Spit 2019. Part One. With Winemason and Nomad.

Spit 2019. Part One

With Winemason and Nomad.

Ballymaloe's Samuel (left) with Winemasons Ben and Killian (right)

Non alcoholic

Quite a few sparkling wines (Cava, Champagne and Prosecco) on display when SPIT Cork came to town yesterday. I thought it would be rude not to try at least one and so I asked Ben of Winemason for a taste of the Llopart Organic Brut Reserva Cava 2015, a blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada. It was an excellent start and again I was left wondering why we Irish don’t drink more of this Spanish sparkler.

“Here’s one you should try,” said Ben offering me a German sparkler. “The Germans are the biggest consumers of sparkling wine,” he said. As this Fritz Muller Alcohol Frei NV was non-alcoholic, I had no reason to say no! It has a little bit of sweetness but very enjoyable and one of best non alcoholic wines I’ve tasted. It has become very popular and Ben emphasised that it is “a real success”.

Time for a few whites then beginning with the :

Aphros Biodynamic Loureiro, 2017. Aphros was probably the first biodynamic vineyard in Portugal and here on the granite soil Loureiro is the grape. Superb flavour and long finish in this one. Some Albarino can be a little over the top in terms of aroma and flavour but the Leirana 2018, from Forjas del Salnes, is more restrained, a beautifully crafted wine from Rias Baixas.

Moment of Silence, 2018, by South Africa maverick Blankbottle is a star wine. Excellent, year in year out, always Chenin based though the other varieties may vary. The 2018 blend features Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Viognier. One to look out for.

Pieter of Blankbottle

And the white may soon have a red parter as Master of None is proving “very interesting, unique” according to Killian of Winemason. The 2017, that impressed on tasting, is their first year making the Master of None, the name is apparently a joke against the winemaker himself (he also designs and prints the labels himself). The bland features Grenache, Cinsault, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Roussane. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 stands up.

Cuvee Vom Berg, 2015, by Muhr Van Der Niepoort in Carnuntum, Austria, a blend of Syrah and Blaufrankisch, is a knockout wine. Fruit-focused, with supple tannins and pure acidity, it has great finesse, and is quite Pinot-like in style. The Muhr is Austrian while the Niepoort will be familiar to you from their wine (including port)  business in Portugal. Killian told me it has been getting great reviews and I was certainly taken with this very smooth and polished wine.

The Organic Pitti, 2016, by Pittnauer was another impressive Austrian, a blend of Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt. A nice range of flavours, floral notes and a touch of spiciness, moderate acidity and an excellent finish.

Back to the whites at Nomad Wines. Vin de Savoie “Or Blanc” 2018 Domaine Trosset was my first sip. Virtually no colour at all in this one but, light, fresh and fruity, it has about everything else. Grape variety is  Jacquére.

Had been hoping to try an Alsace Sylvaner but the Zinck 2017 didn’t make it to Cork. But there was an excellent substitute in the Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté 2016. Not too familiar with the Aligoté but this excellent winemaker neatly illustrates its potential.

Bourgueil tasting

Have enjoyed a few Cabernet Franc from Bourgueil over the years and the 2016 Domaine Guion didn’t let the Loire down. The Fleurie 2017 by Domaine de Fa was another excellent light wine. And another light one, unexpectedly so considering that the grapes were Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon, was the Buzet “Jarnicotton” Domaine du Pech. No sulphites added here by the way.

Winemason is owned by Ben Mason and Barbara Boyle and provide independent retailers and restaurants with original and distinctive wines from Europe and South Africa. They also help shape exciting well-priced wine lists for the on and off trade.

Nomad are regarded as Burgundy specialists. It was founded in 2007 by Thierry Grillet and Charles Derain and, in 2016, Jérémy Delannoy joined the team and they “are always looking for wines that have lots of precision and definition”.

Part Two with Vinostito and Grapecircus

Picado Mexican Pop-Up. A Highlight of West Waterford Food Festival

Picado Mexican Pop-Up

A Highlight of West Waterford Food Festival

Horrible Hannah blows outside but inside Lily Ramirez-Foran and her chef friend Anthony O’Toole are cooking up a super-tasty Mexican storm as part of the 12th annual West Waterford Food Festival. A warm welcome and soon we are seated with scores more in the Causeway Tennis Club in Dungarvan.

