prawns, a cod and pollock and more and then sent them down, one by one, so the audience could see them close up.

The crabs and lobsters were quite an attraction but he had a warning: “Be careful. Both are very strong!” And how to recognize Lady Crab. Simple - she has a pouch (to carry her young!).

Dublin Bay Prawn, all ready for you!

Ballymaloe's Rory O’Connell was next on-stage and he did two dishes. One was Roast Haddock with Roasted Pepper, Basil and Olive Salsa and the other was Pan-fried Hake with a Bretonne Sauce.

By the way, that Salsa is terrific and will keep for three weeks or more in the fridge. The Bretonne sauce “is easier to make” than Hollandaise.

Cook it well with Rory O'Connell

We all got recipe sheets and loads of tips as well. Rory, as you’ll know from his reputation as a teacher in Ballymaloe and from his TV shows, is a brilliant person to learn from. He has the cooking down to such a fine art (though he has to keep an eye on what’s happening on the pan as much as anyone else) that he always seems to have time to dispense great hints and tips.

• As he roasted some vine-ripened Heritage tomatoes, he urged us to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil all the time, “even frying or grilling”.
• Red and yellow peppers are best for roasting. Roast them until they collapse (then remove the seeds and skin).
• Use boiling water for new potatoes, cold water for old. And try potatoes in seawater, at least once in your life!
• Egg whites freeze perfectly.
• Chervil is great with fish and is surprisingly hardy. Fish love herbs.
• French tarragon is superior to Russian.
  
  

  

  Fish sausages, by Kilmore Quay Seafood

  
  

Soon he was finished and the two dishes looked gorgeous on the big screen. Time then to head to the fish stalls outside where we bought all kinds of fish from all kinds of folks including Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery, Mag Kirwan from Goatsbridge Trout Farm, Anthony Creswell of Ummera (actually bought smoked rashers there!), Kilmore Quay Seafood (where we got fish sausages and more).

There was much more than fish in Ringaskiddy and in linked events around the harbour including Captain Your Own Ship in the Simulator of the National Maritime College, the base for the event. There were SeaFest Science Talks, the BIM Beaufort Scale Hurricane Experience, Marine Recreation and Tourism and more and more.. This festival will “tour” Ireland annually and plans are in hand to bring it to Galway in 2016.

Superb innovative products from IASC

World Rediscovers Irish Whiskey. Dave Broom’s Breakfast-style Whiskey.

World Rediscovers Irish Whiskey

Dave Broom’s Breakfast-style Whiskey.

Whiskey ageing silently in Midleton.

It was a tax dodge that led to one of the great whiskeys!

Leading whiskey (sometimes whisky) authority Dave Broom was talking about Green Spot, the first drop up for tasting during the Roaring Silence - Silent Stills Awaken, the title of a session on the irish whiskey renaissance at Ballymaloe’s LitFest at the weekend.

Because of  a punitive tax on malted barley, the Irish distillers decided to use a portion of unmalted barley in their mix and that style became known as Single Pot Still and is now part of the astonishing revival of the Irish spirit. Dave did take the opportunity to point out that John Jameson was a Scot.

Tomas Clancy (left), Dave Broom and Brian Nation (right)

Quite a bit to go yet though according to Tomas Clancy, another of the speakers on the panel. he would like to see the industry here mirror that of Scotland with a mix of both small and large operators. He pointed out that the Scottish industry is worth three billion while, at present, the Irish weighs in at three hundred million. “Investment here, he said, “is heavy.”

Dave may not always be sure of which time zone he is in but he knows his whiskey and obviously likes the Green Spot: “..stimulating nose (a signature of Irish whiskey and it dangerous drinkability!)...oily, coating the tongue..sweet...fresh acidity….

Brian Nation the enthusiastic Master Distiller at Jameson Ireland explained how the malted/unmalted mix and the triple distilling “imparts a creamy mouthfeel. The style has orchard fruits and sweet spices (from the distillate) and is toasty from the wood.”

He pointed out that maturing in wood casks had been started a long time ago by Mitchell & Sons Wine Merchants in Dublin, still associated with Green Spot. And he also paid tribute to his predecessor in Midleton, Barry Crockett, whose foresight “in laying down stocks” was crucial to the current revival.

