Domaine Bertrand Ambroise. The Lovely Lettre d’Eloïse Duo

Maison Bertrand Ambroise

The Lovely Lettre d’Eloïse Duo

Organic farming is a way of life for the Ambroise family since 2013. Once upon a time, Bertrand was front and rear at his Premeaux-Prissey vineyard. He was the boss. Now his children, Francois and Ludivine, have taken on the business and Bertrand says he, no longer the boss, now works for them. He is glad to have them share the load, allowing him the freedom to concentrate on making good wines, such as this pair, made and named for his granddaughter.

Daughter Ludivine has said the move to organic viticulture is one of “true belief” as she lost her grand-father due to illness caused by chemicals used in the fields.Take a taste of their Nuits St Georges ‘Les Haut Pruliers’ to see where they are heading. This is a faultless wine with an astounding finalé and is also available from le Caveau.

Bertrand Ambroise Lettre d’Eloïse “Coteaux Bourguignons” (AOC) 2017, 13%, €18.45 
64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This Pinot Noir is fermented in mixed-age 400 litre oak barrels, they don't want oak influence here, so no new barrels are used.

Mid to light ruby. Cherry and strawberries plus herbal and savoury notes too in the inviting aromas. Quite a bit of character on the palate, juicy, fresh and fruity and more body than you’d expect from a Pinot Noir. Tannins not quite rounded - you’ll feel them on your lips. Very engaging all the way to an excellent finish. 

Much has been squeezed from the parcels of poor soil and, lovingly guarded every step of the way, much remains in the bottle. A gorgeous well-priced wine, one of the domaine’s many Pinot Noirs. Very Highly Recommended. And well priced also.

Saw a few matching suggestions and the one that made most sense was Roasted duck breast with plum sauce. One from BBC Food here.

Bertrand

Bertrand Ambroise Lettre d’Eloïse Chardonnay “Coteaux Bourguignons” (AOC) 2017, 13%, €18.25
64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

The fruit for this excellent Chardonnay, one of nine produced by Domaine Ambroise, comes from young vines. It is fermented for ten months or so in barrels of different ages (one, two and three years old oak), not fined and only lightly filtered.

Colour is a light straw. Citrus and floral notes in the aromas. A citrusy tingle as it hits the palate, good acidity also.  This fresh and lively wine, a wonderful drop indeed, is very well made and Very Highly Recommended.

Le Caveau tell us the grapes for Lettre d’Eloise white come from young vines planted on clay and silex soils in Prémeaux-Prisse. “This is a wine of wonderful quality, showing citrus and acacia in abundance, framed with a delicate vein of acidity. A real roundness captures the freshness of barrel-fermented fruit.”

New virtual marketplace launched to support small Irish businesses during COVID-19 pandemic

press release

New virtual marketplace launched to support

 small Irish businesses during COVID-19 pandemic

Website live today (6th April) at 12 noon.

More than 120 small, independent Irish companies have already registered for The Doorstep Market, a one-stop shop which will enable people to shop local and buy Irish while staying at home.

The initiative, created by volunteers in response to the COVID-19 crisis, will be launched today (06.04.20), with the website www.thedoorstepmarket.ie going live at 12pm.

In addition to making it easy for people to support local and buy Irish, the website also offers a free e-commerce platform so Irish businesses can get online and start trading quickly and easily. Businesses can also use the site to collaborate on offers and deliveries.  Consumers can browse a wide variety of Irish products on a single site, while buying from multiple different suppliers in a single transaction.

Despite the current restrictions making it impossible to meet in person, co-founders Grace Tallon and Joe O’Connor have been working closely together to develop the project over the past week, mostly using video conferencing technologies.

Grace Tallon, co-founder of The Doorstep Market, said: “We’re really excited about the ambitious virtual shopping experience that The Doorstep Market will offer Irish consumers, with a huge and growing selection of Irish products and services. We’re encouraging people to stay home, and shop local.”

