Monday, February 15, 2021

A Strongly Recommended French Double

A Strongly Recommended French Double 

Château Petit Roubié Picpoul de Pinet, AC Coteaux du Languedoc 2019, 13%, €14.50 Mary Pawle

Fairly widely available including Organico, Bantry; Mannings, Ballylickey; Field’s Supervalu, Skibbereen; Taste, Castletownbere; Quay Co-Op, Cork City; The Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny; The Connemara Hamper, Clifden; Ardkeen Food Store, Waterford; The Good Food Store (Toon’s Bridge Dairy) Dublin.



Light gold, with faint green reflections, is the colour of this Picpoul. Aromas of the wine are somewhat shy but mainly floral. Crisp on the palate, no shortage of acidity either yet, with white and citrus fruit on the palate and its excellent mouthfeel, it is more harmonious than you’d expect for the grape. Dry for sure, especially towards the finish, and obviously an excellent match for oysters and shellfish (which are abundant in the area).  Serve at about 8 degrees for best results. I think this is even better than the previous vintage, so Very Highly Recommended.


Importer Mary Pawle says it is often referred to as the Muscadet of the South. Indeed, you’ll almost certainly come across Picpoul more than Muscadet on Irish restaurant lists these days.


The Picpoul is grown on a clay-limestone terroir not far from the large Thau lake, on the edge of the Med. While regarded as a lake, it has very high salinity.


Château Petit Roubié has been practising organic farming since 1985. Floriane and Olivier Azan have owned the estate since 1981 and have developed, thanks to a judicious choice of winemaking, a very attractive range indeed. Their lands are in a historic area; if you visit, you can still see vestiges of the Via Domitia (the Roman road) in their scrubland. And those Roman engineers were building on top of an even older “road”. The wine is presented in a distinctive Neptune bottle though that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with the Roman god of the sea.



Emmanuel Giboulot “En Grégoire” Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes De Nuits (AOC) 2017, 12%, 

€41.00 New to the range but available online at Mary Pawle

This light and perfumed biodynamic 2017 Burgundy, mid to dark ruby in colour, has plenty of berries in the aromas. The attack is fresh with lots of fruit coming on strong, more gentle as the smooth finish is reached and fine tannins dry the lips. Very Highly Recommended.


The producers confidently assure us that "En Grégoire" "can accompany a beautiful plate of cold meats, grilled meats, a dish

exotic. Its complexity will do wonders."


An excellent Pinot Noir then. Par for the course in these parts, you might well say. Except that, as recently as 2014, this winemaker Emmanuel Giboulot was fined and threatened with a jail term for sticking to his principles.  He was convicted for refusing a government order to spray crops with pesticides, following fear over an outbreak of golden rot, only to have the decision reversed on appeal.


Emmanuel met the problem of agricultural practices and its impact on wine and human health head on - Prison rather than poison - and is now a prominent advocate for organic and biodynamic viticulture. His wines reflect his principles and the widely acknowledged exceptional Burgundy terroir.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

San Valentino Menu from Da Mirco. La Cosa Mas Bella

San Valentino Menu from Da Mirco 

La Cosa Mas Bella 



Valentine’s Day 2021 brought miserable weather and a most delicious meal to our neck of the woods. And that San Valentino dinner from Mirco Fondrini’s osteria in Bridge Street banished the wind and the rain for a few hours at least and his four magnificent and generous courses turned into an evening to remember.



The courses followed classical lines: antipasto, primo plato, secondo plato and dolce. There was also a wine option but I had spotted that the meat course, based on beef cheek from O’Mahony Butchers in the English Market, had been slow-cooked in Barbera D’Asti. I had a bottle of Barbera D’Alba (next door to Asti) that had been waiting for just such a worthy excuse.



Bouillabaisse is the famous classic fish soup from Southern France and the tourist version is often lacking, well, fish. The Italians have their own fish soup and we started with Mirco’s Zuppetta Al Frutti Di Mare. At first glance it looked as if it contained just liquid but, once tipped out of the container, we could see calamari, mussels and prawns in the tomato and bisque soup. A hearty and delicious start, and any remains were soaked up with his focaccia.