Late in the 19th century and in the early part of the 20th, Irish whiskey was the world leader but over the decades lost out in the UK and US markets because of various factors, including prohibition, World War 1, War of Independence, and the Irish Civil War. And the decline continued right through the Second World War with all the American soldiers in Britain being wowed by Scotch.

Boosted by a Royal Commission 1909 finding in its favour, the Scots were benefitting hugely from improved versions of Aeneas Coffey’s 1830 Column Still invention. French born Coffey was an Irish tax inspector but the industry here dismissed his breakthrough invention, to their cost. “We were the masters of the Pot Still,” said Tomas Clancy. “But Irish Whiskey was too good, too early.”

Feeling's Single Malt

Broome, who described Coffey’s invention as “a good piece of kit”, now introduced Teeling Whiskey Single Grain, made from maize. It is matured initially in American oak and is “a great whiskey, creamier and sweet, with banana notes, and a short finish. It is gentle and light, a breakfast style whiskey. Good for cocktails too, very versatile.” 

This weighs in at 46% abv and Dave suggested adding some water. I did and got a good result!

Brian told us that this Single Grain, made with maize and malt, is produced in the column still. “It is a fruity, floral style. Jameson, by the way, is a blend of single grain and Single Pot Still.”

In the 1940’s, people, especially Americans, began to look for lighter whiskeys and Tullamore Distillery deliberately blended for the palate. Now there is, since 2013, a brand new distillery there. It has impressed Dave Broome. “It is an astonishing piece of work - go see it.”

The piece of work we had in front of us at that point was the Tullamore Dew Phoenix. Brian Nation said you have to be innovative to meet demand for styles and brands. “Don't sit on your laurels. Look to innovate and stay ahead of the game.”

On the whiskey itself, Dave remarked that the Single Pot Still comes through. “It has a rich dark character and you also note the effects of the sherry barrels. At 55%, it need water. It is lovely, well balanced, with good characters.”

Tomas Clancy said our ancestors didn't want to waste anything. So the empty barrells from Jerez and Porto and other places were put to use to mature whisky. “Colour was one of the main impacts as the barrels changed a dirty looking spirit into an inviting looking liquid.”

Lots of praise for the “innovative, cheeky Teelings” from Broom as we sampled  their Single Malt. “Keep an eye on them,” he continued. “They are raising the bar”. Clancy agreed:”They are fantaiusci, will get even more so. They are not in it by accident, they have seen where the opportunities are and should have a fascinating future.”

The introduction of our Glendalough 7 year old Single Malt provoked a discussion about the future. The past first though as Tomas said the current 9 to 10 per cent annual growth is down to Midleton. The stills at  Midleton are artisan, don't lose sight of it. Micros are okay but won't be the industry in 20 years time. He remarked too that distilleries need to be encouraged and instanced the fact that one of the bigger new ones had received a half million euro water bill even before they had started operating!

Whiskey making, old and new

Dave encouraged us consumers to celebrate the diversity and encouraged producers to differentiate.. “can't all be Jameson copies.There is craftsmanship at every step, at every level.” Big is not necessarily bad.

Brian Nation said at present Ireland has four per cent of the world market and the plan is to grow that to 12 per cent by 2030. “There is plenty of room for other distillers but we need to see the quality kept up. One bad apple….”

We had earlier met Dave Broom’s breakfast whiskey. Now he introduced us to his desert island tipple, the one he'd grab if the ship was going down, none other than the local Redbreast 12, “a style of whiskey the world has fallen in love with, really well priced.”

Brian explained that the key difference here is the cuts during the distillation. “It is full bodied, robust, lots of flavours. On the nose you have the fruitcake aromas, a contribution from the Oloroso casks. The feel is creamy and there are spices there too and also that dried fruit. For me, this is an exquisite whiskey.”

Dave, who had been totally encouraging all along about Irish Whiskey, rounded it all off by saying the category was “on fire”. “Everyone wants Irish Whiskey!” Sláinte to the panel and to Colm McCan and his volunteers at LifeFest who, year after year, come up with the goods.

See also: Garrett Oliver Talks Beer
Jancis Robinson on Wine's New Wave
Gin. The Garden Spirit

Garrett Oliver Talks Beer. Also Tomatoes, Bread and Pre-Sadness.

Garrett Oliver Talks Beer.

Also Tomatoes, Bread and Pre-Sadness

Garrett Oliver

You need real tomatoes to make tomato sauce.