The service began with Botana and Beer. The beer was top class stuff as always from the Dungarvan Brewing Company, who were combining for the second year running with Mexican Lily. The initial event was in the brewery but such was the demand for tickets that it was obvious a bigger venue was needed for this year.

Margarita

Back then to the Botana and Beer. Not your usual beer though! This was the Dungarvan Mine Head after a make-over, transformed into an Ale and Chili Margarita, with the aid of Hibiscus and lime. Sounded well, tasted better. And there were some tasty nibbles to go with the Déise Margarita: handmade Corn Chips, Spicy pepitas, Salsa Verde, De Arbol Salsa Roja.

Lily is the founder of Ireland's first Mexican boutique grocer and cookery school, Picado Mexican in Portobello, Dublin 2, and has been here for the past 19 years with her husband and business partner Alan Foran (also helping out on the night).

Superb starter

Anthony O’Toole is a private chef, curating one-off food and drink events for a wide range of clients. He is quite a gardener as well and this was not his first collaboration with Lili. They gave us an idea of what we would be eating for the evening and advised to use our hands (we did have a fork!) and pile up our plates as there’s not much sympathy for slow eaters in Mexico. 

Squash

Sally Barnes is a recent favourite of Anthony's and her smoked mackerel (wild, of course) featured in the Comienzo, the starter. Its full title: Sally Barnes Smoked Wild Mackerel Tostada, pickled Jalapeños, the Sea Gardeners’ Toasted Dillisk. First bite and I knew I was on a winner. A superbly made starter, a smooth combination of delicious flavours and textures.

Slaw

On then to the Taquiza, the mains. There were two and we got both, everyone did. First up was Anthony’s Crown Prince and Waltham Butternut Squash with Ancho Chili Crust, peanuts and sesame Salsa Macha, Citrus Créma, and Mexican Slaw. It may not have looked the best but scoop the squash up into the hot tortilla, add a little from the dips on the table and some of that Mexican Slaw (with lime juice, I think) and nobody around me stopped with after just one. It was excellent. 

And then came another dark offering but another superb dish: Old Farm leg of pork braised in Mine Head American Pale Ale (also by Dungarvan Brewing), Gaujillo and Mandarin Adobo Fried Jalapeno Salsa and that excellent slaw again. The pork, thinly cut and perfectly cooked, was delicious and again those tortilla warmers were empty in no time, replacements arriving just as fast as the punters dug into the irresistible deliciousness. 

Sweet Crema, Pomegranate, for your chocolate

By the way, the matching beer for the starter was the Blonde Ale and for the main course we had their Copper Coast Red. But there was plenty of beer and no compulsion. If you preferred it vice versa, that’s what you got. 

The final beer, with the Postre (dessert), was Black Rock Irish Stout. And that dessert was Tequila, Chipotle and the Proper Chocolate Company 85% Dominican Republic Chocolate Torte, with sweet créma, pomegranate, and Crystallised Hibiscus dust on the side. Quite a finalé to a lovely evening in Dungarvan. Final score: three sets to love for Lily and Anthony.

* The producers featured were Dungarvan Brewing, Old Farm fro Nenagh, Anthony O’Toole (eggs, veg and herbs), Sally Barnes Woodcock Smokery in West Cork, The Sea Gardener (Dungarvan), The Apple Farm (cider vinegar), Picado Mexican, Edible flowers by Bumble Bee Farm (Drimoleague) , and The Proper Chocolate Company (Glasnevin).

Carole's Back with Crackpots Encore.

Carole's Back with Crackpots Encore. 

Hake

It’s a big bravo to Carole Norman on her return to the Kinsale restaurant scene. Three years ago, she closed the doors on the original Crackpots. But couldn’t stay away and you’ll find her now every weekend at Crackpots Encore in Cork Street. You’ll also find a warm welcome, good food based mostly in local produce and, if it’s a Friday evening, you’ll have the bonus of Billy Crosbie on the piano and a guest (or two, perhaps!). 

Platter

Carole has that hospitality gene in abundance and the trademark warm welcome had us settled even before we are seated and studying the menu. A menu with a twist. Instead of starters, you are offered Platters. Have one for yourself or order a bigger one for sharing. Great variety and good value too. And yes, you may also have soup, oysters perhaps, mussels too.

