Newsletter Summer 2010

Kinsale is one of Ireland’s cutest little coastal villages, known for its fabulous restaurants and vibrant pub scene. It is also home to a wide array of cultural events, from gourmet festivals to regattas (it has a renowned yacht club). In summer, the arts week takes place and attracts both established and emerging performers and artists from many different genres (dance, music, fine art, literature, theatre and more). This terrific package for a short but complete weekend includes a concert in a historic fort overlooking the water and sail boats; terrific meals; a private guided walking tour of Kinsale with charming local mapmaker and an excursion to beautiful West Cork.

Sample Program for Kinsale Arts Week:

Day 1 Friday July 9

• Your friendly driver and comfie Mercedes will pick you up at the airport in Cork or Shannon and transfer you to the historic village of Kinsale, set on a picturesque harbor. Head straight to lunch, a stellar seafood lunch at the critically acclaimed Fishy Fishy. Free evening in Kinsale to enjoy the lively pubs, there will be a ton of atmosphere this weekend.

Day 2 Saturday July 10

• Explore Kinsale today with a private guide and learn all about this tiny town’s fascinating history complete with naval battles, Spanish Armadas and wine geese. Enjoy an Irish aperitif and a warm welcome in a beautiful local’s home overlooking the yachts. Carry on to West Cork for a magnificent drive along the coast and lunch with a focus on the region’s food heroes (artisan cheese, smoked salmon, charcuterie, gourmet preserves, etc). Tonight you will enjoy an outdoor concert set in the 17th century Charles Fort, listening to jazz rock diva Camille O’Sullivan, overlooking the ocean.

Day 3 Sunday July 11

• Your driver will take you back to the airport or your next port of call. Optional extra days for more touring and activities like cooking classes, ceramic making classes, excursions to castles, garden tours, whiskey tastings and more.

If you are interested in this private tour of Kinsale, contact us at info@cellartours.com

Portugal’s Alentejo region is possibly the most unsung of fine wine regions in Europe. A gorgeous and wild part of Portugal, it is more famous for its natural cork forests which produces more than half of the globe’s cork supply used for wine bottles but also furniture, decoration, even shoes. The Alentejo is lesser known for its Arabic castles, medieval villages and for its terrific wine estates. While big brands like the (very good) Esporão estate and José Maria da Fonseca tend to dominate export sales, you can still find (through fine wine merchants or specialists) cracking wines from the likes of Mouchão, Quinta do Carmo, and indeed the wines of Herdade dos Coelheiros.

This edition’s recommended wine is their Tapada de Coelheiros Garrafeira 2004, a rich red wine comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon and the local Aragonês (known as Tinta Roriz in the Douro and as Tempranillo in Spain). It spends eighteen months in new French oak barriques before a year of bottle aging. On the nose, summer fruits, cloves and tobacco. On the palate, forest berry fruits, vanilla, cedar. Good length, an inspiring and meditative wine to sip and savor. Kudos to winemaker António Saramago for this smashing wine.

Wine Style: Dry red wine
Appellation: Vinho Regional Alentejano
Region: Alentejo (Portugal)
Grape Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon and Aragonês
Food and Wine Pairing: Korean beef barbecue, fillet steak with a pepper sauce, sheep’s cheese

Bordeaux for many is the ultimate wine tasting destination, with its historic and famed Châteaux, renowned restaurants and mythical estates. And we have designed the ultimate wine tour for the ultimate wine region, a true connoisseurs vacation that includes wine tasting in prestigious (and lesser known) properties; sumptuous hotels set in vineyards; fine dining as well as charming bistro fare; even a private boat cruise to the much loved Arcachon peninsula. Learn about what differentiates right and left bank wines; dine in the family home of a classé Sauternes producer; enjoy an animated USA vs France wine tasting at La Winery; dine in your own French country kitchen with private chef; hear Templar legends on a special underground tour of St Emilion- these are just some of the experiences you can look forward to.

More info on our private VIP Bordeaux Wine Tour

Umbria is one of our favorite regions of Italy with its stunning artistic patrimony, wild and unspoiled landscapes, historic towns and cities, and of course for its FOOD! Umbria has it all- truffles, superb olive oils, fascinating wines, chocolate, and of course a million local specialties of charcuterie and indigenous pasta styles and dishes. So a culinary itinerary of Umbria was inevitable, and we put together a special private tour for our guests to enjoy the gastro highlights of the region along with a spot of culture and time for shopping. This five night tour includes fine dining experiences; a cooking class focused on truffles; sightseeing in Orvieto, Assisi and Perugia; wine tasting in Montefalco and molto di più.

More on our private Umbria Gourmet Tour

Bierzo (pronounced “Bee-air-thow” in Castilian) might not roll off the international wine lover’s tongue as naturally as Bordeaux, Tuscany, or Napa but little by little Bierzo is gaining much deserved global attention. It helps that wine geniuses like Alvaro Palacios (who also helped bring the wine region of Priorat to an international audience) have invested in the region and subsequently raised its profile. Located in a delightful rural corner of northwest Spain, Bierzo´s claim to fame is its native Mencía grape varietal.

