Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Is Your Anytime Ace. Not Just Valentine's!

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

Is Your Anytime Ace. Not Just Valentine's!

Piper-Heidsieck is one of the most famous houses in Champagne. It is known for its structured, fruit-driven house style made predominantly from Pinot Noir, with smaller portions of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The company has its origins in the cloth- and wine-trading company Heidsieck and Co. which was founded in 1785 by Florens-Louis Heidsieck. 

The current winemaker is Émilien Boutillat.  “Émilien was born in the heart of champagne. He has made wine around France, in Chile, in South Africa and in New Zealand. He has a global perspective, a scientific approach and is one of the rising stars of the wine world.” Not a bad intro at all from Liberty Wines MD David Gleave as he introduced Émilien Boutillat during a masterclass last year. Judging by the two wines here, the intro was well deserved.

Piper Heidsieck Essentiel Cuvée Réservée Extra Brut, 12% 

Émilien Boutillat

Through the pale gold colour, fountains of bubbles race in profusion towards the top. Nutty notes in the aromas. It really makes you stop and take notice on the palate, pear and apple amidst the lively citrus contribution. And, after that full and flavoursome combination (enhanced by the contribution of the reserve wines), comes a persistent dry finish. One of the very best Extra Brut champagnes I’ve come across (not that I’ve come across that many) and Very Highly Recommended.

Info:

Extra Brut.

Mise en Cave (cellared): 2015.

Degorgement: Jan 2019.

Winemaker: Émilien Boutillat.

Blending: Harvest 2014 and 18% Reserve wines

Grapes: 50% Pinot Noir , 30% Meunier, 20% Chardonnay

The Essentiel wines are produced exclusively for independent merchants and the on-trade. The Essentiel Cuvée Réservée Extra Brut and the Essentiel Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut are made in limited quantities and for the table, with their low dosage (6 g/l and 4 g/l respectively) making them ideal for whetting the palate or serving with seafood.

* I got this bottle as an unexpected gift at Christmas. You can get it in Mitchell & Son (Dublin) for €66.95, details here. 

Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV, 12%, on offer €39.95 (was €54.06), O’Briens Wine

This signature Brut has a really bright gold colour, lots of bubbles catching the lights. Aromas - fruity, biscuity.  Again fruity (citrus) and biscuity on the palate and it certainly lives up to the Brut with the persistent finish delicate with that lovely citrus prominent.

So what would you pair this beauty with? Lynne Coyle MW, of O’Briens, suggests it’s perfect with “the antics of Bridgerton and their society parties”.  "Enjoying the antics of Bridgerton and their society parties? then Champagne is the perfect match. Champagne would have been flowing freely during this period, establishing itself as a luxury celebration wine." 

Of course, you would need something to nibble on. Again Lynne has the solution: Rustic Bread & Black Olive Tapenade. Just ask the servants.

I got this bottle in “Deck the Halls” Feast Hamper that I bought from the excellent Glass Curtain restaurant in Cork City at Christmas.

A Quart of Ale± #32. Moving on over to craft with Lambic and Geuze.

A Quart of Ale± #32

Moving on over to craft with Lambic and Geuze. 

Sour (part 2)

So, what is a sour? It is perhaps the style of beer most likely to put someone off with a single sip. But, according to Craft Beer for the People, “they are hugely rewarding for those who can get past the initial shock.” Think of lemons, sauerkraut, pickles and Citron Pressé (the French non-alcoholic thirst quencher) as that essential first step. “Once you gain a taste for them (sours)…. there’s no going back!” And I can tell you, hand on heart, that the conversion can come as early as the third sip. Stick with it and try some of beers below - you won’t be sorry! Link to Part 1 (which introduces a few Belgian and Irish examples) here. 

Lambic and Geuze (you will see different spellings) are a further step on the sour path but not necessarily sourer! According to The World Atlas of Beer, Lambic is the only style cluster over which Belgium can claim sole mastery. And mastery is apt as “making lambics requires feel and experience”. Boon is the largest producer of old lambic while Lindeman’s is the “most industrial of the authentic producers” and it well-known for its fruit beers particularly the Framboise below.

