Food & Drink News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: These winter warmers are wines for all seasons

By Kilkenny Now 16th October 2020 0

As temperatures drop and the nights draw in, thoughts turn to cosy drawing rooms, a blazing fire in the hearth, a fragrant casserole in the oven and a nice glass of Sherry to sip while you wait for the cooking to finish. It’s wishful thinking, really. Modern houses aren’t big on either drawing rooms or […]

Food & Drink News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: Some like it hot – but not me

By Kilkenny Now 22nd November 2019 0

I am not a fan of mulled wine. I like the idea of it spreading warmth on a winter’s day and I like the smell of the fruit and spices, but the drink is always disappointing and it has ruined many a party at this time of year. I am expecting a nice glass of […]

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WINE O’CLOCK: Sweets for my sweet with a hint of honey

By Kilkenny Now 8th November 2019 0

SOME people like to drink a dessert wine with, reasonably enough, their dessert. I like to drink them as my dessert. The sweetness of the wine combined with the sweetness of most puddings is just too much for my taste, but a glass of Sauternes, sipped just by itself, is a lovely end to a […]

News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: A spell in the cooler works for reds as well as whites

By Kilkenny Now 1st November 2019 0

To chill or not to chill? That is the question. The answer is that a little spell in the fridge is good for many wines, including reds. Just don’t overdo it. Don’t use your refrigerator as a wine store. And that goes for whites as well as reds. White wines, Champagne in particular, are very […]

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WINE O’CLOCK: A good screw to pop your cork

By Kilkenny Now 25th October 2019 0

I AM not certain what constitutes a callow youth but I’m pretty sure I was one, way back in the day, when I got a summer job in what passed for a posh restaurant in the Belfast of the late 1960s. I served a very glamorous woman, dining with equally glamorous friends, but told her […]

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WINE O’CLOCK: Season of mists and mellow wines

By Kilkenny Now 30th August 2019 0

A LOT of nonsense is written about matching wines to seasons. If you like a wine in winter you unlikely to go off it in the spring, so drink what you like whenever you like to drink it. But there is a degree of commonsense behind the matching. Obviously in summer we look for crisp […]

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WINE O’CLOCK: There’s more to this one than a fat, fancy bottle

By Kilkenny Now 12th April 2019 0

BACK in the Seventies, no trendy home was without a Chianti bottle. Some people even drank the wine, but the key thing was the rotund bottle, known as a fiasco (flask), in which candles could be burned, the accumulated wax giving them an even chubbier shape. Ruffino Chianti was the best known label bottled in […]

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 […]