Sunday Lunch at Ballymaloe House is one to experience time and again

Sunday Lunch at Ballymaloe House is one to experience time and again. 

Sweet Spots!

Amuse

“This is not cheap food, it is food that has been loved and cared for by knowledgeable producers.  We think that it is Ireland's best.” Myrtle Allen. 

Sunday’s lunch in Ballymaloe House showed how well loved the local food produce is by the kitchen staff and by us, the customers. The food on the plate speaks for itself. It is indeed all on plates (no flowerpots), no nitro show, no foams, no coloured dots.

Beetroot starter

Still, the food here is very well presented. It looks appetising. And it is. That is soon confirmed. The experience - and even without the dots, the flowerpots, the nitro and the foams - this is quite the experience, aided in no small way by the culture of calm courtesy and quiet efficiency of the reception and serving staff.

So we are seated in one of the high-ceilinged rooms, not the only such room in use on the day. We have ordered. Soon, our server is back with an offering of delicious cheese croquettes (not mentioned on the menu!) which we enjoy while we wait for our starters.

Fritto Misto

And that’s when it began to get serious, seriously enjoyable. For this is a comfortable experience (not just the chair) - you won’t be left wondering what you have on your plate, nothing is deconstructed here.

My starter is Sesame Crusted Fritto Misto di Mare with Roast Garlic Aioli and Parsley oil while CL has the Ruby Beetroot Fritters with Preserved Lemon Salsa and Farm Yogurt. 

Cod

The fish (soft and white) on my plate are squid and ray wing, the aioli and oil a key part of a deftly crusted dish that you don’t come across everyday, really really excellent. And as is often the case it is the little things on the plate that can make the difference, that Salsa and Yogurt lifting the local beetroot to a different level.

Lamb

Other starters available included Cannellini Bean & Chorizo Broth; Spinach Gnocchi with Roast Cherry Tomatoes; and Pâté Maison.

Virtually everything is local here, much of it ultra-local as it comes from their own walled garden and farm. 

Dessert!

They don’t have their own wine but they are trying! There is a quite a list presented to us and we pick the delicious Picpoul de Pinet, Château Petit Roubié,  one of the house whites, at €8.50 a glass or €30.00 a bottle, and one that we know and love from the Mary Pawle portfolio.While this list is quite large, there is also the fuller list, one that you may need to start studying before you travel! 

I did notice quite a few local drinks on the house drinks list, including their own gin, beers from the Cotton Ball and Blacks of Kinsale. As the designated driver, I was very happy to see the Stonewell Non Alcoholic available (€5.00 a bottle), one of the best of its type in the country and one that I enjoyed again.

Time now for the main event and soon CL was tucking into the Pan-seared Ballycotton Cod and Scallop with Bretonne Sauce and Braised Florence Fennel. A superb piece of well cooked fish, well teamed with the fennel and the Bretonne. Perfection on the plate.

I was every bit as pleased with the Roast East Cork Leg of Lamb with salsa verde and crushed Swede Turnips. Another highlight, again not mentioned on the menu, was the redcurrant jelly (that came in the most attractive spouted mini serving boat) and the jelly made the already toothsome lamb even more so. Our main courses were served with Scallion champ along with seasonal Roast Carrots and Parsnips.

Other choices on the day were Clancy’s free-range chicken with Tarragon stuffing, Kilmacahill Beef Cheeks Braised with shallots and Marsala jus, and Gently spiced aubergine, St Tola Cheese. 

Ballymaloe in January 2022

Over the decades, Ballymaloe has become loved for its ultra tempting Sweet Trolley, a tradition within the tradition of the house hospitality. Between us, we came close to getting a little bit of everything including individual Blackberry and Apple tarts, Raspberry Compote (perhaps my favourite), a power-packed Tiramisu, and other melt-in-the-mouth treats.

And still we weren’t finished. Ballymaloe Fudge, more melt-in-the-mouth, was served with Golden Bean Coffee (roasted just across the road that runs between the old house and Grainstore). Tea lovers had the pick of Herb Tea or Barry’s Tea.

