SETU hosts Irish Guild of Sommeliers annual conference SommiT

South East Technological University (SETU) was delighted to host the Irish Guild of Sommeliers annual conference SommiT 2024 recently.

Ongoing partnership

The event, held October, kicked off with SommiT Sunday at the Waterford Treasures Medieval Museum wine vault, followed by a two-day conference at the Department of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism at SETU’s Cork Road Campus in Waterford.

Suzanne Denieffe, Head (Waterford) Faculty of Arts and Humanities, said, “It was wonderful to welcome SommiT to SETU again this year. This is an ongoing partnership that visualises the world of wine and its’ opportunities for students, particularly on our hospitality and culinary arts programmes.”

During SommiT Sunday a new book ‘The Home Sommelier’ by Brigid O’Hora, host of Instagram’s ‘Wine Chats with Bridey’, was launched. There were also wine tastings and a Vermouth tasting with Valentia Island Vermouth, Ireland’s only Vermouth producer.

Attendees of the two-day conference at SETU on Monday, 15 October and Tuesday 16 October included some of Ireland’s professional sommeliers, who focused on two grape varieties Pinot Gris and Syrah. Monday saw famous Alsace producers Severine Schlumberger from Domaines Schlumberger and Olivier Humbrecht from the revered Domaine Zind-Humbrecht taste and discuss their Pinot Gris wines. This session was hosted by Harriet Tindal MW - Director of Wine - Tindal Wine Merchants Dublin, who said, “It is great to see guests with such international pedigree as Schlumberger and Humbrecht at SommiT.”

The Zing workshop, an experiential workshop that looks at the science behind food and wine harmony was also hosted by Patricia Rodgers.

Wine tastings

On Tuesday the grape of the day was Syrah, one of Ireland’s most popular grapes. This included tastings from David O’Reilly, Owen Roe Winery, Willamette Valley, Oregon who travelled to Waterford for the SommiT event.

The day also included talks and presentations from Callie Louw, Porseleinberg Wine, Swartland South Africa, Bastien Tardieu from Maison Tardieu - Laurent, and Severine Pinte from La Vieux Pin winery, Canada, who counts the Syrah grape as one of her favourites.

This session was hosted by Mick O’Connell, a wine consultant, journalist and broadcaster and is a co-founder of Neighbourhood Wine, a boutique wine merchant.

The conference finished with the highly anticipated Star Wine List Awards in the Medieval Museum’s wine vault. Star Wine List of the Year celebrates the top wine lists of the world and the teams behind them. The awards started in the Nordics and are now celebrated on several continents.

The Irish awards at SommiT was the fourth event on Star Wine List’s international schedule for this season. Winners in the international categories will now be entered into the international final, which will be held in June 2025.

Successful SommiT

Morgan VanderKamer, President of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers and owner of Union Wine Bar and Kitchen, Waterford, was delighted with the silver awards win, and moreover with the overall success of the Sommit 2024 event.

“This year’s SommiT event was hugely successful thank you to all our sponsors, attendees and wine industry guests and Star Wine List, without whom none of this would be possible,” Morgan said.

Event sponsors included Silex Wines, Quintessential Wines, JN Wine, Vinostito and Wines Direct who were represented by Kathryn Meaney a BA (Hons)Hospitality Management graduate. Returning to SETU made Kathyrn’s first SommiT special.

Kathryn, a Business Development and Accounts Manager with Wines Direct, said, “The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with like-minded individuals, and I found it both educational and enjoyable. One of the highlights was watching the next generation of hospitality professionals—the SETU hospitality and culinary students.

“These young talents are the future of our industry, and it’s crucial that we nurture and support them. The profession offers countless opportunities, allowing you to explore various paths across the globe. I am forever grateful to SETU for guiding me on my journey. Here’s to the future of hospitality!”

Image shows: Gearoid Deaveny MS, Kathryn Meaney, Wines Direct, Morgan VanderKamer, President of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers, Patricia Rodgers, The Zing Thing, Nuala Gordon Lecturer SETU, Dr Don O'Neill, Head of Department of Humanities.