Upcoming event – ‘Real Wine – Celebrating the Artisan Grower’ with Eric Narioo and Pascal Rossignol, Sunday 26th May, 6pm

‘Real Wine – Celebrating the Artisan Grower’

With Eric Narioo of Les Caves des Pyrène and Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau

Talk and wine tasting of a selection of artisan wines, at Ballymaloe House, Sunday 26th May, 6pm

Eric from Les Caves de Pyrène, Surrey, and Pascal from Le Caveau, Kilkenny, both specialise in artisan wines sourced from individual growers, that are ‘true to where they come from, which are made by hand with minimal interventions in the vineyard and winery, and which show maximum respect for nature and the environment’.

Pink bulles’ Pet Nat Gamay rosé by Jean Maupertuis (Auvergne, France)

Vino Bellotti Bianco 2011, Cascina Degli Ulivi (Piemonte, Italy)

Vouvray ‘la Dilettante’ 2011, Pierre et Catherine Breton (Loire Valley, France)

Vitovska Amphora 2007, Vodopivec (Friuli, Italy)

Cheverny Rouge 2011, Clos Tue-Boeuf (Loire Valley, France)

Vino di Anna 2011, Eric Narioo and Anna Martens (Etna, Sicily, Italy)

Peza do Rei 2010, Adega Cachin (Ribera Sacra, Spain)

Villalobos ‘Wild Vineyards’ Carignan Reserve 2010 (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

This is a great opportunity to listen to two passionate and experienced wine experts in this area, over a very pleasent, informal, yet educational talk, and a tasting of  different artisan wines.

Sunday 26th May, 6pm, at Ballymaloe. €15

To reserve places, please contact Colm colm@ballymaloe.ie   Tel 086 0859034

Eric Narioo
Eric Narioo
Pascal Rossignol and Darina Allen
Pascal Rossignol and Darina Allen

Upcoming wine/whiskey/cognac events in 2013

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Upcoming wine/whiskey/cognac events in 2013, include:

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– Visit of Jean-Charles Cazes, of Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux, to Ballymaloe on Sunday, 10th March 2013, in association with Michael Barry, Barry & Fitzwilliam

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– Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine, 3rd – 6th May 2013 with national and international food and drinks writers from Ireland and all over the world, coming to East Cork for the inaugural international ‘Literary Festival of Food and Wine’ – including Jancis Robinson MW,  Mary Dowey, Tom Doorley, John Wilson alongside iconic food names, to name but some of the 40 speakers (see www.litfest.ie – full confirmation of programme of events & details soon)

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– Hennesy Cognac event, at Ballymaloe, 10th October 2013, in association with Edward Dillon & Co

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Further details here on all these events

Upcoming wine events at Ballymaloe 2013

2013 is already looking like a good vintage Рfor wine events at Ballymaloe. We are looking forward to great line-up of wine events, and to welcoming Jean-Charles Cazes of Ch̢teau Lynch-Bages, on March 10th, and to welcoming back Jancis Robinson MW in May 2013 as part of the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine.

Jean-Charles Cazes

Château Lynch-Bages, needs no introduction in Ireland – one of the best known, respected, collected and followed, of the ‘Irish Wine Geese’ Château of Bordeaux. We are delighted to be welcoming Jean Charles to Ballymaloe – and as part of The Gathering 2013, there will also be a series of other wine events, which are being planned for Cork City and County, throughout the year, with ‘Irish Wine Geese’ winemakers from all over the wine world, ‘flying home’.

Born in Bordeaux, Jean-Charles Cazes grew up in Pauillac in the heart of the family vineyards at Château Lynch Bages, and since 2006, taking over from his father, Jean-Michel Cazes, he has been in charge of all the family vineyards, in France and abroad. Join Jean Charles at Ballymaloe, for one, or both, of the following events – a wine tasting & presentation in the Grain Store at Ballymaloe, followed by a wine dinner, with the wines of Château Lynch Bages and The Cazes Family Collection wines. Wine tasting & presentation, by Jean Charles Cazes, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, 6.30pm, Sunday 10th March €18.  Followed by a wine dinner, with Jean Charles Cazes, in the Yeats Room dining room, at Ballymaloe House 8.30pm €95. Advance booking advised. Special rates also available for accommodation

Jancis Robinson MW

One of a handful of wine communicators with an international reputation, Jancis Robinson writes daily for JancisRobinson.com (voted first-ever Wine Website of the Year in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards2010), weekly for The Financial Times, and bi-monthly for a column that is syndicated around the world. She is also editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author with Hugh Johnson of The World Atlas of Wine, co-author of Wine Grapes – A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, each of these books recognised as a standard reference worldwide.