Garrett Oliver, dapper brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery, started his Ballymaloe talk and tasting, with this line on tomatoes. Soon, he would delve into bread and cheese, fake bread and fake cheese, and later he would go all philosophical or maybe philological as he explained his theory of pre-sadness!

But there was no sadness in the Drinks Theatre during Garrett’s hour on Sunday afternoon. Just lots of laughs and no shortage of good beer either, beer that tastes like beer!  You hear people say, when they taste a craft beer: This is nice, doesn't taste like beer. He had an explanation: “The beer they grew up with didn't taste like real beer!”

Garrett, no mean chef himself, says that “brewing is more like cooking than wine-making”. He went on to give us a bit of background on New York’s diverse food and drink scene; in the late 1800s, you could eat your way around the world in one day there. He revealed that Guinness had a brewery on Long Island in the 1940s that lasted for ten years or so but closed because people preferred Guinness from Ireland.

Back then to the theme of real food and real beer. “It was a different world after prohibition. Better transport, the mass market and advertising led to less choice. The number of breweries in the US went from 4000 to 40, all making much the same beer.”

He highlighted bread as another example. You had fake bread, cheese with yellow colouring. A cheese sandwich consisted of two wraps of “plastic” and a filling of yellow plastic. “Same thing happened with beer.”

Brooklyn Beers

As he introduced the first beer, Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace, he revealed that his first pint of real British Ale “changed my life”. The Sorachi comes in what looks like a champagne bottle but Garrett wasn't having any of it saying Champagne comes in a beer bottle. No arguing with that, dude!

The Sorachi is based upon a Belgian Saison and that “dill like aroma is unusual”. “It is a super dry beer, slightly hazy and you may find yeast at the bottom. It is very nice with oysters, crabs and other shellfish.”

And then he brought up the pre-sadness. You might, for instance have pre-sadness as your enter the last few days of your holidays in an exotic place, still enjoying yourself but knowing the end is nigh. 

The Sorachi was one of their 2009 specials and, like holidays, specials are not meant to last beyond their designated span. So as the Sorachi’s allotted time came to end, the pre-sadness entered their minds even though they were happy drinking it at the same time. So they didn't allow it to end, found excuse after excuse to keep it going and now make it all the time.

Sorachi

Next up was the Hammarby Syndrome, introduced to celebrate their opening of a brewery in Stockholm. It’s brewed from 35% of spelt, an ancient wheat-like grain that was once a mainstay of Scandinavian beers and this gives it a nutty flavour. He recommended it as a food beer, especially with roasts and steaks.

Time for the third beer, the Ghost Bottle Galahad based on their Brooklyn Local No. 1 and made “within the Belgian tradition”. This has been enhanced via the lees from a natural cider fermentation.”It is aged for one year on the lees and has lots of flavour that were not in the original, is cloudy and very dry though it seems sweet.”

Brooklyn is well known for its collaborations. “We were the first brewery to do collaborations but now we were doing it only with friends. Great to bounce around ideas.” We were now sipping his Wild Horse, a stout with quite a kick at 9.4%. He then told us the yeast was the famous, infamous if you’re a winemaker, Brettanomyces, Brett for short.

“Brett was the flavour of stout, back in the day.” You might spot the hay, the farmyard, the horse-sweat. Can't say I did even though the dogs were barking outside in the Ballymaloe farmyard and there were hungry sounds from a bird-nest or two high in the rafters. After all, this Drinks Theatre is in a tractor shed! More on the Wild Horse here.

The journey continued with K Is For Kriek. “This is the least beer-like beer. Kriek is the Belgian tradition of adding fruit. This was food back in the day. This though is a weirdo variation, no Belgian would recognise it as Kriek. We put ten kilos of cherries into each barrel.”

“This was brewed in 2013, spent five months in barrel and overall took one and a half years to make. It is 10.3%. Pair it with duck, goose, foie gras. This is an American interpretation of wheat, illustrates that what we do is something like a chef does when he imports an idea from another country.”

And speaking of ideas, he said nobody ever came up with a great idea over a Diet Coke. “The best ideas need a real drink. They say you live longer if you don't drink. Not really. It just seems longer!” Check the brewery’s notes on the big K here.

ABV has been rising all the time and the final beer packs 13.5%. Hand and Seal is a Barley-wine style, “..nice with Stilton, very strong and sweet, well balanced and will age - for up to forty years!” Once the preserve of nobles, the Brooklyn brewmaster decided it should be for the masses. Read the full story here.

