SUPERB CORNSTORE FOOD BEER EVENING

 @CorkBilly with @ArleneCookeVO (right) and @FreckledPast,

CORNSTORE FOOD BEER EVENING

Superb beers and superb food and excellent company were the highlights of a very pleasant Food Beer showcase at the Cornstore last night. The beers, mainly continental, were supplied by Cremin and Radley. The Cornstore kitchen did a fantastic job with the matching and the tasting menu (below). Superb all round.



Every single one of the five courses was top class but two stood out for me. The Sea Bass was memorable. Not because the fish was gorgeous, which it was. But because of the accompaniments, in particular the carrot and orange emulsion (spiced up with a touch of cumin). And the dish went so well with the Schneider Weisse Kristall.



We finished off with a fabulous dessert and a brilliant matching beer. That White Chocolate Mousse with shortbread and strawberries would have been so tasty on its own but add in the Strawberry Wheat beer and you had a rare treat indeed.



Just have to emphasise that the other dishes and beers were also very very enjoyable, all top class. So thanks to Mike and all the Cornstore crew and to John Radley who provided short and to the point info on the beers. Cremin and Radley, by the way, will have a stand at the October Beer fest in the Franciscan Well on the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Check out tasting notes on all the beers and more at Cremin and Radley 
`

THE FOOD BEER TASTING MENU 

SCHNEIDER MEIN NELSON aperitif
• • •
CORNSTORE TREACLE CURED BANTRY ORGANIC SALMON
with grain mustard celeriac rémoulade & pickled cucumber
& FULLERS ORGANIC HONEY DEW pale ale
• • •
SLOW ROAST WEST CORK PORK BELLY
with sauerkraut, candied walnut, and apple puree (g)
& INNIS & GUNN oak aged beer
• • •
PAN SEARED BALLYCOTTON SEA BASS
with roast organic pumpkin, sautéed spinach, grilled baby sweet corn with carrot and orange emulsion (g) & SCHNEIDER WEISSE KRISTALL wheatbeer
• • •
WILD DROMOLAND VENISON MEDALLION
with celeric mash, organic  kale, braised cabbage and lovage jus
& SCHNEIDER WEISSE UNSER AVENTINUS wheat doppelbock
• • •
WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
with homemade short bread biscuit & West Cork strawberries
& VAN DIEST FRüLI STRAWBERRY WHEAT BEER

Amuse Bouche: CANONS FORCED TO DRINK CIDER

CANONS FORCED TO DRINK CIDER

“....wine was regarded much more highly, as attested by King Alfonso IX’s decree of 1213, in which he pitied the poor canons in Galicia’s Lugo cathedral who were forced to drink cider and made them a large gift of Ribadavia wine (from what we now know as the Ribeiro).” From The Finest Wines of Rioja by Jesus Barquin, Luis Gutierrez and Victor De La Serna.

ON ELECTION DAY: 20 CANDIDATES FOR YOUR CELLAR

ON ELECTION DAY

20 CANDIDATES FOR YOUR CELLAR

Dominique Geary of From Vineyards Direct has come up with a good proposal to shift election blues...

"Come and try up to 20 of the 2010 En Primeurs. Whether you have purchased already or are yet to decide then this is a must for all Bordeaux lovers."

The Tasting is taking place on 27th October 2011 from 6.30 to 8.30pm in Sebastian Guinness Gallery, 42 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 .

And just to whet your appetite here are some of the wines that will be presented:

Château Laforge Saint Emilion Grand Cru

Château Teyssier, St-Emilion

Château Potensac, Médoc Cru Bourgeois

La Tour de By, St-Estéphe

Château Caronne-Ste. Gemme, Haut-Médoc

THE BOOK ON RIOJA

RIOJA: THE BOOK
The Finest Wines of Rioja and Northwest Spain, by Jesus Barquin Luis Gutierrez and Victor De La Serna.

While vines have been grown in the north west of Spain since Roman times, the wines only came to international prominence after the French were hit by phylloxera in the middle of the 19th century and the Bordeaux negociants crossed the border in search of replacement wines.

The new trade led to surge of prosperity in the area and the town of Haro, the centre of the Rioja trade though not the region, was one of the first areas in Spain to get electricity.

But the good times didn't last and decline had set in even before the devastating double whammy of the Civil War and World War 2. Then, a few wrong turns (including the use of “international” grape varieties) wasted further decades and it is only in relatively recent times that Rioja has regained its leading status while neighbouring Navarra is still trying to shed its mistakes.

