“Why don't we get it more often?”

KERPEN RIESLING BLAUCHIEFER TROCKEN 2010, 11.5%, €12.69 (Karwig Wines) ****

This is bright and clean with a light honey colour and a pleasant aromatic nose. On the palate it is lively, fruity and dry. A very promising initial contact, the promise maintained with an excellent finish.

I like this tangy fresh young Riesling as I liked the older sister last year. Quite an elegant easy drinking wine though not altogether a simple one. The excellent balance between fruit (Citrus, Apples) and the acidity make it a good companion for fish, salads or on its own in the garden on a summer’s day, even in the living room in mid-winter!

Must add that the good companion here also rated it highly: “Why don't we get it more often?” I'll be very happy to oblige!

Mosel is one the 13 German regions for quality wines, perhaps the most famous and it is the 3rd largest in terms of production.

This Christmas Cake kit works!

This worked for me!
The Odlum's Christmas Cake kit, with an excellent recipe booklet, is widely available at about the €12.00 mark. I got one to try and yes it works. Very easy to follow, and voila, a few hours later, you have a lovely light cake for the Christmas.

THE COFFEE CLUB

THE COFFEE CLUB

Just rejoined the club. No. Not the Sports Club!

My first renewal for 2012 is the Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club. Cost has gone up a bit to €59.00 but it is still very competitive. I’ve seen another one being pushed on the net for close to double the price.

Delighted with the way Robert Roberts, a long established Irish company, ran the club last year and delighted with the selection of excellent coffees. Master Blender Gareth Scully took us on a world trip: from Brazil to Malawi to India to Columbia.

Not a bad choice among the 12. The really strong ones wouldn’t have been among the favourites but they weren’t too many. Indeed, one of the strongest ones I came across was outside the club: a summer sample from Roberts called New York Roast #6.

This was strong, like a yellow cab engine powering away from the kerb. Come tumbling down in the morning, mumbling and grumbling and this one would growl back at you: get up, get out and get on with it, wimp!

My favourites? Well, the current one, a Honduran Pacamara from the family owned Finca Santa Maria, is going down very well indeed. I also liked the co-op coffee called Malawi Mzuzu AAA, the organic Ethiopian Yiracheffe was another favourite, as was the Organic Peruvian Cecovesa (another co-op, Fair-trade, organic and Rainforest approved!),

The Bastilla Farm in Nicaragua has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance and supplied the August offering, the well liked Finca la Bastilla. Guatemala’s Los Volcanes was a bit stronger but excellent and I also liked the full bodied Kenyan AA Mwiega Estate offering.

All in all, it was a very good performance by the Coffee Club and I’m sure Gareth and company will be doing the same for us in 2012. Looking forward to it already.

PARADISE IN NORTH MAIN STREET

PARADISE IN NORTH MAIN STREET

Hennessy’s in Cognac have a room that they call Paradise as it contains much of their very old brandies. I reckon the title could easily be applied to Bradley’s Off License in North Main Street. Here, they stock virtually every drink you can call for and, besides, are great supporters of the local craft brewing movement.

Take cider for instance. They are one of the few, if not the only store, to stock the relatively new Stonewell Cider which has taken off very well indeed. The Stonewell is made by Daniel Emerson in Novohal and now has a rival from Mallow, from William O’Callaghan of Longueville House.

I’ll let apple expert Con Traas, owner of the Cahir Apple Farm, talk on the subject he knows so well. “Both make excellent ciders. William’s is full of traditional cider apples, which makes it a real West Country type cider, as it would be known in the UK. Daniel’s is less tannic, but also excellent. If you get the chance to try either, I would highly recommend them.”

And if it is beer that you’re after, then Bradley’s is the place. There is a wall of beer here, over one hundred craft beers from these islands and further afield, including local notables such as Eight Degrees Brewing and Dungarvan Brewing and sometimes including the limited run specials (such as that fantastic Shandon Century Extra Stout) from the Franciscan Well just across the river.

All kinds of wines on sale here also and you are sure to find something you like. Maybe the NV Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato, the low alcohol wine that is taking Australia by storm. If you fancy a sherry, I can recommend the Lustau range, everything from Amontillado to Oloroso to PX.

And then there are the spirits. No, the place is not haunted, though it was established in 1850. I was in there recently, looking for a gin. I was shown quite a few but, in the end, settled for Bombay Sapphire, my old reliable.

And here’s a neat one. After purchasing the gin, I was presented with a tonic, made especially for gin and containing some of the same botanicals as the spirit. The jury is out as far as I am concerned but if you want to try it, it is called Fentiman’s, available in Bradley’s. Of course!
There is something of a study on the best tonic for gin here.

