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Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Blacks Of Kinsale Laying Down Whiskey, and more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #8
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Taste of the Week. Three Men in a Trailer Smoked Ketchup
Taste of the Week
Three Men in a Trailer Smoked Ketchup
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| I like a bit of burger with my Smoked Ketchup! |
Our new Taste of the Week is Three Men in a Trailer's Irish Smoked Ketchup.
As you may expect, it is made in Ireland from all natural ingredients with some extra ‘smokey’ flavour – fantastic for barbeques. This wonderfully delicious Ketchup is totally wheat and gluten free and is suitable for both coeliacs and vegetarians.
Love the way artisan food producers draw from one another as is the case here. The natural cider vinegar used, which gives this unique product an instantly recognisable taste, is produced by the Apple Farm, outside Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
I got mine in Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork. It is widely available though so do check their website for details of stockists. Didn't get to try it at the BBQ yet but it its terrific with burgers, even with fries. Tried their original some time back and that also was Taste of the Week. They also have a spicy one in the range, also at Bradley’s.
So who are these three men? In their own words: ‘Three men in a Trailer’ is an idea for a mobile high quality food outlet generated by 3 guys passionate about food, particularly food from Tipperary.’
Gortussa
Dundrum, Co. Tipperary
email info@3men.ie
A Summer Double. East to West. Powerscourt and Glenlo Abbey
EAST TO WEST
Introducing the ultimate Summer Staycation from
Powerscourt Hotel Resort Spa and Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate
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| Glenlo |
Discover the beauty of the Garden of Ireland and the charms of Ireland’s western seaboard this summer and stay in luxury at Wicklow’s 5* Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa and Galway’s 5* Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate
Throughout the months of July & August, Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate and Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa are teaming-up offering 3 and 4 night packages at each property with bookings co-ordinated by the Powerscourt Hotel reservations team via reservations@
Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa is Ireland’s foremost luxury 5* destination set amidst the scenic & historic Powerscourt Estate, Co. Wicklow a mere 30 minutes drive from the hustle and bustle of Dublin city centre life, offering Palladian-style architecture with 198 generously sized bedrooms and luxurious amenities.
With a choice of dining options from casual dining in the Sugar Loaf Lounge where Afternoon Tea reigns supreme to fine dining at the recently refurbished Sika Restaurant both offering breath-taking scenery and amiable service.
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| Powerscourt |
For leisure guests Powerscourt Hotel Resort Spa has lots to offer including complimentary bicycles so you are free to explore the Estate. The indoor 20m Swarovski crystal-lit swimming pool is also yours to use, with fully equipped gym and above all the wonderful array of outdoor pursuits on the doorstep including 2-championship courses at Powerscourt Golf Powerscourt House & Gardens and Powerscourt Waterfall. If it is an adventure break you are looking for, the hotel can organise mountain climbs, escorted walks or more strenuous activities including abseiling and mountain biking.
ESPA at Powerscourt is set to re-open; full details on services and offers will be advised in the coming weeks as they work closely with ESPA to develop a basis for reopening safely for both customers and ESPA team.
Majestically rising from the still waters of Lough Corrib and dating back to the 18th Century, the 5 star Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate (proud member of Ireland’s Blue Book) is where old world charm meets contemporary elegance. From the moment you drive through the magnificent cast iron gates the beauty of this enchanting lakeside estate overlooking Lough Corrib will captivate you.
Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate is situated just 4kms from Galway City Centre and the M6 motorway has made getting to Galway so much easier. With 50 air-conditioned bedrooms and suites (additional 25 bedrooms being added this September) have been designed with an emphasis on general space and comfort, and afford unrivalled views of the dramatic West of Ireland landscape with its ever-changing colours.
Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate has 2* Rosettes from the AA, for Ireland’s Fine Dining Restaurant making it a superb dining and entertainment option for both formal and informal occasions. These include the River Room Restaurant overlooking the estate, the Pullman Restaurant on The Orient Express, the Oak Cellar Bar, and three elegant Reception Rooms in the Main House which exude Old World Charm, where guests can enjoy a relaxing drink, afternoon tea, or take time out to relax and read the newspapers. The hotel also boasts a private screening room and billiards room.