A little “ramble”, past a few busy dining rooms, took us to the desk to pay up and, as is often the case here, another friendly chat. Never a rush in Ballymaloe House. After all, you are made to feel “at home” in this comfortable place with its engaging staff and magnificent food.

A Treviso Pinot Grigio Stands Out. As Does Our Delicious Saint Chinian Red

A Treviso Pinot Grigio Stands Out. 

 

As Does Our Delicious Saint Chinian Red 

GIOL Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (DOC) 2020, 12.5%

RRP: €13.90-€14  Stockists: Urru, Bandon/ The Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny/ Taste, Castletownbere / The Olive Branch, Clonakilty, The Quay Co-Op, Cork and Mary Pawle

This Pinot Grigio from the Treviso based winery has a straw (even a hint of copper) colour, darker than most. Aromas of ripe peach and apricot plus dry hay, are delicate yet promising. Flavour and texture make an immediate impressive impact on the palate. The flavours follow the aromas right through to a refreshing lip-smacking finish. A crisp and balanced Pinot Grigio that stands out from the crowd and Highly Recommended.

Back to the texture. The wine is kept on the fine lees and has more contact with the skin than usual. You’ll note the words “Skin ferment” on the front label. It is akin to an orange wine, also known as skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine, or amber wine, and is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed, as in typical white wine production, and stay in contact with the juice for days or even months.

You’ll also see the word “ramato” on the label. According to Decanter (Oct 2019), Ramato is for the wine lover who wants more from their Pinot Grigio. “When Pinot Grigio grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to spend time with the juice, a teasing, tactile texture and coppery hue results in a distinct wine style called ramato. It comes from the word ‘rame’ which means ‘copper’ in Italian.”

The vineyard say it is excellent with vegetable hors d’oeuvres, soups and starters, grilled fish with sauces, Parma ham and melon, and soufflés. Serving temperature: 10-12° C. 

They say: For nearly 600 years, our winery has placed an emphasis on nature, quality and beauty. Our family’s long experience is apparent in our esteemed wines. Since 1987, we have been producing wine from grapes grown in our historic vineyards using organic farming methods, respecting both the environment and the raw ingredient. 

* We’ve recently reviewed another of GIOL wines on the site, a Cabernet Sauvignon, here . 

Chateau Bousquette Pruneyrac St Chinian (2017), 14%

€17.75. Quay Co-Op, Cork/  Scally’s Supervalu, Clonakilty/ Morton’s of Galway / The Grainey, Scarriff, Co. Clare., Mary Pawle

This organic wine has an intense red robe, close to purple. Aromas are expressive, spice, pepper, wild berries and the local garrigue. Believe it or not, I stayed once in a gite near Narbonne (about half an hour away from St Chinian) and the owner was Madame Garrigue.

Madame and myself got on quite well, very well indeed, and this is how my relationship with this wine is going. The palate ups it another notch, dense and silky, tannins smooth as can be. Flavours are delicious, red and darker fruits at its centre and sweet notes of spice in the long finish. Very Highly Recommended. Great price too by the way.

Pruneyrac is from Saint-Chinian, an appellation in the large southern France region of Languedoc-Roussillon. It is made from two local grape varieties: Mourvèdre (predominately) and Grenache noir. This cuvée takes the name of an ancient family from the region who made wine here at the beginning of the previous century as evidenced by old bottles found in the cellars.

The current winemakers suggest this wine will be perfect with a leg of lamb with prunes. Serve at 17 degrees and, if you wish, keep for about 5 years.

Also in wine:

Château la Claymore is a 33 hectare estate owned by the Dubard family, located in Lussac-Saint-Émilion, one of the best Saint-Émilion satellite appellations. The property craft good value Merlot-based wines. 

O'Briens have this reduced from €29.95 to €16.95 (while stocks last or until end of January.)

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February 14th Valentines Day is soon approaching and Wines of the World have a celebrity mix of white, rose and red wines- 2 bottles of each- 6 bottles in total delivered right to your door and we recommend the perfect cheese to pair with each wine!  Get all the details of this Valentine's Virtual Tasting here.