PHEASANT WELCOME AT BLAIR'S INN

BLAIR’S INN

The game season is well underway and Blair’s Inn  is the place to be. Very enjoyable lunch there yesterday. 

After a warm welcome from Duncan – he sat us by the fire – we had a big choice to make between their famous venison casserole and the pheasant. In the end, I plumped for the bird. Oh, by the way, there are many other choices on the menu. 

This was the menu description for my mains: Half braised wild Wicklow pheasant on a chestnut stuffing, served with a wild mushroom and red wine sauce (€17.75). Must say this was a top drawer dish and I was delighted with it. 

The pheasant was perfectly cooked and the stuffing was delicious and all set up by a luxurious sauce with the mushroom pleasantly evident with excellent vegetables, including potatoes, also served separately. Five out of five for this one. And top marks too for the gluten free dessert, an Apple and Pear Cobbler with almonds and ice-cream. 

And the wine? No wine today. Just a smashing pint (€4.15) of the Dungarvan Brewing Company’s Coffee and Oatmeal Stout. Duncan told me: “Delighted you enjoyed the Coffee & Oatmeal. We are honoured to be one of the two pubs in the country (indeed, the only one outside of Dublin) to get hold of this very limited special brew. We are very lucky to have it. It is seriously good.” 

Just as well I had it as Tom Dalton, Sales and Distribution Manager with the Waterford company, was in the house. Duncan brought him to the table and we enjoyed our brief chat. Great to get the chance to say well done and keep up the good work! 

And well done too to Duncan and all the team at Blair’s Inn.

CHRIS PFEIFFER: SUPERB ON STICKIES

CHRIS PFEIFFER: SUPERB ON STICKIES

Stickie wicket

Yet another lovely wine evening in Cork, thanks mainly to a superb contribution by Australian Chris Pfeiffer. The renowned and deservedly much honoured Rutherglen winemaker was on his favourite subject: Australian stickies (fortified and dessert wines), and the Vine Wine Cellar in the Hayfield Manor was an excellent venue for the tasting, delivered with an abundance of intimate knowledge and no little humour.

Chris, as is his wont, was representing his neighbours’ as well as his own wines, and started us off with a NV Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato. This inviting 5.5% ABV carbonated effort “is taking the country (Australia) by storm” and certainly went down well at our table. Distributed by Liberty Wines, it is widely available here.

Then came the 2010 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora, weighing in at 11.5% or so, and also widely available. The Brown family are neighbours of Chris: “Forty five miles away but that’s neighbours in Australia. It is easy drinking, full of flavour and freshness and simple to enjoy.”

Now for the first of the true stickies: a 2009 Pete Lehmann Botrytis Semillon (Barossa Valley). This was the “..more classic, European style..complex..more persistent..with a delicious lusciousness on the middle palate..” Available from O’Donovan’s, Molloys and independent Off Licences.

Chris Pfeiffer

“Grant Burge is passionate about fortified wines” said Chris as he introduced the 10 Year Old Tawny (Barossa Valley). “The brandy spirit here plays an important additional role by adding flavour. Australian wines tend to be sweeter than the Douro.” This beauty, available from O’Donovan’s, Cellars, and Sweeney’s of Glasnevin, went down well.

I preferred the Tawny as did quite a few but the next wine, available through and at Curious Wines, also had many advocates including John McDonnell of Wine Australia Ireland who was helping Chris on the night. This was the 2006 Woodstock Vintage Shiraz from the McLaren Vale, “plum pudding and mince in a glass”.

Chris had lots of anecdotes about the wine industry and  let us know at this point that the table wines “pay” for the fortified wines which are regarded as “an accountant’s nightmare, because they tie up so much capital”. Fortunately, thanks to people like Chris, the accountants don't always have their way. “Fortified wines are undervalued...they deliver great punch for your pound!”

The next three wines were all by Chris, all from Rutherglen. The first was the Pfeiffer Topaque (previously called Tokay). “This is 100% Moscatel. No Botrytis here but it is well ripened and the last grape we pick (in June). There is plenty of accumulated sugar but we don't lose the fruit.” And this luscious flavour-full wine was well liked at our table.

Like the Topaque, the Pfeiffer Muscat spends five years in wood. The grapes have been harvested at high sugar levels and then the different parcels are blended to produce a youthful fresh wine. Sweet yes, Christmas pudding was mentioned, but not cloying.

Then we had the most fantastic bonus: Pfeiffer Grand Muscat. This expensive wine is not available in Ireland so I made the most of our taster, taking it tiny sip by tiny sip. It is twenty years old and has spent most of that time in barrel. “It is a very special occasion wine (like old Cognac). It is very complex and you don't need much.”

