No 1 Rockcliffe is beguiling due to period details views, and more, says Tommy Barker. Pictures: Denis Minihane

Nathalie O’Brien is praying her name will not be called out. Sat beside her dad, Fergus, and mam, Michelle, in the RTÉ studios in Donnybrook, Nathalie is agonising at the thought of being declared the winner.

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

The auction date is in early June, but interest has already been building in a large residential holding of some note that will go under the hammer with auctioneers Matthew Ryan & Son of Tipperary town.

This odd-shaped, brick-faced and well-sited ‘60s Tivoli House, replaced a Palladian manor, which had its origins in the mid-1700s.

I have banged the drum loudly for Spanish white wines on this page in recent years but I admit I have focused more on the textured fragrant Albariño and Godello wines of Galicia, and rather neglected Spain’s most successful and equally fascinating white grape Verdejo from Rueda.

This week, a focus on Chile which is rather overdue given that Chile now holds 27% of the Irish wine market (and growing).

John Daly experiences the newly refurbished Dromoland Castle, fresh from its €20m revamp.

The Menu is readying himself once more for yet another trip to Cloughjordan, this time for a weekend conference (May 26/27), Feeding Ourselves: Rural Revitalisation through a Cooperative Approach to Farming and Food, an annual gathering of small farmers, community food advocates and anyone with an interest in good food, farming and rural revitalisation.

Valentine’s Day is in a few days so this week’s column offers some gift suggestions, both conventional and more unusual.

Welcome to The Menu’s House of Love, a special loveheavy edition of this column.

Champagne doesn’t have a season — I’m fairly sure most of us would drink it every day if we were let, writes Leslie Williams.

Tommy Barker reports on a cluster of properties on a promontory on the Co Waterford coastline within Ireland’s Ancient East region.

Your home viewing entertainment wrap for the week ahead, with Des O’Driscoll.

BALLYMALOE LITFEST

A man has been found guilty of assaulting his neighbour in a row sparked by straying cattle, while his partner has been convicted of blocking the road with a car.

It is safe to say that, even allowing for 265 years of inflation, the prize fund of €500,000 for this year’s Irish Grand National is somewhat more than the value of the hogshead or cask of wine that two Corkmen competed for in the world’s first steeplechase.

Baby AJ O’Brien never saw the world but it was waiting for him with soft blue blankets and teddy bears and cuddles at the ready.

The dreaded ‘C’ word is fast approaching so if you can be disciplined (or can lock the wine away somewhere) it is good to begin picking up some wines or at least thinking about what you will need.

I’m pleased to see a steady increase in the number of lighter ‘session’ style beers from our better craft beer producers, crisp fresh flavours are often key, abv is usually around 4% and cans seem to be the vessel of choice.

There’s a sort of musical chairs series of moves afoot at several of Munster’s TV, audio and white goods retailers this month. As one Cork city centre retailer prepares to move to an edge-of town spot for a larger footprint in coming weeks, the first out of the traps to officially confirm a relocation is the well-known and long-established Soundstore.

The autumn is wine fair season in Irish supermarkets. Aldi was first out of the blocks last Sunday with an intriguing selection of wines from around the world at their usual low prices. 

On a night when British challenger Decorated Knight, ridden for Roger Charlton by George Baker, landed the Group 3 ICON Meld Stakes at Leopardstown, the O’Briens again stole the show as the progressive three-year-old Arya Tara justified favouritism in the listed Stanerra Stakes.

A couple, who claim they have had to live in Thailand for several years in a bid to adopt their late son’s abandoned child, have lost their Dublin home in a bank repossession case.

Dear Orla MacConnell (11),

1916 letter provides a link to only Cork man killed in the Rising, writes Niall Murray

Horseracing paused to remember Jacqueline O’Brien, wife of legendary horse trainer Vincent O’Brien, whose death at the age of 89 was announced yesterday.

Hat Alnasar, raised 5lb. for a gutsy, recent win over a mile, made all under a determined Kevin Manning to land the featured titanbet.co.uk Handicap in Dundalk last night.

Could there be a more appropriate, atmospheric time to launch the sale of Carrigrohane Castle than All Hallows Eve, or Halloween?

I’m a little late focusing on the Rugby World Cup, but with the final group matches this weekend there will be a lot of tension around and you may need a glass of wine to calm your nerves.

I want to begin this week by offering my congratulations to Lynne Coyle MW, wine buyer at O’Briens wines.

Easter, ridden by Seamus Heffernan, captured the listed Hurry Harriet Stakes in Gowran Park last night, completing a double for Aidan O’Brien.

Charges against a couple, accused of lying to the Garda Síochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), were yesterday struck out by a judge who criticised some garda witnesses.

I arrive back from the Canary Islands, with a brief stop-over in London, and have messages on my telephone which make me wonder if there is more exotic wildlife to be seen in West Cork than in many far-flung places.

What is the best-value wine in the world? The answer I give to this question may surprise you — sherry.

Father’s Day is tomorrow so this week I want to focus on wines your dad will probably like. 

Paene Magnus registered his fifth win from seven starts on Dundalk’s polytrack at Lingfield Park on Good Friday.

Still another full week of January to go but I recommend you cheer yourself up by checking out the line-up for the Ballymaloe Litfest which has just been announced.

This time last year, Mystic Menu sat down before his crystal ball and threw out some predictions.