California Wines at Ballymaloe. Variety Under The Sun

California Wines at Ballymaloe

Variety Under The Sun

 No less than eight grape varieties featured as Liam Campbell, in association with Wines of California, presented a very interesting and high quality tasting at the Grainstore in Ballymaloe last Wednesday.

The big “spread” was no accident as Liam deliberately chose to show that the Sunshine State can grow any variety under the sun. “No matter what variety, you can be sure that someone in California is experimenting with it.”

When you think of California, you bring up some lovely images: “Tee-shorts, shorts, flip-flops, beach, laid-back, easy-going. And the producers embrace that friendly attitude and praise one another’s wine.”

He started the whites with Paul Dolan’s 2012 organic Chardonnay from Mendocino. Classic Drinks are the importers and rrp is €26.99. The Dolan family has a Waterford connection. This “is totally dry but fruity with medium acidity”. It is full-bodied, with a persistent finish. Dolan is a leading proponent of biodynamic and organic grape farming, according to Wines of California (2014). This was my favourite of the three whites.

The Benziger 2012 Sauvignon blanc, imported by Febvre (rrp €24.99), “has quite a European accent”, according to Liam. “Great acidity with lemon, lime and apple characteristics, a very versatile food wine”. It certainly went well with the St Tola Ash Goat Cheese.

Benziger, not to be confused with the Beringers, are another vineyard that use natural farming methods and to quote from Wines of California: “The rolling hills of their Glen Ellen estate are home...to..sheep, cattle, and a host of bugs and birds that keep the vineyard in balance."

In between the whites and the reds, Liam spoke about the Morgan Bay 2014 Zinfandel Rose that we had started with as we took our seats in the grainstore. At 10% abv it is a light drink, also a little bit sweet. “But like Blue Nun, it gets people into wine; it is fresh and fruity and a great cheese partner.” Now it was time “to move on to the dark side”.

The reds started with a Pinot Noir, the La Crema (Monterey) 2012, imported by Celtic Whiskey & Wines with an rrp of €31.99. Liam praised it for its high acidity, a great summer wine, versatile and very good with food, not just red meats but may be served cool with poultry, fish and so on. Again, the vineyard is sustainably farmed. 

Wines are produced in four quality levels. We had an excellent example in Ballymaloe but apparently the Point Noir to watch out for is the third tier Russian River Valley 2011 from the Appellation series.

Liam continued his exploration of the many varieties when he next introduced the Barbera 2010 from Montevino (Spanish for mountain wine). “It has  a gentle ruby colour, looks very young for a 2010, plummy aromas now..mouth-watering, gentle tannins, high acidity that cuts the fat in your chorizo!” Sure did. It is imported by Findlaters and rrp is €14.50.

Wouldn't be a Californian tasting without a good red Zinfandel and our example was a Bonterra 2013, with a big abv of 15%, imported by Richmond Market, rrp €18.00. This has a pale-ish ruby colour with black fruits and gentle tannins and was a perfect match with that delicious Mossfield cheese. Bonterra, well known for their Merlot, are the leading producer of organic wines in California.

The Delicato Vineyards are one of the leading family vineyards in the US and produce under a variety of labels including Gnarly Head that you will see in Ireland. We enjoyed their First Press 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, imported by Cassidy Wines and with an rrp of €26.99 .This is ageing well, “a perfect ruby to the edge” and went down well. Liam’s tip here was to decant!

We finished on a high note with a Syrah, the Tepusquet 2013 from Cambria. You'll find it in O'Brien’s at €24.99. The Tepusquet vineyard has been replanted over the past 20 years. Liam: “The nose is subdued but there is a deep mine of flavour, black fruit characteristics and great acidity. Great with steak… but try it with fried calamari! The temptation is to use it now but it will age well.”

It was quite a tasting with nine wines in all. Thanks to Liam, Justine Adams from Wines of California and to Colm McCan of Ballymaloe. Thanks too to Ballymaloe for their terrific matching bites all through.

Some very recent post on California and its wines.
1 - California Trio. Zin, Zin and PN.
2 -Wines from California. Serious. Cheeky and Over Here

Amuse Bouche

If we had waterproof coats it would have been pleasant enough to drive in that spring rain. As it was we sought the shelter of trees or halted at cafés alongside the road. We had a marvellous lunch from the hotel at Lyon, an excellent truffled roast chicken, delicious bread and white Mâcon wine and Scott was very happy when we drank the white Mâconnais at each of our stops. At Mâcon I had bought four more bottles of excellent wine which I uncorked as we needed them.

