Food & Drink News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: This old devil makes a hell of a wine

By Kilkenny Now 10th July 2020 0

Pinot Noir is an old variety of grape. It is difficult to grow and gave rise to the famous verdict of one vineyard owner that “god made Cabernet Sauvignon but the devil made Pinot Noir”. However, most growers agree that Pinot Noir is worth the effort for the excellent wine it produces. It turns up […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: I get no kick out of you

By Kilkenny Now 3rd January 2020 0

Beers without alcohol used to run the gamut from A (for awful) to B (for bland) but some very good products are now being brewed that look and taste like the real thing. Wicklow Wolf Moonlight and Dungarvan Main Sail are two no-alcohol craft beers I recently tried and enjoyed. I have yet to hit […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: The last of the summer rosé

By Kilkenny Now 16th August 2019 0

AUTUMN is on the horizon, but for the last of the summer wine let me return to rosé, the great staple of barbecues, picnics and garden parties. It used to be looked down on as a sweet summer drink for people who could not decide between white and red. But I read that it has […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: Where a glass of wine is good for your art

By Kilkenny Now 9th August 2019 0

PADDY McKillen started his business life in Belfast with the family’s motor repair business. He moved to Dublin where he specialised in the supply of car exhausts. He went into property and, later, the hospitality industry. He is a hotelier with a major reputation world-wide. His son, also Paddy, owns many clubs and pubs across […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: Some cracking reds to go with your Easter eggs

By Kilkenny Now 19th April 2019 0

NO lambs will die on my account this Easter. It’s not a matter of principle, I just don’t like the meat very much. It tends to be fatty or stringy or both. If you disagree, I recommend Chateau Moulin de Mallet as an accompaniment, a fruity red from Bordeaux (€16.95 in The Wine Centre, Kilkenny). […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: How to have a grape St Patrick’s Day

By Kilkenny Now 15th March 2019 0

SO what wine will you drink on St Patrick’s Day?  I recommend Vin de Liffey, the black one with the white head, best sipped from a pint glass. But Ireland is officially listed as a wine producing country by the European Commission and if you are very persistent (and a wee bit mad) you can […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: Sipping a fine red in the war zone

By Kilkenny Now 1st February 2019 0

THE Middle East has a good climate for grapes, that’s why wine figures in many Bible stories. But anyone producing wine there needs to be extremely brave and slightly mad. Both descriptions could apply to the remarkable Hochar family, Maronite Christians who have been making excellent wines in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for more than 80 […]