PriceWatch/Conor Pope: A Limerick reader has been in touch about big differences in the price of milk. Margaret Thornton found that prices range from €1.02, at her local Dunnes Stores, to €1.13, at a nearby Centra.
"Surely," she writes, "11 cent difference in a litre of milk is just too much. Is the price of milk regulated?" she asks.
The painfully quick answer is no, according to the chief executive of the Consumers' Association of Ireland, Dermott Jewell. "We have no regulation at all. That's why you see such discrepancies," he says.
It is, he adds, essential for Thornton and everyone else "to have their wits about them" when shopping for even the most basic products.
A quick survey by PriceWatch found that a litre of milk can cost as little as 69 cent for a supermarket's own brand. You're likely to get better value by buying two-litre bottles, which start at €1.19. But watch out: you could be charged as much as €2.19 in smaller shops.
Jewell suggests that a good New Year's resolution would be for consumers to combat unreasonable price rises and discrepancies by avoiding shops that are obviously overcharging - and by making sure the owners know all about their reluctance to pay excessive prices.
What's more . . .
Taking the fizz out of bubbly Returning to sparkling wine, Frances Daly of Dublin writes about the high cost of shopping. It's no wonder, she says, that consumers spent the weeks before Christmas flocking across the Border in search of bargains. In a recent Sunday newspaper she saw a bottle of Marks & Spencer Bluff Hill sparkling wine advertised for £7.99 (about €11.25). "In Mary Street in Dublin this wine is priced at €14.99," she says. At first glance M&S seems to be doing well from its mark-up of almost €4 on a modest bottle of sparkling wine. It may not be fair to blame the retailer entirely, however: the duty on a bottle of sparkling wine is £1.65 (about €2.35) in the UK but €4.10 in the Republic. Add the 35c in additional VAT (21 per cent against 17.5 per cent) and the Government takes €2.10 of the €3.74 difference. That leaves M&S with €1.64, or 15 per cent of the UK price, to account for.
Bagging a fat profit? Maura Hynes was on holiday in Venice in September. She bought a Furla handbag for €130. In November she saw the same bag in Brown Thomas in Dublin for €215. "That's a bit of a price difference. I also noticed that smaller items, such as coin purses, were considerably more expensive in Brown Thomas than in Venice." If you notice a significant price increase or discrepancy, let us know by e-mailing pricewatch@irish-times.ie
Value4Money New Year's Eve fizz
Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir - €12.95
Highs: It may be tempting to draw less than flattering comparisons between the enormous popularity of Jacob's Creek in the 1990s and the similar success enjoyed by Blue Nun Liebfraumilch a decade earlier, but it would be dreadfully unfair to one of Australia's finest exports. This sparkling wine is unpretentious, relatively cheap and great tasting. If you're looking for an alternative to champagne, you won't go far wrong.
Lows: Some people might find Jacob's Creek's no-frills approach disappointing. The bottle lacks even the merest hint to the consumer of its celebratory contents.
Verdict: Cheap and cheerful.
Star rating:****
Moët & Chandon Millésime Blanc 1998 - €49.99
Highs: One of the most recognised brands of sparkling wine, and the only Champagne tested, this 1998 vintage has class written all over it. Given its price and reputation, it should be head and shoulders above its less celebrated peers. And it is. From the elegant presentation to the deeply satisfying pop of the cork and its crisp, clean taste, it is hard to fault.
Lows: Hard but not impossible. At €50 a pop this is hugely expensive. Unless you're extravagantly wealthy and just a little ostentatious this is certainly not the best bottle to bring to a New Year's Eve knees-up.
Verdict: Great, but best kept.
Star rating:****
Codorníu Cuvée Raventós - €14.99
Highs: Cava is an increasingly popular low-budget alternative to what is available from the other side of the Pyrenees, and if this is anything to go by it's easy to see why. It lacks the complexity of the Moët & Chandon, but it is eminently drinkable, and you won't find it hard to knock back far too much of it as the clock counts down to midnight.
Lows: It is a little bland, even when compared with other sparkling wine in its price bracket, and you can't escape the feeling that you're still paying over the odds. In most parts of Spain cavas such as this cost little more than €5.
Verdict: A fine wine.
Star rating:***
Canti Asti - €12.95
Highs: This Italian sparkling wine is light, mildly refreshing and, at only
7 per cent alcohol, unlikely to get you into too much trouble if you overindulge. The sweet, floral taste might appeal to some.
Lows: Others, however, might find it just short of revolting. If you're in the market for a sparkling wine, you'll probably expect it to taste something like Champagne. This doesn't. It is more like a sparkling alcopop, and just a glass leaves the teeth feeling as if they've been dusted with sugar. Only one of the people drafted in to help with this tasting went back for seconds.
Verdict: Pretty dreadful
Star rating:**