With a 138-acre lakeside golf estate, golf among other activities is on your doorstep to enjoy. The unique Championship 9 Hole Golf Course is quickly becoming the best 9 holes in the country with rolling hills, lakes and fabulous views of Lough Corrib and it is the closest golf course to Galway City. The 21 Bay Driving Range is the ideal place to warm up before a round of golf but also for group and individual golf tuition. While archery and some of the best fishing in Western Europe are easily organised right on-site on the Estate. Other activities that can be organised near the property include horse riding, boating, water sports and tennis with the ancient sport of royalty – falconry onsite.
press release
Monday, June 22, 2020
Dingle Magic. And other superb Irish & Belgian Beers. Session #7
Dingle Magic. And other superb Irish & Belgian Beers. Session #7
West Kerry Brewery “Béal Bán” Golden Ale, 5.0%, 500ml bottle
You savour the minutes you spend drinking this Golden Ale. It’s the languid time in summer: you have a glass in your hand and the sun is going down. Not quite there yet. Hanging on. Between pale and dark. Those golden moments. When the Blaskets and its seagulls are in silhouette.
Sip and savour and put your arm around his or her shoulder. And whisper: “This is the best golden ale in the world”. And, if she or he is sipping the same paradisiacal beer, there’ll be no argument. For what you both are enjoying in these magic peaceful twilight minutes is truly the umami conjured up by the goddess from the Ballydavid brewery of the wild peninsula. Béal Bán, an beoir órga is fearr ar domhain. DraÃocht an Daingin.
Gold is the colour of this magical ale from West Kerry. Creamy rather than crisp, yet light and refreshing with malt prominent earlier on, the hops making a show at the finish. A distinctive beer indeed, very impressive.
I drank this in 2012 at Blair’s Inn and also during a visit to Tigh Bhric where the brewery is based. It was then being described as a pale English style bitter. It was then, still is, a light and refreshing golden ale with a slight malty sweetness and a bitter finish, imparted by a generous helping of hops. Indeed, one could see why the English aficionado would feel at home here.
Paul and Adrienne (the brewer) told us that they use water from their own well to brew the beers, both cask and bottled. The malt is predominantly Irish and the beers are brewed naturally, with no additives or preservatives. By the way, they use local botanicals in the brewing, such as rosehips, elderflower, blackberries and black currants “added to our seasonal beers”.
Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne is the Irish name for the brewery in the Dingle peninsula. It was established in 2008 to make traditional yet progressive beer. You’ll find them in their brew pub: Tigh Bhric (which also offers accommodation). .
Béal Bán is one of their core range and like the others, Carraig Dubh (porter) and Cúl Dorcha (red ale), is called after local place names. Adrienne is Ireland’s first female brewer.
Elbow Lane Elbow Lager, 4.4%, 500ml bottle
Light gold (cloudy), fountains of bubbles rising, nice white head stays for a spell. Mild aromas. Refreshing on the palate, sharp citrus led flavours reaching the parched parts. I was impressed with the early version of this lager, in 2012, and impressed with this 2020 edition too. Best served at 7-8 degrees.
All the Elbow Lane beers are relatively lightly hopped, mainly because of food matching considerations. With five restaurants in the group, you don't want an over-hopped beer upsetting the food flavours.
This continental style lager is particularly refreshing and owes its flavor to Pilsner and Munich malts and "Noble" hop varieties imported from Germany & Czech Republic. It will complement most lighter dishes, a great treat for beer lovers.
They say: We’re really proud of the beers that we make here in our tiny brewery. There are no additives and we proudly brew according to the principles of the German Purity Law which means that we use four ingredients to make our beer. We hope you enjoy.
The White Hag “Atlantean” New England IPA, 5.4%, 330 ml canA beer from the north west with an eye to the next parish across the foamy ocean.
A cloudy light gold, but cloudy, is the colour here. Lovely fluffy head but soon there’s little left of it (the head, that is). It’s juicy and fruity for sure, with a creamy mouthfeel, the hops slightly subdued but still a notable presence. Excellent balance though and this smooth ale finishes well and certainly has that second-can appeal. New England may be a long way off but this lovely ale is easily found locally. Go for it!
They say: Drink this beer as fresh as possible, when all the Alpha & Beta oils from the hops are the most powerful. Little to no hop bitterness at the end, utilising hops that impart a tropical, juicy sweetness rather than the classic bitter.
It’s a dark brown colour, not quite the chestnut they say on the website. The foamy head is off white and it soon contracts to a very thin cap. A touch of coffee in the aromas. And coffee hints too amidst the fruit on the palate. Time and again in these high abv Belgian beers - and this is far from the highest - you find a delicious harmony between the alcohol and the flavour, and that harmony here extends to the finish.
They say: St. Bernardus Pater 6 is brewed according to the classic dubbel style with a recipe that dates back to 1946. The name of this beer has become a reference for its style, and it is commonly referred to as ‘een Paterke’.
As ever the Belgians recommend a food pairing: St.Bernardus Pater 6 is a great choice to complement pork recipes or contrast against zesty cheeses. It is bottle fermented and best to serve it at 8-12 degrees.
