O’Briens Spanish Wine Sale
Tandem Ars In (Read more...)
There’s been a bit of talk again recently on Natural Wine which has prompted a return to this theme. Natural Wine isn’t really anything, it’s a bit like ‘artisan’ in that there is no clear cut definition. It claims to be, well, natural, in that there are no additives such as sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites in general have had a lot of bad press, yes if (Read more...)
Burgers, charcoal and Motilium at the ready! It’s seven scrumptious barbecue recipes from seven tong-tastic, grill-focused venues dotted around Cork city and county.
Many people plump for beer at these casual, unfussy events, but tons of wines can hit the spot just as well. The main “rule” to bear in mind is to avoid wines that are overly dry, subtle, austere or expensive – fruity, robust wines are the way (Read more...)
Domaine de la Provenquiére Syrah VdP d’Oc, Languedoc, France 2010The beautiful little estate is situated right in the heart of the Languedoc, and produces wines from traditional grapes but in a modern, clean style. The Syrah is everything you could want from this grape and this region – packed with dark berry fruit on the nose, but bursting with savoury flavours on the palate- smoky, peppery and black olive. (Read more...)
We’ve taken a look at In-Page Analytics report in Google Analytics. It gives a nice visual on where people click on a page.
Interestingly, on the category pages (i.e. pages like red wine or white wine with a long list of products) one really interesting thing we spotted was that price was not something website visitors often click on, despite being the highest or most prominent filter. So, what was? (Read more...)

Ok its International Sherry Day (20th 25th May), I know it’s more than one day and that’s because sherry is more than one wine. I know we all think of it as the stuff in trifles or that stuff our gran drinks, but it is so much more.
What is Sherry?
Quite simply it is a fortified wine from southern Spain with history that stretches back over 3000 (Read more...)
WSET have just announced dates of the WSET Diploma being held in Dublin. For first semester students, the course starts in November 2013. This course is being run directly by WSET London. On-line booking and information is available on WSET’s website. All queries should be directed towards the London WSET school.
WSET Diploma is the WSET’s flagship qualification, designed to prepare people for senior positions within the (Read more...)
Milan gets a bad rap from tourists – overpriced and pretentious are phrases that are often bandied about – but I must admit to really enjoying every single one of my visits there. With its proximity to Piemonte, Milanese restaurant wine lists are stacked full of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto although I’ve found that, as with most cities, an excursion away from the centre is advised in order to avoid (Read more...) With BYOB all the rage, we’re delighted to announce our partnership with The Whitefriar Grill. Every Monday, as part of the Whitefriar Grill’s Corkage Club, you can bring your own bottle of wine to The Whitefriar Grill. And here’s the best bit…if you bring a bottle from the biggest little wine shop in Dublin, the good folk there will waive the corkage fee for the months of (Read more...)Marks and Spencer Spring Wine Tasting
Drinking Wine In Milan
All Roads Lead to Rioja
The Corkage Club at The Whitefriar Grill
Battle of the (India) Pale Ales – Semi Final 3: Celtic League and Semi Final 4: American Walkover
Semi Final 3
Brew Dog Punk IPA 5.6% abv
O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale 5.2% abv
I'm expecting a very close contest here. I like both of these ales a lot and I drink them whenever I find them; the O'Haras you can get on tap in quite a few places.
First up the O'Haras, not massively hoppy but smooth and well balanced. This is a beer you could drink (Read more...) Summer Wine Fair