INRODUCING CONRADO…INTRODUCING RIOJA!
We’re delighted to announce a very special weekend at the end of October, one sure to delight any wine lover. Our favourite Rioja supplier for many years has been Bodegas Ontañón. Their roving ambassador, Conrado Herrero, a man of great charm and immense knowledge, will be hosting four different events for us.
The events will be fun, informal and informative. And with 10% off all Ontañón and Rippa Dorii wines bought or ordered over the weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity to stock up for the festive season!
IMPORTANT: BOOKING
Events 1 and 3 must be booked through Kirkness & Gorie by email: kirknessandgorie@breckan.scot. We will then phone you to arrange payment.
Booking is not required for event 2: just show up any time that suits you.
Event 4 must be booked by phone direct with the Lynnfield: 01856 872505.
We expect all events to sell out quickly, and tickets will be allocated strictly on a first come, first served basis.
FRIDAY 30th OCTOBER 7.00pm
1. Ir de Tapas: The Kirkwall Tapas Trail
Kirkness & Gorie/Sound Archive/21. £55.00.
ONLY TWO PLACES LEFT!
During a visit a couple of years ago, Conrado took Duncan on a traditional Tapas Trail around the streets of Logroño, the capital of Rioja. Each bar was a stopping off place: a bite to eat, each venue with its own speciality, and a glass of matching Rioja. Traditionally, you drift between your favourites, maybe moving on to a full meal after an aperitivo or two. Often you would spend half the evening outdoors. We need to be more structured and a bit warmer in Orkney at the end of October! Please meet at Kirkness & Gorie at 7pm. From there we’ll proceed to the Sound Archive for a glass of wine and a small plate while you stand at the bar. After that we’ll wander along to 21, and sit down at last, for a series of tapas and wines to match. Over the evening you will enjoy five Riojas: one white, one rosado, and three reds. It won’t be a huge meal, but it will be a delicious series of small plates – which is what 21 is famous for – and a series of delicious Riojas – which is what Ontañón is famous for.
SATURDAY 31st OCTOBER 12 noon to 3pm
2. Artesa: Introducing Rioja.
Kirkness & Gorie. Free.
As well as their flagship Ontañón wines, the Bodega also makes a range called Artesa, a super-fruity, easy-drinking collection of wines, designed to be the ideal introduction to Rioja in both price and style. Join the K&G team and Conrado for a completely relaxed tasting of whatever you fancy from the Artesa range: one white, one rosado and two red Riojas – including the only organic wine of the weekend. Pop in any time between noon and 3pm. We’ll have a plate of suitable cheese to nibble on as an accompaniment, but really this is all about having a sip or two of some lovely wines, and getting the chance to chat with Conrado.
SATURDAY 31st October 7.30pm
3. Viñedos Familiares: Four Generations of Family Wines
The Storehouse. £50.00.
ONLY SIX PLACES LEFT!
Bodegas Ontañón is proud to have been a family owned and run winery for four generations: their top wines proudly proclaim ‘Viñedos Familiares’ on the label. Tonight we have asked Conrado to create a family-style evening of wine tasting, with shared platters of food and plenty of opportunity to talk with friends old and new. We will be seated in the private dining room at The Storehouse, family style, at three long tables. Conrado will be pouring one white and three red wines – the pinnacles of the family’s winemaking – and telling us some of the stories that lie behind them.
SUNDAY 1st NOVEMBER 1pm.
4. Lynnfield Lux Lunch: West of Rioja…
The Lynnfield Hotel. £45.00
FULLY BOOKED, WAITING LIST ONLY
As well as their main vineyards in Rioja, Ontañón also own smaller estates a little further west, where they make fantastic white wines in Rueda, and reds in Ribera del Duero. We will be sampling two of each at this relaxed Lynnfield Lux lunch, with a small glass of Ontañón’s sweet golden Rioja to finish. Lux lovers…wine lovers…lunch lovers…this one’s for you!
For this event only, tickets must be booked with The Lynnfield. Phone booking is essential on 01856 872505. Please do not use email or Facebook for this booking.
PRACTICALITIES
For more information, or to book for any event, phone Duncan and the team on 01856 888792 or email kirknessandgorie@breckan.scot. Places are very limited at all events, so booking is essential.
Please inform us before booking of any special dietary or wine requirements and we will liaise with the restaurant concerned to try and meet your needs. Usually it is easy to arrange vegetarian options, or to avoid certain allergens – as long as we know in advance. If we only hear about it on the day, it can be impossible, as everyone is doing special menus specifically for us, and won’t necessarily have their usual full choice of dishes as alternatives.
Our autumn opening hours open 10am to 5.00pm, Wednesday to Saturday, so drop in any time for a chat about the events and Ontañón’s wines.
