Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy

As if we weren’t looking forward to the new series of Two Greedy Italians already, the package from Quadrille Publishing which arrived on our doorstep containing the hardback cookbook accompanying the series whetted our appetite even further.

A quick flick through the book revealed some beautiful food- and scenic-photography from David Loftus, and plenty of recipes, stories and commentary from the Italian Odd Couple, Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo, too.

Mug of coffee in hand, we got down to some serious reading..

What’s in the book

‘Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy’ looks at the regional cooking of Italy through the country’s distinct geography – the mountains, the coast, and the plains – with over 80 recipes from Gennaro and Antonio divided between the three features.

The Comfort food from the Mountains serves up rustic, hearty recipes, like Carluccio’s Pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta with potatoes and Swiss chard); the Fresh Flavours from the Coast has a feast of fresh fish and seafood dishes from Siciliy, Sardinia and the like, dishes that are perfect for hot Summer days, like Contaldo’s branzino agli agrumi (sea bass with citrus fruit); and the tour of Italy ends with a visit to the Larder of the River and Plains, with rice, pasta and vegetable recipes being the order of the day.

Rather than just giving a bit of background to each dish to help you understand and appreciate the recipe, which is par for the course in cookbooks now, Gennaro and Antonio go further and try to really explain what makes Italians ‘Italian’. They don’t go overboard – this is a cookbook, after all – but it makes for interesting reading, especially as we’re visiting Italy later this year!

The details:

• Title: Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy
• Author: Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo
• Pages: 192
• Format: Hardback
• Publisher: Quadrille Publishing Ltd
• ISBN: 978-1849491099
• Cost: RRP. £20 Hardback – now £10 on Amazon
• Where to get it: From www.amazon.co.uk

Final thoughts

The difficulty that any cookbook faces, but particularly an Italian cookbook, is that there are so many other books out there, covering the same ground – so much so that the same recipes get churned out again and again.

So it was a pleasant surprise to find more than a few recipes in ‘Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy’ that we hadn’t come across before, as well as some classics. There’s a heavy emphasis on authenticity, which we really like, and the style of the food is much more ‘good home-cooking’ than ‘fancy restaurant’ – because of this the ingredients readily available (even here in Northern Ireland), the recipes are flavourful, and they should also be fairly easy to reproduce at home.

If you’ve a sweet tooth, however, you might feel a little short-changed – there aren’t that many dessert recipes, and those that are there won’t blow your socks off. That’s not to say that the recipes aren’t good – that Orange Rice Cake will definitely be getting made – but you just get the impression that it’s not what this series was about.

While you can’t have a good cookbook without good recipes, it’d be criminal if that’s all this book was, given who the authors are. Thankfully the book manages to capture Gennaro’s flamboyance, Antonio’s more contemplative character, and the ying-and-yang friendship these two have. There’s a lot of humour in these pages, as well as a great passion for the food, people and culture of their native land.

These Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy – in every way possible – and clearly had a great time doing it!

Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo

Irish Restaurant Awards 2012

Last night, The Burlington Hotel in Dublin hosted the grand final of The Irish Restaurant Awards 2012.

It’ll come as no surprise that there’s more than a few Dublin-based eateries among the winners, although it’s great to see some of the big categories going to the other regions.

Congratulations to all the winners, but particularly to Harvey’s Point Hotel, Ulster’s only representative on the podium this year.

Without any further ado, this year’s winners are:

• Best Restaurant 2012: Chapter One, Dublin (Sponsored by Santa Rita)
• Best Chef 2012: Garrett Byrne for Campagne, Kilkenny (Sponsored by Tipperary Water)
• Best Hotel Restaurant 2012: The Long Room at Doonbeg, Co. Clare (Sponsored By Pallas Foods)
• Best Gastro Pub 2012: The Chop House, Dublin (Sponsored by Faustino)
• Best Casual Dining 2012: O’Connells, Dublin (Sponsored By Joseph Drouhin)
• Best Customer Service 2012: Harveys Point Hotel, Co. Donegal (Sponsored by Miele)
• Best Wine Experience 2012: West at The Twelve Hotel, Galway (Sponsored by Thomas Barton)
• Best Kids Size Me Menu 2012: Ely Gastro Pub, Dublin (Sponsored by Heinz)
• Local Food Hero 2012: Comeragh Mountain Lamb, Co. Waterford (Sponsored by Life Magazine)

The Taste Diaries from Michael Devlin

We reviewed Michael Devlin’s The Taste Diaries a few weeks ago – and Michael’s been good enough to give us 5 copies of his book to give away. Not only that, but he’s signed each copy as well!