Those Platters include Spanish Tapas, Patés on Parade and a Seafood Platter with prawns, oysters, mussels, and smoked salmon included. Hard to resist the superb Taste of Ireland (Irish cheese and charcuterie, including spiced beef from the local butcher just up the street) and a helping of Ballymaloe Relish! 

The table tops are a decent size here but if you get one of those large platters, it makes for a tight squeeze. A delicious one though as we found out when we shared the Middle Eastern, a board loaded with Falafels, creamy Hummus, pomegranate tabouleh, roasted aubergine, artichoke hearts, olives, toasted pitta breads, stuffed vine-leaves.

Curry

There is a long wine list here, quite a few available by the glass as well. All kinds of spirits too and some gorgeous cocktails. I went for the local Black’s beer, always enjoy their superb ale.

Chef John Paul McCarthy comes into his own with the Plat du Jour, which features a short but ever-changing list of main courses with something guaranteed for fish lovers, meat eaters and something too for the vegan/vegetarian. You might find a Rib-eye steak, a pan-seared chicken supreme, a Monkfish red Thai curry, or a  mixed bean chilli, for example.

A classic

Our set of choices included a Baked fillet of Hake with teriyaki glaze on shredded Pak Choi, chilli and garlic and with basmati rice (or fries) and it was perfectly cooked, well presented and a terrific combination. We choose the rice and that also featured in another excellent dish: Chicken Massaman Curry, slow cooked in Thai spices and coconut milk and served with basmati rice and a green salad.

Other mains on offer on the night included Roasted Cauliflower cutlets, with a smoked tomato and red pepper sauce and olive tapenade and a Rib-eye with caramelised red onions, peppercorn sauce and hand-cut chips.

We had made an early start and as we were looking at the dessert menu, the punters were streaming in. It was Friday night and it was obvious that quite a few regulars had booked around this time, knowing that Billy Crosbie would soon be tinkling those ivories. He soon was and the lovely buzz increased. From Abba to Andy Williams, Beatles to Buble – Billy can play “almost” anything!!

We just had to be somewhere else later on but enjoyed our sample of Crackpots craic as we shared a dessert. Like some of Mr Crosbie’s numbers, this was a classic: Poached Pears in mulled red wine. And it was a terrific version. The list is short but also includes an excellent Irish cheese plate. If you’d like something small with your coffee, you can treat yourself to the local Koko chocolates. Pity we had to go. Next time we’ll give yourselves more time at Crackpots Encore.

Crackpots Encore 

3 Cork St, Kinsale, Co. Cork

tel: 087 649 1322

Amuse Bouche

Pinot Noir via Pixabay

There were six of us in the cozy little dining room in the Meyer’s apartment in Lützowerstrasse. As four of them stood up and toasted me silently, I shook my head. I wasn’t sure I deserved Franz Meyer’s thanks, and besides, the wine we were drinking was a decent German red - a Spätburgunder from long before the war that he and his wife would have done better to have traded for some food instead of wasting it on me. Any wine - let alone a good German red - was almost impossible to come by in Berlin.

from A Man Without Breath by Philip Kerr (2013). Recommended.

Pinot Noir on the Double!

Pinot Noir on the Double!

 One from Oregon and one from Burgundy.

Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir Dundee Hills (Oregon USA) 2014, 14%, €46.55 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny 

Unusually, this US winery gives a list of “contents” on the bottle: Sun. Rain. Drizzle. More sun, Some fog. The fruits of sustainable farming. Flavours of black cherry and raspberry mingling with earth and truffle. Aromas of the same. 16 m in French oak. Love and Care.

Put them all together and you get an excellent organic wine. The word “Estate” on the label is significant in that the fruit for this wine comes from virtually every parcel of the farm.

Colour is the classic light ruby. Aromas of raspberry and cherry, a little hint of the oak. Amazing flavours, cherry and plum, intense and seductive. Oak is well integrated, tannins retain some grip. And this fragrant, silky and harmonious wine boasts a long satisfying finish. Very Highly Recommended.