Orders placed during the weekend attract 10% discount. We have a certain quantity of all Ontañón wines in stock, but if demand is high and we have to bring more home it should only take a couple of weeks.
If you have any questions beyond what is available online, do email us at kirknessandgorie@breckan.scot or (Wednesday to Saturday) phone us on 01856 888792.
But above all, BOOK SOON, as numbers are strictly limited at all events.
Taste
We ran our wine festival every year from 2007 to 2019: 13 years of great food and wine, fascinating encounters with visiting winemakers, and convivial company - customers who became friends, and friends who became customers! The festival summed up a lot of what we believe in: the pleasures of the table, the importance of welcoming people, flavours and ideas from beyond our shores, the idea that a glass of good wine is more than a joy in itself: it’s a window into another place, another time, another way of living.
The pandemic meant that the festival could not be scheduled in either 2020 or 2021. It might be possible to organise a festival in some limited way this year. However, we have decided not to do so. The essence of the festival is mingling with friends and strangers, exchanging impressions of wines, sharing laughter, taking time to slow down and relax into winetime. We feel that a festival where people have to sit in prearranged groups, where masks have to be worn when moving about, and when relaxation is something you have to work towards rather than slipping into, is not the kind of experience we want to create. We fully support all those health-protection measures, but observing them would not allow for a convivial wine festival. Accordingly we have decided to put it on hold for another year.
We are about to embark with our restaurant friends on the annual review and renewal of their wine lists before a summer season that we hope will be busy for them (and us). It’s not out of the question that we might sneak in festival-type events in the autumn. Watch this space, and Facebook, for updates.
Meanwhile, here are some memories: the full schedule for ***2019*** followed by some highlights from earlier years.
Samantha Bailey, winemaker, and this year’s first guest
Look back in hunger: some highlights from wine festival 2019 and before…
Vegan Wine and Vegan Food from South-West France, with Duncan McLean
It might surprise you to now how often we get asked for vegan wines in K&G. And it might surprise you to find out how many of our winemakers do indeed avoid using casein (from milk) or isinglass (from fish) and other animal products in their work. Why on earth would they use such things to start with? And does avoiding them help or harm wine quality? While considering these questions we’ll drink six fantastic wines – sparkling, white, red and sweet – from one of Duncan’s favourite wine areas. Helgi’s have devised a special menu inspired by the famously meat-centred cuisine of the Languedoc, made entirely with plant-based ingredients. You don’t have to be vegan to come along – everyone is welcome – but if you are, this is the event for you!
Blend In to Stand Out: mix your own wine, with Samantha Bailey
Samantha Bailey has lived in France for nearly 30 years, working as a winemaker for leading wineries. Over the weekend we will sample various wines she’s had a hand in, but tonight we get hands-on ourselves. An underappreciated part of winemaking is the art of blending. Sometimes wines from one vineyard’s grapes are bottled, as simple as that. But more often different grape varieties from different vineyards are brought together to create the perfect balance of ripeness, flavour and mouthfeel. Samantha will provide tank samples from her latest rosé vintages: she’ll then lead us through different combinations and proportions, till we reach our own personal favourite blend (enough to have a glass or two, not enough for a takeaway bottle, I’m afraid!). After a break for cheese, olives and charcuterie (NB not a full meal) we will reconvene for a tasting of a few of Samantha’s best blends. The evening will finish with live music from Eric Linklater & Friends in the bar, where a special wine list will be on offer if you want a glass or two more.
Go Wild for Gamay, with Samantha Bailey
Gamay is one of Samantha’s favourite grapes, and she makes her home in its homeland, southern Burgundy, source of joyous, juicy, refreshing Beaujolais. Meet up to try five or six of the greatest Gamays, from simple fruity wines to intensely flavoured single-village crus. All red, and all delicious! There’s sure to be some cheese and nibbles on the go too. Drop in for five minutes or stay an hour, come alone or bring a crowd…
West Side Cinema presents: Citizen Kane
Classic film and classic wine! We’re linking up with our friends at West Side Cinema to present perhaps the greatest film ever made, matched with top drops from the Strangely Delicious Wine Bar. The wine will cost between £2 and £5 per 125ml glass, or between £8 and £20 per bottle to share or take away. (Glasses provided.) This year we are keeping things simple and not providing food, so bring your own snacks or just feast on the film, For this event only, tickets are available from Stromness Books & Prints as well as from K&G.
Lux Lunch: France, a Personal Selection, with Samantha Bailey
Back by popular demand, a Wine Festival Lux Lunch! Meet in the lounge at 12.30 for a glass of Crémant du Jura Brut, then enjoy a leisurely three-course, French-style lunch – finishing with a luxury cheese board. Samantha will introduce us to some delicious French wines, from the south-west to Burgundy to Jura, all personal favourites, and several made by her. The Lynnfield’s food needs no higher recommendation than to say we are already looking forward to our 13 Lux dinners there next winter!
