Top Co-ops Come Up With Little Beauties

Top Co-ops Come Up With Little Beauties

Once upon a time, the word cooperative was frowned on by wine importers. But, in recent decades, many coops have favoured quality over quantity. Importers, such as Kilkenny's Le Caveau, have long been among those who go off the beaten track in search out the good stuff. Below, we have two very good ones indeed.

Labastide “Terrane” Terres du Tarn (IGP) 2017, 12%,

€13.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny 

Located in the heart of the historic Gaillac vineyards, the Cave de Labastide was founded in 1949. Today it is the oldest cellar of the Gaillac appellation. It is made up of about a hundred cooperative winegrowers with an area of around 1,000 hectares of vines.

Colour is mid to dark ruby. Lovely red fruit on nose and on the palate. It is hard to fault this one. Much smoother than expected, slight spice, well made everyday easy-drinking wine. I’d say many a lunch in the area has been polished off with a carafe of this one, obviously an excellent house wine (yet another one!) on the Le Caveau list. Highly Recommended.

You may be wondering about the little known grape varieties that have been used here: it is a blend of indigenous varieties Braucoul (Fer Servadou) and Duras. The former contributes perfumed blackcurrant fruit while the Duras is peppery and structured.

So, enjoy it with your lunch or dinner or just a simple honest baguette with some fresh cheese on the side. Should go well too with charcuterie. Also as an aperitif though perhaps chill it a little if the summer is good!

Madregale Terre di Chetti Bianco (IGP) 2018, 12% abv, €11.95 at NeighbourFood Cork

Also at 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny 

Spritzer with Chambord

This white wine is obtained from a blend of Chardonnay (the dominant partner according to the label) and Trebbiano, the grapes cultivated within the municipality of Tollo in Chetti (a province of the Italian region of Abruzzo). I have long been a fan of this Le Caveau “house wine” and of its companion red. Watch out for it as restaurants reopen, along at the stockists above. Highly Recommended. And well-priced too!

Colour is a clear light gold. Moderately intense aromas with a citrus touch. Fresh and lively on the palate, with an unexpected smoothness. Good acidity too and that helps it match with the suggested light seafood or pasta dishes like spaghetti with clams. But it may also be appreciated as an aperitif.

It was hardly out of the NeighbourFood delivery box when I was pressing it into use as part of a spritzer where its minor companions in the glass were Chambord (the black raspberry liquor from the Loire Valley), ice (lots of it) and soda water.  Quite a pleasant opener to the evening and might well have been more appreciated had I presented it a few days earlier when the temperatures were about 50% higher than they are this breezy evening (June 6th, 2020).

Madregale is produced, using organic principles, by the award-winning Cantina Tollo, one of the biggest and best co-operative wineries in the Abruzzo region, covering 3,200 ha owned by 800 farmers.

Taste of the Week. Ballymaloe Elderflower Cordial

Taste of the Week

Elderflower Cordial

If you’re taking advantage of your county, the new travel limit for the phase of Covid19, you’re going to see a lot of elderflower blossom as you make your way from Youghal to Allihies.

Anyway, if you pick some of these white flowers you can make yourself some Elderflower cordial. But, if you don’t feel like making the long trip (could be a seven hour haul or thereabouts if you take the coastal route!), don’t worry as the folks at Ballymaloe Cookery School have done all the hard work for you, probably starting with a local forage.

You can get a bottle of their delicious cordial on Neighbourfood. I reckon it is one of the very best around and is Taste of the Week here. Check it out for yourself - well worth it.

How about using it to make this delicoous spritzer. Two parts of your favourite sparkling wine, one part of the cordial, and two parts ot sparkling water. A big part of sun would be a bonus!

Ballymaloe Cookery School 

Taste of the Week. Hederman's Hot Smoked Chilli Salmon

Taste of the Week.
Hederman's Hot Smoked Chilli Salmon

Dinner...

Great to see Frank Hederman listed among the local producers now available on Neighbourfood, a marvellous service which has been a godsend to both customers and producers, especially over the last few months, and their delivery service has been a bonus for the likes of myself in the cocoon.

