Dakota fact #6
- 15th February 2010
Auchentoshan is distilled 3 times which makes it more akin to an Irish whisky than Scotch. Which makes “The spirit of Glasgow” the ideal dram if you are just getting interested in single malts, or if you just prefer it to some of the peatier Islay styles.
Dakota fact #22
- 12th February 2010
Carpaccio - A fabulously simple dish that originally consisted of thin slices of raw beef dressed with a mustard sauce. The dish was supposedly named Carpaccio by Giuseppe Cipriani, the former owner of Harry’s bar in Venice, in reference to the Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio, because the colours of the dish reminded him of paintings by Carpaccio. These days you could well find a carpaccio of fish, venison or even fruit.
Dakota fact #299
- 10th February 2010
The ancient Greeks used to refer to Italy as “Oenotria”, or land of the grape, no doubt during a sizzling summer Saturday symposium whilst discussing life as they knew it! There was some truth in it, as Italy is home to over 1,000 different grape varieties.
Dakota fact #42
- 9th February 2010
Syrah and Shiraz are synonyms for the same grape variety. Syrah tends to be associated with the more restrained, peppery French style whereas Shiraz is more often thought of as the unashamedly big, bold Australian version.
Amalaya Malbec
- 8th February 2010
Malbec has been making waves in Argentina for a number of years now, and is now starting to build an international reputation for quality, as well as value. For a long time it was an unfashionable, ugly sister grape variety from Bordeaux and surrounding areas in the south west of France. Now, however, it is time for Malbec to take a bow of it’s own.
Dakota Glasgow’s new Amalaya Malbec encapsulates all that is great about Malbec. The altitude that the grapes are grown at, helps to coax out an amazing depth of flavour and purity, as well giving the grapes enough rest through the night not to taste like jam when the wine is made.
The Amalaya is a blend with Malbec being the dominant grape, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in cahoots too. The result is a fabulously savoury, dark berried wine with ultra ripe fruit flavours and a firm structure to back everything up. Unsurprisingly, the Amalaya goes exceptionally well with a juicy ribeye steak, which is something else that Argentina excels at.