I am not sure that Scott had ever drunk wine from a bottle before…

from A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (1936)

Taste Cork's Electric Breakfast Part 2: Plan! Plan! Plan! Nutri Bullet Generation.

Taste Cork's Electric Breakfast Part 2: 

Plan! Plan! Plan!

And the Nutri Bullet Generation.

The 12 Mile Menu on a plate at Sage. (Photo 2014)

It may have been the morning after the night before for Kevin Aherne. But Kevin, who had rushed back from Killarney having seen his Midleton restaurant Sage named as the best in Cork at the Irish Restaurant Awards, was well up for for the Taste Cork Breakfast Seminar in Electric on Wednesday morning.

Once you have your idea fixed, Plan, Plan, Plan. That was his advice to would-be producers and restaurateurs. “It is the same as in the restaurant kitchen: preparation, preparation, preparation!

Kevin's own big idea was of course, his 12 Mile Menu. That came after Sage had been open for three years. So they closed while the new idea was formed and got going again when it was fully formed.

Jen O'Mahony, Bean Brownie, Kevin O'Connell, Forage and Find,
and Sarah Sexton, Bean Brownie

So number one for Kevin was to get “your idea”. Why did he not call his plan the Local Menu or the Artisan Menu. “Because those words, though still popular and though they still mean something, are losing weight.”

Once your idea is there and you believe in it, it is now time to get it marketed, to get the message across to your customers. In his case, the restaurant was the platform and he used it to highlight the high level of great produce in East Cork and indeed in Cork county.

“Producers don't always get the credit they deserve”. Up to 26 producers are supplying Kevin's 12 Mile Menu at present and you'll see many of their photos - in work situations - on the walls of Sage.

Declan Daly, Cork County Council, Mary Daly, Food Safety Company,
 and Rebecca O'Keeffe, Taste Cork

Small producers have to put up with food fraud from time to time with one outlet or another saying this is the genuine article or maybe buying the genuine thing for a week or two and then substituting an import. “It is important that the food label is true. No respect for bullshitters!”

Even though successful, there are always pointed questions. “You don't get everything from within the 12 miles, do you? Why not 20 miles?” Kevin is well used to them by now. He confirmed that all fresh produce comes from within the 12 mile limit; his poultry supplier is on the limit at 11.99 miles! But Kevin has no problem with someone having a twenty miles limit or a fifty mile limit. Not every part of the country has such a concentration of producers as has East Cork. Indeed, Kevin's great idea is obviously open for replication elsewhere.

More about Sage and its 12 Mile Menu here

Paul O'Brien, Bunnyconnellan Bar and Restaurant,
and Shannon Keane, Diva Boutique Bakery and Cafe,

After the traditional full Irish (full Cork) at Electric, Mary Daly (of the Food Safety Company) had the task of diverting minds to Changing Trends in Food. “Take the Healthy Option for instance. Smart food operators are onto it. Free From is part of it but much more than that. Lifestyle factors come into it and there are a growing number with allergy intolerance, 10% suffering from it and 20% who think they are! It represents a significant opportunity for the food sector”.

Take the Lifestylers, the “Nutri-Bullet generation”. “They eat out regularly, not necessarily high-end. So promoting healthy foods (less processed, less fattening food) will retain your lifestyle audience.”

“What is driving Free From? How do you give it to them? Eighteen per cent of them chose to eat healthier, not because to have to….they want great taste, guilt free treats and small portions.”

“Calories on menus are coming,” she has no doubt. “Most operators are responding to trends, keen to do the right thing, even if calorie counts aren't that popular. Listen to your customers: clean food, clear labels, and healthy options for kids. Make it your marketing message. It is what the customer wants; this is not a fad.”

Read more on Mary’s thoughts on Food Trends here.

For more background on Taste Cork's Breakfast Seminar see Part One .

Electric Breakfast For Taste Cork. Producers, Restaurateurs Pull Together

Electric Breakfast For Taste Cork

Producers, Restaurateurs Pull Together

The local plate!

Taste Cork, set up with supports from the Local Enterprise Offices in Cork, Cork City Council and Cork County Council, and other state agencies, held a Breakfast Seminar at Electric in the South Mall yesterday morning.