Lambics are raised in huge foudres (very large barrels) and it takes an experienced expert to know when the beer is properly aged in the oak. Quite often the brewery doesn’t have the space or the experts and so they contract out to those that do, who can tell when the lambic is ready for blending. Blends of old and young lambics are known as geuzes and they are, according to Craft Beer for the People, “stunning”. The process has its own yeast, technically Brettanomyces lambicus, known best as Bretts. The fermentation is wild - they leave the windows open - and is unpredictable.

This "wild" yeast is key here, the magic happening when it lands in the oak casks where the beer is fermenting. Because of this unique local process, "few flavours are shared with ale or lager" according to the Beer Pocket Book.

Of the four beers below, two are fruit lambics, where lots of good fruit is added to the brewing mix. The book Beer FAQ suggests that, “as the style can be off-putting…. the bulk of their commercial volume is from fruit-enhanced beers”. “The fruit masks a lot of the style’s funkier elements."

Boon “Kriek Boon” 2018 4%, 375ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

This traditional Belgian Lambic fruit-beer is dark red in colour with a pinkish head (short-lived). A refreshing, almost fizzy, beer, pleasantly aromatic and has flavours of fresh cherries, slightly sweet and full-bodied. 

It is brewed according to the traditional lambic style of spontaneous fermentation. Only fresh cherries (25%) are used. Keep out of the light and serve at 4 degrees.

They say: Kriek Boon is a spontaneous fermentation beer, prepared from old and young Lambic that matures in oak barrels. 250 g cherries per litre are added to Kriek Boon. The authenticity is guaranteed by the use of only real cherries from Galicia. A refreshing and tasty celebration during summer days, on the terrace or at the barbecue.

Lindeman’s Framboise 2.5%, 35.5 cl bottle via Bradley’s

Thirty per cent raspberry juice has been added to this lambic beer and the resulting colour is a mid-ruby with a dark pink foamy “head”. And yes, raspberries do feature in the flavours.  There is also a fruity aroma. All in all, with its mini abv of 2.5%, this is  lovely drink, fruity and slightly fizzy. Lindeman’s Framboise can be used in cooking and in cocktails but as a drink be sure and serve it cold, at 2-3 degrees centigrade. Serve it as an aperitif or pair with Endive salad and desserts such as Chocolate fondant cake, cheesecake, raspberries, ice cream. 

Being the middle of winter, I didn’t have fresh raspberries handy but did have the fantastic Raspberry sorbet by Yum Gelato plus some frozen loganberries (from the garden via the freezer). Not too sure that it was that much of a match but I certainly enjoyed sipping the beer on its own and could image pairing with garden berries and salads in the summertime.

Boon Geuze “Mariage Parfait” 2015 8%, 375ml bottle Bradley’s

Brewed in Lembeek, the village that gave Lambic its name, this Mariage Parfait comes in a cloudy gold, countless micro-bubbles rising to the white frothy head that lingers for a while. Beautiful rounded fruit in the complex aromas and that carries through to the palate where there is no shortage of fruit flavour, background tartiness and warming mouthfeel. 

Boon Geuze Mariage Parfait is unsweetened, unfiltered and unpasteurised and, tart and funky, is refreshing, distinctive and lingering. Absolutely delicious. Serve with with magret of duck, roast goose, seared foie gras, foie gras terrine, gamey pâtés, aged goat cheeses.

Geuze is made by blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is bottled for a second fermentation. Because the young lambics are not fully fermented, the blended beer contains fermentable sugars, which allow that second fermentation to occur.

Oude Geuze Boon L’Ancienne 2016/17 7.00%, 375ml bottle via Bradley’s

This Lambic has a mid-gold colour, shoals of bubbles racing towards the top; head is big  and soon fades to a thin disk. Sour is present in the aromas. And on the palate too of course but, with touches of citrus and oak amidst the fruit and spice, all’s in harmony, and this refreshing beer goes on to a pleasant lingering finish.

