DESIGN POP PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT

 DESIGN POP PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT

 

Seven pavilions announced featuring collaborators Maser, Currabinny Foods, CCAE, Ballymaloe, PlayNice Studio, The River Lee + many many more….

 

Happening across Cork city - on the ground and online

27th - 29th August 2021

www.designpop.ie

 

Cork city’s architecture, design and food festival, Design POP, is set to return to the streets of Cork and online this August 27th - 29th. Over three days, enjoy architecture, food and design through a series of architectural pavilions, events, talks, exhibitions and conversations.

 

Design POP 2021 focuses on topics of learning, collaborations, and conversation around important social, sustainable and environmental topics. This celebratory festival enriches and engages with attendees by bringing together leading Irish designers, architects, and food makers to collaborate in forums, share creative experiences and create connections.

 

This year’s programme is it’s biggest yet - featuring seven architect, designer and food collaborations working on seven different outdoor pavilions which will be situated in different locations around Cork city:

 

1. The River Lee Hotel

Mark Horgan x River Club Bar

Mark is a computational designer and studied Architecture and is teaming up with the River Lee Hotel

 

2. Wandesford Quay

Play Nice studio X Currabinny

Play Nice are a creative studio based in Dublin, and they have teamed up with James Kavanagh and William Murray of Currabinny foods.

 

3. Elizabeth Fort

Cook Architects X Ballymaloe foods

Architects Dermot Harrington and Paul Carpenter are teaming up with the household name Ballymaloe food

 

4. Nano Nagle Place

          Alan Macilwraith of JCA Architects X Good Day Deli

Alan is a senior architect in JCA and has previously worked with sustainable food lovers Clare and Kristin of Good Day Deli

 

5. Emmett Place

Maser X Crawford Gallery Café

Internationally recognised visual artist Maser is teaming up with the Crawford Gallery Café to create a pavilion outside the Crawford Gallery

 

6. Penrose Dock

Wilson Architects X Naturally Nourished

Wilson Architects are the award-winning firm that designed Penrose Dock, which is the location of Naturally Nourished health food café

 

7. Blackrock Castle

CCAE X Blackrock Castle Observatory

The students and staff of CCAE (Cork Centre for Architectural Education) team up with Blackrock Castle Observatory in Blackrock Castle.

 

 

EXHIBITIONS:

 

Design Pop’s annual ‘Milking Stool’ exhibition returns, sponsored by Abbey Woods. This exhibition is a celebration and showcase of the diverse talent of furniture designers throughout Ireland. By challenging each designer to embody their unique design style through the medium of the humble milking stool. This is a unique opportunity to create a modern reinterpretation of this traditional form.

The furniture pieces will be sold through a silent auction and on the Design POP website, allowing members of the public and visitors to the exhibition to bid by discrete ballot for the duration of the festival.

 

RIAI along with Cork City Council will present an exhibition of some of the architecture competition entries for the Bishop Lucey Park redesign. There will be a panel discussion between Cork City Architect Tony Duggan, Sandra O’Connell Director of Architecture and Communications at the RIAI, and the winners of the competition Hall McKnight Architects.

 

And that’s not all… The festival will also hold an impressive programme of over 25 guest speakers hosting talks and panel discussions. Special guests will be revealed soon!

 

For full details visit www.designpop.ie and follow Design Pop’s social media pages for more updates

 

Design POP is made possible with generous support from Cork City Council and LEO Cork City.

 

 

A Quart of Ale± #57 On the craft journey with a session of ales and a zero% cider.

 A Quart of Ale± #57

On the craft journey with a session of ales and a 0% cider.

Hard to beat variety from Sullivans, 9 White Deer, West Kerry and Stonewell.

Sullivan’s “Irish Gold” Golden Ale 5.2%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

Colour of this Kilkenny contender is a mix of copper and gold; if you say there’s amber there, I won’t disagree.  I’ve seen it described as a tastier ale with a gentle bite and wouldn’t disagree with that either.