Joe O’Connor, co-founder of The Doorstep Market: “Irish people want to help support their small, independent businesses get through this crisis in whatever way they can. With The Doorstep Market, they can now do that in a single place, from the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

For more information visit www.thedoorstepmarket.ie

The 9 White Deer Brewery. Pale Ale and Kölsch. And Sanitiser!

The 9 White Deer Brewery
The Pale Ale and Kölsch. And Sanitiser!

Pale Ale

Is beer essential these Covid19 days? 

As much as it ever was! Cider and wine too. And spirits, of course, even if only as a sanitiser! 

And, these strange days, you may order hand sanitiser along with excellent craft beer from your local brewery. Well, from Ballyvourney's 9 White Deer at least. 

Their beers can be found in outlets all over the island. But with all the Covid19 restrictions and particularly if you are cocooning, you may need a delivery to the house. 

Check out their online shop here to order your beer and their recently released alcohol based hand sanitiser.

The 9 White Deer Brewery was brought into being by two people, Gordon Lucey and Don O’Leary. They each have a passion for quality beer and, between them, they have a lot of experience in all aspects of beer from growing barley to front of house customer experience and everything in between. More details here .

Stag Bán Pale Ale 4.5% abv

Stag Bán was their first beer and has been gluten free since 2018.

Basically, it’s an easy drinking beer, brewed at lower temperatures to create a cleaner profile; the malt profile is an uncomplicated design, neither heavy nor cloying.

For me, the attraction here is the hops, though it’s far from being a “hop bomb”. This is about balance. The lads say they designed this beer with summer in mind and the hops used (First Gold, Admiral and Cascade) emphasise that. It is a harmonious drink with citrus, floral and spice notes all combining well in the golden glass.

9 White Deer’s Stag Saor Kölsch, 4.2% abv

Kölsch is a style of beer originating in Cologne, Germany. In appearance, this Cork produced example is bright and clear with a yellow/amber colour.

The Stag Kolsch, with its high carbonation level and gentle hop character, is palate friendly with an almost creamy feel. Easy to quaff and easy to see how this refreshing beer has become one of their biggest selling beers.

Stag Kolsch, which is also gluten free, has a gentle hop and malt character, a classic German style of beer brewed with German Noble Hops, Premium Irish and German Malt and German Yeast. It gets an extended lagering time where it can develop and mature.

* For details of all their other beers (all brewed, bottled and kegged in Ballyvourney, Co. Cork) and brewery tours (when restrictions are lifted), please check here.

Amuse Bouche

Oh well. She turned her mind back to the weekend shopping. Doris had complained that the shelves were being stripped. ‘Couldn’t get Persil or baked beans, Miss Morris, Weetabix all gone, too. Won’t be the Nazis as causes the shortages - it’ll be our own hoarders!’

from Nemesis by Rory Clements (2019). Very Highly Recommended.

#FOODARMY CAMPAIGN MOBILISES FOOD CHAIN AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

media release

#FOODARMY CAMPAIGN MOBILISES FOOD CHAIN AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought food production and supply into sharp focus for every human and every nation as the virus continues to grip the world.

In response to the heightened importance of food, the digital platform EatFarmNow has launched a movement under the hashtag #FoodArmy to urge everyone in the food chain – from farmers through to delivery men and women – to share their stories and help curb panic or over-buying.

“People are anxious about food supplies, so we’ve reached out to farmers and others in the supply chain to share videos and pictures of themselves going about their job, as a way to reassure the public that the sector is still operating.”

“We asked those sharing videos to say what they were doing and that ‘we have your back’, as a key message.”

“We’ve had a great response with farmers in particular flooding the hashtag with videos, including from Canada and New Zealand. We’ve also had butchers and artisanal food makers getting involved, but we'd love more people in the chain too.”

Will Evans, cofounder for EatFarmNow adds:

“What this very much isn't, is a chance to crow about farming, call farmers ‘heroes’ or 'thank a farmer’. Farmers work hard – as do many other people – and yes, they are absolutely integral, as they always have been, and as they always will be.

