O'Briens Irish Whiskey Sale. Wines Direct go French. Waterford Eyes USA. Plea to help Lebanon winemakers. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #19

O'Briens Irish Whiskey Sale. Wines Direct go French. Waterford Eyes USA. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #19

O'Briens September Irish Whiskey Sale has begun! There are some superb whiskeys on offer and to help you choose we have picked out the must try whiskeys with something to suit each budget. These are the whiskeys that should be on every whiskey aficionado’s list.

This 12 Year Old Redbreast is just one of those reduced.

More details here

The French Harvest Sale!

with Wines Direct

To mark the start of the annual French Harvest we would like to give you up to 15% off on over 60 of our favourite French wines—the pièce de résistance is FREE DELIVERY on all orders (6 bottle minimum).

 Take a look at the wines, or if you're finding it hard to choose, check out our French Harvest Mixed Case. Please think of the Mixed Case as our personal recommendation to you. More details here

Waterford heading to USA

WATERFORD WHISKY IS ON THE WAY TO AMERICA

Many of our friends Stateside have been waiting very, very patiently for Waterford Whisky to become available. That long wait is almost over. Arriving at the beginning of October will be three totally unique Single Farm Origins, and available from the middle of October will be Organic: Gaia 1.1, Ireland's first organically certified whisky. Read more here

Why Lebanon, its people & wines deserve our help So it may seem tactless to write about Lebanon’s wine industry while it absorbs the full impact, literally and existentially, of its very own 9/11. But in a nation that actually produces very little else – pace the cannabis sector – wine stands out as its most high-profile export. Alongside its magnificent cuisine, and arak, the national drink, akin to, but better than, pastis, it captures Lebanon’s vitality, warmth and generosity of spirit. More from Michael Karam here 

Spirit of The White Hag, Pinot Noir Day, Wines Direct, Lebanon, Drinks Theatre, and more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #16

Spirit of The White Hag, Pinot Noir Day, Wines Direct, Lebanon, and more on wine, spirits and beer in Cheers #16

Spirit of The White Hag 

As we complete our 3-year barrel aging programme, we're opening pre-registration for our Spirit programme, using ex-beer barrels to finish aged Irish Whiskey.

We have a huge collection of barrels taking their place in the whiskey programme, having previously housed some of our most loved barrel aged beers.

We're already 12 months into this project, so the first bottled liquid is coming this winter.

There are 500 places at the founders table.

thewhitehag.com/spirit

NZ celebrates Pinot Noir success story

Wind the clock back 20 years and Pinot Noir was barely known, leave alone grown, in New Zealand. But today there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the variety, and on 18 August Kiwis will be doing just that. Full story here. via Jean Smullen

Wines Direct. Ticket to Spain

Buy yourself a ticket to Spain! We figured you may be missing out on a summer holiday right now, so we put together a memorable case of some of our bestselling wines from Spain. It will not replace the white sand between your toes, but there are white wines that will put a smile on your face and reds that are Spanish sunshine in a glass. So, get out the Tapas and get on board! We are going to take you from Rioja to Rias Baixas. See the details here

Lebanon and its winemakers

 now need help!

The devastating explosion that rocked through the port and streets of Lebanon this week also sent shockwaves around the world. But as the dust settles on this unique, vibrant and historic city, the sheer scale of the damage is only just starting to be assessed. It leaves a city, and a country, already on its knees from months of economic and political turmoil that has wiped out people’s savings as its currency has collapsed. Here leading Lebanese journalist and wine critic, Michael Karam, puts this week’s shocking events into context, with a wine industry already dependent on international sales for its future, now desperate for all the support the international wine community can spare it.

More, via The Buyer, here.

Drinks Theatre at Ballymaloe

"Our fourth event of the Summer Series at the Drinks Theatre at Ballymaloe, Seamus McGrath and Colm McCan are delighted to be joined by Sacha Whelan of Smith & Whelan Wines who will present a talk and tasting of a selection of wines - on a Summer’s evening!
Fully seated, socially distanced, limited numbers, pre booking essential - tickets only available through eventbrite - link.

The Sultan Cafe: Cuisine of North Africa on a Cork Quay

The Sultan Cafe: Cuisine of North Africa on a Cork Quay

Tagine

Stopped in off Penrose Quay on a bitingly cold March night walked through the portals of The Sultan and landed on the balmy coast of North Africa, a warm welcome and a treasure trove of exotic dishes available to us at Taoufik Hammami's restaurant. On the way in, we pass the  Shisha Lounge, which doubles as reception and waiting area, complete with traditional pipes and a display of herbs and aromatic spices that are used in the cooking.

