Thinking of visiting Dublin as it opens up? 36 Hours in the Capital. A Hotel with Pawsonality! On Spuds and Stroganoff. Wine & Whiskey.

Thinking of visiting Dublin as it opens up?
36 Hours in the Capital. A Hotel with Pawsonality!

On Spuds and Stroganoff. Wine & Whiskey.

Oscar Wilde, on his own little mont

It is just after lunchtime when we arrive at Heuston Station on a short visit to Dublin (in March last). First we have to get rid of the suitcase and so we hop on the Luas and then walk over to the Mont Hotel to check in. 

The first person, well not a person, we see is Monty the resident dog, a very calm and sociable French Bulldog. This is a dog friendly hotel and four of the 96 rooms are set up for you and your four-legged friend. The bad news is that they don’t allow big dogs!

The Mont Hotel

Monty

The 2019 hotel, part of the O’Callaghan group (they two other hotels in close proximity, the Davenport and the Alex), is quite central: Merrion Square Park (2 minutes), The National Gallery of Ireland (5); Grafton Street (10). Our room wasn’t the biggest but was well equipped and very comfortable. 

The bar has quite a bit of craft beer in bottle, a corner for dining, and three big screens if you want to catch the football. They also have an Italian themed menu in the restaurant (where you also have your breakfast - no Full Irish though as the buffet doesn’t have any pudding, black or white).

Braised Lamb Boxty Dumplings

After sampling some of the wines at the Liberty Portfolio tasting,  later that afternoon, we headed out to Temple Bar for dinner. Our choice was the Boxty House. Just as well we had a reservation as it was very busy on a Monday night. 

It is all about the humble spud here and only here will you find the original and authentic Boxty wrap.They serve the 3 types of Boxty found in the border counties of Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh.

My main course, a very flavoursome one indeed, was the Braised Lamb Boxty Dumplings. Delicious tender spiced lamb, marinated with chilli, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic and ginger, sautéed with Boxty Dumplings and served with cooling Tzatziki Sauce.

Portions are large enough here as we found out with our other mains: the Corned Beef Boxty (tender slow-cooked Corned Beef with Sautéed Cabbage and Kale in a parsley sauce in a Boxty Pancake). Terrific flavour on the plate as well.

Lunch at the Kemp Sisters IMMA

Believe it or not, they also do Boxty Crisps and you can taste those with the Mushroom and Chickpea Pate served with a sweet onion chutney and those crisps. 

The Boxty Crostini Trio starter gives you a great idea of what you are in for. Here, they serve three pieces of Toasted Boxty Loaf with different toppings: Irish Brie and Red Onion, Smoked Salmon and Chive Sour Cream and St Tola Goats Cheese with Tomato Sauce. I enjoyed that very much indeed.

And don’t miss out on their own Jack Smyth beers, brewed locally. You can try all four on a tasting tray for a tenner. I choose a pint of the IPA, all the beers are on draught, and enjoyed it very much with the dinner. Excellent friendly service here.

James McKenna's 'Ferdia at the Ford'

Following a visit to Kilmainham Gaol  on the following morning, we headed back to the Kemp Sisters café in the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The sisters are well-known for their colourful flavoursome dishes and we enjoyed a couple here in the large basement restaurant. 

My pick was a pepper, onion and brie Quiche with two salads, one apple and beetroot, the other couscous based and that boosted the energy levels for the short walk to the nearby Roe Distillery. And a shot or two of whiskey powered the longer walk back to College Green and then on to The Mont and Monty.

Something different that night with a visit to Olesya’s Wine Bar and Bistro in Exchequer Street. Some 400 wines on the list here so quite a bit of reading. Many are available by the glass with a  choice of sizes, the smaller at 100ml, the large 190ml. So we tried and enjoyed a few.

The wines come from all over the world and, with Olesya originally from Russia, there are a few Russian dishes on the menu. Naturally enough, I picked a couple! A couple of excellent ones, I might add.

Solyanka Soup

Stroganoff

One was the delicious Solyanka Soup. This rich soup came in a large bowl with a variety of very finely shredded smoked meats, ham, and sausages, also olives, a slice of lemon and a dollop of creme fraiche. And a generous amount of delicious bread, nicely heated. Great stuff on a cold and windy night on the streets of Dublin. Eating and drinking in it!

I must admit I didn’t realise that Stroganoff is a dish of Russian origin but here they insist it is. In any event, their Classic Beef Stroganoff version is superb. Back to the Sin Bin, the bar at The Mont, for a bottle of Porterhouse Pale Ale.

The following day, we strolled up to the adjacent park to see Oscar Wilde, before heading off to Heuston to catch the mid-morning train to Cork.

For the latest on the Mont Hotel's reopening, please click here .

Also on this trip:

Kilmainham Gaol

Hands On Fun during Roe and Co Whiskey Tour

Some Previous Dublin visits

• Little Museum of Dublin https://www.corkbilly.com/2019/01/the-little-museum-of-dublin.html
• Summer Days in Dublin https://www.corkbilly.com/2015/07/summer-days-in-dublin-capital-food-and.html
• Silk Road Café and the Chester Beatty https://www.corkbilly.com/2019/01/eastern-flavours-and-culture-at-silk.html
• Pearse Lyons Distillery https://www.corkbilly.com/2019/01/pearse-lyons-whiskey-lifts-liberties.html
• 44 Hours in Dublin including Wax Museum, National Museum of Archaeology, https://www.corkbilly.com/2014/03/44-hours-in-dublin.html

Les Frères Bréchet are busy in the Southern Rhone. Making wine in Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and now Rasteau.

Les Frères Bréchet are busy in the Southern Rhone.

Making wine in Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and now Rasteau.

Chateauneuf

The Bréchet brothers, from the Southern Rhone, were the presenters of the latest in the  Zoom series of Liberty Wine masterclasses. Laurent works in Châteauneuf du Pape (Château de Vaudieu, the family flagship) while Julien may be found in Gigondas (Domaine des Bosquets). Liberty MD David Gleave introduced the siblings saying they each had a top estate in their respective appellations, both primarily growing Grenache. “So Gigondas or Chateauneuf, which is better? That’s today’s question.”

But the Bréchets were not to be drawn on that one! Indeed when David asked which wine they’d be having for lunch the reply, a nifty sidestep, was “We love Burgundy!” 

Laurent (left) and Julien

Towards the end, in the Question and Answer session, they were asked which was their favourite from the other brother. No hesitation from Julian: The Cuvée “Val de Dieu” from 2016. It has an extraordinary balance, a wine I would like every day". Laurent opted for Julian’s Le Lieu Dit 2017: The right expression of grenache, even more than the ’16”. So there you are, two good tips for you!

Q: Which region, aside from the Rhone, is best for Grenache?

A: Laurent picked Espana (Priorat) and California. Julien: “The same. But we are in a good place here!”.

Flowering in progress

Another questioner pointed to the tendency of Grenache to be high in alcohol. What other variety would you use to keep the abv down? Cinsault makes a very fine wine and with an abv 1.5% less than Grenache it could be the answer.

The men were sitting in Gigondas for the presentation  and reported that the growing season was going okay, a good period in flowering, the key to make good things. As it stands, all goes well, we’re happy, not late or anything, we are smiling!

Château de Vaudieu

Laurent said he was harvesting earlier and earlier, “Not just because of rising temperatures but to keep acidity. We might lose a little colour but we want to make a wine with personality. The soil, different to Gigondas, makes a difference.” And then he smiled: “as does the winemaker”. Julien said he was helped by being able to harvest a little earlier as compared to Chateauneuf. “Perfect maturity is an aim, we are always seeking the balance. Gigondas tends to have more freshness, while you get more maturity at C-d-P.”

Julian: “When I was younger I used oak but wines were not as expressive as I wanted”. Now he uses big old vats as he doesn’t want to put too much between the consumer and the expression of the terroir. Laurent wants to emphasise the elegance of the wine, so he makes wine with precision and attention to detail.

Domaine des Bosquets

Julien is now in organic conversion and that leads to lower yields and he’s happy with that as, with higher yields, you “can lose the personality". Laurent seeks the happy medium saying that “less is not always better.”

David Gleave asked Julien why he had chosen organic. Julien: “In order to be honest, you have to be clean. The best way to express the terroir is to go organic. Bosquets is a small estate, so not hard to convert. We are also a more isolated vineyard and the neighbours are organic as well. Clean grapes need less intervention in my mind, a good way to be.”

Laurent is not organic but sustainable. “We try to spray the  minimum. No herbicides, reduced sulphites and we limit production.”

And then there’s the style of wine. Julien has learned his terroir. “It's like a mosaic of terroirs, very different, different exposures, different altitude (from 180m to 400m). Each plot must be considered on its own merits.” Fourteen different plots have been designated and are each matured separately. “Blending is now more precise and better”. Indeed, so precise, that in 2019, only four of the 14 were considered good enough to be used. You do hear Julien using “No compromise” quite often.

Laurent said that while the traditional style is still loved by some customers that “we now like to have more elegance, more acidity, better balance. That’s what people like to drink now. If wine is too big, you might start the bottle but not finish. With harmony and acidity, you can enjoy it fully.”

“We are not against tradition,” said Julien. “We are improving on it by being more precise. No compromise in the process and the wine will not be just good, it will be better.”

Laurent is excited about a new project in the Rasteau appellation: “When I saw the plot, I said we’ll make something nice here. The idea is not to go too rich, to go more easy-drinking. It is a small plot, easier to control. We have a good team there and using old oak from the existing vineyard.”

And if you like the Rasteau Vin Deux Naturel (red, white and rancio), as one participant does, then rest assured. “It is still being made in the appellation and we want to restart it in our plot. We work on that. It will take time.” Laurent himself was quite excited about the ambré version of the VDN.

Les frères Bréchet are busy boys.

Rasteau

Links to Previous masterclasses in this current series:

Biodynamic winemaking with Austria's Fred Loimer

With Giovanni Manetti in Fontodi Chianti Classico

In the Swartland with Charles and Charl. The Spice Route and Fairview.

Chilean Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes

The Day The Vines Died in Alto Piemonte with Luca de Marchi
Matt Thompson's Blank Canvas in Marlborough

Portuguese Grape Varieties with Antonio Braga

A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking with Zoric Gharabian

Barolo 2016 with Franco Massolino and Giuseppe Vajra

Biodynamic Californian Winemaker Ted Lemon of Littorai

Charles Heidsieck is "freshened up" by Cyril Brun

Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat Details Climate Change Challenges.

Jane Eyre. Winemaker in Burgundy and Australia.

Nino Pieropan fondly remembered in son Andrea’s Masterclass

Behind the scenes at El Bulli with the men behind the versatile wins of Gallina de Piel

Behind the scenes at El Bulli with the men behind the versatile wins of Gallina de Piel

Behind the scenes at El Bulli with the men 

behind the versatile wines of Gallina de Piel

David, in Dublin last year.

David Seijas and Ferran Centelles both worked as sommeliers at the world-renowned El Bulli. Liberty MD Davie Gleave introduced the pair at the latest online masterclass.  “We have been working with David for the last year, since we started distributing his wines, Gallina del Piel. David and Ferran will be talking about their El Bulli experience, talking wine lists, food and wine pairing, service, and working with a team of sommeliers. David will also talk about the transition from sommelier to winemaker. His wines from Gallina de Piel are made with the aim to create a versatile selection from Spain’s gastronomic northern regions; Catalonia, Aragon and Galicia. It should make for a very interesting discussion”.