Oude Geuze Boon is regarded as one of the finest examples of the traditional 100% spontaneous fermentation Lambic style. This Lambic beer is aged for 1, 2 or 3 years in oak casks. The blend, a mild average 18 month old Lambic (unsweetened, unfiltered, unpasteurized) is refermented in the bottle and can be stored for up to 20 years.

Info:

Pour gently at 12°C/52°F

Keep the bottles cool and in an upward position

India At Home. Thanks to The Glass Curtain

 India At Home Thanks to The Glass Curtain

So what are Bombay Potatoes. Aloo is the word for spuds there. But Aloo is different to ours and indeed there are many variations, usually involving some form of spice (including the likes of ginger, turmeric, even curry, not necessarily all together!). 

Both Jamie Oliver and BBC Good Food suggest ginger in their recipes. Not too sure what the Glass Curtain used but they certainly used ginger in the butter in which the greens were cooked. Perhaps that’s why my tall glass of gin (the Christmas Cake version by Blackwater Distillery) and ginger ale went so unexpectedly well with the Glass Curtain main course, part of a splendid "At Home" meal at the weekend. 

By the way, Bombay Aloo or Bombay Potatoes turn up, in various versions, regularly enough locally. Enjoyed them as part of a tasting evening in Richy’s (you might come across them  in the Blue Haven as that is where Chef Meeran, Richy’s former chef, is now operating) and, with Crowe's Farm Pork in Nash 19, with lamb in Market Lane and as part of a Nepalese dish in Thali (where they were served as fritters).

Irish greens, oriental sheen

Anyhow, back to our Glass Curtain At Home meal. Each week they offer a new menu which is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. There is one dinner option each night which they prepare in the restaurant for collection and you finish at home in a few simple steps. They give some instructions on how to finish everything and some tutorials via their social media channels "hoping to create a fun interactive service". They also offer their wine list and craft beers at retail prices.

We liked the look of the Friday menu last week and ordered it early in the week. The two courses for two people costs fifty euro and this is what we got when we collected from MacCurtain Street:

Mains: Tandoori Monkfish tail, coconut dal, Bombay potatoes, garlic and ginger buttered greens, roti flatbreads

Dessert: Poached rhubarb, cardamom custard, crack pie.

Crack Pie? I hear you ask. Okay, I’ll try and keep it short. Many of you will know Chef David Chang from TV cookery shows and his Momofuku chain, part of which is The Milk Bar where Christina Tosi leads the way. The Milk Bar is famous for desserts and one of the most popular, from day one, was the crack bar. It was advertised on the basis of its addictive qualities and the name became a problem and eventually Tosi decided that it should be known as the Milk Bar Pie.

Sweet!

The Milk Bar Pie might sound innocent but it is not! Here’s a link to a recipe. If you haven’t time to switch over, I’ll let you know that the filling, under the granola type crust, contains sugars (brown, white), salt, milk, butter, cream, vanilla extract and egg yolks. Put it all together though and it’s yum! And that rhubarb and custard was pretty cool too!

But we spent most of the evening in India! There were a few pieces of finishing to be done but the Blog Chef displayed faultless coordination and timing and all elements were ready together, the microwave being the unsung hero, as is often the case with these At Home meals. On the plate, the monkfish (which had been cooked on the bone), the Dahl, the potatoes, the garlic and ginger buttered greens, along with the wafer thin Roti breads, looking promising and that promise was certainly fulfilled. 

Monkfish, plus a squeeze of lime

The first bite transported us east and our stay was pleasant, an amazing feast of colour, spice, flavour, textures. Reckon we’ll have to travel east again sometime soon. 

We’re really not travelling very far at all these days of course and our recent meals, all click and collect, came from nearby restaurants such as Mirco, Greenes and the Glass Curtain. I notice that Greenes have announced a delivery service on Fridays and Saturdays, joining the likes of Liberty Grill and Good Day Deli on the road.

