April has been declared ‘Natural Wine Month’ by Le Caveau wine merchants in Kilkenny which specialises in organic, bio-dynamic and ‘natural’ wines.

First this week a reminder that school is back for wine enthusiasts as well as children. 

The grapevine species vitis vinifera (of which all wine grapes of quality are a member), can in theory be grown anywhere on earth between 30 degrees and 50 degrees Latitude.

I have bad news.

Matching food and wine is an imprecise art at the best of times, says Leslie Williams.

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.

Terroir is one of those frustrating French terms that is beloved of winemakers and wine-writers but remains little understood by most of the wine-buying public. 

FOLLOWING on from last week’s theme of wines to match spicy food, a number of the ones recommended this week were tasted over an excellent meal in the long-established Indonesian restaurant Chameleon in Temple Bar.

IMAGINE the floral perfumes and white pepper of a fine German Riesling and mix that with the freshness of a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc such as Sancerre, and finally add in the lusciousness of the best Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy.

REMOVING plants (or people) from their native soil and transplanting them to far off climes is not always successful but sometimes they thrive.

IT isn’t so long since wine was only drunk in Ireland at Christmas.

IT is said “God made the world but the Dutch made Holland”.

PHILIPPINES WITH TRAILFINDERS

JOINING forces once again, South-west France holiday rental specialists The Gascony Secret and Simply Périgord offer a range of striking properties at prices for different pockets, the high range including historically important Chartreuse set in about 180 acres of land.

FRANCE’S most celebrated film maker Daniel Toscan du Plantier died unexpectedly yesterday without seeing justice done in the investigation into his murdered second wife, Sophie.