The pair met at El Bulli and David remembers his first day. “I was 19 years old and the first thing I was told was there were 55 different types of glass here. And that first day was spent learning about how to correctly use those 55 glasses. It was crazy!”

Ferran

Ferran, like David a sommelier in the famous restaurant, also had some amazing figures, like the two million applications annually for seats. With the restaurant closing for six months every year, it meant only 8,000 of those applications would be successful!

The wine list ran to over 1,600 bottles with Burgundy, Bordeaux, sparkling and Spanish wines highlighted. “It was a friendly place not a very formal service, but the wine menu was classic”.

Ferran continued: "There were over 10,000 bottles a year consumed, about 1.5 bottles per person per visit. There were 40/50 preparations (dishes) on the menu. David: ”With all those dishes, the pace was fast, kept up over 4.5 to 5 hours”.

Ferran again: “We tried to slow the drinking, to make people relax and not to drink too quickly. It was part of our job to encourage them to take it step by step. We had to pay attention, it was intense. ” And he revealed that the very best bottles weren’t opened with the food. “They were opened after the coffee, when people were relaxed, not in a rush.”

While some 65% of the wines chosen at El Bulli were based on the recommendations of the somms (four on duty per day), the duo admitted that food pairing wasn’t a strong point there, especially with the huge number of “courses” flying out from the kitchen.

They developed an electronic wine menu “quite cool and revolutionary for its time”. It was very quick and very easy to use and people could choose online from it.

All the info and stats from one year was studied and became a guide for the following year. You can see from the chart they shared that white wines was most popular with 30% and both men were disappointed that Sherry could only manage 5%. Ferran: “We don’t see why Sherry is not more appreciated.”

David said the El Bulli experience, with 6 months open, 6 months closed, "was like having two different lives in one year". “Fifteen hours working per day and then the time off at a different pace entirely.” “A time to do research,” according to Ferran.

And that research continued when El Bulli closed for good in 2011. David built up his wine experience by travelling all around Spain, checking vineyards, varieties, talking to the people on the ground; other activities included teaching on the subject and writing wine books.

“Now, I’m bottling what I learned from all the people I’ve met over the last ten years.” Understanding the menu is part of that, the tapas culture in Spain, the fact that the same place can have fish and meat and more on the menu. So he sought to make wines that are “dynamic” and “versatile”, wines that work across the menu. "All the chefs from El Bulli now have their own restaurants and I wanted to sell to them.”

Both agreed that El Bulli may have been the best restaurant in the world but was probably the worst for pairings. “We weren’t good at that,” said Ferran.  David added it was very difficult to pair in such a varied menu though there were some outstanding matchings. And so wine and food pairing became an obsession with them.

The Gallina pyramid

It was at El Bulli that David learned that you need a versatile wine and he found inspiration in the work of Jennie Cho Lee MW and founder of the Asian Palate. She emphasises “versatility and drinkability”.

So David’s wines are made to “respect the cuisine, respect the gastronomy, repect the food”. All this is important. “Freshness and fruit-driven is important, always with local grapes.” And he is now working on single vineyard wines, the top of his personal pyramid. The red will be from very old Carignan, the white from a local grape in Tenerife, both will be very limited in supply.

Gallina de Piel Mimetic Calatayud (DO)  is his “entry level" red which, like the white, I have absolutely enjoyed and recommend.

It’s a bright juicy Garnacha (98%) - David is a major fan of this grape - with an engaging freshness. Colour is a mid to a dark ruby. Dark fruits with a touch of herb (marjoram), feature in the aromas. First thing I noticed on the palate is the balance, no extremes in this graph, and that perfect harmony continues between the delicious fruit flavour and acidity. A touch of spice adds interest through to the lengthy finish. Elegant and fresh, this is Very Highly Recommended.

