A World Of Wine Coming To Cork Next Month. O'Briens Wine Festival

A World Of Wine Coming To Cork Next Month.

O'Briens Wine Festival 

The Lingenfelder brothers from Germany

They’re coming from many corners of the world, from California, Chile, Argentina, from South Africa, from New Zealand and Australia, all coming to Cork on Thursday November 7th. People will be there too from the Old World, all heading to the O’Briens Wine Festival at the Clayton Hotel in Lapps Quay, Cork. And watch out too for Kate and Denis from the local Kinsale Mead Company - they’ll certainly have something for those on your Christmas present list (including yourself!).

Wine Masterclasses are an additional feature this year. There will be three of them on the night, including one by Jose Maria Fraile of Tandem. This winery in Spain’s Navarra is one of my favourites. 

I see also that the Lingenfelder brothers, the double act of Georg and Karl, will be in attendance. Not too sure whether both will be doing the masterclass or just one but one way or the other you’ll have a laugh along with some very interesting wines to taste. 

The third masterclass will be given by Maison Schröder & Schÿler (they’ll have three reps at the festival) and they have some terrific Bordeaux wines under their wing, including Châteaux Kirwan (classified Grand Cru Classé in 1855); should be interesting!

Kangarilla's Charlie O'Brien (centre) pictured a few years back with his parents Helen and Kevin.

The Delicato Vineyards are one of the leading family producers in the US and produce under a variety of labels including Gnarly Head that you will see in Ireland. They’ll have Jonas Hillergen in attendance.

What’s going on in Chile these days? Check it out with Javier Letamendi from Viña Leyda (DO Leyda Valley). You won’t have to trek over the Andes to check out the wine scene in Argentina as Bodegas Norton from Mendoza will also be in Cork.

We recently highly recommended the Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch (South Africa) 2018, relatively new to O’Briens, and this excellent South African producer will have Louw Strydom on hand to tell you all about it and their other wines.

A beauty!

Looking forward to meeting Charlie O’Brien of Kangarilla Road in Australia’s McLaren. Hope he’s got some of the Devil’s Whiskers with him! New Zealand wines are always welcome here as are the country’s producers. Sacred Hill’s man at the Clayton will be Ben Stuart.

There’ll be bubbles of course, perhaps to begin the evening. Check the champagne by Champagne Beaumont des Crayères. Gilles Francois will have it at the perfect temperature.

And would you like to finish with a drop of Port? Ah, go on! The person to see is Lorna Rouse of Taylor's & Fonseca.

Tickets are selling fast for this outstanding event (199 wines, 45 winemakers). Check at your local O’Brien’s or order online here. Cheers, Cork!