Kevin Ecock's WinePod

Kevin Ecock talks wine, explores wine, and tastes wine with experts from across the world of wine. This is the Wine Pod.

Chateau de la Ligne at Dunnes Stores: An Irish story of 20 successful years in Bordeaux 11/18/2020

Chateau de la Ligne at Dunnes Stores: An Irish story of 20 successful years in Bordeaux The story is well told. Irish business man Terry Cross falls in love with in Bordeaux. The property has not seen a vine on its land since the great freezing fogs of 1956. Terry buys de la Ligne on St Patricks Day 2000 and proceeds to renovate the Chateau back to its glory days. In addition, he employs some of the greatest talent in France to plant new vineyards around the Chateau and then to bring winemaking back to its cellars. Today both the Chateau and its vineyards are magnificent. As are the wines! Chateau de la Ligne Bordeaux Superieur is distributed across the island of Ireland by Dunnes Stores. In this podacst we are very fortunate to chat with, one of the finest consultant winemakers working today. Stephane's company has been with the Chateau de la Ligne project from the beginning. His insight to why he considers de la Ligne to be both an excellent property and a fabulous wine is fascinating. Of course as with all my chats we expand our horizons beyond de la Ligne and find oursleves touching on Bordeaux, France and even into the vineyards of China! Apologies to Michael Morris of in Lisburn, the North of Ireland. I left him sitting in the Zoom Waiting Room by mistake! Embarrassing. Funny (sort of?) when I finally 'let him in'! The new, and very impressive, Hinch Distillery is also a Terry Cross venture. Watch out for some fabulous cross merchandising with Bordeaux from Chateau de la Ligne and Irish Whiskey from Hinch. Another great example of The Wine Geese at their modern best. -------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland were closed until recently many reopened only to have to close again! 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. This is a very, very difficult time for restaurants across Ireland. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host events and celebrations. One day, hopefully soon, this will once again be available to us all. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/16857221

Dermot Nolan MW: A Master of Wine Podcast Chat 11/05/2020

Dermot Nolan MW: A Master of Wine Podcast Chat What is a Master of Wine? In this podcast we chat with Dermot Nolan MW to find out. Masters of Wine (commonly referred to as MW's) have passed a rigorous set of blind tasting and theory exams. In addition, they have completed a written and original research paper on a wine related subject, usually technical. Make no mistake, passing the MW examination is an extraordinary achievement! So, pass an exam and become an MW. Is that it? Not quite. The Master of Wine title is awarded by the (IMW) based in London. Successful candidates are required to sign a and among many expectations are expected,'to abstain from any behaviour which may discredit the IMW' and 'to use every opportunity to share their understanding of wine with others'. A rigourous and broad brief! When Dermot passed the exam back in 1997 the trade here referred to him as 'Ireland's First Master of Wine'. What we really meant was that someone working in the Irish trade had (finally) managed to pass the damn thing! That meant a lot. It gave us a sense of developing maturity and brought with it a great deal of confidence. Dermot is very keen to remind us, though, that other Irish people preceeded him. It's true they may not have ever worked in Ireland, or they may have moved here after becoming an MW, but they were/are still Irish! I still can't get it out of my head that Dermot was our first. Anyhow, Dermot has kindly sent us the following list. Lucky us. We have a stack of fine MW's working in Ireland now. Or perhaps the collective term might be a Cellar of MW's or maybe a Case of .... date = Passed the MW examination Worked or is working in The Republic: Worked or is working in the North of Ireland: Worked or is working in the UK or elsewhere: Aileen Trew RIP 1979 Robin Kinahan 1990 Carmel Kilcline 2005 Fergal Tynan 2005 Rod Smith 2006 Mary Gorman-McAdams 2011 Anne McHale 2013 Barry Dick 2013 Ray O'Connor 2020 /episode/index/show/winepod/id/16693742

Springfield Estate in South Africa: Jeanette Bruwer on why it is So Special. 10/27/2020