So the minute, I saw the famous smoked salmon on offer, we ordered his Hot Smoked Chilli Salmon fillet. Just by coincidence, as we prepared the dinner, Frank engaged us in a Twitter conversation and suggested using it in a salad with new potatoes. 

Never one to turn down a tip from the horse's mouth, we went along with that and enjoyed a marvellous Taste of the Week, with enough left over for a breakfast that made the taste buds sit up and take notice a little earlier than usual.

Check out NeighbourFood and check out Mr Hederman!

and enough left over for breakfast!

Taste of the Week. Mini Quiche from On The Pigs Back

Taste of the Week
Mini Quiche from On The Pigs Back

Must say, our current Taste of the Week is a beauty: Chorizo, Sweet Potato, Tomato & Emmental Mini Quiche. Made by the folks at On the Pigs Back and delivered via the marvellous NeighbourFood system.The quiches, you get two for six euro, are absolutely exquisite. Make sure you get some. Use for lunch or as the base for dinner. Either way you're on a winner. Just because there's a crisis doesn't mean you miss out on the good things, not with the likes of On the Pigs Back and NeighbourFood on your team.

On the Pigs Back Mini Quiche
Douglas
Cork

Taste of the Week. Baked Jerusalem Bagels

Taste of the Week

Baked Jerusalem Bagels

Bread and Roses produce these ultra delicious flavourful baked Jerusalem bagels. They are made with milk and topped with pomegranate molasses and sesame seeds. They freeze perfectly and defrost quickly.

While bagels have a Jewish origin, there are many styles, many doughs, many toppings. The most common bagels are used like buns or rolls, for various fillings.

Jerusalem Bagels are different, used for dipping in yogurts or labneh, with hummus or baba ghanoush. I didn’t have any of those handy on the morning so just slathered it with Leamlara honey and the combo was superb. A cool Taste of the Week from Bread and Roses. Tip: give them (the bagels, not the bakers) a few seconds in the microwave and then enjoy the superb aromas before getting down to business.

Q: Where did they get the roses bit?

A: They decided to call their small bakery ‘bread & roses’ in honour of Rose Schneiderman, an American socialist, feminist and one of the most prominent women labour union leaders of the 20th Century. 

Their sourdoughs and other baked products are available on NeighbourFood and at the Coal Quay Market in Cork City centre on Saturday mornings (when the markets are reopened!) 

And don’t forget, they gift their sourdough starter to you.

Bread and Roses 

Taste of the Week. Hungry Crow Amazeballs

Taste of the Week

Hungry Crow Amazeballs

Niamh O’Reilly of Hungry Crow has quite a range of tempting chocolates. They are absent just one ingredient: guilt! Their ‘Free from’ policy helped them win the 2016 Listowel Food Fair ‘Best Emerging Artisan Food Product’.

And their Free From raw and vegan treats taste every bit as good as they look. Niamh makes her own nut butter and fruit is a very important ingredient.  Hungry Crow produce has no refined sugars, grains or dairy.

Their chocolates now have an extra outlet on NeighbourFood and the Amazeballs are our Taste of the Month. The original are Salted Caramel and here’s the story: "These are amazeballs, Auntie Niamh," declared the maker's 6 year old niece when she bit into one for the first time. They have only 4 ingredients - chocolate, dates, sea salt, vanilla.

And the Freshly Squeezed Amazeballs are just as tasty. Here, Niamh combined dates soaked in freshly squeezed organic orange juice and zest with 85% cacao Colombian chocolate and created another set of irresistible Amazeballs. 

Hungry Crow 

15 Beechwood

Clonakilty

Co. Cork

Mobile: 087 950 4868

Elbow Lane Brewers Have the Wisdom

Elbow Lane Brewers Have the Wisdom

Didn’t quite expect it when I started this Irish session, didn’t expect that I’d end up proclaiming the Cork City ale as my favourite of the bunch.

I’ve been drinking it from time to time in the Market Lane restaurants, most recently in Goldie, their fish and ale spot across from the mothership and indeed just across from the micro brewery as well. And it always goes well with food. Enjoyed it without the food this time just as much and probably took a bit more notice of its quality without the grub.

