Wine Matters

Easter tasting at Ballymaloe

Colm McCan — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:00:40 +0000

Our annual Easter wine tasting for guests of the house, at Ballymaloe, was this year given by Fionn Little of Bubble Brothers Wine Merchants, Cork.

The guests enjoyed what was a fantastic line-up of wines from Bubble Brothers, including Chateau Beaucastel and Avignonesi including their rare Vin Santo

André Clouet Grand Cru Réserve Brut NV

Avignonesi line-up of red wines

Avignonesi Rosso di Montepulciano 2009

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Grande Annate 2006

Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona 2006

Château de Beaucastel "Coudoulet de Beaucastel" Côtes du Rhône 2007 & 2009

Avignonesi Vin Santo 1997

Avignonesi Vin Santo 1997 – this was a real, rare treat – the reputation preceding the tasting of this unique Vin Santo, lived up to its expectations in the glass! Please see the link here to learn more about the Avignonesi Vin Santo

Fionn Little with his grandmother, Mrs. Myrtle Allen, and some of the guests enjoying the tasting.

Midleton Distillery

Colm McCan — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:00:37 +0000

Ballymaloe recently enoyed a tour and tasting of the local Midleton Distillery – just to refresh our memory – and tastebuds, of course! Irish Distillers recently won the award of ‘World Distiller of the Year’ and Best Pot Still Whiskey for their ‘Powers John’s Lane Reserve. Congratulations to all the team in Midleton Distillery – well deserved.

A short photographic tour of a great, educational day for us all in Ballymaloe. Our thanks to Brian, Kevin, Ger, Terry, Dave and all at Midleton Distillery.

Jameson Experience at Midleton Distillery

Ger Buckley, Master Cooper and Brian Nation, Whiskey Distiller, pictured with the Ballymaloe team in the Midleton Cooperage - fascinating to learn about this great craft.

A visit to the maturing warehouses - Cathrina and Thomas pictured with Ger Buckley

Hazel and Ger

Daphne and Brian Nation

Enjoying the visit to Midleton Distillery with Terry Dancklefsen and Barbara Hackett

A great Whiskey tasting

Last year, in May 2011, we welcomed to Ballymaloe, Cesar Saldana, Consejo Regulador, Jerez, in association with Wines of Spain and The Irish Times Readers Evening – Cesar gave a fantastic Sherry Masterclass in The Grain Store in Ballymaloe, as part of our on-going series of wine events at Ballymaloe, and also hosted a Sherry & Food matching dinner, with John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times.

Pictured below, on his visit to Midleton Distillery, is Cesar Saldana, with Kevin O’Gorman, Irish Distillers, and Colm, pictured alongside some Sherry Butts which along with Bourbon Casks, and Port Pipes, are used also for maturing Irish Whiskey.

Cesar Saldana, Consejo Regulador, Jerez, pictured with Kevin O'Gorman and Colm

Picpoul de Pinet

Colm McCan — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:00:14 +0000

Romain Dol, of Domaine Guillemarine, Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc in the South of France, visited the school today, along with Conor O’Brien, of James Nicholsons Wine Merchants – good timing too as they were able to catch the lunch of the ‘Sushi made Simple‘ course on at the cookery school today!

‘Picpoul de Pinet – one of the more dynamic named crus of Coteaux du languedoc producing green-gold, full-bodied, lemon-flavoured white wine exclusively from picpoul Blanc grapes. This curious speciality in the deep south of France, one of the country’s few varietally named ac wines, has in the post-modern age of vinification attracted new interest.’ Oxford Companion to Wine, Jancis Robinson

Conor O'Brien and Romain Dol, Picpoul de Pinet

Time to open those oysters!

Romain also visited the Grain Store at Ballymaloe, to check it out for possible future wine events in the future, as part of our ongoing series of wine events at Ballymaloe - Jessie the dog took the opportunity to race in ahead of him!

Jessie wants centre stage!

Burgundy 2009 vintage – its wines & villages

Colm McCan — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:00:37 +0000

Ballymaloe welcomed French winemaker, Marinette Garnier, Maison Jaffelin, Burgundy to a wine tasting in the Grain Store as part of their ongoing series of visiting winemaker events throughout the year. Burgundy is one of France’s great wine regions, and Marinette introduced the following wines from the acclaimed 2009 vintage – Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru ‘Cote de Lechet’, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Fleurie, Pommard, Nuits-St-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin. Our thanks to Mark O’Connor of Dalcassian wine merchants for arranging this visit.