Under a tent-like ceiling, with long lengths of colourful material hanging loosely overhead, African music playing, the cuisine of that long coast, particularly those of Morocco and the Lebanon, are detailed on the extensive menu. Dishes such as Kaftas, Shish, Kofta, Kebab, Cous Cous, Shawarma, Salads, Baba Ghanoush, and Falafel all feature. Spices are used but more to impart flavour than heat.

It takes us a while to make up our minds. I’m looking at everything, the hummus, the vine leafs, the falafel, the sharing Mezzes, the Tabbouleh. In the end though I pick the Fattoush: mixed green salad, tomato, cucumber, parsley, onion, sumac, with pomegranate and oil dressing and cracked bread (7.95). Packed full of flavour and an amazing dressing, took a while to get through it.

We would find out that dishes here are very generous indeed. CL picked the Moussaka (a vegetable version), aubergines cooked with chickpeas, tomatoes, mixed peppers and spices, served with pitta bread. Again a generous mix of flavours and textures for 6.95. 

Moussaka

The Morrocan selection on the mains is based mainly on tagine variations. Authentic Moroccan tagine (16.95) is a slow-cooked stew like dish, served in a traditional Moroccan clay pot, served with a choice of rice, couscous or bread. CL picked the couscous and the bubbling stew did come in the clay dish and was terrific, the couscous (a very generous helping again) served in another dish alongside. She had a choice of beef or lamb and picked the latter. It was cooked on the bone, Generous and delicious too. Lots of pieces of sweet fruit mixed in here, even a spud in the stew!

Fattoush

Meanwhile, I was happily making my way through a Lebanese dish. I had quite a few to choose from: Kafta Lahem (lamb mince), Taouk (chicken breast) and Dawood Basha (spiced meat balls) to choose from. I settled for the Mixed Meat Shawarma (14.95), pieces of chicken and lamb marinated in a lightly spiced garlic and onion mix, grilled on skewers and served with mixed salad, garlic sauce, pitta bread and a choice of rice or chips (rice for me!). Tender, tasty, slightly spiced and overall delicious.

Shawarma

Baklava features strongly on the desserts and do watch out for the Almond finger baklava soaked in honey and topped up with Pistachio. If you can’t manage it at the end of eh meal, don't worry they’ll wrap it up for you and you can enjoy it later on at home. And if want more sometime, don't forget they have a shop in McCurtain Street (near the Met) where they also sell Turkish Delight! And you’ll more than likely see a Sultan stall at various markets and festivals.

The Sultan Café 

5 Penrose Wharf

Penrose Quay

Cork

(021) 241 4272

Out of Africa. A Pair of Impressive Reds

Out of Africa. A Pair of Impressive Reds

Percheron Shiraz Mourvèdre, Western Cape (South Africa) 2014, 14.5%, €11.95 Le Caveau

The Percheron horse owes his place on the label to the fact that these draft horses (now a rare breed), once worked the land here; the ancient vines, another national treasure, survive also. 

This medium red comes with dark fruit aromas, some savoury notes too. It is warm and rich, spice, vanilla notes too, savoury elements also, tannins more or less fine, and a long and warm finish. Well balanced, well made, great value and Highly Recommended.

The producers recommend matching it with smoked meat, red meat and cheeses. I found it superb with the Macroom Buffalo burgers from Eoin O’Mahony in the English Market, Cork.

Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent, Bekaa Valley (Lebanon) 2013, 13.5%, €19.75 Karwig Wines

A dark ruby red is the colour here; it is a little lighter at the rim. There are intense aromas. Delicious fruit too on the complex palate, a drift of pepper also, and fine tannins. Superb balance of fruit and wood and those dark fruits stay with you through the persistent finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Though the old cellars, situated underground in the limestone bedrock, most probably date from Roman times, the winery was founded by the Jesuits in 1857. Must have been some nuns there too - there usually were - as couvent is French for convent. The estate is no longer in Jesuit hands but the French influence is strong. Next parish by the way is unhappy Syria. Amazingly, Ksara produces some 3 million bottles per annum.

It is a blend, 40% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Red meat and small game are the suggested matches for this delicious and complex wine.

No holding Bekaa with this Convent Reserve!

No holding Bekaa with this Convent Reserve!

Ksara estate

Chateau Ksara, Reserve du Couvent 2011, Vallee de la Bekaa (Lebanon), 13.5%, €19.15 Karwig Wines

Hard for me to believe that there is just 30 per cent Cabernet Franc in this gorgeous wine. The red grape of the Loire dominates here and I wouldn't have been surprised to see its contribution at about 70%. But no. The blend is 40% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc.