The details of all these developments are listed and discussed in this fascinating new book (2011) by a trio of well qualified authors. “Lavishly illustrated with photographs of the people and of the landscape and with detailed maps, this guide ranges over a diverse area, including not only Rioja but Navarra, Bierzo, Galicia and the Basque Country as it explores winemaking from the ancient to the traditional and modern.”

“.. It provides insider information on a region that is home to Spain’s finest Tempranillo, its exciting Albarino, and many other indigenous grape varieties, such as Garnacha, Mazuelo and Viura.”

“The authors look in depth at topics including climate and soil, grape varieties and viticulture, and they profile more than 85 individual wineries. They also include information not available elsewhere, several top ten lists plus secret addresses for the best restaurants and shops in which to find aged and historic vintages of Rioja.”

Indeed, they do and then they also provide quite a lot of detail about the individual wineries and of the people that run them. The likes of CVNE, Lopez de Heredia/Tondonia, Bodegas Faustino, and Telmo Rodriguez (Spain’s “most famous itinerant vigneron”) are among those profiled.

Each winery’s best wines are listed. There is a year by year account of the vintages from 1990 to 2010, a chapter on the magic of aged Rioja and one on the best restaurants in the area. I just can't wait to visit Haro and its vineyards and this 320 page book will be coming south with me in 2012.

Neudorf Wine Tasting Dinner at Star Anise

Wine Dinner at Star Anise November 2

Neudorf Wine Tasting Dinner, Star Anise Restaurant, Bridge Street Cork.

Join Tim & Judy Finn from the Acclaimed Neudorf Winery in Nelson New Zealand at Star Anise restaurant, Cork. Price €65. To Book call Star Anise on 00353 (0) 21 455 1635

Neudorf may well be now an "acclaimed" winery but its wasn't always like that. Here, Judy Finn takes us back to the beginning:

1978 and the New Zealand fine wine industry was almost non existent. We (Tim and I) were fresh from the “back to the land” movement of the late sixties. We wanted to make beautiful wine. We figured Tim’s masters in Animal Behaviour along with my unimpressive journalism career would be beneficial. Wrong. However we did have youth (temporary), self belief (unwarranted) and friends. At one stage we had four mortgages and three jobs each. The old house at Neudorf had electricity in two rooms, an outside long drop, an inefficient wood stove and no hot water. I look back with no regrets.

Because there was so little known about basic viticulture in New Zealand we planted many varieties to see which ones were best suited to our soils. Merlot came and went as did Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and the dreaded Muller Thurgau. We were a bit hasty in rejecting Gewürztraminer and may look at that again. But we did it. Very few misgivings. Making wine is constantly scary and stimulating. We survive on hard work, high hopes and a dollop of common-sense and cunning.

---

Dinner and Wine Evening
With Tim & Judy Finn from Neudorf Estate
Wednesday, 2 November 2011

James Nicholson Sparkling Wine

Amuse Bouche of Cream of Cep and Truffle Oil

Crispy Ham Hock with Beetroot Relish and Mustard Cress

Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Pan-Fried Halibut with Cockles and Samphire,
Lemon & Herb Beurre Blanc 

Neudorf Chardonnay 2009

Braised Chuck of Beef with Thyme, Parsley Puree,
Horseradish Mash and Glazed Baby Carrots

Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir 2008

Star Anise Dessert Plate
Tea & Coffee

CHRISTENING THE RIEDEL

Tempranillo grapes

CHRISTENING THE RIEDEL
with a couple of Reservas


As you may know from a post earlier this week, I bought myself some Riedel glasses in town on Saturday. They were marked down from 25 to 15 euro. Needed something decent for the first use and so I settled on two recent acquisitions, both from Spain. The christening party went well!

FINCA MUSEUM VINEA RESERVA, TEMPRANILLO 2005, CIGALES, 14%, €8.00 TESCO, 4.5 STARS 

This is made from the fruits of 60 year old vines, has been aged for 18 months in oak and has then spent two years in the bottle. Well worth the wait.

Colour is close to black and there are aromas of dark fruit (plums, cherries). First impressions in the mouth are of fruit, spice and acidity. Warm wavelets of concentrated fruit slip and slide around the mouth and then the wine is slow to go, as if sorry to do so. And you are sorry to feel it fade away.

FERNANDO CASTRO CASTILLO SANTA BARBARA, VALDEPENAS GRAN RESERVA, TEMPRANILLO 2001, 13%, €6.99 O`DONOVAN`S, 4 STARS 

Picked up this lovely award winner at half price in my local O’Donovan’s. Colour is of dark cherry and the nose is of dark fruits and hints of pepper. It is fruity, spicy and dry on the palate. The fruits, black and red, feature as does the spice, in a complex multi-layered mouthful which lingers as it leaves.