“Many more people, however, have lost their jobs, livelihoods and ability to even step outside – let alone a nice big wide-open field. And many also, such as doctors, nurses, carers, teachers, police, and supermarket check-out staff are working at great personal risk.”

“So, it's very much about the whole supply chain, not just farmers, sharing a glimpse of what they're doing to keep things going.”

EatFarmNow was launched a year ago and is described by its founders as a collection of the world’s most insightful and compelling content generated by both citizen and professional journalists via vlog, blogs and podcasts.

The platform is all about sharing stories straight from the world's fields, barns and food outlets, according to its UK founders, Welsh farmer Will Evans and Simon Haley, a rural business and social media consultant.

“It seems more important than ever to hear the human story of how people are going the extra mile to keep us all fed and cared for, in sickness and in health,” explains Will Evans, the man behind the Rock & Roll Farming Podcast.

“This crisis is bringing out the best in people during the most challenging of times many of us will ever know,” he adds. “And, whilst farming and food supply is crucial, there is no portion of society working more selflessly than the medical and care staff who are caring for sick and dying people with compassion and selflessness.”

Adding his thoughts, cofounder Simon Haley says: “All over the world there are poignant stories of people helping to keep food flowing in whatever ways that they can - butchers making home deliveries to the elderly, young families delivering to housebound neighbours, farm shops offering 24/7 kerbside pick-ups and people without any agricultural experience signing up to work on farms to keep food flowing.”

EatFarmNow hosts a wide variety of topics content that spans the big issues in farming, food and the land.

There are now 62 regular contributors on EatFarmNow, with now about 700 pieces of content, including:

• Anna Jones, a freelance journalist, formerly with the BBC, who tackles complex topics like the meat vs vegan debate.
• Joe Stanley, an English arable and beef farmer and broadcaster.
• Lesley Kelly from Saskatchewan, Canada, who runs a successful blog called High Heels and Canola Fields.
• Meredith Bernard - This Farm Wife - a beef cattle farmer in North Carolina, USA.
• Peterson Farm Bros from Kansas, USA, who create social media content to promote agriculture.

EatFarmNow platform has been developed by TAP, a digital and content specialist agency and the marketing has been coordinated by Jane Craigie Marketing. Its Associate Partner is The Rural Youth Project.

* About EatFarmNow

EatFarmNow is a brand-new digital platform that puts the world’s best podcasts, blogs, videos and pictures created by farmers and others in food, all in one place. The site is targeted at both farming and the non-farming communities globally. EatFarmNow’s content spans the big issues in farming, food and the land, through to technical know-how for farmers and growers, and also includes some of the most touching, compelling and humorous citizen broadcasters in the world.

Blas na hÉireann 2020 entries are now open

Judging at Dingle

Blas na hÉireann 2020 entries are now open

 the all-island food awards that recognise

the very best Irish food and drink products, and the passionate people making them

It’s the 13^th year of Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island of Ireland, designed to recognise and celebrate the very best Irish food and drink. Entry to producers across all categories of food and drink are now open with the early bird discounted rate for entries running until 8^th April, before entries finally close on 25^th May.

“In these unprecedented times, the emphasis on shopping local to support small, independent producers has never been so important,” says Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann. “For some, their business has increased and for others, they are working hard to adapt to these challenging and testing times to bring their products to a new audience. I have no doubt that the Irish food family will pull together to get through this crisis and continue to fly the flag for the best the country has to offer. We understand this is a difficult situation for all and encourage producers to use this time to prepare for the awards in October.”

“We know first-hand that the Blas na hÉireann awards have a significant impact on any winner’s bottom line, whether it’s raising the profile of a producer’s product, or getting the attention of chefs, retailers or general food lovers. The independent endorsement of a Blas award is a recognised quality guarantee that can help get a product onto the shelves of a particular retailer. The Blas na hÉireann awards event in Dingle each year has become an unmissable event allowing the general public, media and trade to meet, discover and appreciate some of the country’s best producers but, more importantly, it has become an opportunity for the Irish food community to come together and celebrate their successes – and this year, we hope it will be one hell of a celebration!”

