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 […]
Christmas dinner is a hearty meal which would seem to call for a hearty red to accompany it. But if turkey is the biggest item on your plate, that may not be true. It is quite a bland meat and can easily be overpowered by the heftier reds. A Beaujolis or Fleurie (Joseph Drouhin Fleurie €19.50, Ardkeen Stores, Waterford); a Pinot Noir (Reserve de Luch, Pinot Noir, €11 at
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 […]
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 […]
LAST week I wrote about Irish names that have made a mark in the wine world – mostly those of the ‘wine geese’, merchants who fled this country in the early eighteenth century. Nessa Corish is a more recent goose – sorry about that Nessa, nothing personal. You won’t see her name on a bottle […]
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 […]
PINTO Gris and Pinot Grigio are neighbours. Both wines come from the same white grape with a greyish skin (hence the French name ‘gris’). At one stage these wines must have been identical but different production methods have driven them apart. In Alsace, where most of the French Pinto Gris is made, the harvest is […]