So whether you’re after a crash course in cooking, just a good read, or you want to get in early to cash in on Michael’s undoubted fame in the future, this is the one for you!

You can find out how to win your signed copy of The Taste Diaries by visiting our Members’ Section.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, you can always buy The Taste Diaries on Amazon.

Michael Devlin launching his book, The Taste Diaries

Conrad Hotels and Resorts logo

One of the best things about writing a food blog is that you get the odd email asking you to come and review this, that and the other.

We look forward to every chance to get out and about, but when we were asked to visit the 5 star Conrad Hotel in Dublin for an evening of wine and food pairing we were over the moon!

Kelly and I managed to get out of work a bit early and pelted down the A1, getting in to the hotel an hour before the appointed time thanks to Kelly’s use of city-centre bus and taxi lanes, leaving angry traffic wardens in our wake.

Over a glass or three of bubbly we got chatting to Martin Mangan, GM of the Conrad Dublin, and then joined the other diners in the Alex Restaurant to sample the new menu from Executive Chef Dmitry Stroykov.

Five star hotel or not, we weren’t really expecting such a well-rounded, well-chosen and well-sourced menu:

Pickled purple broccoli with goats' cheese mousse and hazlenut crisp

White asparagus veloute with morels

Dublin Bay Prawn and avocado cocktail with trout caviar

Herb Crusted Loin of Spring Irish Lamb

Carrageen and Rhubarb Pudding

Final thoughts

What a night! What a meal! What a sore head we had the next day!

The hotel itself is modern and has a nice open design, making it a comfortable place to site/eat/drink – and we did into the wee small hours – as you’d expect from a 5 star.

Chef Dmitry Stroykov’s cooking was to a very high standard, and the menu delivered some really great flavours and ingredients. The stand-out dishes for us were the Dublin Bay Prawn and Avocado Cocktail, with plenty of those deliciously sweet and meaty prawns, and the Herb Crusted Loin of Irish Lamb, which was perfectly pink and tender.

The wines were equally good. It was great to see a Riesling in there, the apple and pear working wonderfully well with the scallops, and the Malbec dessert wine was a new discovery for me, a deeply rich and sweet red.

Last, but certainly not least, we met some great new food-lovers: food journalist and author Susan Campbell, editor of the Kilkenny People Brian Keyes, and fellow food bloggers Natasha and Dec.

Thanks to Martin Mangan and Rachel Sherry for organising and co-ordinating such a great night!

More information

Conrad Dublin
Earlsfort Terrace,
Dublin
DUB 2
Ireland
T: 00353-1-602-8900
W: http://ConradHotels.com
Twitter: twitter.com/conraddublin

You can also Find the Conrad Dublin on Google Maps.

The Mourne Seafood Bar

We’d only recently tried the seafood restaurant on Bank Street and just loved it – so when The Mourne Seafood Oyster Bar tweeted a few photos of their lobster with tarragon mayo, we decided that an afternoon off work was required.

Now, we’ve walked past the Castle Street entrance to the Oyster Bar a million times and NEVER noticed it as it’s hidden away between a sweet shop and a hairdressers. It’s not exactly welcoming either, if I’m honest – once we stepped inside the door it reminded me of a stair-well from a multi-storey carpark – so as we walked up the stairs we weren’t really sure what we’d find!

The entrance to The Oyster Bar on Castle Street

All of that apprehension started to fade as soon as we made it to the restaurant and got chatting to our waiter, James. Despite outward appearances, the Oyster Bar is pretty comfortable and a nice place to while away your afternoon – dark-stained wooden flooring, white walls, unfussy furniture and blackboards to tempt you with the specials. Just like the decor, the vibe is simple, laidback and unpretentious – there’s a no reservation policy, so you can just walk in off the street and order some of their tapas-style dishes – and exactly what Niall and I wanted.

Small Plates

One of the things I liked most about The Oyster Bar was their tapas menu, or ‘Small plates’ as they call it. It’s become quite trendy to offer this sort of thing, although it doesn’t always work – this is one of the times that it definitely did.

Taking some guidance from James, we ordered a mixture of the small plates and a bottle of the Tinpot Hut from the Marlborough Region of New Zealand, another of those fresh, gooseberry-laced Sauvignon Blancs which really complemented all that delicious seafood.