The winery was founded by Jesuits in 1857. Must have been some nuns there too - there usually were - as Couvent is the French for convent. The estate is no longer in Jesuit hands.

The wine has a beautiful mix of fruity aromas and the colour is a deep ruby. On the palate it is rich and delicious, the refreshing input of Cab Franc obvious methinks, there are hints of the wood (and of the French influence!); it is fine and full flavoured with a lasting finish. Can't help thinking though that I got into this 2011 a bit too soon as it seems there is more to come from it. Still, it is even now an excellent wine and Very Highly Recommended.

Sweet Intro to Excellent Sultan Meal

Sweet Intro to Excellent Sultan Meal

Taoufik, the Chef/Owner at The Sultan, the Lebanese restaurant at Penrose Wharf, told us our starter would take about twenty minutes to cook - “everything is prepared fresh” - but that he had some Lebanese tea to warm us up while we waited. It was sweet but gorgeous and we sipped to our heart's content. At the end of the meal, he treated us to his Arab coffee (containing cardamom, apples and more and sweetened with rose water).

Mezze

He has a great selection of  Mezzes to share and we opted for number two, including Baba Ghanoush, Potato Haro (Spicy Potato), Fatayer Spinach, Fatoush Salad, Hummus, Falafel and more, served with pickles olives, tahina sauce and Lebanese bread. It was quite a plateful - maybe too much if you are going for one of his superb specialities afterwards - but it does serve as a terrific introduction to the type of food you may expect in this comfortable place.

Moussaka

Enjoyed it very much and then I tucked into my main course, the Dawood Basha: Charcoal Lamb meatballs, cooked in a terrific lively tomato sauce and served with a delicious Lebanese rice.

CL loved their version of moussaka, lighter and more flavoursome than the usual Greek version and consisting of aubergines cooked with tomato, onions, sweet pepper and minced lamb and served with that fabulous rice. They also do a vegetarian moussaka. Overall, there is a massive choice here and they also do takeaway.

Dawood Basha

We were too full for dessert but our host kindly treated us to some Lebanese coffee. The coffee was poured from a special pot and then topped up with a little rosewater. Good, but the tea was better! And before we left, we got some of his big selection of baklava. He has quite a lot made with an eye to the Christmas market.

A little rosewater in your coffee?

Overall the dishes are overflowing with flavours, flavours that we locals don't come across everyday, and they are enhanced by the herbs and spices (but nothing too extreme, they don't use chilli, for instance). If you want a change, then do try the Sultan. You'll be assured of a sweet welcome from Taoufik and his staff. 

The Sultan of Penrose Quay

The Sultan of Penrose Quay

Baba Ghanoush (Spicy Aubergines), 

There is a little piece of the Levant on Penrose Wharf, right opposite the bridge, and here you can have Kafta, Shish, Kebab, Couscous, Shawarma, Moutabal, Falafel and more meals from that area of the Mediterranean.

This Lebanese restaurant, called The Sultan, has been open for about five months, with one entrance on the quay and another at the rear but do be aware that the car park in the complex closes early in the evening. In any event, there is a surprise if you enter by the quay as right in front of you is a Shisha Lounge complete with pipes and there too is a display of spices and herbs that they used in the cooking.

The spices, by the way, are not that hot. “Think of our spices as flavours. They are not very hot, we do not use chilli, for example.” Indeed, if you really want to find out more about Lebanese cooking, The Sultan runs cookery courses every Sunday. They also do takeaway and are to be seen at food festivals (they sold out in Midleton last Saturday week).

Lamb Shish 

But we were there to eat in the very well appointed alcohol free restaurant. It is clean and bright and well lit with very comfortable tables and seating (including high backed leather chairs).And if you want help with the menu, it is readily available from the very courteous staff.

We worked our way through the pages of the menu and they pointed out to us that we could take the Early Bird which gave us two courses for just €16.95 and that saved us a few euro. We were indeed early and so too were quite a few others and the place was more or less full by about seven on last Saturday night.

CL’s starter was the Moutabal which is Smoked Aubergine mixed with Tahini Sauce, Lemon Juice and Olive Oil and served with Lebanese bread. My Baba Ghanoush (Spicy Aubergines), a paste of smoked aubergines mixed with fresh pepper, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and again served with Lebanese bread. Two really palatable dishes, full of light and delightful flavours, and much more substantial that I thought at first sight.

Chicken Kafta 

Very happy also with my main dish called Lamb Shish (13.90). This was grilled lamb cubes marinated in lemon juice and mixed spices, served with mixed salad, parsley, onions, tahini sauce on top and Lebanese bread. Some terrific flavours again, nothing very spicy, and that thin bread was a perfect foil.