The goal of Taste Cork is to help the county nurture its enviable status as an iconic food brand and that was underlined with the produce on the breakfast plate: Jack McCarthy’s bacon, O’Flynn’s Breakfast sausage, Rosscarbery Black pudding, Ballyhoura mushroom, East Ferry Fried eggs and Ballymaloe Relish. Electric’s own brown bread went down well while other highlights were Wilkie's Organic Hot Chocolate and Bean Brownies Banana Bread.

Taste Cork, fronted by Rebecca O’Keeffe, is determined to get Cork produce the exposure it deserves, to help the local producers as much as possible. And one practical way is the opening, in a few days, of the Cork Incubator Kitchen in the Carrigaline Industrial Estate (on the Crosshaven Road).

A breakfast highlight (above) and
another, Wilkie's hot chocolate, below.

Brendan Russell has taken on the management reins here and told the full house of producers and restaurateurs in Electric that the facility will have two kitchens. One is the Bakery Kitchen, fully equipped, with a state of the art triple deck oven the highlight. The other is called the Catering Kitchen. This will be for preparation work in volume and equipment here includes a quick vacuum packer and a sealing machine.

The website will soon be up and running and that will make it easy to register. Brendan, who has spent 16 years as a chef, has a good understanding as to why businesses succeed (and fail) and education will also feature under the following headings:

1 - Theory of Practicality;

2 - Business Understanding;

3- Catering Skills;

4 - Work Relations.

The event was opened by Sean O’Sullivan and he was delighted that funding had been provided for the full-time position in Taste Cork. Both he and Rebecca are looking forward to getting everyone “to start looking locally”. And so say all of us. You can see my motto on the site here: Buy local, fresh and fair. The more we pull together, the further we will go.

Kevin Aherne is one man who has been doing exactly this for the past five years and his innovative 12 Mile Menu was recognised by his peers on Tuesday evening in Killarney when his Sage Restaurant in Midleton won Restaurant of the Year in Cork.

Kevin spoke later at the seminar and we’ll have a post on that tomorrow. Mary Daly (Food Safety Company) also spoke in Electric and she too stressed the importance of local: “Provenance is hugely important. Taste Cork can play a big role.” More too from Mary tomorrow. Part Two is now up and running and you can see what Kevin and Mary said here.

The Topaques of Rutherglen. Intense. Luscious. Rich.

The Topaques of Rutherglen

Intense. Luscious. Rich.

Pfeiffer Rutherglen Topaque (Australia), 17.5%, €24.80 (50cl) Karwig Wines

Rutherglen fortified wine are internationally acclaimed for their intense luscious flavours and unsurpassed richness.

I wouldn't dream of disagreeing with this statement on the front label. These gorgeous wines though did have their problems and had to endure a name change when the Hungarians objected to the Australians using the Tokay name.

Sweet and silky, yet with a light feel to the texture, this golden vibrant Muscadelle is really quite superb. “This is 100% Muscadelle. No Botrytis here but it is well ripened. There is plenty of accumulated sugar but we don't lose the fruit,”  said Chris Pfeiffer when he introduced the wine here in Cork a few years ago.

James Halliday's Wine Atlas says these fortified wines are "absolutely unique; nowhere else in the world is an aged, fortified wine produced as this is from the Muscadelle grape." Grapes & Wines says the grape "reaches its apogee" in Rutherglen and is "less fleshy and syrupy" than Muscat.

Dessert wines are collectively known as stickies in Australia and you can see one of the reasons why on your glass: just note how long those legs take to slide down. But there is a beautiful lightness on the palate and finish. Silky and luscious yes, lovely aromas of honey and apricots too, yet the overall effect is a non-cloying sweetness. A delight and Very Highly Recommended.

The Rutherglen Topaques are classified under four descriptions which mark a progression in richness, complexity and intensity of flavour: Topaque, Classic Topaque, Grand Topaque, and Rare Topaque.

Never got to taste the Rare but, thanks to Chris Pfeiffer’s visit, did have the privilege a few years back of tasting the Grand. This expensive wine is not available in Ireland so I made the most of our taster, taking it tiny sip by tiny sip. It was twenty years old and had spent most of that time in barrel. Producer Chris said: “It is a very special occasion wine (like old Cognac). It is very complex and you don't need much.”

Might not be able to get the top ones here (the Rare is four years older than the Grand)  but the gorgeous Rutherglen Topaque, a delicious first step on the ladder, will do for now!