The label reveals it, modestly, as “traditionally brewed With Lightly Roasted Cara Malt And Finished With First Gold Aroma Hops.” And I must say, the result is pretty good, a rather unique beer, rich with roasted flavour from the malt and with a dry finish thanks to the hops. Goes to show, a modern beer doesn’t have to be an IPA of either coast to hit the spot.

They say: The beer we craft today is inspired by traditional Kilkenny recipes and brewed the way the family has always brewed – the way real Irish beer should be brewed – by local experts, by hand, in small batches, with enormous heart and the finest locally sourced ingredients. Brewed by a true master, the beauty of this ale lies in its balance, sessionability and subtle apricot & tangerine tasting finish. 

The barley used to produce Sullivan’s Golden Ale is sourced from four local Kilkenny farms ensuring the utmost quality and flavour. Pizza is the suggested match but I’m sure this ale, with an almost plush mouthfeel, can do better for itself.

Malts: Irish Ale, Vienna, Cara.

Hops: First Gold, Admiral.

9 White Deer “Stag Ban” Pale Ale 4.5%, 500ml bottle O’Briens Wine

Mid amber is the colour of this dry refreshing Pale Ale from the West Cork Gaeltacht. This is the first ever beer from 9 White Deer in Ballyvourney and one they more or less got spot-on from the beginning (2014). It has been gluten free since 2018.

Soft white head here and a finger taste of this will tell you that the spicy citrusy hops are key. But it’s not a “hop bomb”. This is about balance. They 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. The result is a top end Pale Ale.

Basically, it’s an easy drinking beer, brewed at lower temperatures to create a cleaner profile; the malt profile is uncomplicated, neither heavy nor cloying. It is a dry and refreshing beer with a light malt body mixing well with the contribution from the hops.

They say: Throughout the world a white deer is seen as sacred and something very special and 9 White Deer Craft Brewery holds the same view. In Baile Bhuirne the people of the community greatly respect the holy and historical value of the well and the stories of St Gobnait. Determined to honour the local landscape and folklore, we craft beers from native barley and the purest of water sourced from the Cork and Kerry mountains.

Long may the 9 White Deer continue brewing beers like this!

West Kerry “Blue Rose” Pale Ale 5.1%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

A light bright amber is the colour of this “Blue Rose” Pale Ale from the West Kerry Brewery, the original and first microbrewery in the county. It’s got a soft white head and fountains of little bubbles rising through that bright amber. It has a soft mouthfeel and that gentle feeling goes right through to the long finish, a very satisfactory refreshing one. 

A beautiful easy-drinking ale with muted citrus in both aroma and palate - it has been dry-hopped with Cascade. Don’t let the summer go by without trying one or two of these.

And if you get really serious about these beers, why not go to the source. Paul and brewer Adrienne have rooms to let in Tig Bhric, located in the beautiful in the Dingle Peninsula.

The brewery, established in 2008, is still at its original base at Tig Bhric where the portfolio continues to expand with “traditional yet progressive beers”. “These include the Renegade Series, Limited Collectors Edition and the Riasc Range, named after the town-land of our location. These are seasonal beers where we add both local and garden botanicals.”

Stonewell 0% Non-Alcoholic Cider, 330ml bottle O’Donovan’s, Bradleys

Light gold colour, no shortage of bubbles rising up. And there’s a fresh fruit aroma. The first thing you notice in the mouth is that this is refreshing, it is dry-ish, crisp, and very much a real cider, a terrific drink after a long walk or a drive. And, of course, you can have a few of these and still drive. They have used typical bittersweet apples here so it’s not lacking in flavour, on the contrary. Very drinkable and very acceptable. Fit for purpose, for sure.

So how do they do it? “Traditionally we’ve been an alcoholic beverage maker, namely cider. So in order for to us to produce a non-alcoholic beverage we’ve had to go back to the drawing board and return to our studies to find out what was the best way to square this circle. Instead of simply trying to make a concoction with fresh apple juice, we opted for the more complex route of removing alcohol from a normal cider.

