The more we care about the earth, the better our wine. Torres talk the talk, walk the walk.

 

The more we care about the earth, the better our wine. Torres talk the talk, walk the walk.

Superb Tasting at Bradleys

Busy tasty for Findlater's Adrian McAleer (right)

In Dublin in 2015 Miguel Torres, one of the family’s fifth generation, tipped off a small attendance at a tasting in the Westbury about a new wine on the horizon:  “Penedes is our hometown and by the way, watch out for a new wine from here next year. It will be called Purgatori, not because we are sinners!”

Purgatori (29.95) is from a historic estate in the heart of Les Garrigues (Lleida)  and the wine was an unlisted bonus and the star of the excellent tasting, led by Findlater’s Adrian McAleer, in Bradleys, North Main Street, Cork, last week.

It is an intense, beautiful cherry red colour. Seductive floral (red rose) and fruit (black cherry jam) aroma with notes of spices (clove) and exquisite undertones characteristic of the Mediterranean terroir (pine, carob, dried fruits). Warm and nervy, with a finish that is more vibrant than long, this blend of Cariñena and Garnacha is smooth and so well balanced.

Four wines were listed for the Bradleys tasting and I had tasted three of those in that Dublin event, including our starter wine, the Celeste Verdejo (17.95). That grape is one of my favourite whites and this is a modern-style wine, fresh, and intensely aromatic. “The estate-owned vineyards, close to the river Duero, are handled with great care and respect in order to give this wine greater complexity and highlight the character of the variety from this particular zone in DO Rueda.” A very good start indeed!

And it kept getting better.  The second white was the Pazo Das Bruxas (19.95), an Albarino that pays homage to the folklore and landscape of Galicia (the Celtic Spain). It tells the tale of the Galician witches said to have gathered in the woods, which surrounded some pazos or manor houses, to conjure up spirits with their dances and spells. Nourished by their energy, the sap or lifeblood then coursed through the vines, in the same way the Albariño grapes give life to this wine today. 

Aromas are seductive, floral (honeysuckle) and fruit (lemon rind, tangerine). Silky and juicy on the palate with exquisitely elegant, fragrant fruit persistence. Long and intense with a little bit of Torres magic!

Michael Creedon (right, Bradleys) and Adrian McAleer (Findlaters)

On to the reds with the Celeste Crianza (19.95) from Ribera Del Duero with its fascinating deep, dark cherry red colour. Intense, concentrated aromas of black fruit (blueberry jam), revealing notes of ripe figs and an exquisite smoky, mineral (graphite) streak. Velvety and flavourful on the palate with noble, fine-grained tannins. Oak aging endows the wine with fine notes of spices (bitter cocoa) and toast (roasted coffee).

Celeste Crianza is an opulent, fruit-filled, full-bodied wine with intense colour. This wine is aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels and 12 months in the bottle. The flagship wine from the Pago del Cielo winery is one of DO Ribera del Duero’s most internationally famous wines. The grape is Tinto Fino, better known to most of us in Ireland as Tempranillo.

In Dublin in 2015, Miguel spoke of how they were recovering or recuperating forgotten grapes, not always successfully. “We have recuperated ancient Catalan varieties, 38 in all. Not all are good but six are top quality, very well adapted to a hot and dry climate”. Torres are also experimenting with growing vines at higher levels.

One of the successes, called Moneu, was part of the blend that made up our final “regulation” red at Bradleys. The other varieties in the Clos Ancestral (21.95) are Tempranillo and Garnacha. A very impressive wine indeed, delicious and elegant, the finesse and versatility allow for a variety of pairings with medium-aged cheeses and charcuterie, lean cuts of meat like sirloin or rump steak, and fish in cream or butter-based sauces. Ideal serving temperature: 14–16C.

The more we care about the earth, the better our wine. That is the Torres motto that I first saw in Dublin in 2015 and it was also displayed in Bradleys. So whether it is improving sustainability (turning vine cuttings into a source of energy) or using solar panels or organic viticulture or their long-time commitment to fair trade, Torres contribute wherever they are, from Chile to California to Catalonia. The earth could do with more families, more companies like this.

