A Treviso Pinot Grigio Stands Out. As Does Our Delicious Saint Chinian Red

A Treviso Pinot Grigio Stands Out. 

 

As Does Our Delicious Saint Chinian Red 

GIOL Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (DOC) 2020, 12.5%

RRP: €13.90-€14  Stockists: Urru, Bandon/ The Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny/ Taste, Castletownbere / The Olive Branch, Clonakilty, The Quay Co-Op, Cork and Mary Pawle

This Pinot Grigio from the Treviso based winery has a straw (even a hint of copper) colour, darker than most. Aromas of ripe peach and apricot plus dry hay, are delicate yet promising. Flavour and texture make an immediate impressive impact on the palate. The flavours follow the aromas right through to a refreshing lip-smacking finish. A crisp and balanced Pinot Grigio that stands out from the crowd and Highly Recommended.

Back to the texture. The wine is kept on the fine lees and has more contact with the skin than usual. You’ll note the words “Skin ferment” on the front label. It is akin to an orange wine, also known as skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine, or amber wine, and is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed, as in typical white wine production, and stay in contact with the juice for days or even months.

You’ll also see the word “ramato” on the label. According to Decanter (Oct 2019), Ramato is for the wine lover who wants more from their Pinot Grigio. “When Pinot Grigio grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to spend time with the juice, a teasing, tactile texture and coppery hue results in a distinct wine style called ramato. It comes from the word ‘rame’ which means ‘copper’ in Italian.”

The vineyard say it is excellent with vegetable hors d’oeuvres, soups and starters, grilled fish with sauces, Parma ham and melon, and soufflés. Serving temperature: 10-12° C. 

They say: For nearly 600 years, our winery has placed an emphasis on nature, quality and beauty. Our family’s long experience is apparent in our esteemed wines. Since 1987, we have been producing wine from grapes grown in our historic vineyards using organic farming methods, respecting both the environment and the raw ingredient. 

* We’ve recently reviewed another of GIOL wines on the site, a Cabernet Sauvignon, here . 

Chateau Bousquette Pruneyrac St Chinian (2017), 14%

€17.75. Quay Co-Op, Cork/  Scally’s Supervalu, Clonakilty/ Morton’s of Galway / The Grainey, Scarriff, Co. Clare., Mary Pawle

This organic wine has an intense red robe, close to purple. Aromas are expressive, spice, pepper, wild berries and the local garrigue. Believe it or not, I stayed once in a gite near Narbonne (about half an hour away from St Chinian) and the owner was Madame Garrigue.

Madame and myself got on quite well, very well indeed, and this is how my relationship with this wine is going. The palate ups it another notch, dense and silky, tannins smooth as can be. Flavours are delicious, red and darker fruits at its centre and sweet notes of spice in the long finish. Very Highly Recommended. Great price too by the way.

Pruneyrac is from Saint-Chinian, an appellation in the large southern France region of Languedoc-Roussillon. It is made from two local grape varieties: Mourvèdre (predominately) and Grenache noir. This cuvée takes the name of an ancient family from the region who made wine here at the beginning of the previous century as evidenced by old bottles found in the cellars.

The current winemakers suggest this wine will be perfect with a leg of lamb with prunes. Serve at 17 degrees and, if you wish, keep for about 5 years.

Also in wine:

Château la Claymore is a 33 hectare estate owned by the Dubard family, located in Lussac-Saint-Émilion, one of the best Saint-Émilion satellite appellations. The property craft good value Merlot-based wines. 

O'Briens have this reduced from €29.95 to €16.95 (while stocks last or until end of January.)

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February 14th Valentines Day is soon approaching and Wines of the World have a celebrity mix of white, rose and red wines- 2 bottles of each- 6 bottles in total delivered right to your door and we recommend the perfect cheese to pair with each wine!  Get all the details of this Valentine's Virtual Tasting here.

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Jean Smullen (right) tells us, via her ever popular Wine Diary, that New Zealand Wine have been reviewing what to do regarding the Dublin Annual Trade Tasting on the 7th March. It is a difficult decision as hoped to go ahead with Covid precautions in place, but the safety and well-being of visitors, exhibitors and staff is paramount. They also want to ensure the tasting a success for everyone involved and are concerned that attendance could be affected given the current infection rates, which would not do the event justice given your investment in it. Having looked at the Irish trade diary, they have decided to postpone to the event to Monday 9th May 2022. The Radisson Blu Hotel venue remains unchanged.

Bunzl. The One Stop Shop For Foodservice Needs

 Bunzl. The One Stop Shop

 For Foodservice Needs

“Whether you’re starting from scratch, renewing or upgrading. Whether you’re big or small, a corner café or a multiple, talk to us.”

