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Europe, Make Travel Matter, Uncategorized

Hives and honey: Meet Ashford Castle beekeeper, Steve Watson Oughterard

October 18, 2022 by Luxury Gold No Comments

The exquisite Ashford Castle hotel majestically presides over a 350-acre estate in County Mayo, Ireland. Home to landscaped gardens, ancient woodland and an emerald lake, the lands are also a sanctuary for the Irish native black bee.

A key part of the hotel’s sustainability strategy, we caught up with Ashford Castle beekeeper Steve Watson Oughterard to learn more about the hives and their residents.

Ashford Castle

@ashfordcastle

Quaint in size but grand in character, the pretty village of Cong in County Mayo houses the famous Ashford Castle. Formerly home to the Guinness family, this luxury hotel boasts sumptuous rooms, antique furniture and unique historic features at every turn. Set upon an idyllic 350-acre estate, making it a dreamy location for a relaxing and picturesque retreat.

Travel with Luxury Gold and on arrival a lone piper escorts you over the drawbridge. Dine like royalty in Ashford Castle hotel’s esteemed George V Dining Room. Built specially for King George V in 1905, this room bestows a grand sense of occasion. During your stay, choose to take part in a unique falconry experience at the oldest established falconry school in Ireland. And enjoy the spa. And buy and eat honey for your breakfast.

Discover this on: Castles & Kingdoms, Ultimate Ireland

Read more: Ashford Castle: An idyllic country escape

Honey, hives and sustainability

@ashfordcastle

Ashford Castle is a Red Carnation Hotel, a family-run collection of 19 exceptional properties around the world. Unique and special, The Red Carnation Hotels share a strong commitment to sustainability. As part of the TTC Family of brands they work together with the Treadright Foundation to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®.

Seeking to minimise environmental impact, hives are installed across Red Carnation hotels. Not only preserving the precious honeybee, this contributes to the pollination of surrounding ecosystems. Each hive enriches an area of up to three miles around it, in turn dramatically reducing  food miles. The hives are part of the hotels’ commitment to using local ingredients and to preserving the environment.

The beehives of Ashford Castle are buzzing with activity. Here the bees of Ashford Castle Estate have been busy making fresh Irish honey from the nectar of Cong’s local flowers and plants. Hives of native black bees have been encouraged to make the castle grounds their home, and are taken care of by beekeeper Steve Watson Oughterard and a dedicated team.

Related content: Geneva’s Hotel d’Angleterre is a hotel committed to positive change

Meet the native Irish black bee

@ashfordcastle

“There are 100 bee species native to Ireland,” Steve explains. “Twenty-one of these are bumblebees and 78 species of solitary bees. However, there is only one Honey bee native to Ireland and that is the native Irish black bee. It is believed that the native Irish black bee was established in Ireland between 4,000 to 10,000 years ago.

“The native Irish black bee has a number of characteristics and adaptations that contribute to it being an ideal fit to its Irish environment. Firstly foraging. They will fly at temperatures as low as 5.5°C (46°F) and even in drizzle or light rain (particularly important in Ireland!). Secondly overwintering. The bees are efficient thermo-regulators and are built for effective heat retention during long winters.

“Thirdly there is thriftiness. The queen attunes her egg-laying to the weather patterns. She pauses earlier in autumn to ensure there are no unnecessary mouths to feed overwinter, so the winter cluster has plenty to survive on until the following spring. And lastly, Propolis. The native black bee is an avid producer of this dark brown, resin-like material. It is used for structural stability and protection of the colony from the elements. It also has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.”

Planting a bee paradise 

@ashfordcastle

 “In Ireland the importance of bees as pollinators of crops and native plant species cannot be overstated,” Steve tells us. “It is estimated that almost three quarters of our Irish wild plants rely on insect pollinators, of which bees are most important.

“Around Ashford Castle some of the most important forage plants for the Honey bees include dandelion early in the year, bramble and clover mid-summer and ivy in the autumn. However, a wide variety of flowers and trees in the area are foraged for their nectar and pollen. The Castle’s sustainability, conservation and re-wilding policies have contributed immensely to the success of our Honey bee hives, along with all pollinators and general biodiversity on the estate.”

