Wine and music, twin civilising influences with sensory appeal, are the happiest of bedfellows. You'll hear producers of exquisitely complex wines describe their best bottlings as a symphony, with all the elements in perfect harmony. Maybe that's why Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chris De Burgh have such impressive cellars. And there's often music in the background when wine is being drunk, heightening our enjoyment of it. It's not much of a surprise, then, to find wine tugging at the heart strings of Fionnuala Hunt, the artistic director and leader of the Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) whose third International Music Festival takes place at Killaloe, Co Clare, next week. It sounds as if wine and music are intertwined in her Northern genes. Fionnuala's mother was a talented singer from Derry who performed with Joseph Locke and later taught the piano, passing on her musical flair to all five of her children. Her father was managing director of Holywood & Donnelly, a Belfast wine-importing company. The strange thing is that, despite this apparent head start, her interest in wine emerged only when her musical career was climbing towards a crescendo.
"I'd studied the violin in Vienna for eight years and worked at the Opera House in Munich without really bothering much about wine," she explains. A four-year stint as co-leader of the RTE Symphony Orchestra was followed by "an incredibly stressful period when I was involved here with the Irish Chamber Orchestra but also freelancing - hopping over to England to lead the London Symphony Orchestra. I decided I'd take three months off in 1995 and do something completely different". First Fionnuala learnt to ski. Next she plunged into wine, signing up for three intensive courses at the Germany Wine Academy in Bingen on the Rhine.
"A lot of people asked me: why Germany rather than France?" she recalls. "But it was a straightforward decision. I had no French but quite reasonable German." In those few weeks she was hooked. "There was a fantastic course on wine tasting, when we were taken through about 80 wines over the space of three days. But best of all was the food and wine matching course. All sorts of dishes were prepared, and there were about 30 wines to choose from for each. You had to argue your choice - it was absolutely fascinating. I'm not a great cook but I do put a lot of thought into which wines to serve with what."
This German immersion was a thrilling introduction to the joy of Riesling. "I was hugely disappointed to come back and see how few really good ones there are here. . ." But it had its limitations. "I realised," Fionnuala admits, "that although I now knew a bit about Riesling, I didn't know very much about anything else."
Since then, she has acquired wine books faster than most musicians stack up CDs. "I must have practically every wine book ever published. I dip in and out of them all the time." Favourites include Jancis Robinson's Confessions Of A Wine Lover for sheer enjoyment; Michael Broadbent's Wine Tasting for sharpening technique and Sotheby's Wine Encyclopaedia. "It has very good advice on how long to keep various wines."
Speaking of which, Fionnuala Hunt has begun to lay down a covetable stash of bottles in the course of a still peripatetic existence, moving between the ICO's base at the University of Limerick, Dublin, London and cities further afield where she is invited to guest-lead orchestras. Wine shops are scoured for special treats such as La Lagune, La Mission-Haut-Brion, Chateau Palmer, Lynch-Bages and, most of all, Burgundy. Pommards and Cortons have been laid down and it sounds as if others will follow - especially as Fionnuala's brother Paul, managing director of the Northern importing company McCabes, sometimes points her towards good buys. She'll stick with top Bordeaux and Burgundy, she says, despite their scarifying prices. Why? "Because when they're good, they're really great." There's no arguing with that - nor indeed her fondness for stars from the New World such as Cloudy Bay and Peter Lehmann's Stonewell Shiraz. And she doesn't sound in the least precious about her valuables - readily pulling the corks of great bottles to share them with friends. "I wouldn't even take two minutes to think about it. I can't understand people who bid hundreds of pounds at auction for a bottle of wine they're just going to sit and look at." She's a hands-on enthusiast, going to Patrick Egan's in Liscannor recently to celebrate her birthday by drinking a delicious PouillyFume with a friend.
But, as you'll see from the list below, Fionnuala also enjoys much humbler bottles for everyday consumption. "Yes, I certainly drink wine almost every day," she says, "especially with a meal. I always feel I'm missing something if I don't."
Conscious of an innate harmony between wine and music - "I do think some very descriptive pieces of music can be linked up with the aromas and tastes of certain wines" - she would love to embark on a new venture involving both. This being Ireland, we can hardly hope for concerts in vineyards, like those organised in California by Robert Mondavi and Jim Allen, nor even CDs of the sound of fermentation, as released by the Austrian sweet wine virtuoso Willi Opitz. But keep an ear attuned: my prediction is that Fionnuala Hunt will come up with some intriguing duet for her two interests. Isn't it the least you would expect of a woman whose favourite T-shirt proclaims that Life Is Just A Cabernet?
The Irish Chamber Orchestra's 1998 International Music Festival runs from July 9th-12th at Killaloe, Co Clare. The New York Philharmonic cor anglais Thomas Stacy, the pianist Max Levinson and the celebrated violinist Ruggiero Ricci will perform at concerts in St Flannan's Cathedral on Thursday, Friday and Saturday respectively, and a grand finale is planned for Sunday with Handel's Water Music and Music For The Royal Fireworks performed, weather permitting, on the lake with a firework display. Tickets £15, £10. Booking: tel 061 202583.
Happy Hunting
Sparkling Pelorus Brut, Cloudy Bay Vineyards, 1993 (Findlaters, Mitchells, Thomas Foxrock, Redmonds Ranelagh, Greenacres Wexford, Fine Wines Limerick and other outlets, £16.99-£17.99). Fionnuala Hunt is a fan of Cloudy Bay's bubbly brother, Pelorus. "It's exciting - so many interesting flavours emerge," she says. Full and rounded with a stream of suitably minute bubbles.
White Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc, Vina San Pedro, 1997 (McCabes Merrion, Foleys Cabinteely, Grogans Ranelagh, Bradys Shankill, Spar Ballybrack, Kellys Clontarf and other outlets, £5.99-£6.50). "Lovely summer drinking", is Fionnuala Hunt's verdict on this crisp but quite fruity Chilean - a good crowd pleaser.
Armand Riesling Kabinett, Von Buhl, 1996 (Oddbins, £8.99; also McCabes, Redmonds, Grapes of Mirth Rathmines, Noble Rot Navan and some other outlets). One of the treasured Rieslings: in this one, luscious ripe fruit comes through, making it "a good wine for many occasions," Fionnuala says. "It's wonderful as an aperitif, but also goes well with pate or fruity desserts."
Reserva de Familia Barrelfermented Chardonnay, Santa Carolina, 1996 (Superquinn, McCabes, selected SuperValus, usually £14.99). Fionnuala's enthusiasm about this one made me seek it out - and what a treat! Chile strides towards Burgundy with subtlety, restraint and a long, creamy finish. As she says, "Just gorgeous!"
Red Figaro, Vin de Pays de l'Herault, Moulin de Gassac, 1996 (O'Briens Fine Wines, £4.89; also Egans Liscannor and some other outlets). Great everyday drinking at an unbeatable price. See Bottle of the Week.
Peter Lehmann The Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 (Superquinn, Verlings, Vintry Rathgar, McCabes, Redmonds, Kellys Chapelizod, Prendervilles Cabra and many other outlets, usually £9.99). "I'm just mad about this wine," Fionnuala Hunt says. "It's full of berry fruits and has a fantastic structure." Very rich, very spicy, with layers of flavour and a long, warming finish.
Johanneshof Reinisch Pinot Noir Reserve 1992 (Terroirs, £12.99). Not drawn to the local wines when she lived in Austria, Fionnuala was tempted to try this one in Dublin and liked it so much she went back for a second bottle. An interesting alternative to Burgundy - herbaceous and distinctive.