TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME!

TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME 

Kangarilla Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, McLaren Vale, 14% ABV, €15.99 RRP, ****

Just in time for Valentine’s - a tall, dark and handsome visitor from South Australia.

Colour is dark red and the aroma is of dark fruits and a hint of mint. Rich dark fruits on the palate, it is a smooth well balanced wine where the tannins play their role with a pleasant ease, all ending in an equally pleasant lingering finish.

Couldn’t ask for anything more from this highly rated winery. The wine itself doesn't do too badly either and picked up 90 points from Wine Spectator. It is rich, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and has been aged for 18 months in both French and America oak.

In the past few months I have tasted other products of Kangarilla Road and have been very happy with them. So if you like this one why not try these:

Kangarilla Road Shiraz 2008, 14.5%, €15.99, McLaren Vale (Aus.)

Kangarilla Road Charlie’s Blend Shiraz Cabernet 2008, 14%, €11.99, McLaren Vale (Aus.)

Kangarilla Road Leaf Series Shiraz (15.99) or the 2Up Shiraz (11.99).

Distributed by Wine Alliance and available in Off Licences at independents nationwide.

THURSDAY IN MAHON

Hens on point of lay for sale in Mahon

MAHON POINT FARMERS MARKET

All calm at Mahon Point Farmers Market yesterday after the

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English Market

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market_lane Market Lane 

Seasonal special jack mac black pudding with

CATCH 'EM YOUNG

Kerpen

CATCH THEM YOUNG   

Kerpen 2009 Riesling Blauschiefer Trocken, 12.5%, Karwig Wines (€14.05) ****

On a Christmas visit to Carrigaline I picked up this

WEXFORD DOUBLE

Kilmore Quay gull is buying Irish

FOCUS ON BUYING LOCAL

You really need your thinking cap on when

HOW LOCAL DO YOU GO?

TIPP DOUBLE FOR THIS CORKMAN!

Just been reading the always entertaining and

THE RISING TIDE

THE RISING TIDE

Enjoyed a terrific meal at Glounthaune’s Rising Tide Brasserie on Friday night. Quality local produce featured strongly across

SPANISH RIESLING!

 WINE STORE SHOUTS OUT FOR A SPANISH RIESLING 

Some big names in the wine game are coming out

GRAND CRU SPECIAL

GRAND CRU SPECIAL 

Looking for something for a special occasion? Well, here is something From Vineyards Direct  for an occasion that is on the horizon or up to maybe twenty years away.

Chateau Teyssier Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2008 
Double Magnums :  "Abundant quantities of sweet black fruits, a natural, lush texture, ripe tannin, and a heady finish."  (Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate)

With aging potential of up to twenty

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This Casanova is ready for love!

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Augustine's Restaurant

Wondering where to go for Valentine's - Join us at Augustine's Restaurant for something truly special... Book now on 021.4279375

Hartys Cloyne From Sunday 6th - Friday 25th February in association with Irish Restaurant Awards 2011 & Sunday Independant Life Magazine, 20% off customers food bill - Vouchers availabe from Sunday Independant Life Magazine - Click on

CAFE GUSTO

CAFE GUSTO

Is Cafe Gusto  in Washington Street in a class of its own when it comes to cafes in Cork? Coffee and scones (and more) in the morning, followed by

MARMALADE. If I can make it, anyone can!

EASY MARMALADE  

Last week, on a whim, bought some Seville Oranges at

CAN YOU MAKE IT TO HEAD CHEF?

International superchef Conrad Gallagher offers 8 kitchen hopefuls the chance of

Les Gourmandises

Les Gourmandises 

Delighted with my most recent visit to Les Gourmandises . Fine French Dining is printed on their card and it is no empty motto. They live up to it. Making your way through the courses here is an exercise in delicacy.

If you find yourself in

SAMBA ON A COLD MONDAY MORNING

COFFEE: BRAZILIAN BRUZZI 

Now it’s official: I am a

FLESH ON SUNDAYS

Ian from An Crúibín has been in touch:

'The Sunday Munch returns

ARDSALLAGH GOATS CHEESE CRANBERRY ROULADE

GOATS CHEESE ROULADE 

Had been on the lookout for Ardsallagh’s Goats Cheese Cranberry Roulade and spotted it in On the Pigs Back on a run through the English Market on Friday. 