Winners are always the competition’s best ambassadors, something to which over a decade’s worth of small producers, farmers, growers, bakers and artisan food makers who have won a Blas award and proudly put the winner’s sticker on their product can attest. Research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition among Irish consumers and having the award logo on products encourages shoppers to buy – it is a recognised guarantee of a top quality Irish product.

A survey of over 100 past winners showed that 81% had seen an increase in sales after displaying the Blas na hÉireann sticker with 28% of those surveyed saying that they saw an increase in sales of over 20%. In the survey many winners noted the credibility that the awards gave to their products with one saying, “Since being awarded at Blas, we have seen our sales increase significantly online and in high profile visitor locations throughout Ireland and abroad.” Another winner surveyed found that a Blas award helped to build relationships with their customers, “I have found that the Blas Award has been great for communicating with my customers in the shop. They really recognise the value of the award and have faith in it and the other products which I stock which have the award logo on their packaging.”

These are exceptionally rigorously-judged awards, as Blas na hÉireann use an innovative blind-tasting judging system developed by Blas with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen that is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide. Products entered are blind-tasted, meaning that all packaging and identifying features are removed from products before being presented for judging, creating a level playing field for products from both large and small producers. Judges come from a range of food backgrounds from chefs to restaurateurs, academics, journalists, authors, food champions, caterers and enthusiastic home cooks.

The founding mission of Blas – establishing quality benchmarks for Irish produce on a level playing field – is strictly adhered to and measurably applied.

“In this our 13^th year of the Blas na hÉireann awards, our sector continues to become more innovative and exciting than ever,” says Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann. “We aim to assist Irish producers to tell their stories by marking them out as special, and worth exploring. Winning a Blas award has been shown to work for our previous winners in bringing them to the attention of food-lovers both at home and abroad and we are looking forward to doing it all again for Blas na hÉireann 2020.”

Entries for Blas na hÉireann 2020 received online between 17^th March and 8^th of April are at the discounted early bird fee of €60 per entry (ex VAT). The full entry fee, applicable from 9^th April to 25^thMay is €75 per entry (ex VAT).

http://www.irishfoodawards.com

Blas na hEireann 2020 Categories

1.    Bacon products a) Rasher b) Other bacon products 

2.    Beef (Value added) a) Fillet b) Sirloin/Striploin c) Ribeye d) Burger Style e) Roast f) Bone in g) Other

3.    Cold Meats, Cured Meat, Charcuterie a) Beef b) Ham c) Poultry d)Other

4.    Lamb (Value added) a) Lamb Prepared b) Lamb

5.    Other Meats (Value Added)

6.    Pork (Value added)                                                     

7.    Poultry (Value added) a) Chicken b) Chicken (Prepared) c) Duck & Other Poultry d) Turkey

8.    Puddings a) Black pudding b) White pudding

9.    Sausages a) Breakfast sausages b) Flavoured sausages c) Other Meat sausages

10. Dairy a) Butter b) Butter (Flavoured) c) Cream d) Cream(Fermented) e) Milk f) Milk (Other) g) Yoghurt (Flavoured) h)Yoghurt (Plain) 

11. Ice Cream & Sorbets a) IceCream b) Sorbets c) Frozen Yoghurts                     

12. Cheese a) Blue b) Goats c) Hard d) Hard (Added Flavour) e) Soft & Semi Soft

13. Seafood Products a) Cold Smoked b) Hot Smoked c) Prepared Fish d) Prepared Shellfish

14. Terrines/ Pates   a) Meat b) Seafood c) Vegetarian

15.  Savoury Pies/ Quiche

16.  Soups & Chowders a) Soups (Meat) & Chowders b) Soups – Vegetable

17.  Ready Meals & Prepared Foods (Hot) a) Fish b) Meat c) Sausage Rolls d) Stuffing e) Dough Based f) Vegetarian g) Potato

