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Paddy O’Flynn originally from north Cork moved to St Emilion in 1988, the year his father in-law Rene Baylet, the wine maker at the renowned Chateau Cantin in St Emilion was awarded best wine maker in France for quality/price. Later that year his brother in-law Richard Baylet started his mobile wine bottling business and is now the largest supplier of this service in the southwest of France. So, you could say Paddy married into the wine culture of Bordeaux, soon after Paddy worked in Tour du Vin, St Emilion where he was introduced to the variety and complexity of Bordeaux wines and so began his lifelong passion for wine and sniffing out good quality/priced wines. In 2000 Paddy co-founded the Wine Buff chain of shops in Ire..

One of Ireland’s most popular steakhouses has teamed up with award winning ‘The Wine Buff’ family to create a new food and wine experience for Limerick. Brimstone restaurant in Limerick’s Bishops Quay will host a unique new wine bar, one with stunning views overlooking the River Shannon. ‘The Wine Buff Wine Bar’ will be a showcase for some of the finest local produce, all paired with exceptional vintages selected by The Wine Buff.  “Everyone is invited,” said Brimstone Executive Director Keith Hennessy, adding “we have always strived to create the perfect food and wine pairing.  We believe that combining a Brimstone signature steak with a unique vintage from The Wine Buff is a match made in heaven.  It simply doesn’t g..

Not so long ago, Sherry was usually seen as a sweet tipple that granny had at Christmas and the same bottle was resurrected year on year from the back of the cupboard for the odd glass or two. But recently things are a changing, we have been pleased to see how many people are visiting The Wine Buff shops for Sherry and how knowledgeable they are about the different styles. It really is time more people knew just how good Sherry is. And bear in mind, contrary to popular belief, Sherry, once opened does not keep forever. Some Sherry Facts Sherry (from the Moorish Sherish, name that later evolved into the current Xerez or Jerez) is a lightly fortified dry white wine produced in and around the town of Jerez d..

You might assume that all wines are vegan friendly, isn’t wine just made from fermented grape juice? you might ask, so where does the animal become involved in the wine making process? The reason that all wines are not vegan or vegetarian-friendly is due a process called ‘fining’. All young wines contain tiny murky particles, all natural such as tannin, tartrates and phenols and over time the wine will self-clear, however winemakers like to speed the process up and do so by fining the wine. Fining also removes unwanted molecules that filtration cannot remove, these molecules can often leave a taint in the wine which the winemaker wants removed before the bottle is opened. The fining agent when added to the wine acts like a magnet..

The 2015 vintage from Bordeaux is being hailed as close to its best, not on par with the exceptional 2010 but not far behind, in fact Bordeaux seems to be throwing up some interesting patterns for good vintages 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 will 2020 follow the trend? From what we have tasted so far there is a wonderful freshness to the wines and the tannins present are soft and smooth. This is great news for drinkers of the smaller chateau wines which will be arriving in our shops during 2017 and will not require lengthy ageing before drinking, in fact it’s extremely drinkable right now and improves well with decanting. More importantly our wine makers are unaffected by the speculation and demand for the premier chateaux, for example the La Fa..

It is that time of year again where we are all planning what feasts are going to be enjoyed over the Christmas period. Whatever you decide, most of us will be thinking about what wines to buy as gifts or serve with the Christmas dinner. We have put together an exclusive selection that would be ideal for drinking over the Christmas period with or without food. Domaine Moulin Berger Julienas 2013 is a wonderful wine from the Beaujolais region of France, if you like Fleurie you'll love this wine. 100% Gamay grape, ruby red with red garnet tints, medium bodied; delicate aromas of strawberry and blackberry with a slight touch of cinnamon, smooth, smooth finish with a lingering fruit finish. Was €17.95 now €12.99. ..

Let’s firstly step back in time to an age when grape growing and wine making was a slow one, influenced by the seasons, a culture of patience. No unnatural fertilisers, no pesticides, with a hands on approach to managing the vines and making the wine. The wine was matured using natural yeasts and the bacteria present on the grape skins to perform fermentation, allowing longer maturation rather than rushing it along with additives, colouring, acid or stablishing agents. In the past this would have been called traditional wine making. Moving to the present day wine is still made from grapes, but there are now many farming philosophies of getting from the bud to the bottle. First on the list is Mass Production Wines, Wine and wine nam..

You may have encountered the term Claret and wondered what it is? After all, there is no grape variety called claret. The term can be traced back to medieval times and has evolved in its meaning through the centuries. However one thing is certain, it’s deeply rooted in Bordeaux. The term Claret comes from Clairet which means clear, and Clairet is a French type of wine much loved in medieval times but  rarely seen in the modern era, in fact when Eleanor of Aquitaine’s married Henry Plantagenet of England in the 13th century. Eleanor brought with her a taste for these wines and very soon galleons were shipping loads across the Channel to satisfy the great English demand. So originally all Clarets were Clairets, any clearer? &nb..