About Jean
Jean Smullen WSET Dip has been working in the wine industry in Ireland since 1991; her speciality is wine marketing and some of the groups she has worked with and is currently consulting for include: Wines of Argentina, Wine Australia, Wines of Chile, ICEP (Food and Wine from Spain), Italian Trade Agency (ITA), New Zealand Wine, SOPEXA (Food & Wine from France), Wines of South Africa, Wines of Uruguay, Wine 4 Trade - Groupe France Agricole and ViniPortugal.
A co-presenter since 2007 with Sean Moncrieff on Movies & Booze, Newstalk’s innovative wine slot, her journalism credentials also include a weekly wine column in the Sunday World Ireland’s second largest selling Sunday newspaper and a monthly column with Retail News, Ireland’s longest established grocery trade magazine. From August 2021 Jean will be writing a monthly wine column for Dublin Gazette, a free newspaper with a circulation of over 300,000 readers in the greater Dublin area.
Jean also writes the Sommelier Diary for Chef & Restaurant an international magazine published in the U.K. which is distributed to Michelin starred restaurants in both the UK and Ireland. Her article “Ningxia where East Meets West” about Chinese wine was the magazines “most read” wine article in 2019.
From 2011-2012 Jean was the wine presenter for 4 Live, RTE television’s afternoon magazine programme.
Jean has comprehensive commercial experience in the wine industry where she offers a unique marketing service that includes the management of wine events such as wine fairs, wine and food dinners, tasting tutorials, in-store promotions, training courses and wine club tastings for both trade and consumer in the Republic of Ireland.
Jean was the Director of Wines of Chile in Ireland from 1995 – 2010
From 1991-1999 Jean was responsible for the development of a countrywide wine education programme for the Wine Development Board of Ireland.
IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year 2013
Jean was one of six finalists in the IWSC’s ‘Communicator of the Year’, a title which recognises an exceptional contribution to increasing awareness of wine and spirits. She was awarded the runner up prize at a reception in Palazzo Verita Poeta in Verona on April 6th, 2013.
The finalists included Eric Asimov, the influential wine critic on The New York Times, the Finnish writer, presenter and director, Arto Koskelo, the Swedish lecturer and broadcaster, Jan Petersen and Whyte & Mackay partner, Richard Paterson.
Glaswegian-born spirits expert Dave Broom won the title.
Wine Qualifications W.S.E.T Diploma ; W.S.E.T Advanced Certificate (with distinction) ; W.S.E.T Intermediate Certificate
Wine Education
Management and Co-Ordination of Customised wine Appreciation Courses
Wine & Food Events
Specialist Regional Tastings
Wine Articles
Event Management
Wine Tastings & Wine Fairs
PR for Trade and Consumer Events and Products
Wine & Food dinners for both Trade and Consumer
Off Licence Promotions
Wine Judging
Jean has been judging and assessing wine for Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, one of Europe's best known international blind tasting competitions since 2006. At the 2015 Concours Mondial in Jesolo she was awarded a gold medal for ten years judging by the organisers. Jean also judges for the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon panel.
Other major International wine competitions that Jean has judged for include Mundus Vini where she has been a panel member since 2010. The Berlin International Wine Competition where she has judged since 2016 and the Michelangelo International Wine Awards in South Africa. Jean has also judged at wine competitions in Moldova and Portugal. In August 2017 Jean travelled to China to judge at the Ningxia Helan Mountain East Foothills Awards.
Client List
Since 1999 Jean has worked on a freelance basis, with a number of wine producing countries and regions, including :-
Acorex (Moldova); AOC Corbiere & Minervois; A.P.E.T. (Economic Promotion Agency of Tuscany); Central Otago (NZ); C.I.V.B. (Counseil Inter-professionnel du Vin de Bordeaux); Cotes du Bourg; Cru Classes de Graves; EXCAL (Exportaciones de Castilla y Leon, SA); Family of 12 (New Zealand); Le Sud (Wineries from the South of France); I.C.E.X. (Spain); InterBeaujolais; Italian Trade Commission; Instituto de Formento Region of Murcia (I.N.T.O.); Provins Valais (Swiss Wines); New Zealand Wines; Rioja Alavesa & Txakoli; SOPEXA - Food & Wine from France; Wines of Argentina; Wines of Luxembourg; Wines of South Africa, Embassy of Slovenia; Syndicate de Cru Bourgeois du Medoc; Wines of Uruguay; Vinedos de Madrid Viniportugal; and Wine Australia.
Since 1999 Jean has worked with a number of Irish importing and retail companies including:-
Ireland: Ampersand; Approach Trade Ireland; Brechin Watchorn; Classic Drinks; Constellation (Allied Drinks); Barry & Fitzwilliam; Celtic Forwarding; Galvins Wines & Spirits; I & E Wine Merchants; Fine Wines, Limerick; Gilbeys of Ireland; Lohans, Galway; McCabes Wine Merchants; Mitchell & Son; Musgrave Marketplace; National Off Licence Assocation (NoFFla); On the Grapevine; Probus Wines; Select Wines of Italy; Superquinn; Tindal Wine Merchants and Tesco.
United Kingdom: Australia Vintage Ltd; Berry Bros & Rudd; Clemence Communications; Francoise Peretti Communications; Hatch Mansfield; Private Liquor Brands; This is Phipps and Westbury PR.
France: O.V.S. Chamarre Italy: Bisol