All the beers here, with the exception of the Elbow Lane, came from Bradley’s. I bought the Wisdom via Neighbourfood but Bradley’s have the Elbow beers available as well. As you may know, they are all named after lanes in Cork City.

By the way the White Hag Lager is excellent as is the Black’s Mosaic. The other two, if you’re open to experiment, as I was, are worth a try. You just might just find a favourite there!

The White Hag Helles Style Lager, 4.5%, 440ml can

Light gold is the colour, a host of bubbles rising. Very pleasant in the mouth, easy drinking and well balanced to the finish. Light and refreshing they say. Light and refreshing it is.

The Helles style originated in Bavaria (Germany) apparently and this is one of the best Irish efforts that I’ve tasted.

Sligo based White Hag are a modern independent craft brewery from Sligo, on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. “We brew innovative and ground breaking beers, inspired by ancient and classic styles.” They produce quite a range of beers, most of them in can.

Blacks Brewery Mosaic IPA, 6.5%, 330ml bottle

This little bottle from Blacks showcases the Mosaic hops, giving the beer an American style (I suppose any beer with blueberry muffin aromas has to have US influences!). The hops, with its tropical aromas and juicy palate, is the main man here. This, in its small bottle, is well balanced though and another excellent and loveable brew from Kinsale.

They say: A West Coast Style IPA, packed full of tropical aromas, juicy big flavours and absolutely no nonsense. The malt character also shines through with freshly baked pastry and a whiff of blueberry muffin lingering in the background. On the palate, medium in body with a soft texture, mouthwatering acidity and a balance of bitter and sweet flavours.

Stone Barrel (brewed by their Third Barrel Brewing) Cabin Fever Enigma IPA, 7%, 44cl on can (but it’s a 33!).

“Long time friends and brewers, Stone Barrel Brewing and Third Circle Brewing, decided to combine their experience, resources, love for brewing and absolute passion for beer and create one of Ireland's most cutting edge breweries.” 

Tropical fruits and white grapes (they say) in the aromas; I’m thinking there’s something  "ferment-y" in the background too, like a sourdough starter. Maybe there is too much Enigma hops here as the brewers say. Not bad at all on the palate and a good hoppy finish as well. It is well balanced and the higher alcohol is hardly noticeable.

They say: Brewed with a lovely blend of Irish base malt, oats and wheat with a strong focus on the dry-hop hops. Big tropical and white grape aromas balanced with a slightly sweet finish.

Larkin’s Quadditch 10.5%, 440ml can

Quadditch is the Larkins’ take on a classic Belgian quad. “With whole plums added to the mix, a deep, rich beer, with complex dark fruit notes, awaits you. A warming beer”. Hop varieties used are Hersbrucker and EKG.

A cloudy muddy brown. Aromas more or less anonymous. This hulk of a beer comes into its own on the palate, deep and rich with fruit flavours, pretty complex for sure. A touch of sweetness is present and the high alcohol is just about noticeable. Probably best with food and recommendations for the Belgian equivalent are Roasted Duck, Aged Gouda and Bread Pudding. Tried it with creamy Gubbeen cheese - needs must. The pairing's not too bad but not a must-do either (though I never refuse a chance to eat the iconic Gubbeen). Serve in a Tulip glass at about 12 degrees.

Elbow Lane Wisdom Ale 5.2%, 500ml bottle (and draught in their restaurants).

Dark, between amber and brown, nice frothy head. Caramel is perhaps the most prominent of the aromas. Good balance of hops and toasty malt on the smooth palate. The Elbow Lane team produce beers to match the food in the various Market Lane restaurants and they certainly succeed.

Goldie, the latest of five restaurants in the group, shows the words Fish and Ale under the main title. And the beers come from the Elbow Lane Micro Brewery, also across the street. Brewers Russell and Davide have specially formulated the ales to suit food and, as customers of the restaurants will tell you, they have been very successful in that regard. And excellent without the food too!

They say: This medium bodied amber ale is brewed with a selection of specialty malts that impact rich, toasty and caramel malt character, balanced by a firm yet pleasant hop flavor and aroma. This ale is excellent with many foods and uniquely satisfying as a stand alone pint.