Ivan Whelan, Mark O'Connor, Marinette Garnier, and Colm McCan

Florence Bowe and friends

The Grain Store Ballymaloe, Burgundy wine event

Eight Degrees Brewing, Mitchelstown, Co Cork

Colm McCan — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:00:56 +0000

Delighted to welcome to the school today, Scott Baigent, of Eight Degrees Brewing, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, one of Ireland’s dynamic craft breweries. Scott, pictured below with Rupert Hugh-Jones, of Ruperts Farm and Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Scott Baigent and Rupert Hugh-Jones

Scott talking to the students

Cork man winemaking in The Barossa

Colm McCan — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 07:00:35 +0000

John Quinlan, from Shanagarry, Co. Cork, and wine & bar man at Ballymaloe, is presently in The Barossa, South Australia learning all about making wine – who knows, with John’s new found expertise, there might well be a Chateau Shanagarry in the future! John is working in Thorn Clarke winery in The Barossa – pictured below in the middle of harvest.

John Quinlan at Thorn Clarke

We wish John a busy and sucessful vintage, and no doubt John will also take the opportunity to catch up with many of the famous names in the Barossa Valley, and beyond, whom he met during their visits to Ballymaloe over the years, along with everything from the Wine Australia presentations and tasting by John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland, who is a regular guest wine lecturer at Ballymaloe Cookery School. See Yalumba’s Jane Ferrari visit to Ballymaloe here, and Turkey Flat’s Christie Schultz visit to Ballymaloe here (also mentioned in today’s Irish Times wine column, on The Barossa, by John Wilson).

Burgundy 2009 – discover its wines and villages

Colm McCan — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 07:00:33 +0000

Upcoming wine event at Ballymaloe

‘Burgundy 2009 – A journey through the Villages of Burgundy’, Tuesday 13th March, 7.30pm in The Grain Store at Ballymaloe, with a tutored tasting by Marinette Garnier, winemaker, Maison Jaffelin.

Marinette Garnier, winemaker

A tutored tasting and presentation of the following wines:

Whites - 2009 Chablis, 2009 Chablis 1er Cru ‘Cote de Lechet’ 2009, Puligny-Montrachet Blanc, 2009 Meursault

Reds – 2009 Fleurie, 2009 2009 Pommard,2009 Nuit-St-Georges, 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin

Vineyards of Meursault

Marinette Garnier, born in the heart of Burgundy and already at 25 years old, has a lot of experience working alongside some of the most famous names in Burgundy, including Domaine Comtes Lafon and Domaine Méo-Camuzet. After graduating from her diploma, Marinette started as a winemaker at Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils and is now winemaker at Maison Jaffelin

Maison Jaffelin

Grape Selection

Cellars

With thanks to, and organised in association with Mark O’Connor, Dalcassian Wines

The Grain Store at Ballymaloe, Tuesday 13th March, 7.30pm €10
Contact Colm for further information colm@ballymaloe.ie

Simon Tyrrell, Tyrrell & Co

Colm McCan — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:00:57 +0000

Delighted to welcome to the cookery school, Simon & Emma Tyrrell of The Wine Store, and Tyrrell & Co wine merchants - five times winner of ‘Wine Merchant of the Year’ Award in Ireland. Simon is also an acclaimed winemaker, making wine in the Rhone Valley.

Simon spoke to the students, ahead of his presentation and tasting tonight in Cork – at L’Attitude 51, Corks new Wine Cafe, where Simon will be presenting a Rhone tasting this evening at 7.30pm

Rachel Allen, and Simon & Emma Tyrrell

Simon Tyrrell and Darina Allen talking to the students

Franz Haas, Alto Adige

Colm McCan — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:00:24 +0000

Delighted to have recently welcomed Andi Punter and Maria Luisa Manna of Franz Haas winery, Alto Adige, Italy, in association with Gerry Gunnigan, Liberty Wine Merchants. Franz Haas has producing estate wines since 1880, the year in which the present-day winery was established. A family-run estate, it was handed down through the generations to the first-born son Franz Haas.

Andi Punter, Franz Haas winery

Some of our French winemaking heroes

Colm McCan — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:00:56 +0000

Samuel and Colm, sommeliers at Ballymaloe were delighted to recently catch up with some of thier French winemaking heroes, at a recent tasting of Le Caveau with Pascal Rossignol

Samuel, pictured below with Luc de Conti of Chateau Tour des Gendres, Bergerac

and with Bertrand Sourdais, of Domaine de Pallus, Chinon.

Colm with Pascal Verhaeghe of Chateau du Cedre, Cahors

Samuel with Luc de Conti and Pascal Verhaeghe