Springfield Estate in South Africa: Jeanette Bruwer on why it is So Special. has been one of my favourite 'go to' places for a long time now. Why? Because it makes fabulous wines that have shown a profound respect for the land long before 'Sustainability', 'Organic', and other trending monikers were in use across the wine trade at all. The Bruwer family has farmed at Springfield since 1898. They are ninth generation Huguenot settlers many of whom brought wine making to this part of South Africa way back in the 1700's. Today Abrie Bruwer with his sister Jeanette and daughter Jenna run the farm and the business. In this podcast Jeanette brings us on a journey through the Robertson wine growing region of South Africa and into its where the Bruwers practice a very traditional way of making wine. This is natural wine making at its best where wild yeast and whole bunch fermentations take on a whole new meaning! The wines speak for themselves and pay homage to the family motto: Made on Honour Many of the Springfield labels have a dedicated following with 'Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc', 'Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon' and 'Work of Time' exciting wine collectors the world over. I am a complete devotee to the 'Wild Yeast Chardonnay' from Springfield - an unoaked exceptional! Classic Drinks bring us the wines of Springfield and introduce the range through the fabulously well made blends of 'Miss Lucy' (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Gris) and 'Thunderchild' (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) a wine whose profits go to support a local orphanage. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland were closed until recently many reopened only to have to close again! 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. This is a very, very difficult time for restaurants across Ireland. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host events and celebrations. One day, hopefully soon, this will once again be available to us all. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/16563896

Francesco Ricasoli: Chianti Classico Brought Alive. 10/21/2020

Francesco Ricasoli: Chianti Classico Brought Alive. In this podcast corrects me with my pronounciation of his surname and the fact that vineyards around Brolio were not destroyed in WW2 - Isn't this what a proper chat is all about!! Brolio Castle at the heart of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany is surrounded by vineyards that can best be described as the beating heart of Italian wine. This is where the Ricasoli family have been making news and wine since 1171. News? Well, in 1872 Baron Bettino Ricasoli originated the formula for Chianti wine, now called Chianti Classico. While this has long since been discarded as a formula it was an extraordinary innovation for its time. Francesco Ricasoli, current owner and President of the company, has generated new ideas and concepts to render his vineyards sustainable. An ongoing study of soil types and a clonal selection of the Brolio Sangiovese are among his greatest passions. Francesco has totally renovated the vineyards and completely mapped them. Wines? Attention to detail pays off for Ricasoli as every wine with his name attached to it is exceptional. In this podcast we hear how this is achieved and what lies in store for Chianti Classico one of the greatest wine regions in the world. Enjoy. Ricasoli wines are distributed in Ireland by . This is a Zoom Interview podcast. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland were closed until recently many reopened only to have to close again! 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. This is a very, very difficult time for restaurants across Ireland. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host events and celebrations. One day, hopefully soon, this will once again be available to us all. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/16488782

Villa Huesgen: Mosel Magic in a Podcast 10/14/2020

Ochoa in Navarra: A distinctly Brilliant Wine Family 09/24/2020

The Brilliant Domäne Wachau in Austria: a Podcast with Winemaker Roman Horvath MW 09/16/2020

The SuperValu French Wine Event 2020 09/01/2020

The SuperValu French Wine Event 2020 In this podcast Kevin O'Callaghan, wine buyer at SuperValu, guides us through their current sale of wines from France - The SuperValu French Wine Event. In addition, Kevin touches on many other aspects of selling wine in 2020 - the challenges and rewards. Superquinn stores across Ireland used to bring us a very fine annual French Wine Sale. It was innovative. At times (before computerised tills made mix and match possible) wine boxes and their bottles were coded with coloured stickers so that customers could work out which offers were compatible with one another! Cute. Fast forward to today. SuperValu has long since succesfully bedded Superquinn into its impressive network of over 200 owner-managed franchised stores. It has also brought forward the fabulous French Wine Event. This year it takes place from Sept 3rd to Sept 16th. While the current sale includes individual spotlights on the wine of each of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone the whole of France is well presented with very good value wines. Most of the great wines made in far flung countries, such as Australia, Chile and others, make wines with grapes of French origin. Sales, such as this at SuperValu, brings us back to their origins. Particular favourites of mine are the Guy Saget Sancerre and Pouilly Fume from the Loire at €14.76, the Alma Cersius Coteaux de Beziers at €9.84 and the Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc Reserve from Alsace at the very good price of only €11.80. Many more wines are mentioned in this podcast, ( ... even the most expensive in the sale - the sublime Louis Latour Meursault at €39.35 - is absolutely fabulous value - would make an exceptional Christmas present!!) and we will mention them at WineIreland.blog over the coming weeks of the sale. For now enjoy the podcast. Its a rare and intriguing insight into a fascinating world. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland were closed until recently many have now reopened. This is great news - Open Again! 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 - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/15835919

Garçon Wines: Leading Sustainability Innovator 08/19/2020

Sebastian Labbé of Santa Rita Estates: Innovation in the Wine Trade 08/04/2020

Maison Champy: Burgundian Aristocracy 07/21/2020

Huia: a Unique Wine Estate in New Zealand 07/20/2020

Santalba : a Rioja Podcast with Bodega Santalba 07/15/2020

Martin Kaiser of Doña Paula: A podcast with 'Viticulturist of the Year in Argentina'. 07/07/2020