That’s the message from Derek Mellerick who is Business Development Manager with Bunzl Irish Merchants. I’ve known Derek for decades through football, first in his playing days with Ballyvolane and later chatting to him on the touchline when he took over as manager. Nowadays, he is involved at Lakewood AFC in Ovens. 

Along with Bunzl of course, clocking up the  miles as he covers Cork, Waterford and Tipperary. Over a catch-up cup of coffee recently he tells me that Bunzl are a one stop shop. “Everything from filling your Retail/Foodservice needs, Sanitisation, PPE, to Chemicals and Janitorial.”

The company operates out of a huge warehouse near Dublin Airport and deliver either through couriers or by using their own vehicles. You may have seen their sparkling showrooms in MacCurtain Street but that is set up for the hospitality (mainly hotel) industry.

Derek had been out that morning on a typical drive around the East Cork area. And he was in good form, having confirmed a large order at a supermarket that has successfully ventured into food service. Beside, another customer was keen to talk about upgrading his janitorial side, papers and soaps and more for the toilets from a range that includes mop buckets, mops, brushes, dustpans, trolleys, scouring pads and cloths, gloves and window cleaning products.

Mellerick has spent some 30 years in this business, not all of them with Bunzl, and says Takeaway is huge at the moment, driven by Covid. He affirms that the traditional takeaway sector is a really large one in any case. Now though the pubs, cafes and restaurants are driving it further, and are all looking for containers (big and small), papers for your breakfast roll, sandwich packing solutions, right down to those mini-sachets of salt and they can get them all at the one stop shop that is Bunzl.

We’re all familiar now with sanitisation. Even if the Omicron version of Covid 19 appears to be slowing down, the emphasis on sanitisation is not going to go away. I expect it to continue and that’s a good thing. Sanitisation stations will remain in communal areas and where food is being prepared and served. Sanitisers, hand cleansers, dispensers and paper towels and napkins will be needed. Hopefully the need for PPE (well, at least the all-over cover bit) will wane but there’s always be a need for aprons, gloves, hair covers and so on.

Bunzl Irish Merchants “are proud to be the market leader in the supply of catering disposables to every sector throughout Ireland, from healthcare to food service, and hospitality to retail. … Our goal is to drive sustainable change through innovation and collaboration….. Many of our products are made from recycled materials and are widely recyclable or certified as compostable.Our wooden cutlery is high-quality, durable, and totally sustainable. No plastic here, just sustainably grown wood forks, wood spoons, wood knives and more! Bonus, we have both wrapped and unwrapped options available!”

Those in the food industry, wishing to be more sustainable, could well check out two of the Bunzl brands. Sustain (cups, bowls, cutlery etc) are made from plants and break down to grow more plants – the circle of life. Revive (including containers), on the other hand are new recyclable packaging, made from old recyclable packaging. For instance, their Revive range in plastic bottles is made from plastic bottles – simple!

Contacts:

Looking for something for your food business? See the Bunzl brochure here.

Chat with Derek: dmellerick@irishmerchants.com or 086 412 4630

National Enquiries: 01 816 4800

A Quart of Ale± #88 Craft journey with Whiplash, Brehon, Porterhouse and Journeyman. + Brewery News

 A Quart of Ale± #88

On the craft journey with a session of Whiplash, Brehon, Porterhouse and Journeyman

Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel 5.2%, 440ml can Whiplash Online

“Dry The Rain sees us lightly decoct a more complex grain bill to produce our first Dunkel Lager.” Maybe not my favourite Whiplash lager but a good one.

Highlight here is the beautifully balanced bitterness towards the end.

At first glance, it is black but look longer and closer and there is an amber in there (from the Munich Malt) with a short-lived tan head. The aromas are modest, a sweet caramel and bread. And there’s more caramel on the palate, right through to the finish.

They say: We .. incorporate a traditional double stage decoction to produce a natural melanoiden that lends a rich dry and mellow caramel flavour throughout and binds this beautiful wort together. Hopped in kettle exclusively with German Magnum for a soft and unobtrusive bitter balance; this wort is cast off to meet our house German Lager yeast WLP833 in tank and is lovingly cold matured for over a month before packing - and your enjoyment.

Geek Bits

ABV 5.7%

440ml Cans

Artwork by @izzyrosegrange

Malts: MUNICH MALT; CARA BOHEMIAN

Hops: MAGNUm

Yeast: WLP833

Brehon Brewhouse Red Right Hand Barley Wine Beer 11%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

The Red Right Hand, a bourbon-aged barley wine, has a dark red, close to black, colour and is crowned with a coffee coloured soft head. Despite the high abv, it is rather gentle and easy to drink, clean, mellow and smooth. 

