John Wilson: Lighter wines for warmer daysDon’t be afraid to chill these red wines – it brings out their fresh fruit flavoursSat Apr 17 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Two French wines from Aldi, both better value than some bigger namesWines for the Weekend: A Jurançon Sec, from the Pyrenees, and a Cairanne, from the RhôneFri Apr 16 2021 - 11:00
Belgian beer’s mysteries are unravelled by an Irish manBreandán Kearney’s website holds a wealth of knowledge on the world’s best beer cultureWed Apr 14 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Should you buy wine to age, and when is it worth the wait?Some bottles reward a bit of patience – and they don’t have to be incredibly expensiveSat Apr 10 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Outrageously good-value wine at €11.95Wines for the Weekend: This special-offer white and red are worth a trip to O’BriensFri Apr 09 2021 - 11:00
White Hag shakes up the beer formula with an ice cream aleShamrock Shakes Ice Cream Ale, made for St Patrick’s Day, is a luminous greenWed Apr 07 2021 - 06:00
Versatile reds for a springtime feastChoose from these light- to full-bodied wines to suit your Easter menu this weekendSat Apr 03 2021 - 06:00
Wines for the weekend: Hungarian bargains from LidlJohn Wilson: Here is a little something to drink with your Easter lunchFri Apr 02 2021 - 11:00
New gin will have you seeing starsA drink ‘for those quiet nights when you want to sit and contemplate life’Wed Mar 31 2021 - 06:00
Rye smiles: An award winning double IPA from Co DonegalKinnegar Brewery, a triple winner in Brussels recently, has a new Double Rye IPAWed Mar 31 2021 - 06:00
New Zealand’s best red wines are elegant, light and very well madeThere is no shortage of good Pinot Noir, and the nation’s Syrah is also impressing criticsSat Mar 27 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Two super-value bottles at SuperValuWines for the Weekend: A Rhone red down from €21 to €12 and a Chilean Sauvignon for €8Fri Mar 26 2021 - 11:00
Teeling Whiskey enjoying its third RenaissanceDistillery releases its Renaissance Three whiskey early as demand surges in lockdownWed Mar 24 2021 - 06:00
Labelled with love – but what else makes it into your wine?Ingredient labelling set to become mandatory for EU wine producersSat Mar 20 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Big name, small price in Marks & Spencer’s Classics rangeWines for the Weekend: The M&S line-up includes a surprising Soave and a meaty MédocFri Mar 19 2021 - 11:00
A lost year: How the pandemic affected an Irish winemaker in BurgundyRóisín Curley, a pharmacist from Ballyhaunis, had to pull out of the 2020 vintageWed Mar 17 2021 - 06:00
Irish-made wine, homegrown cider and a rare whiskey – perfect for St Patrick’s DayJohn Wilson: Cockagee, from Co Dublin, Midleton, from Co Cork, and Wicklow Wolf Call of JuicySat Mar 13 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Bargains from Ireland’s favourite wine countryWines for the Weekend: A Chilean red and white, from Colchagua Valley, for €10 each at TescoFri Mar 12 2021 - 11:00
Irish stout aged for 365 days hits the market todayJohn Wilson: At 12% alcohol, this ‘crossover beer’ tastes of malt, hops and whiskeyThu Mar 11 2021 - 06:00
How West Cork went from distilling at home to global brandThree old friends from Union Hall now focus mainly on whiskey and export to 70 nationsWed Mar 10 2021 - 06:00
Wine feels the heat: How Bordeaux is adapting to climate changeToo much sun means too much booze for some wines. Can new grape varieties help?Sat Mar 06 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Classic wines from Down Under for less than €10 at AldiWines for the Weekend: French imports right at home in the southern hemisphereFri Mar 05 2021 - 11:00
In the navy: Strong gin from Bertha’s Revenge will give you sea legsBallyvolane’s Navy Strength gin, at 57.1%, dials up the spices and includes fresh citrusWed Mar 03 2021 - 06:00
Potable Portugal: A wine country with endlessly fascinating choicesPortugal offers a large variety of great-value wines with a differenceSat Feb 27 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: My eight favourites from Lidl’s French wine saleWines for the Weekend: These bottles, from the 16-strong line-up, are great value for moneyFri Feb 26 2021 - 11:35
