"A great natural white for everyday drinking." Ciello Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane.

Ciello Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane (IGP) 2022, 12% ABV

"A great natural white for everyday drinking"

RRP: €14.50. Stockists include 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Le Caveau is well known, among other things of course, for their range of appealing house wines, and this Cantine Rallo Bianco is one of them. See and try it at both Ichigo Ichie and 51 Cornmarket along with its red sibling Nero D’Avola. Rallo vines are organically grown and the label boldly states that the fruit for the Bianco was harvested in the first ten days of September.

Colour is a hazy gold - the wine is unfiltered, hence the cloudiness. Aromas feature both floral and herbal elements. On the palate, it is full of energy and freshness with refined white fruit leading before a slightly salty finish. If you love a fragrant and crisp Italian white, you’ll hit the target with this gem from the island. 

A great natural white for everyday drinking and, easily drunk, is also the perfect entry-level natural white wine. It is organic, unfiltered, and unfined.

 Very Highly Recommended. Well priced too by the way. 

Catarratto is a native grape in Sicily and the name means cataract or waterfall (not the cloudy thing in your eyes!). Why this name?  According to Vino (2022), because of “the prodigal amounts of wine from what is the most common grape in Sicily and the second most common in all of Italy”.

It is ideal to pair with the Sicily's traditional pasta, such as pasta with sardines or with broccoli or still with soft cheeses. Good too with turbot, white meats and very appealing by itself!

Check out  our Top Wines 2024 list (with stockists and short reviews) here 

Looking for better value? All under 20 euro. Click here

Andrea Vesco, whose family bought the winery in the 90s, runs it with expert commitment personally and meticulously attends to all the stages of production from the cultivation of the grapes to the final bottling, with the strong support of a professional staff of 21 employees.

Since 2010, Rallo wines have been “produced and bottled at their origin by the grower”. Night harvesting and modern temperature-controlled fermentations result in bright, fresh, and outstanding wines. The results are evident in this fragrant, crisp Catarratto and its red sibling the perfumed, fresh Nero d'Avola.

Taste of the Week: Apple Cider Rye by Ryes and Shine

Taste of the Week

Apple Cider Rye by Ryes and Shine

Local baker Angela Nöthlings (Ryes and Shine) always comes up with the good things. The latest, and our Taste of the Week, is this delicious Apple Cider Rye, available at her stall in St Lukes and in the Coal Quay Market on Saturdays. "It is one of my favourite loaves at the moment.  Beautiful light and tangy, yes! Love it, especially the crust!", she enthuses. Ingredients include rye (36%), WildFarmed T65 flour 72% hydration and of course Irish Cider.

I'll always have interesting bread while Angela operates here. Virtually everything on the stall is worthy of the Taste of the Week designation. Take a look at the pic above. The Cider Rye is on the left with, on top of it, one of her gorgeous From St Luke’s with Love Rolls which are studded with dark organic chocolate (she also makes it in loaves and calls them St Luke’s with Love Mums); then you have her popular Cinnamon Roll and finally (on the right) the ever-evolving, ever satisfying Mayfield Bloomer!

All the news on the micro-bakery on her Instagram 

 #realbreadireland #sourdough #cork #handmixing #mucrobakery #constantlearning #crumb

Cork Whiskey Fest - Ready to roll again next month!

Cork Whiskey Fest - 

Ready to roll again next month!

Organisers Sonia and Laurie O'Dwyer flank the speakers
 at the launch in the Shelbourne

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF CORK WHISKEY FEST 2024 AT SHELBOURNE BAR

For the second time, the Shelbourne Bar played host this week to the official launch of Cork Whiskey Fest (CWF) 2024, which will take place across The VQ, from the 22^nd - 24^th  March.

Cork Whiskey Fest is once again proudly sponsored by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, The Shelbourne Bar and IrishMalts.com. 

“The Shelbourne bar is delighted to be a co-sponsor again this year for Cork Whiskey Fest 2024. Last year the weekend was a huge success not just in The Shelbourne Bar, but The VQ in general. As Ireland's premier Irish whiskey bar, we feel the CWF is the perfect platform for us to bring Irish whiskey to a larger audience. We wish Sonya and Laurie the very best of luck with CWF 2024.’’ Philip Gillivan, The Shelbourne Bar. 

