Kevin Glastonbury, affectionately known as KG, is Senior Red Winemaker at Yalumba in the Barossa Valley of South Australia. The Barossa is one the world's premier red wine making regions and Yalumba one of its most respected wineries. Back in 2019 we had the honour here on the podcast to chat with Yalumba owner (Barossa legend) Robert Hill-Smith. (Listen Back HERE) His family has owned and operated Yalumba for over 170 years! The Hill-Smiths are proud members of Australia's First Families of Wine, have pioneered Viognier beyond what anyone thought possible and brings us The Caley one of finest expressions of red wine making anywhere.  In this podcast recorded in Dalkey at the Grapevine and hosted by Irish agents Cassidy Wines KG brings us on a Barossa journey where Winemaking, Barrel Making, Sunshine, Skill and History combine to bring us special wines. It's a great story. Enjoy.

Riedel has a special place in the world of wine. It is one of Respect for a family that has worked tirelessly to perfect how we can further our ability to taste many types of drink but especially that of wine. Riedel stemware is known the world over as being completely brilliant. It is also a family that firmly believes in designing and producing glassware to perfectly suit individual grape and wine styles. To emphasise this Maximilian Riedel spends a lot of his time touring the world with a quite fabulous roadshow. At these he presents, through interactive tastings, how to capture the very best from a wine by using the appropriate Riedel wine glass. Recently Maximilian commanded the attention of an Irish audience of many hundreds (both wine professionals and consumers alike). His presentation was brilliant. His glassware memorable. The result is that Riedel and Respect are intertwined by Quality and Brilliance.   Enjoy our podcast recorded while Maximilian was in Dublin. The Riedel Wine Glass and Decanter Collections are distributed in Ireland through Mitchell and Son and by Hospitality Products.

Last year we were very fortunate to have had a zoom podcast chat with Dave Phinney and the remarkable wines he has created, most notably under the Orin Swift label. Dave is a very busy man! So how cool was it to meet him in person in London and spend a further 30 minutes chatting. Very cool indeed! Orin Swift is one of the great wines from the Napa Valley in  California. Fruit expression in Orin Swift has been elevated to an art form. Just as well then that the labels Dave Phinney designs are among the funkiest and most personal in the world of wine. Orin Swift wines are collectable, age worthy and very, very drinkable. Enjoy our latest chat with one of the really great wine maker personalities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Many thanks to the team at E&J Gallo who made this visit possible, to Dave Phinney for his generosity and wines and also to Ireland agents Pembroke Wines (to whom I continue to apologise for accidently blocking them in my WhatsApp!)

I met Olly Nolan at the Gifted Fair in the RDS last Christmas. He was showing a range of honeys. I was captivated. Each honey had a captivating scent. Intoxicating even.  Olly's Farm Dublin Honey had taken me prisoner! Wine, Tea, Honey, Whiskey, Stout, and on and on can only stand out as being exceptional if they attack our senses in a visceral way. This should be immediate, lasting and memorable. I just had to find out more about Olly's Farm. I paid Olly a visit recently and we recorded in his Honey House up on the edge of the Dublin hills. What a view! My knowledge of bee keeping and honey production is, to be honest, rudimentary to the point of being non existent. Thanks must be given to Olly for guiding me through the process and a lot more besides. Choosing to live the life of a small holding farmer on the edge of Dublin city is not for the faint hearted. That said Olly Nolan has made a fabulous success with limited resources.  Olly's Farm Honey is among the very best tasting products on sale today. Enjoy. The Honey House  

In this podcast we talk with Zoltán Heimann whose family, HEIMANN & FIAI, has a long and distinguished history of quality winemaking in the southern Hungarian wine region of Szekszárd - on the border between the Large Hungarian Plain and the beginnings of the Transdanubian Hills. Zoltán likes to refer to himself as the 'Kadarka Man'.  After this tasting and podcast I'll always be in his debt as knowing my Kekfrankos from my Kadarkas! Each grape is brilliant. Each is unique and completely different to one another.  This podcast was recorded at The Lodge at Ashford Castle where Zoltán gave a masterclass food and wine matching meal the night previous. At the tasting we progressed from Village (Szekszárd) to Single Vineyards (Bati Kereszt and Baranya-volgy) to Szivem (a parcel selection wine from Baranya-volgy). These are wines to explore and to support. Really excellent.  The Lodge at Ashford Castle : A Red Carnation Hotel

