Happy Birthday to Green Man Wines in Terenure who had their fifth anniversary recently

I’ve written about Puglia, Sicily, and even Calabria frequently but much less about Basilicata and Campania, both small wine regions but not to be dismissed.

The Clonakilty 400 Masterplan puts people first, writes Giulia Vallone

At certain times during my cycle I can’t sleep without having an orgasm.

I have a few things to report on this week but in particular I want to talk about a re-tasting of the wines of Mandrarossa, an excellent Sicilian producer I mentioned first a year ago.

Hail the size of oranges has injured 18 people in an Italian Adriatic city, while a blaze in Sicily forced beach-goers to flee.

Kya deLongchamps reports on the work on Johnstown Castle in County Wexford

Italy has been neglected on this page of late but I promise to make up for this in the next few weeks as I have two trips planned — one to Tuscany and one to the Veneto.

May is sustainability month in the Irish Examiner and last week I wrote about the challenges facing wine makers and wine drinkers as we all try to lower our carbon footprint. I’m sure some people were aghast at my recommendation of wine in a bag as despite it having a lower carbon footprint than glass it just feels wrong.

This week, I’m focusing on Veneto, home to some of my favourite Italian wines, such as Bardolino, Soave and, of course, many Irish people’s favourite: Amarone della Valpolicella.

With direct flights from Cork to Malta launching next month, Suzanne Harrington visits the breathtaking island.

When we think of Champagne we tend to think of the big brand houses who spend fortunes every year on marketing so it’s easy to forget the smaller quality-conscious houses and growers plugging away in their wake.

When baking for someone who has an allergy or who does not eat certain ingredients I often think it is better to find a recipe that is intended to be made without that ingredient.

A language test for new applicants for Irish citizenship is under consideration, a senior Department of Justice official said in Killarney, Co Kerry, where more than 3,500 people from more than 160 countries officially became Irish citizens.

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

Time to confess. I’m a European nationalist (if such a thing is possible), if I could afford it I would buy Paul Smith over Ralph Lauren, Citroen over Chrysler, Bordeaux over Napa Valley, Cornas over Barossa.

This week Dan MacCarthy looks at Kay Summersby's life on Inishbeg

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and fiercely independent — it is after all an island between two continents — Africa and Europe

Need inspiration for your holidays in 2018? Ciara McDonnell has the best deals for families, couples, cruise seekers, adventurers, walkers, solo travellers - and everything in between.

Many tears of joy and a surprise proposal were among the reactions as the crew of a naval ship returned home just in time for Christmas.

Mafia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences, according to Italian media.

The family of an anti-corruption reporter who was killed in a car bombing a week ago have appeared in court in Malta for a libel case against her.

The European wine harvest is in full swing but the late spring frost and hail and an extreme summer heatwave have not proved beneficial.

Nadiya Hussain introduces the BBC’s big new cooking show tonight. Not surprisingly, all concerned are a bit sensitive about comparisons to previous series, writes Susan Griffin.

Police in Sicily say 15 firefighters are suspected of setting blazes that they were then called to extinguish.

Italian authorities have ordered a German group's migrant rescue boat seized on suspicion it was used to aid human traffickers in Libya who are engaged in "clandestine immigration".

It’s response to Turkey’s jailing of a German human rights activist was to discourage tourists from going there and firms from investing there, says Mark Leonard

Des O’Driscoll shares his highlights for the week ahead

Dan Buckley savours some father/son bonding time in the stunning Lake Garda

Holidaymakers rescued from a resort in Sicily because of wildfires have described how their day at the beach turned into an emergency evacuation by sea, many wearing just their bathing suits and flip flops.

US president Donald Trump plans to speak with German, French, and Italian officials ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies this week that could expose his sharp differences with world powers on trade and other issues.

This week I am returning to Italy with a scattered selection of suggestions that range from north to south.