Really good but this bourbon-aged beer, earthy and sweet, good and all as it is, isn’t quite at the same level that their Oak & Mirrors Cask Aged Imperial Porter reaches, perhaps because the bourbon influence is very very subtle here.

Brehon have made a name for themselves with barrel-aged beers, beginning with their Crann Beatha barrel-aged stout. This one is well up to standard and, by the way, is a terrific match with Christmas pudding, with the Dunnes Stores Simply Better 12 month matured in particular. Yum on the double.

They say: The red right hand is symbolic of the historic clans of Ulster. It embodies strength, unity and character just like our Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine. 

Porterhouse Renegade New England IPA 5.3%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

Lots of hops here in the Porterhouse’s take of a New England IPA. So no shortage of flavours such as passionfruit, mango and peach, plus hints of resin. Still, in the end it is not very hoppy at all, underlined by an IBU count of 10.

It is a light orange colour, a fairly dense hazy one, with a soft white head that sinks slowly enough. Aromas are modest, citrus notes showing. It feels quite soft on the palate. The straightforward fruit flavours are pleasant enough as is the finish. Very drinkable, even more so if you’re not too pushed about the lack of hop bitterness towards the end (and that could apply to quite a lot of us).

They say: Renegade is our take on a NEIPA. With an extended whirlpool at lower temperature for a smooth soft finish. Unfiltered and heavily dry hopped with Amarillo, Galaxy & Mosaic…  This NEIPA is fermented on traditional East Coast yeast.

Journeyman India Pale Lager 5.2%, 500ml bottle, X-Mas present

I like the amber colour of this hybrid and the bubbly head that hangs around for a bit. Aromas break out with citrus, a hint of pine too. Citrus also plus tropical flavours feature on the palate where the hybrid features show themselves, the refreshing lager crispness and the punch of the new world hops. The lip-smacking lager style refreshment is the welcome quality here.

Journeyman is one of the beers made by the Pearse Lyons Brewery in Dundalk. The brewery is known as the Station Works and is one of the largest in the country. It produces beers under different brand names - Foxes Rock is another one - for various supermarkets.

Geek Bits

Malts: Ale, Oats, Cara, Wheat

Hops: Magnum, Galaxy (passionfruit, peach, citrus), Mosaic (tropical, berry, stone), Amarillo (grapefruit, peach, resinous)

IBU 10

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Brewery News

1 

Franciscan Well Bar

John and Phill....delighted to be back at the bar counter!

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The Cotton Ball

We are delighted with tonight's announcement. We are all looking forward to getting back to normal .

Keep an eye on our social media for our entertainment schedule .Don't miss out , book your party early

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12 Acres Brewing Company

A fresh batch of Pale Ale kegged and ready to pour! After a very tough time for the hospitality trade the kegs are moving again, great to see normal bar service resume.

Cork Harbour Greenway Walk from Blackrock Castle towards Rochestown and Passage

Cork Harbour Greenway Walk

from Blackrock Castle towards Passage

22.01.2022 #walkies

Harty's Quay

Heron, near Harty's Quay

@cuppajoescork
about halfway between castle and bridge

Very short Harty's Quay video

Little Island industries, taken from the Passage side.

All calm at the start, near Blackrock Castle carparks.
Large carpark also near Rochestown (across from Cinnamon Cottage)

Harty's Quay at Rochestown side.

Tramore Valley Park. Opening times included.

Tramore Valley Park

20/01/2022 #walkies. Opening times included.

Vernon Mount ruins

Whiskey Chats 2nd Birthday Bash. Gonna Be A Big One!

Whiskey Chats 2nd Birthday Bash. Gonna Be A Big One!

VALENTINE’S ESCAPE IN THE HEART OF KILDARE

The historic, 21-bedroom Kildare House Hotel in Kildare Town has a Valentine’s inspired get away for couples looking to escape for a romantic night away.

The Hotel's Valentine package is on offer until the end of February 2022 and is priced from €97.50 per person sharing. It includes Prosecco Rosé and strawberries dipped in chocolate on arrival and bed and breakfast in one of the newly refurbished ensuite bedrooms. Guests will also enjoy a 3-course gourmet meal in either the award-winning Gallops Restaurant or in the vegan friendly, Soul Burger Restaurant. Breakfast is served until 11.30am so guests can really take their time and relax and unwind.