It's a sobering thought to many winemakers that they work at companies and enterprises that, in many cases, are younger than they are themselves! For those lucky enough to work in wineries where age and tradition has seen decades upon decades of continual success they might only contribute to a very limited number of vintages.  It is very unusual that a family can trace its lineage back over 250 harvests. That's a very big number. 1772 - Captain Cook sets sail to find the Anti Arctic: Rutherford discovers Nitrogen gas: The American Revolution begins: The Boscaini family gather in grapes for the first time in the Vaio dei Masi, a little valley in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico region, northern Italy. Yes, Masi Agricola by the Boscaini family celebrated its 250th harvest last year. There were events across the world as MASI is one of the greatest names in the world of wine. We were treated to a celebratory dinner at Glovers Alley by Andy McFadden. Giacomo Boscaini opened and poured for us a special label  Vajo dei Masi 1997 double magnum produced to honour the 2022 celebrations. In this podcast, recorded in Dublin at last years' celebration, Giacomo Boscaini brings us on the journey that his family continues to travel. It's been a long and extraordinary time and a story with many more vintages to come. ENJOY.   Looking forward to visiting our signed bottle in Valpolicella one day! The MASI portfolio of labels is represented and distributed in Ireland by the Findlater & Co.    

Recently I met with David Llewelyn at his farm in Lusk, north County Dublin. It's a small holding where he grows a fantastic collection of fruits that include, pear, apple, cherry and grape.  It's also a business where David makes truly interesting products. Try his Perry (sparkling pear wine). It's really very good! David has a wine label called LUSCA. It's a collection of red wines and a new sparkling wine. They are genuine finds. In this podcast David tells us his story. Why does he not grow any white grapes? Where did his love of the RONDO grape come from? This a unique story where hard work meets vine growing and wine making talent. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot! Really? On the day David was very generous. It was a tasting for the ages! The Lusca Sparkling Wine is the real deal. Remember, David only grows red grapes so this is a Rose. It's so good that I can see a lot of the vineyards' grapes heading towards it in the future.  The Lusca Rondo is a very versatile grape. The wine ages really well and one sample of a Rondo made with semi dried grapes really impressed these taste buds. Mind you that's testament to David's wine making skills. Quantities of the various LUSCA wines are small. Hence you won't find any inexpensive bottles! Google Lusca, though, and you'll find a collection of the finest wine stores in Ireland. They all want a slice of the action because ' the action' is so very good. Read an excellent Producer profile here on the Terroirs wine store web site. Enjoy.

Bruce Tyrrell was in Dublin recently. His fame and expertise in the world of wine is well known. His wines are among the most awarded. His Semillon considered as among the best ever produced. He was in Dublin behind the Tyrrell Wine's stand at the Cassidy Wines Portfolio tasting serving the wines himself. There are many who would have passed this along to an agency, a distributor or to whoever else. This is Bruce Tyrrell. He tells a fabulous story and continues to work hard at what matters - his customers. Tyrrell's Wines is family owned since 1858 and its website tells us that, 'Having lived and breathed wine growing and winemaking in the Hunter Valley for more than 160 years, we’ve amassed an unrivalled knowledge of what makes the Hunter one of Australia’s, and indeed the world’s, greatest winegrowing regions'.   In this podcast Bruce Tyrrell brings us on the fabulous journey this family has taken, the brilliant wine they produce from the most extraordinary vineyards and how keeping an eye on the future is totally dependent on respecting the past. Enjoy Tyrrell's Wines is a founding memebr of of Australia’s First Families of Wine, an organisation that helps to build awareness of premium Australian wines and their heritage.       