If that was the last of the beers, it was not the last of the session, not with Garrett on the mike. “What we do is creative. This is a renaissance, a recovery from a harmful food system that wiped everything out. Go out and try things. Some of these beers cost less than a coffee.” He must have stayed in the Westbury recently; an Americano cost me €5.40 there last week.

“It is great that you in Ireland now have a burgeoning craft beer movement and your first pint should be from a local brewer. But I would like to be second on the list! As far as I know, you go around once - I’m going to have a good time!”

Dowcha Garrett!

See also:
Jancis Robinson on Wine's New Wave
Gin. The Garden Spirit (with Desmond Payne)
World Rediscovers Irish Whiskey (with Dave Broom)

Riedel A Winner At Ballymaloe. Can’t Beat A Proper Glass.

Riedel A Winner At Ballymaloe

Can’t Beat A Proper Glass.

We are in the Grainstore at Ballymaloe and sampling various wines in glasses made by Riedel, “the Rolls Royce of glassware”, according to our guide John Hinckley, UK based Business Manager with the company. He takes us on quite a drive!

Glassmakers since 1700, things looked grim for Walter Riedel and his family when he returned to Austria in 1955 after imprisonment in Russia. Their home and factories had been confiscated by the  Czechoslovakians.  But help was at hand. The Swarovski family, close friends of the Riedels, offered Walter and his son Claus Josef a new start in Kufstein, where they took over a glassworks and started producing mouth-blown products in 1956.

Later they started work on wine glasses and, in 1973, introduced the hand-made Sommelier range, the first varietal specific glassware. Other ranges have been added in the meantime - they even make one for Coca Cola and John had it with him in Ballymaloe. 

‘Look at the glasses,’ he said. They're so light, yet so well balanced they never rock." But the sceptics were wondering would one variety really do better in one glass than in another. The doubters soon had their answer in their own hands. It is a glass made especially for Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. We had a classic New Zealand Sauvignon poured into this narrow glass with a tallish “chimney”. 

The Framingham 2014 was instantly recognisable, the freshness unreal and “its distinct fresh taste” helped massively by being in this glass, marked B on our card. Then we poured it into glass A, a big bowl of a thing, and that beautiful aroma had vanished, the fruit smells, so strong in B, were marked absent in A. B was built to emphasise the fruit.

But ugly duckling A  would soon have its day! “It may be the least elegant of our glasses but also possibly the most important glass in our repertoire." Soon it was loaded with a 1er Cru from Burgundy, Ladoix’s Les Grecians 2012.

John: “This is the finest example of its kind, the finest mouthfeel, unique, ripe grapes, a serious wine and needs to be treated accordingly. This is the perfect glass for it”. So we sniffed and sipped and were inclined to agree. Then we poured it into B and that made John’s point for him. You just wouldn't recognise it as the same wine! There was quite a rush to return it to A and soon the happy oohs and aahs were heard again.

Then it was the turn of glass C , specifically for Pinot Noir, the glass quite similar, but with a taller chimney than A. “This wine is not for watching TV,” said John, in between sniffs. “You need to concentrate on it with food.”  And glass C will help do just that, get the best from the wine. We poured it into A. Here the aromas were not great, the elegance had more or less vanished and there was an over emphasis on the acidity. So quickly back to C. 

Dinner at Ballymaloe, Beef Cheek on top!

I guess you could say John and Riedel were winning here and that trend continued with glass D and a gorgeous Chateau Milles Rozes (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon) from the upper Medoc. A big wine, big flavours, rich, with tannins. John advised pouring just about 100 ml into the 800 ml glass, the better to appreciate the qualities of the wine. 

And then he brought out his decanters, well two of them. And we were now able to compare the wine poured from the bottle against the sample that had been decanted. In a straw poll, it was agreed that the decanted wine produced even better aromas and flavours.

So now, you have to go out and buy glasses and decanters! And it doesn't stop with still wine glasses. They also make glassware for sparkling wines and for many types of spirits but find it difficult to come up with one for spirits with mixers. And of course we all sampled the Coca Cola glass but not the Nespresso glasses. No, not a misprint. They make two glasses for the coffee.

You may read the whole story at Riedel and see the full range. Glasses are on sale locally at Ballymaloe and at Brown Thomas. And if you didn't make it to the Grainstore, there are a number of Riedel videos on You Tube.