More on the wine here. 

Spanish aging terms:

Crianza	Total stored 24 months, at least 6 months in oak
Reserva	Total stored 36 months, at least 12 months in oak
Gran Reserva	Total stored 60 months, at least 24 months in oak

Portuguese Wine Dinner at Donnybrook Fair

Portuguese Wine dinner at Donnybrook Fair

The Restaurant @ Donnybrook Fair concludes its popular series of wine dinners for 2011 by welcoming Portuguese winemaker Nuno Mira do Ó from Companhia das Quintas to host a wine dinner on Wednesday 30^th November at 7.45pm.  Nuno will introduce wines from estates located in the Douro, Beira, Lisboa, Bucelas, Palmela and Alentejo regions.  The wines featured on the night will be paired with a delicious four course menu, specially designed for the occasion.  The evening is priced at €60 per person / €100 for two. 

Nuno´s wines are frequently awarded with medals in international competitions, and high scores in the international press.  Companhia das Quintas is one of Portugal´s largest wine and spirits companies with seven different wineries spread across the country.  The group has a passion for creating estate-grown top quality wines, based on the best Portuguese grape varieties and showcasing characteristics of each terroir.

Join us in The Restaurant @ DF on 30^th November for what promises to be a fantastic night of delicious food and fine wines!

Booking Details (Limited places available):

DATE: Wednesday 30^th November                      TIME: 19.45        

COST: €60 per person / €100 for 2 people   

LOCATION: The Restaurant @ Donnybrook Fair, 1^st Floor, 89 Morehampton Road, D4

T: 01 614 4849

E: restaurant@donnybrookfair.ie

W: http://www.donnybrookfair.ie/therestaurant/winedinners

Wonderfully wicked Halloween ideas

A PORTER TO CARRY MY PORTER?

PORTER IN NORTH MAIN STREET

Never know what you’ll find when you visit Bradley’s in North Main Street. A bit of a sweeping statement so let’s adjust to something more like the truth: “I never know what I will leave with when I visit Bradley’s.”

Called at the weekend with a simple enough mission: to replenish my stock of Stonewell Cider and also to add the sweet PX to the Oloroso and Amontillado already bought from their brilliant Lustau sherry range.

That was easily accomplished, all in stock. But I also left with the 8 Degrees Brewing Company’s  Knockmealdown Porter and that was the first thing I tried out. It is the latest addition to the Mitchelstown based brewery’s range and follows two well received ales.

So this is the first porter. It is black (as you might expect!), rich with a chocolatley flavour and well balanced (some old world bitter hops were used). It leaves, all too soon, with a longish dry finish. I like this one, another reason to call to North Main Street. Will have to get a bigger stronger bag! Maybe a porter to carry my porter. Bottle size is 33cl and the ABV is 5%.

Had been traipsing round town looking for Port glasses, without success. Tried TKMax as a last resort. They didn't have them either but did have sets of two Riedel wine glasses at the knockdown price of €15.00. Bought a couple of sets and tried them out over the weekend with a couple of Spanish reservas. But that’s another post!

ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE

ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE

From sauerkraut to PX: the alpha and the omega of my meal at Electric last night. And there was quite a lot of good stuff in between as well.

The cathedral’s shadow in the near distance by the river, the lights twinkling in the trees outside and reflections galore as the Friday traffic rolled up and down the Mall were all part of the view from this comfortable upstairs room, a busy buzzy spot, where the welcome (we were met downstairs) and the service are friendly and efficient.

Nobody hanging around your table but they do keep an eye on things and, for instance, pop over with more water when they see you running down and put out a bowl of warm water if you are eating anything sticky.

And I was. My starter was Bodice & Cabbage: roast pork ribs with sauerkraut & chilli (€7.00). I’ve had this before so knew what to expect. It is just terrific: tasty meat with well made sauerkraut livened up by the chilli. If you haven’t tried this, I’d recommend it. HN enjoyed her Pan-fried brie with basil, Serrano ham, tomato and mint chutney (€ 8).

My main course was the Veal Bolognese with penne pasta & parmesan (€14). I rarely go Italian so was doing this for research! It was a very pleasant surprise indeed, the tiny minced pieces of the Bolognese (no shortage of them) perfectly complemented by the pasta. Very happy with this perfect combination.