Ballymaloe's Colm McCan and yours truly

Yes indeed. And, believe it or not, Pfeiffer also do a Rare Muscat, four years older than the Grand. Like to get a  sip or two of that sometime.

And so this lovely stickie tasting came to an end but we weren't quite finished yet as Chris also had some of his bread and butter table wines to show us. Indeed, we had started on entry with a very attractive 2008 Pfeiffer Carlyle Chardonnay Marsanne. Up to 45% is Marsanne and 6 months contact with the lees also helps round it off. As the evening closed, we had some very tasty nibbles from the Hayfield and sampled two excellent easy drinking reds: the 2008 Carlyle Shiraz and the 2008 Carlyle Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Rutherglen wines, table, fortified and dessert, are available at and distributed by Karwig Wines. Worth a  call before Christmas!

THE APPLE FARMER

THE APPLE FARMER

Driving along the tree lined avenue to the Apple Farm in Moorstown (near Cahir) on the last day of November, I was expecting everything to be very quiet. Instead, it was quietly busy.

Con, with a fairly mature plum tree

The fruit trees, mainly apple and plum, may be more or less dormant but the maintenance work goes on. That was especially evident in the strawberry beds, raised on metal supports, where the dying vegetation was being trimmed back, leaving the crowns.

Technique and timing are each important in the out of season work, especially in the pruning of the trees, and owner Con Traas is confident in the skills of his crew.

Con, whose family came here from Holland in the late 60s, was at his desk, working on the winter edition of The Apple Club Newsletter. Typical of the man, the 1500 copies are printed on recycled paper.

He plays a leading role in the food community in Tipperary, always keen to promote a good product (not just from Tipp) and always keeping an eye on the big supermarkets, especially on their “special” offers.

Con may be vastly experienced in fruit farming but is always willing to learn. He had a PhD student in during the summer studying the bumble bees on the farm and Con learned that he had five species. The student learned a lot and so did Con: “I now know for sure that, if I want plenty of bees to be there to pollinate my apple trees, that I must do my utmost to ensure…plenty of flowering plants to feed my bees when the apples themselves are not in flower.”

Con took time off from the computer to take us on a tour, starting in the shop which is so well stocked with fruit, jams and juices. Then we saw his new processing shed, white and bright and nearing completion. While much of the work in the fields is manual, processing is largely mechanical as we saw when we visited the sorting and juicing areas.

Apple Storage too is pretty high-tech as they are kept in a Controlled Atmosphere within the containers. The amount of oxygen, controlled within the container, plays a big role here in keeping the apples nice and fresh and crispy for you when you need them, even a few months from now.

Then, back to the shop to fill the bags with loads of juice, including my favourite, The Sparkling Irish Apple Juice, fruit (eating and cooking apples) and also lots of jam (mainly the plum, another favourite).

Calling all small food and drink producers!

Calling all small food and drink producers!

Bord Bia Small Business Open Day

'Delivering insights for success in 2012'

Bord Bia will hold a Small Business Open Day for small food and drink producers on the 18^th January, 2012 between 9.00am and 2.30pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.

The Bord Bia Small Business Open Day will provide an opportunity for small food and drink producers to access the range of programmes and services available to support business success in 2012. The event, entitled ‘Delivering insights for success in 2012’, will showcase the wide range of services on offer from Bord Bia and other support agencies and organisations to assist companies in planning for growth and business development. The Open Day will also provide delegates with an opportunity to network with other food and drink producers.

PERIscope 6, the latest research findings on Irish consumer behavior and attitudes towards food, shopping and cooking, will be presented by Bord Bia. A case study will explore new and innovative ways of developing a successful brand. There will also be a presentation of recommendations on how to develop an Online Marketing Strategy. Tips will also be provided on how to conduct a financial health check for businesses in 2012.

The event is free of charge to attend. To secure your place at the Bord Bia Small Business Open Day, please contact Rebecca Moore by email at rebecca.moore@bordbia.ie or by phone at (01) 6142204. For further information or to book online, please visit www.bordbiavantage.ie.

BARRY'S TEA WINNERS

Congrats to the winners of the special Barry's Tea Santa packs.

Emma Lynch (Cork)
Ger Ring (Cork);
Mary Horgan (Cork);
Sean Hegarty (Cork);
Belinda Daly (Dublin);
Ivan Bevan (Cork);
Isabel Ann Jones (Cork);
Josephine Battye (Waterford);
Lorraine Ni Bhealatuin (Laois);
Donal Riordan (Cork).

