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Wine class in the garden amphitheatre

We were delighted to recently welcome guest wine speaker and Master Sommelier Eleonara Infusa from organic Bodegas Menade in Rueda Spain – and with lovely May sunshine, we held the wine talk outside in the garden amphitheatre.
Eleonora who is a Master Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers Spain, introduced the region of Rueda and Bodegas Menade www.menade.es We tasted a number of wines and grape varieties including Rueda Verdejo, a natural ‘Nosso Verdejo’ made with no added sulphur and a Sauvignon Blanc. Bodegas Menade is a certified organic estate in Rueda, South of Valladolid. Hand-harvesting, wines made with natural yeasts and low yields resulting in pure and expressive wines – all of which which the students very much appreciated and enjoyed in the ‘wine class in the garden’.
 
Our thanks to Eleonora and it was lovely to welcome her in person to the cookery school – Eleonora has spoken to the students on previous courses when we Skype in guest wine speakers during wine class
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Jancis Robinson MW and Nick Lander

Thanks to Jancis Robinson MW & Nick Lander for an inspirational talk to the students during the 12 week certificate cookery course wine class on a recent visit by Jancis & Nick to the cookery school.
Also thank you to Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau and Jules Verhaeghe of Château du Cèdre

Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau Kilkenny and Jules Verhaeghe of Château du Cèdre, Cahors, South West France provided a fantastic talk & tasting during wine class this week on organic, biodynamic and natural wines to the 12 week certificate cookery course students.

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Beira wine region, Portugal

Maria and Rosie

Guest wine speakers at a recent wine class were two of the students on the January 2018 12 week certificate course

Rosie @reviving_food speaking about working in biodynamic vineyards and Maria @luadeacucar speaking about her family vineyard in the Beira region of Portugal and generations of winemaking & farming traditions in her family. Wonderful stories from both students inspiring their classmates.
#beira #portugal #wine #wineclass

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Dave & Diana Palmer, Skillogalee, Clare Valley

Skillogalee is a boutique winery, owned and run by the Palmer Family, set amongst wooded hills in one of the most picturesque parts of the Clare Valley, in South Australia. We welcomed Dave and Diana Palmer, Skillogalee to Ballymaloe for a winemaker dinner on Friday 16th September.

Skillogalee has won great acclaim – “Our favourite South Australian winery” Lonely Planet; ‘Australian Top 100’ – Matthew Jukes; and ‘5 star wines; delicious, complex, and multi-dimensional’ – Decanter, September 2011 (The Skillogalee Clare Valley Riesling 2010 came top in a Decanter tasting of Australian and New Zealand Riesling’s – and also was the highest scored wine in the entire September 2011 issue of Decanter magazine)

Dave Palmer
Dave at Ballymaloe House

Over a matching dinner, we served the following wines, starting with the Skillogalee Sparkling Riesling (also see Billy Lyons ‘Restaurants and Food in Cork’ wonderful blog here on Dave and Di’s visit to Ballymaloe)

Skillogalee Sparkling Riesling

Skillogalee Riesling 2010
Skillogalee Gewürztraminer 2011
Skillogalee Trevarrick Riesling 2008
Skillogalee Cabernet Malbec Rosé 2010
Skillogalee The Cabernets 2006
Skillogalee Shiraz 2007
Skillogalee Liquer Muscat

Dave and Di also finished the evening with a little quiz – with some great bottles of Skillogalee for the winners – rounding off a superb evening. We very much look forward to their return to Cork.

at Skillogalee
Colm with Dave Palmer out in the vineyards at Skillogalee in The Clare Valley, South Australia
Diana and Dave Palmer
Diana & Dave Palmer, with Colm, at Skillogalee

Dave Palmer also co-hosted a Wine Australia Sommelier Masterclass in Dublin before his journey down south to Ballymaloe, with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland (and regular guest wine lecturer at Ballymaloe Cookery School), and John Wilson, well known wine writer, all pictured below during the Riesling Masterclass

Riesling Australia

 Wine Australia Ireland Sommelier Course

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Willunga 100, McLaren Vale with Ian Wigham

 We were delighted to welcome Ian Wigham, representing Willunga 100, McLaren Vale, South Australia www.willunga100.com
 
Willunga 100 is located in the picturesque McLaren Vale region, south of Adelaide in Australia. The wines come from a range of premium vineyards, including some over 50 years old which can produce a magnificent array of aromas and flavours. In the 100 year old winery, modern equipment is used alongside traditional winemaking techniques, including open-top fermenters. With over 100 years of winemaking experience, Willunga 100 produces unique and distinct wines, capturing the essence of the region.
Ian Whigham
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Wines of South Africa with Peter Corr

The students had a brilliant presentation and tasting from one of Ireland’s great wine presenter’s, Peter Corr, on the wines of South Africa. Our thanks to Peter, who with over 30 years experince in the wine industry, gave a fantastic talk to the students, and our thanks to all at Febvre Wine Mechants www.febvre.ie for a tasting of iconic wines, and wine styles of South Africa.
 
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John McDonnell, Wine Australia

 We were delighted to welcome back John McDonnell, manager, Wine Australia Ireland – John gave another of his fantastic Wine Australia presentations and tastings to the students – much enjoyed and appreciated by all. John covered the wine regions of Australia, and the many different wine styles, in a broad ranging and engaging informative talk and wine tasting with the students. For further information on Wine Australia, please visit www.wineaustralia.com/ireland
 
Florence Bowe and John McDonnell

 

 
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Anne-Claude Leflaive, Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy

We were delighted to welcome Anne-Claude Leflaive, and her husband Christian, and out thanks to Paddy Moore, Moores’ Wine, Dublin, for arranging this visit. Domaine Leflaive has been described as Burgundy’s greatest white wine domaine, a flagship domaine in the Côte de Beaune, and biodynamic since 1997. It is a family estate that was initially created by Anne-Claude’s grandfather Joseph, and is now managed by Anne-Claude Leflaive. Decanter Wine Magazine, in their Top 10 White Winemakers of the World, rated Anne-Claude Leflaive, Domaine Leflaive as the Number1. All her wines, from Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru, have all been critically acclaimed by the world’s leading wine writers. www.leflaive.fr

Anne-Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian