"When relaxing at the weekend, I enjoy sharing food and wine with family or friends. I mainly drink red, but I like white in summer or with seafood. A chance meeting with an importer of Italian wines led me to the joys of Italian wines. About that time, I began to take an interest in cooking.
It is impossible to think of Italian food without wine. The simplest dish can be magic if accompanied by the right wine. Some Italian wines can be expensive, but value can be found in southern Italy and the Veneto region in the north, such as Allegrini Valpolicella (€13.99 in Red Island Wines, Skerries). Sicily is one of Italy's most progressive regions; some of the island's finest wines come from native varieties, especially Nero D'Avola, a great food wine with toasty oak, sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavours. One of my favourites is Santa Cecilia Nero D'Avola 2004, €25 from Nicholson's of Crossgar.
I also enjoy Spanish wines - among my favourites are Aalto 2004, Ribera del Duero, Rioja from Allende and Les Terrases, from Priorat, a blend of Granacha, Carinena and Cabernet Sauvignon, available from Unwined in Swords (€28.50).
I love the spiciness of Australian Shiraz, a wine that never disappoints. There are many different styles. My own favourites include Mitolo Jester Shiraz 2005 (€19), McRae Wood Shiraz from Jim Barry and Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (€30), a stunner with roast beef. All of these are available from Red Island Wines.
In north Co Dublin, we can enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables in season. My love of strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries has led me to enjoy New Zealand whites, especially Sauvignon Blanc. A superb value white called Astrolabe (€15.99, O'Brien's) always impresses. It's great with baked goats' cheese. Sometimes I enjoy fresh seafood with a glass of white in either Stoop Your Head or The Red Bank, Skerries.
I support small independent wine shops as they introduce new and unusual wines. My favourite wine shop is Red Island in Skerries, run by Dougie Stewart, which has an excellent and interesting range of wines, some at great prices.
Seek recommendations and take a chance when buying, as there is a world of wine pleasure to discover and enjoy."
Tony Keeling is a former member of the Graduates showband and principal of Fingal Community College, Swords. He gives wine appreciation classes for Co Dublin VEC in Skerries Community College