Taste of the Week. Breads on NeighbourFood

Taste of the Week

Breads on NeighbourFood

Bread and Roses

Didn’t quite realise the choice available to me when I joined NeighbourFood. Choices across the board and that applies also to top class bread. Quite happy to have any of the loaves mentioned below as Taste of the Week.

I had heard about Bread and Roses and was keen to try. And I wasn’t disappointed. Their Country Sourdough Loaf is superb and would be in the running for the Blue Riband at any sourdough competition.

Natural Bakery's Spelt Loaf

And more sourdough, with a twist, from Natural Foods Bakery. The Sourdough Raisin Bread Loaf quickly became a favourite here. Must yet try their Breademption Sourdough Beer Mash Loaf (with Rising Sun beer); won’t be long now as I have one in the house. Just to mention also that this busy bakery do a top notch 100% Spelt loaf, one of the best of its type.

Can’t be all sourdough - variety is the spice of life. And, for something a little different but very tasty in its own right, it would be hard to beat Ballymaloe’s White Yeast Loaf, also on NeighbourFood. Ballymaloe may have a rival though. At the time of writing, the blog chef has just pulled what looks like a beauty out of the oven and that looks ready for a big thumbs up coming when it cools down a bit!

So there you are, lots of variety when you order from  NeighbourFood who have an ever increasing number of depots in Ireland; they also deliver (thought not in every area).

You’ll find Neighbour Food here. 

Taste of the Week. The Rocketman’s Soup

Taste of the Week

The Rocketman’s Soup

I’m spoiled for choice when it comes to picking a taste of the week these days!

When the local farmers markets closed, I thought it would be the opposite but Neighbour Food came to the rescue, big time!

One of the men behind the fantastic initiative, which sources food from the producers you see at the markets and brings them to a central collecting point, is Jack Crotty better known as The Rocketman.

He has built a reputation for innovative salads over recent years but it is his soup that made my taste buds stand to attention.So get ready to meet our latest Taste of the Week, the Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato And Mint Soup. Who else but the Rocketman would have thought of adding plenty of mint to the mixture. Absolutely delicious!

By the way, NeighbourFood, with an ever increasing number of depots in Ireland, also delivers (thought not in every area).

The Rocket Man HQ, 

No. 38 Princes St, 

Cork City. 

Tel: 086 822 9624

O’Mahony's Winning Formula. Local and Seasonal. Small Plates. Big Flavours.

O’Mahony's Winning Formula. 

Local and Seasonal. Small Plates. Big Flavours

O’Mahony’s is making waves in Watergrasshill, even though it is in its early years of it reincarnation. The food offering started a couple of years back as local and seasonal, on small plates mostly, and that is still the formula, backed up by a very helpful, very well informed front of house, lots of chats, loads of smiles, a welcome on the mat and all the way through.

And there is also a huge welcome for local producers and suppliers. Their produce is carefully handled here, expertly cooked and delivered on those (not so) small plates!  It is the same with drinks. The craft beer selection includes Franciscan Well and 8 Degrees on draught, Blacks’ ales in bottle, also the Saor GF from 9 White Deer, and ciders by Stonewell and Longueville House. And don’t worry, mainstream beers are also available.

Stonewell zero

Back to the menu though. You may nibble away on marinated olives for a start. If you prefer something a bit bigger why not consider their boards: Antipasto, Cheese, or Charcuterie. We decided to share the Antipasto, a selection of dips (hummus, tapenade, goats cheese, etc, olives) with bread.

We had the car, so what would we drink? A quick answer was provided in the shape of their non-alcoholic board. It included a red wine, a white wine, even a sparkling one. The Seed-lip gin was available as were the apple based drinks (very nice too) from the local Future Orchards. Also some beers: Baltika, Heineken zero and Erdinger and a zero cider by Stonewell. The latter was my pick - it was my first time trying it. Stonewell always hit a high standard and this did the job very well indeed. CL meanwhile choose the Erdinger, probably the best of the three beers on offer. 

The increasing number of local and seasonal supporters will be delighted to see the small plates list - these are basically your main courses without all the sometimes superfluous extras. You’ll note names like Jack McCarthy, Kilbrack Farm, Gubbeen, Ballyhoura Mushrooms, Carrigcleena Duck, Leamlara Honey, Hegarty’s Cheese and Fitzgerald Butchers. By the way, O’Mahony’s is also the area base for NeighbourFood through which you may also get your hands on some of these lovely products.

