In Ballymaloe with Skillogalee's Dave Palmer

SKILLOGALEE WINE-MAKER DINNER AT BALLYMALOE

Wine with a smile

Clare Valley wine-maker Dave Palmer (above, right) and his wife Diana were in Ballymaloe this weekend introducing some of his wines during a top notch five course meal. The Wales born one time economist delivered his to the point information with a great deal of practical insight (as you’d expect) and also with a large measure of sparkling humour.

Of course, we did start with their
Sparkling Riesling, full, soft and flavoursome with small fizzy bubbles and a crisp dry finish. And later Dave told the tale of an early setback when his trailer load of sparkling wine collapsed on the road, bottles rolling all over the place and popping the corks. He salvaged quite a bit but, not long down the road, the popping started again!

Dave and Diana (a teacher before she got into the vineyard business) can laugh at the incident now, as we all did, but it was something of a setback at the time. Diana’s key role in the early days involved setting up the very successful restaurant and accommodation business in Skillogalee.

Ballymaloe then served up a magnificent Hors d’Oeuvres Buffet where seafood was the star. Skillogalee had wines to match. First up was Riesling 2010, citrus flavours, refreshing acidity and a dry lingering finish.

Then came the Gewürztraminer 2011 with its floral nose and silky texture. Dave says this is “an incredibly versatile food wine” and he particularly recommended Asian food or flavoursome white meat dishes.

Last of the whites, with its unusual vinolok stopper, was the Trevarrick Riesling 2008, part of their super-premium range. Made from 100% handpicked fruit, its nose shows a floral perfume and on the palate the fruit and acidity are well balanced.

Time now for the main course, Traditional Roast Goose with Potato and Apple stuffing, Bramley Apple Sauce and Red Cabbage, Garden vegetables and a Salad of garden leaves. And three reds, of course.

Not quite three as one was the superb Skillogalee Cabernet Malbec Rosé 2010. Diana told me the fruit is grown especially for the Rosé. The red fruits are in the nose and the palate, fresh and lively, is well balanced. It is more flavoursome than the European Rosés I’m more used to and Diana agreed that it was a Rosé “with attitude”.

Also in the line-up was the Skillogalee The Cabernets 2006, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) and also a small amount of Malbec. It has spent 24 months in French Oak (30% new) and is dark and rich and soft with firm tannins.

Dave introduced the well balanced Shiraz 2007 saying it was suitable “for coeliacs, vegans, vegetarians and alcoholics”. Also went well with the goose and the selection of local Farmhouse cheeses that followed.

Dessert was Poached Ballymaloe Walled garden pears, with Vanilla Ice-cream and Chocolate sauce and the wine here was the Skillogalee Liqueur Muscat which is made in the same way as tawny port. The palate “shows nutty raisin apricot flavours, very full and sweet and not cloying”. It has a lovely lingering finish and we lingered ourselves a while with that.

The winemakers of the Clare Valley have be innovative in many ways and are well known as collectively leading the move towards the crew-cap closures in 2000. Dave came up with his own way of scaring off troublesome kangaroos that come in from a nearby conservation area and help themselves to the fruit.

Dave went out and bought a lot of old car radios, weather-proofed the speakers and placed them at intervals around the property. And what did these radios play? Not heavy metal, as I was thinking. No. They are set to current affairs programmes and obviously bore the pants off the 'roos who leg it on back to the wilds.

Well done to Ballymaloe’s sommelier Colm McCann and Hazel Allen who hosted the evening and to all the staff who contributed to a splendid occasion and a special word of congrats and best wishes to Dave and Diana (and their wines) for making it an especially memorable one.

*Dave, by the way, is looking for an Irish importer.