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 […]

Food & Drink News Opinion

WINE O’CLOCK: Reds and whites for a sherry little Christmas

By Kilkenny Now 20th December 2019 0

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

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 […]

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: Shedding some light on Pinot Noir

By Kilkenny Now 3rd May 2019 0

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 […]

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: Pinto Gris and Pinot Grigio: neighbours divided by shades of grey

By Kilkenny Now 8th March 2019 0

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 […]