Picked up some

SWEET, CHEAP AND CHEERFUL

SWEET, CHEAP AND CHEERFUL 

Glad I got into sweet wines. Have enjoyed a few over the Christmas and still the sweets go on, the latest a Moscatel from Valencia, the “primary source of sweet budget wines”, according to Mr Hugh Johnson.

From grapes grown on

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Florentine Steak

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Restaurant Wine & Food Scene

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RT @CometoCork The French equivalent of the Lonely Planet guide has showered praise on Cork restaurants http://ht.ly/3D6bG via @corkindo

Electric We are

A WINNER FROM KARWIG

ONE TO BUY. AGAIN    

The late Renato Ratti has been credited, at least in Vino Italiano, with being “The Father of Modern Barolo”. He took that wine by the scruff of the neck in 60s and his more accessible style became a hit.

The production of classic affordable Piedmont wines goes on, now under the direction of Pierro Ratti. “..the wines keep getting better” according to Vino Italiano.

Must say I didn’t know much about this producer and their wines until I got a bottle in the Carrigaline premises of Joe Karwig. I’m glad that I did. This was a Barbera d'Alba. The Barbera is the grape variety and the Torriglione on the bottle refers to the vineyards where it is grown.

The colour is an intense Cardinal Red. Remember that

MR ISCHLER’S DELICATESSEN

MR ISCHLER’S DELICATESSEN

Took a short cut through Kyle Street today and spotted a bakery with some tempting looking loaves in the window. Inside, there was quite a selection and also pastries and also fudges and chocolate truffles.

I stuck to

HARVEY'S: BETTER ON THE WEB!

HARVEY’S

Heard some good reports (mainly lunch/brunch) about Harvey’s of Academy Street. Checked out their website  and was quite impressed. Booked a table for dinner and was expecting great things.

But the website flattered the place. Both it and the entry in Whazon says it is fully licensed but they sell only wine, no beer. The expansive list of dishes on the web is a fiction as the actual a la carte menu was much more restricted, disappointingly so. Another letdown came when we asked for dessert. Just five on the list and two of those were “off”. Coffee on the web is set at €2.00 but its actual cost is €2.50.

Started with

THREE LEGS - THREE REDS

THREE FROM SICILY 

Three legs in the Sicilian flag and three reds in this post.

Italians, they say, love their rules. But it is in the way that George Bernard Shaw loved work: “I love work. I could watch it all day.”  Sicilians produce plenty of wine but only about a fifth of it under DOC regulations, much more of it under the looser Indicazione Geografica Tipica regime, the step above table wine.

If you go

BRAMLEY LODGE

BRAMLEY LODGE

Regularly make a call to Bramley Lodge if I’ve been

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IrishFoodies Irish Food Bloggers 

RT @CometoCork The French equivalent of the Lonely Planet guide has showered praise on Cork restaurants http://ht.ly/3D6bG via @corkindo

Electric We are now taking bookings for

DUBLIN START FOR EATMAGAZINE

Mikey Maguire has been a busy man.  

Today, he launches a new free monthly food & drink magazine called EatMagazine. He will be

Penfold’s Winemaker visits Dublin & Cork

Penfold’s Winemaker visits Dublin & Cork

Tom Portet, Winemaker with legendary Australian winery, Penfold’s, will visit Ireland in February to host wine dinners at two of Ireland’s leading food-lovers’ venues. 

The first of these dinners takes place in

FLASH FOOD

Patron Silver Reindeer, a flash event by Waddington & Flack, designed by Gary Card

Are you free in Dublin between February 3^rd and 12^th?  Read on if you’d like a free meal.

Layni Joyce of PR company Thinkhouse has been in touch about it: “I thought you and your readers might like to know that 

SALLY BEE GOOD

SALLY BEE GOOD. VERY GOOD. 

Quite a few books came into this house over the holidays, including a pair of cookery books by

MABEL CRAWFORD'S (at Vienna Woods)

Once lost, now found. 