HN and CL both went for the Ballea lamb shoulder & fillet with butternut squash, rosemary & gravy (19.50). Must admit I was a bit jealous when I saw the dishes but I was thrown a few samples of lamb and in any case the ladies were absolutely pleased with it, particularly the slow cooked shoulder. A tasty and substantial dish, the veg and sauce in perfect harmony with the meat.

Met Marambro Creek winemaker Brad Rey a weeks back when he visited Karwig Wines and so was delighted to see his Jip Jip Rocks Patdthaway 2009 Shiraz (€ 25) on the list. This lively Shiraz went down well with the lamb.

After the lamb and the pasta, we were all pretty full, so rounded off the evening in Electric, celebrating its first birthday this coming Thursday, with three glasses (between us!) of their Lustau PX (€4.50).

AMUSE BOUCHE

From
"Neither here nor there" by Bill Bryson


".....I was so hungry that I would have eaten almost anything, even a plate of my grandmother's famous creamed ham and diced carrots, the only dish in history to have been inspired by vomit."

THREE WINNING WINES

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005, Hunter Valley Australia, 12%, €10.00 Tesco, 4.5 stars
Colour: light gold, bright, micro bubbles
Nose: Citrus rind.
Palate: Full fruity tropical smooth waxy mouthfeel yet well balanced. The Hunter is famous for Semillon and this is a fantastic example where the patient aging in the bottle has paid off in a big way. No wonder that it comes with a bunch of gold medals! You may read much more about this prize-winning wine here. 

OGIO Primitivo IGP Puglia Italy 2010, 13%, €6 Tesco, 4 stars
Colour: Ruby red
Nose: Intense, mainly cherry
Palate: Rich and fruity, warm, hints of spice. With the tannins doing their job, it is an engaging mouthfeel plus it has a long lingering finish. Quite a hefty drink from the heel of Italy and recommended on Twitter by Tom Doorley.

Tagus Creek Shiraz and Trincadeira, Alentejano 2009, 14%, €8.69 Tesco, 4 stars 
Colour: Medium dark-red
Nose: Aromatic, ripe red/black fruits
Palate: Fruity and juicy, spicy and warm, yet pleasantly dry. It is supple with a comforting mouthfeel and finish.
Decanter recently awarded this its international trophy for a Red Blend at less than 10 UK pounds "Deliciously good value. Fantastic." They said. And the judges were also impressed by its freshness.
Tongue in cheek, I'm glad to say the judges agreed with me. Now, I'll get the tongue out of the way to make room for another mouthful of delicious Tagus Creek.

Icon of French winemaking coming to Ballymaloe

Colm McCan, sommelier at Ballymaloe, has been in touch to tell me they "are very much  looking forward to Samuel Guibert's first visit to Ballymaloe".

Icon of French winemaking coming to Ballymaloe

Legend of the Languedoc, young French winemaker, Samuel Guibert, of Mas de Daumas Gassac, will present the story of this great Wine Estate at a wine tasting at Ballymaloe on Friday 21^st October, 7pm, with a selection of their wonderful wines, from a Sparkling Rosé, several different White Wines, and several different Red Wines. As a finale, the informal tasting will include a vertical tasting of the Grand Cru Mas de Daumas Gassac red, a unique opportunity to taste multiple vintages of this iconic wine.

Described by Gault & Millau as “a Lafite in the Languedoc”, “the only Grand Cru of the Midi” by Hugh Johnson and “Exceptional” by Robert Parker, Mas de Daumas Gassac have been the benchmark for Languedoc wines for over 30 years.

Tutored wine tasting with Samuel Guibert, Friday 21^st October, 7pm, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe -  tickets €15, are available in advance, and on the night at the door, and advance booking is advised from either colm@ballymaloe.ie or The Grain Store at Ballymaloe 021 4651511, or 083 3631468

The tutored wine tasting will then be followed by a separate wine dinner, with Samuel Guibert, in Ballymaloe House, at 8.30pm, served with a selection of the Daumas Gassac wines including the Mas de Daumas Gassac red. Wine dinner €85, including dinner and wines; advance booking essential, telephone 021 4652531 or colm@ballymaloe.ie

In association with well known Munster wine merchants, Gary Gubbins of ‘Red Nose Wines’ and  Mike & Matt Kane of ‘Curious Wines’, who are co-hosting this special wine event with Ballymaloe

Ballymaloe House
Shanagarry
Co Cork

Tel: 00353 21 4652531

Fax:00353 (0)21 4652021

www.ballymaloe.ie