An award-winning TV presenter, she is invited all over the world to conduct wine events and act as a wine judge. In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams and in 2003 she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she now advises.

She loves and lives for wine in all its glorious diversity, generally favouring balance and subtlety over sheer mass.

We are delighted to be welcoming Jancis & Nick back to Ballymaloe, and looking forward to the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine

 

 

 

A Margaret River experience in East Cork, September 2012

On 27th September 2012, we welcomed back well known winemaker, David Hohnen, of McHenry Hohnen Wines, Margaret River, Western Australia for a wine tasting in The Grain Store at Ballymaloe. We had a number of events planned to co-incide with David’s visit - we were joined by the East Cork Cricket Club for a cricket experience on the lawn at Ballymaloe House, and also memebers of the local Kite-Surfers put on a display and demonstration – before returning to the Grain Store for David’s wine presentation & tasting on his wines from McHenry Hohnen – all followed by Ted Berner’s Wildside Cooking ‘fire-cooking’ Harvest Supper. Also see Muray Hohnen’s recent visit to Ballymaloe here

The East Cork Cricket Club at Ballymaloe House
The East Cork Cricket Club at Ballymaloe House

A New Zealand wine tasting

‘A New Zealand Wine Adventure in Ballymaloe’, which took place on Sunday 16th September.

With New Zealand winemakers Larry McKenna, Escarpment Wines, Martinborough & John Hancock, Trinity Hill Wines, Hawkes Bay.

Escarpment vineyard

John Hancock
John Hancock
Larry McKenna
Larry McKenna

Escarpment Wines are one of the success stories of the Martinborough region in the north island of New Zealand. The vineyards are dwarfed by the stunning mountain backdrop of the Aorangi Ranges, and the Te Muna Valley, where the vineyards are situated, means ‘secret’ or ‘special place’ and that is exactly how the people at Escarpment feel about the land and what it means to live, grow and make wine there.

Escarpment logo

Trinity Hill was established in the Gimblett Gravels sub-region of Hawkes Bay to produce world class wines that just happen to come from New Zealand. The emphasis is on the classic ‘Bordeaux’ varieties and Syrah for red wine from the Gimblett Gravels and Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc for

Trinity Hill collage

A great tasting with Larry and John, and thanks to Anthony Tindal, Nigel Werner and all at Tindal Wines for organising the visit of these two great New Zealand winemakers.

Its a long way from Clare to here…

It’s a long way from Clare to here …. ‘A Taste of Clare in East Cork’
was held recently in Ballymaloe, with winemaker Dave Palmer, Skillogalee Wines, Clare Valley, South Australia
& Artisan food producers from Co. Clare, Ireland,  Birgitta Curtin of The Burren Smokehouse and Siobhán Ni Ghairbhith,  of St.Tola Goats Cheese

Dave Palmer, Skillogalee
Dave Palmer, Skillogalee
Skillogalee winery
Skillogalee winery
Birgitta of Burren Smokehouse
Birgitta of Burren Smokehouse
Burren Smokehouse Co. Clare
Burren Smokehouse Co. Clare
St Tola
St Tola
St Tola cheese
St Tola cheese

logo St Tola Goats Cheese

St Tola goats
St Tola goats

Skillogalee is a family-owned, highly acclaimed, boutique winery set amongst wooded hills in the picturesque Clare Valley, in South Australia.‘Our favourite South Australian winery’ Lonely Planet
‘Australian Top 100’ – Matthew Jukes

Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Delighted to recently welcome back to Ballymaloe, Paul-Vincent Avril, Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhone. Clos des Papes needs little introduction in Ireland – his brother-in-law is Bill Kelly of Kellys Hotel Rosslare, and indeed, Clos des Papes needs little introduction in the world of wine, being much enjoyed by people who enjoy good wine, along with great reviews, including respected wine writers, Jancis Robinson MW here where she is writing about the 2010 vintage in the Rhone, and Mary Dowey here (Mary is a renowned expert on this part of France – Southern Rhone and Provence, and her blog is well worth following www.provencefoodandwine.com Clos des Papes also were awarded in 2007 ‘Wine of the Year’ by Wine Spectator and Producer of the Year 2010 by Le Grand Guide des Vin de France – Brettane & Desseauve.

