Jim Collins Vice President of Vineyard Management at E&J Gallo
Release Date: 11/17/2021
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...
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Phil Crozier: Wines of Argentina Ambassador
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
April the 17th 1853. Who'd have thought back then that it would be a date celebrated the world over as . 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...
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La Kav Wines has a Fabulous Vineyard and Winery - in Ireland.
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
La Kav Wines is the brainchild of Arnaud Clopin. It sells a selection of well sourced wines from France at . 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...
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Robert Bowe: Wine and Restaurant Program Manager at Ashford Castle
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
in Cong Co. Mayo is a Fine Wine destination and a Five Star hotel. It sits in majestic surroundings. Under the ownership of 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...
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Paul Fogarty: Head Sommelier at Ashford Castle
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
in Cong Co. Mayo is a Fine Wine destination and a Five Star hotel. It sits in majestic surroundings. Under the ownership of 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...
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Morgon VanderKamer: at The UNioN WineBar and Kitchen Waterford and President of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers
Kevin Ecock's WinePod
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 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...
info_outlineIt 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.
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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. 