Have been a fan of Cannelloni since I enjoyed it on the back streets of Rome. Our Cannelloni Di Melanzane though was an enhanced edition, thanks to Micro and his team. Here the pasta tubes was stuffed with aubergine and Pecorino cheese and finished with the house tomato and basil sauce. Superbo!



There was a little bit of home cooking involved of course and the O'Mahony beef cheeks came in a bag and took about 15 minutes. But what a result! Our stunning Secondo Plato was called Guancia Di Manzo Topinaburn Al Tarfuto (Braised beef cheek slow cooked in Barbera D’Asti and served with creamy mash & truffle infused Jerusalem artichokes). So tender, so flavoursome, aromatic even. We barely needed the wine!


And so we continued on the Dolce Vita, the final stop, Zuppa Inglese Al Cioccolato Arance, the sweetest. The name in English was somewhat more prosaic: Sponge cake with dark chocolate orange mouse and Hazelnut Praline. Looked a bit dry but once it all came together in the mouth, it struck all the right notes, those hazelnuts outstanding.



Quite a meal for the occasion. Grazie mille, Mirco!


It may not be Valentine’s every weekend but Mirco always has quite a selection for you to click and collect.


Da Mirco 

Bridge Street

Cork


La Cosa Mas Bella



Friday, February 12, 2021

Taste of the Week. Spiced Apple & Carrot Chutney by On The Pig's Back

Taste of the Week

Spiced Apple & Carrot Chutney

by On The Pig's Back

The quality of the produce available from On The Pig's Back - Cheese, Meat, Deli, Pantry, Wine - is consistently good. Always worth a gamble, though in truth, it is never a risk. This is underlined with their Spiced Apple and Carrot Chutney, our current Taste of the Week.

We got it in one of our Neighbourfood orders and soon found it does what it says on the tin, and so much more.  Over a couple of lunches we paired it with local cheeses and it enhanced them each time. Shouldn't be surprised really as everything that we've tasted from their kitchen, has always been premier class. So there you are, another one for your shopping list.


On The Pig's Back

Unit 26, St Patrick's Mill Douglas, Cork, T12 E952
Tel: 021 4617832
Andd, of course, you'll also find them in the English Market.


Thursday, February 11, 2021

A Global Food Expedition. Netflix Releases Trailer for Waffles And Mochi Starring Michelle Obama

 Netflix Releases Trailer for Waffles And Mochi Starring Michelle Obama

 

 

Watch The Trailer Here

 

Waffles and Mochi embark on a global food expedition in order to become chefs. With the help of some very special friends,

Waffles and Mochi travel the world, learning all they can about different foods and cultures! Waffles + Mochi is available on Netflix March 16.

 

 

Once upon a thyme, deep in The Land of Frozen Food, lived two best friends named Waffles and Mochi with one shared dream: to become chefs! The only problem? Everything they cooked was made of ice. When these two taste-buddies are suddenly hired as the freshest employees of a whimsical supermarket, they’re ready for the culinary adventure of a lifetime. 


With the help of friendly new faces like the supermarket owner, Mrs. Obama, and a magical flying shopping cart as their guide, Waffles and Mochi blast off on global ingredient missions, traveling to kitchens, restaurants, farms and homes all over the world, cooking up recipes with everyday ingredients alongside renowned chefs, home cooks, kids and celebrities. 


Whether they’re picking potatoes in the Andes of Peru, sampling spices in Italy, or making Miso in Japan, these curious explorers uncover the wonder of food and discover every meal is a chance to make new friends. Waffles + Mochi is an exciting invitation to get kids and grown-ups cooking together in the kitchen and connecting to cultures around the globe.

