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.
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Sebastian Labbé of Santa Rita Estates: Innovation in the Wine Trade
08/04/2020
Sebastian Labbé of Santa Rita Estates: Innovation in the Wine Trade
I first met when he was head winemaker at the brilliant , part of the in Chile. In that role he was a frequent visitor to Ireland. The tastings he hosted were fascinating lectures on how to make excellent wine from excellent vineyards. He was always looking forward. Today Sebastian is the head winemaker for the Santa Rita Estates Ultra Premium Wines. His quest for seeking the very best from the land continues through a detailed series of innovative techniques and ideas. All are founded on an absolute adherance to the Santa Rita Estates' code of Sustainability**. In this podcast Sebastian guides us through various facets of his work with Santa Rita's very top wines. He generously brings us into a world of brilliance and innovation. This is a quest where excellence is always the ultimate goal. to Elena Carretero, Director of Sustainability at Santa Rita Estates. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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Maison Champy: Burgundian Aristocracy
07/21/2020
Maison Champy: Burgundian Aristocracy
began in 1720 and has the honourable distinction of being the oldest wine company in Burgundy. Extraordinary. Brilliance, of course, needs quite a lot more than venerability! Three centuries might simply imply dusty cellars. Not so with Maison Champy who in 1866 helped Louis Pasteur develop his, 'Etudes sur le Vin: Diseases, Causes, New Process to Keep and Age Wine'. Then in 1890 (celebrating 170 years young) Maison Champy built a new winery in Beaune using Eiffel's (he of the Tower) architecture. By 1912 87% of the vineyards owned by Champy were of Cru appellation. Today Maison Champy has a new boutique and tasting rooms in the heart of Beaune opposite the Hospices de Beaune and has developed a new logo and design for its branded wines. Nothing dusty here! In this podcast Technical Director and Oenologist for the past 20 years at Maison Champy, , brings us up to speed with the vineyards and wines of of this amazing house. The wines of Maison Champy are distributed by . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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Santalba : a Rioja Podcast with Bodega Santalba
07/15/2020
Santalba : a Rioja Podcast with Bodega Santalba
in the Rioja region of Northern Spain opens its web page with, '... the best grapes and the experience of previous generations comprise the formula to achieve the highest quality end product. Ancient Traditions and Modern Times. .. In this podcast Roberto Ijalba, son of founder Santiago Ijalba ( whose name was shortened to Santalba), guides us through the region, his wines and his family tradition. Ireland is a top 10 destination for the wines of Rioja. We love the styles of wine that Rioja has to offer. How does the local climate, soils, topography and local traditions in Rioja come together to bring us such a diverse range of unique wines? Enjoy. As with all our podcasts these days we recorded Roberto via Zoom to our home studio. Many thanks to our producer Justin Ecock in Toronto for his help in bringing the sound together. The bird chirruping in the background is all the way from Rioja! The wines of Santalba are distributed by . ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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Martin Kaiser of Doña Paula: A podcast with 'Viticulturist of the Year in Argentina'.
07/07/2020
Martin Kaiser of Doña Paula: A podcast with 'Viticulturist of the Year in Argentina'.
is the Argentine arm of the . In this podcast Martin Kaiser, wine maker and viticulturist at Doña Paula tells us that Doña Paula is an Estate winery and as such all of the grapes they use are grown on their own land. Where the grapes are grown is decided by an ultra scientific approach to an analysis of the varied soils high up in the Andes of Mendoza. It's fascinating. For a quick peek at this We are introduced here to Doña Paula by the (very good and widely availaable) Los Cardos varietal wines. Martin then introduces his other ranges including the fabulous Altitude Blends, the Estate Wine labels and of course how could we forget the The day before we recorded this podcast Martin Kaiser was awarded the fabulous accolade by Tim Atkin MW 'highlighting Martin's continued focus on terroir'. Tim knows his wines to the nth degree and this is one of the very genuine awards that recognises true talent. Congratulations Martin. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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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.
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Lidl and Richard Bampfield MW: Summer Specials from Lidl
06/17/2020
Lidl and Richard Bampfield MW: Summer Specials from Lidl
brings us an interesting and wide variety of wine styles. At times the selection available might be seasonal or themed. To help us through the eclectic nature of wine specials, grape types and areas of origin Lidl employs the services of a , to help us. To help us even further Lidl has a (flattering) photo of Richard beside each of its wine sections. In this podcast we chat with Richard about Lidl, his 100 point Scores and the current selection of summer wine styles available at Lidl. We begin with the Gavi at €9.99 mention the Sparkling Ribolla Gialla €16.99 and along the way find time for Refosco, Rias Baixas, Rueda, Toro and many, many others. I concentrate in this podcast (mainly!) on Iberian and Italian styles but you will also find over the course of summer 2020 a selection available from both New Zealand and South America. As with most of my chat podcasts we manage here to drift across Champagne, Cava, South Africa, Portugal - and beyond. As we said at the beginning brings us an interesting and wide variety of wine styles. Enjoy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Wink Lorch: Author and Educator: Jura Wine and Wines of the French Alps
05/13/2020
Wink Lorch: Author and Educator: Jura Wine and Wines of the French Alps
published '' in 2014 and followed it with '' in 2019. Both books were researched to the 'nth' degree, very well laid out and filled important gaps that had been left behind by almost every wine book before them. These are books that every wine library, educator and sommelier should have, read and use. They are travelogues, they bring us detailed wine and food knowledge and, most importantly, introduce us to the people and artisans of the regions involved. In this podcast Wink talks of the pitfalls associated with self publishing and how she became a leading expert on wines that are unique among their peers. We are introduced to the vagaries and brilliance of Jura Wine and then (almost have time to) touch on the wines of the French Alps: Savoie, Bugey and Beyond Wink is a founding member of the , is a member of the has contributed to many books and publications and continues to lecture widely. see: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Sam Barry talks Jim Barry Wines: A Beacon of Brilliance
05/05/2020
Sam Barry talks Jim Barry Wines: A Beacon of Brilliance
is in the Clare Valley of South Australia. The valley is synonymous with quality wine and even boasts a Riesling Bike Trail! Jim Barry was an impressive individual - the first professionally qualified winemaker ever employed in the Clare and the 17th Degree in Oenology from the famous Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947. 60 years ago he began his own operation and today under the guidance of his son Peter and grandchildren, Tom, Sam and Olivia has been named by Australia's wine bible, James Hallidays Wine Companion. The Jim Barry story is facinating. Look it up . Their vineyards are impeccable and their wines are sensational. In this podcast Sam Barry joined us (via a Zoom link) to talk about growing up in a wine family and how proud that family is in carrying on the Jim Barry legacy. (The Jim Barry Wines are distributed in Ireland by ) “Sometimes it takes longer than a lifetime to do a lifetime's work.” Jim Barry ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Brian Maloney of de Loach Vineyards, Sonoma and the Russian River Valley
04/28/2020
Brian Maloney of de Loach Vineyards, Sonoma and the Russian River Valley
is one of the very great wines from the Sonoma Valley in California. In this podcast Director of Wine at de Loach, Brian Maloney, talks to us about growing up on a farm in Sonoma, joining the wine trade and ultimately, under the stewardship of the Boisset family, becoming one of the foremost authorities on winemaking across the region. Brian tells us about how he brings out the best from Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (and then mentions Ribolla Gialla!) His wines are soft, generous, crisp and characterful. They reflect terroir and Brians skills, can be drunk young and age well. As with all of our podcast these days we recorded this via Zoom and our trusty H6 recorder. Thanks to Liberty Wines Ireland for their help in making this magic happen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Stuart Dudley: Villa Maria Viticulturist and Vintage (Movie ) Star
