The 2020French Wine Discoveries Fair will take place in Dublin in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8 on Tuesday 14th January 2020 and will feature a number of family boutique wine producers and Wine Traders, all of whom will be seeking representation on the Irish market. The 2020 French Wine Discoveries Fair will showcase a number of French wines regions including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Languedoc/Roussillon, Loire Valley, Rhône Valley, and Provence
RSVP to
Jean Smullen Email: [email protected]
Telephone (086) 816 8468
Master Class Pinot Noir with Martin Moran MW
12:30 – 14:00
Come and explore New Zealand Pinot Noir with Master of Wine Martin Moran. There is no doubting the ever-increasing quality of New Zealand Pinot Noir but in the past 15 years, a growing number of producers have been heading away from the free-draining valley floors towards the richer soils of the hills in search of denser Pinot Noir expression. Martin will provide an introduction to this at the Annual Trade Tasting in Dublin on Monday 13th January, 2020. The Masterclass is only open to trade and press and must be pre-booked. Contact [email protected] to secure a place.
New Zealand in a Glass
Monday 13th January, 2020
Open to trade and press from 14:00 – 18:00
Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8.
Congratulations to Irish Guild of Sommeliers Vice President Julie Dupouy Young on being named one of the “Future 50” by an international panel of judges
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) have announced the final Future 50 Awards list at the IWSC’s Annual Awards Banquet. The Future 50 is a new initiative, created by WSET and IWSC in celebration of their joint 50th birthdays, to select 50 future influencers of the global drinks industry.
The final list is an exciting collection of the brightest talent from around the globe covering 14 countries, with roles as diverse as distiller, viticulturalist, historian, bartender and food and beverage activist.
The Future 50 have been identified as the wine, spirit and sake industry’s up-and-coming talent from all areas of the trade who have made a significant contribution to the industry in the last three years. Choosing the winners was an exhaustive two-stage vetting process using the knowledge and authority of an illustrious panel of expert judges from around the world. These include Stephanie Macleod (Master Blender, Dewar’s), Richard Paterson (Master Blender, Whyte & MacKay), Xavier Rousset MS (restaurateur), Joe Fattorini (The Wine Show), Ian Harris (WSET) and Allen Gibbons (IWSC), supported by a global regional advisory panel covering 17 countries.
There were more than 600 nominations for the first round, a long list of professionals working as winemakers and distillers, in product development, design and distribution, marketing, journalism, hospitality and everything in between. This longlist was whittled down to 200 in the second round, then to a final shortlist of 82 names.
WSET Chief Executive, Ian Harris, says, “We are delighted with the final Future 50 list. It offers a real showcase of the young talent that we have in the wine, spirit and sake industries globally. Each of the winners should be very proud of this acknowledgement of their contribution to the industry. We are looking forward to seeing them making their mark and shaping the future of our industry.”
IWSC Chief Executive in Fine Wines and Spirits, Christelle Guibert, says, “Narrowing down the 600+ nominations we received from around the world was a rigorous and lengthy process, with each candidate showing a wealth of talent and expertise. We are confident that the final 50 showcases the brightest sparks of the wine, spirits and sake industries, and look forward to seeing their careers develop over the coming years.”
Honestly, I have had one of the most amazing weeks. For the last few months I have been practicing and practicing for the World cocktail championships, when we arrived in Chengdu I spent every spare minute with my ironing board in the room practicing again and again and the outcome was worth all the work.
It resulted in a gold medal and an award for best young bartender. All of that is great for me but the best part of all is that I get to represent my country, my wonderful industry and the bartenders association of Ireland. It filled me with ecstatic pride to wear a green blazer adorned with the shape of our little rock on it and see the reaction of others as the Irish team spent every minute together. Any bartender in Ireland is winner already if they look around and see the support that we can give to each other.
I wanted to thank all of the bartenders and friends who sent well wishes. I was very unconnected in china but it was overwhelming and very inspirational to see the support we were given. At the event Declan Byrne, Andy O’Gorman, Ariel Sanecki and Michał Gadzała were the best travelling companions you could ask for taking me through my routine and supporting me where and when I needed it.
Also the Alan Kavanagh and the team behind us all the way at Edward Dillon, they made it possible for me to represent Ireland and for this I will be forever grateful, we achieved a wonderful result for the Bartenders association of Ireland and for all the supporters behind it.
For all those people wondering about entering the next cocktail competition that comes up, DO IT. If you lose…. Wait for the next one and do that one too and repeat the process. Regardless of the outcome, the cocktail competitions I have entered over the last few years have help to shape and change who I am and made me a better bartender and person because if it. It is always about the experience and journey and most importantly the friends we make along the way.
