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Midleton Distillery

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
Jameson Experience at Midleton Distillery
Ger Buckley, Master Cooper and Brian Nation, Whiskey Distiller, pictured with the Ballymaloe team in the Midleton Cooperage
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
A visit to the maturing warehouses - Cathrina and Thomas pictured with Ger Buckley
Hazel Allen and Ger Buckley
Hazel and Ger
Daphne and Brian Nation
Daphne and Brian Nation
Enjoying the visit to Midleton Distillery
Enjoying the visit to Midleton Distillery                 with Terry Dancklefsen and Barbara Hackett
A great Whiskey tasting
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
Cesar Saldana, Consejo Regulador, Jerez, pictured with Kevin O'Gorman and Colm

 

 

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Picpoul de Pinet

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 Pine
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!
Jessie wants centre stage!

 

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Burgundy 2009 vintage – its wines & villages

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, Colm McCan
Ivan Whelan, Mark O'Connor, Marinette Garnier, and Colm McCan
Florence Bowe and friends at the tasting in The Grain Store
Florence Bowe and friends
The Grain Store Ballymaloe, Burgundy wine event
The Grain Store Ballymaloe, Burgundy wine event


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Cork man winemaking in The Barossa

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 Clark
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).

 

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Burgundy 2009 – discover its wines and villages

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, Maison Jaffelin, Burgundy
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
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
Maison Jaffelin
Grape Selection
Grape Selection
Cellars
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

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Simon Tyrrell, Tyrrell & Co

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

Simon & Emma Tyrrell with Rachel Allen
Rachel Allen, and Simon & Emma Tyrrell
Simon Tyrrell and Darina Allen talking to the students
Simon Tyrrell and Darina Allen talking to the students
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Some of our French winemaking heroes

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

Samuel and Luc

 

 

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

Bertrand and Samuel

Colm with Pascal Verhaeghe of Chateau du Cedre, Cahors

Pascal and Colm

Samuel with Luc de Conti and Pascal Verhaeghe

Pascal, Samuel and Luc