18. Ready Meals & Prepared Foods (Cold) a) Fish b) Meat c) Vegetarian    

19. Baby Food & Childrens Foods 

20. Bread a) Craft Bakers Soda Bread b) Craft Bakers Yeast Bread c) Sourdough

21. d) Packaged White Bread e) Packaged Bread (Not White)  

22. Traditional Irish Barm (Yeast) Brack

23. Sweet Dough Goods (Including Teabrack & Sweet Buns)

24. Morning Baked Goods (Including Baps, Teacakes & Scones)

25. Continental Style Breads (Including Brioche, Ciabatta, Focaccia, Bagels)

26. Pastries & Tarts a) Pastries (Inc Danish, Croissant, Pain Au Chocolate) b) Tarts

27. Dietary Specific Foods a) Dietary Specific Bread b) Dietary Specific Gluten Free Products & Ingredients c) Dietary Specific Gluten Free Baked Goods d) Dietary Specific - Other (Certification to verify product claim required)

28. Ready Mix Cakes & Breads a) Breads & Other Savoury Ready Mix b) Cakes & Other Sweet Ready Mix

29. Puddings & Desserts          

30. Cakes a) Chocolate b) Other c) Chocolate Biscuit                                            

31. Christmas Cakes & Puddings a) Christmas Cakes, Pies, Crumbles, Other b) Christmas Puddings

32. Biscuits/ Snacks Sweet a) Biscuits b) Other sweet snacks c) Popcorn Sweet

33. Chocolate a) Bars b) Collections c) Individual Chocolates

34. Confectionery

35. Breakfast Cereal  a) Granola b) Muesli c) Porridge & Cereals       

36. Savoury Sauces, Condiments & Pantry a) Chutney b) Dressings c) Hummus d) Jellies e) Mustard f) Oils g) Oils Flavoured h) Pesto i) Pickle j) Relish k) Salt l) Salt Flavoured m) Savoury Sauces & Dips (Egg Based) n) Savoury Sauces (Tomato Based) o) Savoury Sauces (Other) p) Seasonings q) Vinegars

37. Sweet Sauces, Preserves & Pantry a) Conserve b) Honey c) Marmalade d) Preserve e) Sweet Spreads f) Sweet sauces & Dips  

38. Savoury Snacks a) Crisps b) Popcorn c) Other

39. Hot Beverages a) Coffee b) Tea c) Other Hot Drinks                                                  

40. Non alcoholic Drinks a) Carbonated b) Cordials c) Fruit based d) Vegetable based

41. Spirits & Liqueurs a) Dark Spirits & Liqueurs b) White Spirits & Liqueurs                       

42. Beers a) Ale b) Beer & Lager c) Stout                                                                

43. Ciders a) Medium/Dry b) Sweet c) Special (such as sparkling)

44. Chef's Larder (Includes subcategory for Eggs) This should be an ingredients, specialist product or recipe staple which a chef would find to be a valuable part of their larder. This can include, but is not exclusive to catering/food service products

media release

No Farmers Market? No Problem! Check out NeighbourFood

No Farmers Market? No Problem!

Ciaran Cotter, who you'll know from Killavullen Farmers Market, has been in touch, telling us how you can still get your local food and at the same time support local producers, even though some markets, including Killavullen (above) are closed for the time being.

"It is a very challenging time for all of us at the moment. Social and physical distancing does not come natural to most of our nation and we are all having to adjust to new ways of communicating, seeing our friends and family, working and shopping. 

A number of our stallholders are now supplying an online farmers market through www.neighbourfood.ie with services in Doneraile and Watergrasshill. The way it works is you order online, pay online and then for the Doneraile market they deliver to you (Mallow to Mitchelstown areas and in between) on Friday evenings. Watergrasshill is a collection from O'Mahonys in Watergrasshill on Wednesdays evenings 5-7pm and 1pm and 3pm Saturday. They put the shopping into your boot, so no contact."