We fermented a cider using typical bittersweet apples. Once fermented, we then used a process of osmosis, or to be precise reverse osmosis to extract the alcohol from the cider. This leaves a lot of the characteristics created by the fermentation process but with the added bonus that there’s no alcohol. At this stage of the process the cider is still “dry” in other words contains no sweetness, so to finish off this blend we add a small amount of apple juice which broadens the mouthfeel…. Made and blended by us in Cork, Stonewell 0% is a refreshing alternative for all those looking to avoid the sickly sweet mocktails or fizzy rock shandys at a social occasion.”

I have tasted quite a few non-alcoholic Irish beers and fewer Irish ciders at this stage and it seems to me that the cider-makers, with Stonewell and Highbank (with their Drivers Cider) showing the way, have made a better fist of the genre than the beer makers!

Airfield Estate Presents: The Rare & Special Plant Fair 2021 in association with Bord Bia

 Airfield Estate, Dublin Presents

The Rare & Special Plant Fair in association with Bord Bia

·      Sunday 11^th July 2021 from 9 am – 5 pm

·      Discounted entry fee €6 at the gate, no pre-booking required

·       The event will be run by Airfield Estate under current COVID guidelines for outdoor activities

 

For event updates please follow: Instagram @AirfieldEstate // Facebook: AirfieldEstate

Twitter @AirfieldEstate

It’s the height of summer and the gardens throughout the country are in full bloom. Airfield Estate, is delighted to be hosting the 2021 Rare & Special Plant Fair in association with Bord Bia. The rescheduled plant fair will take place on Sunday 11^th July 2021 from 9 am – 5 pm.

Over 40 specialist nurseries and associated businesses will be in Airfield Estate giving visitors the opportunity to purchase from an array of rare and unusual plants, advice on care and planting and much more.

 

Entry to the fair is at a discounted rate of €6 per person and you can only pay on arrival to Airfield Estate (no pre booking available).

The Rare & Special Plant Fair was established in 2001 with the assistance of Bord Bia, to ensure that the gardening public has an opportunity to purchase rare and difficult to source plants, while at the same time visit a garden of note that they may not otherwise visit. 

 

The fair is an annual event and over the years has grown in stature and reputation with the fair being hosted in some of Ireland’s most notable and beautiful private gardens, and more recently in public and state gardens of note.

 

In addition to this The Rare and Special Plant Fair offers the chance to visit some of the finest gardens Ireland has to offer. With past venues including Russborough House in Wicklow, Fancroft Millhouse Gardens in Roscrea and Farmleigh in Phoenix Park, this year’s venue, Airfield Estate, is now added to a list of the country’s most notable and beautiful gardens. Make the most of your visit by enjoying a wonderful summer day out exploring Airfield’s ornamental and food gardens, lovingly tended to and cultivated by an expert team of gardeners Headed up by Colm O’Driscoll. Visitors on the day can also experience Dublin’s only working farm open to the public, display garage of vintage cars, and Overends Kitchen.

 

The event will be run by Airfield Estate under current COVID guidelines for outdoor activities.    For more details please visit here.

Press release

 

Very Highly Recommended from Bordeaux and Alsace.

Very Highly Recommended from Bordeaux and Alsace

Bois de Rolland Vieilles Vignes Bordeaux Supérieur (AC) 2018, 14% 

€18.35 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Beautiful bright cherry red colour on this blend of Merlot (mostly) and Cabernet Sauvignon. Quite an intense bouquet of darker fruit, a hint or two of spice (including vanilla). It makes an immediate and impressive impression on the palate. Harmonious for sure, rich and ample with a lengthy finish. With juicy flavours of cassis and cherry, this is easy drinking and Very Highly Recommended

Perhaps because there is so much of it, Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur are often, sometimes lazily, shunted into the realm of second-rate wines. Just look a little harder, find a trustworthy importer and a producer such as we have here and the consumer can find both quality and value for the money.