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Jean Smullen (right) tells us, via her ever popular Wine Diary, that New Zealand Wine have been reviewing what to do regarding the Dublin Annual Trade Tasting on the 7th March. It is a difficult decision as hoped to go ahead with Covid precautions in place, but the safety and well-being of visitors, exhibitors and staff is paramount. They also want to ensure the tasting a success for everyone involved and are concerned that attendance could be affected given the current infection rates, which would not do the event justice given your investment in it. Having looked at the Irish trade diary, they have decided to postpone to the event to Monday 9th May 2022. The Radisson Blu Hotel venue remains unchanged.

Highly Recommended Wines from Puglia and Bordeaux.

Highly Recommended Wines from Puglia and Bordeaux.

Amastoula Aglianico Puglia (IGP) 2017, 14%, Mary Pawle

Manning’s Emporium, Ballylickey; Mortons of Galway; The Connemara Hamper. at approx €17.50

This organic wine from the south of Italy has a deep red colour. It has intense aromas, peppery and toasty with vanilla. And you’ll find all those and more on the warm palate plus red fruit flavours (cherry, plum), juicy, with firm tannins, and there is a persistent finish. Highly Recommended

Aged for 24 months in oak barrels, it goes well with red meats, baked or grilled, game and aged cheeses. Other suggestions: rabbit, chicken with paprika sauce, barbecued lamb.

Aglianico is prominent in the vineyards of Italy’s warm south. Haven’t heard of it? Don’t worry. The Italian vineyards are among the most diverse in the world and hundreds of varieties have been “authorised” for planting and selling as wine, according to Vino Italiano.

Wine_Searcher.com says Aglianico is known to produce full-bodied red wines that show musky berry flavours with firm tannins and good ageing potential. “Even when grown in hot climates, Aglianico is capable of retaining high levels of acidity, which makes it a particularly useful vine in the Mediterranean.”

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Le Blanc Bonhomme” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, new to Mary Pawle List.

The Vintry in Dublin and Mannings Ballylickey RRP approx. €25-€27. You'll also spot it in a few restaurants.

I like Bordeaux whites and like them even better if there’s plenty of Semillon in the blend and that is the case here, it is fifty/fifty with Sauvignon Blanc. The classic Bordeaux white will contain at least 25 percent Sauvignon Blanc, to ensure a certain aromatic freshness. For a richer style, a higher proportion of Semillon is used. Muscadelle is the third possible grape in the blend but many Bordeaux whites do not include it.

By the way, if you are ever in the Graves area of Bordeaux, make your way to the small town of Podensac and its Maison des Vins de Graves. With about 200 wines from the area sold at château prices, the vinothèque offers wine lovers a chance to taste red and white AOC Graves and Pessac-Léognan, and the Crus Classés of Graves. There are daily tastings (not of all 200!) but enough to try out a few white blends for sure. You may also take in the Lillet Distillery in the town where the famous drink has been crafted since 1872.

A light gold is the colour of this biodynamic wine. Aromas of moderate intensity feature floral and citrus notes. The flavours are fronted by a ripe citrus flush, a rich progress on the palate, excellent mouthfeel too. Persistent fruity finish too, drier towards the finalé. Well made (it has been 40% barrel fermented), well balanced, delicious and Highly Recommended. 

Well done again to Guillaume Hubert and his team here. The suggested food pairings are Foie gras ravioli, marinated trout, cooked cheeses.

If you’re among the many Irish that have holidayed in or near Royan, then you’ve probably come across the wines of Blaye on sale in markets and so on on that side of the Gironde estuary. Blaye has a gentle rolling pastoral landscape while neighbouring Bourg is more hilly.

The vineyard has been biodynamic since 2000, pruning is double guyot, spontaneous winter grassing, tillage in spring. Treatments combining Bordeaux mixture in small quantities with herbal teas such as horsetail and nettle are used. 

A Distinctive Rhone Double by Mas Théo

A Distinctive Rhone Double by Mas Théo

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Mas Théo “Griffon” Grignan-les-Adhémar (AOP) 2014, 14%

€22.95 Taste in Castletownbere; Manning’s Emporium, Ballylickey; The Little Green Grocer in Kilkenny; Mary Pawle.