Our small plates were: Mackerel pate with focaccia crisps and lettuce cups, Poponcini peppers stuffed with crab avocado with herb salad and balsamic reduction, Salmon ceviche with baby gem and crostini, and Pickled seabass and veg with herb salad and crostini.

Debate was rife at our table as we tried to decide what the best dish was. My favourite was the Mackerel Pate, a lovely smooth, rich and tasty pate, where the oily mackerel with the fresh lettuce cups worked so well together, and the focaccia crisps gave a great contrast in texture. My one (slight) criticism was that it could have done with a squeeze of lemon, although I had eaten the lot before we even had time to ask James for some.

Niall’s favourite – and my second favourite – were the fiery little Poponcini peppers stuffed with crab avacado with herb salad and balsamic reduction. These were perfect little bite-sized pieces of heaven. The creamy avocado and sweet crab were delicious, and finally gave way to a little spiky heat at the end.. They were really tasty and quite addictive really!

Spicy Popperoncino small plate

Main course

There’s no question that our main course of dressed lobster with tarragon mayo, rocket and fennel salad served with fries was faultless.

I love tarragon, but I often find that the flavour in restaurant dishes just isn’t strong enough for my tastes. This, however, was perfect: you could taste the aniseed from the tarragon without it overshadowing the delicate sweetness lobster, and the creamy mayonnaise really brought the two flavours together. The fries were fantastic too, crispy and slightly salted – and, more importantly, they were skinny fries, none of this thick-cut chips nonsense!

All this for £10.00.. Fantastic value!!

It’s not often that Niall and I say we wouldn’t change a single thing about a dish, but I can safely say with this one we really wouldn’t.

Lobster with tarragon mayo, fries and fennel salad

Service

Whenever we come across really good service, I like to mention it, and our waiter James was fantastic.

Really knowledgeable, he was able to recommend dishes and knew all about the fish he was serving, right down to the cooking techniques for the dishes.

The only other time I’ve really come across this sort of professionalism was with Kurt the waiter, who actually has jumped ship from Café Vaudeville to Mourne Seafood recently. It’s really refreshing to find a waiter who clearly cares about the food, and the customer’s dining experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve read the rest of this post you won’t need to be told that Niall and I left the Oyster Bar very happy (all be it tipsy) bunnies.

The food looked relatively simple, but the combination of flavours are well-judged and handled expertly, and makes the most of the most important ingredient: the quality of that fresh fish.

The service was friendly, professional and managed to have a light touch while still being attentive.

All our thoughts about the entrance being a bit forbidding and unfriendly were totally transformed – we’ve found a real hidden treasure.

More information

Mourne Seafood Oyster Bar
53 Castle Street,
Belfast,
County Antrim
BT1 1HB
Tel: 02890248544
W: www.mourneseafood.com
Twitter: twitter.com/mourneseafood

The Taste Diaries from Michael Devlin

We recently received an email from Michael Devlin, food columnist for the Ulster Herald newspaper, wanting to know all about our recipe for corned beef hash for one of his weekly articles.

Fair enough, I thought – he’s obviously a man of great taste!

We found out exactly how cultured Michael’s taste is after a quick search on Google. He’s a published author and his book, The Taste Diaries, is available on Amazon!

A couple of mouse-clicks later and we had our very own copy.

Michael Devlin launching his book, The Taste Diaries

What’s in the book

The Taste Diaries is a collection of Michael’s favourite articles from his column in the newspaper – but it’s much more than that.

Michael – or “Delia”, as his cooking-averse friends call him – sets out to encourage men to get into the kitchen and try their hand at cooking. To this end, The Taste Diaries is very definitely a blokes cookbook – there’s no messing around with fancy decorations or intricate recipes, just good, practical dishes that really deliver on flavour – covering everything from Potted Salmon to Moules Mariniere, from Chicken Tikka Masala to Chilli con Carne.

Michael knits it all together with some well-chosen stories and observations. His writing style is easy-going, light-hearted and funny which makes this a good read, as much as a cookbook.

The details:

• Title: The Taste Diaries
• Author: Michael Devlin
• Pages: 194
• Format: Paperback
• Publisher: Melting Pot Publications
• ISBN: 978-0956728005
• Cost: RRP. £13.99 Paperback
• Where to get it: From www.amazon.co.uk

Final thoughts

Our house is literally coming down with cookbooks, so we’re fairly ruthless when it comes to buying (or recommending) a new one. So when we say that Michael Devlin’s Taste Diaries has a guaranteed spot on our bookshelf, it says everything you need to know about how much we like this book.