Paul-Vincent Avril, Clos des Papes
Paul-Vincent Avril, Clos des Papes, at Ballymaloe

 

 

Mas de Daumas Gassac Long Table Dinner, 2nd August 2012

We were delighted to welcome the Guibert Family of Mas de Daumas Gassac, Aniane for a Long Table Dinner in the glasshouse at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Thursday 2nd August,  hosted by the Guibert Family and the Allen Family, with the Grand Cru wines of the estate, to launch Veronique Guibert’s cookbook ‘ Savours and Flavours of Daumas Gassac’. Ours thanks to two of Munster’s well known wine merhants, who represent Mas de Daumas Gassac, in Ireland for all their help in organising this evening –  Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wine and Michael Kane, Curious Wines. Proceeds for the evening in aid of the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project.

Samuel and Darina
Samuel and Darina
Gary, Samuel, Veronique, Darina and Jim
Gary, Samuel, Veronique, Darina and Jim
Follow the Yellow Straw Road
Follow the Yellow Straw Road

 

Menu and table set-up
Menu and table set-up

sign for Long Table Dinner

 

Cully and Samuel
Cully and Samuel
Emer and Pam getting it all ready
Emer and Pam getting it all ready
Gary, Eileen and Sharon
Gary, Eileen and Sharon

Sign in the glasshouse

 

Long table set-up
Long table set-up

Ice bowl

Mas de Daumas Gassac Cookbook
Mas de Daumas Gassac Cookbook

Mas de Daumas Gassac boxes

 

Jimmy getting the kitchen in the glasshouse all connected
Jimmy getting the kitchen in the glasshouse all connected
Seamus and Fionn
Seamus and Fionn
Susan in the glasshouse
Susan in the glasshouse
amongst the vines
amongst the vines
Tomato sign
….the Heritage Tomato vines that is
Veronique Guibert
Mme Veronique Guibert, Mas de Daumas Gassac, and Colm, at Ballymaloe
Kitchen area all ploughed up
All over after a wonderful Long Table Dinner – the ‘kitchen’ area in the glasshouse all ploughed up and ready for sowing

For any futher information on Mas de Daumas Gassac wines, please contact wine merchant, Gary Gubbins, Red Nose Wine. Please also see the excellent video clips here from Mike & Gary’s voyage to Mas de Daumas Gassac – the vineyard here and the winery here

The Glasshouse at Ballymaloe School
The Glasshouse at Ballymaloe School

 

RAchel, Gary and Mike highlighting the Mas de Daumas Gassac Long Table dinner - with some giant glasses for fun, in the wine cellar at Ballymaloe House
Rachel, Gary and Mike highlighting the Mas de Daumas Gassac Long Table dinner – with some giant glasses for fun, in the wine cellar at Ballymaloe House

McHenry Hohnen Wines, Margaret River, Western Australia

Visiting the school recently were Murray & Chaise McHenry of McHenry Hohnen Wines, Margaret River, Western Australia. Murray also, along with David Hohnen, was responsible for starting Cape Mentelle Wine, Margaret River in the early 1970’s, and subsequently, Cloudy Bay Wine, in Marlborough, New Zealand. Murray spoke to the students about McHenry Hohnen Wines, and Margaret River, which is a really beautiful part of the world, and also the lovely café they run overlooking the ocean, and their wine bar, ‘Steves’, in Perth. Pictured with Murray & Chaise at Ballymaloe, are Anthony Tindal and Pascal Playon of Tindal Wine Merchants. We are looking forward to also welcoming back to Ballymaloe, David Hohnen, for our McHenry Hohnen Margaret River event in East Cork, on 27th September 2012 – more details here and along with a great wine tatsing from a super winemaker, we will also have a number of events that day as well, including surfing in Ballycotton Bay and a cricket experience on the lawn at Ballymaloe with the East Cork Cricket Club, pictured below – finishing with Ted Berner’s Wildside Catering ‘Fire Cooking’ Harvest Supper – bringing Margaret River to East Cork!

McHenry Hohnen Wines

East Cork Cricket Club at Ballymaloe

Jean Trimbach, Trimbach Wines, Alsace

We were delighted to welcome Jean Trimbach, Trimbach Wines, Alsace, France, back to Ballymaloe, who along with Giana & Fingal Ferguson, Gubbeen Farm, Cured Meats and Cheese, and Sarah & Sergio Furno, Cashel Blue and Crozier Blue, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, gave a brilliant presentation together, matching up a selection of Trimbach Wines, including Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling and Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune Riesling with some of their produce – a brilliant presentation. Trimbach are family run since 1626, and ranked amoung the top white winemakers of the world. See also Billy Lyons brilliant series of blogs following on from their presentation all together here at Ballymaloe - about Trimbach here  and Gubbeen here and Cashel Blue here . (Also see Jean Trimbach’s previous visit, in 2010, here )

Jean Trimbach

Gubbeen and Cashel Blue