“A beverage of pleasure” may be an apt description here. The phrase was used by a certain Mr Robert Parker though he was probably referring to wine that was much bigger and bolder than this elegant Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir thrives at Sokol Blosser and the exceptional red (volcanic) jory soils of the Dundee Hills provide a good home. The estate vineyards are farmed organically; local organic straw, organic cow and horse manure, grape pomace from the crush and organic rock phosphate contribute to the composting. The insect population is kept in check by a resident flock of bluebirds.

Dundee Hills is an important AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the Willamette Valley and is well established as a centre for top quality wine and the World Atlas of Wine confirms that, “since the mid 1970s, Oregon and Pinot Noir have been inextricably linked”.

Justin Girardin “Clos Rousseau” Santenay 1er Cru 2015, 13%, €33.99 JN Wine 

This juicy and fresh Pinot Noir has spent about 15 months in French oak barrels, 20 per cent of which were new. Many organic techniques are used in the Girardin Burgundy vineyard and the wine is bottled “on a favourable lunar day”.

And, yes, I’m tempted to say I’m over the moon about this one, Very Highly Recommended. It has a light ruby colour. There are attractive scents of ripe cherries and strawberries.

Delicate fruit flavours and a modest touch of spice ooze seamlessly together across the palate. Gentle tannins and acidity help make this a food wine. Delicate and modest yes but enveloping all is a seductive harmony that takes it all the way through to a long and very satisfying finish, delivered with finesse.

Suggested pairings: Red meats, game, mature cheeses, Coq au Vin and almost any chicken or poultry dish prepared with mushrooms.

Lost in Muscadet Vineyard in Nantes. And a Simply Better Surprise.

Lost in Muscadet Vineyard in Nantes. 

And a Simply Better Surprise.

Lost in Nantes? Encore?

Domaine de la Fessardière  “L’Air Innocent” Muscadet Sevre et Maine (AOC) Sur Lie 2015, €18.65 Mary Pawle

Brittany Ferries opened the Cork-Roscoff route in 1978 and, for quite a few years afterwards, virtually every Cork driver visiting France got lost in Nantes. Happened to myself once and I ended up in the vineyards to the south-east of the city (not the worst of outcomes, quite recoverable). French roads have improved a lot since then and now most major cities, including Nantes, have either a rocade or a périphérique.

Like most early ferry travellers, we didn’t go too far in the first year or two, mainly to the south of Brittany around Concarneau, Guerande and Carnac. The supermarché (even the odd hyper) were the main attractions for the first (and last) few days of the hols with the male eyes concentrating on the bottom shelves and the bottles of Muscadet for less than punt! Got a lot of it then (also Gros Plant, even cheaper) and that cheap stuff put many off the fruit of the Melon de Bourgogne grape for years.

Bit by bit though we began to realise that two very important words on the bottle were Sur Lie, though only a year or two back the somm in a five star hotel in Kerry didn’t seem to know them. Glad to say that this bottle is Sur Lie (raised on lees) and is a splendid offering via Mary Pawle Wines.

It has indeed been kept on its lees for six months. Besides there is no added sulphur and the fruit has been hand-harvested.The grape variety is the normal Melon de Bourgogne and the vineyard follows organic methods. 

Mary says it is round and unctuous in the mouth and a good match with seafood or a semi-soft cheese.  In addition, the producers recommend “fish in sauce, poultry with the cream, cooked cheese like the county (Comté, I presume) or Cantal.”

The name of this round, fresh and fruity wine, “L’Air Innocent”, emphasises this closeness to nature. Colour is a very light straw, bright and healthy looking. The aromas, delicate and appealing, are of white fruit (apple). Apple flavours are somewhat stronger than the scents and there’s a touch of citrus too, also a refreshing acidity, a tingle of minerality as well, and it also has a pleasant long finish. Highly Recommended.

Principesco Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane (IGT) 2017, 12%, €12.50 Dunnes Stores

First sip and a pleasant surprise. Yellow fruit flavours lead to a very pleasing palate. Nice bit of acidity too and all combine in a lovely finalé. The colour is a pale straw. Aromas of peach and apple hint of good things to come. A decent wine at a decent price from a surprising source as I wouldn’t have thought of Sicily as a hotbed of Pinot Grigio.

This wine has been exclusively selected for Dunnes Stores Simply Better. It is produced by Casa Fondata on the sunny island off the toe of Italy. Dunnes recommend it as a “perfect accompaniment to our Roasted Cod with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil & Mozzarella”. 

Franciscan Well Easter Fest. Was 2019 the Best Yet?

Franciscan Well Easter Fest

Was 2019 the Best Yet?

Franciscan Well is located held its 20th annual Easter Festival at its North Mall location at the weekend. And, by all accounts, from the organisers, the visiting brewers and the customers, it was the best yet.

I met Franciscan Well Market Manager Kate Clancy when I called early on Sunday afternoon. She reported that the previous day was amazing. “Once we opened the doors at 1.00pm, the crowds just kept coming.”

"What a weekend we had! Beer, Easter eggs, beer out of Easter eggs, pizzas, live music and this crowd! Thanks to everyone for coming along and a huge thanks as always to our amazing staff & their hard work! 

And the brewers confirmed that. Many had run out of their headline beers which meant I didn’t get to taste Peaches and Cream by the Cotton Ball or the Witness Protection Belgian Wit by Wexford’s Yellow Belly. 

I got in before the crowd on Sunday.

It was much the same story at UCC. UCC? You might well ask. Well, yes, they have a research brewery and you’ll see them at various festivals. Like the other breweries, they ran out of certain lines and, just like the others, had to be nimble to keep the show on the road. And one I enjoyed there was Manneken Pis, named after the Belgian beer. Apparently, the Manneken Pis statue has on occasion been filled with beer and you were welcome to hold your cup up and get a fill.

No such shenanigans at Franciscan Well!

Yellow Belly's Seamus was one of the happy brewers here who also seen his stocks diminish more rapidly than expected. But I did get to sample a couple. Their Jack Bauer Power Shower, a 3.8% sour, was deliciously refreshing in the heat and CL quickly became a fan. The Wolf of Malt Street, a 6.2 per cent Black Forrest Stout, a collaboration between Yellow Belly and neighbours Wicklow Wolf, also went down well at our barrel - could have done with a seat in the heat!

I also enjoyed the Elevation Pale Ale from Wicklow Wolf, an American style Pale Ale brewed and dry hopped with Mosaic Hops. Not everyone likes the dry hop beers but it suits me fine! Great too to meet up with James Ward of Lough Gill Brewery whose Mac Nutty is one of my favourite brown beers. This time we tasted their Roller Coaster, a 4.6% Berliner Weisse, with Guava, Mango and Passionfruit. Delicious and, like the Jack Bauer, refreshing. Also met up, after a few years, from Richard from Roscommon’s Black Donkey but we were making out exit at that stage.

The Rising Sun’s Common Eileen, a California Common, was malty with a decent bitterness, with traditional old-style American Hops. Had been hoping to taste the Cotton Ball’s Peaches and Cream but Eoin reported it all sold out. Still, there was the considerable consolation of a glass of their excellent Another Bloody IPA. I hadn't tasted that with a long while and enjoyed renewing the acquaintance. Indeed, called to the Cotton itself for a small selection of bottles when we got home - the sun was still shining in the garden.

Clare: A County of Cliffs and Karst, Caves and Cheese. And so much more!

Clare: A County of Cliffs and Karst, Caves and Cheese. 

And so much more!

Ancient Poulnabrone

You think of Clare, and the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren (a Karst landscape) always come to mind. They are indeed amazing visits but there is so much more as I found out in a recent two day trip.

There are two excellent cave visits. Aillwee is probably the best-known but this time we choose to go to Doolin to see the extraordinary stalactite there. We visited two cheese makers, the well-known St Tola and Burren Gold. Then there was the Burren Perfumery in an isolated spot but still managing to employ over 30 people in the season.

Superb packaging at Burren Perfume

Perfumery garden

As you travel between the perfumery and Aillwee you’ll the grey Burren stretching away at either side. And here too there are reminders of the past, a castle (Lemanagh), a fort (Caherconnell) and, most memorable of all, the ancient tomb at Poulnabrone. Just a few of the many attractions listed on the very helpful leaflet Burren and Cliffs of Moher GeoPark.

Okay, let us start with the cheese. We spent most of the first morning with Brian at St Tola and you may read all about it here. Our last call that afternoon was to the Farm Shop at Aillwee Caves where, if you’re lucky, you can see the Burren Gold being made. We had a lovely chat with Dave here  and an even lovelier tasting.

In between the cheese stops, we called to our B&B, the Fergus View, and got detailed directions for the afternoon from a very helpful Mary. And that was how we ended up at Poulnabrone. 

This is a Portal Tomb built, from great slabs of limestone, over 5,000 years ago (around the same time as the pyramids were being built) on the grey pavement of the Burren. The remains of over 30 people have been found on this ancient site. It is indeed much smaller than the pyramids but still you look at it in awe. 

And that awe continues as you eyes take in the extent of the grey pavement  (formed 350 millions years ago) all around as it stretches into the distance and you pick it up on the flanks of the distant hills.

Moher

Moher ??

And we got more great views of the unique landscape as we made our way to Sadie Chowen's Burren Perfumery . This  small company is “making cosmetics and perfumes inspired by the landscape around us. Everything is made on site, by hand, in small batches”. They include perfumes, creams, soaps and candles in the portfolio. We enjoyed  a little tour there through the perfume area, the herb garden and the soap room. There is also a Tea Room with homemade local food. The perfumery is open daily all year round.

The following morning we headed for Doolin on the coast, not to take a boat to the Aran Islands and not to take one along the Cliffs of Moher, but to visit the cave there. It is privately owned, by the Browne family. In addition to the cave, there is a café and a nature walk.

Mike Dickenson and Brian Varley, from a Yorkshire pothole club, discovered the cave in 1952. They crawled in. You don’t have to do that nowadays but you will have to bend down in certain parts. We had a terrific guide in Cathy and first she took us down the stairs which is enclosed in a concrete shaft stretching some 80 feet down; then, with our helmets on, we continued down to 80 metres.

Doolin's amazing stalactite. 10 tonnes, 23 feet.

Now, we get “orders” to turn out all mobile phone lights and we are briefly in darkness. A few lights come on in the blackness. Next there are oohs and aahs as the great stalactite is revealed, all 10 tonnes of it, all 23 feet of it (the longest free hanging stalactite in Europe!).  Amazing!

Doolin sheep

As Cathy takes us around and then under it, we get to know it a little better. One side (the whiter one), with drops of water still dripping, is longer than the other which has no drip and has stopped growing, it is “dead”.

Above ground, the nature trail takes visitors on a short rural walk where you will encounter some farm animals including rare breeds of pygmy goats and Soay and Jacob sheep, ducks and chickens. The ducks and chickens weren’t there on our trip, having been decimated by a rogue mink. But replacements were due!

There is also a well-regarded café and a shop and an area where you’ll see some information (mainly on posters) about the cave which was opened to the public only in 2006. As part of the planning permission, there is a limit of around 50,000 visitors per annum.

We had one or two other visits in mind in the Lisdoonvarna area but with the weather bright and clear, if quite breezy, we decided to head for the Cliffs of Moher. And the guy on the parking gate told us we’d made the correct decision, that the views were great.

And so they were. We joined the crowds (11 buses and more than half a mega-car-park full of cars) but the people were well spread out over the area and no sense of crowding at all. We walked and walked and took in the outstanding views. 

Something struck us as we strolled around. Most of the visitors were speaking a language other than English and those speaking English had either American or English accents. Of the small group in the morning’s cave visit, we were the only two “natives”. I know it was a working day (Friday) but still we wondered do we Irish really appreciate what we have on our doorstep. 

Ball retriever.

Over the past few years, we’ve often been asked what did we do this year. And we’d mention Kerry, Clare, Waterford, Wexford, Mayo, Donegal and so on. And the response often is. “Yes, but where did you go on holidays?” Quite a lot of us don’t consider it a holiday unless we go abroad.

We finished off the afternoon by taking the coastal route, calling at Liscannor (birthplace of John P Holland, inventor of the submarine) and a very lively Lahinch where surfers and golfers were out in force before reaching Berry Lodge at Spanish Point. Here we got a splendid welcome from owner David.

Plan to head to Clare again fairly soon, perhaps starting in the southern part of the county. Anything I should see, visit? After that, I’ll fill you in on a few places to eat and stay.

Surfers get a lesson on Lahinch beach while repairs (following last year's storms) continue in the background.