April the 17th 1853. Who'd have thought back then that it would be a date celebrated the world over as  World Malbec Day. After all, back in 1853 it was just an idea presented to the national legislature of Argentina that it might be a good plan to establish a 'Quinta Normal and Agricultural School'. Up to then the wine industry in Argentina didn't have any great focus. As it happens it wasn't until September 1853 that the idea was given the green light and even then it was for the project and had nothing in it specific to Malbec at all!! Fast forward. Malbec today is to the wine industy in Argentina what barley is is to whiskey; what Earth, Wind, Fire and Water are to the elements; what John and Paul were to the Beatles. I could go on. Malbec is Essential and without April the 17th 1853 it may never have been imported to Argentina (from France) at all. Essential, of course, should not be read as singular or indeed as unique. The wine trade in Argentina is diverse with regards to grape types grown, regionality, terroir and wine making brilliance. It is vibrant and fascinating, superb value and totally unique in its offering to the world. No wonder World Malbec Day is so often celebrated as Argentina Wine Day. We are honoured in this podcast to chat with Phil Crozier, Wines of Argentina Ambassador. How do you become an 'Ambassador'. How do you know so much about Argentina? Phil tells it all! Phil Crozier really does talk Argentina. Enjoy. This podcast was recorded in June 2022 in Dublin at the very successful Wines of Argentina tasting titled:           

La Kav Wines is the brainchild of Arnaud Clopin. It sells a selection of well sourced wines from France at www.lakavwines.ie. Arnaud's wife is a Kavanagh and he is French - hence La Kav. All straight forward so far! La Kav Wines also has a vineyard on the East coast near Gorey in Co. Wexford. Visit the La Kav website and fly over it in a drone. It is spectacular! When I visited Arnaud at his vineyard the weather wasn't as good as it was for the drone. It was winter. Have a look at what 5,000 vines in Ireland on a couple of hectares looks like. Fabulous. Afterwards we visited the La Kav winery in Gorey town, tasted the wine (white, fresh lemon and thyme, 11.5% excellent) and recorded this podcast. Enjoy the story. It is unique and quite brilliant.

Ashford Castle in Cong Co. Mayo is a Fine Wine destination and a Five Star hotel. It sits in majestic surroundings. Under the ownership of Red Carnation Hotels Ashford Castle offers a unique visitor experience. Robert Bowe has been part of the fabric of the castle for many years and now with Red Carnation Hotels continues to develop Ashford as one of the most extraordinary destinations in the world. This is a fascinating podcast. Robert details his beginnings at Ashford, how the wine cellar was conceived and built. Along the way he has helped to develop the most comprehensive Wine Flights, Wine Events and Wine Dinners that Ireland has ever seen. Robert's attention to detail is a fine one and his love of the customer and guest is now part of the folklore of the Hospitality trade in Ireland. It was our honour to chat with him in the great wine cellar at Ashford Castle. And let's not forget the stories - Robert has a comprehensive collection! Enjoy ******************************************************************** Kevin Ecock’s WinePod would like to acknowledge support received from leading wine distributor Comans Wines whose portfolio is one of the great delights available to the wine trade in Ireland. It is a collection of some of the finest wines available.

Ashford Castle in Cong Co. Mayo is a Fine Wine destination and a Five Star hotel. It sits in majestic surroundings. Under the ownership of Red Carnation Hotels AShford Castle offers a unique visitor experience. None of this matters unless the staff involved are at the very top of their game. Their wine sommeliers are! Paul Fogarty is Head Sommelier at Ashford Castle. In this podcast he recounts his early days graduating from Athlone, a healthy stint as a wine retailer and a return to his native West of Ireland as sommelier at the Castle.  We recorded in the extensive cellar at Ashford. It really is a wonderful place and testament to the foresight of Red Carnation Hotels.     ENJOY ******************************************************************** Kevin Ecock’s WinePod would like to acknowledge support received from leading wine distributor Comans Wines whose portfolio is one of the great delights available to the wine trade in Ireland. It is a collection of some of the finest wines available.