They say: Château Bois de Rolland 'Vieilles Vignes' is a Bordeaux Superieur that tastes really honest, made with care, with a definite sense of place. When Bordeaux are made that way, they are quite irresistible. Gorgeous black fruit, meaty hints on the nose, very subtle oak presence, perfectly integrated, ripe, fleshy on the palate with cool undertones which adds to its drinkability and saline touches in the end.  

The property has a wonderful history and pedigree. Situated just 17 kilometres from Saint Emilion on the Coubeyrac plateau of clay and limestone – the blend that helps to express some of the best wines in Bordeaux. The property became renowned for its vines, cereal production, and cattle rearing. Now just a winery, the perfect exposure of a plateau with south-facing vines upon ancient sedimentary soils allow the Geromin family to produce fabulous wines.

Serve this multi-award winner at 16 to 18 degrees after decanting. Red meats, game, grilled meats, cheese, chocolate desserts are the suggested pairings.

Is there oak? Yes indeed. Vinification and aging details: Mechanical harvest, traditional fermentation at 25 ° C., maceration for 2 weeks at 30 ° C. Aging in vats on staves medium heat and medium heat plus for 8 months. Packaging: Bottled at the Château.

Binner Cuvée Béatrice Pinot Noir Alsace (AOP) 2016, 13.5%

€39.75 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

I removed the glass closure and poured, its deep pink (rosé, if you like) filling the bottom of the glass. Concentrated red fruit aromas rise up. Those juicy red fruits flavours (mainly strawberry, cherry) engage you as the juice spreads across the palate. Don’t judge a wine by its colour - this has quite a backbone, no wilting rose. Tannins are smooth and there’s a long and satisfying finish. A generous unfiltered Pinot Noir that stands out from the crowd and Very Highly Recommended.

Good acidity too and that makes it an excellent food wine. Recommended pairings are: Filet-mignon, cold meats and terrine with friends, with a white meat, or simply to accompany the cheese plate. Serve at 18 degrees. The label discloses that this organic wine has spent 11 months on lees in traditional large oak foudres (casks).

This Pinot Noir from Alsace was, for me, one of the stars of the Le Caveau portfolio tasting in Cork in March 2019, and indeed my wine of the year. Heartened by that tasting and also the words of Jean Frédéric Hugel (at a Cork tasting) that Pinot Noir from the Alsace is now  “incomparable to what it was twenty years ago”, I put it on my buying list and didn’t wait long before giving the wine an extended “trial”. I wasn’t disappointed.

I put it on a recent buying list as well and no disappointment this time - a year for so later. Every bit as good, complex and delicious, the perfect companion for the dishes above along with the likes of roasted chicken, and crispy pork. 

Christian Binner is the wine-maker and this wine is named for his sister. The Binners own nine hectares in total, with only six planted to vine and the estate has been chemical-free for over two decades. They harvest in October, later on average than any of their neighbours, with patience that allows for fully ripe fruit and resulting complexity of flavour.

Taste of the Week Malay Kitchen Spring Rolls

Taste of the Week

Malay Kitchen Spring Rolls

While on holidays in the Loire a few years back, I regularly bought Spring Rolls (wrapped in rice paper) from a Vietnamese stall in the twice weekly market in Chinon. They were large, delicious and amazing value. Never seen the likes of them here.

Malay Kitchen are new suppliers to Neighbourfood in the city and my attention was immediately on full alert when I spotted "Summer Rolls (Vietnamese-inspired)".

This is their description: Malay Kitchen Summer Rolls (Vietnamese-inspired)- a salad packed into an edible container. If you are not familiar with these little delicacies-then, you’ve got a treat! They’re just about the freshest thing we can imagine: a jumble of crunchy raw vegetables, soft, aromatic herbs, cool, squidgy rice noodle, all stuffed snugly into a featherlight rice wrapper.  Serve with homemade mild, sweet, sour and tangy dipping sauce-a hints of garlic, lime juice, sprinkle of crushed chillies and splash of sesame oil/seeds. This rolls are a refreshing and healthy change from usual fried variety, great as a cool summertime appetizer. The slightly bland, crunchy rolls are balanced with this punchy dipping sauce!"