Also in Clare recently:
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
Hazel Mountain Chocolate
The Burren Brewery
A Tour of Clare
St Tola Goats Cheese visit
Burren Gold Cheese
Henry's Bistro & Wine Bar Ennis

St Tola, where the girls are pampered: pedicures and treats. Sunblock next?

St Tola,  where the girls are pampered: pedicures and treats. Sunblock next?

The only kid!

We got a big noisy welcome when we arrived at the St Tola Goats near Inagh in Co. Clare. Three hundred ladies plus all turned in our direction as we entered their spacious quarters. Farm Manager Petru Gal told us that 200 are milking at the moment and indeed that figure can reach up to 300.

Brian, who has been with St Tola for the past eleven years, having originally signed up to help out with the summer milking, just a short holiday job, was our guide on the visit and he told us that the kidding is staggered with a cut off point around the equinox. 

Our host Brian, standing by an old cheese press

There was just one kid in the large open and airy sheds, where the goats are divided into pens. There is a certain rivalry between the residents of the different pens! And that needs to be watched at milking time, 8.00am and 6.00pm. It is done mechanically, fairly similar to the way cows are milked, right down to the little treat to get the animals installed in the gates.

The three main breeds here, all mixed at this stage, are Saanen, Toggenburg and British Alpine. If you want quantity of milk then you go with Saanen. But when making cheese you need more fat, more solids in the milk, and Brian says the input of the Toggenburg males ensures higher solids. British Alpine are also in the mix. A goat by the way is in gestation for five months and the normal outcome is twins. While we were going through the shed, Petru showed us one of their three long-eared Nubian goats.

Curious

Goats don’t like the wet, don’t like being outside in the rain. Brian explained that in the local conditions, which are fairly peaty (“there is high rainfall in Inagh), they can pick up parasites and can develop foot problems. As it is, their feet need to be pared twice a year, not the easiest of jobs! They do enjoy being out and about in the sun but, as it turned out, last summer was too hot for them and the problem, believe or not, was sunburn!

The major food while they are indoors is haylage. Haylage is cut like hay, but only allowed to semi-wilt and not dry completely. St Tola don’t use silage as that can leave unpleasant traces in the milk. Overall, they do like a varied diet, mostly the farm’s own hay, plus treats such as dried peas, even cut willow branches.

St Tola have a shop on the farm but that only opens for bus tours. If you call, you may buy cheese at the office. This year you can buy their hard cheese. This is only made when there is a surplus as there was last year - there was no hard cheese for a few years before that. It is tasting very well at present but stocks are beginning to run down!

Welcome to St Tola

They make cheese three times a week. They do pasteurised but Brian says the raw milk cheese is much better, the demand for it led by high-end restaurants who appreciate its more complex flavours. 

He took us through the cheese-making process, the cultures, the rennet, the separation of curds and whey, draining the curds in bags, the moulding (with 1% salt added). Then for the some of the logs, the ash (a food grade charcoal) is added; this encourages the other moulds and locks in moisture. The plain non-ash logs are sold fresh. Two weeks after start of production, the mature plain logs are available. The fresh is much easier from the cheesemaker's point of view as the mature takes a lot of work and time.

A champion cheeseboard!

Then time for a tasting. Brian tells us that soft cheese accounts for 90 per cent of the production. As indicated above, the 2018 hard cheese is still available and “improving all the time”. We went through them all from the small Crottin right up to the superb Ash Log which is now available in Supervalu. The hard cheese should also be in Supervalu and that means that stocks will be doing down even more quickly.

And there was one more to taste, the St Tola Greek Style, lovely and crumbly, salty and tangy, and ideal for salads. Time then to say a big thank you to Brian for his time and courtesy and slán too to the young ladies of St Tola. Keep on producing that superb milk girls!

Note on upcoming St Tola Tour: Apr 24 2019

St Tola Goat Farm

Public Tour 10.30am sharp. €8/adults €5/children €20 family ticket

St Tola 

Gortbofearna, Maurice Mills, Ennistymon, Co. Clare, Ireland V95 XA9C.

• +353 65 68 36633
• info@st-tola.ie
• fb.me/SaintTola
• @sttolacheese

Also in Clare recently:
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
Hazel Mountain Chocolate
The Burren Brewery
A Tour of Clare
St Tola Goats Cheese visit
Burren Gold Cheese
Henry's Bistro & Wine Bar Ennis