O'Briens Fine Wines is offering seven for the price of six on a number of champagnes including Charles Heidsieck Mis en Cave 1996 (£26.99), Laurent-Perrier L-P Brut (£27.19) and Laurent Perrier Brut 1990 (£34.29). New branches in Templeogue and Malahide have just opened, bringing the total to 15 . . .
Jus de Vine in Portmarnock Town Centre (01-8431192), which has just been named overall winner in the Gilbeys'/NofflLA Off-Licence of the Year 2000 competition, has some of the ritziest champagne you'll ever see. A methuselah of Roederer Cristal 1990, from a limited millenium edition of 2,000 bottles, for instance (eight bottles-worth, £4,500) and Bollinger Special Cuvee in every large size, from the 16-bottle nebuchadnezzar (£1,149) down. How much do we have to pay for a glass of non-vintage champagne? Swallow hard. £8 seems to be pretty standard (Cooke's Cafi, The Clarence, The Shelbourne, Thorntons, Blueberrys in Blackrock, Lacken House in Kilkenny, Dromoland in Clare . . .): the Morrison charges £8.50, the Merrion £9, Sheen Falls £10, Peacock Alley £10£15 depending on what you choose. Thirstinhibiting or what?