Baigorri Crianza and Reserva

Baigorri Crianza and Reserva

Baigorri Tempranillo Crianza 2008, La Rioja, 14.5%, €11.40 in the bodega at Samaniego.
Baigorri Tempranillo Reserva 2006, La Rioja, 14.0%, €18.66 in the bodega at Samaniego.


Happy day: the 12th June 2012. That was the day I pulled into the winery of Baigorri, its glass cube rising above but not dominating the nearby medieval village of Samaniego in La Rioja, and left with some really lovely wines, including these two.

We rang the bell and Pilar met us at the door and let us in. We were too late for the tour but had a lovely chat with the young lady who had polished off her English on the Clash Road in Little Island (Cork).

I was amazed at the stunning winery, designed and built by the architect Inaki Aspiazu, creating an unmissable yet compatible landmark. The cube is just the top of a seven storey structure that carries on underneath the surface and means that virtually every movement of the wine making process owes much to gravity.

And the results in the bottles are brilliant too.

The Crianza

Colour is dark red and there are intense aromas of red fruits, regularly found with Tempranillo in this region.

But the palate is something else, above expectations. Full of fruit flavours but very rounded, quite sophisticated. A really well made wine with a persistent finish.

Probably the best value of the wines that I bought here and very highly recommended.

The Reserva

The Reserva is another excellent wine but is pretty expensive. If I were stuck for money and in the bodega again, I’d probably buy two Crianza rather than one Reserva!

There are good reasons for the big price difference. It has been a good deal longer in the process, including longer in oak. The grapes are picked from very old vines, manually selected and de-stalked before being fermented in French oak.

It is one hundred per cent Tempranillo whereas the Crianza is a blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 5% indigenous varieties.

The colour is a dark ruby red. The nose is rich with ripe fruit and hints of spice and leather. On the palate it is pleasant, warm and fruity, slightly spicy, with a supple texture drawn from the tannins and the oak, rounded and so well balanced with a persistent dry finish. Another in the very highly recommended category.

Gathering the Wine Geese Home

Gathering the Wine Geese Home

Just heard from Beverley of L'Atitude 51. She has some exciting news on the wine front:



In association with The Gathering Ireland, we are organizing a series of “Meet the Wine Geese” events throughout 2013, where Wine Geese from across the globe, ranging from some of the more famous Bordeaux players to the smaller less-well known producers will be flying home to meet wine (and history) enthusiasts and share their stories and wines – they’ll recount their winery’s history and connections with Ireland and give a guided tasting of their wines – they talk, we taste!

The aim is to host at least one event per month which will be open to the public in venues across Cork city and county, including some historical venues. A schedule of events is currently being drafted and will be made available shortly. We are really excited to include the wine tasting & presentation by Jean Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch-Bages, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe on Sunday 10th March (http://www.ballymaloe.ie/things-to-do/wine-events) as one of our 12 events. As this is an opportunity to promote the best of Irish produce, tastings will tie in with other similar events, such as masterclasses in cheese & wine matching, etc...

The initiative is being led by L’Atitude 51 with support from Colm McCann of Ballymaloe and Maurice O’Mahony of Wine Alliance and has received approval from Cork City Council to be included as part of The Gathering Ireland's official line-up of events. We are looking to engage as many venues, suppliers, members of the hospitality trade and the media as we can to make the event as successful as possible.

We have a page on The Gathering's website where details of events will be posted as they are confirmed, as well as feedback on events held.


For more on the event please click here

Toys for Pigs!

Toys for pigs? And music.. Whatever next?


Truly Irish have a new and "a very exciting project which might just change the future of how/why we eat meat and the Irish pig industry.

Please take a look. We are involved with groups from the EU as well as BioAtlantis, UCD, UFBI in Ireland and the project has received funding of 1.68 million.

Our head office is located in Charleville with our 85 pig farmers located all over the country. Our goal has always been to safeguard 8,000 Irish jobs and to save the Irish pig industry."

Click here to read all about it

The Four Liars

The Four Liars

Spent an enjoyable ninety minutes or so in the Four Liars Bistro, in the shadow of Shandon, on Friday night. First impressions were good. The place was neat and tidy with solid but very comfortable tables and chairs. The standard table for two was more spacious than most.

We got a lovely warm welcome and the service was friendly throughout. Great too to read on the menu folder about their focus on local produce. The menu had been “put together with the best of local ingredients while adding a continental touch. All our food is sourced locally... our beef is from O’Flynn’s, Sunday’s Well, Chicken from the English Market, Fish from Good Fish, Carrigaline..”