Breakfast at Ballymaloe, with a very local buttery treat!

French Film Fest. Food, Wine and Film at Ballymaloe

French Film Fest.
Food, Wine and Film at Ballymaloe

Natural Resistance

19:00  Fri 06 March, 2015 @ Ballymaloe-Grainstore

Organised by the Alliance Française de Cork, the 26^th Cork French Film Festival showcases the best in current French cinema and is taking place in Cork from March 1 to March 8.

A real treat for lovers of food and wine is the screening of the documentary Natural Resistance, directed by Jonathan Nossiter, which follows a group of Italian winemakers dedicated to resisting the prevalent use of chemicals. 

A former sommelier Nossiter’s Mondovino, a documentary about the globalization of the wine industry, was nominated for the Palme D’Or in Cannes in 2004, one of only three documentaries ever nominated in the history of the festival. Nossiter didn't foresee returning to the topic until last summer when he found himself in Tuscany, seated with Italian winemakers dedicated to resisting the prevalent use of chemicals. Nossiter instinctively turned on his camera and continued to follow these subjects against the sun-kissed backdrop of Italian vineyards. 

The screening of Natural Resistance will be followed by a rustic Italian inspired banquet in the Ballymaloe Grainstore paired with 'natural wines' from the growers featured in the film. The wines will be supplied by Pascal Rossignol from Le Caveau while the film and wines will be introduced by Doug Wregg from Les Caves de Pyrenes. 

Tickets to Natural Resistance and the rustic inspired banquet in the Ballymaloe Grainstore are available on www.corkfrenchfilmfestival.com

Jonathan Nossiter

The Wines
Cork French Film Festival

Wines for showing at the film ‘Natural Resistance’, at The Grainstore at Ballymaloe

Friday 6th March 2015

With Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau, The Specialist Wine Merchant, Kilkenny, Ireland and Doug Wregg of Les Caves des Pyrene, Artington, UK

Bubbly:

Coste Piane Prosecco NV

Casa Coste Piane is a tiny 6-ha, in Santo Stefano, heart of the Valdobbiadene area, owned and run by Loris Follador. For generations their wine had been sold in bulk, but since 1983 they decided to bottle the production themselves. The organically-run vineyards lie on slopes close to the cellar. The vines are on average 60 years old (some are pre-phylloxera!!) and their roots can grow up to 30-40 metres long. This Prosecco is a gem, it is one of the few made in the champenoise method wherein the second fermentation takes place in the bottle.
Harvest is usually between the last week of September and the first week of October.
In April the wine is bottled without the addition of yeast and sugar, subsequently the indigenous yeast contained in the wine starts a second spontaneous fermentation that lasts for approximately four weeks.
After this the wine spends a further four weeks ‘sur lie’. The process of “disgorgement” is not practised, therefore the yeasts are still present in the bottle… any haziness is entirely natural.

This is very Champagne-like, with great purity and frankness; the aromas are of apple, acacia flowers with an interesting mineral twist and subtle yeastiness.

White:

Stefano Bellotti Degli Ulivi ‘Cortese’ Vino Bianco 2013

Cascina Degli Ulivi in the words of owner Stefano Bellotti:

‘We are a farm with 20 ha of vineyards, cereals, animals, B&B and a restaurant using exclusively biodynamic and organic products, mainly coming from our farm.
We have been practising biodynamic agriculture for 30 years now and we consider the soil as a living organism belonging to the cycle of every living thing; we promote soils health and in turn the plants produce excellent fruit. The soil is nourished by green manure using pulses, cruciferous and graminaceous plants with up to 30 different species. Treatment sprays are limited to the use of sulphur and bordeaux mixture in very limited quantity (about 2 Kg of copper per hectare, per year) and, of course, biodynamic preparations. We strive to make wines that are the true expression of the vintage, the terroir and the personality of the person behind them. The grapes are harvested by hand in baskets; pressing is soft and fermentation takes place naturally, without using any oenological additives (yeasts, enzymes, fining agents). Wines ferment in big wooden barrels. We do not carry out any fining; we just lightly filter when bottling. The total sulphur content is low because we don’t add any. The yield per hectare averages 6 tons’

This little natural wine shows clean acacia flowers, hints of beeswax and mint. Mouth filling aromas of fresh white fruit, honey, with pronounced citrusy character. Very clean, neat flavours ending with crisp grip. Lovely wine

Will go with food like salads, seafood, fish, poultry and pork

Red:

Elena Pantaleoni La Stoppa Trebbiolo Rosso 2012

Barbera 60% Bonarda 40%

Elena Pantaleoni owns this wonderful 50-ha organically-tended estate where wild herbs grow freely between the rows and no chemical fertilizers, weed killers or pesticides are ever applied.

