Spring has Sprung by Andrea McVeigh

Spring has sprung. Or has it? It's hard to tell with the schizophrenic weather we've been having. Some days, the sun is shining and I'm full of the joys of spring, while other days it's blowing a gale, pouring with rain and the sky is looking thunderous, as is my face. On my reckoning, winter has already lasted for around 36 months (given that we totally missed out on a decent summer last year), and I've had enough. I hate the rain and the cold weather, the rain, the grey skies, dark nights and the rain. I really, really hate the rain. What's worse, I hate it when people say they love winter. As soon as August eases into September, they start rhapsodising about wrapping up warm in woolly jumpers, knitted scarves, hats, boots and proper coats. Smothered in around 40 layers of hot, itchy clothing everytime I leave the house, I look and feel less like Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago and more like the Michelin Man. I've had enough! Bring on summer!
The best place to be when it's miserable and wet outside is tucked up in the cinema with a jumbo carton of popcorn. So far though, I've only made it to see three films this year.  I started off my cinema going this year with Sweeney Todd, which I liked apart from the singing and the gore, which pretty much sums up everything about the film.  Then I caught The Other Boleyn Girl and I loved it, mostly because I never thought I'd fall in lust with Henry VIII - until I saw him being played on the big screen by Eric Bana!  Most recently, I saw 27 Dresses, a total chick flick with a predictable story line, but filmed with wit and style, and a huge wardrobe budget!  Of course, the film I can’t wait to see is the Sex And The City movie. I was given the DVD box set for Christmas and I've been working my way through all the episodes since then (even though I saw them all the first time around), so I'll have got myself up-to-date again by the time the film opens in May.  Who cares what the script is like? It's set to have everything a movie should have - shoes, clothes, cocktails, a fabulous New York setting and yet more shoes and clothes! I've got a date with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha and I can't wait.
With my outings to the cinema being few and far between, I've been glued to the small screen, mostly watching Ashes To Ashes, the follow up to Life on Mars, on BBC1.  Sadly, the series has now finished, so my Thursday night dates with DCI Gene Hunt (actor Philip Glenister) have come to an end. Set in 1981, the music and fashion is fabulous and, even though I'd hate to live with the sexist, rude, racist, bullying cop in real life, on TV he's my absolute hero. The weird thing is, I'm not the only woman who thinks so. At a recent party a group of us 'Gene genies' confessed that there's something about the big Neanderthal brute that we just love!  It seems we've all been imagining ourselves careering around corners and doing high-speed handbrake turns in Hunt's Audi Quattro with him. Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?

One thing I must do soon is go up on the Big Wheel at Belfast's City Hall, or the Belfast Aye as it's been dubbed. One of the many things I love about Belfast is the irrepressible humour of us locals and our ability to bestow a nickname on just about anything. In addition to the Belfast Aye, I've also heard it called the 'Ball at the Hall', the 'polo mint' and 'the big ring thing'. They're all definitely much funnier than just calling it the Belfast Wheel. I love the way you can see it peeking above the skyline when you're driving around the city and I hope they keep it there permanently. It's great for tourists and great for the people of Northern Ireland. I've been on the London Eye and the big wheel in Manchester city centre but, naturally, once there's one on my very doorstep, I somehow don’t get around to going. People tell me the best way to try it is to go at night so you can see the city all lit up. If I could get Gene Hunt in one with me I'd be there like a shot!

ITALY UNCOVERED

In a first of a two part series frank McGreevey investigates the wealth of wines available in italy.

After years in the doldrums, Italy as a supplier of tasty wines seems to have turned the corner. Italy as a holiday destination is a very attractive proposition.

From Sorrento and the off-shore Capri in the south, to Rome and its historic sites in the middle and then Tuscany on the knee and on to Piemonte in the North West and Veneto in the North East. Include a benevolent climate and all the attractions and Italy is a holidaymaker’s paradise and a virtual vineyard from end to end.

With its sexy leg and high heeled boot Italy must be the best known map outline in the world, so I am attempting to use that outline (from toe to thigh) or South to North for the purpose of illustrating Italy’s lesser known wines and where they originate.

Sicily
Sicily is not one of Italy’s quallity wine regions but is nevertheless a large producer and exporter of tasty reds and whites, to cities like London and New York, where there are large populations of Italian ex-pats. Possibly Sicily’s best known wine product is Marsala (a fortified wine) much loved by chefs as a base for sauces.

In my young days (just a few years ago) Pork Marsala would have featured on every hotel menu in the country.

Puglia (on the heel). This is hot Italy, home of grape varieties Negromara and Primitivo, also known as Zinfandel in California where it is currently all the rage. Primitivo, or Zinfandel, produces a huge full bodied high alchohol red wine but, because of the heat and very ripe fruit, it can produce tasty wines similar to high quality Shiraz from South Australia. Winemark, our local off-licence chain, have these two Puglia grapes in a very tasty blend

Canti- Negroamaro/Zinfandel IGT Alc 12.5% £3.99.

Lazio
Lazio (with Rome as its centre). Back in the 60/70s this region was supplier of bland Frascati to the Trattorie of Rome, but is now on the up again with fresh clean Trebbiano/Malvasia blends.

Abruzzo
This is the region behind the knee of Italy - home of the grape variety Montepulciano, which produces a soft easy drinking red wine. Montepulciano is also a town in Tuscany but there the grape variety would be Sangiovese.

Saint Orsolo Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo DOC is currently on offer at Winemark for £4.59.

Marche. If you like your white wine in fancy bottles this is the region to look out for. Verdicchiodei Castelli di Jesi is the most famous wine of this region. Produced in the attractive green amphora shaped bottle, it is a dry white wine well worth seeking out.

Tuscany
Tuscany, the best known region for holidays and wine - Chianti. Now readily accessable from Ireland by Ryanair- Dublin /Pisa in just a couple of hours. Chianti is probably Italy’s best known (least loved) wine.

Everybody of pre 70s vintage will have had at some stage a Chianti wicker flask bottle as a decoration or doubling as a home made light holder. Present day Chianti is a modern red wine -grape variety Sangiovese.

The heart of the region is Chianti Classico, between the cities of Sienna and Florence. Medium bodied red wines with good tannins are the trademark of the Classico centre.

Winemark- Chianti Classico Castelani 2005 £7.99

See our May issue for part two of this feature.