Showing posts with label Campo Viejo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Campo Viejo. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Campo Viejo. Still and Sparkling

Campo Viejo. Still and Sparkling
Tempranillo

Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2008, 13.5%, €14.31 Widely available.

Campo Viejo is the "dependable" Rioja. Even in Spain, according to our guide on a recent Tapas Trail. And not just in Spain. It is in the No. 1 Rioja position worldwide. And one can see why, or at least taste why, in this bottle. The wine has been aged for 18 months in French and American oak and a further 18 months aging in the bottle.

Colour is a clean and bright ruby and it has inviting red fruit aromas. You’ll find rounded fruit flavours and spice notes on the palate. Really well balanced with little or no sign of tannins and it has a lovely long finish. Made mainly from Tempranillo (85%), it is added to our Very Highly Recommended list.


Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva, 11.5%, €15.38, O’Brien’s nationwide http://www.obrienswine.ie .

Cava is usually associated with the Catalunya region of Spain and indeed the vast majority of this traditionally made sparkling wine is made there. But it is also produced in quite a few other regions such as Aragon, Navarra, and La Rioja. The usual grapes in the blend, and in this wine, are Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.

Take a look at this in the glass and you see a clean greenish yellow colour, bright and with no shortage of rising bubbles. There are white fruit aromas which I've seen described as complex but I didn't find anything very intense. White fruits too on the palate and a terrific balancing acidity. Fresh for sure and with an excellent dry finish. A good value Cava, made by the Metodo Tradicional, and Highly Recommended.

They also produce a Rosé Brut, made with 100% Trepat.


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Tapas, Musica, Vino in the City

Tapas, Musica, Vino in the City
Last Sunday, we joined the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail in Cork and soon we saw why this now annual event has enjoyed such remarkable success, the events sold out (and with long waiting lists) in both Cork and Dublin. First you have the wine, the Campo Viejo 2008 Reserva, also specially commissioned art in each venue, then you have the excellent food at the restaurants and invariably good company and a guide, like our Paul, who pulls it all together with good grace and good humour.

Sunday’s “gang” (there is also a Wednesday trail) joined up at the remarkable Arthur Maynes Wine Bar in the city and the ice was broken with a welcome glass of cava by Campo Viejo. Paul introduced himself and soon each of us had a glass of the Reserva in hand.

Then came the tapas, a selection of three: bruschettas and dips, a lovely chorizo stew and a very popular dish of rustic patatas. This set the pattern for our first three visits; the fourth would be for dessert. There are four groups on the trail, each starting and finishing at a different restaurant. Had we finished at Arthur Maynes, we would have been been treated to Lemon Posset and Fresh Strawberries.
Great platter at Oysters
There were a few on- street stops as well, not for food but for a little local history from our guide. Perhaps his most interesting story was that of Cork born Dr James Miranda Barry. She was born Margaret Ann Bulkley, at the end of the 18th century, before going on to have a remarkable career as a male doctor with the British army. An amazing story. Check the Wikipedia version here.

A big welcome awaited us at Oysters and a classy platter of Savoury Tapas. Loved those pickled fennel and carrot but perhaps the highlights were the Sea Trout (with dill mayonnaise), the spicy Crab, and the American Style Meatloaf. Another group would enjoy their dessert menu: Cafe Gourmand and three miniatures of Chocolate Fondant, Champagne Sorbet and "Flambe" Pineapple.

Paul then illustrated the rise and rise of street art, reminding us that the original artists were fined for their efforts and now they are being paid. How times change. Soon we were in Electric and their three tapas were Tre Arancini Formaggi, Panko Crab Cakes and Moroccan Lamb Meatballs.

Arthur Maynes (left) and Electric
Paul had some vocal competition in Cornmarket Street but got his story told and then there was a musical welcome (by Treble Clef) at the Cornstore where Mags O’Connor greeted us and showed us to our seats and our deserts of Chocolate Negusse, Lemon Roulade and Vanilla & White Chocolate Cheesecake. Had we started here, we would have enjoyed Vietnamese Beef Brochette, Wild Mushroom Risotto Beignet, Smoked Mackerel Feuillett.

The wine throughout was the Campo Viejo Reserva, mainly Tempranillo but with some Graciano and Mazuelo in the blend. Smooth and fruity and with a long finish, and also very versatile as we discovered at the various venues on Sunday, it is widely available in all the major supermarkets, O’Brien’s (where it is currently on offer) and off licences nationwide. RRP is €14.31.