Trebbiolo Rosso is a natural wine matured in stainless steel tanks. The nose is fresh with cherry and red berries mingling with wilder notes. Lively and juicy, the palate bursts with sweet/sour morello cherries and hints of spices. In all, it is a lovely, fresh, lively and fruit-driven wine which is best enjoyed with food.

‘La Stoppa seem to delight in doing the unexpected: whites that aren’t white, that age and reds for drinking young. This is the first vintage of the Trebbiolo (named after a local river) that isn’t frizzante  although there is certainly a little bit of residual CO2.

Wild, earthy, yeastiness on the nose, incongruously like fresh vanilla pod with its earthy sweet-leathery notes.  Aromas of small berries, blackberries, myrtille. Dryish on palate, which  is meaty, earthy, spicy. Youthful and vibrant with a slight fizz on the tongue.

Cries out for a big plate of charcuterie and cheese and some top class air-dried hams.

  

Orange:

Orange wines, or amber wines as they are often called are actually white wines produced more like reds – with prolonged contact with the grape skins, resulting in a deeper colour from the pigments found in grape skins. Rather than being orange, they are actually more a deep amber or tawny colour and on the palate possess the texture, body and tannins of red wines with the fruit and minerality of white wines

Giulio Armani Dinavolino 2012

25% each of Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Marsanne, Ortrugo, and an as-yet unidentified variety from the lower slopes of the vineyard

Giulio Armani is the winemaker at La Stoppa (Emilia Romagna). This wine comes from his own  biodynamically tended vineyards. Having reached perfect ripeness, the grapes are hand-harvested and left to macerate with their skins for 7 to 10 weeks, giving the wine wonderful complexity, structure, little tannins and its light orange colour.

Neither filtered nor fined, the slightly cloudy appearance leads to a floral nose with apple, orange flowers, orange skins and pear hints. The palate is richly layered and intense, with gorgeous apple and honeyed flavour wrapped in impeccable acidity and minerality.

Great with most foods salads, fish, white meat & most cheeses

For afterwards, we will have two little organic Sicilians Ciello rosso and bianco -Inexpensive, but beautifully made and full of authenticity!

Cantine Rallo, Ciello Bianco ‘Catarratto’ Terre Siciliane IGP

Made from organic grapes, fragrant and crisp, Ciello Bianco Catarratto is amazingly fresh and vibrant, delicate flavours of white fruit, hints of peach and lemon zest mid palate and soft notes of marzipan on its bright finish.

Cantine Rallo, Ciello Rosso ‘Nero d’Avola’ Terre Siciliane IGP

Made from organic grapes Ciello Rosso Nero d’Avola has freshness and energy, dark red colour, hints of black plum, coffee and chocolate on the nose, pleasant spiciness in the mouth with smooth dark fruit flavours

The dynamic Vesco family took over the winery 10 years ago and have since revolutionised the viticultural practices and invested heavily in cutting edge technology for the winery and bottling line. Their hundred hectares of organic vineyards are located high up in the hills above Alcamo.
The wines are all certified organic and planted on south-east facing slopes on sandy soils 150 – 300m above sea level. The climate is clearly suited for producing the best quality grapes.
The vineyards in three main sites: Alcamo for Catarratto and Nero d’Avola; Marsala for Grillo and Pantelleria for the Zibbibo which that produces their delightful Passito di Pantelleria. The grapes tend to be picked earlier in the year than many of their neighbours which produces their customary bright, fresh style of wine.

The results are evident in the fragrant, crisp Catarratto and perfumed, fresh Nero d’Avola. These wines are a million miles from the overripe styles made by many of their peers. Night harvesting and modern temperature controlled fermentations result in bright, fresh, modern wines.

Fragrant and crisp, Ciello Bianco Catarratto is amazingly fresh and vibrant, delicate flavours of white fruit, hints of peach and lemon zest mid palate and soft notes of marzipan on its bright finish.