Just like almost all of you reading this I have working molars and eye-teeth and I like to use them.

Bordeaux is one of the most frustrating of all wine regions, mainly because it is also the biggest.

The European wine harvest is in full swing but the late spring frost and hail and an extreme summer heatwave have not proved beneficial.

This week’s column is all about the new as none of the wines below are in the country more than a few weeks. There are two from Lidl and four Spanish wines from Wines Direct who have a knack of ferreting out interesting wines.

 

Several years ago, while raising six offspring and also working with husband Denis in their shared business, Sheila Kiely found the time to write (and photograph!) her first cookbook, Gimme the Recipe, and the follow-up, Enjoy! Food You’ll Love (Mercier Press) has hit the shelves.

January is a month for learning new things and many off-licences are offering wine courses this month and early next month.

Luna, Drury St, Dublin 2; tel: 01-6799009;

I have a nostalgic theme this week as I was reminded at recent tastings by how much our tastes have changed since I first became interested in wine.

The September French wine sales keep on coming and there are genuine bargains to be had if you keep your wits about you over the next few weeks.

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.

What is the world’s greatest wine region? A common question and an unfortunate answer — Burgundy.

In my garden at the moment my plum and two apple trees are in full bloom and I am already anxiously anticipating a good crop of fruit.

This column is a massive fan of the wines of Spain. In my opinion, Spain currently offers the best value (price versus quality) of any wine-producing nation.

Now that there appears be a chink of light at the end of the recession tunnel — given the number of new wine shop and wine bar openings — I thought I would talk gadgets this week.

I hope you can forgive the increase in prices on the column this week, I promise it is a once-a-year event, and only because I want to talk about Champagne.

The key to successful present buying I believe is to find something that the recipient wants, but which it did not occur to them to buy for themselves.

Readers of this column may be getting tired of my raising the issue of excise duty on wine but bear with me for just a few sentences. 

I mentioned last week of the sad death of Paddy Keogh of Wines Direct at the young age of 64 from a relatively short illness. 

THE sad news of the death of Paddy Keogh of Wines Direct was announced recently and this column would like to extend sympathies to his family and work colleagues. 

WE seem to all but lose our minds at Christmas.

IT IS a little more than 24 hours since 60,000 bottles of fine wine valued at up to €500 each were destroyed by flames that engulfed Westmeath company Wines Direct.

Around 60,000 bottles of fine wine were destroyed in a blaze which gutted a massive warehouse overnight.

An overnight fire has destroyed a warehouse, offices and retail outlet being used by the Wines Direct company in Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

Firefighters tackling a major blaze at a wine merchant’s warehouse were battling today to prevent it spreading.