Pair with honeycomb ice cream, fruit based desserts, soft cheeses, chilled as an aperitif or as an after dinner drink with coffee. These suggestions came from a producer. We enjoyed it as aperitif and disgestif, also with St Tola Goats Cheese (Ash) and a Chocolate Biscuit Cake.

Taste of the Week. Another Bloody IPA

Taste of the Week

Another Bloody IPA

Cotton Ball’s Another Bloody IPA, 5.8%

“A medley of citra based hops are infused with Blood orange zest and peel to create a refreshing citrus aroma.” The aromas are fairly much what you'd expect and certainly there are citrus hints there. Malt, more than hops, on the palate, not that the hops are shy! Quite a rich and flavourful mouthful with that Blood orange a light and pleasant (rather than forceful) presence. A lip-smacking finish too. Overall, our Taste of the Week is another reminder, this with an attractive dark amber colour, as to why we ought to be grateful to our craft brewers.

Eight Degrees are one of the leaders in the field but it was only after drinking the Cotton Ball IPA - someone told me it reminded them of barley wine - that I got to taste their Mór, one of three Christmas specials from the Mitchelstown brewery. This is a Barleywine with a 10.2% abv. With Barleywine, rightly or wrongly, I'm thinking sweet and then what to eat with it? Didn't have too much in the house but, amazingly, it paired so well with Hadji Bey's Turkish Delight, the one thing I did have. Lucky match, lucky me!

Caroline Hennessy has been “battling” at various food shows these past few years with Colm McCann, she for beer, he for wine. And usually her trump cards are their Eight Degrees Stout and her brownies! But maybe she should consider their Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner for the next contest. I had a pint of that in Up Down, one of Cork's newest restaurants, and found it very agreeable with Asian Style Chicken wings.

Munster Wine & Dine At Crawford Gallery Cafe

Munster Wine & Dine At Crawford Gallery Cafe
Splendid Meal In Historic Room

Main course!

Sculpture casts, local history, the hierarchy of goat herds and, above all, good food and wine featured as the members of the rapidly expanding Munster Wine & Dine gathered for their second event of the year in the Crawford Gallery Café.

The café, the city’s old custom house, is a day time café, and only rarely opens by night, only for special occasions. And this was special. Sinéad Doran and her team cooked up a memorable meal, inspired by Margot Henderson, chef patron of London's famous Rochelle Canteen, which bases its menu on seasonally-informed Mediterranean-influenced food. The dishes were served in big platters and that added to the sense of occasion and community.

First though we all met in the sculpture room among Greek and Roman sculpture casts, brought to Cork in 1818 from the Vatican Museum in Rome. It’s a long story and you may read more of it here. After gimlets, canapes and a chat we headed to the café itself where once captains of sailings ships stepped from their vessels berthed in Emmet Place and walked in to this very room to pay their dues.

Canapes and gimlets

The full house then settled down to enjoy the food and the company. First up was Brandade with Sourdough Toast. Then came the main starter: Roast Quail, lentils, Butternut squash and organic leaves. This was beautifully cooked, moist, delicious.

Soon large platters of roasted lamb appeared, plates of green beans and shallots, and salad leaves. The lamb leg had been slow roasted and served with cracked wheat. No shortage here as we helped one another fill plate after plate. Again it was perfectly cooked and I and everyone else nearby enjoyed it.

And, then at the end, came Lemon Posset (heard lots of compliments for this), chocolate pots (big and rich) and lovely shortbread. Great stuff and a great evening.

Quail (left) and Lamb (top right) with desserts

And we had some excellent wines too. The favourite around our corner came all the way from Morocco. This was the Volubilia, Domaine de la Zouina 2011. The chateau is owned by two winemakers from Bordeaux and this wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, Mourvedre and Tempranillo. Also available were La Boussole Pinot Noir Pays d’Oc, Martinsancho Verdejo, and Framingham Sauvignon Blanc (organic) from Marlborough.

Ardsallagh’s Jane Murphy was with us and she gave us a grassroots reminder on where the food on our plates comes from.  She said that this is a great time (of the year) to buy goats cheese and milk but she was mainly talking about the kidding. The arrival of the new kids upsets the normal hierarchy among the goats and envy breaks out. “It can be serious. If you’re a new mum with a good looking kid, watch out. The others will want him or her!”