The Glass Curtain, 

Unit A, Thompson House, 

MacCurtain Street, Cork

Check out their At Home offers here.

Latest from The Glass Curtain:

"Thank you all for a great first week back doing 'The Glass Curtain @ Home'.

We are overwhelmed by how quickly this past weekend sold out, sorry to any one who missed out! We are back with three more meals this coming weekend, available to order from midday, on Tuesday 2nd February... set your reminders now to avoid disappointment."

The Young Ones! Bojo Nouveau. Plus a lovely White Tempranillo

The Young Ones! Bojo gives us Spring in Autumn. Plus a lovely White Tempranillo

Bonne Tonne “Bojo” Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (AOC) 2020, 12.5%, €18.00 Mary Pawle 

“A Taste of Spring in the heart of Autumn” is how the producers Bonne Tonne describe Beaujolais Nouveau in general.  And it aptly sums up the style. A style that has a long history, ups and down too, and recently on the up again, possibly not as high as before but likely on a more sustainable bearing (especially with organic producers such as Bonne Tonne leading the way).

Mary Pawle: “This is a light and fruity Gamay to celebrate the new vintage.” And instead of coming to us next summer, we get to enjoy it from the end of November (hence the Autumn above). 

Made from 100% Gamay grapes, Beaujolais Nouveau is the most popular ‘vin de primeur’, fermented for just a few weeks and then officially released for sale. Beaujolais Nouveau owes its easy drinkability to a winemaking process called carbonic maceration, or whole-berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine. Very Highly Recommended.

The Beaujolais Nouveau tradition, then quite a long long time in existence, was firmed up in 1951 and marketing boosted the wine, result in it selling unexpectedly well outside as well as inside France, with races organised to get the first of it to certain towns and cities and countries.

Why continue with this tradition? Our producers, Thomas and Anne-Laure, again: “Because this celebration and especially this new wine, allow a moment of sharing and human warmth, as we love them in Beaujolais! The birth of a wine, of a vintage! In any case, we are very attached to this tradition which is ours!”

“Admittedly, it is a young wine which is not necessarily to everyone's taste because it has not had time to age in the cellar or in the bottle! But it brings freshness, fruit, lightness and it is also very digestible! In short, it brings joy and warmth in the cold and gloom!” 

No point then in getting too technical about Bojo produced with indigenous yeasts from chemical free light and fruity Gamay grapes. Be happy and enjoy this young wine.

* The Beaujolais launch hasn’t always provided happiness. Eastbourne on the south-east coast of England was the scene of a tragedy on 13 November, 1984. Then a light plane carrying 8 passengers crashed. The eight, including four Irish journalists covering the “race”, plus the pilot, were killed. See the RTE report here.

Osoti Tempranillo Blanco & Sauvignon Blanc Rioja (DOC) 2019, 14%, €14.80 Mary Pawle

A light straw is the colour of this bright organic white wine from Rioja. It is a blend made from Tempranillo Blanco and a small percentage of Sauvignon Blanc. White Tempranillo grapes make a young and fresh wine, with floral and white fruit (pear) aromas and that is the case here. Soft and rounded on the palate with a touch of sweetness. Acidity is subtle and the wine is nicely balanced. A young and pleasant wine with a pleasant finish to boot. Highly Recommended.

Good guidance as to food pairings from the producers with young and semi-mature cheeses, olives, smoked tapas, carpaccio, fresh salads, mushrooms. artichokes, asparagus or cold soups being recommended along with fish, rice, seafood and meat.

Though a brand of Bodega Viñedos Ruiz Jiménez, Osoti produce a full range of young and aged wines, including whites, reds, and rosés.

