One of my favourite summer whites is Albariňo, thanks to its light body and fresh taste. Its flavours are subtle and elegant – grapefruit, pear and peach are accented by a certain saltiness, reminiscent of a whiff of seashore. It’s crisp rather than overtly acidic. Occasionally a feint spritz of carbon dioxide is left in […]
Chilled reds
I’m frequently asked about chilling red wines, particularly as people return from drinking chilled reds on holiday abroad. Very often in warmer regions, the challenge is to keep red wines from becoming too warm and soupy, so they are kept under refrigeration. A chilled red on a warm day can be refreshing, rather like iced […]
Outdoor eating & wine
WSET Diploma 2016
The 2016 WSET Diploma in Dublin is now open for enrolment and full details can be found on the WSET website. Note that WSET runs this course directly from their London office – contact Joseph Hallam ([email protected]) directly if you have any queries. – Enrolment deadline: 3rd October 2016 – Course start: 7th November 2016 – […]
Learn about wine
If you can imagine the island of Ireland covered in vineyards, this is roughly the same footprint as the world’s vineyard area. Okay, so tag on an extra County Cork for good measure and you will come close to the real figure of 7.5 million hectares of vines in the world, which bear grapes. Although […]
2016 Wine Wish List
If I were to create a wish-list of what I’d love for 2016, it would read something like this: That the proposed minimum pricing legislation is carefully thought-out before being implemented. I for one, do not want to have to pay even more for wine. I have yet to be convinced that pricing will impact […]
Wines for Christmas Day
If you are part of a large gathering on Christmas Day, choose wines which will appeal to everyone, rather than anything too esoteric. Save your prized bottles for a quieter time, when you can appreciate them better, and not have to worry about excited children knocking over glasses! If you are having a fish starter, […]
Wine & Duck
In Ireland we seem to shop from a very limited range of ingredients, with limited seasonal variation. Duck has made a welcome debut to our stores, and is now widely available. Much of it comes from Silver Hill, a family business based in Monaghan. They employ over 150 people and process 60,000 ducks per week! […]
Coravin – the ultimate gift!
Big Rhône Wine Quiz!
Win a wine holiday in the Rhône valley for yourself and 3 friends, courtesy of Inter-Rhône! Rhône Wine Week kicks off from 2-8th November, with a Big Rhône Quiz on Monday 2nd November, around 5.30pm, at a city-centre venue in Dublin. The winner gets a 5-day wine holiday, for 4 people, including flights, camper van […]