If you come across the Pater 6, and if you see The Bernardus Abt 12 on the same shelf, then don’t hesitate. The Abt 12 (10%) is a quadrupel, full of complex flavours, great fruit and with a superb finish. It is regarded as one of the best beers in the world. In this context, quadrupel means it is stronger than a tripel which is stronger than a duppel like Pater 6!
Sunday, June 21, 2020
All The Sun In The World But Pedro Parra Wants Cloud. He'll Go To The Ends Of The Earth For The Right Soil.
All The Sun In The World But Pedro Parra Wants Cloud.
He'll Go To The Ends Of The Earth For The Right Soil.
Pedro Parra is a renowned soil and vineyard mapping expert with a Masters and PhD in Precision Agriculture and Terroir from the Institut Agronomique National in Paris. As a consultant to many well-known wineries across the world, the Chilean has spent much of the past 20 years discovering new sites, digging ‘calicatas’ (pits for soil analysis) and transforming the way wineries manage their vineyards.
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| A calicata |
However, he always dreamed of one day making his own wines from old Pais and Cinsault bush vines in his native Itata. A fantastic storyteller with a unique and fascinating career, Pedro told us, during last Thursday’s Liberty Wines online masterclass, about his own project and how he has used the knowledge and experience gained working in vineyards in Burgundy, Europe and the Americas to make his own low-intervention wines from the oldest wine region in Chile.
This renowned consultant is now, it appears, on his way to being a renowned winemaker. The desire to make his own wine took root in Burgundy while he was doing his soil studies in France. “It was in 2002”, he recalled. “I was extremely lucky, I knew nothing about wine when I stayed at a producer’s house. My palate was immediately and strongly influenced by the wines I tasted there.”
Then he started to wonder why Chilean wines were not as good, why they were so soft. “Why? Was it the winemaker? Was it the soil? What else? I figured it was a mix of everything.” “So, from 2004 to 2010, I worked hard as a consultant to open minds, to get people to look at other options, always with the idea to make my own wine, but where?”
“I knew where not to go, not Limari, not Elqui, not Casablanca. I wanted terroir with cloudy weather so I was looking to the south of Chile which has more wind, more cloud.”
And then there was the question of terroir. “Terroir has been very important in my career. Ninety per cent of the best wines come from just five different soils. Limestone is one. There is very little limestone in Chile but we do have fantastic granitic soil.” Again, the south fitted the bill.
“My grapes though were still a mystery and, in any case, my wines were to be about the place, not so much about the grape.” But he was drawn to two grapes. One was Pais, brought by the Spanish 400 years ago and widespread. The other was Cinsault, though that was grown only in one small town in Itata.
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| Pedro on screen from Conception last Thursday |
He started in 2013. Not being a winemaker, he was not confident. “You don’t have the security,” he said. But then an experienced friend told him that not all good wines were made by winemakers and eventually he built up the confidence to make wines the way he wanted them made, once he selected the sort of granitic soil he required. He dug his calicatas and avoided clay. “Unless I have the very best clay, I’d prefer not to have it all. Bad clay is horrible.”
“Little by little, I understand the plateau in Itata.” And in 2013-15 he researched many plots to find the ones he really likes. “By 2016 I had found some places I now work, where I can apply my ideas. I use the horse, 2 or 3 times a season, to keep the soil in trim. It is not expensive, it’s a beautiful thing to do, I can go with the family.
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| A handful of quartz |
Now he produces about 30 different wines. “My goal is a maximum of 5,000 cases. I don’t want to go more. Over that would be hard to control for our three person team. We are economical. Our destemmer is not new - you don’t need to spend €40,000 on a destemmer.”
“Great wines come from great terroir. Maybe I was too focussed on Burgundian methods at the start. It took me years to understand my method of extraction.” A tip from a Spanish winemaking friend put him on the right road with the extraction. He is getting the fruit and the wine he wants, the kind of wine he’d like drinking himself. “I am so happy. 2020 has been the best quality so far.”
I’ll be looking out for that 2020. I thought his 2018 “Vinista” was a cracking wine made from Pais. Colour is light to mid ruby. Wild red berries feature in the aromas, with herb notes in the background. Refreshing bright juicy fruit on the palate, a hint of spice too. String quartet rather than full orchestra, it is immediately harmonious right through to the engaging finalé. And this gem, the fruit sourced from 120 year old vines planted at 300 m above sea level, is one of the results of Pedro’s amazing dedication and expertise. The wine has spent one year in untoasted foudre and then spent 8 months in bottle before release. Time well spent!
As were the 90 minutes of that superb masterclass.
Links to Previous masterclasses in this current series, all recent:
Australian Chardonnay with Shaw+Smith https://www.corkbilly.com/2020/06/how-australias-supportive-winemakers.html
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