Read more: The 10 most beautiful villages and small towns in Britain & Ireland

On become a beekeeper

@ashfordcastle

 “I became interested in beekeeping when I returned to Ireland after working throughout Australia for 15 years,” Steve explains.  “I took an introductory course to beekeeping and started off with two hives, which grew to five by the end of that year, 15 the following year and so on….. suffice to say I was hooked and now manage in excess of 100 hives.

“It is a challenging and particularly interesting pursuit, as every day with the bees is a learning day. Even in winter when there is no direct work with the bees, I am busy as I am currently studying for a diploma in apiculture.

“My role as beekeeper at Ashford Castle hotel is to manage the hives in our apiary throughout the year. The vast majority of my time is spent there between mid-spring and early autumn. I will typically check each hive every 7-10 days. This involves checking the queen is present and/or laying, ensuring there is adequate stores and room in each hive and looking for any evidence of disease.

“Early summer can be particularly busy with swarm control measures. Usually, the honey crop is taken off towards the end of August and I take it back to my purpose-built honey room for extraction and bottling. I don’t remove all the honey and leave the bees with adequate stores for the winter; however, they will also continue to store ivy honey up until November.”

The secret to delicious Ashford honey?

@ashfordcastle

“There is no secret to the delicious Ashford honey” Steve tells us. “It is 100% from the flowers and trees in the area. I do not feed the bees any sugar syrup at any point in the year. I also practice a natural method of beekeeping where I do not treat with any chemicals for disease, instead use integrated pest management, re-queening and brood break techniques amongst others.”

Related content: The Roaming Boomers on traveling to Ireland with Luxury Gold

Ensuring the future of the native Irish black bee

@ashfordcastle

“Preservation of our native Irish black bee is of great importance,” Steve emphasizes. “Aside from its significance as a pollinator, it is our only native Honey bee and uniquely adapted to our climate and conditions. It is threatened by hybridization with imported strains of non-native Honey bee, which also carries the risk of introducing foreign pathogens and parasites that could devastate our honey bee (and other bee) populations.”

How you can help

“One third of our bee species are threatened with extinction from Ireland,” Ashford Castle beekeeper Steve explains. “This is due to reduction in the number of trees, flowers and safe nesting sites in our landscapes.

“As a beekeeper, however, I like to keep it simple. Stop using pesticides and herbicides, sow more native plant species in your garden and allow some areas of garden to re-wild. In the end, I believe, measures that benefit Honey bees tend to benefit pollinators in general and so we all win.”

Related content: How your travels with Luxury Gold help conserve nature for future generations

Spend two nights at Ashford Castle on our Castles & Kingdoms and Ultimate Ireland luxury guided tours. Taste the delicious honey for yourselves and maybe purchase some to take home as a treat for family and friends. And know through your visit that you are helping preserve nature for future generations.

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Reading time: 6 min
Cuisine, Latin America, Luxury Journeys

What to look for in a top-quality Pinot Noir, by wine expert Courtney Kingston

October 12, 2022 by Katie Johnson No Comments
Pouring a glass of wine

When it comes to Pinot Noir, Courtney Kingston has deep roots—or rather, vines. As the Founder of Kingston Family Vineyards in Chile’s Casablanca Valley, Courtney carries on her family’s farming, winemaking and pioneering history with passion. We talked with Courtney about her enchanting winery, how to find your favorite Pinot and what makes “the heartbreak grape” so special.    

Related Content: Wines of the world 

@kingstonvineyards

The vineyards and winery 

Kingston Family Vineyards offers private, reserved tastings at their winery perched on a hillside of the stunning Chilean coastline. The location alone is part of what makes this experience feel like you’ve come across a tucked away treasure. You’ll enter the winery turning onto a dirt road lined with palm trees planted by Courtney’s aunt. Your gaze follows down the grove of trees before “the world opens in front of you,” as Courtney describes. From there you’ll spot the salón, or tasting room, nestled within the hilltop vineyard and, on a clear day, perhaps Mount Aconcagua. As you enter the glass-walled tasting room, you’re treated to an open-air experience with a view of the Andes from the sprawling deck.  