This podcast with Morgan VanderKamer is the first in a series that chats with sommeliers working in Ireland. Their expertise is invaluable and enriches our dining experience in a very immediate way.     Morgon is a Canadian, has been in the hospitality industry for twenty years, the last nine of which have been in Ireland. Today, with her partner Stephen McArdle, Morgon is the co-owner of UNioN Wine Bar & Restaurant in Waterford city . Morgon is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, has Level 3 Certification with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and is the current President of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers. ENJOY. ********************************************************************* Kevin Ecock’s WinePod would like to acknowledge support received from leading wine distributor Comans Wines whose portfolio is one of the great delights available to the wine trade in Ireland. It is a collection of some of the finest wines available.

It was never our intention or plan to publish our podcast with DIABLO at Halloween! Perhaps the brand decided for us .......  When (the fabulous) Concha y Toro launched the DIABLO brand a few years ago it was hard to see where it might fit into the market. That's the way with leaders and those 'first to the table'. They often see hidden and emerging gaps on our shelves long before the rest of us know they are there! In this recording we were honoured to speak with DIABLO winemaker Tito (Hector Urzua) and with Lynn Balaresque (Global Marketing Manager for both Diablo and Casillero del Diablo). Together they give us insight into how the brand came about, who it was aimed towards and how brilliant it's performance has been. Importantly, Tito guides us through the grapes, soils and climate that gives DIABLO it's unique character. Mind you, the packaging and pricing are also fabulous and everyone MUST have a peek HERE at the promo video!  Since this podcast was recorded both the DIABLO Volcanic Cab and the DIABLO Golden Chardonnay now sit on our shelves beside the DIABLO Dark Red and the DIABLO Cabernet Sauvignon. Now it really is a case of the DIABLO you know! ENJOY.  

Trivento has been acknowledged by the very best wine writers as the Best Value High Quality label from Argentina. The name means Three Winds. In this podcast chief winemaker at Trivento, Maximiliano Ortiz, brings us to the heart of what makes Trivento so good. We have two of Maximiliano's labels in sale on Ireland - the Trivento Reserve Red Malbec and the Trivento White Malbec. It's unusual to describe Malbec as the 'Red' Malbec but in Trivento's case it's necessary because they are unique in bringing us a white version of this dark skinned grape!    Both wines are quite fabulous. The red Reserve Trivento is rich, handsome and rewarding while Trivento White is inviting, bracing and memorable. Both have tremendous depths of fruit, structure and quality. Maximiliano is an engaging personality and just like his wines we can 'hear' him smiling throught our half an hour together.  Enjoy.   Trivento is a member of the Concha Y Toro stable of world renowned brands.    

Vinho Verde has been on our shelves as long as I have been in the wine trade - a long time! That said, I always thought of it as a wine and not a region. A few brushes in the past with poor quality Vinho Verde styles then led me away from both wine AND region. Poor choice. My loss! On a recent visit to Ireland the good folk from  Aveleda transported me to the fabulous quality that the region is capable of. Indeed, I was introduced to wine styles that completely blew any notion of 'green' wines' away for ever. Vinho Verde is one of 14 demarcated wine regions in Portugal. It sits in the Minho region above the Douro river, below the Minho river and with the Atlantic ocean to the west. It is primarily a white wine region with a load of permitted grapes, most of which we have never heard of! Of these the Alvarinho and Loureira make up the majority of exported wines. Red and Rose wines are also produced. In the podcast Teresa Olivera (see above) of Aveleda guides us through the region and the fabulous wines made under the Aveleda label. These are wines made by the same family for the past 150 years. These are really top class.   Aveleda is distributed in Ireland by the award winning Mackenway Wines.