There can be sadness also as “we lose some too”. But mostly it is positive. She spoke of the approach of the more mature mothers against that of the novices. And mentioned one veteran who dropped the lot, “like a boil in the bag baby”, and bolted to the other side of the shed. Jane thought it was magical but was so mesmerised she was slow to react but then quickly opened “the bag” to release the kid and all went smoothly after that.

Jane Murphy (left). Colm McCan welcomes guests

Then she spoke of two novice mothers, each two years old and great friends. “Besties,” suggested a nearby listener. And they went on to prove just that. Jane was watching as they each dropped a kid and then Jane was distracted by something at the other side of the shed. When she came back, she found the two new mothers with five kids between them. Jane didn't know which mother owned which kid and, as far as she knew, neither did the two mothers. But it all worked out well. The two “besties” cooperated in raising the five kids and they all lived happily (I'd better not say ever after as there may have been a little puck or two among the five!).

“It is a labour of love for me,” said Jane as she reminded us to be sure and try the milk and cheese now and for the next five weeks or so. “It won't be bad after that either!” she emphasised, “but is creme de la creme now”.

So, after that, we are all looking forward to the next event. Details are close to being confirmed but it is likely to be a mid April evening visit to the Golden Bean Coffee roastery in Ballymaloe.

Crawford Gallery Café

Emmet Place, Cork

(021) 427 4415

web: http://www.crawfordgallerycafe.com/

Amuse Bouche

Hadley was embarrassed at the gamey waft coming in from the kitchen. Often, Ernest went to the Jardin du Luxembourg and, when the gendarme turned his back, he would choose the fattest pigeon and strangle it in the park, then smuggle the bird out in Bumby’s carriage. One time he had brought a bird home and it was still alive. There was a whiff of it now from the stove. She had grown tired of roast pigeon that winter.

from Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood (2014)

Up Down Bar & Grill. Downtown, Upstairs. Room with a view.

Up Down Bar & Grill

Downtown. Upstairs. Room with a view.

Basil in the box.

Where will you get an elevated view of Cork’s Patrick Street while you dine? Where do they grow herbs on their window sills alongside your table? Where will you get three starters for twelve euro? In the same place, where you’ll get good food and good value: the Up Down Bar & Grill on the city's main street, opposite the legendary Tom Murphy Menswear. These days too you may well get to see some progress being made on the old Capitol Cinema site that backs out onto Patrick Street.

But let’s forget the outside attractions and get down to the menus, the food and the drink. The wine list is short but covers most varieties, about six available by the glass. And there are another six of higher quality (Chablis, for example) and higher prices too of course. Sometimes you may prefer a beer and Up Down has a selection from Eight Degrees Brewing. We certainly enjoyed our Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner (draught) and they also offer the Eight Degrees stout, pale ale and red ale in bottle.

Pork starter

 The price for single starters is five euro but, yes indeed, you may have three for twelve. The Chicken Wings were my choice. On the night, they were served Asian style with a sweetish sticky sauce and sesame seeds but the style varies from day to day. In my case, they were delicious.

CL meanwhile was tucking into her Pork rillettes (Braised Pork, Black Pudding Crumble, Apple Compote, Celeriac Mash, Black Garlic Puree). Another good starter, though she would have preferred less mash and maybe a wee gherkin or two!

I loved the smoky aromas and flavours as I made my way through my mains: Assam Smoked Barbary Duck Breast, Stir Fried Greens, Plum and Tamarind Caramel. It is served pink. A tasty well-cooked dish for €15.00.

The other mains was their burger (€10.00). No shortage of quantity on her plate of Hereford Beef, Smoked Carrigaline Cheese, Tobacco Onions, Baby Cos, Matt’s Barbecue Sauce, Tomato, all contained (just about) in an Arbutus Bap. She enjoyed that and a side dish of big fries that cost, like all sides, three euro.

We were fairly full after all that so decided to share a dessert from the brief list. Each dessert costs €6.50 and our plate of truffles consisted of Tempered Pistachio Cream Stack, Jameson Truffle and Burnt Cocoa Powder, Cherry Truffle, White Chocolate Tossed in Toasted Coconut, Sea Salt Truffle. The White Chocolate was my favourite and that wasn't shared! While you are on the desserts, you might like one of their teas, coffees, maybe a hot chocolate. All available and, like everything on the night, served with a smile.

The restaurant, which opened last October (2015), is upstairs but you may check the menu in the well lit entry hall before you ascend the stairs to a big bright room and a warm welcome.

