Unfiltered: Beverley Matthews

Offering cave-à-manger style dining in the heart of Cork city L’Atitude 51 combines wine shop, bar and restaurant. Founder, Beverley Matthews, talks to Douglas Blyde about the venue’s Continental style terrace, matching Syrah with raspberry sorbet and her love of Keats.

What does the name L’Atitude 51 refer to?
Winegrowing latitudes. The apostrophe came about as a doodling error that just stuck – it made us seem a little more French, so we liked it. 51 is the latitude of Cork – not great for growing grapes, but some brave souls are trying!

What is your vintage? 

Mine or L’Atitude’s? L’Atitude’s is 2011 – don’t think there’s much drinking well from mine, apart from some fortified wine or Port. 2011 was a good year in two of my favourite regions: the Loire and Beaujolais, as well as Alsace and the Rhône. Italian reds from 2011 are drinking really well, including Le Pergole Torte from Montevertine or Caparsino Chianti Classico Riserva from Caparsa.

What is your life motto?
Respect. Always treat others how you’d like to be treated yourself.

Who inspired you to enter the world of gastronomy?
A Sicilian mamma. The mother of a Sicilian ex-boyfriend. She was one of the most amazing, yet humblest cooks I have ever met. Her style was simple but she poured her heart into feeding people. We stayed with her for a month every summer and I must have put on a stone each time.

Describe your list?
We have over 200 wines by the bottle divided by style as opposed to country or region so as to help people find something new once they understand what style they like. The list is mostly organic, biodynamic and natural – the main thread that ties it together is small-scale artisan growers who work ethically. The list has a strong focus on France and Italy, but we have wines from most winemaking countries, including Spain, Germany, Austria, Georgia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and some New World wines from natural wine producers in Oregon, Vermont and California, as well as South Africa, Chile and Australia.

What are standout producers?
We have classics from the leading natural wine producers including: Ganevat, Foillard, Metras, Breton, Puzelat in France and Belotti, Massavecchia, Foradori, Salvo Foti and La Stoppa in Italy. While our list has a strong focus on classic natural producers, we try to stay as up to date as we can so keep a close eye on up-and-coming estates such as Thillardon in Beaujolais, Partida Creus in Spain, Andrea Occhipinti in Lazio. The list is constantly evolving.

How do you choose the illustrations to accompany the sections?
The list is intended to be fun, so the illustrations for each category are comic representations that I feel best describes the category/style and will make people smile. Wine should never be taken too seriously and we want people to feel comfortable and not intimidated by the list.

How does the quayside setting influence the enjoyment of wine?
We’re lucky with our location and building as it has lots of large windows that overlook the River Lee. This has always given us a very continual feel. And last year due to Covid, we were able to create a terrace on the river – we get the evening sun, so now we’re even more continental. Admittedly, the sun is not a given in Cork, but on a fine day, people flock to L’Atitude for their aperitif in the sunshine.

Have you met Irish of origin, Dermot Sugrue? 

I’ve met Dermot many times. He did an event in L’Atitude in 2017 with Le Caveau who import Dermot’s wines in Ireland. Dermot is a really nice guy and his wines are exceptional. We are very proud to stock Wiston in L’Atitude.

What has been a cracking match betwixt food and wine?
We have a mushroom and potato dish using fantastic mushrooms from Ballyhoura. We sauté them in Oloroso and recommend a glass of Oloroso or Amontillado alongside. Each brings out the magic in the other. Other than a Jura Chardonnay, I can’t imagine a better match for these mushrooms.  Another of my favourite matches is creamy cheese, like brie or camembert, with crémants or pét-nats. The fizz and the elevated acidity cut straight through the fatty, creaminess like a razor.

What has been a memorable event?

One of the wackiest food and wine events concerned ice cream. We paired a raspberry sorbet with a Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage and Italian orange wine with salted caramel affogato. Both worked surprisingly well!

Noting the ravioli is named after Iago – is this the name of the chef? 

Iago is actually a cheese and charcuterie supplier in Cork who also make incredible fresh pasta. Their shop is one of the most beautiful in Ireland – the care they take when sourcing and handling their products is impeccable. We always try to support small local suppliers and producers where we can. Meanwhile, our chef is Marco di Piazza, a young gun from Palermo.

What is your least favourite ingredient?
To eat, smoked paprika – it can overpower. To cook, possibly tofu – as I always make a mess of it. Other than that, anything processed.

What is your favourite guest habit?
When they trust us enough to allow us to recommend something they might not normally go for. We have a customer who comes into us every week who says, “take me on a journey!” That’s my favourite type of customer.

What is your favourite gin?
Blackwater No 5. Made in Waterford, but a classic London Dry style. Served with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a slice of lime.

Tell us something surprising about yourself?  

I took a very circuitous route to get into wine. I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was younger, then worked in IT for many years before finally finding my true passion. Also, I’ve never seen Game of Thrones!

What is your favourite poet?
Keats. I’ve always loved “Sailing to Byzantium” as well as “Ode on a Grecian Urn”.

What is the best smell in the world? 
Freshly roasted coffee.

Where would your fantasy vineyard be?
Tuscany or Umbria for the beauty, great climate and food. I guess Tuscany is out of the question as it’s too expensive now, but I’d happily settle for Umbria.

What attributes do you look for in prospective candidates?
We look for team players with a passion for the type of wines we serve and simple honest cuisine.

L’Atitude 51 – 1 Union Quay, Cork, Ireland; +353 021 2390215; info@latitude51.ie; latitude51.ie