Kingston Family Vineyards

@kingstonvineyards

The experience 

From a seat on the patio or cozied up near the fireplace, you’ll enjoy a tasting paired with local cheeses and chocolates. Courtney points out that Kingston is a winery offering culinary and wine experiences. They also work with a local cheesemaker for their pairings. Sample a local goat cheese with a Sauvignon Blanc. A cheese with depth paired with a Chardonnay. And chocolates paired with a Pinot Noir and a Syrah. During your tasting, your hosts will share the family legacy. “Everything is tailored to your experience,” Courtney points out. “It’s all in the bottle and in the experience.”   

The tasting

@kingstonvineyards

The history 

Kingston Family Vineyards is unique not only in their pioneering vintages but in their family history. Their legacy began in the early 1900s when Carl John Kingston, Courtney’s great-grandfather, set out from Michigan in search of gold in Chile. Carl didn’t strike gold, but his quest did prompt him to establish a cattle ranch on the current site of the winery, just miles from the Pacific. Five generations later, the 350-acre vineyards have yielded bounty and opportunities to harness the Kingston’s pioneering spirit that Courtney and her family still embody. Since 1998, Kingston Family Vineyards has produced organic, artisan, hand-made wines that are enjoyed around the world. 

The vineyards

@kingstonvineyards

The “heartbreak grape” 

With a climate similar to the Mediterranean or the San Francisco Bay, when Courtney was deciding what types of grapes to grow on the family land, she asked herself, “What could we do that would speak of the farm?” Coming from an entrepreneurial family, she was looking for ways to help the farm and contribute to the community—and to do something a little different. So, she decided on Pinot Noir.  

“Pinot was new for Chile. Planting along the coast was new… Pinot is really hard to make. It’s called the heartbreak grape because it’s incredibly finicky and sensitive,” Courtney explains. “Not all grapes are created equal. Some are particular. Pinot Noir is one that always keeps you guessing and speaks of where it’s from.” Courtney compares harvesting Pinot to marathon running, another passion that runs deep in her family. “It’s not the shortest path but it’s well worth it.” Well worth it, indeed. Stanford Business School has since written two case studies on Kingston Family Winery and their entrepreneurial success. 

Pinot Noir grapes

@kingstonvineyards

Kingston Family Vineyard’s Pinot Noir

Kingston Family Vineyards bottles five different Pinots made in different ways. Courtney explains that when you taste wines from different blocks (each block is about one to two acres) side-by-side it “brings home the concept of terroir… a rare experience.” Chile is the tenth largest wine making country in the world. And for a winery to make a small amount by hand as Kingston does presents guests with a real treat. Kingston also ships to your home—so you can continue and share your discoveries with family and friends. 

Vineyards at sunset

@kingstonvineyards

How to pick a Pinot Noir 

After your Grand South America tour, how can you find the best Pinot in your hometown? Courtney’s advice on how to choose Pinot Noir is to travel the world through Pinot. Experience the joy it brings. “When it’s made with intention and purity, that speaks to where it’s from.” Courtney suggests trying Pinots from New Zealand, France’s Burgundy region, Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the central coast of Santa Barbara. “Tasting side by side will help you taste the difference in Pinots from different regions,” she says. 

Courtney’s second tip for discovering top quality Pinot Noir is to find and get to know your local wine shop, or even your favorite restaurant. Your local sommelier will be eager to share their favorite wines and you’ll build a relationship that will serve you well as you learn which Pinots you like. 

Friends toasting

@kingstonvineyards

Lastly, Courtney says, “Find a bottle with a story behind it.” Because Pinot is hard to make on a large scale, those unique bottles from small winemakers will showcase their labors of love. We couldn’t agree more. And with a story like Courtney and her family’s, we’ll be savoring every sip.  

Join us in Chile.

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Asia, Cuisine

Unleashing the magic of sake, with master brewer Takumi Sato

October 11, 2022 by Luxury Gold No Comments

We invite you to meet master brewer Takumi Sato and discover the magic of sake. This unique drink holds a special cultural significance in Japan, entwined with many of the country’s traditions and customs.

On our Majestic Japan luxury guide tour, you have the pleasure of meeting Takumi Sato for yourself. Take a special guided tour of his brewery in Oirase, and learn the history and importance of sake to Japanese culture.

