Capitania Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Reserva

ST PATRICK’S DAY is upon us, so it is good to remind ourselves of the Irish wine connections.

Historically Ireland has always had strong links with the wine trade in Bordeaux (eg Chateau Lynch Bages, Chateau Lango Barton) but in recent times some Irish people have taken the plunge and bought vineyards from Lochlann Quinn at Chateau de Fieuzal in Pessac Léognan and horse trainer David O’Brien at Chateau Vignelaure in Provence.

There are also some more regular Irish folk around making wine and many of you will have seen Sarabande wines from Faugeres in the Languedoc on Nationwide recently produced by Isla and Paul Gordon which are available from Donnybrook Fair and online via www.thewinestore.ie. Isla is from Carlow and Paul is Australian and their wines are excellent.