Hard to beat this Old Vine Garnacha

Corona d’Aragon old vine Garnacha 2009,  Cariñena,  Spain, ABV: 13.5%, stockists  

This Wine Alliance  import comes highly rated by Jay Miller of The Wine Advocate Robert Parker who gave it 89 points. Other awards include Decanter Award (Bronze) 2011 and IWC Bronze Medal 2011. It is certainly a quality wine and comes at an attractive price.

TASTEFEST CORK 2011

Click to enlarge.

TASTEFEST CORK 2011

The sun blazed down as Cork’s inaugural Tastefest finished with a flourish in Fitzgerald’s Park on Sunday. Many families came out to support the food festival and at times there were buggy jams on the paths!

Chateau d’Estoublon

Chateau d’Estoublon

Fontvieille was the nearest town to us in a recent visit to Provence and so I took the chance to visit nearby Chateau d’Estoublon, mentioned in the Michelin Wine Regions of France Green Guide. Estoublon seems to be an up and coming organic producer in this area and I saw its wines on sale in the Palais des Papes in Avignon where it shared shelf-space with the big hitters.

It also sells its own wines, including some AOC Baux des Alpilles, along with some fine foods, fashion and furniture. There is no admission charge – it is after all a shop - and you will see some inviting items on the shelves. We helped ourselves to a box of Callissons, some of the famous nougat from Montelimar and also a bottle of the Chateau’s 2010 Rose (€12.00).

Needed something to go with the wine, so we headed for a local traiteur and purchased calamari in a Provencal sauce. Not a bad match at all. The wines proved itself but whether it would outshine the many classy Roses in a head to head is hard to say. Maybe a contest for the future.  Estoublon produces organic wines and have carried the Ecocert label since 2002, which certifies the validity of the organic farming methods used.

We were on our way back from St Remy de Provence’s www.stremy-de-provence.com Musée Estrine, Centre d’Interpretation Van Gogh. It has none of the famous artist’s paintings, many of which were executed in or near the town. Indeed, there are none either in Arles. Obviously, they didn’t think much of him then and are still scrambling to catch up.

In the St Remy centre, an 18^th century hotel, they substitute with high quality photos of the same size as the paintings. Here you will see an 1889 self portrait, The Sewer and Starry Night among many others.

For more info on Provence, visits my site here - http://swissroll07.blogspot.com/search?q=Provence

HOLIDAYS

ON HOLS AT PRESENT; check here for latest reviews and news.

Tastefest

From left to right Rubert Atkinson, Boardwalk Bar and Grill, Beth Haughton, The Club Brasserie, Brendan Cashman, Augustine's announcing details of their menus at TasteFest Cork from 23rd-26th June at Fitzgerald Park, Cork.

BURGUNDY EVENT IN BALLYMALOE

                                                                

Winemaker visit, presentation and tasting

Anne-Claude Leflaive, Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy, in association with Paddy Moore, Moores’ Wines

Wine presentation and tasting with Anne-Claude Leflaive,  at The Grain Store at Ballymaloe, 3.30pm, Saturday 11^th June 2011. €35 per person.

Advance booking essential.

Domaine Leflaive has been described as Burgundy’s greatest white wine domaine, a flagship domaine in the Côte de Beaune, and biodynamic since 1997. It is a family estate that was initially created by Anne-Claude’s grandfather Joseph, and is now managed by Anne-Claude Leflaive. Decanter Wine Magazine, in their Top 10 White Winemakers of the World, rated Anne-Claude Leflaive,Domaine Leflaive as the Number1. All her wines, from Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru, have all been critically acclaimed by the world’s leading wine writers. A great opportunity to meet one of the great white winemakers of the wine world, and to taste the wonderful wines of Domaine Leflaive. It is over eight years since her last visit to Ireland, so an opportunity not to be missed for wine-lovers.

Wines for the afternoon presentation and tasting, 3.30pm, Saturday 11^th June:

Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne blanc 2008

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 2008

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Clavoillon 2008

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2008

Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2008

Ballymaloe House,

Shanagarry,

Co. Cork,

Ireland

Tel: 021 4652531      

res@ballymaloe.ie

TASTEFEST CORK

TasteFest Cork - Festival of Food and Culture, Ireland 2011

Festival of Food and Culture, Ireland 2011 23rd – 26th June 2011, Fitzgerald Park, Cork.

http://www.tastefest.ie/


Just a reminder about Cork's TasteFest at the end of the month. Looking better every day, so be sure and keep up with all the latest at the links above. Some pics from the launch follow.....

MAHER'S COFFEE

 Mahers' Coffee have a new website. Check it out at http://www.maherspurecoffee.ie

TOP NOTCH RED FROM PORTUGAL

Fontanario de Pegoes Palmela DO Reserva 2007 (Portugal), 14%, €16.99 stockists. 

Three grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and local Tourigan Nacional, and mainly Castelao are used to produce this full bodied smooth red from the Palmela region of Portugal. It spends 12 months in French and American oak barrels, followed by 2 years in bottle before release.