This is a Rhone GSM, with the emphasis very much on the Syrah, with its forward flavour and boldness, and which accounts for 90% of the blend while Grenache has 7%, leaving three for the Mourvedre.

The nose of this dark ruby wine is rich, ripe red fruits and a whiff of spice. The aromatic power continues into the flavours on the palate and the spice is not shy either. Complex and robust, full bodied with soft tannins, it is balanced. Harmonious to the long finish with notes of vanilla. Quite a mouthful. Two thirds of the wine has spent 12 months in barrels. This outstanding combination of strong character and smoothness is Very Highly Recommended.

The label tells us that the best serving temperature is 16 degrees (you’ll also see 14 mentioned elsewhere on their social media) and suggests matching with match with lamb tagine, mushroom tournedos, lamb puff pastry, game (deer, venison), buffalo with foie gras sauce, boar stew…

You, like me, may be wondering about the name of the wine. Griffon, for me, is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion that you often see on religious buildings. There is also a breed of dog, the most popular of which seems to be the Brussels Griffon. But the griffon on our bottle is of a humbler origin, merely “a tool used to work the land to eliminate weeds but also to aerate and invigorate the life of the soil”.

Mas Théo is located in the north of the southern Rhone, quite close to the town of Montelimar (the nougat capital of France) and here they grow typical Rhone grapes. 

Les Caves Cathedrales, huge cavernous caves that were formerly used for quarrying stone, now contain the Mas Théo winery. Pic via Mary Pawle Wines

Mas Théo Gemeaux Vin de France 2017, 13.0%

€18.50 Taste in Castletownbere; Manning’s Emporium, Ballylickey; The Little Green Grocer in Kilkenny; Mary Pawle.

This “delicious and crunchy” wine is a blend of Carignan (60%) and Mourvedre (40), is organic and biodynamic. Recommended serving temperature is 12%.

It has a dark red colour and you’ll find dark berries  and hints of the garrigue (local scrubland) in the aromas. It’s nice and smooth on the palate, has excellent acidity, is medium to full bodied, tannins are smooth and there’s a good finish. Highly Recommended.

Planted among fields of lavender and thyme or olive groves, on land long famous for its truffles, the vines in Mas Théo soak up the scents and aromas distilled by the generous sun of the Drôme provençale.

Pairing suggestions, obviously from the French side, are snails with parsley, ostrich fillet with morel sauce, couscous with lamb, lamb pie, and steak with Roquefort cheese.

Staying local, it should go well with duck, roast pork shoulder and the upcoming turkey, also Gouda style cheese (Ballinrostig, Coolea and Hegarty’s Templegall). And Steak with Cashel Blue, pourquoi pas?

A Couple Of Youthful Reds From The Rhone and The Veneto

A Couple Of Youthful Reds From The Rhone and The Veneto

Mas Theo Le P’tit Gaby (Vin de France) 2019, 13.0%,

€14.65,  Taste Food & Wine Shop in Castletownbere, Mary Pawle

This blend from the area of Drome (about 20 minutes east of the Rhone river) consists of 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 20% Carignan and it is organic and biodynamic.

Colour is a mid to dark red. Aromas are rather concentrated, a melange of floral and fruity (blackcurrant), herbal notes too. And there’s a double barrelled palate, fresh and forward fruit (nothing jammy about this) and high level spice, the aromatics still a factor. This very drinkable Rhone wine impresses all the way to the lip-licking finish..

While the fruit is grown and the wine is made in the Rhone, it is labelled Vin du France, but don’t let that put you off! Very Highly Recommended.

While the Rhone in general may have its problems - this year’s big freeze for example - Mas Theo has one of its own. They’ve named it Operation electric fence.  “The presence of the wolf in our woods has been officially confirmed which also resulted in this predator decreasing the wild boar population. We would have thought we were quiet for grapes but there are finally some resilient ones who are in the industry and enjoying the sweetness of our clusters.” 

Tips from the source: This is a good wine to consume in its youth, which helps to highlight its fruity and slightly spicy notes. P’tit Gaby was the nickname of Laurent Clapier’s great grandfather : Gabriel Théolas.

