Altano Organic Red Douro. An appealing little beauty.

Altano Organic Red Douro (DOC) 2021, 13.5% ABV

€18.95 O’Briens

An appealing little beauty

This organic red wine is a beautiful, well-balanced wine with a deep

FESTIVE NIGHTS AT CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL, KILLARNEY, CO. KERRY

Press release

#hotelswinter24

FESTIVE NIGHTS AT CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL, KILLARNEY, CO. KERRY

 

The historic, four-star Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry, invites guests to indulge in a magical escape this festive season.  Nestled on its own private grounds just off the Muckross Road and minutes from the breathtaking Killarney National Park and lakes, this elegant country house hotel is the ideal destination for those seeking a cosy and enchanting festive or New Year’s Eve retreat.

NEW AFTERNOON TEA MENU AT THE METROPOLE HOTEL FEATURES SEASONAL PRODUCE

 SEASONAL PRODUCE INSPIRES NEW AFTERNOON TEA MENU AT 

THE METROPOLE HOTEL 

Teatime at The Met for Pierce Lowney, Director of Food and Beverage at Trigon Hotels and Sandra Murphy, Group Brand and Communications Manager at Trigon Hotels. Pic: Brian Lougheed 

Seasonal and locally grown produce have inspired a new Autumn Afternoon Tea at the Metropole Hotel. 

The hotel's team is committed to supporting local suppliers and using

On the craft trail with Eight Degrees, Connemara and Trouble Brewing

On the craft trail with Eight Degrees, Connemara and Trouble Brewing

Eight Degrees Déjà Vu Hopfenweisse, 7.5% ABV, 440 ml can No 21 Coburg St

Buy-Back Brewers Bounce Back

This Hopfenweisse is the welcome-back shot from the Antipodean founders of Eight Degrees, who had just bought back the brewery. It may be

A superb thirst-quenching Picpoul De Pinet from Chateau de la Mirande

La Mirande Picpoul De Pinet (AOP) 2023, 13.0% ABV

RRP: €17.35. Stockists: Stockists: 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny 

A gorgeous, thirst-quenching Picpoul

Chateau de la Mirande, with its vineyard surrounded by garigue, is located in the Languedoc, in an area with a saltwater lagoon dedicated to producing and cultivating oysters and mussels. And this is just the wine to pair with these bivalve molluscs! This stellar example of Picpoul is Very Highly Recommended.

Green harvesting and organic viticulture are part of

CORK BUSINESSES IN THE MIX AS FINALISTS REVEALED IN GOOD FOOD IRELAND® AWARDS 2024

press release

CORK BUSINESSES IN THE MIX 

FINALISTS REVEALED IN GOOD FOOD IRELAND® AWARDS 2024 

IN ASSOCIATION WITH FBD INSURANCE

Tulip time at Ballymaloe House

 

Good Food Ireland® is delighted to announce the finalists for its highly regarded national awards, with an impressive 17 businesses from Co. Cork making the

Fish Box's a winner as we sample the superb fish offerings of Kay’s Kitchen, a new hot food stall in the English Market.

Fish Box's a winner as we sample the superb fish offerings of Kay’s Kitchen, a new hot food stall in the English Market.

Large array of fishy delights

The place may be small, but there's a large array of fishy delights at the new Kay's Kitchen in Cork's English Market. With Kay, fish, and English Market in one sentence, you'll likely guess that the legendary K. O'Connell's Fish Stall (established 1962) has something

Cobh on a sunny morning

Cobh on a sunny morning

October 2024

The Bandstand

Sonia O'Sullivan, always a winner.

Looking west: Annie Moore and siblings

Sailing

Looking down on Pearse Square, with Titanic Experience in the background, from the cathedral.

Des Res. The Crescent.

Gorgeous. Jack Doyle remembered

St Colman's Cathedral. Commenced 1868, completed 1919.
Designed by E. W. Pugin and G. C. Ashlin in 1868

Coffees, cakes, curiosities (including vintage Carrigaline pottery)
at Belvelly Vintage, 5 Harbour Row, Cobh, Ireland P24N407

Resting boat. Busy bird.

Casement Square, with a tour group at Lusitania Monument

St Brendan, The Navigator.
By marygregoriysculptor.blogspot.ie  

The Commodore Hotel, always looking well.

Colourful mural at Cobh Railway Station.

Jazz Dining Experiences feature as Metropole Hotel confirms line-up for this year's Jazz Festival Club.

Jazz Dining Experiences feature as Metropole Hotel 

confirms the line-up for this year's Jazz Festival Club. 

Excitement is building at the Metropole Hotel ahead of this year’s Cork Jazz Festival. The full line-up has been confirmed with a host of diverse artists on several stages around the hotel throughout

Beer of the Week. Lineman Electromode APA. Limited edition hits the spot

Beer of the Week

Lineman Electromode APA, 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

limited edition hits the spot

The recently canned Electromode American Pale Ale is a limited edition (their 5th of the year) from the Dublin brewery Lineman.

It is a hazy orange, yet you can see the microbubbles at play, shimmying their way towards the soft white head. The recipe includes delicious Maris Otter malt, flaked oats, and the West Coast hops Simcoe, Azacca, and Columbus. There is no hard bitterness here and no hard fruit flavours. It is just a super balance with softer fruits such as pineapple and peach.

This supple American Pale Ale is a beer to be enjoyed at leisure. It is Very Highly Recommended and is our Beer of the Week.

It has a medium body and classically firm bitterness, complemented by notes of bright lime, pineapple, and “just a smidgen of peach”.

It has proven very popular since its release. Lineman: "This American Pale Ale has been flying out the brewery door. Brewed with a little more mouthfeel and bitterness from one of our old favourite hops, Columbus, some Azacca, and Citra."