Read the full profile on Bierzo Wine Region

We had the pleasure to dine at the Casino House recently and are enthusiastic to share our terrific experience with our readers. Kerrin & Michael Relja run this delightful restaurant near Kilbrittain in West Cork. Friesan Kerrin is front of house and Croatian Michael is head chef, and the place is a warm family affair (you might see one of their small daughters bringing out a bread basket, etc). Walk into the charming white washed Irish cottage and find chic Scandinavian décor, flickering candles and a very warm welcome. We arrived for lunch and were shown into a cozy lounge for an aperitif (suggestions on the menu include a kir royale, prosecco, champagne and a selection of wines by the glass). In front of delicious smelling fire we perused the menu and sat back into the comfy sofa.

The menu is “modern Irish”, with carefully sourced local producers and products (lamb, black pudding, cheeses, etc), presented in a light and airy style. For the appetizers, we opted for the chicken, bacon and black pudding terrine with capers and a fig and rosemary chutney; Bluebell Falls Goats cheese strudel with leeks and walnuts; and a crabmeat and quail’s egg tartlet. Delicious, all of them! For the main course we tried the fresh fished cod with green beans and Dijon sauce; West Cork spring lamb with black forest ham; and moist chicken breast on roast butternut squash purée with a lemon yogurt dressing. While there were many incredible value wines on the list (Señorio de Sarria red from Navarra for 14.90 E), we splashed out on the 2005 vintage of Gigondas from the Domaine Les Pallières.

There was no room left for the West Cork cheese risotto (we had contemplated!), but we managed to share a chocolate, orange, almond and coffee brownie. Simply terrific place (food, atmosphere and service) we highly recommend, and indeed will be including on our tours of Southern Ireland.

The beautiful Villa Mangiacane is one of our preferred Tuscan hotels at the moment, and with its idyllic location (nestled in a Chianti vineyard) and decoration (the 15th century Renaissance villa is graced with antiques and supreme style), why wouldn’t it be? They have 26 rooms and suites, all decorated with hand selected furniture and paintings. Ferragamo amenities grace their beautiful bathrooms with oversized showers and big tubs. The facilities include the steam room, sauna, pool, Nadushka Spa (treatments include Indian head massage, Officina de Tornabuoni, hot stone therapy, and stress release massage).

For a super special occasion, book their royal suite, mama mia! The room (over 1500 square feet, or 150 square meters) features a handmade silver bed from India, dramatic views over olive groves and vineyards (which can be admired though no less than seven 7 windows), high ceilings, and a spectacular Jacuzzi. With its proximity to Florence, Villa Mangiacane is a terrific place to use as a base for visiting nearby art cities and of course the wine country. They actually make very good wine right on the estate. Recommended and currently featured in many of our luxury wine tours in Tuscany.

Eggplant/ Aubergine comes into season in summer and is an integral part of Mediterranean cuisine, although not native to Europe (it originated in Asia and is prevalent in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as Thailand and Korea). Called Berenjena in Spanish, Melanzane in Italian and of course Aubergine in French, it comes in various shapes and indeed colors (usually it is purple but there also white and green varieties). The flesh is white and starchy and if uncooked is bitter to taste. The quirky looking and lovable eggplant can be grilled, lightly fried and breaded, sautéed (especially with garlic, olive oil, lemon and mint), and blitzed into dips. It’s the key ingredient in dishes such as Moussaka, Caponata, Eggplant Parmesan (Melanzane Parmigiana), and Baba Ghanoush. Health wise, eggplant is a good source of potassium and folic acid. Some recipe ideas for the summer using eggplant: Moroccan Eggplant Salad (with red onion, parsley and toasted cumin seeds), Berenjena & Salchicha casserole (with sausages, garlic, tomato and mozzarella), and eggplant stuffed with provlone and avchovies.

Al Fresco is the way to entertain in summer, and there are plenty of fun cocktails to choose from for your outdoor parties. We love this elegant, British cocktail which is fun to serve at brunch, barbecues and outdoor dinner parties as an aperitif. Pimm’s was invented by English bar owner James Pimm whose recipe consisted of gin, herbs (his own blend) and quinine. It became popular as a digestif (in the true sense of the word- to assist digestion) and has remained popular for the last 150 years since its creation. Delicious, classy cocktail.

Recipe:

• 1 part Pimm's gin
• 2 parts 7-Up / Sprite
• 1 slice cucumber
• Sprigs of Mint
• Lemon twist

Preparation

In a tall slim glass pour in the Pimm’s. Toss in the lemon twist and pour the 7-Up to fill the glass. Garnish with slices of cucumber as tall as the glass and fresh mint.

If you would like us to customize a luxury private tour for you in France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal or Spain, contact us and we will prepare a tailored itinerary just for you. Let us show you our favorite gourmet corners in Europe!

Cellar Tastings S.L.
Address: C/ Zurbano 45, 1st Floor,
28010 Madrid, Spain
Spain Headquarters Tel: 34 91 182 9790
Calling from USA (310) 928-7559
Calling from UK 020 8144 6806

Email: info@cellartours.com
Web: www.CellarTours.com
Blog: www.CellarTours.com/blog

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CELLAR TASTINGS S.L. is a Fully Licensed and Bonded Tour Operator and Travel Agency, and a proud member of ASTA and the IACP.