For years,  Mabel Crawford’s pantry was lost in

CORK'S TOP 31

TOPS FOR FOOD 


Seems to be the time of year for making lists: top 10, best 20. Let us be different here and go for the top 31. Simply because I like prime numbers and 31 is one of my favourites. A prime number can only be divided by itself and one, as you all know. So what is my number one? Well, overall that would Augustine's. In the county, it is Nautilus.


I have been to all 31 (and others) over the past 12 months and have been happy enough with the result. Huge differences, of course, in styles and comfort over the range but I'd have no problem in going back to any of them. The list below is alphabetical.


Just be aware also that there are some really good ones that I haven't been to in 2010, notably Les Gourmandises and Cafe Paradiso which would certainly merit places in any top list. Must also try and get out to the county more next year, to Kinsale, Midleton and Clonakilty for example, even if I'll have to cut the wine! Had noted Over the Moon in Skibbereen last year but that unfortunately has ceased to operate.


Control and click on the names below for reviews and further info.

• Aherne's (1)
• AN CRÚIBÍN (1) / Silk Purse (2)
• Augustine's (3)
• Ballymaloe Cafe (1)
• Bramley Lodge (1)
• Club Brasserie (2)
• Cornstore (6)
• Crawford Cafe (1)
• Cronin's Pub (1)
• Electric (2)
• Farmgate Cork (3)
• Fenn's Quay (5)
• Gilbert's (1)
• Greene's (3)
• Hardwood (1)
• Idaho Cafe (2)
• Isaacs (3)
• Jacobs on the Mall (5)
• Jacques (5)
• Kilkenny Cafe (Shanagarry) (1)
• Liberty Grill (4)
• Market Lane (10)
• Nash 19 (9)
• Nautilus (2)
• Perrott's Hayfield Manor (1)
• Raymond's (1)
• Rising Tide (4)
• Star Anise (1)
• The Bulman (1)
• The Continental (3)
• Vienna Woods (4)
• 
  
• 
  

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Nash 19 Congratulations to our

STAR OF THE SPRING IN PAUL STREET

THE WOODFORD 

Popped into the revamped Woodford (in Paul Street) the other evening. It was early in the week, dark and wet and not too many in the bar.

Impressed by their great selection of beer along with friendly and helpful service.  Arranged a little tasting for myself: Becks versus Staropramen.

Had the Becks on draught before but this was a first for my Czech favourite. The Staro is even more a favourite of mine now as it beat the socks off the Becks.

Don’t think there is anywhere else in town selling Staropramen on draught so it looks like I’ll be going back to the Woodford for the star of the Spring. Maybe a bite to eat as well. No hardship there.

WINE BARGAINS - BUT HURRY!

CHECK THESE OUT NOW!   

Just got some sales info in from the folks at From Vineyards Direct , featuring mainly wines from France and Italy. They certainly have some excellent bottles on offer, including the Rocca di Tufo Orvieto Classico 2008.

You rarely go wrong with Burgundy whites and the Spectator Wine Club found nothing at all to complain when summing up the Roger Sauvestre Mercurey 2000: “A rich, deep yellow colour with aromas of passion fruit and butterscotch. Full bodied, viscous and delicious. It can be enjoyed with any rich seafood dish or simply on its own.”

This 100 percent Chardonnay can now be purchased for €13.95 instead of €15.95. But do hurry as there are only a limited number of cases left.  Stuart, Stephen or Dave can be contacted at: 01 845 7645.

WINE	CASES	RRP	OFFER
Roger Sauvestre Mercurey 2000	10	€15.95	€13.95
Domaine Eugenie  Carrion Chablis 2008	4	€14.95	€13.00
Domaine de Valensac Chardonnay 2009	5	€10.95	€10.00
Rocca di Tufo Orvieto Classico 2008	5	€12.95	€11.50
Marco Real Rosado 2007	8	€8.95	€8.00
Chateau Pontet Bagatelle Rubis 2000	3	€12.00	€10.00
Chateau Meaume Rose 2009	1	€9.95	€9.50
Les Mines Tinto 2007	3	€21.95	€20.25
Valpolicella Classico 2007	6	€12.95	€11.00
Chateau Pedesclaux 5th Growth Pauillac 2004	2	€28.95	€26.00
Clos de Portail Graves Superieur	2	€9.95	€7.95