A Portrait of Portugal, with Peter Methven
Portugal is probably the most exciting wine-producing country in Europe right now. It has a host of little-known indigenous grapes bursting with fruity flavours, and its relative obscurity means that it provides amazing value for money. The perfect guest to talk us through its wonders is Peter Methven. A native Glaswegian with a life-long career in wine, Peter is ambassador for Sandeman Port, a grand old house, which is also associated with table-wine producers in many parts of the country, from obscure to relatively well-known. We do have two of the country’s well-known wines tonight – a zingy Vinho Verde and a sweet, nutty Tawny Port – but on top of that we’ll be offering eight delicious wines you’ve probably never encountered before: Encruzado white! Sossejo rosé! Trinca Bolotas red! Last year we invented a ‘four from ten’ choice for our Old Library event, and we’re going to do the same this time. On entry you’ll be given four vouchers, each of which ‘buys’ you a 125ml glass of your choice (or 70ml of Port.) Peter will talk you through the choices, and you can mix and match all evening, or find a favourite and stick to it. Of course, you are free to buy an extra glass, or a bottle to share, if you use up your vouchers. The menu looks fantastic: a four course Portuguese-accented meal from crab bisque to piri piri rib eye to pasteis de nata!
Not Just for Christmas! Port, with Peter Methven
Port = Christmas trees and Stilton, right? Well, yes, but so much more than that. Drop in for a relaxed tasting through White, Rosé, Tawny (10 and 20-year-old) LBV and majestic Vintage. All poured by Pether Methven, who’s enthusiasm for port in all its forms – including strangely delicious Port cocktails – is infectious. Will there be cheese to match? There’s always cheese to match (and not just Stilton.) Grab a quick glass or try the lot…come alone or bring all your Port-loving friends. Remember: 10% off all Port bought or ordered today.
The Festival Wine Fair
Our wine fair is the highlight of the festival for many: an opportunity to mingle informally with wine-makers and wine-merchants, as well as fellow wine-lovers, sampling up to 40 top-notch wines from all corners of the world, at all prices from budget to birthday-treat. But all you pay is £8 (or £12 on the door – to encourage you to book early.) That buys you an empty glass with which to sample to your heart’s content. Kirkwall Town Hall is the ideal venue: lots of room to lift those elbows, chat with friends, and navigate your way to the next table. Come early and stay late or pop in at any time for a few selected highlights. Buy a bottle to take home on the night, or order at festival prices. Extra special attraction: try and buy from top local food producers: smoked cheese and fish from Hume’s Smokehouse, coffee from The Orkney Roastery, and, for the first time, fantastic bread and crackers from the Orkney Sourdough Company, which are not available from any shop, just direct from Karin by pre-order…or at her table tonight.
Douro Superior: Lusolunch with Peter Methven
During a buying trip to northern Portugal in 2017, Duncan was impressed by several areas, but none more than the spectacular Douro Valley. Its steep-sloping vineyards, plunging down to the river, are a nightmare for mechanical cultivation (it’s impossible!) but a dream for lovers of high-quality, intensely-flavoured wine. This afternoon we explore the wines of this fantastic area with Peter, who knows it like the back of his hand. A Port Tonic to start, then two herby whites, two stellar reds (including the legendary Quinta da Leda), and a 20-Year-Old Tawny with pudding. The imaginative renovation of The Storehouse last year makes this a stunning venue. And the arrival of chefs Colin and Leslie – previously holders of a Michelin star at The Albannach in Lochinver – have elevated the cooking to the highest level – almost as high as the mountainous vineyards of the Douro!
Touriga Franca grapes destined for the stunning Quinta da Leda red
PRACTICALITIES
For more information, or to book for any event, phone Duncan and the team on 01856 888792 or email kirknessandgorie@breckan.scot. Places are limited at all events, so booking is essential.
We are encouraging everyone to book in advance for the Wine Fair on Saturday 11th by charging only £8 in advance, and £12 on the door. This is a casual event, and you can just buy a ticket on the night, but it helps us enormously if we know how many people are coming so we can plan wine quantities.
Please inform us before booking of any special dietary or wine requirements and we will liaise with the restaurant concerned to try and meet your needs. Usually it is easy to arrange vegetarian options, or to avoid certain allergens – as long as we know in advance. If we only hear about it on the night it can be tricky, as everyone is doing special menus specifically for us, and won’t necessarily have their usual full choice of dishes as alternatives. Even if you have told us previously what your preferences are, please remind us again, in case we have forgotten what you said last year!
Kirkness & Gorie is normally open 10am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday, so drop in any time during the week for a chat and a browse.
Orders placed during the festival attract 10% discount. We have a certain quantity of all festival wines in stock, but if demand is high and we have to bring more home it should only take a couple of weeks.
