Diary dates

Upcoming wine tasting opportunities.

Upcoming wine tasting opportunities.

Kelly's Resort Hotel runs some of the best wine-tasting events in Ireland. This year will see Gerard Gauby from Domaine Gauby and La Soula, one of the top producers in the Roussillon, show his wines on Monday, November 3rd. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 4th and 5th, Richard Kelley MW, an expert on South Africa and the Loire, will show wines from those areas. Finally, on Thursday, November 6th, David Whelehan from TV3 and O'Brien's wines will take the floor. For details contact the hotel on 053-9132114, www.kellys.ie

Dalkey wine merchant On the Grapevine will hold its annual wine fair on November 6th in Fitzpatrick's Hotel, Killiney, from 6pm to 9pm. Tickets are €15 and proceeds go to local schools. There will be more than 100 wines open for tasting, discounts for orders on the night, and Sheridan's cheesemongers will have a table. Call 01-2353054 for tickets.

The First Floor restaurant at Harvey Nichols in Dundrum, Dublin 14, continues its admirable policy of allowing diners to buy wine at shop prices on Tuesday and Wednesday each week. This certainly takes the edge off dining out, and encourages customers to buy a decent bottle of wine.