Four drinks for our national holiday so you can raise a celebratory glassLarkin’s Outlier IPA; Orchard Cuvée Cider, Viking Irish Drinks; Laurent Miquel Arlbariño 2022, IGP Aude; and Power’s Irish Rye WhiskeySat Mar 11 2023 - 05:00
Two wines for under €8: A refreshing Austrian white and red from indigenous Portugues grapesWines for the Weekend: Lidl offers wines made from local unique grapesFri Mar 10 2023 - 05:00
What does it mean when a wine is described as full-bodied?How to Drink Better: John Wilson demystifies the world of wineSun Mar 05 2023 - 05:00
Sherry, but not like your granny might have liked to sipJohn Wilson: ‘I believe sherry to be one of the world’s great drinks and hate to see wine lovers missing out’Sat Mar 04 2023 - 05:00
French and Spanish wines to suit all tastes from DunnesWeekend Wines: Picpoul de Pinet goes perfectly with shellfish while Teófilo Reyes is in heaven with hearty stewsFri Mar 03 2023 - 05:00
Fortified wines: everything you need to know about truly amazing and complex drinksHow to Drink Better: Before, during or after dinner, there is a fortified wine, Sherry, Port, Madeira or Marsala, that will fit the billSun Feb 26 2023 - 05:00
Invested in wine: the best bottles to buy and store, whether you plan to drink or sellJohn Wilson: A good vintage can make the perfect present for a child or godchild when they are olderSat Feb 25 2023 - 05:00
Spend a little over a tenner on wine and see how the quality improvesWines for the Weekend:Fri Feb 24 2023 - 05:00
The best of New Zealand: four wines with zesty and earthy flavours to savourThere is more to the country than Marlborough and more to Marlborough than sauvignon blancSat Feb 18 2023 - 05:00
Two Italian wines from Lidl for under a tennerWines for the Weekend: A light white, perfect as an aperitif, and a versatile red, both the the north west of the countryFri Feb 17 2023 - 05:00
Award-winning wines: Points scores, medal wins and what they meanHow to Drink Better: A competition win can mean soaring success for a wine, but not all present themselves for judgementSun Feb 12 2023 - 05:00
Four Irish gins to try: from a full-bodied classic to the complex and fruityGin is still in but there is a noticeable drive to the premium endSat Feb 11 2023 - 05:00
John Wilson: Four bottles to watch out for in SuperValu’s new wine saleWines for the Weekend: Retailer launches reductions on 100 Spanish and Portuguese winesFri Feb 10 2023 - 05:00
John Wilson: This is what you need to know to pick a red wine you will enjoyHow to Drink Better: Find the grape variety you like the most and experiment with varieties grown in different countriesSun Feb 05 2023 - 05:00
Finding an eco-friendlier way to buy and enjoy wineJohn Wilson: Having a good everyday wine available on tap, from a bag-in-box, offers some real advantagesSat Feb 04 2023 - 05:00
John Wilson: Good moves from Marks & Spencer to make buying wine easierWines for the Weekend: A fruity Italian white and a light red from New Zealand with a touch of spiceFri Feb 03 2023 - 12:49
John Wilson: This is what you need to know to pick a white wine you will enjoyHow to Drink Better: These are the most popular white wine grape varieties and the styles of wine they produceSun Jan 29 2023 - 05:00
New vintage: wines to watch out for in 2023This week, a few bottles that may be less familiar but are well worth tryingSat Jan 28 2023 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two great-value wines from Aldi, a white and a red for €8.99 or lessWines for the Weekend: A refreshing Gavi, from northeastern Italy, and a smooth Douro, from PortugalFri Jan 27 2023 - 05:00
Which wine? How to read information on back of bottleHow to Drink Better: Wine labels can be impossible to understand but they can provide useful detailsSun Jan 22 2023 - 05:00
Which wines work best with Chinese food?It’s impossible to pair the breadth of Chinese cuisine with just four bottles, but this is a good startSat Jan 21 2023 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two modern-classic wines to try from SuperValu, each for €12 or lessWines for the Weekend: This Spanish white and Australian red are bottles that would have been unknown to our parentsFri Jan 20 2023 - 05:00
John Wilson: Why is alcohol so expensive to buy in Ireland?How to Drink Better: When you spend €8 on a bottle of wine in Ireland, €4.69 of that will go to the governmentSun Jan 15 2023 - 05:00
Alcohol-free gin: telling the difference is not so easyServed well chilled with plenty of good tonic water, these no-alcohol drinks are a good alternative to a G&TSat Jan 14 2023 - 05:00
January bargain wines to fill your glass without emptying your walletWines for the Weekend: A dry Loire Valley white and a full-bodied Languedoc red, both from O’BriensFri Jan 13 2023 - 05:00
Keeping up the craic: Tips to moderate your drinking while still enjoying itHow to Drink Better: Dry January is a good idea, but changing your long-term drinking habits is betterSun Jan 08 2023 - 05:00