The other mains was Chicken Kafta (12.90). This consisted of grilled minced chicken, sweet peppers, garlic and special spices and was served with mixed salad, garlic sauce on top and, of course, Lebanese Bread. This surprisingly was probably an even bigger dish than the lamb. Lots of it there. I took a few spoonfuls of the chicken mix and it was really satisfying and very much enhanced by the blend of peppers, garlic and spices, again overflowing with flavour, but nothing even approaching extreme.

And before we left, we had a surprise when a small plate of their Baklava was delivered to the table, the layers of filo pastry are filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. That sure left a sweet impression as we left the Sultan.

Baklava

The Sultan, 5 Penrose Wharf, Cork. 021 2414272.

Lebanese Take-away and Sit-Down.

The Sultan in action at Midleton Food Festival

Sami at Star Anise

Sami at Star Anise

Sami Ghosn wasn't taking much credit for the splendid set of wines he shared with a packed Star Anise at last night’s Wine Dinner, part of the 10^th anniversary celebrations of the excellent Bridge Street restaurant.

Sami, Chairman and General Manager of the Massaya Company, based in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, said it was easy to make wine there. The local conditions, no rain from April to September, but still moisture in the soil from the snow melt in the nearby mountains, the same mountains that hold back the rain clouds, plus the blue sky luminosity (a major factor in promoting growth) and the soil itself, lead to grapes of outstanding quality. He maintained that ninety per cent of the work is done for the winemaker.

Still Massaya does have some work to do and does it well in this surprisingly small country, some 200 kilometres by 50. They can wait for the proper time to pick, citing this as a major difference between his wine and “supermarket wines” which are produced to a schedule. But, in Massaya, everything, including the picking for example, is done “at the optimum time”, the schedule being laid down by nature.

Our first bottle was the Massaya Blanc, a blend of Clairette, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and the indigenous Obeidi. This was fresh, elegant and well balanced, almost velvety on the palate.

Then it was reds all the way. First came the Classic Red, a blend of Cinsault (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. “This is very approachable”, he said. “The door opener to the Bekaa. Cinsault is the Southern Rhone grape and we have French partners working with us. It has good fruit and spice and is very versatile.” Just to underline that latter point, we enjoyed it with the monkfish course.

The Silver Red was another Rhone type, a bit more serious, maybe not as versatile. “But more classic. Goes well with lamb, which we have to-night”.

We finished with the Gold Reserve Red, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah. This is the top one. He advised dressing up for this serious bottle. “It has spent two years maturing in new French oak casks and will keep maturing nicely. It may need decanting and is to be enjoyed with red meat, chocolate and maybe a big cigar!”

It has 14.5% abv. “You are not supposed to sense the alcohol. ..if you do..it is unbalanced.” No danger of that with this full-bodied gem. Tasting notes on all the wines are here.

The excellent wines proved a challenge to Star Anise but one they welcomed and met by providing a brilliant matching meal. Each course was top notch, almost impossible to pick one over the other but, if pressed, I’d go for the Monkfish and the exquisite Madeleines. But I really wouldn’t want to miss any of them. Well done to Virginie and her team and a big congrats to Conor and Virginie on their ten years in business. Long may they continue!

Menu

**
Gazpacho with Celery Cress and Goat’s Cheese crostini

**

Scallop tartare with Shaved Fennel, Chilli and Orange

**

Monkfish, wrapped in Prosciutto, with Romesco Sauce, Courgette, and Toasted Almonds

**

Canon of Lamb with Tabbouleh, Sweet Potato Puree & Pomegranate Yoghurt

**

Madeleines with lemon Curd and Strawberry Salsa

**

Tea & Coffee

Happy Birthday Star Anise

 Happy Birthday and Joyeux anniversaire Star Anise


Time to say Happy Birthday or Joyeux anniversaire to Star Anise, one of the better restaurants in the city. Next month, Virginie and Conor celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bridge Street venue and will do so in some style. And so can you.

Conor has just told me they plan to hold a wine dinner as part of the celebrations: “Can't believe it has been ten years in May. We are delighted to have Sami Ghosn all the way from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon coming to talk about his Winery Massaya Wines on Wednesday the 16th of next month.”

“I have been chasing him for over 2 years to come and do an event with me so I must say I'm delighted. He's a wonderful speaker and really great craic, so I reckon it should be a great night.”

The format for the night will be a 5 course dinner with matching wines and a sparkling wine reception for €65.

The wines we will be showing on the night are all from Massaya :

Massaya Silver Selection White

Massaya Classic Rouge

Massaya Silver Selection Red

Massaya Gold Reserve (pictured above)