I reckon it is well worth the wait. Colour is dark ruby with black berry fruits on the nose. On the palate, it is soft and velvety. Berries, plums and spice and more combining here to give a lovely mouthfeel and a very pleasant finish. Yet another well balanced wine -it has rich tannins- that underlines the quality and value now coming out of this Portuguese winery, under the direction of Jamie Quendarao.

Jamie Goode says that Pegoes is “possible Portugal’s best Co-op.”  And the reputation is underlined by some 140 international wine awards! Not bad or, perhaps, given my current location, I should say pas mal! Maurice O’Mahony of Wine Alliance confirmed it is selling well already: “Lovely wine, we feel.” No hardship  to agree. Worth a try. Let me know if you do!

SHERRY AMBASSADOR WOWS BALLYMALOE

SHERRY AMBASSADOR WOWS BALLYMALOE

César Saldaña (centre) with, l to r: Darren, Maurice (Wine Alliance), Mary and Mike (Curious Wines)

César Saldaña, Consejo Regulador, Sherry, the great ambassador for the drink, gave a smashing talk to about 100 people at last evening’s delightful tasting  in the Grain Store at Ballymaloe.

After a hearty welcome from Ballymaloe’s wine expert Colm McCann, César got down to business with a smile and a talk cum screen show on the area and how the different styles of sherry are produced.

Then he enthusiastically took us through six different tastings ranging from very dry to rather sweet, from Fino to Dulce Viejo. Even showed us how to read the label. Take Lustau Papirusa Manzanilla for instance. Lustau is the house, Papirusa the brand and Manzanilla the style.

He explained the way Sherry is made, most of it via a system called “criaderas y solero”, basically stacks of casks. The  row on the floor contains the oldest wine and is called the solero, the rows above (the top one contains the youngest wine) are called criaderas. Also fascinating insights into how the temperatures within the high buildings are controlled.

And then he had a tip. When drinking sherry with your meal you should always have a glass of water at hand. When you want to “wash” down the food use the water and then take “a few drops” of the sherry as it goes a long way!

Many people are surprised that you can use sherry throughout your meal and César gave a few food matches in his talk.  My favourite from the first three was the Lustau Gran Reserva Oloroso Emparatriz (Mitchells). This has an ample palate and I was not surprised to hear him suggest Manchego cheese but was surprised when he also suggested meat (oxtail) and game dishes. So now you know!

I also enjoyed the Valdespino Amontillado Tio Diego (Classic Dinks) which again is ample on the plate with “a very clean dry finish”.  César:” ..this is a true amontillado. They drink this in Jerez. They like it there.” If it’s good enough for Jerez, then it is good enough for me.

César kept giving out great information as the tasting went on and touched on topics such as how long to keep your sherry after opening the bottle (keep Fino in fridge and use within days), the kind of wood used, the importance of the Flor, the 1^st Yeme, serving temperatures, biological and oxidative ageing and so on.

If you want to dig a little deeper into this fascinating subject then check out this site http://www.sherry.org/EN/elconsejo.cfm

as it contains a massive amount of information on the Sherry region (and why the wine is called Sherry), the diversity of sherry, its history and the Consejo Regulador itself.

 There will be another great sherry event in Ballymaloe this evening but you’ll have to hurry:

Thursday 26th May, 8.00pm – Sherry Dinner at Ballymaloe House
Sherry Dinner with César Saldaña in association with The Irish Times Readers Evening, and John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times, and also in association with Wines of Spain. A specially selected menu will be matched to specially selected Sherry at each course.
Please note that booking for this Sherry Dinner, on Thursday 26th May, at Ballymaloe House, will have to be made directly through The Irish Times Readers Evening office.

TASTEFEST

TASTEFEST CORK SHOWCASES BEST OF

CORK’S RESTAURANTS AND LOCAL PRODUCERS

Details have been announced of TasteFest www.tastefest.ie - Cork’s latest Festival of food, drink and culture - taking place over four days in Fitzgerald Park, Cork from 23^rd-26^th June.......

This is a unique event, bringing together the very best in food, wine, beverage and Irish culture. The Festival will provide Cork foodies and visitors with an opportunity to experience the wide diversity that is on offer from indigenous suppliers combined with the best of both Irish and International Cuisine.

The launch reception, at Electric,  was attended by guests of honour The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell and his wife Catherine. 

According to Ernest Cantillon of Electric Restaurant & Bar, one of the main organisers of the festival and hosts of this evening’s reception, “There has been a lot of talk around Cork over the past couple of years about establishing a high quality, reasonably priced food event in the City, to encourage people to eat out more often and to provide an enjoyable social gathering for those who enjoy quality food and wine”.

“TasteFest gives over 15 of Cork’s top quality restaurants a unique opportunity to expand their client base in the most effective way possible; by allowing new customers to sample their signature dishes in a convivial atmosphere.”

