Nobody knows Irish food better than Joe McNamee. From chutney to cheese, craft beer to chocolate, he’s put together The Menu’s Annual Christmas Hamper – full of the local products that really stood out this year. Plus, he’s got the top gifts for foodies.

I have been rather neglectful of Australia in recent months so this week I want to focus on one of the great icon estates of Australian wine as a way of showing that there is more to this country than big blowsy Shiraz and Chardonnay.

Two brave David’s to talk about this week — David Whelehan of Whelehan’s Wines which opened in December in the old Silver Tassie pub in Loughlinstown on the N11; and Dave Gallgher of Green Man Wines in Terenure which opened last month.

From starters to the end-of-the-day movie, Christmas can be a long haul but with the perfect drink in your hand, you won’t want it to end.

I mentioned last week of the sad death of Paddy Keogh of Wines Direct at the young age of 64 from a relatively short illness. 

CAN you trust a wine score or tasting note? One of the more animated discussions at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival was on the subject of wine competitions and point-scoring for wines.

THIS is an interesting time in the world of wine.

IRISH consumers buy more wine from Australia than from any other country, giving them a market share of around 27%, much of which is driven by the large brands.