Smoked lamb

The menu changes regularly. There were seven choices for us and it took us a while to make up our minds. I think we could have employed the Grand National formula: close the eyes and stick a pin in the list. But we did pick a couple and shared. That is one thing about these “small plates”; they are ideal for groups who order a bunch of them and then share.

I was tempted by the Rockpool: Kilbrack blue potato, gnocchi, foraged sea herbs and poached white soul, and that seemed to be a favourite of Victor (who owns and runs the pub along with Máire). In the end though, I went for the Carrigcleena duck pastilles, Leamlara Honeycomb, coriander yogurt. The duck came in three parcels, packed with flavoursome meat and that was enhanced by the yoghurt and a small square of the honeycomb.

CL also hit the jackpot with the Hot Smoked Fitzgerald’s lamb, braised red cabbage parsnip purée and game chips. The tender meat is served pink and is the main player in a hearty ensemble, every item in the mix playing a part. And we both thoroughly enjoyed the side of excellent hand-cut chips with a punchy pepper sauce.

Now we were looking at the short list of desserts. I was seriously considering the Treacle Tart with Yum Gelato vanilla before taking Victor’s tip - he freely admits to being biased! - which was the Cardamon, Lemon Curd Pannacotta, ginger Manuka honey, jelly and tuile.  Went down every well indeed.

Dessert

By the way, as I didn’t mention it earlier, they have a House drinks list here, all from neighbours. House Gin is Bertha’s Revenge (from Castlelyons) with Poachers Tonic and orange. The local juice, from Glanmire, is supplied by Future Orchards while the local cider comes from Mallow’s Longueville House. And 8 Degrees, up the road in Mitchelstown, are the producers of the House beer.

All the regular wines are available by the glass and you also have a rosé and Prosecco. On the night, the list was supplemented by a specials board that had no less than seven new wines which will soon have a place on the list. So, no shortage. And no shortage either of spirits where again, particularly in gins and whiskeys, they are strong on supporting Irish.

O'Mahony's of Watergrasshill is a family-run country pub and food venue just off the Cork-Dublin motorway (M8);  is only 10 minutes from the Dunkettle Interchange, near Cork City. The pub has been Máire's family for 200 years. Experienced Chef Jim Coleman recently joined the team.

House drinks, from a previous visit. Bertha's Revenge and Eight Degrees

O’Mahony’s 

Main Street

Watergrasshill

Co. Cork

OPENING HOURS

Café bar
11am – 5pm, Wed, Thur & Fri
1pm – 5pm, Sat

Bar kitchen
6pm – 9pm, Fri & Sat
12pm – 4pm-ish &  6pm–8pm, Sun

Bar

6pm – close, Fri – Sun

ENQUIRIES

+353 (0)86 831 6879 omahonysofwgh@gmail.com

Le Caveau Tasting in the 'Hood. Port Shines in Old Apple Market

Le Caveau Tasting in the 'Hood.
Port Shines in Old Apple Market.

Chef Takashi Miyazaki (left) with Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau in the Old Apple Market

Chris Forbes is a man on the move. Chris, export manager at The Fladgate Partnership, representing Port wines from Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft, spent close to six months on the road, on the train, and in the air, traversing the globe last year and expects this year to be much the same. Port keeps him on the move and he was in Cork last Thursday for the Le Caveau Portfolio Tasting in the Old Apple Market in Barrack Street.

The demand for the Portuguese wine - Port is a wine, a good one and a good value one too - may be surprising to some of us here. The fortified drink may be hundreds of years old but you’ll still find it in the best of places. Chris hosted a Boston dinner in January ($135 Per Person, not including tax and gratuity) and, at the recent Oscars, Taylor’s Ruby Port was used in a classic Paloma cocktail!


Nearer to home, I’ve come across the Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port (introduced in 1934, so a relative youngster) in cocktails at Cask and also in what is cheekily called an Irish G&T in a Wexford restaurant (Aldridge Lodge) where the port takes the place of the gin as they don’t have a spirits licence.