Gallina de Piel, `Ikigall` Penedès (DO) 2018 is the white.

Eye-catching labels.

Mid straw is the colour. Fragrant for sure, floral and citrus (lime). Immediately you note that tingly feel at the tip of your tongue, a feel that soon spreads, right through to crisp finish. Citrus flavours are subtly influential in this fresh and rather elegant white. Highly Recommended.

Xarel-lo is a light-skinned grape from Catalonia, northeastern Spain, and is one of the region's most widely planted varieties. It is perhaps best known for its role in sparkling Cava. The other grapes included here are Malvasia (10%) and Muscat of Alexandria (5%).

Now I have to start climbing his pyramid!

After a very informative and often humourous presentation, the Q&A at the end was necessarily brief. There was a question about how different varieties may deal with climate change and in the answer Ferran called Tempranillo “a stupid grape”! “Garnacha is a very clever plant, can adapt to temperatures, knows how to deal with high temperatures, and shuts down. But Tempranillo stays working, a stupid grape! Garnacha is more for the future.”

These very experienced guys enjoy their wine. For sure. And you can too by climbing that pyramid! Take it from me that even the first steps are very rewarding indeed. 

Previous masterclasses in this current series:

Biodynamic winemaking with Austria's Fred Loimer

With Giovanni Manetti in Fontodi Chianti Classico

In the Swartland with Charles and Charl. The Spice Route and Fairview.

Chilean Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes

The Day The Vines Died in Alto Piemonte with Luca de Marchi
Matt Thompson's Blank Canvas in Marlborough

Portuguese Grape Varieties with Antonio Braga

A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking with Zoric Gharabian

Barolo 2016 with Franco Massolino and Giuseppe Vajra

Biodynamic Californian Winemaker Ted Lemon of Littorai

Charles Heidsieck is "freshened up" by Cyril Brun

Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat Details Climate Change Challenges.

Jane Eyre. Winemaker in Burgundy and Australia.

Nino Pieropan fondly remembered in son Andrea’s Masterclass

Biodynamic Winemaking with Austria’s Fred Loimer. Kerosene aromas, fertility symbol, compost tea. And more.

Biodynamic Winemaking with Austria’s Fred Loimer

Kerosene aromas, fertility symbol, compost tea. And more.

Fred Loimer

“Cow manure is the best you can find for composting.”  

Cows and their role in composting have been getting the thumbs-up recently from winemakers across the globe.  Endorsements by Aurelio Montez (Chile) and Giovanni Manetti (Chianti Classico) were followed up this Thursday as you can see by our opening line from Fred Loimer (Austria).

The Loimer winery is based in the Kamptal region of Austria and it is biodynamic and that was what Liberty Wines asked Fred to talk about in the latest of the series of online masterclasses by Liberty suppliers. 

Fred: “Kamptal soil is mainly sandstone. Area is steep and here we grow mainly Riesling.” South of Vienna they own a vineyard in the Gumpoldskirchen, an area with a historic reputation for high quality wines. Limestone features here in an area “very different to Kamptal.” In the south, they grow Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and indigenous varieties Zierfandler and Rotgipfler.

One of Fred's opening slides was of Van Gogh’s The Sower at Sunset, to emphasise the Loimer connection with biodynamic farming, a connection that began in 2005. They and other farmers didn’t know too much about it so they formed a learning group and met monthly in the early years before forming a Respekt Group. Having the “Respekt-BIODYN” mark on their labels now endorses the wines as biodynamic (and at a higher standard than the EU regulations).

“The main biodynamic principle for me is ‘farm individuality’, how farming was over 1000s of years. Use resources you find in your place, not to buy everything, but to find on the farm what you need to produce. For instance, we make our own compost and we buy very little. Second, you cannot separate plants and animals, nature works in a holistic way, together they have composted over the years to create the soil we have today.”