10th Anniversary ‘Skiddy Sour’ Beer from Elbow Lane Brewhouse & Rebel Distillery

press release

 10^th Anniversary ‘Skiddy Sour’ Beer from Elbow Lane Brewhouse & Rebel Distillery

Russel Garret, Master Brewer at Elbow Lane

Two of Cork city’s smallest and most innovative drinks producers have joined forces to create a limited-edition beer to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the iconic Elbow Lane Smokehouse and Brewery. Called 'Skiddy's Sour,' it is the result of a collaboration between the brewery and Rebel Distillery. Elbow Lane's award-winning beer has been aged in the distillery’s oak barrels for three months. These barrels have previously been used to mature the distillery’s popular Maharani gin.

The result is a slightly puckish brew with soft and sour notes, and it packs a fair punch at 6% abv.

These barrels will now be used to create a new gin expression at Rebel Distillery.

Beer lovers can check out 'Skiddy Sour' at Market Lane restaurants, including Elbow Lane and Market Lane, while it lasts.

The beer will also form part of the Elbow Lane Tutored Tastings, which run every Saturday at the brewery in Oliver Plunkett Street from 12 noon. Tickets are €55 and include a selection of pinchos and a limited-edition Elbow Lane illustrated t-shirt. 

Pig Rouge 2021 Faugeres - pair with cremated sausages at a rainy BBQ!

Pig Rouge 2021 Faugeres (AOP) 2021, 14% ABV

€15.00 Matson’s (Bandon, Grange and Youghal)

pair with cremated sausages at a rainy, miserable SUMMER BBQ!

Why would you call your wine Pig? Quite simple, really. The producers are Paul and Isla Gordon (PIG)!  This is one of their wines that come from thinking outside the box. “No rules, no regs, just tasty, well-made booze!” And their food pairing suggestion is also outside the small parallelogram: cremated sausages* at a rainy, miserable Summer BBQ!

So there, you get the hang of it. This wine is for enjoyment - don't get too serious about it. It is a blend of Grenache Noir 50%, Mourverde 20% and Syrah 30%. Nico, at Matson’s, says that it is part of a small-scale production, and he is very happy with it: “Great wine, fresh with a little spice, loads and loads of fruit.”

The colour is a mid-to-dark ruby. There are strong aromas of dark fruit and spice. The fruit is forward and deep, with power and finesse in equal measure. That spice, too, has excellent acidity. The finish is pure, long, and balanced. Very Highly Recommended.

I see that they also have an orange version—that should be interesting. I must keep an eye out for it.

Our winemakers are an Irish-Australian combination. Paul is Australian, and he and his Irish wife Isla work (and I mean work) at Domaine la Sarabande, a vineyard in the Languedoc about twenty minutes' drive from Beziers.

The dynamic wine couple is based in the Faugéres appellation in the South of France. Paul honed his winemaking skills in New Zealand’s vineyards. Isla, from Carlow, brings her knowledge and commitment to quality grape growing, which she learned during several years of working with some of the best viticulturists in New Zealand, where they met.

* If the rain quenches the flame, you might like Cold meats/pâtés, Duck, hard mature cheese, Roast lamb/beef, or slow-cooked shoulder of lamb instead.

Vigneti Zabu “Il Passo Verde” Nero D’Avola 2022 perfectly displays the Sicilian terroir as never before!

Vigneti Zabu “Il Passo Verde” Nero D’Avola Sicily (DOC) 2022, 13% ABV

RRP €18.95. Stockists: Bradleys, Matson’s, J J O’Driscoll, Baggot Street Wines

Martins Off Licence, The Wine Centre, McHughs Off Licences, Power & Co Fine Wines      

Jus de Vine, The Vintry, Wineonline

the 2022 vintage perfectly displays the Sicilian terroir as never before

This 2022 Vigneti Zabu "Il Passo Verde" Nero D'Avola is a compelling Sicilian red, bursting with bold flavours and a complex structure. The deep ruby colour hints at the intensity within, while the aromas of cherry, plum, and a touch of spice tantalise the senses.

On the palate, the wine explodes with vibrant fruit flavours balanced by firm tannins and a lingering finish. The spice notes add a layer of complexity, making Il Passo Verde a true delight for red wine enthusiasts.

The Vigneti Zabu "Il Passo Verde" Nero D'Avola is a stunning exemplar of Sicilian winemaking. With its bold flavours, complex structure, and excellent ageing potential, it will impress. 

A Taste of Sicily

Grapes are sourced from vineyards on the lakeside of Lake Arancio in Sambuca di Sicilia. The lake's crystal-clear waters create a unique microclimate that contributes to the wine's exceptional quality.

The 2022 vintage is a standout, showcasing the best of Sicilian terroir. The addition of Nero d'Avola grapes from vineyards near the sea brings a hint of saltiness to the final blend, adding even more character.

Winemaking Excellence

Vigneti Zabu is committed to producing organic wines of the highest quality. The grapes for this Nero D'Avola are carefully selected and fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. A portion of the wine is then aged in French and American oak barrels, adding complexity and structure. The powerful tannins indicate their excellent ageing potential. Cellar this bottle for a few years and watch it develop even more complexity and depth.

Zabu suggests pairing it with Medium-Aged Cheese, Meatballs, Roast Chicken, and Vegetables , while Wine Folly says, “Classic pairings include oxtail soup and beef stew.”

• This post is part of a series on Italian wines made from native grapes and produced by usually small or medium-sized organic wineries. Taking some “guidance” here from the recently published VINO. Mightn’t always net the hat trick but hope to score two from the three each time. I have quite a few lined up but I’m happy to consider any suggestions or help. #OrganicItaly
• See the expanding list of #OrganicItaly wines here