The art on this year’s trail is by renowned illustrator Steve Simpson. His stunning piece, evocative of the sun and the colours of Spain, is in four quadrants and each restaurant had one quadrant and the titles were Musica, Hola, Fiesta and Tapas. See the full art story and read more about the Tapas trails here.

Sweet things at the Cornstore



Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Top restaurant posts 2013

Top restaurant posts 2013
Aubergine & Roast Pepper Parcels at Chapel Steps

For the second year running, Bandon's Chapel Steps tops the restaurant charts. This year's post didn't score quite as high as the 2012 review but still, thanks to the many fans of this lovely restaurant, came out ahead. Good performances too from newcomers like Brendan Cashman's Gallo & Galettii in Wilton, Finn's Table in Kinsale, and the Greenroom at Sage in Midleton. Electric is tops in city centre, Cafe Gusto is leading cafe while the Sultan is best ethnic.

Top Drinks Posts
Kinsale's Black Pig Wine Bar is the place to go for a glass of wine (and a meal), the newcomer quickly establishing itself at the head of affairs. This was the Year of the WineGeese and great to see the visit of Cullen Wines to Cafe Paradiso featuring as does the series' opening night at L'Atitude 51. The rise of craft beer is underlined by the popularity of the post on the Cotton Ball, Cork's newest micro-brewery; this post, just up a week or two, is gathering in the hits even as I write.

Most popular restaurant posts
1
Speciality Nights at Bandon's Chapel Steps
2
Brendan is back
3
Electric. Easy to Book. Hard to Leave.
4
Magic at Myrtleville
5
Al Fresco dining at the Titanic Bar and Grill in Cobh
6
Old Friend's at Finn's Table
7
The Sultan of Penrose Wharf
8
Tapas in the Greenroom
9
Grazie Cafe Gusto

Most popular drinks posts
1
The Black Pig Wine Bar in Kinsale
2
On the tapas trail with Campo Viejo
3
Cullen Wines at Cafe Paradiso
4
Wine Geese Heading Home
5
Happy New Beer at the Cotton Ball
6
My Curious Case

Monday, May 13, 2013

On The Tapas Trail. Cork and Dublin.


On The Tapas Trail
Hit the Cork Tapas Trail with Rioja wine-maker Campo Viejo last Sunday and it was a good one. Four restaurants were visited over the course of a leisurely two and half hours, tapas galore were consumed and no shortage of their 2007 Reserva either!


This is the first year that the trails are being held in Cork. The Cornstore, Arthur Mayne, Oysters and Electric are the participating restaurants. Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons are the days and it is great value at twenty euro. The Cork trails run from now until June 5th (with June 2nd excluded) while the Dublin dates, again Wednesdays and Sundays, are from June 9th until July 17th.  More info here.

Paul
There were four groups on last Sunday's Cork trail. Ours started in the Cornstore with a glass of Campo Viejo Cava and a selection of gorgeous tapas with the Jack McCarthy Pudding and Queen Scallop my favourite though I got through them all including that luxurious flourless chocolate cake at the end. By the way, did you know that the Cornstore are now dry aging their own beef with Himalayan salt and that means their steaks are extra special at the moment.

Cornstore: Baby Octopus (nearest)
and Black Pudding & Queen Scallop.
Our guide was Paul and he told us a few yarns about the city as we strolled between the various restaurants. Next call was to Arthur Mayne Chemist in Pembroke Street. Not now a chemist, though many interesting artefacts remain on view, but a wine bar cum cafe. 

Got some tasty stuff here too, including a meat and cheese platter and a lovely treat on the way out, a sinful mouthful of their Mint Aero Chocolate Mousse. Didn't realise they had such an extensive menu here. Must call again.



Then we got a big welcome from Donal and his crew in Oysters and a lovely selection of their food on a board. Highlight? Hard to pick one. The swordfish was superb but then so too was the Butternut, Squash and Sage Risotto, the Duck Parfait and the....  Much of this board also features on their €35.00 table de hote menu, available nightly until 7.00pm. And one that I can highly recommend!
 


Then it was up the Mall to Electric, our final stop on the trail. Here Jason filled us in on their short hectic history and on their most recent development, the lovely fish bar upstairs. Treats here included a Crab Mousse and a very special Polenta and Wild Garlic Mini-muffin (below). No shortage of the Campo Viejo red either as an interesting afternoon came to a pleasant end by the banks of the Lee.