Just back from the first edition of Ballymaloe LitFest, and what a wonderful week-end that was; the line-up of International and Irish speakers was unique, and so was the quality of the presentations, forums, pop-ups, tasting and demos. No doubt as Food and Wine festivals go, there will be a pre and a post-LitFest.
On the wine side, there was a mountain of interesting events, Ballymaloe resident-Sommelier Colm McCan lined up an impressive list of talks, tasting and presentations,
Our own presentation with Mary Dowey 'Going Natural, new trends in wine' went really well - we had a full house at the Carrigaun Room, and the wines showed very well.
The themes of the presentations were:
Biodynamic Wines, illustrated with
Valpolicella Classico 'Saseti' 2011, Monte dall'Ora
Natural wines,
Vouvray 'la dilettante' 2011, Pierre et Catherine Breton
No Sulphites added,
Vina Almate Tempranillo 2012, Alfredo Maestro Tejero
Old Vines,
Vinsobres 2010, Chaume-Arnaud
If you want to read more about our event and the LitFest festival, look-up
Billy Lyons' excellent blog here
The next day, it was Jancis Robinson's inspiring 'Wine Grapes' presentation and tasting. Jancis lined-up 8 wines, including two of our imports:
Chateau du Cedre, Cahors Cuvée GC 2007
Charles Hours Jurancon 2011 'Clos Uroulat'
Read Jancis Robinson own report here
And to the Big Shed... what a brilliant place to be, the food, the atmosphere, the family-friendliness, and the party atmosphere in the evening were memorable. If you enjoyed the wines served there, chances are they were one of these:
Alain Brumont, Gros Manseng-Sauvignon 2011, Pays de Gascogne
Vouvray 'la dilettante' 2011, Pierre et Catherine Breton
Valpolicella Classico 'Saseti' 2011, Monte dall'Ora
read more on what went on in the big shed in
Joe McNamee's brilliant piece here
Full report on LitFest by
John and Sally McKenna & Team here
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)
We presented 8 wines, each of them bursting with individuality, charm and life. Answering a question during the presentation Eric Narioo predicted that in 20 years, most wines would be produced naturally, given the overwhelming enthusiasm with which an entire new generation of winegrowers around the World are embracing these methods. The demand is certainly growing, with the ‘natural wine bar scene’ in major cities such as New York, London or Paris still in full swing and with more and more restaurants allowing greater space to Artisan wines on their lists.
In effect, Natural wines may never replace conventional wines, but they certainly offer a brilliant alternative to wine drinkers in search of emotion and authenticity, and as in 