Dunville's line-up 2023

John O’Donovan, Owner of IrishMalts.com, the exclusive retailer for the festival said “As a native Cork business, it gives us pleasure to sponsor the 2^nd Cork Whiskey Fest. We are very proud to be a part of it”

Cork Whiskey Fest 2024 is guaranteed to be a jam-packed weekend with 25 events to choose from across 3 days in 1 city. 

Laurie & Sonya O’Dwyer, co-founders of the festival, are delighted to be doing it all again this year, 

“We are thrilled to be able to run Cork Whiskey Fest again this year. Our inaugural Fest last year proved very popular, a great success and provided an atmosphere of real fun across the weekend. This is due to the phenomenal support of the people of Cork and other counties, the Whiskey community and many of the international whiskey enthusiasts that attended from around the world”  

This year’s festival will again offer attendees exclusive insights into unique whiskeys, some not yet available to purchase in-stores. 

The Brand Expo & Social Events on Friday the 22^nd and Saturday the 23^rd will play host to 45 whiskey distilleries/brands who will be sharing their liquids to sample with all attendees. 

The Masterclasses happening across the afternoons of the 23^rd and 24^th of March will be run by brand specialists of the whiskey world. 

Andrew Dickey of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, who guided the tasting last night and gave guests and media the opportunity to get a glimpse into what we can expect from the weekend.

“We are delighted to support Cork Whiskey Fest again this year. We are expecting this year to be just as much fun as last year. Over the weekend we will have a number of exciting tastings featuring the most loved Irish Whiskeys, hosted by the people that make them. ” Andrew explained last night.

Dingle, in its early days (2016)

After a quick introduction to the festival by Laurie O’Dwyer, Andrew took guests through a tasting of Jameson Single Pot Still and Redbreast 27yr old Irish whiskey samples. Once the tastings were completed, guests enjoyed nibbles and took away a much sought after whiskey goodie bag.

Laurie, host of Whiskey Chats podcast, developed the idea for the festival alongside his wife, Sonya in 2022. Laurie explained, “What makes Cork Whiskey Fest different from others of its kind, is that we want it to be open and accessible to everyone. We’ll have distillers, owners and brand ambassadors from over 50 whiskey brands hosting events and at our expo tables, who will guide our attendees through the experience. Whether you’re a whiskey aficionado, just enjoy the occasional drop or you are dipping your toe into whiskey for the first time, we’ve got you covered. A lot of our events have already sold out”.

For those who have missed out on tickets for their preferred event already, you can browse remaining tickets through www.corkwhiskeyfest.com

press release

Bursting with youth and audacity... Francois Martenot's Crémant De Bourgogne

Francois Martenot Crémant De Bourgogne (AOP) Brut,  2021, 12% ABV

€20.50 Dunnes Stores

€16.50 in last Autumn’s French Wine Sale

..bursting with youth and audacity..

Made in the traditional Champagne method, this Crémant is dry with beautiful flavours of lime and pear. The AOP generally encourages a wine bursting with youth and audacity…freshness and vigour. And that is exactly what you get when you pour this beauty, a pale gold colour and a fountain of bubbles rising to form a necklace around the edge of the glass.

And, with this Brut, that vivacity continues through the aromas and onto the palate which is full of flavour and is fresh and elegant with a lively acidity. Better than most entry-level champagnes and without the hefty price tag. The grapes used here are Chardonnay and Gamay,

Crémant as you know is an excellent aperitf. The French also recommend matching with main dishes such as stewed poultry with pears and dried fruits (confit de volaille aux poires et fruits secs). Serving temperatures: 4 to 8°C as a pre-dinner drink, 6 to 9°C with main meal.

Maison François Martenot is located very close to Beaune, the capital of the Burgundy wine region, in the heart of one of the nicest vineyards of France. Between Auxerre and Mâcon, Burgundy proudly offers some of the most prestigious AOPs of the world.

Check out  our Top Wines 2024 list (with stockists and short reviews) here 

Looking for better value? All under 20 euro. Click here

Crémant de Bourgogne was first made, using the Traditional vinification method (same as Champagne), at the beginning of the 19th century. The AOC status granted in 1975 laid down strict conditions for its production based on meticulously applied traditional skills to achieve high-quality vinification. Only whites and rosés qualify for the appellation. They may be blanc de blancs (from white grapes) or blanc de noirs (from white-juiced black grapes). Most are classed as brut or, less often, demi-sec. The production area is the same as that for the appellation Bourgogne.

