Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine

The inaugural international Literary Festival of Food and Wine took place at Ballymaloe House, Grainstore and Cookery School over the May Bank Holiday wekend, 3 – 6 May. A magical weekend was had, with many wine & drinks events, and here are a selection of photographs and some links to write-up on the weekend. We are already looking forward to 2014 Literary Festival!

http://guides.ie/megabites/jancis-robinson-mw-ballymaloe-litfest-leslie-williams

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/tasting_articles/ta20130508.html

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201305091.html

http://www.corkbilly.com/2013/05/the-ballymaloe-litfest-not-book-just.html

 

Jancis Robinson MW Wine Grapes presentation and tasting at the Literary Festival
Jancis Robinson MW Wine Grapes presentation and tasting at the Literary Festival

 

olm pictured with Jancis Robinson MW at Ballymaloe Literary Festival
olm pictured with Jancis Robinson MW at Ballymaloe Literary Festival
Ger Buckley, Master Cooper, Midleton Distillery pictured with Bill Yosses, Pastry Chef, The White House
Ger Buckley, Master Cooper, Midleton Distillery pictured with Bill Yosses, Pastry Chef, The White House

 

Tom Doorley and John Wilson 'Wine & Words'
Tom Doorley and John Wilson ‘Wine & Words’
Peter Corr and Literary Festival wine & drinks crew
Peter Corr and Literary Festival wine & drinks crew

 

Douro - still and fortified with Maurice O'Mahony, Wine Alliance
Douro – still and fortified with Maurice O’Mahony, Wine Alliance

 

Mary Dowey and Pascal Rossignol 'Going Natural - New Trends'
Mary Dowey and Pascal Rossignol ‘Going Natural – New Trends’

 

Ger Buckley, Master Cooper, Midleton Distillery
Ger Buckley, Master Cooper, Midleton Distillery

 

Sherry with Leslie Williams, wine writer, the Irish Examiner
Sherry with Leslie Williams, wine writer, the Irish Examiner

 

Rieslings to be Cheerful with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland
Rieslings to be Cheerful with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland
Nick Lander, Joe McNamee, Paul Flynn and Niamh Shields
Nick Lander, Joe McNamee, Paul Flynn and Niamh Shields
Single Pot Still Whiskey from Midleton Distillery matched with Irish Farmhouse Cheese by L Mulligan
Single Pot Still Whiskey from Midleton Distillery matched with Irish Farmhouse Cheese by L Mulligan

 

A Wine Goose Show with Susan Boyle
A Wine Goose Show with Susan Boyle

 

Pierpaolo Rapuzzi, Ronchi di Cialla, Friuli
Pierpaolo Rapuzzi, Ronchi di Cialla, Friuli

 

Penfolds Grange and The Rewards of Patience with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland
Penfolds Grange and The Rewards of Patience with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland
John Wilson, The Irish Times and Juan Gil, Albarino, Rias Baixas
John Wilson, The Irish Times and Juan Gil, Albarino, Rias Baixas

 

Tom Lynch, El Comandante Wines, Mendoza
Tom Lynch, El Comandante Wines, Mendoza
Wine & Literature with John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times
Wine & Literature with John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times

 

 

William O'Callaghan, Longueville Irish Apple Brandy and Cider
William O’Callaghan, Longueville Irish Apple Brandy and Cider
Maurice, Pascal and Geraldine checking the wines for Wine Grapes with Jancis Robinson MW
Maurice, Pascal and Geraldine checking the wines.
Sherry in The Big Shed
Sherry in The Big Shed
Daphne launching the literary festival with Nyetimber
Daphne launching the literary festival with Nyetimber
John Bowman with the box office crew - Nicola, Aoife and Ka
John Bowman with the box office crew – Nicola, Aoife and Ka

 

 

Sacha with delicious Iberico Ham for the Sherry
Sacha with delicious Iberico Ham for the Sherry

 

The Big Shed Fringe at the literary festival
The Big Shed Fringe at the literary festival

 

 

‘The Wild Geese’, by Myrtle Allen, 2nd September 1966

‘The Wild Geese’ 2nd September 1966

An article written by Mrs.Myrtle Allen, on her weekly cookery column for The Farmers Journal, in 1966

I was delighted to be shown an article today, by Mrs.Allen, from one of her ‘Scraps and Cuttings’ books, all about her weekly cookery column in The Farmers Journal. The article, dated in Mrs.Allen’s distinct neat writing, 2nd September 1966, titled ‘The Wild Geese’, about Ireland’s ‘links with wine producing areas’, and her visit, in 1966, to Chateau Leoville-Barton, and also mentioning Chateau Lynch-Bages and Chateau Haut Brion, and her visit also to Hennessy Cognac.

Mrs Myrtle Allen and her  1966 article on The Wild Geese Wines
Mrs Myrtle Allen and her 1966 article on The Wild Geese Wines

We are looking forward to the line-up of events, throughout Cork City and County this year, bringing the wine geese home, with the next event planned for Thursday evening, April 25th, taking place in The Crawford Art Gallery, Cork City, presented by Tomas Clancy, well known wine writer, and presenter on RTE Radio of ‘The Wine Geese’ series. (of interest is the extension in the 1880’s to the Crawford Galley, was designed by Mrs.Allen’s Grandfather, Arthur Hill  of the firm of well known Cork architect, Henry Hill )

Also of great Wine Geese interest, is The International Wine Museum, in Desmond Castle, Kinsale dedicated to the Irish people the world over, both long ago, and current generations, involved in winemaking around the word, is well worth a visit, and of course Ted Murphy’s book, A Kingdom of Wine, The Story of Ireland’s Wine Geese, is brilliant, and this years  series of wine geese events that I am involved along with, along with Beverley Mathews, of L’Attitude51, Wine Cafe, Cork and Maurice O’Mahony, of Wine Alliance, and the broader vibrant wine commuity of Cork city and county, is very much inspired by Ted and all his things ‘Wine Geese’ related in Ireland and around the world.

For the line-up of planned events, and may more in the pipeline, please see the website www.bringingthewinegeesehome.com

Aricle by Mrs Myrtle Allen on 'The Wild Geese' Wine