Most of the recipes are pretty straightforward – a mixture of snacks, meals and even a few cocktail recipes – so the kitchen-dodging man-in-your-life really has no excuse. Some may not be the most complicated of recipes, but that’s the point – good, solid comfort food that anyone can re-create, with a few surprises in there when you want to push the boat out or to impress your other half.

Although it’s aimed at getting men into the kitchen – and I think the writing-style of the book and the humour will probably go down best with male readers – The Taste Diaries is a book that everyone will enjoy and get something from.

Good work, Delia!

The Taste Diaries by Michael Devlin

Potted Salmon from The Taste Diaries

Other information

All of the photos used in this post are courtesy of Jude Browne Photography, whose work adorns Michael Devlin’s Taste Diaries.

You can find out more about Jude Browne’s photography by visiting the blog: http://judebrownephotography.wordpress.com

The Manor Park restaurant in Armagh

At the start of March Kelly went off on a girls-only jaunt to the West Coast of Ireland. Amid a veil of secrecy, the organisation around the weekend had been going on for some time – but I’d been doing my own planning too.

A trip to The Manor Park Restaurant in Armagh was a treat I’d promised myself a long time ago.

The restaurant is in a picturesque spot, overlooking the Georgian houses and the horse-chestnut trees which line the green space of The Mall, sitting between Armagh Courthouse and the entrance to the observatory. I used to pass the stone-fronted 19th century building every time I travelled up to Belfast, but had never ventured in.

The Mall in Armagh

The Manor Park has recently had a make-over – what was an unashamedly French restaurant now has an strong emphasis on local produce and British/Irish cuisine, and the decor has become more simple and less cluttered, with lots of exposed brickwork and country-style wooden furniture.

I’d booked my table for 7:30pm, and an evening in March is too chilly to sit outside and enjoy the view of The Mall, so I went in to huddle beside the log fire in the bar.

It’s not a big place – I think the restaurant seats something like 50 people – but it’s a comfortable space with a relaxed atmosphere, and that’s down to manager Shane Duff and his staff. It’s amazing how a warm welcome and a bit of a chat puts you at your ease, and between the greeting, the roaring fire and a lovely bottle of Malbec – one of those juicy Argentinian reds with lots of dark fruits and spice – I was fairly content, I can tell you.

The hunger pangs were getting worse, though, so with a bit of an effort I managed to lever myself out of the comfy armchair, picked up the menu, and tried to decide what to order..

The Manor Park Grill Bar and Restaurant in Armagh

Starters

There were twelve appetisers on the menu, and more than a few really caught my eye – the Roast Castledillon Pigeon with figs and bacon, for one – but when it was time to make a decision it was the Spiced Duck Scotch Egg got the nod.

The dish was served on a wooden platter, the Scotch Egg nestling on a bed of green leaves and with wafer-thin slices of radish and a creamy homemade mayo on the side. It’s the sort of thing that Kelly would love – lots of different bits and pieces, lots of different flavour and texture combinations. It sounds so simple, but it was really well conceived and executed: the combination of the dark meatiness of the duck, the rich and creamy quail’s egg yolk, and the peppery radish was very, very tasty.

Mains

Choosing a main course was less of a problem. The Lamb Rump with Lamb Suet Pudding and Carrot Mash just sounded too good to pass up. If it had just been the lamb, I think I probably gone for something else, but the suet pudding made the decision for me.

The lamb was served pink, I was pleased to see, so it was lovely and moist, and with plenty of that distinctive sweet, gamey flavour. The suet pudding really did add a new dimension, the rich and dense pastry and the sticky, meaty and meltingly tender braised lamb inside bringing a whole new range of flavours and textures to the dish. I’m sure the carrot mash was tasty too, but I only had eyes for the lamb.

Desserts

There’s a bit of a retro vibe going on with the desserts at The Manor Park Restaurant – the dessert cart sits in the restaurant and, for anyone afflicted with a sweet tooth, it could prove to be very distracting!

Although the chocolate truffle cake and sloppy banoffee pie looked great, I did my usual thing and went for the cheeseboard.. I’m nothing if not predictable.

Just like the desserts, the cheese was on the trolley, and that had one big advantage: the cheese isn’t chilled to within an inch of its life. I don’t know how many times I’ve been served cheese that’s come straight from the fridge, but at room temperature the cheese gets a chance to “breathe”, and you get to enjoy all of those wonderful flavours and aromas.

There were good-sized servings of four Irish cheeses on the cheeseboard: the nutty cow’s milk cheese, Bellingham Blue; the semi-soft Ardrahan Farmhouse cheese; a Porter Cheddar, with chocolate and malty notes; and the mild and creamy Causeway Drumkeel cheese. With the spiced apple chutney and biscuits, it made for a good selection of varied tastes and textures – and good value for money.

A word to the wise, though – the Ardrahan has what can only be described as a pungent aroma and the earthy, “farmhouse” flavour takes a second or two to mellow. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad thing at all – there’s lots of character there, and it is tasty – but just be prepared for it!

The only flaw was that the waiter didn’t tell me what the cheeses were and I’d to try and get her attention so I could find out. It’s a not a big deal, but it is a pet peeve of mine – I want to know what the cheeses in front of me are, particularly when the restaurant takes the trouble to source Irish produce.

Final thoughts

The Manor Park Restaurant is in a fantastic location, and although the restaurant is small, there’s a great relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

The wine-list is small but well chosen, with some real stars making an appearance, and the price-range should suit most pockets. If you’re a red wine drinker, I’d certainly recommend trying the ‘Fincia la Linda’ Malbec – although it’s Bosca’s entry-level Malbec, there’s a depth of flavour and an elegance to it that really belies the price tag.

The menu manages to cater for most tastes, from the plain to the adventurous, without leaving either one feeling short-changed. The dishes are creative and executed to a high standard and, most importantly, are very, very enjoyable. I love French cuisine, but I’m glad to see that The Manor Park Restaurant is serving British and Irish dishes, and that they’re also using local produce – it’s a big plus in my book.

Living in Belfast, you can become a bit city-centric and forget that there are great restaurants dotted all around Northern Ireland – and The Manor Park Restaurant in Armagh is definitely one of that number.

The entrance to Manor Park Grill Bar and Restaurant in Armagh

Compact and comfortable - the bar at the Manor Park Armagh

Contact the Manor Park Bar Grill & Restaurant

Manor Park Restaurant,
2 College Hill,
Armagh,
BT61 9DF
T: 028 3751 5353
E: info@manorparkrestaurant.co.uk
W: www.manorparkrestaurant.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ManorPark
You can also find the Manor Park Restaurant on Google Maps.

Irish Restaurant Awards 2012

Last night saw the very best of Ulster’s restauranteurs descend on The Merchant Hotel in Belfast for the Ulster regional final of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2012.

Sponsored by Santa Rita and the Sunday Independent Life Magazine, the awards recognise the cream of Ireland’s restaurant industry.

Ulster’s best will now compete with the winners from the other 3 provinces at the All-Ireland awards ceremony in The Burlington Hotel, Dublin on the 14th May 2012.

Congratulations to all the winners – and good luck in the finals!

Best Restaurant – Sponsored by Santa Rita

• Antrim – James St South
• Armagh – Uluru
• Cavan – McNean House & Restaurant
• Derry – Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge
• Donegal – The Mill Restaurant
• Down – The Boathouse
• Fermanagh – Watermill Restaurant
• Monaghan – Snaffles Restaurant at Castle Leslie
• Tyrone – Vanilla

Best Hotel Restaurant

• Antrim – River Room Restaurant at Galgorm Resort & Spa
• Armagh – Newforge Country House
• Cavan – Setanta Restaurant at The Slieve Russell
• Derry – Ardmore Restaurant at Beech Hill Country House
• Donegal – The Weeping Elm at Rathmullan House
• Down – Portaferry Hotel
• Fermanagh – The Catalina Restaurant at Lough Erne Resort
• Monaghan – The Restaurant at Nuremore Hotel
• Tyrone – The Kitchen Restaurant at Tullylagan Country House

Best Gastro Pub – Sponsored by Faustino

• Armagh – Digbys
• Cavan – The Blackhorse Inn
• Derry – Badgers Bar
• Donegal – Harrys Bar
• Down – Currans Bar
• Fermanagh – Customs House
• Monaghan – Andy’s Bar
• Tyrone – The Brewers House

Best Casual Dining – sponsored by Joseph Drouhin

• Antrim – Il Pirata
• Armagh – Zio Restaurant
• Cavan – Pol O D’s
• Derry – Flaming Jacks
• Donegal – The Harbour
• Down – Strudle Bistro
• Fermanagh – Dollakis
• Monaghan – Conors bar at Castle Leslie
• Tyrone – Deli on the Green