04/15/2020
Stuart Dudley: Villa Maria Viticulturist and Vintage (Movie ) Star
Before everything locked down we had the distinct honor of chatting to Villa Maria viticulturist Stuart Dudley. The occasion was the premier of the movie 'Vintage'. It was a suitably glittering launch held at the Stella in Rathmines and hosted by Irish agents Barry Fitzwilliam. and yes, I managed to forget Stuart was the viticulturist and not the winemaker!! Blame the popcorn. Stuart entertaining Tomas Clancy at the Stella event Vintage follows the major players as they take on the task of bringing grapes in for a vintage in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. This is a hands on movie best viewed with a glass of Villa Maria close by! It's a really great watch and highly recommended. Watch a trailer . We recorded this podcast on a make shift 'studio' at the stage in Rathmines just before the movie began. My photo doesn't do us justice. It was quite innovative and Stuart was brilliant. Villa Maria continues to make great wine. They can only do this by growing great grapes. That's Stuart's job spec and this is his podcast. For more on Villa Maria listen to our Villa Maria podcast from last year with . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Laurent Miquel: Lanquedoc Magic
04/07/2020
Laurent Miquel: Lanquedoc Magic
In this episode we are joined by Neasa Miquel. Neasa is from Ireland and has worked alongside her husband Laurent to make the family estate in the Languedoc into one the finest of its kind. Visit their website. It's an informative trove about the Miquel estates and the wines of the Languedoc. This podcast was recorded via Zoom as Neasa (along with the rest of France) is in lockdown at the family farm. How are they coping? What are the wines that the Miquel label brings to us? How have they been so innovative over the years in championing Viognier, Syrah and Albarino from the south of France? Listen to the podcast! The Laurent Miquel wines are brought to us by the team at Dunnes Stores while a couple of estate labels are also imported by O'Briens Wines. Neasa, Laurent and Kevin Ecock at a Dunnes Stores tasting 2018 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Marius Kotze of la Motte and Leopards Leap in South Africa
04/01/2020
Marius Kotze of la Motte and Leopards Leap in South Africa
Clearly a few days can make a difference! I recorded with Marius Kotze ( and ) when he was in town just a few weeks ago. He was participating at his agents' () portfolio tasting. Brilliant event held at the Market Bar on Fade Street. Packed to the rafters with customers and filled with excellent wines. This interview followed on from an earlier thirty minutes spent with Marius last year. . Our podcast today must, by the very nature of how Cophid19 has affected us all, be treated as a time capsule. Incredible three weeks. Marius told us today that,' We cannot sell in any channel in the local market and we are not allowed to export at this stage . We hope government can give us relief after the 21 days to at least export . The harvest is in the cellar, so they allowed as to make the wines but we cannot sell. For our tourism business it is disaster because both our restaurants are shut down so once things are back to normal again we have to find creative ways to get the tourist back to SA and also back to our vineyards'. I expect the word 'disaster' was chosen with a healthy dose of precision. Keep Safe and Keep Well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Majorca Wine: Jose Gonzalez of Can Xanet
03/23/2020
Majorca Wine: Jose Gonzalez of Can Xanet
There is no doubt that many island wineries will find it hard to 'tough it out' this year. Many depend on a tourist market to drink their wines. There are no tourists. Other's are totally dependent on export markets that have, for the time being, ceased to trade. And yet their grapes continue to grow, their vineyards continue to need maintenance and their families need to be looked after. Tough times. Recently the WinePod recorded a fascinating interview with Jose Gonzalez, owner and winemaker at . We wish him, and his colleagues across the island, well. In this podcast we learn new grapes, old ideas, new innovation and a willingness to face adversity. This is what Islanders have always had to do. Hopefully their current difficulties will not leave scars when the good times return. The Can Xanet Wines are distributed across 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.