Jonathan Mitchell is among the most likeable, knowledgable and enduring personalities in the drinks trade in Ireland. His family business, Mitchell and Son, is not just the longest running of its kind but is unique in its offering. In this podcast Jonathan guides us through the remarkable history of his family from an early 1800's bakery in Fairview to a coffee emporium on Grafton Street to their long established presence on Kildare Street in Dublin.  Along their journey to their current flagship stores in Glasthule and the IFSC the Mitchell family has continued to develop its world renowned Spot Whiskey collection along with a multi faceted wine agency and retail business.  The New and the Old. A recent Mitchell and Son Portfolio Tasting and the original 1887 lease for the Kildare Street premises. Will we ever see another family business of its kind again? I fear not. So, let's celebrate the remarkable and fascinating Mitchell and Son. Just as this podcast recording was completed Jonathan produced  a 1978 Spatlese Riesling from their long standing association with Deinhard. This is so typical and generous of this family. It wasn't for show. No. It was for opening! Robert, Jonathan's son, was called in and I had the honour of watching two generations help each other to carefully remove the ancient cork. ..... and it drank  beautifully!        

Orin Swift is an ultra premium wine brand with a fascinating back story. It's a story that begins and continues with Dave Phinney, one of the finest wine innovators around. His vision is extraordinary and his wines are equal to his vision. They are the epitome of what 'unique' and 'original' are - all wrapped into bottles whose labels would not be amiss in an exhibition at the Tate or at our own IMMA.        Dave Phinney's first venture into wine was at the very bottom rung of a harvest with Mondavi in 1997. A year later he bought a load of premium Napa grapes without a clear vision of what he was going to make with them. He incorporated Orin Swift Cellars (a blend of family names) and made 'The Prisoner' (a unique and captivating blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Charbono). Dave likes blends! It was a runaway success. So much so that the brand was sold in 2008 for a sizable return.   Currently Dave Phinney makes a range of wines under the Orin Swift label - a brand he successfully sold to E&J Gallo in 2016 - owns vineyards in four countries, makes the Locations Wines label (fruit and labels from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, California, Oregon, Washington, Corsica, Portugal, New Zealand, Texas ....) and has a simply brilliant looking new distillery Savage&Cooke in California where he makes Tequila, Bourbon and Rye whiskey (from Daves own pure water spring in the Alexander Valley!) Enough! This podcast is Dave Phinney generously telling us the story of Orin Swift - owned by E&J Gallo and made by the insanely gifted Dave Phinney. Enjoy.       

Ribera del Duero is on a high plateau in the north centre of Spain. It is, in fact, the D.O. with the highest altitude in Spain with vineyards grown at a thousand metres above sea level and above.   In this podcast Nacho Andrés, Export Director from Bodegas Emilio Moro, guides us along the Emilio Moro journey. It's a fabulous story that results in wines of extreme class and quality.  Nacho at Cassidy Wines in Dublin recently Low rainfall, long and bitter winters, lashings of rain in the springtime and hot dry summers. These are the conditions that vignerons need to work with to make the local Tinto Fino red grape (Tempranillo clone) into some of the finest red wines made anywhere. Bodegas Emilio Moro sits at the heart of this region in the Valladolid village of Pesquera de Duero. Its lands have been worked by the same family for three generations and current president Jose Moro is leading the family forward. Jose has a fabulous guiding philosophy that makes him an endlessly interesting person to listen to. Jose will tell you that 'to make good wine it is necessary to love wine and everything it involves' and that 'a Great wine is the harmony between space and time'. Indeed he also has a refreshingly genuine belief in a Corporate Social Responsibilty where all aspects of Humanitarian and Environmental responsibilities are carefully and fully inetegrated into the wine making process.         The wines of Bodegas Emilio Moro and Cepa 21 are sublimely and uniquely latched onto family tradition and the most up to date and modern technique. They are justifiably proud of their family tradition and at the same time tell us that, 'Innovation in our wineries was born with Emilio Moro when he planted the Clone of Tinto Fino and, with him, set us apart forever. Since then, we have not stopped innovating. From the development of native yeasts, digital field notebooks, through drones or geolocation in the vineyard, to the star sensorization project, Sensing4Farming.'  Jose Moro at both Bodegas Emilio Moro and Cepas 21 The wines of Emilio Moro and Cepa 21 are imported and distributed in Ireland by Cassidy Wines Ltd.  