Match with: grill on the barbecue, aperitif with tapenade, gambas a la plancha …

Service temperature: 10°C.

*Mas, by the way, simple means farmhouse. You’ll see it in Provence (Mas de la Dame was a favourite of mine on one visit to the area) and also at the other side of the Pyrenees (Mas Igneus, for example, is a Mary Pawle supplier in Priorat).

Giol Cabernet Sauvignon Veneto IGT 2019, 12.5%, 

€13.70 Taste Food & Wine Shop in Castletownbere, Mary Pawle

This organic (and vegan friendly) Cabernet Sauvignon blanc from the north east of Italy is a deep ruby colour. The aromas are fresh and fruity with a herb-y hint. The palate is quite intense, flavours of cherry and red and darker berries, harmonious start to finish. It is a youthful Cabernet Sauvignon and quite a pleasant easy-drinking wine that has no added sulphites. Highly Recommended.

They say: Our grape must and wines are pure grape juice; they are not tampered with in any way but are shown respect and allowed to mature naturally. In addition to the organoleptic quality of the flavours and aromas, we also guarantee food quality: digestibility, hygiene and freshness. Our products are as genuine and honest as our know-how and experience makes possible….  For nearly 600 years, our winery has placed an emphasis on nature, quality and beauty. Our family’s long experience is apparent in our esteemed wines.”

Pairings: haute-cuisine meat dishes, charcoal-grilled meats, red and white roast meats, fancy poultry and game, mature cheeses like medium-mature and mature Piave, and medium-fat semi-hard cheeses. Serve at around 20° C to heighten the aromas and flavours.

A superb double from the Douro including a stunning White Half Dry Port .

A superb double from the Douro including a stunning White Half Dry Port. 

Casal Dos Jordōes Porto White Half Dry, 19%, 

€26.00 Limited availability. Manning's Emporium Ballylickey; Mary Pawle

Another treasure of the Douro!

This wine represents the Jordão family tradition of generous wines of quality. “All our vineyards are located in the river Torto valley with the rigorous selection of the best grape varieties of the Douro region to create excellent wines. The predominant varieties are the Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio (Verdelho) and Côdega do Larinho.”

White port is made from white grapes, such as those above. You’ll find it in a variety of styles from dry to very sweet. You’ll see a lot of sweet white port with tonic water in glasses in the Port wine area. You can also find white port with a crisp dry finish and my favourite in this style, introduced in 1934 (the port, not me!), is Taylor’s Chip Dry.

And this is a new favourite! I had noted the recommendation to mix it with tonic but once I tasted it neat, I postponed that option, indefinitely! The pleasure on the palate is just so immense - you need nothing else at all. With its golden robe, its intense and complex aromas of dried fruit, all of which follow through to the palate, I knew I had found a magnificent and unusual wine that I would be so glad to hang around with. And that feeling was confirmed immediately by my coconspirator. Very Highly Recommended.

Casal dos Jordões has been in business since 1870, always in possession of the Jordões family. But for a long time, they sold their wine in bulk. Then, in 1994, they started bottling their own and went on to become leaders in organic port production. And our white is a terrific example of their craft.

Casal Dos Jordōes Grande Reserva Douro (DOC) 2011, 14%

€23.00 New to the portfolio; queries to Mary Pawle

This full-bodied dark-ruby wine comes from the hot and dry Douro region of Portugal and is made from much the same grapes as port. Intense ripe fruit aromas, including a touch of fig, some toasty touches too. No shortage of those fruit flavours in the slightly sweet spicy palate. It is voluminous, round, with a beautiful structure and a persistent finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca are the grapes featured, all organic and grown on shale soil (from the same family as schist). Interestingly, both hands and feet are used in the transition. Picking is manual and the grapes are then crushed by foot in the lagar (a large stone trough). They say the technique permits great extraction of colour and long tannins.

Pairings recommended are tapas, grilled meat (especially lamb), grilled veg, strong casseroles. By the way, there is a possibility of some natural sediment, so decant if you wish. I did, but didn’t notice any sediment at all.

