One of Spain’s top female wine-makers is leading a promotion for her brand in Ireland, writes Deirdre Reynolds.

WEAR THIS

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

LOGRONO CITY, the regional capital of the La Rioja region in northern Basque Spain, is ring-fenced by apartment blocks but the old quarter, centred around the cathedral, is a warren of alleyways and small squares, warm, bustling bars and cafés leaking patrons at the seams, the overflow bringing the party outside.

AFICIONADOS of wine from Australia and Spain have reason to raise a glass to the 2007 National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) Gold Star selection as those countries have made a clean sweep of two key categories.