Best Chef – Sponsored by Tipperary Water

• Antrim – Damian Tumilty, Cafe Vaudeville
• Armagh – Dean Coppard , Uluru
• Cavan – Gearoid Lynch, The Olde Post Inn
• Derry – Ian Oar, Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge
• Donegal – Kelan McMichael, The Weeping Elm at Rathmullan House
• Down – Joery Castel, the boat house
• Fermanagh – Noel McMeel , Lough Erne Resort
• Monaghan – Andrew Bradley, Snaffles Restaurant at Castle Leslie
• Tyrone – Hayden Gamble, Vanilla

Customer Service

• Antrim – Berts Jazz Bar at The Merchant Hotel
• Armagh – Pot Belly Restaurant
• Cavan – MacNean House & Restaurant
• Derry – City Hotel
• Donegal – Harveys Point Hotel
• Down – Cullodon Hotel
• Fermanagh – Dollakis
• Monaghan – Snaffles Brasserie at Castle Leslie
• Tyrone – Oysters

Wine experience – Sponsored by Thomas Barton

• Harveys P, County Donegal

Kids Size Me – Sponsored by Heinz

• The Old Castle Bar & amp; Redhugh Restaurant

You can find out more about the awards by visiting www.irishrestaurantawards.com

McGuigan Semillon Blanc 2011

The rolling hills of Hunter Valley in New South Wales, with rows of vines heavy with fruit, are beautiful – we were lucky enough to spend a few days visiting the vineyards and cellar doors on our honeymoon, and it’s one of my favourite memories of the whole trip.

The region is also the home of the Semillon grape in Australia.

As much as we enjoyed the wines there – and we did – I can’t remember ever seeing a bottle of Australian Semillon back here in Northern Ireland. I’m sure they’re there, but our shelves have been swamped by the more fashionable Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs from just across the Tasman.

Neil McGuigan, General Manager of McGuigan Wines, is trying to fix that situation: enter the McGuigan Semillon Blanc 2011.

The Details

• The Wine: Semillon Blanc 2011
• Producer: McGuigan Wines
• Region: Hunter Valley, Australia
• Grape: Semillon
• Alcohol: 11.5%
• Cost: £7.99 (currently available for £6.99)
• Distributor: United Wine Merchants across Northern Ireland

Tasting Notes

The Semillon Blanc is intended to be enjoyed now – it really shouldn’t see too far past it’s first birthday.

Once you’ve poured yourself a healthy serving you’ll notice that the wine has a crisp, bright, straw-coloured appearance, and there are lots of citrus and passion fruit aromas wafting up from your glass.

Although it’s a young wine, the flavours are more rounded and richer than I expected. There’s passion fruit and even green apple on the palate, and a lovely dry finish.

Light and refreshing, the wine has just a little acidity and some sweetness.

Our verdict

The McGuigan Semillon Blanc 2011 is delicous and absolutely made for sipping during those hot Summer days which are hopefully just around the corner.

If you’re pairing food with this Semillon Blanc, we think that any delicately-flavoured seafood – particularly BBQ’d shellfish – would make a perfect match.

The McGuigan Semillon Blanc 2011 is a great discovery, and more than capable of challenging those New Zealand Sauv Blancs for space in our fridge.

Definitely on our list of “must buy” wines for BBQ season..

The McGuigan Semillon Blanc 2011 - soon to be an ex bottle of..

Vines growing in Australia's Hunter Valley

The McGuigan winery in Hunter Valley

Bushmills Live festival 20-21 June 2012

The Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim is set to host Bushmills Live, a two-day whiskey and music festival on 20th and 21st June 2012.

There’s some serious musical talent on the bill – the multi-platinum-selling Snow Patrol have just announced that they’ll be headlining the event, and musician Foy Vance and singer/songwriter Iain Archer will also performing – playing a series of intimate gigs in the age-old buildings around the distillery over the two days.

And when they say intimate, they really mean it – only 400 lucky ticket-holders will be able to catch the gigs! But you can’t buy these tickets – only fans of Bushmills Irish Whiskey can win tickets by entering a competition on the Bushmills Facebook.

Not only that, but the lucky winners will also have the chance to make their own blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

The competition opens at 16:08 GMT on 17th March 2012 and closes at 23:59 GMT on 27th April 2012.

Good luck!

Snow Patrol are headling Bushmills Live 20-21 June 2012

The stage is set for Bushmills Live 20-21 June 2012