St. Patrick’s Day 2014 – A day of great bottles

There really isn’t anything unusual about an Irishman celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but I like to think that since we share names, I have more right to indulge on this day than most.… Continue reading →

The Real Wine Month – April 2014

A lot has changed in my wine outlook since I wrote “The Natural Wine Empire Strikes Back” in 2013. Even more has changed since my first visits to The Real Wine Fair and… Continue reading →

Valli Unite – Ottavio Rube Vino Rosso

“Are these the actual hands that made the wine?” It was a rhetorical question. In the way that any comment on Instagram could even jokingly be considered as rhetorical. I used to mock… Continue reading →

Beaujolais on the Mind – Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py

I was meant to be writing about Sangiovese and Chianti Classico this week, but I can’t get my mind off Beaujolais. Not just any Beaujolais mind you – it’s the stunning Jean Foillard… Continue reading →

Restaurants in Dublin Offering BYO (Bring Your Own)

There is no getting around it – my cooking skills leave a lot to be desired. I love cooking and am always willing to put in the effort, but I tend to be… Continue reading →

Most Enjoyable Wines of 2013 – Proprietà Sperino Costa della Sesia ‘Uvaggio’ 2010

This is the last in my series of posts on the most enjoyable wines of 2013 and technically I’m cheating since I really only got to grips with this wine in 2014. Why?… Continue reading →

Most Enjoyable Wines of 2013 – Equipo Navazos Sherry

2013 was my year of Equipo Navazos sherry. (You can read more about their story at this link.) I started as I meant to continue with a bottle of La Bota de Manzanilla… Continue reading →

Most Enjoyable Wines of 2013 – A Tale of Two Valpolicellas: Quintarelli and Bussola

A couple of the more memorable ‘wining’ experiences of 2013 came during my visit to Verona. On successive nights in the city of fair Romeo and Juliet, I set out to sample some… Continue reading →

Sparkling Wine for New Year’s Eve – SO Prosecco

Let’s face it – a lot of Prosecco is bland and uninteresting. Its image has suffered in recent years with the market flooded with drab swill, with little to whet the appetite of… Continue reading →

Cono Sur Wine Tasting

A Chilean wine tasting? No your eyes do not deceive you, nor have I abandoned Italy in favour of the land that Phylloxera forgot to visit on its holidays. I tossed and turned… Continue reading →