I started off with a beauty: Lobster Bisque with Cognac and Cream. This, from the A La Carte, cost €9.50. A handful of prawns were in the very tasty bisque. The other starter, Duck Spring Rolls with Mango Chutney (7.25), was another excellent combination of taste and flavour.

Had been given one of those discount vouchers as a Christmas present and we used that to pick our mains from the Value Menu (which looks good value with three courses for 24.95). They also do an Early Bird with three courses for 19.95. The voucher also allowed us a drink, a glass of wine or a bottle of beer (no craft beer here, so had a Miller).

My mains was Chicken Creole sautéed in a sweet chilli and red wine sauce with Chorizo and sweet red peppers. A lovely piece of chicken, well cooked, spicy but not overly so and there was a really well made Potato Croquet also in the mix. And that wasn't all as we got a superb side plate of vegetables that included turnip, carrot and pea. Quite a pleasing dish, also quite filling and, if you didn’t have a voucher, reasonably priced at €15.00.

Between the various menus, there is a great choice. You may spend as much or as little as you like here, with mains on the A La Carte priced between €13.95 and €32.00. And, going by last Friday’s performance, I’d have no worries about quality. We enjoyed our visit and great to see another restaurant supporting local produce.

Four Liars Bistro,
The Butter Exchange,
Shandon,
Cork,
Ireland .

Contact:  021 4394040  and thefourliarsbistro@gmail.com

A twinning proposition: Timoleague and Samaniego

A twinning proposition: Timoleague and Samaniego

Timoleague (above) and Samaniego

Let us twin the ancient villages of Timoleague (West Cork) and Samaniego (La Rioja). Maybe I can’t pull that off but I sure can get Ummera and Baigorri together. Ummera is a famous state of the art smokehouse in Timoleague while Baigorri is a renowned state of the art winery in La Rioja.

Indeed, I have already brought them together, stumbling on a fantastic wine food pairing, as an unforeseen postscript when I recently opened a bottle of Baigorri Garnacha that I had purchased in Samaniego last summer.

Approaching the end of this bottle, I remembered that I had a few slices of the fantastic Ummera smoked duck to be finished off. Thought to myself that they might make a match.

For once, heaven agreed with me. Chewed a sliver of the duck and added a little wine. Eureka! The "chemistry"  revealed depths of smoky flavour, hitherto unsuspected. Amazingly, products from two ancient villages met on my palate and turned it into a flavour filled paradise.

Baigorri Garnacha, Rioja 2009, 14.5%, €19.54 at the winery in Haro.

Baigorri tend to experiment a bit and they even have a “garage” wine. This Garnacha has been influenced by the winemakers, a vin de l'auteur they call it. A well made wine for sure and highly recommended (very highly recommended if you add the smoked duck!) but a little pricey in comparison with their excellent Tempranillo Reserva.

Quite a dry introduction and then a bubbly rush of fruits. A flavoursome wine then with a stirring persistence. It has a rich red colour with calm fruity aromas, especially plum, plus hints of spice. Overall, the experience in the mouth echoes that of the bouquet.

Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche

Even here in Southern Italy, in unheated houses in winter, bread won’t rise because of the cold. Historically the answer was to take the rising mass to bed with you, using the human body and bed clothing to maintain the adequate temperature. I did this for a few weeks over this winter, the pleasant and yeasty gestation under the sheets and thick woolen blankets, likely the closest I’ll ever come to feeling the profound satisfaction observed on the faces of mother hens.
http://awaitingtable.com/2012/04/pane-nella-pignata-bread-baked-in-earthenware/ from the blog by SILVESTRO

BB and Amy in Cork Show later this month

Legendary photographer, Terry O’Neill, brings a major exhibition of his work to Cork in January 2013. The show will feature shots of Bridgette Bardot (left) and Amy Whitehouse (below) among many others. Read all about it here

Cork Baker’s Book in Paris Mix

Food and Drink Spotting

Cork Baker’s Book in Paris Mix

Just over 6 months ago chef and baker Patrick Ryan turned his back on a successful career in the UK to return home to set up the Firehouse Bakery and Bread School on Heir Island in West Cork.

On his return home Patrick brought with him his first published book 'Bread Revolution' which aims to return bread to its rightful place as 'King of the Table'. Patrick is now set to take his 'Bread Revolution' to Paris as it has been short listed for the Gourmand World Cook book awards best bread book 2012.

With participants from 171 countries Patrick's passion for real bread will go up against authors from France, Austria, Denmark and Singapore for the title of Best Bread book with the eventual winner being crowned at an awards dinner on February 23rd at Carrousel Du Louvre in Paris.