The Gallops Bar & Restaurant offers a mix of family fare and tasty European dishes including an extensive offering for vegans and meat lovers alike as well as a comprehensive wine and cocktail list. Under the direction of chef, Jeyson Eriwata the menu changes regularly and the daily blackboard specials are a real treat. The décor has been inspired by the equestrian and racing heritage of County Kildare and features racing prints and accessories in homage to the many racing yards nearby and the famous Curragh Racecourse and Irish National Stud which are just minutes from the hotel.

The Kildare House Hotel is also home to Soulburger, a deep south, American style vegan friendly burger bar, offering a real ‘like for like’ choice for vegans, meat eaters and health-conscious people who are just lovers of great food. The SOUL or SOULLESS experience (with meat or plant based) serves delicious, casual food and is open 7 days a week. Menu delights include ‘The Cactus’ a chicken or vegan patty with ‘Soul Scorpion’ mayonnaise, cookie dough ice cream and their now famous, ‘Bourbon Smash’ cocktails.

The property is owned and run by Kelly Moran who bought the hotel in 2019 and has spent the last three years breathing new life into the historic building. No mean feat considering the building itself was established in 1777 as an infirmary on a site that was acquired by the Duke of Leinster. In fact, the building remained as an infirmary until 1960 until it was converted into a hotel, but over the years it had fallen into disrepair and had become unloved and uninspiring for guests and visitors until Kelly and her team got to work on a major renovation programme. Through sympathetic preservation Kelly has carefully blended the original features such as ceiling roses and original stucco work with the new contemporary finishes.

Just minutes from Kildare Village, the designer retail outlet, the hotel is also popular with shoppers and day trippers looking for great food. To find out more, or to book the Valentine’s package at The Kildare House Hotel see www.kildarehousehotel.ie or call (045) 520002

press release

Well worth checking out this red and white double from O’Briens Wine

Well worth checking out this red and white double from O’Briens Wine

Emiliana Coyam Valle de Colchagua Chile 2019, 14%, €25.95

When I was around ten years of age, there was a series of summers when a week or more was spent picking blackcurrants on a farm that was quite close. That came back to me when I smelt the cork of this Coyam from Chile and that mix of berry and leaf wafted into my nostrils. A summer’s day on Dring’s farm and half the neighbours picking currants.

A long long way from the Los Robles Estate in Chile’s Colchagua Valley where this wine, a blend of Syrah (37%), Carmenere (33), Cabernet Sauvignon (8), Carignan (5), Malbec (4), Garnacha (4), Tempranillo (3), Mourvèdre (3) and Petit Verdot (3), is produced organically in a Mediterranean climate.

Coyam (the word means oak forest, there was one here) is a rather famous wine, made under the care of  Alvaro Espinoza, a leading exponent of organic and biodynamic practices, a signature wine of Emiliana, one of the most accoladed wines in Chile and awarded no less than 94 points by JamesSuckling.com .

Colour is a dark cherry with a lighter tinge around the rim. The full aromas are, as you’d expect, more than just the blackcurrant now, other dark berries there too along with floral notes (including violet) in a complex mix. The depth of fruit shines on the palate where the intro is rich and power-packed. Still, for all that, it is juicy and soft with a touch of sweet spice, the friendly finish long ,with just a little tannin grip. Very Highly Recommended. Might take a bottle with me next time I get a call to go picking blackcurrants

You may well note vanilla during your tasting and here’s why. Ageing is 18 months, 75% in 225 L French oak barrels (mix of new barrels, second- and third- use), 15% in 2,000- and 5,000-litre foudres, and 10% in concrete eggs. 

I was advised to decant an hour or so before drinking. This very versatile wine can be enjoyed with both sophisticated and simple dishes. Ideal to pair with red or white meat with either a  black pepper, Roquefort, or garlic butter sauce. There’s also space for spicy foods like Indian or Mexican, or vegetarian dishes with mushrooms, bell peppers, potatoes, aubergine, or peas. 

Kuentz-Bas Le 4^eme Tour Pinot Blanc Alsace (AC) 2017, 13.5%, O'Briens Wine

This organic Pinot Blanc has a clear light straw colour. Beautiful citrusy aromas and pear with some floral notes (one is reminded to some degree of the Riesling that is also grown in the Alsace). Elegant and refreshing with a lengthy finish. A dry refreshing white and it is a little gem. Highly Recommended.

Kuentz-Bas was founded in the Alsatian town of Husseren-les-Châteaux in 1795. In 2004 the 10ha estate was bought by Jean-Baptiste Adam, the fourteenth generation of his family involved in winemaking.

'Useful rather than exciting' is a fair description of this versatile grape variety, according to Jancis Robinson. “Austria is perhaps the country which values Weissburgunder the highest … But it is probably in Italy that, as Pinot Bianco, this vine is most widely grown, and produces the greatest diversity of styles. 