Tea Tasting is very like Wine Tasting. Bouquet, Aroma, Palate Structure, Length, Fruit/Berry Intensity, Weight and so on. Try it some day. Focus into the sensations that Tea brings to the senses. Then add a Sparkle! This podcast with Jacob Kocemba explains all!  Award winning Sommelier, Jacob Kocemba, brought his first Sparkling Tea to the market in 2017. It was a sensation and represented years of meticulous research into developing a product that answered a need.  Jacob (left) with his business partner Bo Sten Hanson  The 'Need' began when Jacob was working at a top Michelin starred restaurant. He found that that even the though the wine cellar at his disposal had as many as 1700 wines none were entirely suitable for matching with a particular suite of desserts. Copenhagen Sparkling Tea answered the call. It is quite simply fabulously innovative, brilliantly produced/packaged and a genuinely enjoyable product to savour and to drink. The product comes in five styles. Each has a unique blend of 13 different black, green, white and oolong organic teas (Silver Needle, First Flush Darjeeling and others). Each is finely and gently flavoured  with among others Habiscus, Lemon Grass and Jasmin. Three of the Sparkling Teas are at 5%abv (Gron, Rod and Vinter) with the remaining two (Bla and Lyserod)at 0%abv. Today Copenhagen Sparkling Teas are offered at over 70 Michelin starred restaurants across 35 countries.  This is a fabulous success story and a great podcast. Enjoy.  Copenhagen Sparkling Tea is represented and distributed in Ireland by Richmond Marketing.  

Laura Catena is one of my all time favourites in the world of wine. Her bio is well told HERE and worth reading into. Her father Nicolas is the most decorated wine maker to ever make a living from wine in Argentina and South America. The wines from Catena Zapata are magnificent. While these have all held my esteem for Laura for quite a few years now they only tell half the story. What I really admire about Laura Catena is her continual and real engagement with her audience. She doesn't need to. Besides all the above she also has a family and a life outside of wine! And yet, she still perseveres to be accessable and wondrously interesting. She writes great wine books.  The three wine books that Laura Catena has written are pride of place among the many hundreds that I have. Why? Becuse they are completely from the heart, brave and honest. They tell me a lot more than simple facts. They allow me to enter into the lives, ideas and inspirations behind some of the finest wines made in the world.      Laura's latest book, in collaboration with Alejandro Vigil, is 'Malbec Mon Amour'. Her previous titles are  'Vino Argentino' and 'Gold in the Vineyards'. Alejandro is a director of the Catena Institute of Wine, Chief winemaker at Catena Zapata and by training a celebrated soil scientist. 'Malbec mon amour' draws heavily on the ground breaking work that the Catena Institute of Wine has undertaken since its formation in  the 1990's. This work has brought us the most extensive study of the Malbec grape, and its relationship to its terroir, ever undertaken. Published in both Food Chemistry and the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture it effectively gives a scientific proof to the existence of terroir to vines over time.   In this podcast Laura Catena brings all of this and more to us. Enjoy. The wines of Catena Zapata are distributed across Ireland by Cassidy Wines. A previous podcast of ours dealt with the wines of Catena Zapata, The Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard: one of the Finest in the World. Our guest at that time was Pedro San Martin of Bodega Catena Zapata.

SuperValu runs a tight ship when it comes to Wine Sales. They drop prices back in a very honest and transparent way. They also bring in Guest Wines at fabulous prices. These are in store for a limited time only. The mix is always fabulously interesting. The current Sale, featuring wines from Spain and from Portugal, offers us a fascinating insight into the brilliant Marques de Caceres. They have the Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza at €12.00 and the Gran Reserva at the absolute bargain price of only €15.00 (down from €30). In addition they offer the Marques de Caceres Verdejo from Rueda at only €10.00. But who is behind the Marques de Caceres? What makes them so special? Let's find out. In this podcast Santiago Alvarez of Marques de Caceres explains all. Well, not quite all, all! The wonder of wine is that it keeps us learning more all of the time. In the case of Marques de Caceres this is one of the great pleasures we have to enjoy.  Enjoy. 