Oh by the way, these crémant wines are not confined to Burgundy and there are quite a few to choose from including Bordeaux, Limoux, Savoie, Die (Rhone), Jura and Alsace.. even Luxembourg! You may read a little more on the subject here.

Beer of the week. Sullivan’s Maltings Irish Ale

 Sullivan’s Maltings Irish Ale, 5% ABV, 

500 ml bottle, O’Donovan’s

Beer of the week!

Check our updated Beer of the Week Index here

“Traditionally brewed with only Kilkenny-grown ale malt, including three special darker malts and three varieties of hop.”

And those darker malts give it a much darker colour than your normal red ale. In a certain light, the deep red looks much like black. Darkness notwithstanding, the Maltings has an attractive lightness about it on the palate.

. The brewers continue: Fermented and matured with cask ale yeast and coupled with our no-rush brewing produces a smooth balanced classic ale. .. the result is a classic ruby ale with deep malt combining rich biscuit and gentle caramel notes.”

The aroma hints of a balance between malt fruit and hop bitterness and that continues on the body before the excellent well-balanced ale finishes dry. Quite a satisfactory bottle indeed and the drinker can see why this easy-drinking smooth ale is an award winner.

And it gets a major thumbs up here, not for the first time. Very Highly Recommended. Beer of the Week!

Sullivan’s were originally established in 1792 but lost their independence in 1918, thanks to a reckless wager. The story played out in Deauville, then a long-time magnet for Europe’s rich and famous. The exclusive seaside resort was all abuzz for the horseracing in August 1918, even though the Great War was still being waged. 

One Irishman had set his sights on an aristocratic French "fillé". He had opposition from a Venetian count. Sullivan, a gambler rather than a brewer, bet the family brewery on a horse to impress the Frenchwoman. He lost and, not fancying a duel with the count, had to settle his debts.

In Kilkenny, as a result of the wager, the Sullivan brewery (established eight years before Smithwick’s) was taken over by their rivals (“in a kind of a white knight rescue”) and the Sullivan name vanished from the enterprise. Another hundred years on and, in 2014, Diageo moved the production of Smithwick's to Dublin.

But the Sullivan story has been revived over the past few years or so with the emergence of a new Sullivan brewery, backed by the two intertwined families, the Sullivans and, yes, the Smithwicks, both keen to keep Kilkenny’s brewing tradition going. 

RAQUEL WELCH. ONE IN A MILLION. Newbridge Exhibition Opens this Friday (23rd)

press release 

One Million Years B.C.

RAQUEL WELCH

ONE IN A MILLION

Newbridge Exhibition Opens this Friday (23rd)

The Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware, in Newbridge, Co. Kildare will open a brand-new exhibition which is dedicated to the style of Hollywood bombshell, actress, Raquel Welch.  Raquel Welch, One in A Million’ opens tomorrow, Friday, 23^rd of February and runs until the 1^st of April 2024. The exhibition features several garments, gowns, jewellery, and personal items which were once worn by the famous actress. It is the only European exhibition for the public to view this ‘never before seen’ collection of the Hollywood superstar’s most famous and iconic costumes, garments, and personal property prior to its auction presented by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles on April 12, 2024. 

Raquel Welch burst onto the movie scene in 1966 with her role as a scientist’s assistant in the Oscar-winning sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage and later that year with the release of One Million Years B.C. Her appearance as a scantily clad cavewoman in the pre-historic epic catapulted her to international stardom and made her one of the era’s biggest sex symbols, with the film’s publicity poster of a larger-than-life image of Welch wearing her iconic fur and hide bikini becoming a cultural phenomenon and one of the biggest pinup posters of all time. Although she only had three lines in the film, the scene, and the posters of her wearing the fur bikini, turned her into an international sex symbol. She went on to play many memorable characters in film, stage and television and broke the mold of the ‘Hollywood sex symbol’ while paving the way for today’s action film heroines in Hollywood. She won a Golden Globe for her role in the classic film ‘The Three Musketeers.’ At the height of her fame and box office success, Welch played the title character Myra Breckinridge in the 1970 film adaptation of Gore Vidal’s novel about a transgender woman who undergoes a sex-change operation. The film, which has since gone onto become a cult classic, was released in a storm of controversy, landing Welch on the cover of Time Magazine for her revolutionary role. On television, she produced her own variety specials, 1970’s Raquel! with guest stars Tom Jones, Bob Hope and John Wayne, 1974’s Really, Raquel, and 1980’s From Raquel With Love.