The diary is as busy as ever with lots of consumer wine fairs taking place in November. This weekend O’Briens Winter Wine Festival takes place in Cork (Nov 7th) and Dublin (8th & 9th) lots of producers attending, great opportunity to taste their portfolio.
Mitchell & Son have a Riedel Comparative Tasting in Ashbourne on November 14th. Not to be missed!John Wilson will present a Rioja Masterclass on Tuesday 19th November, 2019 at The Dean Hotel in Harcourt Street, Dublin 2. There will be two sessions, 11.00 – 12.00 a.m. or 3.00 – 4.30 p.m.
The tasting is only open to trade & press and places must be booked in advance. The focus on Spain’s flagship region will include a tasting of 12 wines and the presentation will highlight the latest developments in the region.
To book a place (please specify the time) please contact: Jean Smullen Email [email protected]or Tel: 086 816 8468
Whiskey Live Dublin 2019 is Ireland’s premier whiskey tasting event. With over 60 exhibitors, all providing whisk(e)y samples. Meet the faces behind your favourite brands, from both Ireland & across the globe. 22nd & 23rd November, 2019 at the Printworks in Dublin Castle. Look out for the exciting Masterclass programme which this year is the most exciting yet with classes presented by Teeling, Dingle, Tullamore DEW, Dublin Liberties, Glendalough, Diageo, Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace, Michters, Method & Madness, Mitchell &Sons, Macallan and Templeton Rye.
More details here https://www.eventbrite.ie/d/ireland/whiskey-live-dublin/
January 2020
Dates for your diary in January 2020. New Zealand Annual Trade Tasting Monday 13th January, 2020 and French Wine Discoveries Fair (all wineries seeking representation on the Irish market) Tuesday 14th January, 2020 both at the Radisson Blu in Golden Lane. More details to follow.
WINE DIARY HIGHLIGHTS FOR NOVEMBER ARE LISTED BELOW, CLICK ON BOX TO BRING YOU TO WEBSITE https://jeansmullen.com/
The Spanish region of Ribera del Duero is roughly two hours north of Madrid by car and has 22,040 ha of vineyards spread between four regional provinces, Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid. The great plateau of the Iberian Penisula lies between approximately 760 to 850 metres (2500 to 2800 feet) above sea level, with some vineyards as high as 945 metres (3,100 feet). According to the DO regulations, red wines must be made from at least 75% of the key grape red variety, Tinto del Pais, a clone of Tempranillo also known as Tinto Fino. 25% of the blend can be made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec.
In Ribera del Duero many of the producers prefer to use French oak to create the regions signature style. Their aim is to create a more vibrant, fruit-forward style of wine with a leaner finish and one that is not as influenced by wood ageing, more typical in other Spanish DO’s.
An Open Pour tasting for the trade and press will take place on Wed 23rd October, 2019 to showcase a number of producers from the region. All are seeking representation on the Irish market. The wines will be on show throughout the day. Trade & Press by invitation only.
RSVP: Jean Smullen Tel: (086) 816 8468 [email protected]
There are lots of trade and consumer events in the diary for October 2019. A few key events are highlighted below.
Alliance Wines Christmas tasting will take place in Lock’s Restaurant on October 3rd. Invitation only.
The Irish Wine Show Star Wine Awards will be announced by NoFFla at their trade show SIP 2019 Irish Wine Awards on October 7th. This is invitation only and is open to NoFFla members.
SPIT 2019 Portfolio tasting, this independent groups fifth tasting will take place on Thurs 24th October, 2019 at the Chocolate Factory Art Centre.
Ribera del Duero will hold at open pour tasting on October 24rd at O’Briens Wine School in Donnybrook.
Pembroke Wines will hold their 2019 Portfolio tasting on Tuesday 29th October, 2019 in the Cliff Townhouse Hotel on Stephen’s Green.
WINE DIARY HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUTUMN ARE LISTED BELOW, CLICK ON BOX TO BRING YOU TO WEBSITE https://jeansmullen.com/
The Vinous Young Wine Writer Fellowship is awarded annually to a selected writer with a passion for wine and an ambition to pursue a career in wine writing and journalism. The Vinous Young Wine Writer Fellow (“Fellow”) will receive:
1. A grant of $3,000 to help fund travel and research in a wine region that will be mutually agreed upon with Vinous
2. Mentoring from the Vinous team
3. The opportunity to have your work published on Vinous
Submission Guidelines:
1. A cover letter that describes your interest in wine and your career goals in the field
2. A current resume
3. Details of your intended use of the grant, including proposed travel destination and article(s) you expect to write
4. Links to published articles, including blog posts
5. An original wine related article of 1,000 to 1,500 words. The subject matter can be on anything to do with wine including, but not limited to, your experience of a particular wine, a visit to a producer or region, wine service and/or social commentary related to wine. Photographs and captions are not included as part of the word count. Selected applicants may also be given an opportunity to have their original works published on Delectable and/or Vinous.