Amuse Bouche

“To accompany my mother to a restaurant is a mortifying experience. When we go in, she looks over the tables, checking what other people are eating, sometimes so closely that she alarms the diners. She reads the menu with excessive attention and torments the waiter with malicious questions that force him to go to the kitchen and return with written answers. Then she urges us all to order something different, and when the food arrives she takes photos…  The rest is easy; she takes a bite from each plate and with that taste knows how to interpret it later at home…” From Aphrodite by Isabel Allende.

YALI MERLOT FROM CHILE

YALI NATIONAL RESERVA, MERLOT, MAIPA VALLEY, CHILE, 2010, 13.5%, €12.99 TESCO, €9.99 COSTCUTTERS AND CARRY OUT.


This is a darkish red with a healthy sheen. On the nose, there are red and black fruits, including plum, and also a hint of vanilla. It is full flavoured with an immediate impact on the sensors, fresh and medium bodied, dry and well balanced with a pleasant spicy finish.

Ideal at 16-18°C, this wine is a perfect match for semi-mature cheeses, pasta and grilled meats.

Quite likeable, in fact. And the distributors list other considerations that you may like. Vina Ventisquero are committed to good environmental practices. The bottle is lightweight; transport emissions are offset via Climate Care and Yali, named after nearly conservation area, have a partnership with Birdwatch Ireland.

If you want to give it a go at a bargain price, you’ll find it as part of the December Meal Deal in Tesco which means you’ll get main course, side dish and dessert plus a bottle of Yali from €12.00. Sales Director Americo Hernandez is very pleased with the success of Yali here: “There are five wines n the range, all single varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and Chardonnay, available at Carry Out and Costcutters, plus Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc which are also stocked by Tesco. In line with Vino Ventisqueros objectives, Yali wines trend towards lower alcohol. This allows the fruit potential to be more fully expressed in fresh, exceptionally well balanced wines, honest to their varieties.”

CURIOUS WINES TREASURE TROVE

Mont Marcal's Gareth York (right) with Clare and myself and that gorgeous good value Cava!
Pic by Ger McCarthy

CURIOUS WINES TREASURE TROVE


When most people go to Curious Wines, they leave with wine, naturally enough. Me? I leave with a recipe, thanks to Gareth York of Mont Marcal Vinicola Penedes (Spain).

But I must admit I did get through quite a bit of tasting before I got to Gareth! All you Curious fans, and there are quite a few of you, will know that the brothers Kane have a massive selection and, in fairness, had dozens of bottles open during their Wine Fair in aid of the Guide Dogs last weekend. And the good news is that they have plenty left to sell between now and Christmas.

I’ve often heard and read the brothers talking up the Ned Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and now I’ve have to join them. It is top class but they’ve got some other cracking SBs from down, under including the Ant Moore and the Kings Favor.

Others whites that impressed on Friday evening were the Chartron & Trebuchet Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay 2010 and the Pellehaut Ampelomeryx 2009.

I’ll leave the Spanish, and Gareth’s stand, ‘til later. Started the reds with a Crane Lane Pinot Noir 2009 (8.49) from California but that was soon outmatched by The Ned 2010 (19.99) and another Kiwi The Kings Wrath 2009 (22.00).

Liked the Gregorina Sangiovese Superiore 2010 on sale at 9.99, even though it was a bit on the cold side, and then moved on to the Spanish.

Well, I had already tasted a pretty good Valdamor Albarino 2008 here at €16.99 and also a nice fruity Mont Marcal Blanco 2010 at a very reasonable €7.99. The Red will cost you the same. These two would be quite acceptable at the Christmas party, or indeed, at any party.

They had two excellent Riojas here. First was the more basic Vallobera Pago Malarina 2008, on sale at €8.99, and then the Vallobera Crianza at €11.99.

It was while we were quaffing the Cava, especially the Mont Marcal Extremarium, that I got really chatting with Gareth who is based in Barcelona with the company.

Gareth is a big fan of Café Paradiso’s Denis Cotter and of US food writer Coleman Andrews. He didn’t know about the US writer’s Irish book but highly recommended his Catalan Cuisine.

Gareth likes to play his music when he is in the kitchen and this recipe is one of his favourites to accompany the Cava. I’m not sure if it comes from the Andrews book. Maybe not.

Basically, you’ll need to toast some good quality bread and use your Iberico ham at room temperature (not straight from the fridge). Iberico ham (“the one with the acorns”) is best but you may use Serrano. You will also need really ripe tomatoes. “If hard, grate them and make a puree to which you add olive oil and salt”.

Then you pile your ham and the purée on to your toast. Pour a glass of Cava, probably your second one, and away you go!

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