For a time, it seemed as if Mitchell & Son, trading in Kildare Street since 1886, was fighting a dispiriting lone battle to keep wine in the city centre. (In case you haven't dropped in for a while, the shop is bigger and better than ever.) Then along came Berry Bros & Rudd, winning plaudits for their sensitive makeover of the old Weights and Measures Office in Harry Street. These two hog the headlines, but here are three others worth a try in the heart of the city:
Layden Fine Wines: A wide range of prices, regions and styles, with the emphasis on topnotch producers at every level. Old World stars include Faiveley, La Chablisienne, Chivite, Notarpanaro; the New World has Tyrrells, Maglieri, Mount Pleas- ant, Villa Maria, Omaka Springs. Sunday opening, 12-6 p.m., is a bonus. Epicurean Food Hall, Lower Liffey Street and Middle Abbey Street, tel: 01-8782221. Claudio's Wines: On the corner of George's Arcade, Brazilian wine enthusiast Claudio Menenses is breathing new life into the premises previously owned by the importers, Ecock Wines. What with passing businesspeople, receptions and office parties, he's doing a roaring trade - much of it hinging on Ecock bestsellers such as Collavini, Lan Rioja, Marques de Monistrol, Cousino Macul and this week's swish Chilean, Viu Manent. 29 Drury Street, tel: 01671 5917.
Vaughan Johnson's: The news that Cape Town's leading wine retailer had chosen Dublin for his second shop was greeted with some incredulity. Could a shop majoring in the wines of South Africa - a country with a tiny share of the Irish market - thrive? Apparently so. All those Irish migrants who've fallen for the Cape will find an unparalleled line-up of its best producers, plus some of VJ's own good-value bottlings. 11 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, tel: 016715355.