Last year Zoe Lengjak brought us, in her words, 'truly special, exclusive, natural and independent Grower Champagnes from the rarest terroir to Ireland's shores'. Read all about it here at www.champagne.ie As it happens she also brought herself as a fabulous addition to the palate that makes up the wine trade in Ireland.  Zoe's experience within the region of Champagne is exceptional. We are genuinely lucky to have her here.  In this podcast we are introduced to the world of Grower Champagnes. This is where family's grow their grapes and make their wine to the very highest standards. The quality is quite brilliant.  If I wanted to make statement with my wine list I'd Champion a Grower Champagne. If I wanted to impress with a gift I'd choose a Grower Champagne from Zoe's list. If I was wondering what my New Year Resolution was going to be I'd include the idea that in 2022 I'll have a look at the Champagnes that Zoe imports!   Enjoy the podcast and to you all a Very Happy New Year.

Michael Eddy is Director of Winemaking at Louis M Martini in the Napa Valley of California. This is a winery that produces high quality year in and year out. It is one of the shining jewels in the E&J Gallo portfolio of Fine Wines. It has some of the finest Terroir available at its Monte Rosso vineyard. Add to this Micheal Eddy's talent. What a great story! Louis M Martini brings us some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon based wines made anywhere.  In this podcast Michael talks to us about terroir and his winemaking philosophy where Cabernet Sauvignon takes centre stage. Mind you, there are other players as well! How about a Gnarly Vine Zinfandel ... Enjoy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Episode 4 of our six part podcast series from the premium vineyards within the E&J Gallo portfolio. Episode 1 featured the wonderful Beth Liston of Dark Horse Vineyards and Winery. Episode 2 followed up with the legend that is Jim Collins - Vice President for Vineyard Management at E& J Gallo. Episode 3 entered into the world of Master of Wine, Edouard Baijot, Director of Fine Wine at E&J Gallo for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia).   In Episode 4 we travelled to the famed Sleepy Hollow vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This is where winemaker David Coventry weaves his magic into some of the most sublime Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines made in California. 

There's an old chestnut out there doing the rounds that asks, 'What makes a Great Coach?' The answer is, of course, 'A Great Athlete!' Great coaches agree. David Coventry agrees. He's a winemaker who answers the question, 'What Makes a Great Wine?' by telling us - 'Great Terroir'. Indeed, he only positions himself as an intermediary! Is it possible that sometimes Great Winemakers become part of the terroir? They, in effect, become part of the fabric of the wine. One becomes essential to the other. If so then welcome aboard David Coventry. Talbott Vineyards, in the Santa Lucia Highlands of California, brings us labels from their Diamond T and Sleepy Hollow vineyards. These are fabled and exceptional wines made by an exceptional winemaker who, I believe, is as part of the fabric as the rolling land itself is.   In this podcast David invites us into his winemaking philosophy and out into the vineyards that allow him to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir excellence. Enjoy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Episode 4 of our six part podcast series from the premium vineyards within the E&J Gallo portfolio. Episode 1 featured the wonderful Beth Liston of Dark Horse Vineyards and Winery. Episode 2 followed up with the legend that is Jim Collins - Vice President for Vineyard Management at E& J Gallo. Episode 3 entered into the world of Master of Wine, Edouard Baijot, Director of Fine Wine at E&J Gallo for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia).  

Edouard Baijot must be one the bravest Frenchman to ever pass the Master of Wine exam! Why? Because when he joined the wine trade in 2002 he began as a sales rep in the north of France selling Californian wines for E&J Gallo - to the French! This from someone born in Vertus in the Champagne district. Edouard has since passed the rigorous Master of Wine examination and seventeen years after joining E&J Gallo is now Director of Fine Wine for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia). This is a great story that proves beyond doubt that the wine trade is not a closed shop and that 'Fine Wine' should not (and perhaps does not) imply wine snobbery. E&J Gallo owns some of the finest vineyards in California, employs some of the finest winemaking talent and, in turn, makes some of the finest wines made anywhere. After all that takes place the wines are entrusted to Edouard's expertise to tell their stories and to explain their magic to the rest of us. This is what this podcast does. This is Edouard Baijot's story and these are the exceptional wines from E&J Gallo. Enjoy. This is Episode 3 of our six part podcast series from the premium vineyards within the E&J Gallo portfolio. Episode 1 featured the wonderful Beth Liston of Dark Horse Vineyards and Winery. Episode 2 followed up with the legend that is Jim Collins - Vice President for Vineyard Management at E& J Gallo.    