❤️ Valentine’s Afternoon Tea to Call & Collect from The Montenotte Hotel ❤️

 ️ Valentine’s Afternoon Tea to Call & Collect from The Montenotte Hotel ️

Has this lockdown you yearning for dainty finger sandwiches, fluffy scones and mouth-watering desserts and treats? Fear not, this Valentines weekend, The Montenotte Hotel has a unique and exciting way for you to treat your loved one from the comfort of your own home.

 

We all know that Valentine’s weekend is always a romantic weekend in Cork and at The Montenotte Hotel they want to continue a great tradition and allow you still enjoy your weekend at home with some of their tasty delights.

 

The team at the hotel led by Executive Head Chef Tabrez Shaikh, have enhanced their very popular Call & Collect Afternoon Tea and created a specifically themed Pure Cork Valentines Afternoon Tea for you to enjoy with your loved one.

Like the real thing, this Pure Cork Afternoon Tea will be placed on a Valentines three-tiered carryout box. Priced at €55, it designed to lavishly delight two people, the perfect romantic treat.

The menu is an amazing blend of sweet and savoury and includes,

The Montenotte Valentines Battenberg, Panna Cotta with Kinsale Red Berry Mead, Rhubarb & Griottines Cherry Custard, Bertha Revenge Sloe Gin and Plain Scones. Crab Skagen with Butter Lettuce & Classic Marie Rose on Porter House Bread, Miso Slow Cooked Duck with Onion & Cranberry Jam, Mini Brioche and Ham and Cheese Heart with Bandon Vale Cheese, Homemade Celtic Root Chutney and Honey Baked Ham.

 

You can add a bottle of “LOUIS PICAMELOT, BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV FRANCE”  which is the perfect aperitif (total €95).

 

General Manager of The Montenotte Hotel Brian Bowler said, “We are delighted to be able to deliver on our promise to #stayunique by offering another way to celebrate Valentines weekend in the comfort of your own home and enjoy our themed afternoon tea. We hope it will provide comfort to those of you seeking a semblance of normality amidst the current restrictions.  This special treat is the perfect thoughtful gesture for your loved one this Valentines weekend. We would dearly have loved to have you come and stay or just dine with us, but we will leave this for Valentines 2022.”

The Romantic Afternoon Tea for Call and Collect is available on Friday, Saturday & Sunday 12^th – 14^th February 2021 with collections from 12noon to 3pm daily. To book call 021 4530050 or visit TheMontenotteHotel.com

Another perfect Valentines Gift: The hotel currently has a package available to purchase as a gift voucher for your loved one this Valentines weekend. Just visit TheMontenotteHotel.com and select the “Romantic Getaway for 2” from their Voucher selection.

For more on The Montenotte Hotel visit TheMontenotteHotel.com 

press release

Amuse Bouche

Pic via Pixabay

I was able to get by without making a fool of myself until I was served a mandarin orange sorbet between the entrée and the meat course. I stared at the small ball garnished with a mint leaf and asked why I was being served dessert before the second course. Rodríguez laughed, and that laughter erased the braid from his sleeves and several years from his face. Everything was easier after that. He no longer seemed a symbol of national power.

from Eva Luna by Isabel Allende (1988). Highly Recommended.

Cheers 212901 Beer, Wine, Spirits with Liberty Wines, Wicklow Wolf, Blackwater Distillery, Shelbourne Bar, O'Briens Wine

Cheers 212901

Beer, Wine, Spirits with Liberty Wines, Wicklow Wolf, Blackwater Distillery,

Shelbourne Bar, O'Briens Wine

Mark and Sarah Driver of Rathfinny Wines who have appointed Liberty Wines as their exclusive agent in Ireland and the UK

More below...