 

 

Series Premiere Date: March 16, 2021

Format: Single Camera (Live Action)

Episodes: 10 x 20 minutes

Showrunners: Erika Thormahlen & Jeremy Konner

Executive Producers: Erika Thormahlen, Jeremy Konner, Tonia Davis, Priya Swaminathan, Barack and Michelle Obama

Production Company: Higher Ground Productions

Starring: Michelle Obama

Puppeteers: Michelle Zamora (Waffles), Russ Walko (Mochi and Intercommy), Jonathan Kidder (Busy), Diona Elise Burnett (Steve the Mop and voice of Magicart), Taleia Gilliam (Shelfie), Andy Hayward (puppet swing), Piotr Michael (voice of Mochi), George Konner (voice of Intercommy)

 

Cheers - Beer, Wine, Spirits. With Red Nose Wine, Bradley's, Wicklow Wolf, Waterford Whiskey Society, BeoirFest, Whiplash, Teeling

Cheers 211202
Beer, Wine, Spirits
with Red Nose Wine, Bradley's, Wicklow Wolf, 
Waterford Whiskey Society, BeoirFest, Whiplash, Teeling

Its Spring(ish) & more wines just in 

"Thank you for your patience as we have had the shop on a partial closure ( i.e. take orders for collection and in some cases delivery ). We felt it was the right thing to do with the numbers so high. 

The good news is that the bare shelves have been restocked and a few new wines have arrived including a big winter Malbec Gran Reserva. 

We hope to open up again properly soon but for the moment we will keep the the call/email to order for collection model. You can pay over the phone and we can drop it out to your car without any contact when you collect. In some instances, for our more vulnerable customers, we can arrange to drop it to locally. 

You can email brendan@rednosewine.com with an idea of what you want or alternatively call 085-8889045 and we will get back to you with options asap. Ideally we plan to facilitate collections twice a week as the shop won’t be manned at regular hours." 


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Wicklow Wolf Strikes Again


Apex Espresso 

Endangered Species No. 16 

 

We have taken our delicious Oatmeal Stout, Apex and let our brewer’s imagination run wild. The result? An Espresso Oatmeal Stout. We enlisted the help of our friends in Java Republic to add over 2,500 fresh shots of AA Single Origin Costa Rican Dota espresso to the brew.

Apex Espresso is a delicious, 6.5% oatmeal stout that is packed full of fresh dark fruits, chocolate, honey and of course a strong burst of fruity espresso. These flavours are all supported with a hint creamy sweetness and a smooth, lingering finish leaving you wanting more.

Read More...

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WHIPLASH AND THE
FAKEY CAKE MAKER
Here you have it, our very own silly stout. Fakey made a brief appearance on draught back toward the end of 2019 when we’d just commissioned our new brewhouse and we’ve been wanting to put this very silly beer to can for some time now. A nice counterbalance to the no frills Fatal Deviation, Fakey Cake Maker sees us frill it up with a very complex grist of Pilsner, Carabohemian, British Dark Crystal, Chocolate malt and molasses rich Muscovado Sugar to lay the thick engine oil, soupy soupy groundwork for more messing in tank. Fermented on Coconut Puree for a creamy and thick Bounty Bar mouthfeel consistency before a heavy coffee addition of bright single origin Ethiopian coffee from our friends at 3FE and the final addition of roasted hazelnuts to garnish this sauce with more decadence.
We’d considered the addition on a fine brogue but were unsure of how to fit it in the mash filter, but we won’t be annoyed if anyone sends us their best pic of this being poured lavishly from a shoe.
2/3 new beers launching this evening on the webshop.
ABV 11.0%
440ml Cans
Artwork by Sophie Devere

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Bradleys Have It In The Bag For You
Bags of love in Bradley’s this week! #ValentinesDay #Champagne #wine #craftbeer #whiskey #chocolate





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BeoirFest Tasting Tables

Flag of Ireland
Beer mug
Interested in Irish Craft Beer? Check out our series of tasting tables. Each week we'll have 3 brewers (& a beer each) getting together to compare, contrast, discuss and just generally chat.

Starting Feb 27.
BeoirFest.com #craftbeer #irishbeer
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 AT 7 PM UTC

Teeling whiskey tasting

Online Event - Waterford Whiskey Society is delighted to announce that their second tasting for 2021 will take place over ZOOM on Tuesday the 22nd February at 7:00pm.
At the start of the tasting we will be guided through a virtual tour of the distillery itself, its history and location.
The event will feature the Teeling Whiskey Distillery and the tasting will be led by Chris Hayes their European Brand Ambassador.
Get all the details here but don't delay!