It is simply not possible to make fine wine without fine grapes. Jim Collins goes further and tells us that, 'I'm a firm believer in the idea that better choices and better wine go hand in hand, today and for generations to come'. Well, as VP for Vineyard Managemnt at E&J Gallo, Jim is one of those who has to make the choices.  How is it possible to oversee 8,000 acres of top class vineyard? What experience would you need? Add 8,000 acres of wildlife habitat onto that and then adopt an sustainability model for the entire operation   ...  the mind boggles. Welcome to Episode 2 of our 6 part mini series looking at the premium and super premium wines of E&J Gallo in California. What a brilliant episode where another great story really does lie behind the greatest wine labels in California.   Enjoy. ----------------------------------------------------- In Episode 1 we met up with the amazing Beth Liston of Dark Horse. Listen back HERE to Beth as she brings us on a journey along which California's best selling premium wine label was born.    

Welcome to the first podcast in our 6 part mini series of premium and super permium wines in the  E&J Gallo portfolio. These wines are brilliant. Beth Liston is Director of Winemaking for the E&J Gallo Dark Horse label situated in the central valley of California.  These are wines that are widely available at affordable price points - they deliver fabulous fruit! Dark Horse is a label that has been developed so that we can enjoy, on a regular basis, quality fruit from California. Along the way its winemaker has forged ahead with some highly innovative techniques that give Dark Horse a distinct edge above its rivals.  In this podcast Beth allows us to explore a world of winemaking where experimentation and imagination are allowed to play part. Fabulous processes have resulted in wines born out of co-fermenting different grapes together, dry rosé from Californian grapes grown specifically to make rosé wines, Malbec with a dash of Petit Verdot  ...... This is a great podcast and I reckon we can hear Beth smiling her way through it!  Enjoy. The next podcast in this series will follow in mid Novenber when we chat with Jim Collins - Vice President of Vineyard Management at E&J Gallo.   

The astute among you will recognise that I have already recorded a podcast interview wIth José María Fraile of Bodega Tandem. That was at an O'Brien's Wines Fair held at Dublin Castle back in Dec 2019. You can listen to it HERE. I just did. Not bad. Not bad at all! What was missing, however, was Jose's partner in business and winemaker at Tandem, the very gifted Alicia Eyaralar. Well, here they are together in our new podcast and here they are together at the winery: I am a complete fan of the wines of Navarra in Northern Spain. The region offers a uniquely diverse collection of grape types and a great understanding of how to blend from both new and old vines. Then there's the great differences across the region in terms of climate, geology and geographies.  Then there's Tandem! This is a super modern winery bringing grapes in from ancient mountainsides. The team at Tandem does as as little as possible as these grapes are transformed into bottled wines. The result is a collection of finely crafted beauties. Listen in and find out why, and how, Tandem goes about its craft. Enjoy.     The wines of Bodega Tandem are imported to Ireland by O'Briens Wines.

When WineOnline.ie was launched back in 1999 it was a groundbreaker. The first of its kind always is! There are loads of online wine stores out there now. These weren't there when Anne Mullin and Gerry Fitzsimons developed WineOnline.ie. Indeed it was unthought at the time that their creation would one day be in competition with not just these but also a wide variety of bricks and mortar retailers also.  It is testament to how brilliant WineOnline.ie is that it has not only held its own against allcomers but has also constantly redeveloped itself, time and again, to suit an ever changing winescape. Online events. Off line events. Hampers. Spirits. Gifts. Special Offer cases of wine and more. Much more. In this podcast we explore the world of WineOnline.ie with Will Mullin. What goes on behind the scenes? Where has WineOnline.ie come from? Indeed, where has Will Mullin come from and where do their wines come from .  .  . ! This is entertaining, informative and really, really interesting. Enjoy.