Terms:
Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 35 (both inclusive) as of the submission date.
All submissions for the 2019 Fellowship must be received by November 30, 2019 at [email protected]
The recipient of the 2019 Vinous Young Wine Writer Fellowship will be announced in January 2020.
Submissions will be evaluated by the Vinous editorial team. All decisions are final.
Vinous retains all rights to writings by the Fellow that emerge as a result of travels funded by the Fellowship. The destination and travel period will be mutually agreed upon by the Fellow and Vinous. Vinous has the option, but not the obligation, to publish the Fellow’s articles as part of the Vinous Young Wine Writer Fellowship program.
Vinous does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation or marital status.
The information above is accurate as of September 18, 2019 and is subject to change.
Attica wine director Jane Lopes was stripped of her Master Sommelier title. Photo: Simon Schluter
Attica wine director Jane Lopes proved her mastery as a sommelier, only to have the recognition stripped away.
The Master Sommelier exam is considered the hardest exam in the world. It has a fiendishly low pass-rate, and since the first exam in 1969, only 262 people have passed the exam globally. (Well, there are currently 262 Master Sommeliers; 280 people have actually passed the exam – more on that later).
The Masters exam is the fourth and final level in a series of exams offered through the Court of Master Sommeliers. It is composed of three parts: an oral theory exam, a service portion, and a blind tasting of six wines in 25 minutes.
Candidates spend upwards of a decade, tens of thousands of dollars, and countless hours of study, practice and preparation to pass the exam. Once a candidate passes, they are a Master Sommelier for life (at least until recently – again, more on that later). There is no recertification, no further requirements for membership. One crosses immediately from mentee to mentor, from student to teacher, from candidate to Master. New Masters are publicly celebrated, revered for their determination and skill, offered pay rises and new positions, asked to teach and educate, and immediately welcomed into a superlative realm of professional achievement.
I passed the exam on September 5, 2018.
It was easily the hardest week of my life. I once read a quote that you’ll often look back on the hard times as being some of the most beautiful. These were not those times. The days leading up to, during, and after the exam were just plain miserable. I wasn’t sleeping more than a few hours each night, my stomach was in constant revolt, and I wavered between bouts of panic attacks and crying spells. Mental and physical health problems had plagued me most of my adult life, tending to flare up in high pressure situations. Not easy to admit, and perhaps not “masterly”, but…the truth.
Lopes: ‘Oddly enough, I do look back on these hard times as being beautiful.’ Photo: Wayne Taylor
Even after the exam was over – even after I was crowned a Master Sommelier – my mind and body hovered in residual panic. I still had trouble sleeping and eating for weeks after. While congratulatory emails, messages and calls rolled in, I had a hard time enjoying the post-pass glow. “How does it feel?! It must feel AHHHHHMAZING!” was the constant refrain. I would do my best to muster a believable, “Yes, of course, amazing!” all the while still trembling inside from the trauma of it all.
But at least I could take solace in the fact that it was over. I wouldn’t have to endure a week like that ever again.
On October 10, everything changed. I woke up to a flurry of activity on my phone. I had a few texts from my then-fiance now-husband (who had passed the exam a year before me in 2017). And a missed call from a member of the Board of Directors of the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas. But the first thing that caught my eye was a WhatsApp message from a friend in New York: “What’s going on with the CMS, are you still a Master Sommelier??”
I checked my email and found a media release from the Court, stating that, due to “clear evidence that a Master breached the confidentiality with respect to the wines presented for tasting”, the results of the tasting portion of the 2018 Master Sommelier exam were to be invalidated. All newly minted Masters who passed the tasting portion in 2018 would have to take and pass it again.
I read the media release over and over again, tears streaming down my face. I wasn’t in disbelief that cheating had occurred. I was in disbelief that the Board would take this course of action.
I got on the phone with my Board liaison and bombarded him with questions. What was the rush? Why was I not notified personally before the media release went out? Is there really no possible way to investigate and find out who was involved and who wasn’t? Would the same action have been taken if a discovery was made about last year’s exam or the year before? Or were we deemed more expendable because we had only been Masters for five weeks? Do they really think every Master Sommelier can pass this exam every time? What stigma will be created if we don’t pass the retest? Will the assumption be that we cheated? How am I supposed to tell people what is happening – people who have offered me opportunities based on my new credential? And am I still a Master Sommelier? When and how will that title be stripped?