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Prophets Rock in Central Otago: a Paul Pujol Winemaker Podcast
03/17/2020
Prophets Rock in Central Otago: a Paul Pujol Winemaker Podcast
A Prophet on St Patrick's Day! A coincidence and a welcome one. The world and the world of wine is packed full of great people and great stories. Right now as we battle against something we can't see and, hopefully, an enemy most of us will never feel we need to believe that what we have achieved to date is worthwhile and that we will be able to pick up the reins again in the near future. Keep Safe and Keep Well. is a winery in Central Otago on the South Island in New Zealand. It's winemaker is Paul Pujol. They make some of the finest and most natural wines in the world. Paul has a fine story to tell and we are so glad he came in to the WinePod to tell it to us. Prophet's Rock wines are distributed in Ireland by Gilbeys/ Bibendum. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Springfield Estate: South African Treasure
03/10/2020
Springfield Estate: South African Treasure
The WinePod recently met up with Jenna Bruwer of - one of our MOST favourite wine estates in the whole world! Why? Honesty. Springfield is in Robertson, South Africa. The Bruwer family has been running the Estate quite simply for a very, very long time. In this podcast Jenna tells us how they make their wines and why they are unique. It's amazing, for instance, to see how different the two Sauvignon Blanc wines (Life from Stone and Special Cuvee) are and then find that their grapes are grown so close to each other. It's equally fascinating to hear that the family loses the odd vintage completely as they focus on being natural wine makers - sometimes it just doesn't work!! Bonkers or Brilliance? Enjoy this podcast and have a look out for wines at a store or restaurant near you. In Ireland the wines are distributed by Classic Drinks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Warren Gibson of Trinity Hill: a Hawkes Bay Podcast
02/24/2020
Warren Gibson of Trinity Hill: a Hawkes Bay Podcast
The WinePod met Warren Gibson recently for a podcast chat with a view to understanding how his wines at are among the most awarded in the world. Trinity Hill is a modern winery situated on the North Island of New Zealand in Hawkes Bay. Their vineyards are planted on the unique soils found on the Gimblett Gravels - reckoned to be New Zealand's premier red wine region. In their own words Trinity Hill has a, 'philosophy of "Quality rather than Quantity" ... controlled yields ensure the intensity of flavour and elegant styles for which Trinity Hill is renowned'. This is a fascinating podcast. We learned all about the brilliance of the Gimblett Gravels and even had time to taste Warren's Icon wine 'Homage'. Fabulous! Trinity Hill is distributed in Ireland by Liberty Wines ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Gonzalez Byass: Tio Pepe and a Whole lot More!
02/19/2020
Gonzalez Byass: Tio Pepe and a Whole lot More!
At the recent SuperValu Spanish Wine Sale Wine Fair I met up with Bernardo Hualde from Gonzalez Byass. Our 'studio' was a piece of a corridor. Thanks for putting up with me Bernardo!! In my head when I hear the name Gonzalez Byass I still think 'Sherry and only Sherry'. I also think Top Class, Quality and Tio Pepe. Image shows wine journalist Leslie Williams attempting to hone his Tio Pepe venenciador skills at the SuperValu Spanish Wine Fair. Nothing wrong with this other than its 'old thinking' and way behind the cue ball! Today Gonzalez Byass is, of course, but IS ALSO the owner of a host of additional wineries both in Spain and abroad. See for the full list that includes incredible names as Jackson Estates, Domain Wachau and Neil Ellis. In this podcast Bernardo focuses on the Gonzalez Byass wines that are available at this SuperValu Sale. They include a fabulous Gewurztraminer from Vinas del Vero in Somontano and an intriguing ACE Kicker Big Bet Blend from Tierra de Castilla. Along the way Bernardo also guides us through Gonzalez Byass Sherries - sure we wouldn't have it any other way! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Casa Santos Lima: A Portuguese Wines Podcast
02/14/2020
Casa Santos Lima: A Portuguese Wines Podcast
is a big player in the world of wines in Portugal. It is also a family owned and run company. The company and its ancestral vineyards are situated near Lisbon. The wines that they produce today straddle the entire country and include regions such as the Douro, Algarve, Alentejo and Vinho Verde. Four generations of the Santos Lima family has been making wine from just north of Lisbon and today accounts for 40% of all wines in that region! Access to fruit from across so many vineyards in Portugal allows Casa Santos Lima to produce a great variety of unique wine styles. In this Podcast Sebastiao Garcia Export Manager at Casa Santos Lima tells us all about this fascinating company and its wines. Along the way he tells us of the delights we will miss out on if don't explore Portugal and its wines! Portugal is one of the truly great wine producing nations. It has a unique collection of grapes and this allows it to produce a unique collection of the most fascinating wines available to us. At the heart of this is Casa Santos Lima. Enjoy the story. The wines of Casa Santos Lima are distributed in Ireland by Classic Drinks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Vina Aresti from the Curico Valley in Chile: a podcast with winemaker Juan Ignacio Montt