TasteFest Cork will also provide a rare opportunity for food and wine establishments, suppliers of food and beverages as well as retail brands, cookery schools, artists and entertainers to promote their products to a captive audience.

There will also be a number of cookery demonstrations from leading celebrity chefs such as Rachel Allen, Conrad Gallagher and Andrew Rudd, as well as chefs from many of the leading Cork restaurants participating.

The event takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Fitzgerald Park, where a selection of musicians and performers will make a visit to TasteFest a memorable occasion.

TasteFest is supported by Fáilte Ireland and Bord Bia and by the Irish Examiner and Cork’s 96FM as media partners. Fáilte Ireland is promoting its ‘Place on a Plate’ program which gives visitors a sense of where they are through the food they eat.

 
 
Cork people love their food and are proud of the rich and diverse number of excellent restaurants and local producers from throughout the county. Supported by Cork City Council, The Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Vintners’ Association, TasteFest Cork has already signed up some leading Cork restaurants, to include Amicus, Augustines, Boardwalk Bar & Grill, Electric Bar & Restaurant, Hayfield Manor Hotel, Isaac’s, The Ivory Tower, Liberty Grill, Rising Tide, Sage, Springfort Hall Country House, the Club Brasserie and The Cornstore.

Barry & Fitzwilliam Ltd and Heineken Ireland have also committed to TasteFest, along with a number of top-class exhibitors including Ballymaloe Country Relish, Clonakilty Black Pudding, Cooleeney Cheese Company, Cully and Sully and Kerry Spring Water. More details will follow in the coming weeks.

Tickets for TasteFest are available from as little as €10 for advance bookings on www.tastefest.ie

 

Totally Tipperary

Totally Tipperary, an innovative and exciting food event will be held within the historic grounds of Cloughjordan House on the 25^th June 2011.

Totally Tipperary is open to everyone. Food Producers, Food writers, Food bloggers and Food lovers are converging to taste the best of what Tipperary has to offer. As well as eating and drinking, there will also be an opportunity to learn about food and where it comes from. Growing, cooking and making food will all feature prominently at this very innovative food festival.

Tastings, talks, tours, cookery, production demonstrations and a host of delectable food stalls are to be savoured at Totally Tipperary. There will also be children’s and evening entertainment which will engage both the mind and body at Totally Tipperary. All manner of tents, yurts and marquees will fill the open garden spaces within this historic old house.

Kindly supported by Bosch, FBD, Bord Bia and the Sarah Baker Cookery School, Totally Tipperary will draw on the combined expertise of the following to provide a foodie event of epic proportions. The Tipperary Food Producers, a passionate and visionary group of some of Tipperary’s finest artisan food producers; GIY (who empower people to ‘Grow it Yourself’); Greenworks, who run reskilling courses in the green economy, including food, the Cloughjordan Festival itself and Cultivate, through their Convergence event.

RTE’s Ella McSweeney (Ear to the Ground; Homegrown) and Bobby Kerr (Dragon’s Den) will be on hand to facilitate debate and demonstrations, while the Seomra Blog Bia will add a globally interactive and innovative dimension.

Seomra Blog Bia will feature cookery demonstrations from both worldwide food bloggers and chefs as they engage the visitor on how to use the best of local, seasonal, sustainable and fresh foods. This will include Kristin of Dinner du Jour (one of the founders of the #inishfood phenomenon ); David of Kitchen 72; Joanna of Smörgåsblog and Yvonne of Hey Pesto.

With the very generous help of Bord Bia, a number of French Michelin Star chefs, including Maurice Alexis, chef from the Elysee Palace in Paris, will attend as part of a nationwide tour. This will add enormously to the international flavor of the event and provide visitors with a unique view of Tipperary produce being used as the main ingredients in the creation of stunning dishes by some of the world’s most eminent chefs.

The festival will

Excellent Rosé for €9.99. Bring on Summer!

Beso de Vino Garnacha Rosé 2010, 13%, stockists   

Antonio, the little bull from Cariñena, has been offering kisses and wine since Christmas. And it is hard to turn the persistent little fella down as the wines are pretty high quality and excellent value. This latest offering, the Rosé, completed the set for me and kept up the previous standard.

It is an inviting lively scarlet colour and the nose too is inviting, strawberries for me, red cherries for a fellow taster. The fruits are also evident as this medium bodied wine hit the palate. It really is a fairly substantial mouthfeel, a bit more heft than in many roses. Hints of spice in a really refreshing drink. Bring on summer.

Not Antonio!

Speaking of summer days and the barbecues ahead, it wouldn't do any harm to prepare. Have you got your charcoal ready, lighter fuel and all? While you are replenishing, it would also be a good idea to stock up on these Beso de Vinos. Six red, six white and six rose and you’re ready for anything. After all, you never know when the sun will shine.

Check the white here: and the 4.5 star red here. Each of the three costs €9.99 a bottle. Excellent value.