Lovely evening for it!

Craft Delight With 13 Brewers At Franciscan Well Easter Fest. CorkBillyBeers #22.

CorkBillyBeers #22

Craft Delight With 13 Brewers At Franciscan Well Easter Fest

Busy days for Sean at the Black's of Kinsale taps.

A baker’s dozen of Ireland’s craft breweries set up camp at the Franciscan Well and turned their well and truly revived Easter Beer Fest into a convivial carnival featuring the best of craft over the holiday weekend. Hard to resist some of the stars here, some beautiful pours over the two days, including a debut for the delicious Locavore Spring 2023, a Honey Hefeweizen, by Wicklow Wolf.

I did have a Plan A when I arrived in the busy venue on Saturday afternoon but that didn't last long. Nor did Plan B or indeed any notion of a plan. No seat available but I did get my aging back up against a solid object and relaxed.

Spot the difference? One of these is a lager, one's a stout. Answer at end.

Lots of chats too of course, none of it too serious. We were here for the craft and the craic. Actually, black (rhymes with craic!) was on Plan A and I did get a couple in. Had a good chat with Sean from Black’s of Kinsale. I was familiar with all three of his taps, including the marvellous Red Rye Redemption. 

My eyes wandered to his right and I spotted a dark lager at Lineman. Enjoyed their Schwarzbier last year so I tried the Undertone - a Czech Dark Lager (4.5%), dark with hints of red in the depths, smooth caramel, a touch of toast but all smooth and clean just like a lager should be! The Undertone, a little less roasty than a Schwarzbier, is making a return to the Lineman portfolio and is sure to get a terrific welcome.

That goes on to my shopping list for Bradley’s. In fact, all the beers mentioned here will be going on to that list. Some good weeks ahead then!

My first real black came from Phil, at the Kinnegar stand.  He poured me a glass of their long-standing favourite Yannaroddy (4.8%). Long-standing maybe but you never get tired of class and this rich and creamy porter, made with love, has Donegal expertise in every sip.

Keith McCarthy at the Wicklow Wolf taps and his Lough Gill colleagues.

My second black came later on, the Chocolate Truffle Stout from Porterhouse. This limited edition (4.2%) surprised me - I’m always a little suspicious of nitro - but very few can say no to chocolate. Very smooth of course and delicious but not too sweet at all.

More potential sweetness next, but very well balanced. Wicklow Wolf tell us their Locavore Spring 2023 is “a Honey Hefeweizen brewed with heather honey supplied by our friends at @openhivehoney. The bees worked hard in the Wicklow mountains to gather the nectar to make beautiful heather honey for this brew.” Their 2022 edition, a barrel aged ale, was one of my beers of the year and, being a big honey fan anyhow, I’ll be looking at this one more closely soon! ABV is 6.0%.

Original 7 Red

Had been hoping to try the Cutback New England IPA by Lough Gill but it wasn’t available at the time I called. So I switched to next door to the “home” brewery, the Original 7, who have been expanding their range and availability in local pubs since their relatively recent founding and their Steve Guiney says they will have a beautiful surprise for fans late in the summer.

While looking forward to that, I absolutely enjoyed their Wonderland Red Ale. Quite a mix here, according to their notes - caramel, blackcurrant, raspberry and cherry - but a well judged balance and a lovely red and a truly session-able beer with an IBU of 22 and 4.2% ABV.

So we moved from Keith (at the Wolf stand) to Simon at Galway Bay. Started with their classic Helles, the Slow Lives (5%). Next from the west was the Sister Cities (6.2%), a Sour IPA with citrus, apple, a touch of elderflower and a balancing acidity. Very drinkable indeed and looking forward to a few in a the garden in the better days ahead! Thanks Simon! And thanks to all the people we met and sorry we missed out on a few. Next time!

Pompeii Pizza: Feeding the troops

Picture quiz above: stout (Porterhouse) is on the left, Lineman  is the lager.