A very fair description indeed and they are our current Taste of the Week. Malay Kitchen was founded in Cork in 2014 by Elle and Norza, with their first little restaurant in Kinsale and branching out in Cork City few months after.

"Food is a huge part in Malaysian culture and both of us have channelled this and our professional expertise as chefs into Malay Kitchen brand. Both of us are professional and qualified chefs, been working in Ireland since 2002 before venturing into business."

They have quite a range of products and you may see more on Neighbourfood.

The Many Pleasures Of Dining At Bunnyconnellan Coastal Restaurant

 The Many Pleasures Of Dining At Bunnyconnellan Coastal Restaurant

Turbot

The pleasure of outdoor dining is hugely enhanced by experiencing it at the Bunnyconnellan Coastal Restaurant in Myrtleville, County Cork, less than 30 minutes south of the city. It has a splendid elevated coastal location. Watch the ships, the trawlers, the yachts as they enter and exit Cork Harbour with Roches Point away to to your left and the ocean just ahead. But it’s not just the view. The welcome, the excellent service, the good-bye, are all so friendly. And, very importantly, the food is splendid. There’s a new crew in the kitchen and their various origins, experiences and training are reflected in the menu. Mushrooms with your Turbot, Pineapple weed jus with your strawberries.

After the warm welcome, we were seated in the sheltered part of the verandah as the sunshine reinforced the blue of the expansive deep waters out-front. The team here are glad to be back working and, with that new multi-national crew in the kitchen finding their feet, happy to some degree that the return has not been full-on, so far!

Broccoli

Just one menu available these days but that will change as the country opens up next month. We found much to attract us to the venue just by reading the lists. We skipped the breads though they too had their attractions: High Bank Treacle and Murphy’s Soda Bread, for example, or the Gluten free Coolmore Honey and Buckwheat.

Five starters (not counting soups) included Dexter Beef tartare. My pick though was the vegetarian Tempura of Charred Tender Stem Broccoli served with Spring onion, Chive and Lovage Emulsion (9.90). Absolutely delicious, good and crunchy, and went well with the Mar de Frades Albariño that we had both chosen, mainly because of the fish dishes to come.

Indeed, CL had started with Pan Roasted Irish Calamari salad with fresh red chilli, lemon skin oil, blueberries, crispy baby gem lettuce (13.00). Our server had a message from the chef that the fish would not be in batter. CL was happy with that apt message and very happy too with the dish, ample in both quality and quantity. Personally, I think using batter with fish is overdone in Ireland although the worst example I came across was at a multi-course fish meal in Venice where all the local fish types were on the menu but every single course was “battered”, not the best way to get the flavour of the fish.

Time now to move onto the mains, of which there were seven on offer. I was very much inclined to try the South African Cape Malay Curry - one of chefs has come here, via many other culinary experiences,  from South Africa. Maybe I’ll try it next time!

John Dory

Turbot is a favourite fish and so I picked the Kombu Cured Turbot served with brown butter poached Kohlrabi, summer mushrooms, clam and tarragon cream sauce (27.00). It's been a great week for me with fish starting with Fred’s amazing Tuna and Prawns in the Oliver Plunkett and now this fabulous combination at Bunny’s. Quite a range of flavours and textures here and the overall combination was really superb, especially the pairing of mushrooms and fish, not forgetting the Kohlrabi (of which I have a handful growing in the garden!).

Meanwhile, all was quiet alongside me, as CL enjoyed her Roast Fillet of John Dory served with razor clam salsa, baby leaf spinach, crushed baby potatoes, and oyster emulsion. The John Dory has a somewhat firmer flesh than the Turbot and both were cooked to perfection. 