Loving the natural balance of these sparkling wines. Cava and Pét-Nat, from where the birds sing. #equilibrinatural

Loving the natural balance of these sparkling wines. Cava and Pét-Nat, from where the birds sing. #equilibrinatural

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Entre Vinyes Funàmbul Brut Nature Reserva 2017,  11.5%, 

€23.50 approx. Manning’s, Ballylickey; Mary Pawle

Fresh and dry, this elegant Cava is one for your shortlist; elegant yes, but full of energy and flavour (apricot and apple) and with amazing balance, all with a mineral note lingering on to the end. The mousse is creamy and smooth. New to the Mary Pawle portfolio, this is pleasure to drink and Very Highly Recommended.

Three varieties,  Xarel·lo, Macabeu and Parellada varieties, are in the blend. The wine has been aged for 24 months. It has been produced by Maria Barrena ( she also makes the Pet-Nat below). She is one of the trio at Azul y Garanza in Navarra (whose wines we feature regularly). They each have a personal project as well and Maria found here in Catalunya, the lure of recuperating Pep’s old vineyards drawing her to the Baix Penedès.

With an average age of 60 years, these vineyards are in the natural environment of Foix, surrounded by oak and pine forest, under a dry climate and on a porous soil (which swallows the water) and limestone, very poor and shallow, with hardly any organic matter. The great biodiversity present creates a unique ecosystem that naturally regulates the balance of the vineyard. Here, working in an artisanal way, Maria has produced some terrific wines including this Cava. #equilibrinatural

Cava info (via https://www.cava.wine/es/)

If Cava differs from most sparkling wines in something, it is in the production method. The years and technological advances have made it possible to improve processes, but what has remained unchanged is the essence of caring for the vineyard and quality viticulture in addition to the so-called traditional method, which provides Cava with its main characteristics and one of its secrets of his excellence.

Also called champenoise - due to its French origin - the traditional method is distinguished by carrying out the second fermentation in the bottle, unlike most sparkling wines in the world that use other methods

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Entre Vinyes Oníric Pét-Nat 2020, 11.5%, 

RRP €16.60. Regular stockists include Ardkeen Foodstore, Waterford/ Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny/ The Vintry, Dublin/ Toon’s Bridge, Dublin & Cork/ The Connemara Hamper, Clifden/ Mortons of Galway/ URRU, Bandon/  Lettercollum Kitchen, Clonakilty/ Organico, Bantry/ Mannings, Ballylickey/ Bridge St, Kenmare/ Taste, Castletownbere; Cheese Press Ennistymon / Mary Pawle.

The Parc Natural Del Foix, mentioned in the Cava story above, is also the source of this pétillant and is also made by Maria Barrena. Not everyone is familiar with the term Pét-Nat. So what is this Pét-Nat wine they are all talking about? It is an abbreviation for pétillant naturel, the French term that roughly means naturally sparkling.

Is it then a copy of champagne? Not so. It is the other way around if anything, as Pét-Nat has been around longer. Pét-Nat is bottled while still undergoing its first round of fermentation. The French call this process “methode ancestral” and you may see that on some labels.

You may see “bottle fermented,” or the Italian “col fondo,” (more or less a  pét-nat Prosecco). The crown cap and a little bit of sediment are other clues!

The method is pretty widespread across the wine world. Most are fun and good with food, especially lighter dishes. Uncomplicated, authentic and quite diverse, Pét-Nat puts the sparkle on your dinner table or even picnic spread. It is bubbles without the hefty price tag.

Oníric in Catalan translates as dreamer and Entre Vinyes is a personal project of Maria Barrena (Azul y Garanza in Navarra), the aim being to rescue old forgotten vineyards and restore a balanced ecosystem. This 60-year vineyard, surrounded by a rich biodiversity, is in the Baix Penedes region (in Catalonia) close to the Med. The grapes for the pét-nat are Xarel-lo (mostly) and Muscat.

Colour is a cloudy yellow/lemon. On pouring, you create a large white “head” but it won’t hang about. This is easy drinking, approachable and refreshing, with good depth and length. And of course, it has that pleasant sparkly tingle. White fruit flavours and just enough acidity to balance, make it harmonious all the way to the lip-smacking finish. A wine for sun and fun. Highly Recommended.