“Absolutely overwhelmed to receive such recognition” says Patrick. “ The idea behind 'Bread Revolution' was to just get people back baking again. I wanted to show that there is so much more to bread than just brown and white. With a few tips and thrifty tricks the humble loaf can so easily be transformed into a meal”.

'Bread Revolution' is just a taste of what you can get expect from a day’s bread making at The Firehouse Bakery and Bread School. With over 60 recipes including everything from nettle and chive flowerpot loaves to crusty sourdoughs 'Bread Revolution' provides true crust to crumb eating.

Shorts

Castle Hotel

Lucky enough to get a ticket to see The Boss in Cork?……

Don't be left 'Dancing In The Dark' this July 18th 2013 - The  boutique four star Castle Hotel in Macroom,  nestled between Blarney and Killarney and just 30 minutes from Cork City, is the ideal base for Springsteen fans to explore the scenic South West of Ireland.

The four star Castle Hotel is delighted to launch The Bruce Springsteen Special package and, for as little as  €55 per person sharing.  guests are in for a treat. For further information on this offer and other special offers currently available at the Castle Hotel visit here.

From Vineyards Direct
“We're very excited to announce the arrival of 2 magnificent new wines from the iconic Château de la Négly in the Languedoc, and a Bourgogne Blanc from the stellar producer Domaine Michelot, a Meursault in all but name at a  terrific price.

Negly, within sight of the Mediterranean, the sea breeze helps to soften the sometimes harsh heat of the summer and this combined with the unique terroir and painstaking methods of the estate results in an utterly delicious and very well priced wine at just €14.49 per bottle.” Details here.

Longueville House ‏@Longuevillecork
Longueville House & Restaurant open every weekend throughout January. Great DBB deals on weekend stays! T 02247156 http://Www.longuevillehouse.ie

Colours of Beer
Beertone, classification of your beer by its color.

Cafe Portebleue ‏@cafe_portebleue
Seared scallops with pan fried lardons flambeed in pastis. Try it and love it! http://www.cafeportebleue.com  #CafePortebleue

Galway Oysters
Galway: With so much to look forward to this New Year, make sure you mark the world's oldest oyster festival in your diary for 27th-29th September 2013. 10 per cent discount ‘til end of Jan here

I like the cha cha cha

I like the cha cha cha

They like to cha cha cha, they like to cha cha cha 

Everybody likes to cha cha cha

I used to love that old Sam Cooke song and now I got another Cha Cha Cha in my life. For the past few days I’ve been sampling three Cha green teas that I bought from Fixx Coffee  in Dublin. 

Cha Very Berry Tea received the accolade of a Gold Star in the Great Taste Awards 2012. They are handpicked and sourced from single estates at the foothills of the Himalayas. “Our Cha Teas are organic and certified by the EU Regulatory Authorities”.

Opened up the packet and picked the Golden Mango, with naturally extracted flavours of Mango and Vanilla, for the first tasting. The aromas were absolutely fantastic. But would they be too much for the flavours. No. Sure, I still savoured the smells but also loved the flavours. Wow. What a winner! A delicious flavour enjoyed either hot or cold, I’m told, but I haven’t tried it cold yet.

Then on to the Spring Mint. The aromas here were unmistakably those of spearmint, really cool and clean. A beautiful cup, fragrant and cooling. Must make sure I have some in for the summer.

The teabags are made from non chemical bleached filter paper and each tin contains 25 x 1.5g teabags (Tin Size 37.5g).

Finally, it was the turn of the Pure Green. Pure tea, boy, supple and dry, unhindered by any fancy flavours yet doing the job in a firm yet calm and relaxing manner. That it is full of antioxidants helps!

Cha Teas perform best when brewed for 2-3 minutes at 90C and served in a 250-300ml cup. Keep an eye on your cuppa – use a timer! You don’t want to spoil a good thing.

The teas were part of an offer on the Fixx Coffee site and naturally there was also some coffee on offer. I tried their Cubita Roasted Beans. They said this “is an exquisite coffee that has strong earthy tones, with a hint of smokiness and a caramel finish, it is the most popular brand of coffee in Cuba”.  Must say I agree one hundred per cent with the tasting notes here. A classic in a cup!

So now I move from Cha Cha Cha to Bolero: the music beating insistently out in the sun, load conversastions, a cup of cubita on the table and an eye out for the señoritas. Only an eye though as  mi señora, who also loves the cubita, is keeping an eye on me!

Operation: Transform the Chicken!

Operation: Transform the Chicken!