Whole fruit cider: ‘It’s the wine of Ireland’Craft cider is a year-round drink and there are many excellent Irish examplesWed Feb 24 2021 - 06:00
Four fresh and affordable wines from the Douro regionJohn Wilson: Portugal has always relied on its own impressive collection of grape varietiesSat Feb 20 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Two Italian gems well worth the moneyWines for the Weekend: A step-above-the-rest Pinot Grigio and a supple, rounded red blendFri Feb 19 2021 - 11:00
Valentine’s vermouth? Cocktail options for click-and-collect or deliverySome of these cocktail kits and premixes require booking in advance, but if you hurry, it may not be too lateSat Feb 13 2021 - 06:00
Remote romance: Four crossover wines for a lockdown feastMulti-tasking wines to accompany whatever you're having to celebrate Valentine's DaySat Feb 13 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: For your St Valentine’s dinner, three bottles to fall forWines for the Weekend: Prosecco, Viognier and Pinot Noir, plus lots more easy-to-find optionsFri Feb 12 2021 - 11:00
John Wilson: My 10 favourite bottles from SuperValu’s Spanish wine saleThe supermarket’s event features eye-catching bottles from outside its regular rangeWed Feb 10 2021 - 06:00
‘The beers are not mainstream’: Lineman serving up interesting craft creationsBrewery’s Astral stout came second in Craft Brewers Beer of the Year competitionWed Feb 10 2021 - 06:00
Enter the dragon: Chinese wines embodying lessons from the WestAustrian wine producer Lenz Moser is now focusing on cabernet sauvignon in NingxiaSat Feb 06 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Two modern classics of the wine world, each for €9 or less from TescoWines for the Weekend: A fresh Picpoul de Pinet and a Chilean Cabernet SauvignonFri Feb 05 2021 - 11:00
Teeling whiskey’s final Brabazon single malt unlocks a Portuguese secretThe whiskey spent its final two years in casks from an ancient wine region Carcavelos, near LisbonWed Feb 03 2021 - 11:00
Winter white wines with enough body to counter the coldJohn Wilson: Easy-drinking chardonnay from France’s Maconnais regionSat Jan 30 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Lidl known star buys on the wine shelvesWines for the Weekend: Two good-value bottles to help banish the winter-lockdown bluesFri Jan 29 2021 - 11:00
Drinking craft beers ‘exploded ’ during CovidThe father of Irish craft beer on the return of classics and rise of new local brewsWed Jan 27 2021 - 11:00
Irish winemakers in France: Challenges in the time of CovidJohn Wilson: Making wine in France while living in Ireland isn't easy in a pandemic as Simon Tyrrell and his partners found outSat Jan 23 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: Star buys from the Aldi wine shelvesWeekend wines: Something to lift the spirits, a red for under €7 and a white for under €9Fri Jan 22 2021 - 10:00
The best independent Irish craft beers, as voted by brewersBeer of the year competition shows many brewers here see themselves as stout specialistsWed Jan 20 2021 - 11:00
Irish winemaker in Slovenia: ‘We did it – we’ve a new vineyard planted’How Irish wine producers with European vineyards are coping with Covid-19Sat Jan 16 2021 - 06:00
John Wilson: A zippy white and a red that’s perfect for dark January eveningsWines for the Weekend: These two O’Briens bottles are from well-known French regionsFri Jan 15 2021 - 11:05
How the humble spud turned Jackford gin into an Irish gemJohn Wilson: Roosters and 11 botanicals give this potato gin its texture and soft flavourWed Jan 13 2021 - 11:00
How to find good-value wines now that multi-buy offers are bannedJohn Wilson: Know the regions that offer greater consistency and value than othersSat Jan 09 2021 - 06:00
Two Fairtrade wines to try for under €10Wines for the Weekend: A refreshing Chenin Blanc and medium-bodied Shiraz from South AfricaFri Jan 08 2021 - 09:00
Irish alcohol-free gin Silk Tree provide good alternative if avoiding alcoholHusband-and-wife team behind Silk Tree in business for around two and a half yearsWed Jan 06 2021 - 06:00
Non-alcoholic spirits can make for pleasant, interesting cocktailsJohn Wilson: The range of low- and no-alcohol options continues to expandSat Jan 02 2021 - 06:00
France, Spain, Italy... and Georgia: John Wilson’s 13 favourite wines of 2020Even in lockdown I unearthed some exciting bottles, including a few from unexpected placesTue Dec 29 2020 - 06:00
