Colm McCan joins Le Caveau

Colm McCan in Ballymaloe House cellar We are delighted to welcome Colm McCan in our team. Colm will be looking after our trade customers in Cork, the South and South-West. Consultant Sommelier, Ballymaloe House and wine lecturer Ballymaloe Cookery School Colm  grew up in Co. Tipperary in the family guesthouse business, a listed historic property with a 250 year old wine cellar so no surprise that Colm has been interested in all things wine related since. Following completion of studies including Diploma in Business Management (Hotel and Catering Management – Block Release) GMIT, and wine studies through the WSET, Colm has worked in high profile hotels and restaurants both in Ireland and overseas for the past 25 years, joining Ballymaloe in 1995 as head sommelier, a position that won him much praise from patrons and peers alike. Wine accolades received under Colms tenure at Ballymaloe include: • 2012 and 2013 nationwide award for 'Best Restaurant Wine List and Wine Service' in the annual wine awards by well known wine writer, Tomás Clancy, published in the Sunday Business Post • Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for one of the best restaurant wine lists in the world • Lonely Planet Magazine Number 1 Wine Weekend in the World • Georgina Campbell Wine Award of the Year • Food and Wine Magazine Top 10 Sommeliers in Ireland • Automobile Association 'Notable Wine List' award in Ireland 2013 • Daily Telegraph Top 10 wine events in UK & Ireland (only Irish entry) Colm is also Wine lecturer at the Ballymaloe Cookery School running a wine education programme for the students during the 12 week cookery course, which runs three times yearly. Welcoming national and international wine experts on a regular basis both in person to the classes at Ballymaloe, as well as linking up live with winemakers in the vineyards via the latest technology, and participating in live streaming international tastings, all culminating in a wine exam for the students at the end of their course. Colm is the organiser of the wine and drinks events of the internationally acclaimed Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine May 2013 and May 2014, bringing together the top names of the Irish and International wine and drinks world for a series of almost 40 wine & drinks talks, tastings, seminars and wine lunches & dinners to Ballymaloe House and Cookery School over the literary festival weekend. He also organises the ongoing series of wine events at the Grainstore at Ballymaloe, and founding member of the ‘Bringing the Wine Geese Home’ series of year long wine events in Cork city and county held in association with The Gathering 2013 and Cork City Council. Founder member of the newly formed Cork based Munster branch of the International Wine and Food Society. Initiated set-up and managed the Ballymaloe 6 month ‘pop-up wine shop’ at Brown Thomas Cork. Colm shares our passion and love of authentic, artisan and natural wines and we are absolutely delighted to welcome Colm in our team and are looking forward to working with him! Edit: Big congrats to Colm who has just been awarded 'Best Sommelier in Ireland' at the Food and Wine Magazine 2014 Awards - (17th August 2014)          
Pascal Rossignol

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