Taking a break from wine? Kombucha and kefir are great alternativesJohn Wilson: Irish producers of fermented and unfermented drinks include King of Kefir, SynerChi, Green Beards and SiSúSat Jan 07 2023 - 05:00
France has calvados. Ireland now has its own excellent apple brandy, rum and ice wineLongueville House, Highbank Orchards, Nohoval, Killahora and other craft producers deserve our supportWed Dec 28 2022 - 05:00
Wines and beers to complement the gutsy, strong flavours of winter warmersFind the ideal liquid companion to get the temperature and tastes you want as the weather turns coldTue Dec 27 2022 - 05:00
What is a good present to buy for a wine lover?How to Drink Better: Go for quality rather than quantity, and seek advice from a good wine shopSun Dec 18 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson’s 12 favourite wines of the yearA selection of wines costing from €7.99 to €35 that stood out as offering something specialSat Dec 17 2022 - 05:00
Hollow Leg: At last, alcohol-free wine that tastes really good – and is from an Irish label Wines for the Weekend: This new range of red, white and sparkling wine could be a gamechangerFri Dec 16 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson: The right glasses will actually make your wine taste betterHow to Drink Better: It may be worth investing in some new wine glasses, and there is something for everyone at all price pointsSun Dec 11 2022 - 05:00
Bottles under €20 for budget-friendly Christmas cheerJohn Wilson: Richer and more powerful styles of wine can stand up to the demands of turkey and trimmingsSat Dec 10 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two tawnies to enjoy during the cold spellWines for the Weekend: What better time to enjoy an evening glass of warming port or other fortified wine?Fri Dec 09 2022 - 05:00
Is champagne worth the hefty expenditure?How to Drink Better: Good Champagne is a luxury product that is heavily taxed in IrelandSun Dec 04 2022 - 05:00
Decent party wine for €10? Try these good value whites, a red and a proseccoJohn Wilson: Serve your wine in half-filled large tulip-shaped glasses for the best tasteSat Dec 03 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two good-value wines from Lidl that would go down a treat this ChristmasWines for the Weekend: Both are French. The white is a nicely rounded Alsace Riesling, the red a full-bodied but smooth Plan de DieuFri Dec 02 2022 - 10:24
Should we drink red wine with red meat, or is it down to personal preference?How to Drink Better: `I have a good friend who dislikes red wine and drinks Chardonnay with everything’Sun Nov 27 2022 - 06:00
Vanilla, spice and all things nice: Four Riojas to tryJohn Wilson: Most of us still prefer the traditional style of Rioja, usually a Reserva when we can afford it, especially with our Christmas turkeySat Nov 26 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two wines with particularly ancient lineages to try, both from Aldi Wines for the Weekend: The white, a Greco di Tufo, is from the volcanic mountains overlooking Naples. The red is from Bakaa Valley, in LebanonFri Nov 25 2022 - 09:16
John Wilson: It does not need to be all white on the night if you are having fish for dinnerHow to Drink Better: In general, white wines pair best with fish but in some cases a red that’s light in tannins can be a great matchSun Nov 20 2022 - 05:00
Four must-try Portuguese red and white winesJohn Wilson: At a tasting recently, I came across an old favourite of mine, Pegos Claros Reserva – it’s great value for money and widely availableSat Nov 19 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two star wines from Dunnes Stores that you won’t regret raiding the piggy bank forWines for the Weekend: Markus Huber is one of Austria’s most talented winemakers. His Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Noir are outstanding – and great valueFri Nov 18 2022 - 10:57
Should I always drink red wine with meat and white wine with fish?How to Drink Better: If you don’t know a lot about wine, but would like to know more, this new series will help you get to grips with itSun Nov 13 2022 - 05:00
New Irish whiskeys that would make great Christmas presentsJohn Wilson: Offerings from Dingle Distillery, Wayward Irish Spirits, Lakeview and TeelingsSat Nov 12 2022 - 05:00
John Wilson: Two good-value French wines from SuperValu that go down a treat on winter eveningsWines for the Weekend: A rich, ripe Viognier from Languedoc, and a classic Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon BordeauxFri Nov 11 2022 - 08:33
John Wilson: Here is how to make your cheap wine taste betterHow to Drink Better: Mix good and less good wines together, serve it with food, and use your best glasses even if it’s an inexpensive bottleSun Nov 06 2022 - 05:00
Amarone: a rich red wine that pairs perfectly with winter dishesExpect to pay about €50 for a bottle of good amarone from the Veneto region of ItalySat Nov 05 2022 - 05:00
