Château Belle-Vue, Lebanon

Posted By Ronan on August 4, 2011 in Blog, Tastings, Wine trips |

I recently went to Lebanon and visited Château Belle-Vue in the mountain village of Bhamdoun above Beirut. I had been hearing some good things about their wines for some time but was not expecting the incredible story behind their creation.

It was named after the Hotel Belle-Vue, built in 1860 and subsequently destroyed during the civil war in 1983 when the village was literally massacred during the fighting. The town had never truly recovered until the arrival of Naji and Jill Boutros in 1999. Naji was a successful investment banker working for the likes of Merrill Lynch and Colony Capital – Bhamdoun was the town where he was born and after a moment of epiphany decided to move back and begin the renaissance of his hometown.

How to open a bottle of Red Wine

Ronan Sayburn shows you how to decant a bottle of red wine like a Sommelier.

The top 10 things that really annoy Sommeliers

Posted By Ronan on July 29, 2011 in Blog |

10) Having to send your commis home at 10pm because they have done 8 hours work.

9) Wine merchants who telephone at 12.30, 1.30, 2.30 or 7.30 (?)

8) Wine deliveries at 12.15

7) Staff not charging for bottles of water

6) Managers over-pouring champagne

5) Managers taking wine orders (!!!)

The Importance of Terroir

Posted By Ronan on June 20, 2011 in Blog |

I recently sat down with the Academy of Food and Wine Service for an interview on the importance of ‘terroir‘, that is the importance of geography, geology, climate and environmental factors in the quality of wine.

Q. Ronan, why is terroir important to the character of a wine and why is an appreciation of it necessary for a top sommelier?

Ronan Sayburn [above]: Terroir is vital to making good wine as it’s a combination of a lot of small things that add up to an overall level of perfection – like making great food it’s a combination of ingredients, technique and seasoning.

Becoming a Sommelier

Posted By Ronan on May 19, 2011 in Blog |

In the UK we do not have any formal exams for Sommeliers to take provided by catering colleges. Unlike France, Italy or Spain where students will spend an extra year specialising in wines and wine service.

Although in the UK the Wine and Spirit Education Trust do a range of excellent courses that focus more on wine styles and regions and less on service or food considerations. They are the industry standard for anyone pursuing careers in the drinks industry. Read More