And it was with a sip of that Chip Dry that I started my amble around the many wines, most of them organic, many of them natural, at the very interesting portfolio tasting. It is delightful as an aperitif, may also be used, one to two, with tonic water, and of course in those cocktails.




Le Caveau are well-known for their excellent house wine range and quite a few were on display including the Cantina Tollo pair of Madregale and Ciello (check out their reds too) and also the Menade Verdejo. The Burgundy whites impressed, of course, the Ambroise, two by Larue (St Aubin 1er cru and Chassagne-Montrachet) and also the Bachey-Legros Puligny Montrachet.

On the Loire side, I very much liked the “Mademoiselle M” by Alexandre Bain and Sauvignon Blanc from Frantz Saumon, cheekily titled Vin de Frantz! Meyer-Fonné seldom disappoints and his Alsace Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes is a gem. Another beauty was the Rhone white by Dard et Ribo from Croze-Hermitage.



Stepped on the gas then and headed for Italy and the excellent Semplicemente, a 100% Cortese from the late Stefano Bellotti’s winery. I’ve been working my way through the Judith Beck wines from Austria and added another to my to-do list when I tasted her Koreaa. Further afield I recruited another three for my shortlist: the Iago Chinuri from Georgia, the Pebble Dew Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and the Radford Dale Chardonnay from South Africa.

Lots of lovely wines in the less expensive reds section including old friends like the Tour de Gendres “Le Classique” and Chateau de Cedre “Heritage de Cedre” from Bergerac. Also fancied the Antica Enotria Rosso from this bunch.

Then crossed the room and really struck it rich on the Burgundy shelf. Started well with the Ambroise Pinot Noir “Lettre d’Eloise” and moved up a notch with Bachey-Legros Santenay 1er cru. Thought it couldn’t get any better than the Regnaudot Maranges 1er cru “Fussieres. It didn’t but the Parize Givry 1er cru “Champ Nalot” matched it!



The three Beaujolais, including Foillard’s Morgan Classique, matched my high expectations and I found the Bornard Ploussard Point Barre very interesting and will have to explore it further and the same note was made about the Nicolas Reau Anjou Cabernet Franc “Pompois”.

Despite a recent tip from Jean-Frédéric Hugel during the recent Findlater Tasting in the Montenotte Hotel, I was still very much surprised by the Binner Pinot Noir “Beatrice” from Alsace. M. Hugel told me of a huge improvement in Alsace Pinot Noir over the past twenty years and this is another outstanding example. If I must ever chose just one wine for the desert island, this will certainly be on the shortlist. As Rex Pickett wrote in Sideways I "was vertiginously winched up to a more rarefied plateau".

Always worth keeping an eye on is Beauregard-Mirouze from Corbieres in the South of France for well made wines at attractive prices and their “Ciel de Sud” is certainly one. And, in the same category, check out Maule’s “Masieri Rosso” from Italy. Other Italians to note are the Foradori IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti and the Ampeleia Coste Toscana IGT.


Spain didn’t disappoint either. The Peza do Rei Tinto Ribera Sacra is worth checking out and so too is the Alfred Maestro El Marciano Garnacha (just note the 15% abv!). The New Zealand Pebble Dew Pinot Noir hit the spot too, just like its Sauvignon Blanc earlier. I’m something of a Gamay fan but have never seen one as light-coloured as the Radford Dale “Thirst”. Interesting also was their Syrah “Nudity”. Just might be buying a bottle of each.

My finalé to a very pleasant couple of hours - we had some lovely local producer bites provided by Jack Crotty who has made this old building the base for Neighbourfood - was another drop of port and another chat with Chris. The finalé, sweet and conversation stopping delicious, was provided by the 2013 Late Bottled Vintage. I hadn’t had a drop of Port since Christmas and this reminded me in the nicest possible way of what I had been missing. If you’ve not been sipping Port lately, why not give it a try. It is just too good to leave out of your personal portfolio!

Port galore. Chris (right) with Colm (Le Caveau, Dublin)

You can get quite a lot of very interesting information on port here.
And you can see Chris on video here at the Californian Wine of the Month Club.