The fitful days of Spring are upon us. And with its changing light and brighter weather our taste for the warm, spicy, opulent wines of winter, that helped make our indoor dwellings so festive and cosy, is waning. As we begin to entertain thoughts of moving outdoors, the wines we bring with us should reflect the change in the season. A Greco Di Tufo from the hills of Campania in Italy reflects the pale, warm sun finally reaching through the clouds or a Gruner Veitliner or Pinot Gris that’s as crisp as a breeze(or gust) ruffling napkins when we’ve...

The Wine Institute of California hosted this tasting that housed the largest offering of Californian wines available in Ireland. Among which there was some very high quality juice indeed. 

The vine growing regions across the Californian landscape are as diverse in nature as the varietals they cultivate.  Abundant sunshine makes for a long grape growing season and as mentioned the diversity of the terroir supports a multitude of varietals, as I had the pleasure of experiencing. From North to more Central, California's 800 miles of rugged coastline expose nearby vineyards...