This bottle illustrates that they grow it well also in Alsace, well enough to get me excited! 

* O'Briens, by the way, have a "Winter Warming Reds" offer at present. Check it out here. The selection includes the Bodegas Tandem Ars in Vitro, a favourite of mine.

CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL RECOGNISED WITH SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

CORK HOTEL RECOGNISED WITH SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Jeremy Murray, Cork Convention Bureau, with Carmel Lonergan, General Manager of the Cork International Hotel.

The Cork International Hotel has been chosen as the winner of the Visit Cork Green Award for 2021. The four-star hotel received the award from the Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) for its overall sustainability performance. 

 

The hotel set ambitious goals to lower its carbon footprint, reduce energy consumption and waste. It also created a ‘Greening Team’ and a ‘Greening Manifesto’ to encourage a more environmentally aware culture within the hotel. The Green team members completed a 6 month training programme with “50 Shades Greener”. A new rooftop garden was constructed and is providing fresh herbs and vegetables for use in the restaurant and bar. A rainwater harvesting system provides water for the garden. 

The Cork Convention Bureau praised the Cork International Hotel and Trigon Hotels for its ongoing projects with Cope Foundation and Ability@Work to promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce. Teams from the hotel are helping to develop a Sensory Garden at Cope Foundation’s headquarters in Montenotte as part of the partnership with the Cork disabilities organisation. The judges also commended the Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Awards. 

General Manager of the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan said: “We are thrilled to receive the Visit Cork Green Award for 2021 from the Cork Convention Bureau. We are committed to ensuring that our activities have the least possible detrimental effect on the environment. We’re already seeing the results and it is thanks to the hard work of the entire team. It is also really important for us to have a positive impact on our local community. The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award was set up in 2021 to honour the unsung heroes in Cork and it was so inspiring to see the calibre of entries and winners throughout the year. We look forward to continuing our sustainability journey into 2022.”

 

Other successful initiatives include building a Bee Hotel and signing up to the Irish Pollinator Plan. 

 

This is the second year of the Visit Cork Green Award, it was set up to encourage and reward Cork Convention Bureau members who make a commitment to operating sustainably. 

The winner!

Franciscan Well Bar bringing it back to basics for ‘22

Franciscan Well Bar bringing it

 back to basics for ‘22

 

Mary Crilly, resident on North Mall,
Peter Lyall, master brewer in the Franciscan Well
and, right, Kate Clancy, marketing manager in the Franciscan Well Bar

The home of craft beer in Cork city since 1998, the Franciscan Well bar has launched their 2022 plans and the community is nestled right at the heart of it.

‘ It’s been a long road for everyone over the last couple of years. Our focus has been on surviving but now we want to bring memorable moments and experiences back to the centre of what we do, ’  says Kate Clancy, marketing manager of the Franciscan Well bar.

One regular and resident of North Mall, Shane McCarthy commented ‘ I love the Fran Well, tasty beer, fantastic pizza and the buzz of chat and fun is such a welcome relief after the isolation blues of 2021.  Full of people from many countries and different backgrounds yet it's a warm cosy local and our favourite spot by far.’

The bar has played host to some of Ireland's longest running beer festivals. The year 2022 will see a return in one popular festival, with some slight changes to comply with regulations.  

Kate. Bouncing back on the North Mall

‘ The core of what we do lies in our beer festivals, not only for bringing other Irish craft breweries together but to bring the beer community in Cork together, ’ continues Kate.

Other events in the lineup include; community book swaps, singles night, weekly trad sessions, open mic nights for local artists, and tasting sessions from local distillers.

The Franciscan Well’s, MONK, cocktail bar will also be getting in on the theme with a new menu that will be promoting ‘ Retro Serves’ with a twist.

‘ We want a nostalgic appeal in our new menu. It will contain all the classics such as cosmopolitans and martinis but with a twist of only using local spirits that can provide a story to the cocktails giving them a sense of place’ says Kate.

The Well will also be kicking off their tourism season in February, focusing on brewery driven travel with Brewery tours and beer tastings running daily at 5pm.

Open 7 days a week, the bar serves up an array of local craft beers, spirits and cocktails. Food is provided by Pompeii Pizza who serve a unique thin based pizza using the finest Italian type-00 flour in the dough while also milling their own flour on site.

Beers and pizzas are available for local and national delivery via www.franwellbar.ie

For more information or to book a table, email franciscanwellbrewery@gmail.com and to keep up to date on their upcoming events follow @franciscanwellbrewery.

media release