Coravin Launches In Ireland

Coravin, the ingenious wine access system, was launched in Ireland last week. Eh – don’t we already have a wine access system I hear you cry – isn’t that what a corkscrew is for?… Continue reading →

Monteraponi Wine Dinner in Il Vicoletto

In what must surely rank as the most overdue blog post of all time, I’m finally getting around to writing about a last year’s Monteraponi wine dinner in Il Vicoletto, Temple Bar, Dublin. The… Continue reading →

February is Fino Time on The Taste

January has been relatively quiet on The Vine Inspiration but fear not, the sherry is still flowing! I wrote about fino for the February edition of The Taste – Ireland’s Online Food Magazine.… Continue reading →

State of the Nation: Sherry in Ireland

Yeah I know this is a frequent topic for me, and you might be sick of hearing about the rising global popularity of sherry. However, seeing the penetration sherry is getting in the market… Continue reading →

The Forgotten Few – Wines of 2014

It’s the most wonderful navel-gazing time of the year. A time where wine bloggers and journalists the world over list their favourite wines of the past 12 months. Yawn. So instead this year, I… Continue reading →

Charles Heidsieck Champagne

I’ve been holding onto this post for a while, as I often get asked in the run up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve what Champagne I’ll be drinking over the festive season. The choice… Continue reading →

My Wine Weekend – Cristiano Guttarolo, Riecine, Bartolo Mascarello & ArPePe

People often quip that I’m a bit of a ‘supermarket wine basher’. I’m searching for exciting and delicious wines and, with few exceptions, I’ve yet to find these in a supermarket. Complexity is… Continue reading →

Barolo Tastes, Beer Pockets and Some Fantastic 2010 Barolos

I have Barolo tastes but beer pockets. It’s a big problem, particularly for the 2010 vintage, whose long cool growing season has critics salivating over its classic wines. Indeed, Antonio Galloni of Vinous has described 2010 as… Continue reading →

Rhône Wine Week Ireland: 3rd – 8th November

  With Rhône Wine Week only a few days away, it seemed fitting that when faced with the dilemma of the second bottle choice in Sager + Wilde on Sunday evening, we opted for… Continue reading →

Equipo Navazos Nights – La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada Nos. 39 and 40

You probably know the story of Equipo Navazos already. In the mid-noughties, a group of sherry loving friends came across several butts of Amontillado that had been unsold for 20 years in the bodega… Continue reading →