A first this week as I believe this is debut appearance of wines from the Azores on this page.

By now the first paycheck of the new year should be in but there are no scary prices below for the simple reason that I am focusing on Southern and Central Portugal this week, arguably two of the best value wine regions in the world.

Irish wine drinkers are far too polite. I doubt any other consumer sector in any other country would take the same level of abuse from their government so placidly.

I am writing this week’s column outside in the garden such is the weather at the moment. It is not just the Irish that are obsessed with the weather, however — talk to any grape grower or winemaker.

IRISH wine consumers like familiarity and consistency in their wines and it is largely for this reason that over 50% of the wine we drink is from Australia or Chile and almost all of that is from grapes such as Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.