Tenuta San Leonardo Podcast with Anselmo Guerriera Gonzaga 06/24/2020

Tenuta San Leonardo Podcast with Anselmo Guerriera Gonzaga is in Trentino. The Alto Adige is to its north while Valpolicella is to the south. In this podcast Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga recounts his family history and how he works with his father Marquis Carlo to produce sensational wines. The Guerrieri Gonzaga family has run the San Leonardo estate for the past 300 years. Across 25 hectares they grow an eclectic mix of classic French grape types such as Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. In addition they purchase some Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling both of which make exceptional wines. The classic nature of the red wines produced at the estate is due to the family's ability to blend with precision and its complete belief in a style that is soft, elegant and packed full of age worthy elements. The signature label - - is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenere and 10% Merlot. Spontaneous fermentation in small concrete vats, 24 months in French oak, will age well for 25 years plus. There are a number of additional fascinating features associated with the estate. We chat about all of these and more in this podcast with Anselmo. For instance the Carmenere is all grown on high pergola's; the estate has a history back to 589; there is a chapel with 12th century frescoes on its walls; the extraordinary Villa Gresti estate house built in 1724 was where the armistice prelimineries were drawn up to end WW1 while the German Wermacht used it as a regional HQ in WW2. The estate of San Leonardo converted to being fully organic in 2015. This is a classic story of one of the world's finest wines. The wines of San Leonardo are distributed in Ireland by . ----------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland are closed right now they WILL open again. We all hope that this is soon. We should remember that many of these, including the wonderful Monty's of Kathmandu, are family businesses. They are often small and brilliant and when they do reopen they will need our support more than ever. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/14947634

Lidl and Richard Bampfield MW: Summer Specials from Lidl 06/17/2020

Sustainability in the Wine Trade: Elena Carretero of the Santa Rita Group 06/09/2020

Sustainability in the Wine Trade: Elena Carretero of the Santa Rita Group Across the world of wine we hear the word 'Sustainable' again and again. Very often it's linked to a 'green movement' of some vague description, 'organic viticulture' and its dislike of artificial fertilisers or just plain old 'keeping the land in a good condition to pass on to the kids'! Sustainability is much more and all of these. In this podcast we hear from Santa Rita that it covers Vineyards, Cellars, Workers and Community, Marketing and Suppliers - effectively everything from the soil to the bottle and all the way to you! Elena Carretero is a leading expert on the subject of sustainability and for many years now has been Sustainability Director with the in South America. In this podcast Elena brings us into her world where every facet of the Santa Rita Group is linked into being a sustainable enterprise that can be Defined, Measured and Managed. "Viña Santa Rita and its subsidiaries were the first of Chile’s major wine groups to attain certification in December 2011, including Santa Rita, Carmen, Nativa, and Terra Andina, covering 2,325 hectares that make up 75% of the vineyards that we own, as well as 500 hectares belonging to our suppliers: .... Enjoy - and next time you crack open your favourite bottle from Santa Rita remember that the logo on the back label really does mean something substantial. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland are closed right now they WILL open again. We all hope that this is soon. We should remember that many of these, including the wonderful Monty's of Kathmandu, are family businesses. They are often small and brilliant and when they do reopen they will need our support more than ever. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/14753180

Charlie Herring: Tim Phillips' Walled Vineyard in the New Forest 06/03/2020

Charlie Herring: Tim Phillips' Walled Vineyard in the New Forest Where to start with Tim Phillips? Rome? South Africa? Montepulciano? The New Forest in Hampshire? It's an interesting list and makes a fascinating podcast! This is very much a story of 'How to When Noone had Even Thought it Possible' sort of podcast. Fabulous and Brilliant. This is . Before our current lockdown travel restrictions the WinePod was due to visit the New Forest in Hampshire to help advertise a number of wine talks due to take place at the .* One of these talks and tastings would have been presented by Tim Phillips, owner and winemaker at the . Charlie Herring is a walled vineyard in the New Forest. It has history! Tim Phillips transformed an old estate garden into a biodynamic vineyard of the most beguiling kind. Is this is 'cutting edge viticulture meets up with garagiste winemaking' or is it 'how to make your dreams come true'? Listen in ... Tim even has a solera .. Rather than let the opportunity to work with two exceptional New Forest businesses slip by I recorded an interview with Tim via Zoom. Let's face it, we need local business to reopen and to survive. Within the world of wine most vineyards across the globe are family owned and small enterprises. The same applies to the hospitality and tourist trade. We must do all we can to help them get back on their feet. These talks/tasting will go ahead at some stage - hopefully soon. * is owned and run by Cheryl and Ciaran Maher. There is a close family connection to everyone here at the Winepod! That, however, is not the story. No, the story is that Daisybank is a uniqe experience. It has won numerous awards and, situated in Brockenhurst, is constantly mentioned as one of the very best places to stay in the New Forest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland are closed right now they WILL open again. We all hope that this is soon. We should remember that many of these, including the wonderful Monty's of Kathmandu, are family businesses. They are often small and brilliant and when they do reopen they will need our support more than ever. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/14680115

