Check out this distinctive Basque wine. And a Bordeaux gem!

Check out this distinctive Basque wine.

And a Bordeaux gem!

Getaria memorial to Elcano

Ameztoi Getaria Txakoli (DO) 2018, 10.5%

€18.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Very little colour in this Highly Recommended Basque wine. And nothing too bold in the nose either, though the subtle salinity and modest fruit provide a hint of things to come. Nothing backward about the lively minerally palate, its tart green apple fruit, that trademark petillance and that unmistakable vivid acidity, though the acidity in this one is markedly less severe than you’ll find in other examples. 

A tumbler of freshly poured
Txakoli in Hendaye

The bubbles, by the way, don’t hang around too long but you can get more of them if you pour it the Basque way, that is from over shoulder height and into a sturdy tumbler held or stood at waist height - you’ll also see them pouring cider in this way. If you try pouring into a normal wine glass from that height, you’re looking for an accident!

Located near the Basque Country fishing village of Getaria between San Sebastian and Bilbao, Ignacio Ameztoi’s vineyards are cut into incredibly steep terraced slopes overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic.

Balenciaga house in Getaria

Here the native grapes Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza are trained in high trellises; they are not weeded and no chemical sprays are used. Hondarribia is the first Spanish town you meet after leaving Hendaye (the last town in the south west of France) and crossing the Bidasoa River. Zuri means white and Beltza means red.

Getaria vineyard

Txakoli is regarded as the perfect companion to salted anchovies or tuna in oil. By the way, Ameztoi blend the red and the white to produce what I’ve read is a very interesting rosé. The USA is the leading market for the company.

Juan Sebastián Elcano, featured on the label, was from Getaria and is famous for completing the round the world voyage that Magellan began. There is a sturdy memorial to him in the middle of the village. This picturesque, and busy, place is also the birthplace of fashion designer Balenciaga and there is a museum here in his honour.

Chateau Tire Pé Bordeaux (AC) 2018, 13%,

 €16.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This organic 100% Merlot pours a dark ruby.  Ripe black and red berried fruit in the fairly intense aromas. And the same fruit features strongly on the palate, some spice too and an excellent acidity. The wine is a lovely harmonious Bordeaux, easy and fruity, easy to drink, easy to enjoy. 

Not so harmonious on the hill of Tire Pé back in the day when the horse was the main “engine” of the farm. Apparently, the working horses would pass wind under the effort of climbing the hill, on their way back to the farm. A different kind of aromatics!

Hélène and David Barrault purchased Tire Pé in 1997 and have been farming organically since 2008 (certified since 2014).They have created a little garden of Eden, where wild grass, insects, birds and small wild animals live among the vines. They regard this Merlot as an everyday wine, “to drink in its youth”. No wood used here, ageing is 8 to 12 months in concrete.

Very Highly Recommended. This one will be going straight on to my Good Value Wine List  which is steadily growing! 

Weekend Walkies in Moanbaun Forest

Weekend Walkies in Moanbaun Forest

Moanbaun sits on a high exposed plateau, off the Watergrasshill-Leamlara Road, giving great views of the surrounding countryside. More details from Coillte here

Amuse Bouche

Photo via Pixabay

But perhaps the least reassuring mode of transport on the Channel was observed by the master of the steam yacht SY Killarney. He sailed past a French officer and two Belgian soldiers attempting to reach England on a door. And balanced on the door, between the three passengers, were six large bottles of wine.

from Dunkirk by Joshua Levine (2017). Highly Recommended.

Ummera Smoked Products is among the Great Taste winners of 2020. And going for the Golden Fork next Thursday!

  press release

Ummera Smoked Products is among the Great Taste winners of 2020

Great Taste, the world’s most trusted food and drink awards, has announced its stars of 2020. Out of 12,777 products sent in from 106 different countries, Ummera Smoked Products in Ireland was awarded a 3-star Great Taste award, which means the product was described by judges as extraordinarily tasty for its Smoked Organic Irish Salmon.

Judged by 144 of the most discerning palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, buyers, retailers and producers, as well as food writers and journalists, Great Taste is the most coveted of all food and drink awards. As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakeable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to an outstanding product, which has been discovered through hours and hours of blind tasting. 

This year’s winners have been found through a combination of remote judging and socially distanced judging sessions, after the lockdown began just one week into the schedule. This necessitated a swift and comprehensive reinvention of the Great Taste process to ensure that robust judging standards were maintained and the quality of feedback was not compromised, all in time to provide a much-needed boost for food and drink producers during the all-important Christmas period.