The view (just a small part of it)

And in the case of Turbot, there was another message from the chef via our server to the effect that the fish would be cooked on the bone, the bone would then be removed and it would be served on the skin (which was not to be eaten!). They certainly make sure you know what you are ordering, in the nicest possible way.

And the green liquid with your strawberries. Pineapple Weed of course. Something exotic? No. Just extracted from a very common weed, also known as wild camomile! Full description: Fresh strawberries served with Elderflower Jam, Basil and fresh cream (8.60). Strawberries need little enough to accompany them and here it was the Elderflower Jam that played the key role in that regard.

Tangy Lemon Curd served with Burnt Italian Meringue

Our other dessert was the Tangy Lemon Curd served with Burnt Italian Meringue and Crushed Rosemary Shortbread (8.50). There were one or two other desserts along with an Irish Cheeseboard. But the Curd/Meringue and the Strawberries were each a very pleasant and acceptable finish to an excellent meal, desserts you could polish off without much of an effort!

By the way, it’s not much of an effort either for you to make your way to Crosshaven and Bunny’s. And, while there, why not reawaken the nostalgic feeling that many Cork people have for this seaside village. Take a stroll around past the ice-cream queues and the yachts and take a look at the line-up at the “merries”. All the colourful swings, the bumpers, the Waltzer and the horses Merry-go-round are still there but more likely to be used for private and corporate events these days. See the Pipers website here for details (especially if you have a birthday coming up!).

Strawberries. See the green towards the rear.

At this stage, I’d certainly prefer a Bunny’s meal to a bumpy ride!

* Did manage a quick word with Paul O'Brien whose family have been running Bunny's for 45 years now. In 1976, Paul’s parents, Paddy (who passed in 2010) and Sheila, took over the premises from Neill (known to all as Jock) and Mary Porteous, the only other family to have run Bunnys as a bar and restaurant.

The Oliver Plunkett’s A Specials Kind Of Place

The Oliver Plunkett’s A Specials Kind Of Place

Be sure and keep an eye on the specials when you dine at the Oliver Plunkett, on the Cork street of the same name. And, yes, for this month, you will be dining on that street! There is quite a bit of shelter here and that came in handy as the evening we visited wasn't at all sunny. Yet we two for sure and most of the punters nearby seemed to thoroughly enjoying themselves and even a light mist later on did little to dampen spirits!

The Oliver Plunkett chef Fred Desormeaux is well-known for his fish dishes and when I saw tuna on the specials list, I knew I was on to a good thing. And so it proved. The Pan Fried Fresh Tuna & Prawns on warm baby potatoes and chorizo salad, with a Cherry sun blush tomato pesto was absolutely amazing, perhaps the best tuna I’ve ever tasted. Don’t think you’ll see this or its likes in many restaurant, not to mention bar, menus.

Tuna & Prawns

I ordered it medium, though Fred himself prefers it rare. It was flavoursome and juicy and so easy to slice. The salad was a highlight on its own, the prawns fresh and delicious. What a combination of flavour and texture. Go for it if you see it listed.

The Oliver Plunkett kitchen supports local and its fish comes from Pat O’Connell in the English Market who gets most of his from the boats that work out of Castletownbere. I had also started with the produce of the sea: Fresh Crab Roll (Fresh Crab, Lemon Mayonnaise, Pickled Cucumber, Salad Leaves, Roast Garlic Aioli). Another perfect combination, right down to the beautiful Brioche buns on which it was served!

Crab

CL was in the sea as well as we started, her choice the Panko Crumbed Atlantic Prawns with Mango & Sweet Chilli, Lime Coriander Mayo & Side Salad. Very happy with that though she had also eyed the special of Grilled Dublin Bay Prawns in Lemon and Garlic butter, with toasted Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia. 

And as we moved onto the mains, her final choice was between the recommended special of Roast Stuffed Chicken Supreme Black Pudding wrapped in streaky bacon, creamy mash served with Chicken jus and the regular Lamb Shawarma (Slow Cooked Spiced Shredded Lamb Shoulder in Buttermilk, on a Flat Bread with Hummus, Pickled Onion, Spicy Wedges, Mango & Sweet Chili Yoghurt). She picked the lamb and enjoyed the mix of flavours, again top quality and quite a substantial dish.