In "Myra Breckinridge"

Under her own production company, Welch produced and starred in the 1982 television film The Legend of Walks Far Woman and earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Television Film. In the 1990s, she made memorable guest appearances on Evening Shade, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Seinfeld, and many of the decade’s other iconic television series. On Broadway, she replaced Lauren Bacall in the starring role of Tess Harding in the hit musical Woman of the Year in the early ’80s and took over for Julie Andrews in 1997’s Victor/Victoria.

Welch’s other memorable roles in film and television included the 2002 PBS series American Family: Journey of Dreams, the first drama series on broadcast television featuring a Latino cast; the 1994 classic Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult where she played herself; the 2001 hit comedy Legally Blonde opposite Reese Witherspoon; the 2001 film Tortilla Soup opposite Hector Elizondo; and her final film 2017’s How To Be A Latin Lover opposite Eugenio Derbez, Rob Lowe and Kristen Bell. In 2010, Welch published her autobiography, Beyond the Cleavage, her personal account of her life in Hollywood that offered her beauty regimen and tips for women to live their best lives with dignity and self-respect. In 2018, Vogue ranked Raquel Welch as one of “the most sensational hourglass bodies of all time.” 

Julien’s will present an exclusive collection of over 500 of Welch’s most cherished objects from her life and career. Costumes, awards, and memorabilia from her iconic films and television specials, will dazzle the auction block.  Some of these items and Raquel Welch’s most famous garments and personal property will now go on display at the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware, offering the public a once in a lifetime chance to see them before they are sold.

Some of the key exhibition items include a suede and faux fur bikini in the style of the legendary doe skin bikini Raquel Welch wore in the prehistoric epic film, One Million Years B. C. This was the film that shot her into stardom and made her the most prominent sex symbol of her time.  The image of Welch in the bikini became a poster that was on the bedroom wall of countless teenaged boys in the late 1960s. It also made her the sex symbol of the post-Marilyn generation. 

Also on display is a replica of the costume worn by Raquel Welch in the film, Myra Breckinridge, based on the 1968 satirical novel by Gore Vidal and written in the form of a diary. In the film Welch plays the part of a transgender woman.  The swimsuit, complete with gloves and still bearing evidence of Welch’s stage makeup, was worn by Welch during her 1970’s live stage show and on her 1974 television special Really, Raquel.

Raquel Welch’s 1974 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role in The Three Musketeers is also in the exhibition. In the film, Raquel is probably looser and more accessible than she’d ever been on screen and her acting is generally regarded as the highlight of her film career.  This award was validation for Raquel and her talent after spending so many years as a punchline due to her physical attributes. The award is displayed with her nomination certificate, a framed still from the movie that Raquel had in her house, and her own personal copy of the movie on DVD.

 

One of the elegant and delicate garments in the exhibition is the ‘Flapper Dress’ worn by Raquel Welch in the James Ivory directed comedy drama, The Wild Party 1975. This costume is very beautiful and was created by costume designer Ron Talsky, who Raquel was also dating at the time and who had made her costumes for The Three Musketeers. She probably never looked more beautiful than wearing the costumes in this movie, which was inspired by the Fatty Arbuckle scandal in the 1920s. The gown was designed by Ron Talsky, who created all of Welch's costumes for the film.

 

William Doyle, CEO of Newbridge Silverware said, “Raquel Welch was one of the biggest icons in movie history. The image of her on the poster for the film ‘One Million Years BC’ was legendary and even made an appearance in the movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ when the character in the film had a poster of the movie pin up in his prison cell.  We are delighted to have the chance to showcase this piece of Hollywood history and are grateful to Julien’s Auction’s for bringing the property to us here at Newbridge Silverware.”