I read the media release over and over again, tears streaming down my face.
He didn’t give me any answers, and instead read off a script that had been given to him. The thesis, without any proof or reasoning to back it up, was that “this was the only way”.
In the days to follow, one of these questions was answered. I was given written notice, per the bylaws of the organisation, that my membership in the Court was to be suspended in 30 days.
No other questions were addressed. Without any further information from the Board, our class began to collect some pieces of the puzzle ourselves. We discovered that an email had been written the morning of the tasting exam by a senior Master Sommelier, who was a member of the Board of Directors. The recipients were blind copied, but we found first-hand that there were three recipients, with rumours of one more. The email revealed the identity of two of the six wines in the blind tasting exam: a pinot grigio and a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Put to the test: Jane Lopes. Photo: Simon Schluter
The Board stated publicly that they had received the information about the breach on October 5, 2018. They also stated that they made their decision concerning the invalidation of the exam and the subsequent stripping of titles on October 8. And, somewhere in there, they claimed thorough investigation and painstaking deliberation took place. All the decades of dedication that led to those credentials being achieved were cast aside in three days and two Board meetings.
The Board did not claim there was any evidence to suggest that the confidential information went beyond the recipients of the email. But for whatever reason – and I have my theories – the Board had decided that a retest was the only option, never mind the cost to the organisation, the dangerous precedent set, and the harm to those who lost their pin.
Our class was dragged through waves of internal and public doubt. I had to watch as my name was plastered in the Australian media, with headlines like “Australia’s First Female Master Sommelier in Cheating Scandal.” Others in our group were pulled out of Introductory exams they had already signed on to teach. Yet others lost pending promotions and raises. The class of 2018 was immediately shoved back across the line, mastery stripped, and lacquered with a veil of suspicion.
In this time, I began to drink more heavily. I usually never imbibe during my work week, but in the first few weeks after the revelation, I needed something at night to dull the pain and numb my mind. Not easy to admit, perhaps not “masterly”, but…the truth. I made myself a Manhattan most nights. I needed a drink that was strong, quick to make, and went down easy. I’d pour a couple fingers of rye whiskey in a glass, top it with about half as much sweet vermouth, dash in some Angostura Bitters, drop a big ice cube in, and skewer a few brandied cherries. (I still managed to be fancy even in my rush for a quick buzz.)
Oddly enough, I do look back on these hard times as being beautiful. With the help of my trusty Manhattan, I slept through the night. My stomach was at ease. The panic and anxiety that had surrounded the exam was replaced with anger and sadness. This may not seem like a good trade-off, but for someone suffering from half a lifetime of mental health problems, believe me, it is. It’s the difference between situational melancholy and systemic, chronic suffering. I’d gladly take the former.
I won’t sit the exam again. The reasons are many, but ultimately, I was only able to make the sacrifices required to pass because I wholeheartedly believed in why I was doing it. In examining my reasons for taking the exam in the first place, I found several: to pursue excellence in my profession, to prove to myself that I could do it in spite of my particular challenges, and to be in a position to educate, mentor, and influence in the industry. I know now that I don’t need the letters “MS” after my name to pursue the first, prove that I did the second, or be in a position to do the third.
Mastery, after all, is in the pursuit. Especially in the ever-changing world of wine, if you think you’ve achieved mastery, you’ve probably already lost it. The wine professionals whose careers I admire the most – pin or no – are the ones who are hungry. Hungry to keep learning more, achieving more, and – most importantly – keep spreading more love. True excellence and hospitality. That is what mastery looks like to me.
The qualification
■ The Master Sommelier credential is the most prestigious and difficult accreditation a sommelier can obtain. Fewer than 300 people have passed the exam since the 1960s.
■ Three other levels must be achieved – Introductory, Certified, and Advanced – before a candidate is able to take the Master Sommelier exam. The passing of each level is awarded with a pin that sommeliers are expected to wear on their lapel to signify this achievement.
■ Candidates put in hundreds (if not thousands) of hours over the course of a year to prepare for the exam: book study, blind tasting, and service practice are all required.
■ It takes most candidates several yearly attempts to pass all three sections of the exam (theory, tasting, and service). Only a small fraction of those who attempt ever achieve this outcome.
■ The amount of money over the years that candidates spend preparing for and taking the exam – between the study materials, blind tasting practice wines, examination fees, plane flights, and accommodation – can be estimated to be upwards of $10,000, and sometimes significantly more.