Up Down Bar & Grill

71-72 Patrick Street, Cork

Phone: 021 424 8872

Text: 085 271 3888

e-Mail: updowncork@gmail.com

Opening Hours -

Mon:

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Tue: Closed

Wed-Fri: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sat-Sun: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

California Trio. Zin, Zin and PN

California Trio

Zin, Zin and PN

Zinfandel now has a birth cert. Until only recently, it was California's "mystery grape" because its origins were unknown. 

DNA fingerprinting has confirmed that Italy's Primitivo and Crljenak Kastelanski, an ancient Croatian variety, are genetically identical to Zinfandel grapes. However, differences in vine vigor and cluster size separate Zinfandel from its genetic twins, and further differences in cultivation, terroir and winemaking combine to give Zinfandel its own particular flavor profile with a truly American name, history and style. On wine labels, U.S. regulations require that Zinfandel and Primitivo be identified separately. Read more...

California Wines – Less is More is the title of a Wine Tasting  in Ballymaloe next week (9th) and I’d bet that a Zin or two will be featured.

Clos du Val Napa Valley Zinfandel 2013, 14.5%, €29.95 O’Brien’s

From the very first sip, there was no doubt but that this Zinfandel was going to get a Very Highly Recommended. The drinking was spread over two days: it just got better.

Color is a rich purple and the vibrant aromas are not at all shy: dark frit and more. It is magnificent on the palate, with its warming mouthfeel, full of red fruit flavours, vanilla too, some spice as well, fine tannins. It is rich and full bodied, elegant and refined, with a lingering finish. And, yes, Very Highly Recommended. 

The wine is produced in California but the the food match was made in Douglas. I bought the wine in O;Brien;s there and paired it with a gorgeous Pork and Prune Terrine from On the Pig’s Back. On the second day, it went very well indeed with mousaka. 

Clos du Val was started by John Goelet in 1970 and it was quality from day one. Wines of California, an excellent recent book on the area, particularly recommends their reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) and the Carneros Reserve Chardonnay.

Dancing Bull Zinfandel 2012 (Lodi, California), 14%, €10.00 on offer and widely available.

This is a wine for the barbecue, before during and after. A fun wine. Pretty good fun though and Highly Recommended. Generally, it seems that a fun wine in California is well removed from a poor wine.

Rioe fruit notes, particularly strawberries, dominate the aromas.No shortage of fruity flavours on the palate and there are vanilla notes too. Intense enough with traces of spice and pretty good length as well. Small amounts of Petite Sirah and Tempranillo have been added “for increased intensity and dark fruit characteristics”. Most of the Zin fruit comes from Lodi, the self-proclaimed “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.

Lodi has some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California, many dating back to the Gold Rush of 1849. Lodi’s wine industry continued to flourish through Prohibition, thanks to farmers who maintained their crops for legally sanctioned “home winemaking.” Today, Lodi is Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year and a leading producer of California’s top varieties. However, with over 100 varieties now in production, Lodi offers a vast portfolio of diverse and interesting wines, all of which thrive in the region’s Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool nights. More on Lodi here.

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2013, 13.5%, €18.00 Bubble Brothers

Pinot Noir hasn't the best of reputations on the vineyard: capricious, a prima donna. But this is a delicate delight, Californian by birth but strong traces of a Burgundian accent, and is Highly Recommended. Cooperage: 40% new French oak, 60% neutral oak. The winery recommends pairing it with porcini and cremini mushroom risotto or roast rosemary chicken.

It has the typical light red colour, cherry to medium garnet. There is a beautiful red fruit nose, cherries plus berries. Fruit flavours follow through on the vibrant palate, restrained spice, fine tannins too, a lovely balance to this easy-drinking medium-bodied beauty and an excellent finish to boot.

Some 40,000 acres of Pinot Noir are now grown in California, well up on the 25,000 acres of 2004. Its popularity, according to the Wines of California, “is due to the general trend towards lighter, higher-acid food-friendly wines”. This lively Gladiator is certainly one of them, a good juicy one at that.

I bought this one from Bubble Brothers in the English Market and got good advice from Paddy. Must also say that the company's website is excellent, giving good detail on a big range of wines from around the world.

Top Ten Posts. (Past Three Months)

Top Posts
(Past Three Months)

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3 Top Wines
4 Club Brasserie
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6 Ali's Kitchen
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9 Joe Karwig's Rieslings. Reasons to Remember.
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