Happy New Year! We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are starting off 2023 with a bang. 

As always, we’re back with our monthly newsletter. Giving you all the latest events, jobs and news in the drinks industry.

NEWS

Now that the festive season has finished and we all have a little more time on our hands we are hosting the WSW Christmas party. Join us on 27th February at The Wine Pair for an evening of celebration. We will welcome a very special guest Senay Ozdemir, founder of Women in Wine Expo, who will be joining us on the night. Members will have received an email with a link for tickets (in your January newsletter email).

Following on from their successful event in Georgia in 2022 the Women in Wine Expo returns this year, taking place in London. It is the first and only global network of its kind, which aims to build a community of professionals in the wine industry. The three-day event will consist of conferences and talks, and a trip to Balfour Winery in Kent where attendees will enjoy a masterclass, tour of the vineyard and lunch. The full agenda can be found on their website, with registration starting on 15th January.

One of our very own, Sevgi Tüzel-Conghaile was named in the Irish Times’ “50 people to watch in 2023: Ireland’s brightest young talent”. You can read the full article here. Our members gained more great press with Dublin’s newest hotspot D’Olier Street restaurant receiving a rave review in The Sunday Times. The latest venture from hospitality trio Jane Fyre, her husband James Moore and Anthony Smith. The full review can be found here. 

Applications to Bâtonnage Forum Level 1 Mentorship Program are open until 18th January (open to women around the world). Based in the U.S. the forum is designed to open up conversations about women working in the wine industry and educate professionals on the challenges faced by women in the field. You can learn more about Bâtonnage Forum here.

Let’s Go Global!

We’re conscious that while the majority of our members are based in Ireland, we also have some women across the seas, and as such we wanted to share some international events. 

La Dive, natural wine fair, 5th February – 6th February, Saumur, France
Wine Paris & Vinexpo, 13th – 15th February
ProWein, Dusseldorf, 19th – 21st March
Amsterdam Coffee Festival, 30th March – 1st April
Toronto Food & Drink Fest, 31st March – 1st April
Vinitaly, Verona, 2nd – 5th April
London Wine Fair 15th – 17th May
Bruges Beer Festival, 10th – 11th June
Budapest International Wine Festival, 7th – 10th September
Oktoberfest, 16th September – 3rd October, Munich

The annual “Taste Of” festivals return, with locations spanning from Dublin, London and Paris. 

Q&A

We’re kicking off 2023 with a lady who really knows her wine. She became a regular feature on our Instagram feeds during lockdown and also runs Virtual Vineyards – it’s Brigid O’Hora from Brideys Wine Chats. Dive into her world of wine Q&A here.

Every day is a school day!

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to set yourself some goals, pick up a new skill and reassess what you want to achieve in the year ahead.

If you’re already working in the drinks industry you might want to upskill or if you’re thinking about starting a career in the trade now is the perfect time to get some qualifications under your belt.

And as such, we’ve put together a list of different courses (both online and in person) that can help you expand your knowledge or perhaps brush up on what you already know.

25th January – Whelehan Wines will run a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) level 2 course over the course of 8 sessions, running from 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Bray Road, Dublin 18

31st January – La Cave Wine Bar in Dublin will run a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) level 2 course. Classes will be held from 6.30pm – 8.30pm. Your wine tutors will be Dale Gatcum & Liam Campbell.
Contact La Cave for more information.

The newly launched Vinspire Academy will run a variety of courses including WSET Spirits level 1 – 2 (taking place in March) and WSET Wine level 1 – 2 (taking place in February). Please visit www.vinspireacademy.com for the exact dates.

If you can’t commit to in-person classes, another great option are online courses – we highly recommend the two below. You can learn at your own pace and even in the comfort of your pyjamas (we won’t judge!).

Virtual Vineyards – The brainchild of Brigid O’Hora, this six-week wine appreciation course gives you an insight into grape varieties, wine styles and productions, how to understand wine labels and much more.

A Class of Wine – Back to Basics Wine Appreciation V-Book. Created by Lynda Coogan, this course includes over 15 video tutorials, infographics and cheat sheets covering food and wine pairings, how to store wine and more. You also get lifetime access to a community Facebook group.

EVENTS

16th January – French Wine Discoveries Fair (trade only)
Camden Court Hotel, Dublin 2
To register contact Jean Smullen at jean@jeansmullen.com

17th January – WSET What is Natural Wine
Webinar 

18th January – WSET The World of Blended Scotch Whisky
Webinar

19th January – Tindal Wine Merchants Barolo Antemprima Masterclass & Tasting (trade only)
Register here. 
Fallon and Byrne, Dublin 2

23rd January – Borsa Vini Italiani Tasting& Masterclass with John Wilson (trade only)
To register contact Mary Patricia Gallagher at mp@gallagher-assoc.com
Hyatt Centric, Dublin 8

26th January – Jameson Tasting Evening
The Bowery, Belfast, Co.Antrim, Ireland

27th January – CÁIS, CEOL & ÓL
Áras Mhic Reachtain, Belfast, Co.Antrim, Ireland

30th January – New Zealand Wine Fair
A trade tasting will run from 2.00pm – 6.00pm (John Wilson will host a masterclass at 1.00pm), and a consumer tasting will follow from 6.30pm – 8.30pm.
Radisson Blu Hotel,Golden Lane, Dublin 8

JOBS

Michelin star Dede in West Cork is looking for a Head Sommelier/Restaurant Manager to join the team. Apply here.

Note restaurant in Dublin is hiring for a number of roles including General Manager and Senior Bartender. More information here.

Also in Dublin Fish Shop is seeking to fill both part and full-time front of house positions.  Please email a CV and cover letter to 76benburb@fish-shop.ie with any questions you might have.

A Global Brand Manager is required at West Cork Distillers. The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic, energetic team player and report directly to the Head of Marketing.

Diageo is seeking an Account Executive (on-site in Dublin). The primary objective of the role is to secure distribution across the entire portfolio and activate our brands across different occasions.

C&C Group (Bulmers) is recruiting a Head Cidermaker & Brewing Manager. In the role, you will oversee the continuous review, development and improvement of cider-making processes and brewing to uphold high brand technical equity standards.