Wicklow Wolf Latest

Our latest Endangered Species release... No.15

Somewhere Far Away We have all been dreaming of somewhere far away over the past few months and our brewers are no different. The brain child of our brewer’s coming together (one of which is a Kiwi) to develop an exciting new release, Somewhere Far Away is an India Pale Lager that champions two super fresh New Zealand hops, Nelson Sauvin and Motueka. These two hops come from the north west of the South island of New Zealand famed for Marlborough Sauvi- gnon Blanc wine. Two bountiful dry hop additions allow these hops come to the forefront of the beer bringing a burst of soft fruits, grape, goose- berry and floral hints. At 6.0%, this DDH IPL was slowly conditioned with lager yeast, to give a clean, crisp and fruity finish, making it a very balanced and refreshing beer. No. 15 in our Endangered Species series, make sure to get it before it goes extinct.

February's Blackwater Tasters Box has been revealed 

We're very excited to show you all our first #BlackwaterTasters box of 2021 which contains two brand new, limited-edition spirits.

Our bold Blood Orange Gin with juicy blood oranges takes the lead vocals with bitter orange and sweet orange on the harmonies. A post distillation infusion of blood orange slices gives a bare hint of natural colour and a vibrant fresh orange palate. As February is the month of love, this box will also include a first of its kind, Love Potion No 5 Spirit Drink, a bitter-sweet liqueur containing pomegranate, finest grade saffron, five different sorts of peppercorns, pink roses, fresh citrus peel, cardamon - If you like new and exciting spirits, then you will love these!

Once again we only will have a limited number of boxes and we expect these boxes to go fast, so if you know anyone who might fancy signing up, please let them know.

Cork's Shelbourne Bar Have Your Valentine Bottled

Are you looking to treat your loved one this Valentines?

Or maybe even treat yourself?

The Shelbourne Bar have put together an Irish Whiskey and Chocolate pairing box for Valentine's Day.

Each box comes with

50ml of Dingle Single Malt

50ml Clonakilty Port Cask

6 Luxury Chocolates from The Chocolate Shop in the English Market

and a Shelbourne Bar Branded Glencairn Tasting Glass.

All for €55

You can shop now at our website

www.theshelbournecork.ie

Rathfinny joins Liberty Wines

 

Liberty Wines is pleased to be appointed as exclusive agent in Ireland and the UK for Rathfinny, the family-owned Sussex estate established in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver.
 
Rathfinny’s estate vineyard now extends to over 93 hectares in the South Downs, just three miles from the Channel. Lying on a gentle south-facing slope, the site is predominantly planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier and benefits from a semi-continental maritime climate and free-draining chalky soils, providing the ideal conditions to ripen grapes for sparkling wine. Rathfinny uses only estate-grown fruit for their four traditional-method Vintage Sussex sparkling wines: Classic Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé. 
 
Sarah Driver emphasises the companies’ shared commitment to sustainability and social responsibility: “Rathfinny aims to be a sustainable wine producer, but also socially and environmentally responsible. It is great to be able to partner with an organisation like Liberty Wines. Like us, they hold employee wellbeing, the environment and sustainability at their core and are the first UK wine importer to be carbon neutral. We also take the stewardship of our land seriously."
 
Tom Platt, sales director of Liberty Wines, commented: “There is a natural fit between Liberty Wines and Rathfinny, as not only do we share a similar philosophy, but also they complement perfectly our existing English Sparkling portfolio. We would like to say thank you to Gonzalez Byass for the great work that they have done over the past three years, which we look forward to building upon.”
 
The 2017 vintage sparkling wines from Rathfinny will be released and available through Liberty Wines in April/May this year.

CIDER - NOT JUST FOR SUMMER

says Paul Barry | Assistant Buyer: Beer & Spirits at O'Briens Wine

Paul suggests Longueville House, Stonewell and McIvor in his blog...

Winter is certainly upon us; cold, wet and dreary, perfect cider weather you might say. Cider is often seen as a thirst quencher when served in a glass filled with ice on a sunny summer afternoon, but craft cider can be so much more. So, ditch the ice and just serve your cider chilled to fully enjoy the complex aromas and flavours on offer. If you do need some warming up on these cold winter nights, why not spice it up with some mulled cider? Add some all spice, a slice of orange studded with clove and gently warm for a luxurious winter warmer. Read more here.