Rotary Beacon
Things To Do When Staying In Penrith Hotels And Guest Houses
The town of Penrtih, with its beautiful red sandstone buildings has fascinating yards and alleyways to discover, pleasant open spaces and a selection of places to stay from fine hotels in Penrith to cosy guest houses and self catering cottages.
A lovely walk up through the wooded slopes of Beacon Hill to the Beacon "Pike" Monument, built in 1719 of local red sandstone, rewards you with great views over the town and lake district fells beyond. The Rotary Club of Penrith have produced a leaflet with details of an "Access for all Walk" - a self guided tour of Penrith. The route has been chosen to make the walk accessible to all, including those with disabilities. To download a copy, please visit the Rotary Club website. Back down in the town, explore the ruins of Penrith Castle, dating back to the 14th century, set in an attractive public park where you can play tennis, bowls, crazy golf, pitch and putt or simply watch the world go by! There's a children's playground and paddling pool too.
Many visitors come to Penrith for its unique specialist shops offering local produce - fine foods like Penrith Toffee Fudge, loved by the Royal Family and traditional Cumberland Sausage together with all sorts of local crafts. A Specialist Shops leaflet for Penrith is available.
Eating out in Penrith is a pleasure, there's a good choice too, ranging from inns with home cooking, restaurants with international cuisine, cafes and tea shops.
Don't miss Penrith Farmers' Market, held every 3rd Tuesday in the Market Square, where you can cut down the food miles and enjoy locally produced and sourced goods. The newly named Charter Market, a traditional street market is also held every Tuesday in Great Dockray.
Penrith Museum, housed in the former 17th century Robinsons school building gives a fascinating insight into the history of Penrith, local geology and archaeology and houses an exciting programme of temporary exhibitions.
Dating back to Norman times, St, Andrew's Church in the centre of Penrith is surrounded by historic buildings with a peaceful outdoor seating area. Look out for the "Giants Grave" in St. Andrew's Churchyard!
If you are feeling active, the recently extended Penrith Leisure Centre has swimming pools, gym, indoor climbing wall, large sports hall and indoor bowls hall.
The town has an award-winning station on the main west coast London to Glasgow railway line and is served by National Express buses. The C2C cycle route passes through Penrith and the town has been designated Cumbria's first Cycling Hub, which means cyclists are made extra welcome and will find excellent facilities and specially designed routes starting from Penrith along with many of the Penrith hotels B&B's and guest houses being cyclist friendly.
About the Author
Penrith accommodation and bed and breakfasts are great bases for exploring the beautiful Eden Valley.
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Rieslings are Among Germany's Finest White Wines
Perfect Pairings
October 10, 2007 – as published in the Beacon News and Naperville Sun
By Bill Garlough
When you think fall, you think of gorgeous colors, football and Oktoberfest celebrations. And when you think of Oktoberfest, you naturally think of German food and drink. While Oktoberfest is known for brats and beer (a lager style beer is best), German wines are also a staple and worth exploring.
Germany’s two Rs – Rieslings and Rotweins (red wines)
Germany has a long tradition of quality wine making. This is somewhat surprising due to this country’s northern location. Located in the 49-51 latitudes, Germany is on par with Newfoundland. Because of this northern climate, the Germans learned to position their vineyards with Southern exposures (for maximum sunlight), sloping into river valleys (to capture the warmth and moderation of water) and plant in soil and rocks that reflect sunshine (like slate). This approach is all designed to give their grapes the best chance to ripen. This has become less of a factor lately, as the Earth’s climatic shifts have given Germany warmer weather for the past decade.
Most of Germany’s vineyards are located in the Rhine and Mosel river valleys, with the Rheingau, the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, the Rheinhessen and the Pfalz regions being the most important. Rieslings are Germany’s most famous (white) wine, ranging from bone dry to super sweet. Their high acidity and sugar levels allow for long term ageing. Only 20% of Germany’s production are Red wines, and are not as noteworthy.
Everyday German table wine is designated as QbA. Quality wine is termed QmP (Qualitätswein mit Prädikat). This category is broken into 6 grape ripeness levels. The Germans harvest their grapes at different times in the Fall/Winter, which determines the grape juice’s sugar content. Kabinetts are the driest wines and Eiswein generally the sweetest wines. Look for the term Trocken if you prefer a very dry style.
Food Pairings
German wines tend to be low alcohol with high acidity. The benefits are the wine is food friendly and more quaffable. A glass of German Riesling may have an alcohol content of 7% versus a New World Chardonnay with 13-14%. The sweetness and good acidity of Rieslings are a favorite foil with spicy Asian dishes.
Two red varietals of distinction are Dornfelder and Spätburgunder. Dornfelder is an increasing popular wine due to its light and fruity character. They also have good acidity, are aromatic and easy to grow. Being light, they pair well with rich, heavy German food. Spätburgunders are Germany’s Pinot Noir. This wine tends to be more complex, higher quality and more difficult to grow. Germans pair this with nicer meals, including pork and beef dishes.
My company, My Chef Catering, has been involved with Oktoberfest events for 16 years. The largest is the Rotary Clubs of Naperville Oktoberfest, which routinely draws 12,000 patrons annually. We have served the following family recipe at these events:
Spaetzle
2 Eggs
1 ½ Cups Flour
½ tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Water
¼ tsp Baking Powder – Optional for lighter Spaetzle
¼ cup Buttered, toasted Bread Crumbs
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Lightly beat eggs. In a separate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and elastic. If too thick, add more water. Spoon half the mixture into a potato ricer. Press down the lever and the strands of dough will drop into the boiling water. Stir spaetzle gently to separate. When the water returns to a boil and the spaetzle rise to the surface, remove with slotted spoon, let drain for a few seconds, then place in a serving bowl. Place bowl in a 180 degree oven to keep warm. Repeat cooking process until dough has been used. Top finished spaetzle with toasted, buttered bread crumbs for a nice crunch.
Bill’s Picks
At a recent dinner with friends, we preferred the Riesling Kabinett and Spätburgunder for overall quality and sweetness level. Here are some good German wines that are locally available, with suggested retails prices:
German Whites
Listed in order from dry to sweet
Ress Kabinett Riesling $13
Fitz-Ritter Gewürztraminer $17
Studert-Prüm Riesling Spätlese $20
Dr. Loosen Riesling Auslese $37
German Reds
Bretz Dornfelder $13
Schäfer Spätburgunder $15
For more from Bill Garlough's Perfect Pairings visit My Chef.
About the Author
Bill Garlough is a Level 1 Master Sommelier and an owner of My Chef Catering in Naperville, the winner of the U.S. Chamber's 2007 Small Business of the Year award. Bill can be reached at My Chef or wineparings@mychef.com