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.

It was the late Garrett Fitzgerald who made Munster one of the world’s best rugby clubs and instilled the values that forged lifelong bonds between former Munster players, according to Ronan O’Gara.

After a low-key weekend in Europe, FEI World Cup action resumes this week, with Bordeaux in France staging what is the second-last qualifying round for riders competing in Europe.

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 Cork artist who counts Hollywood actress Gal Gadot and singer Joe Jonas as fans and patrons, said that reaching out to your idols can help spark professional success.

Saracens will be visiting clubs such as Ealing Trailfinders, Ampthill, and Hartpury RFC in the Green King IPA Championship next season, writes Donal Lenihan.

Results over the weekend ended Munster’s slim chances of qualifying before a turnstile opened in Thomond Park on Sunday, writes Tom Savage.

So a draw then. If you’d offered that to most of the fans at Thomond Park Saturday night around the 50th minute, they’d have likely snatched it off you and sprinted off towards the Shannon Bridge.

It is not just Racing 92 who possess the talents to unlock opposition defences. Not if you are talking to Stephen Larkham at any rate.

Ryanair has held firm on plans to cut pilot and cabin crew jobs after it revealed further delays following the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max planes.

Rookie Irish men’s coach Mark Tumilty admits the experience of his assistant Jason Lee will prove crucial ahead of their two-legged Olympic qualifier against Canada.

What goes on tour comes off on tour. That's the mantra now after yesterday's visit to a traditional Japanese onsen, or hot spring to you and me.

If there was anything more striking than Japan’s performance on the field on Saturday in Shizuoka, then it was the conduct of their players and coaches off it after they had electrified a nation and a tournament that is already a success because of their win against Ireland.

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.

Three ages of summer with Camille O’Sullivan who recently finished her run at the Edinburgh Arts Festival.

Meet Lisa O’Doherty, the chief sommelier at The K Club.

In a bid to offset some of the loss of competitiveness by British industry after Brexit.

Stephen Larkham has been labelled a “signature signing” for Munster and one that can help the province’s talented backline to click and the team to reconnect with a style that delivered a pair of Heineken Cups.

The high temperatures are thought to last just a few days and are expected to affect France as well as parts of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

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.

Conor Murray’s name would be among the first on most people’s Ireland World Cup squad but memories of his own ascent to the 2011 tournament are keeping the scrum-half on his toes during the team’s training camps.

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

Munster’s new-look brains trust will have little time to brace for their first intensive exam on the back of a Heineken Champions Cup draw in Lausanne yesterday which did the province few favours.

The airport says arrivals and departures will be up 10% over the same period last year with June 1 expected to be the busiest day.

If one game from last season sticks in Munster minds above the rest it is last season’s PRO14 semi-final loss to Leinster, and today the men in red have the chance to make amends.

Flights will operate twice a week as part of the airline's Summer 2019 schedule.

Tadhg Beirne may be a new signing for Munster this season but he shared the pain of consecutive semi-final defeats in Coventry at the weekend.

So, they meet again. Two years on from a semi-final encounter in Dublin that has proven significant for both sides, Munster and Saracens will be reunited at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena tomorrow for another Heineken Champions Cup knockout tussle.

As an ever-present for Munster in Europe, since the dark days of a losing pool campaign, Rory Scannell is perfectly placed to assess his province’s current ability to compete at the highest level.

This time 12 months ago, Munster and Leinster felt bulletproof as they approached their respective Champions Cup semi-final deciders against Racing 92 and Scarlets, with both squads densely fortified with players from Ireland’s all-conquering Grand Slam team.

Cork Airport has launched eight new routes to its summer schedule offering new services to Croatia, Italy, France, Hungary, and Poland.

I apologise in advance for this column as there is considerable decadence ahead. I was lucky enough to visit Adare Manor for one of their prized wine evenings recently, the good news however is that these evenings are open to anyone for approximately €75 to €85 per person — excellent value given the wines being served.

Bertram Allen returns to the scene of a memorable victory this weekend as he lines out in Bordeaux at the final showjumping qualifier in the European division of the 2018/2019 FEI World Cup series.

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

It is the evening of September 9, and the Stade de France is a sea of sound and flashing lights as the Paris public greet their World Cup heroes, embarking on another campaign.

It says a lot about Connacht under Andy Friend that they were disappointed not to claim a bonus-point win over Top 14 outfit Bordeaux-Bègles as both teams tested the extent of their squads. But the coach left his players in no doubt that they have to improve their discipline or risk being dropped.

Johann van Graan’s bid to get his first full European campaign off to a winning start could not have come in more difficult circumstances, yet the Munster head coach has learned enough in his short time in charge to expect the unexpected on Heineken Champions Cup away days.

“Help us pull this red thread tighter” — that was the appeal from host and former captain Doug Howlett at the inaugural Munster Rugby New York dinner Tuesday night, when the province’s 2008 Heineken Cup-winning team were honoured on the 10-year anniversary of their victory over Toulouse.

I wrote last week about the fact that Ireland is by far the most expensive place to buy wine in the EU with over 50% of a wine that costs €10 going to the government.

School is back, holidays are over but don’t despair, wine is here to

Munster head coach Johann van Graan has plenty of credit in the bank on the eve of the new campaign after steering the province through a difficult transition from the Rassie Erasmus regime midway through 2017-18.