We had a joint Australia and New Zealand morning! We were delighted, as always. to welcome back John McDonnell, Wine Australia, to Ballymaloe Cookery School. John’s great wine presentation(the Irish Times recently described John as ‘a wine guru’), every 12-week cookery course is always very much enjoyed and appreciated by the students. A tutored tasting by John led us through the various styles and regions of Australia. John also very kindly presented each of the students with one of the interactive power-point tasting presentations A brilliant morning as always and our thanks to John. www.wineaustralia.com/ireland.
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During the same wine lecture, we also welcomed back Peter Macdonald, General Manager, Hunter’s Hunter’s Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand. The students tasted the latest release 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2006 Pinot Noir.In the last 30 years the province of Marlborough has moved from virtual obscurity to become New Zealand’s largest and best-known wine region with a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest sauvignon blanc. This huge potential was something that was recognised back in the 1980’s by Jane Hunter and her late husband Ernie when they founded their first fledgling winery in the picturesque Wairau Valley.
A fiercely independent, family-owned winery, Hunter’s Wines was the combined dream of Ernie and Jane Hunter. It was the inspired foresight of the ever-enthusiastic Ernie, New Zealand’s ‘unofficial wine ambassador’, which recognised the vast potential of Marlborough as a premier wine-growing region. However, only five years after producing his first six award winning wines (in fact, the first six Hunter’s Wines to emerge), he was tragically killed in a motor accident at the age of 37. In the aftershock of this, Jane, herself a highly qualified viticulturist with a long family history of Australian grape growing, resolved to build on the vineyard s proven potential. Through her strong determination, together with the talents of Chief Winemaker Gary Duke and eminent Australian oenologist Dr Tony Jordan, Hunter’s Wines has achieved an enviable reputation
Since those early years Jane has been owner, viticulturist and managing director of what has become one of New Zealand’s most established wineries, Hunter’s Wines. Hunter’s Wines have won more than 100 gold medals at national and international wine competitions, including the Marquis de Goulaine Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World.
Hunters Wines Ltd., Rapaura Road, Blenheim,
PO Box 128, Renwick, New Zealand.
Telephone +64 3 572-8489,
Fax +64 3 572-8457
E-mail wine@hunters.co.nz Web: www.hunters.co.nz
Our thanks to Mark O’Connor of Gilbey’s Wines for organizing the visit of Peter Macdonald.
Photo attached – Peter Macdonald, John McDonnell, Mark O’Connor and Colm
Learning about Wine at Ballymaloe Cookery School