01/29/2020
Vina Aresti from the Curico Valley in Chile: a podcast with winemaker Juan Ignacio Montt
Chile is an exceptional country to grow vines in. Indeed, it is also the leading country of origin on our shelves here in Ireland and our brand leader (by quite a margin) is the Santa Rita label. Vine growing in Chile is mainly concentrated in valleys running away from the Andes towards the Pacific Ocean. Over time the unique characteristics of these valleys and their contribution to ripening grapes have been analysed and studied. This has led to Cabernet Sauvignon perfection from the Maipo and crisp Sauvignon Blancs from the Casablanca Valleys. It's a great story. Have a look at the web site, explore each the main valleys and see how they are being developed. is unusual in Chile. It doesn't try to explore multiple valleys but instead focuses all of its winemaking from grapes grown in the one valley - the Curico. This is the largest of the 'wine valleys', lies 200 kms south of Santiago and has an incredible range of microclimates and soil types. See for a fabulous and detailed account. It's a great download. Vina Aresti winemaker Juan Ignacio Montt dropped in to the WinePod and explained all! (The Aresti labels are sold in Ireland through the SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave Retail Partners outlets) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Changyu Moser: Top class Wine from China
01/23/2020
Changyu Moser: Top class Wine from China
Lenz Moser is an extraordinary and very affable winemaker. It has always been a pleasure meeting up with him. Lenz is an Austrian with a tremendous history of promoting Gruner Veltliner wines from Austria. For the past ten years, however, he has been making wine from grapes grown in the Ningxia province of China. The winery is called and lies just to the west of Beijing. Ningxia is China's premier grape growing region and Changyu is China's leading wine producer. The labels that Lenz brought with him to Dublin late last year (imported and distributed by ) were both Cabernet Sauvignon based - one was a white wine and the other a red wine. Both had been produced from the same crop of grapes. Now that IS a fabulously interesting story. Wine from China? Yes, please. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Lingenfelder: A German Wine Star
01/07/2020
Lingenfelder: A German Wine Star
Georg Lingenfelder has a rich history to draw from. His family has been making wine in the Pfalz region of Germany since 1520! Georg is the 14th generation of Lingenfelder winemakers. Have a look at the Lingenfelder history on their website . It's a captivating story. Georg visited the WinePod late last year at the O'Briens Wine Festival held at Dublin Castle. He told us of his family and their wines. It's a great story and one that continues to evolve as Germany reaps the benefits of warmer summers. See for a listing of Lingenfelder wines available in Ireland. See our blog at for reviews. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Tandem Wines in Navarra: a José María Fraile podcast
12/24/2019
Tandem Wines in Navarra: a José María Fraile podcast
Every time I meet José María I learn more about one of Spain's most magical wine regions - Navarra. He is impressively generous with his time, passion and knowledge. is a boutique winery established in 2003 by José María Fraile, winemaker Alicia Eyaralar and, as they tell us, 'a small group of wine-loving relatives and friends'. The result is a collection of inspiring wines marketed under fabulous labels from a region that deserves wider recognition. Listen here to José María tells us all about Navarra, and its wines. Then head out to O'Briens Wines (import and distribute Tandem) and pick up a Tandem Label. You will not be disappointed! These wines are exacting in their representation of the Yerri Valley, high altitude vines and immaculate winemaking. My favourite? Which to choose? Maybe - after all the name means 'without blemish'! Or how about - Art in Glass …. they're all worth looking out for! Oh, and lets not forget the Ros Rose produced by Lynne Coyle MW, Director of Wine at O'Briens, in association with Bodega Tandem. It's really very good indeed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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A Greywacke podcast with winemaker Kevin Judd: What makes Greywacke so Brilliant?