The Black Glove, the Marked Pistol and a Triumphal Chariot.

The Black Glove, the Marked Pistol and a Triumphal Chariot.

It must be decades wise I previously visited Derrynane House, the ancestral home of Daniel O’Connell, the Liberator. From that earlier visit, I remembered a carved table with a bunch of dogs (also carved!) sitting underneath. Glad to say the impressive table is still there alongside another eye-catching piece, also carved from oak, this a State Chair and Footstool.

We have all heard of the heroics of O'Connell in the drive for Catholic Emancipation, the amazing momentum he generated on the way to eventual success in 1829.

The "D", roughly engraved, is just above the trigger.

But there was at least one dark cloud along the way, represented by the black glove and the marked pistol on display here in a cabinet. That pistol has a D engraved on it and he used it in a duel in 1815 when he was forty years old. 

O’Connell had described Dublin Corporation as a “beggarly corporation” and an insulted member D’Esterre challenged O’Connell to a duel. D’Esterre’s shot hit the ground but he himself suffered a thigh wound from O’Connell’s shot and died the following day. O’Connell regretted the man’s death and later wore a black glove to mark that regret.

The table was known as a Loo table as it was originally used for a card game of that name

Much later, fighting to repeal the Union with the UK, O’Connell fell foul of the law and ended up in jail. In September 1844, after the British House of Lords overturned their convictions, O’Connell and other prisoners were released. However, they returned to Richmond Penitentiary the next day so a ceremonial release could be staged. 

State Chair

O'Connell left the prison aboard a special triumphal chariot drawn by six grey horses. His grandchildren, dressed in green velvet costumes and white-feathered caps, sat on the bottom level of the chariot with a harpist above them playing Irish songs. Roughly 200,000 people lined the streets to cheer O'Connell. …Despite this large demonstration of popular support, it was to be his last great political triumph. He died in 1847.

The chariot is really impressive and, in 1991, a Coach House was built here at Derrynane to display it! There is of course much more detail and artefacts from the life of the Liberator in the house.

And there are also extensive gardens, some lovely walks among the trees and plants, magnolias were in bloom when we visited. The beach is quite close by, so all in all you can spend quite a while here in Derrynane which is between Sneem and Waterville on the beautiful Ring of Kerry. The Derrynane website is here.

Fern unfolding

Derrynane House Mar 2023

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Walking The Dog At The Lovely Sneem Hotel

Walking The Dog 

At The Lovely Sneem Hotel

Walking the dog is probably the wrong way to put it…

After a hearty breakfast in the Sneem Hotel, we decided to take the walk in front of the hotel that winds around part of the nearby inlet, and also provides a delightful view from your room.

Window view. Also pictured this the evening before and it got
over 10,000 impressions on Twitter.

So with coat and hat on, we headed out the front door and were immediately accompanied by Red. Red? Well he is the hotel’s resident dog and is a big friendly Red Setter that we had met briefly while enjoying a drink in the lounge the previous evening.

He bounded on ahead of us this promising morning and we walked on down to the water and around the path. Every now and then he came back to us and then headed off again. When we turned back towards the hotel he headed off in front. But there was a little delay as we stopped to take a few photos. All of a sudden he rushed back - I’m pretty sure he was checking on us. Back at the hotel, he walked in ahead of us, probable seeking someone else to guide. 

Chicken

It is a dog friendly hotel but has much else going for it, including that terrific view - make sure you book a sea-view room as it is well worth the supplement. Besides the view, the room is very spacious, very comfortable and you’ll have everything you’ll need.

One of the more unusual treats here is the facility to enjoy an open air Seaweed bath near the hotel. “It is scientifically proven that having a seaweed bath is beneficial for supporting our nervous system and making us feel more calm.” Over to you! Don't worry too much though - the water is heated

Curry

The hotel is in the village where you have quite a lot to do, including checking out the dozens of sculptures around the two sections of Sneem. That done, you may want to check out quite a variety of food options.