Back in the jour, there was poulet fumé. En vacances in France, it was a treat but nothing to write ( it was long before Twitter) home about. 

Indeed, we had to come home and fast forward a fair bit to find something to write home about. And that was the smoked chicken from Anthony Creswell in Ummera. Indeed anything Anthony smokes is worth not just writing home about but bringing home with you.

Sampled a fair few of his delicacies over the recent holidays before getting down to the chicken. What to eat with it? That was the question until I began browsing through the latest Aldi newsletter and spotted the potato salad they had printed as part of their association with RTE’s Operation Transform.

This has proved to be quite a popular programme and the 6th series gets underway this very Tuesday evening. Dr. Eva Orsmond is one of the key people and her recipes appear in the Aldi booklet and all the info will be on the programme’s website. 

In the meantime, I have attached a copy of the potato salad that did indeed go very well with the smoked chicken, even though Eve suggested you use it with her pan-fried salmon dish. In any event, it is quite versatile and very tasty!

Speaking of matches, I tried another one over the holidays and indeed, must say I am very pleased with it. Have you still got some Christmas pudding in the house? Good. Don’t use it until you get your hands on a bottle or two of A Winter’s Ale from Mitchelstown’s 8 Degrees Brewing Company.

The Ale, which is “reinforced” by some Green Saffron Spices, is stronger than usual. But don’t worry. This doesn’t call for a lot. We shared a bottle between each pair. Pour into a small glass, even a wine glass, and sip it with your steamed pudding. Gorgeous. That was the verdict here. Well worth a try.

Operation Transform starts Tuesday 8th January at 8.30pm on RTÉ One

Excellent Rioja Crianza

La Pinaleta Crianza, Rioja 2009 Limited Edition 23,500 bottles, 13.5%

The blend: Tempranillo 80%, Garnacha and Mazuela 20%.

The colour and nose (pretty intense) are typical of the modern Rioja style and the blend (above) gives a light, elegant and fruity wine. The attractive palate and persistent finish means it has that all important second glass appeal.

A few months before Christmas, Wine Alliance introduced some excellent new Spanish reds including: Las Pizarras Si O Sy Syrah and Yaso Tinto de Toro. This classy Crianza is from the same Osborne stalls. Perhaps, if we ask Wine Alliance nicely, the importers will add this one to the portfolio.

Very Highly Recommended. VHR

* Called to the fantastic Baigorri vineyard during a drive in La Rioja last summer and wasn't at all empty handed when I left, having been served by a lady who learned her English while staying on the Clash Road in Little Island. Am now engaged in sampling some of the fruits of that trip and will let you know in due course. Watch this space!

WSET Wine Certificate Courses

Stars of the La Rioja Alta Winery

Stars of the La Rioja Alta Winery

Talking here about the winery of La Rioja Alta and not the region of the same name in La Rioja. The winery, headquartered in Haro, was established in 1890. In particular, I’m talking about two excellent reds, the Ardanza and the Arana, which I bought on a visit to their boutique (in Haro) this summer.                                             One unusual thing here is that they actually charge you for the tastings, anything from €1.50 to a fiver a glass. You don’t really want to be tasting glassfuls on a road trip, so we shared. The lady, Maria, who served us, had polished off her English in Dublin!                                                                                              In the late 19th century, when phylloxera struck in France, Haro was one of the first towns that French merchants called to, looking for replacement wines. The little town prospered and was only the second Spanish town to get electricity - the first was Jerez.

Vina Arana, Rioja Reserva 2004, 13%, €11.92 at the boutique.

As we sipped our glass (€2.00), we were told that 2004 was a very good year and that the blend is 95% Tempranillo and 5% Mazuelo. It is produced in Haro in a Bordeaux style and was originally known as Rioja Claret.

Colour is a dark cherry red with intense berries on the nose. Drinking from the bottle at home, I found it a smooth fruity medium bodied wine, with pleasant spice and silky tannins. For sure, this is an elegant Rioja with a pleasing aftertaste and excellent length. Highly recommended. Available at Mitchell’s  €22.95.

Vina Ardanza, Reserva 2004, Rioja DO, 13.5%, €15.49 at the boutique.

Made from Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha, this too has the dark cherry colour with an intense nose of berries, some spice. It is full bodied, a superb combination of power and elegance and comes with a long finish. This ticks all the boxes, even those above 90. Amazing and very highly recommended.

Also look out for the 2001, as they told me that it is amazing and, released in 2009, is available in Ireland with a Reserva Especial on the label. By the way, the tasting glass cost €2.40.

The 2001 is available at Mitchell’s  €26.95