12/18/2019
A Greywacke podcast with winemaker Kevin Judd: What makes Greywacke so Brilliant?
Kevin and Kimberley Judd held a lunch and tasting at the Cliff Townhouse recently. I had never met either before. I am now so glad that I have. Wonderful people. This podcast has a few restaurant noises in the background! Busy place. Bear with us though because when Kevin gets into his stride he brings us more than a few gems of wisdom. The '' label has some of the finest wines made. This year I was happy to recommend the Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2016 as one of the '100 Awesome Wines' as published by the . (Yes, I'm a member!!) It was one of my favorite wines of the whole year. What is Greywacke? Where does it come from? What makes it so special? Why do I have a Greywacke Pinot Noir poster on my office wall? These and a lot more (not the last one) are answered here by Kevin Judd. Indeed, he goes further and gives us an insight into the future of winemaking in New Zealand. Enjoy ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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a Pierangelo Tommasi podcast: Exquisite Family Estates; Brilliant Wines
12/05/2019
a Pierangelo Tommasi podcast: Exquisite Family Estates; Brilliant Wines
Valpolicella, Amarone, Oltrepo Pavese, Montalcino, Maremma Toscana, Manduria Puglia, Paternoster Vulture, De Buris These are all Tommasi Estates and Tommasi Wines in Italy. Each is magnificent. In this podcast Pierangelo Tommasi brings us on a journey through time and place. Along the way he explains the differences between the Passito and Appassimento processes, between Valpolicella and Amarone della Valpolicella, between growing grapes in the North of Italy and those grown in the South. THIS IS A SUPER STORY OF A FAMILY MAKING GREAT WINES. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.
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Ben Glaetzer and Nick Keukenmeester; a superb double act from Australia
11/26/2019
Ben Glaetzer and Nick Keukenmeester; a superb double act from Australia
invited me to a tasting of the wines of recently. Fabulous I said. A wine legend that I had never met and whose wines from the Barossa had never crossed my lips! Perversely I knew the '' wines from the lesser known region of south of Adelaide. Such are the vagaries of wine distribution! Ben had decided in the 1990's that Langhorne Creek fruit had fabulous potential. He has, with partner Nick Keukenmeester, achieved this. Heartland wines are so accessible that its web site statement rings true every time I read it, 'You can Taste it From Where You are'. I arranged a half an hour podcast. Brilliant. Homework done on the Glaetzer Wines (only) I headed to the venue. (Excellent by the way - Milltown Golf Club). My first introduction was to Nick! Great. I only had two mikes - one for me and one for Ben. …. I had no idea that Nick would be there also. Hold on. It's Bonus Time for the podcast ..... The Glaetzer Wines hold within their bottles the very soul of Barossa Shiraz. They are low intervention wines made from grapes grown on very old vines (up to 110 years old!) in the Ebenezer area of the northern Barossa. In this podcast Ben explains the styles and love behind his extraordinary labels. In addition, both Ben and Nick bring the Langhorne Creek Heartland Wines alive for us. It really is a secret and almost hidden region that needs to be one no longer! Thanks to both Ben Glaetzer and to Nick Keukenmeester for the time, energy and wines. It was fabulous meeting you both. Your wines are magnificent. Thanks to Robb Wines for the event and distribution of these wines. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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a 'de Martino' podcast: Chile Superstars
11/19/2019
a 'de Martino' podcast: Chile Superstars
The has been growing grapes and producing wine in Chile since the 1930's. Today their wines are among the most awarded, most sought after and most interesting produced in South America. Here's a sample: One of the best wineries in Robert Parker's 'Extraordinary Winery Awards'; Alistair Cooper MW places Viejas Tinajas Cinsault into Decanter as one of the finest of its kind in the world; De Martino listed by Wine & Spirits among the top 100 wineries in the world. . Sebastian De Martino dropped in to the WinePod recently. He tells us in this podcast of how his family has explored and continues to explore vineyards from all across Chile; why they have always been organic; their use of old tinaja's - and how they find them; and much, much more. 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.
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