Lanzarote Wine Tours and Wine Shop: A Fabulous Experience
Release Date: 04/27/2021
Moldova Wine: Exciting!
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
We all know where Moldova is? mmaybe not ... We all know that Moldova is historically a very important player in how the world trade in wine developed. Right? mmaybe not .... OK, how about the underground cellars that stretch for 200kms? They even hold an underground marathon through them!! Nope? So much to learn! This year (in Moldova) held a Fair in Dublin. I don't usually talk about events that don't have product in the market but make an exception here. Why? Because it is truly an interesting story and a genuine part of our wine heritage. Oh, Moldova is pretty much land...
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David Dennison of Viking Irish Wines in Waterford
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
In this episode we visit and chat with David Dennison of It was a beautiful summer day in his vineyard. Everything promises well for another fine vintage of the grapes that Dennis grows for his . The vineyard is fascinating for the variety of grape types that David has in the ground. It is, in effect, a magnificent experiment that will inform present and future Irish viticulturists. Remember, folks, you must have quality grapes to make quality wine. Ireland may not grow a lot of grapes but what is grown is of a very high quality. In this podcast David tells us what he has planted and why. ...
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Yalumba's Kevin Glastonbury Talks Red Winemaking ... and so much more!
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
, affectionately known as KG, is Senior Red Winemaker at 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. () His family has owned and operated Yalumba for over 170 years! The Hill-Smiths are proud members of , 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...
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Maximilian Riedel: Glassware Perfection
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
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...
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Orin Swift and Dave Phinney: The Very Best
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
we were very fortunate to have had a zoom podcast chat with and the remarkable wines he has created, most notably under the 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...
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Olly's Farm Honey.
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
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. 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...
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HEIMANN & FIAI : Winemaker Specialist in Hungary
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
In this podcast we talk with Zoltán Heimann whose family, , 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 where Zoltán gave a masterclass food and...
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MASI and its 250th Harvest - Giacomo Boscaini of Masi Agricola
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
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...
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Lusca: an Exceptional Irish Wine
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
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...
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Bruce Tyrrell: The Exceptional Hunter Valley Vigneron
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
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 stand at the 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. is family owned since 1858 and its website tells us that, 'Having lived and breathed wine growing and winemaking in the Hunter...
info_outlineI took part in a Virtual Wine Tour of Lanzarote recently. It was brilliant. What an extraordinary landscape! This image is from Turismo Lanzarote. Watch the video HERE before you listen to this podcast with Ollie Horton of Wine Tours Lanzarote. It brings it all alive!
Wine Tours Lanzarote was set up by Ollie Horton, an English man from the Channel Islands. (He does, intriguingly, mention that there was an Irishman involved also ...) The business seemed like a great idea for someone with a background in - surfing and finance!
Well, it was. Why? Because Ollie knew the island backwards, had taken a genuine interest in its unique wines and craft beers. He could see there was a gap in the market. His potential customer base would be found hidden amongst the hundreds of thousands of sun seeking tourists who flocked in from the UK and Ireland every year.
Bingo. It worked. And why not - Lanzarote has some of the most extraordinary vineyards in the world built into its slopes of ancient lava flows.
Then Covid hit. Tourism ceased and the Lanzarote Wine Tours business crashed.
Not to be deterred Ollie set up Lanzarote Virtual Wine Tours along with an online wine shop - Wine Shop Lanzarote. They work hand in hand as when you buy a virtual tour you are also sent a bottle of wine from the Island.
The wine shop is top class. It gathers the best products from a number of the island's best wineries and allows you to mix and match. Delivery was initially a UK and Ireland only service but has since expanded across the rest of Europe.
This podcast has a slight echo feel to Ollie's voice - but, then, he was speaking to us from an island! Enjoy.
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While all restaurants in Ireland were closed until Christmas 2020 many reopened. That was great news - Open Again. Then we heard that they had to close once more - on Christmas Eve. Tough times, Tough times indeed. Here's hoping for a more successful business environment in 2021. Hopefully after Easter? was the Hope. Now it's likely mid June - outdoor dining only....
We should remember that many of these, including the wonderful Monty's of Kathmandu, are family businesses. They are often small and brilliant and need our support more than ever. Keep Safe and Keep well.
Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the Santa Rita Wine Room at Monty's of Kathmandu - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration.
Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or HERE at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page.