Is that wine worth its price? This is a question I am frequently asked, mainly regarding expensive Bordeaux.

The thing I love most about the Christmas meal is that for once I am not the only one fussing and worrying about what wine to serve. 

Recently I gave over my column to the joys of sherry and wrote about how well it goes with food. This week it is the turn of port. Port and sherry are drinks we wrongly associate with Christmas when in fact they work all year round.

All over Europe and the Northern Hemisphere, grape growers are checking the weather forecast on an hourly basis, and saying prayers that the rain stays away.

The Dog Days are over to quote Florence and the Machine (who will be at Electric Picnic this year, as will I - of which more next week).

Cork’s longest-running food emporium, Cinnamon Cottage, has come up for sale in its 21st year of cooking and trading.

THE people behind Zamora, one of several welcome new restaurants in Cork City, may have taken inspiration from Mary Howitt’s lines ...

Cork’s Academy Street and its adjacent Huguenot Quarter is coming out of recessionary doldrums — and is becoming a foodie quarter: a slew of new restaurants has arrived, with more to come.

A GOOD wine should top everyone’s Christmas shopping list. whether it’s for a quiet post-dinner treat, or for entertaining the masses.

This week I’m taking a took a look at some wines from the lower end of Bubble Brothers’ price range — mainly new arrivals to their stores in the English Market, and at the Marina Business Park in Cork as well as on www.bubblebrothers.com.

ST Valentine’s night is peak season for dinner à deux and I’ll be looking at some smoochy wine ideas next week.

AS the Christmas countdown enters its final week, let’s combine properly festive jollity with sensible shopping: you don’t have to spend crazy money.

THERE will be a certain je ne sais quoi about Cork’s famous English Market tomorrow as it celebrates the arrival of one of the world’s most anticipated wines.

THE recent public tasting in Cork organised by the Spanish Embassy was, as expected, both a great way to survey what’s on the market in Ireland today, and a thrilling immersion in total sensory pleasure.

FORMER Taoiseach Albert Reynolds along with Health Minister Mary Harney, JP McManus, John Magnier and members of the Chieftains are expected to be among 250 guests attending tomorrow’s wedding of Michael Flatley to Niamh O’Brien.

Cork Coffee Roasters is a new, gourmet coffee micro-roaster owned and operated by Master Coffee Roaster, John Gowan.

We were sitting around the table last night with Emily and her friends. They were all in a panic: still so many presents to organise, no time, no money...