Oirase

@japan_travel_desk

A simply stunning location, Oirase Gorge is a river valley that runs for 14km between Yakeyama, at the foot of Hakkoda-san, and Nenokuchi, on the shore of Towada-ko (Lake Towada), in Northern Japan. It boasts some of the most picturesque surroundings you will have the delight to ever experience. Drawing visitors from far and wide, this is one of Japan’s most-revered nature havens.

“I know how special this location is,” Takumi Sato says. “And I believe that our sake represents that in a particular way. We capture the essence of Oirase at the brewery and that’s how we share it with others. This is my personal motivation – letting others feel that magic.”

Travel with Luxury Gold and as well as visiting the sake brewery, explore the spectacular Oirase Gorge, a place of special scenic beauty. Wander along the crystal-clear Oirase Keiryu stream, admire the cascading waterfalls and marvel at the seasonal colors of the indigenous forest.

Related content: Mind the culture gap: the Chefs who make worlds collide through food

Meet Takumi Sato

“My inspiration to become a master brewer came from the former owner of the kuromato (brewery) here in Oirase,” Takumi Sato explains. “He had a phrase that translates roughly as, ‘local sake is the crystal of local food culture’.”

“I began making sake in 1990, but I did not become a toji (master brewer) until 2004,” he continues. “Becoming a toji is not simply about passing the examination. Personally, I believe that you must understand how sacred sake is and be mindful of the traditions that have been passed down through generations. I have pursued these traditions with a particular devotion and will continue to do so every day until I die.”

A brief Japanese sake history

Sake manufacturing in Japan began sometime after the introduction of wet rice cultivation to the country in the 3rd century BC. The first reference to its manufacture dates from the 8th century. The technique to ferment rice into an alcoholic drink was originally developed in ancient China.

Sake was produced primarily by the imperial court in ancient Japan, in temples and shrines. Japanese people have continuously refined production methods throughout Japanese sake history to create this truly unique drink, with manufacture by the general population beginning from the early 12th century.

Sake is often (incorrectly) referred to as a wine. This is easily done because of its appearance and alcoholic content.  It is in fact made in a process known as multiple parallel fermentation, in which a grain (rice) is converted from starch to sugar. It is then converted to alcohol. Special strains of rice are precisely milled to remove the outer layers, a process that reduces the grain to 50-70 percent of its original size.

Related content: From London to Tokyo: Where to sample the world’s best street food

A sacred beverage

“Sake is the national drink of Japan, not simply because we like drinking it, but because we see it as a blessing from the gods,” Takumi Sato explains. “It is inherent to our culture and way of life, from the religious rites of thousands of years ago to the dinner table today.”

In Japan, sake is served with special ceremony. Before being served, it is warmed in a small earthenware or porcelain bottle called a tokkuri. It is then usually sipped from a small porcelain cup called a sakazuki. Premium sake, of a delicate flavour, is served cold or on ice. Sake is best when consumed less than a year after bottling.

“We commemorate every occasion with sake, from births and weddings to New Year celebrations, Memorial Day and funerals,” Takumi Sato tells us. “Some people drink sake every day, and of course you can, but it is usually served with meals and enjoyed with others. When you drink sake with friends or family, you must not pour it for yourself. First serve others and then someone else will serve you.”

The unique flavor of Oirase

“The unique flavor of our sake is a direct result of the environment here in Oirase,” Sato affectionately explains. “Here, you’ll see we’re near the lake, and the water that flows through the Hakkoda mountain range to Oirase is some of the purest on Earth. Not only is the landscape breathtaking, but the sake produced here is at the highest level. It reveals the distinct umami in dishes.”

“When you travel through the Towada-Hachimantai National Park to Oirase, you can immerse all five senses on your journey. The Japanese culture will enrich and enthrall you. I personally look forward to welcoming you here and sharing with you our sacred drink from the gods.”

Related content: The world’s friendliest cities

Learn the magic of sake, revel in the beauty of Oirase and meet Takumi Sato for yourself on our Majestic Japan luxury guided tour. Be captivated by the beauty and traditions of Japan over 11-days. Travel to Kyoto, bask in the serenity surrounding the iconic Golden Pavilion and see the Giouji Temple. Visit Hiroshima and Mount Fuji. In Tokyo, learn how to make sushi rolls during a private cooking class. Stay in exquisite hotels, travel on the bullet train and enjoy exclusive experiences along the way.

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