Anthony Creswell, MD of Ummera Smokehouse explains: Seventeen years ago we were awarded a Silver 2 Star for our Smoked Organic Salmon, then Ten years ago in 2000 we were seriously honoured to be awarded a 3 Star Gold and a Golden Fork for our Smoked Silverhill Duck Breasts, and so we thought that ten years on we should enter again. And now we can put the 3 Star Gold logo on our smoked salmon! A couple of comments from the judges:

“Lovely texture, great mouthfeel, moist but in no way greasy, and a level of smoke that is measured to perfection. The salt level is also spot-on - in no way intrusive, its presence detected but only serving to lift and enhance the flavour and honesty of the fish. As one judge commented, 'as good a piece of smoked salmon as I've had in years.”

“This smoked salmon has a deep brownish orange colour and a smokey nutty wood aroma. The flesh is tender, creamy and rich in the mouth and the fish is moist but not flabby or greasy. There is a lovely natural fruity sweetness and a pleasant amount of salt that helps to brighten, lift and accentuate the fish's flavour. The fish is buttery and rich and has maintained plenty of clean minerality . The smoke brings a richness and fruitiness although is possibly a little too intense - some found a hint of acrid bitterness. Over all however this is fine piece of fish that has been well smoked.”

“A simple description for a product that delivers glorious flavours. This smoked salmon has been treated with great care, skill and precision. There is just the right level of smoke. It is rich but light, enhancing not dominating the fish. The salmon has an excellent texture, meaty and full of flavour. The salt is perfectly balanced, adding depth to a product that provides everything you could ask for in smoked farmed salmon.”

Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste values taste above all else, with no regard for branding and packaging. Whether it is cake, coffee, kippers or kombucha being judged, all products are removed from their wrapper, jar, box or bottle before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-star award. 

There were 12,777 entries into Great Taste this year and of those products, 205 have been awarded a 3-star, 1,294 received a 2-star and 3,818 were awarded a 1-star accolade. The panel of judges this year included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose. These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy recipients and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion.  

Great Taste 2020 will reach its exciting finale on October 22nd, when the Golden Fork trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2020 are announced at the virtual Great Taste Golden Fork awards event. And, you've guessed it, Ummera are in the final three for Ireland!

****************

Date: 7^th October 2020

For more information: 

Anthony Creswell

info@ummera.com +353 23 8846644

“No Trick, Just Treat”…at the Metropole Hotel this October

press release

 “No Trick, Just Treat”…at the Metropole Hotel this October

Spectacular Brunch Boxes and Afternoon Tea available to enjoy at home

 

It’s all treats and no tricks at the The Metropole Hotel in Cork this October. The popular hotel has launched its takeaway menu which is bursting with local cuisine and fancy treats for people to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes. 

The Brunch Box is one of the most popular items on the take away menu. For €25 you can be treated to a selection of breads and dips, smoked salmon, chive cream cheese, smashed avocado, parma ham, homemade pickles and tomato relish. Also included are buttermilk pancakes with chantilly cream, maple syrup and berry compote.

 

On the take away menu is the Met’s relaxing Classic Afternoon tea, which really is something to be savoured. The top class offering comprises of freshly made scones with homemade clotted cream and succulent jam; perfectly cut sandwiches and a selection of mouth-watering treats. 

 

Included in the menu are mini chocolate fondants, mini macaroons, lemon curd tarts and mini Victoria sponge. The sandwich menu includes a classic ham and Swiss cheese on white bloomer, Cork’s spiced beef rocket horseradish on brown bloomer, Cucumber Philly cheese and cress on white bloomer and smoked salmon, avocado mayonnaise and cress on soda.

As a special treat all guests who order takeaway food during October will be entered into a draw to win the Metropole’s “Brunch and Bubbles” overnight package. This includes bottomless brunch, overnight stay and breakfast.

General Manager of the Metropole Hotel, Roger Russell said: “It is sad for us not to be able to welcome our guests for afternoon tea and dinner at the moment but the priority is making sure everyone stays safe. We do love that we can still connect and see our guests by having this service available and that people can enjoy these wonderful treats at home.”

Sandra Murphy of the Metropole Hotel said: “We are so excited by our wonderful take-away menus at the Metropole Hotel. They are jam packed with so many delicious treats and they are flying out the door. This October is one like no other so if we can bring some joy to people’s homes with our Brunch Boxes and Afternoon Tea at Home treats then we are delighted to be able to do that.”

Special dietary requirements can also be catered for on request. The price of the takeaway packages start at €25 per person and can be booked online on www.themetropolehotel.ie or by calling 021 4643700.

 

The Metropole Hotel is part of the Trigon Hotel Group, which has 334 guest rooms across three hotels in Cork. The group comprises of the Cork International Hotel, The Metropole Hotel and the Cork Airport Hotel. 

Doneraile Wildlife Park

 Doneraile Wildlife Park

11th October 2020