Suma Wholesalers

"Killavullen Farmers Market has been the collection point for the Killavullen Organic Buyers (KOB) group for many years now. You can order a very wide range of high quality products through the group at a bulk discount rate. You cannot order individual items, it is bulk purchases for example canned goods come in slabs of 12 and beans "and rices come in various size from 1kg upwards. You can browse products at www.sumawholesale.com. Most products are fairtrade/organic and are good value with the KOB bulk discount built in. Orders are delivered to specific locations and you then go pick up your order at a specific day and time. If you are interested in learning more please call 0863761816 for information.

Be sure to keep yourself safe and healthy in these times. It has been heartening to see how our communities are banding together and how people are helping each other and those at risk. Finally a special mention to those who are keeping our essential services and health care systems going. Their selflessness at this time is awe inspiring!"

And be sure and check out:  https://www.neighbourfood.ie/

Taste of the Week. Kilmeaden Fully Mature White Cheddar

Taste of the Week

Kilmeaden Fully Mature White Cheddar

An enforced change of shopping habits over the past week or two led to a few different products on the table. One, Kilmeaden’s Fully Mature White Cheddar, was a very tasty surprise and its intense and distinctive flavour went down very well indeed.

This aromatic and rich cheese, made by Glanbia in Waterford, is our Taste of the Week. And, if you’d like to take it a stage further, Kilmeaden have a few recipes on their website, including this Ratatouille & Cheese one here. 

Our Taste of the Week has been typically matured for 10 months and comes in a handy resealable pack. Handy size too at 200g. If it’s this good at 10 months, then the Grader’s Choice (which is matured for 2 years) must be worth a go. I’ll have to keep an eye for that and perhaps take a stab at the recipe above.

Glanbia, Citywest, Dublin 24 

Have you been to the Borrow Box? (passing the time in a cocoon)

Have you been to the Borrow Box?
(passing the time in a cocoon)

With the physical libraries closed, the Borrow Box app has turned out to be a god send. Online, I've been reading books dealing with everything from hurling to wine, all free!

I joined up just about two weeks ago and so far have enjoyed a selection of new and older titles including Christy Ring (by Tim Horgan), Lampedusa (by Steven Price), Death in the Vines (ML Longworth), Resurrection Man (Eoin McNamee), Peaches for Monsieur le Curé (a follow-up to Chocolat by Joanne Harris) and have started The Rhythm Section by Mark Burnett, as Natural Wine for the People (by Alice Feiring) awaits. 

Quite an eclectic selection! Variety is the spice of life. Some serious, some light, some in between. Something for everyone in Borrow Box and the number of books available has been boosted by a whole load of new titles thanks to a financial input by the government.

This is all online and Cork City Libraries have posted the info here “Borrow now straight to your device. Details on how to register from our website".

Basically, all you need do is download the app, sign up using your membership card number and PIN and make your choice. You may have five books at any one time. The five will include any that you have booked. When you go through the books, you’ll note that some have an available date - it could be next week or next month - and you can reserve it with a click.

You may order from different headings such as All Releases, Adult, Young Adult, Children. From different categories eg New Releases, Most Popular - Adult, Most Popular - Teen, Most Popular - Children, Bestseller and so on. And then there are genres: American Fiction, Autobiography, Celebrity, Memoirs, Musician among them. Be sure too to tick the type of delivery you want: eBooks to read yourself, and eAudioBooks if you’d like someone to read to you! They seem to have thought of everything!

More info on signing up here (from Dublin City Library): https://twitter.com/dubcilib/status/1242068845994676224 

Borrow Box is not the only online facility provided by Irish libraries. You may also sead original library publications in pdf format. You may learn a language online. Then there's Press Reader (online newspapers and magazines service, free to current library members). You can also download the FreeGal (music app). RBdigital offers full-colour and interactive magazines to download to your computer, laptop, or mobile device. And you can access the Naxos Music Library. And more.. check it all out here.