Sneem is of course on the Ring of Kerry. Kenmare, another lively little town packed with bars and restaurants, is less than half an hour away to the east. Nearby, to the west there is the iron-age Staigue Stone Fort.

Beyond that, the marvellous Derrynane House and gardens, once the home of the the Liberator Daniel O’Connell, and well worth a visit. After that there is Waterville and so much more of the Wild Atlantic Way.

After your trip, you might like to dine in the hotel (either restaurant or bar). We had a very satisfactory lunch earlier in Killarney so weren’t going for the full dinner but were well pleased with our meal.

Just one course needed as it turned out, accompanied by draught pale ale from the Killarney Brewing Company, a beer that you find in quite a few establishments in the area. 

One dish enjoyed was the Thai Red Curry with seafood and Jasmine rice and topped with cashew nuts. No shortage of fish here and everything was very acceptable and easy to dispatch. The other, also a quite satisfactory plate, was Chicken Breast with spiced pumpkin purée, fondant potatoes, mushroom, and chicken velouté.

In Derrynane Gardens

Breakfast was mainly from the buffet, a supervised one which always lends itself to better quality. Very happy with that, especially the outstanding local Sneem black-pudding. And another aspect that helped was the fact that the tea wasn’t delivered as you sat down, coming instead as you started to eat and was much the better for it. So often the pot is delivered early on and is lukewarm when you really need it!

After that final cuppa, it was time for the walk with our unexpected escort, a nice ending to our stay in this lovely place with welcoming and friendly staff.

Red, on guard at the hotel

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Excellent Lunch At Killarney’s Brehon

Chicken Tenders by a sunny window

The Sat-Nav said Killarney was approaching and a stop required ahead of driving down to Sneem. The phone would throw up a list of lunch recommendations but, based on a special by Head Chef Chad Byrne, I had just one place in mind and that was the Brehon Hotel on the Muckross Road.

And so we parked at this quite splendid hotel and its rather impressive entrance. That particular special had been for a day or two earlier and I knew it wouldn’t be available this day but it reminded me of Chad’s skill. He had the day off but has a fine team here so no worries and we went on to have a most enjoyable lunch indeed, an early highlight of this latest trip to the kingdom.

Mozzarella 

We were directed to the bar as it is here that lunch is served rather than the well-known Danú Restaurant. We got a window seat and, even though veiled in a light mist, the mountains in the view were magnificent.

The welcome and the service throughout was friendly and helpful and soon the menu was studied and decisions made.

Quite a list of starters included Sticky Hot Sauce Chicken Wings, Veggie Pot Stickers (fried Japanese Dumplings with Bok Choi and loads of other veg and lime sauce), Sweet and Sour Prawn Scampi and a Mezzo Plate.

Our pick was the Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella (with basil, cherry Plum Tomato and Garlic Toasties). This combination, with the local cheese, is regarded as a classic hereabouts nowadays and the Brehon version is as good as you’ll get.

No shortage of choices on the mains list either. There was Slow Cooked Pork, a tempting Stir-fried rump steak sandwich, The Brehon Double Smash Burger, Black Cardamom Spiced Bhaji, Coconut and Almond Chicken Curry and a Cod Based Special.

The choice here was the Crispy Buttermilk and Sesame Chicken Tenders with Yuzo and Mango, and spice bag seasoned fries.  The chicken was top notch and superbly cooked. Flavours were brilliant here from the chicken itself right through to those spicy fries.

Time then to consider dessert - didn’t take too long. I was tempted by the Brehon Pavlova, the Chocolate Brownie, the Kahlua and Ginger Biscuit Cheesecake, and the Selection of Ice-creams with jelly and berries. 

But it was the Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch and Vanilla Bourbon ice-cream that got the sweet nod. And it certainly got the thumbs up at both sides of the table. “Could have done with a touch more bourbon though”, I remark. “What’s new?” is the retort from CL.

Soon two very well fed and happy customers were on our way up to Molls Gap and down past the Strawberry Field Pancake Cottage to Sneem for the evening.

View from the table

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Derrynane House