Marlings: The Story of a Vineyard in the Extraordinary New Forest 05/27/2020

Marlings: The Story of a Vineyard in the Extraordinary New Forest is a vineyard in Hampshire that makes award winning wine and carries the - 'an accreditation scheme set up to develop and support the production, processing and distribution of local produce from the New Forest'. Before our current lockdown travel restrictions the WinePod was due to visit the New Forest to help advertise a number of wine talks due to take place at another member of the New Forest Marque - the .* One of these talks and tastings would have been presented by Paul Cartmell, owner at Marlings. Rather than let the opportunity to work with two exceptional New Forest businesses slip by I recorded an interview with Paul via Zoom. Let's face it, we need local business to reopen and to survive. Within the world of wine most vineyards across the globe are family owned and small enterprises. The same applies to the hospitality and tourist trade. We must do all we can to help them get back on their feet. These talks/tasting will go ahead at some stage - hopefully soon. Piotr Nahajski- Marlings Viticulturist and Winemaker is a fabulous story of a small vineyard in the UK, England, Hampshire and the New Forest. In this podcast we learn what its like to be at the cutting edge of a new and interesting wine style and region. What to plant? How to plant? What to make? This is 'Farm to Plate' at its best! * is owned and run by Cheryl and Ciaran Maher. There is a close family connection to everyone here at the Winepod! That, however, is not the story. No, the story is that Daisybank is an extraordinary experience. It has won numerous awards and, situated in Brockenhurst, is constantly mentioned as one of the very best places to stay in the New Forest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- While all restaurants in Ireland are closed right now they WILL open again. We all hope that this is soon. We should remember that many of these, including the wonderful Monty's of Kathmandu, are family businesses. They are often small and brilliant and when they do reopen they will need our support more than ever. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/14585204

Stefano Gagliardo: Barolo and Family, a Class apart. 05/20/2020

Stefano Gagliardo: Barolo and Family, a Class apart. Stefano Gagliardo's family make some of the finest expressions of Barolo from vineyards (Piedmont: NW Italy) that his father Gianni took charge of in the 1970's. The very best land is essential to producing quality Nebbiolo grapes and that's what we find every time we are fortunate to taste a In this podcast Stefano explains the intricacies involved in working the land organically with an increasing emphasis on biodynamic principles. He also tells us how he microvinifies some of his finest plots to make unique wines that answer solely to their tiny terroir, as MEGA designated Cru wines (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive -additional geographic mentions), why he favours large barrels and lots lots more. The Gagliardo team and family. A class act. Nebbiolo continues to hold sway as Italy's finest grape and Barolo it's finest wine. Alongside these Gagliardo has always worked with the Roero Arneis, Favorita (a Vermentino grown away from the sea!) and Moscato to make white wines, Nebbiolo for Langhe Nebbiolo, Barbera for an Asti of that name and now also for the new label from the equally new NIZZA DOC- one of my favourite styles of Barbera ever! "Our land is alive and clean. We take care of our vines one by one, because each one is different from the others. We make wine by seeking the minimum technical intervention, following the principle of knowing more in order to be able to intervene less. In wines we seek balance, elegance, purity of expression. If a wine does not satisfy us, we do not go out on the market". is distributed in Ireland by ------------------------------------------------------------------------ While all restaurants in Ireland are closed right now they WILL open again. We all hope that this is soon. We should remember that many of these, including the wonderful Monty's of Kathmandu, are family businesses. They are often small and brilliant and when they do reopen they will need our support more than ever. Keep Safe and Keep well. Kevin Ecock's WinePod is brought to us with the assistance of the - an excellent place to host your next event or celebration. Contact Shiva at 01 -6704911 or at the Santa Rita Wine Room web page. /episode/index/show/winepod/id/14495525