Leslie Williams looks at some tops wines made by women.

It sort of worked, and some of the good ones I found are recommended below.

Last week I wrote about natural wines which all the cool kids love, but this week I’m writing about the opposite, as the cool kids have zero interest in cru classé Bordeaux.

Happy Birthday to Green Man Wines in Terenure who had their fifth anniversary recently

There is no doubt our climate is changing and while weather shouldn’t be confused with climate the fires in Australia have focused a lot of minds.

The General Election is next Saturday and I have a small plea to make — ask election candidates you encounter what they will do for small businesses such as your local wine merchant.

A new year and unlike everyone else I’m not going to bore you with tips about losing weight.

Let’s start this week with a couple of questions. What is the world’s best-value wine? And what is the world’s best-value fine wine for long ageing?

I’ve written about Puglia, Sicily, and even Calabria frequently but much less about Basilicata and Campania, both small wine regions but not to be dismissed.

Following South Africa’s deserved Rugby World Cup victory I felt it was about time that I featured some of their wines.

The 2019 European harvest is mostly picked by now and reports are mixed but positive.

This week I’m focusing on a recent trip to the most expensive vineyards in Italy (courtesy of O’Briens).

A couple of weeks back I reported that French wine sales had dropped further in the last year. They now rank behind Spain, Australia and Chile.

A few years ago on a visit to Chile I went for a swim in the Pacific Ocean at 7pm on a warm evening in mid-December, it was a little bracing but also blissfully refreshing.

September is Wine Sale month with the French wine sale at DunnesStores having begun on Tuesday last and SuperValu’s French sale on Thursday. Lidl’s French sale is wisely holding off until September 30 and Aldi and O’Briens have more general sales.

I have a few things to report on this week but in particular I want to talk about a re-tasting of the wines of Mandrarossa, an excellent Sicilian producer I mentioned first a year ago.

Leslie Williams sampled the seafood at Cavistons in Dublin.

Italy is a volatile place as you probably know, not just the passions of its people but is a place of active volcanos and frequent earthquakes. One of the most devastating earthquakes in recent years was the one that struck the Amatrice region in 2016.

August is almost upon us which spells the beginning of the end of Summer (in my head at least), so I am focusing on wines for the sunshine.

As everyone except US president Donald Trump seems to know by now the climate is getting warmer and more unstable, and it seems likely this will have a major effect on the wines we will be drinking in the future.

A focus on the Mosel and its tributaries this week as I have found myself drinking it in a couple of restaurants recently.

As promised a few weeks ago, I’m giving over my column to the Loire Valley, a region I have holidayed in regularly since 1994.

Sad news to announce this week as the much loved Cork-based importer Karwigs in Carrigaline have decided to wind down after 40 years.

Champagne is a drink that works all year round, as welcome on a chilly Christmas morning as on a hot day in June.

Italy has been neglected on this page of late but I promise to make up for this in the next few weeks as I have two trips planned — one to Tuscany and one to the Veneto.

May is sustainability month in the Irish Examiner and last week I wrote about the challenges facing wine makers and wine drinkers as we all try to lower our carbon footprint. I’m sure some people were aghast at my recommendation of wine in a bag as despite it having a lower carbon footprint than glass it just feels wrong.

This week, I’m focusing on Veneto, home to some of my favourite Italian wines, such as Bardolino, Soave and, of course, many Irish people’s favourite: Amarone della Valpolicella.

Spanish Wine Week is just finished but I couldn’t help giving over another column to the region’s wines.

The annual Spanish Wine Week runs from next Monday (April 8) until the following Sunday (April 14) with wine and food events around the country. For a full list of events and promotions visit www.spanishwineweek.ie.

Leslie Williams went to sample the food at Sisu Izakaya in Dublin.

The world of wine falls into two very distinct categories — the big brands making easy drinking accessible wines to please as many as possible, and the smaller producers that make wines in their own way and as best they can but with little or no thought to what the market wants — if they like it, why shouldn’t others?

This week I’m focusing on Garnacha/Grenache, arguably the most important grape in France and Spain yet also a grape that is less known than it should be given that it only occasionally appears on wine labels.

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and there is no denying that silky, fragrant wines such as Pinot Noir, Grenache and Viognier can play their part in the noble art of seduction.