The exhibition, Raquel Welch, One In A Million opens on Friday 23^rd of February and runs until the 1^st of April 2024. Entry is free and the exhibition is open 7 days a week. For more see www.newbridgesilverware.com

 

Julien’s Auctions in LA will auction the Raquel Welch property on the 12^th of April. For more information on the auction see www.juliensauctions.com

 

Glass Curtain Kitchen Team in Sparkling Form. "Cooked with grá" A little flame also!

Glass Curtain Kitchen Team in Sparkling Form At The Weekend

 "Cooked with grá".  And a little flame!

Red mullet, cuttlefish, broth.

"Both the name and the large photo on the back wall pay homage to this building’s former life as the iconic Thompson’s Bakery; now a compact brasserie. Monochrome décor, exposed pipework and a charming team set the scene. Modern dishes have a personal touch and are cooked with grá (Gaelic for ‘love’)." 

That is the verdict delivered by the Michelin Guide when they awarded Cork's Glass Curtain with a Michelin Bib.

It is indeed, as you'd expect, an accurate description of the busy venue where Chef Brian Murray has been setting a very high standard since he opened here in MacCurtain Street in the autumn of 2020. Brian's travels around the world have given him a finely tuned international experience yet in this lively spot, it is the flavour of local ingredients that star on the menus, both A La Carte and Tasting.

Beef is one hundred per cent Irish and local producers supported include the likes of Cais na Tire and Hegarty's cheese, Skeaghanmore Duck, and Ballymakenny potatoes. 

Snacks

No shortage of drink choices. There's a tempting Cocktail List that includes three non-alcoholic options. Quite a wine offering here.  You can taste your way through different styles, countries and grape varieties through white, red and the increasingly popular orange (check out that Ageno from the lovely Elena Pantaleoni of Italy's La Stoppa). 

Local producers like the Cotton Ball and 9 White Deer Breweries get a chance to shine in the drinks section as does the Stonewell Cidery from Novohal. As you'd expect, there are many Irish spirits available or why not enjoy the very special ice wine from Killarhora Orchards in Glounthaune, one of my favourite ways to finish a meal.

Lamb

The tasting menu costs €75.00 per person and a wine option will add another €45 to that. With an early 5.00pm* start, we decided against the wine option and instead picked the Dirk Niepoort, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2021 Alvarinho. This aromatic and well-balanced Alvarinho (Albarino in Spain) by the famous port company worked out well for us even if it had to be parked when the lamb came around!

 * That 5.00pm start was all that was available when we booked two weeks in advance. It is a busy place so make your reservations early!

Dessert

Tasting Menu

Crudo, Cashew, Blood Orange, Puffed Barley, Shiso, with Prawn heads. 

“Jambon”, Dill pickle, Lardo

 Aged rump of beef tartare, pear and endive

A bit unusual to see Prawn Heads in one of the three snacks but we were assured they were edible and got stuck in and enjoyed the "careful" crunch. Actually, that particular snack was very flavoursome in any case. We enjoyed it and the other two as well.

***

Glazed beets, House ricotta hazelnut brown butter 

Focaccia, Roast Onion Butter

On to this pair then, served together. An unexpected highlight here was the Roast Onion Butter and the Focaccia. In fairness, the other "starter" was also excellent.

***

Grilled Red Mullet, Cuttlefish, Turbot roe taramasalata, fish broth, 

The fish course starred the Red Mullet and the broth. Not overly keen on the cuttlefish (who belong to a class that includes squid and octopus) and hadn't expected too much from it in any case. But that Mullet was something else and such a pity we don't see it on that many menus in Ireland.

***

Rack of Lamb, crushed artichoke, pistachio, glazed lamb belly and celeriac.

This was the piece de resistance. Lamb came two ways, the fat and flavoursome rack was a delight to dispatch while the belly (it came in a separate dish with celeriac) was also quite a treat.

***

Time then to cleanse the palate and the Rhubarb Sorbet, Almond, and Rose Jelly did it well.  The dessert of Orange Polenta Cake, Ricotta ice cream, sheep yoghurt, rhubarb wasn't at all bad but I had been expecting a bit more from it. Still time for another sweet bit as the petit fours arrived to send two happy customers off into the night.

Lamb, two ways.

Glen River Park. 19.02.2024

Glen River Park

19.02.2024

Ducks. Pond. Arrowheads.

River

Duck

River. Footbridges.