Biodiversity is another essential plank. “Monoculture is a big problem today. It is necessary to create as much biodiversity as possible. Not one hundred per cent vineyard but always bushes, trees and grassland over the whole area.”

“Herbicide is a disaster. There is life in our soil. Always something going on, even in a small square, something like 60,000 lives in there, all doing something. We cover our soils, green cover, blooming cover. Our own compost is getting better and we spread it in the autumn and we also make compost tea out of it for spraying. Stinging nettles (they’re everywhere) and other herbs are also used for spraying teas.”

“Cow horns, many people don’t believe. You can’t really measure the impact of these preparations but you can see the difference. There is for sure an impact and cow manure is the best you can find for composting.”

Horn of Plenty

And Fred warned, with a picture of the cockerel, that you must be on alert in the vineyard, know when the rain is coming, the frost and so on. “You have to react quickly to changing conditions.”

In the vineyard work, they use their hands, a lot. Pruning, for instance, is by hand and it is “soft” pruning, meaning that the wound is kept small. Big wounds can lead to big damage. Canopy management too is key as it can have a big impact on the health of the grapes at the end.

And the harvest is also by hand, again for healthy fruit, then careful all the way in small baskets to the press-house. Good fruit allows them to be more flexible in the press-house where low-impact machines are used.

Downstairs the Loimers have an amazing 19th century cave, “a very good atmosphere for wine.” Fred uses stainless steel and values it but when more age and complexity is required, oak is hard to beat. He also said that clay (buried in the ground) is used. “We have just two, don’t think we’ll get more but it is very interesting.”

He took us through the “hierarchy”. In Kamptal: regional, village and crus and also mentioned their “different and interesting Achtung series”. “We also do sparkling (Sekt). Kamptal is the best place in Austria to do it!" They are fresh with a lowish ABV. And he tipped us off to be on the lookout for their 2014 Blanc de Blancs, due to be released in about 6 months.

Soft pruning

Some interesting queries in the Q&A towards the end.

Q: Is there much checking on the Bio regulations?

A: Yes there is a company doing annual checks by appointment and they can also occasionally drop in without an appointment. Everything you do requires paperwork. They ask for it and then go out and check to confirm. Sometimes, they take away samples for testing in case you’re using chemicals. “Yes, it is quite strict.”

Compost "cooking"

Q: Where does the kerosene aroma of Riesling come from?

A: “It is in the grape’s genetics, some years more, some less. When the petrol aromas are not too much, it is fine but, when dominating it can get too much. The balanced growth that biodynamics seeks may help. Ultra Violet light may be a factor so canopy management, where the fruit is left in half-shadow, helps get fresher aromas and not so much petrol.”

Cheeky

Q: Is that label a fertility symbol? 

A: Fred smiled as did most of us who know the well-endowed male figure (right) on the label - he’d probably pair well with our Síle na Gig. He told us how the label came about and that it was indeed a fertility symbol originating in Indonesia about two thousand years go, “a strong symbol you recognise and remember”.

Liberty MD David Gleave brought the Zoom event to a close with a big thank you to Fred and praised his attention to detail saying “it shows us why the wines are so good”.

Previous masterclasses in this current series:

With Giovanni Manetti in Fontodi Chianti Classico

Jane Eyre. Winemaker in Burgundy and Australia.

Nino Pieropan fondly remembered in son Andrea’s Masterclass

In the Swartland with Charles and Charl. The Spice Route and Fairview.

Chilean Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes

The Day The Vines Died in Alto Piemonte with Luca de Marchi
Matt Thompson's Blank Canvas in Marlborough

Portuguese Grape Varieties with Antonio Braga

A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking with Zoric Gharabian

Barolo 2016 with Franco Massolino and Giuseppe Vajra

Biodynamic Californian Winemaker Ted Lemon of Littorai

Charles Heidsieck is "freshened up" by Cyril Brun

Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat Details Climate Change Challenges.