Tagus Creek Shiraz Touriga Nacional Rosé

IRELAND has become a nation of wine drinkers in a very short time but the wines we drink now are quite different to those sampled in the mid-2000s.

One well known Cork importer/retailer told me this week that in 2007 he regularly had customers asking him to suggest a wine that cost over €50 but some of those same customers are now asking what he can recommend for €5.

I also learned this week from a supermarket wine buyer that the average amount of money spent on a bottle of wine in their shops in 2012 was just over €7 and that only around 5% of what they sell costs over €15. The average spend in the independent off licence sector would be higher but I would guess it is probably not a lot higher.