Prawns

Dessert? Always the question and always a hesitation! So why not share our Raspberry Creme Brûlée? Why not indeed? And again we hit the jackpot. Studded with juicy fruit, this was perhaps the very best dish of its kind we’ve ever tasted. So that (along with the Tuna) makes two of the best ever on one menu. Not bad going at all.

By the way, watch out too for the breakfast here. Chef Desormeaux bases his selection on the renowned produce supplied by McCarthy Butchers in Kanturk. There’s also the possibly of a Sunday brunch being offered in the near future. Watch this space!

Lamb

The Oliver Plunkett  

Oliver Plunkett Street

Cork

Red And White Gems From The Southern Hemisphere

Red And White Gems

 From The Southern Hemisphere

Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir Aconcagua Costa (D0) 2018, 14%

€17.99 Avoca Handweavers Shops; Baggot Street Wines; Barnhill Stores; Blackrock Cellar; Cinnamon Cottage; Donnybrook Fair; Ely Wine Store; Menloe Stores; Sweeney’s D3; The Wine Centre; wineonline.ie

“It is totally coastal influenced. In morning there’s mist and fog and then a shy sunshine from mid day. The vines grow happy. The grapes ripen slowly.” This was Aurelio Montes speaking of the Aconcagua Coast during last year’s Zoomed masterclass as he sipped a Pinot Noir. (quite possibly this one).

So this Pinot Noir, with its bright ruby red colour, comes all the way from the coast of Chile. Aromas are concentrated, of fresh summer fruit, cherries and berries. Touch of oak too. The palate is just as intense, toasty oak spice flavour in with the red fruits, elegant and complex, smooth with excellent acidity, rounded tannins also part of the harmony on the way to an abiding finish. Very Highly Recommended.

They say: Our Montes Limited Selection range is a collection of individual wines. This premium wine is recognised as a seductive, voluptuous, smooth and satisfying sensual pleasure. This range includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Carmenère and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère.

The wine has spent 6 to 7 months in oak. Recommended pairings are: White meat (including veal), fish, Pasta, Sushi, charcuterie, desserts. They advise decanting 15 minutes in advance of serving at a temperature of 14 to 15 degrees.

*****

Spice Route Chenin Blanc Swartland 2019, 13.5%

€24.99 Fresh Grand Canal and Smithfield; wineonline.ie

The Swartland is 65kms north of Cape Town (South Africa). The climate is hot and dry. Viticulture here it is not straightforward, according to Fairview and Spice Route owner Charles Back (widely regarded as a wine pioneer in the area). “You have to be very careful to select good moisture retaining soil in the first place, soil that can trap the moisture and slowly release it later when needed.”

“We monitor winter rainfall very carefully and if the rain isn’t enough, the yield must be cut. We use bush vines and the canopy has to be managed.”

That attention to detail is well illustrated here in this superbly complex barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc. Light straw with greenish tints. Fairly intense aromas featuring tropical fruits and peach. It’s a beautiful mouthful, immediately likeable. Very harmonious with fresh fruit and acidity all in tune. Plus a pretty long finish. Very happy with this one on the table (especially in the summer months) and Very Highly Recommended.

Charl du Plessis, the winemaker, said (on Zoom last year): “This Chenin Blanc is from a vineyard planted in 1978. These trellised vineyards are planted on a southeast facing slope and are dryland farmed. The soils are predominantly koffieklip (decomposed granite and iron-rich clay). Due to the late picking of the second portion, there were some raisins present on select bunches. This added a beautiful dimension to this fantastic grape variety which will benefit from 3 or 4 years bottle age.  Enjoy!”  I certainly did.

He went on to say that there is still a lot to discover from Chenin Blanc, that there is the possibility of getting a broader range of wines from it.