You might have read Donal’s en primeur (EP) trilogy of blog posts last year (here, here and here) and may have come across the term in subsequent posts and articles. This year we decided to invite a ‘non-wine-expert’ to accompany us on our recent 2017 EP tasting trip. This is his account of same […]
I am rephrasing this heading from an old Washington Post article because it describes my sentiment about French Brandy, perfectly. If we’re talking old school, then brandy was traditionally seen as a drink to enjoy after dinner, perhaps with a coffee or paired with a cigar. If you’re my age you’ll remember that in old […]
Yes, I did answer my own question about the usefulness of grape varieties in the heading but I would like to explain my answer to you in a little more detail. I intend to do so in the rest of this post but if you’re only going to read these first 2 paragraphs, here’s the […]
Some people dismiss the importance of wine vintages purely because they don’t understand them or are confused by them. The confusion is obvious when you hear questions such as “does vintage mean old and expensive; is the vintage the year that the wine is bottled? Is it the year that the wine is made or […]
I was reading through Paula’s blog post from last year wherein she mentioned that I helped her choose her blog topic by asking her this question “what is the most frequently asked question by your friends when chatting about wine?” Well, I asked myself this question just now and decided that I would write this […]
Have you ever been in a restaurant, hosted a dinner party, or sat on the couch with your partner and opened a bottle of wine? Of course, you have. Have you had a quick sniff of the first glass and thought – “hmmm, that smells a bit different” – but you’re not sure about it […]
At any time of the year, discovering special wines and matching food is a tricky subject as the choice of taste, and what goes with what, ultimately comes down to personal preference. So instead of me prescribing certain wines for drinking/pairing with your Christmas dinner this year, I’m going to suggest some alternatives that might […]
Ever since our trip to the Bordeaux’s right bank during this year’s harvest (September), I’ve been meaning to post this article. My colleagues, James and Paula O’Connor and I popped over to meet old friends, do some tasting and learn about the 2017 Bordeaux harvest. I have copious notes and images from the trip (too […]
I’m sure you’re used to reading expert articles on wine-related matters so I’m going to come clean up-front. I am responding to a challenge laid down by my co-directors in Green Acres to write a blog post and I’ll fully admit I was a nervous wreck just thinking about it. We only commenced this blog, […]
Although a fairly recent event, I have wanted to tell the story behind Green Acres Irish Gin since its inception. As we approach its 1st year anniversary, I think it is opportune to do so here in this blog, now. Firstly, the name. There are many fantastically named gins out in the marketplace, but we avoided going […]
I am not a sommelier nor have I studied oenology in a formal way. What I have been doing though is developing my taste pallet and discovering wines of the world through wonderful people for over 25 years. I love sharing this passion for wine and I honestly believe that bin end sales, which obviously […]
Recently, here in Wexford on the sunny South East coast of Ireland, we’ve had a 50th celebration of the Strawberry Fair in Enniscorthy and a decent (but brief) enough hint at an Irish heatwave. These and the start of Wimbledon this week, made me ponder – if sunshine had a taste, what would it be like? After much deliberation, […]
