I HAVE ALWAYS been interested in wine, from humble wines in quantity to finer wines in lesser quantity, as my interest gradually increased. Some years ago, I was invited to a tasting of Premier Cru wine club, which I found a little too intense and serious. I decided to seek out other more fun wine clubs in north Dublin and Drogheda.
In Balbriggan I became involved in the setting up of Bacchus Wine Club, ending up as secretary and subsequently chairwoman. One influential figure for me was Mary O'Callaghan of Premier Cru wine club. She gave a very knowledgeable tasting on Chablis, which encouraged me to start studying wine and eventually to do the Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Diploma. At this stage I began to visit vineyards and went on a Mitchell's Wine Guild trip to Italy. One abiding memory is of standing in the high trained vineyards with Carlos Pasqua, helping to pick grapes and subsequently drinking his excellent Amarone in his winery.
While studying for the diploma I met many members of Premier Cru and eventually ended up as secretary and chairman of that club, too. Obviously, I no longer found it so serious! Much of my tutored winetasting revolves around Premier Cru, Mitchell's Wine Guild and Dipsos (the wine club for holders of the WSET Diploma). It involves regular tastings as well as annual wine trips, which so far have included included Spain, Germany, Italy, the Rhône Valley, Burgundy and Portugal.
I love wine tours, especially the dinners, perusing the wine list and sharing and tasting wines with everyone there. One memorable wine is Allegrini's La Grola, which I tasted having visited the estate on a trip to Verona.
I sometimes help put together cases of fine wines for friends who like the idea of being able to pull out that special bottle from their cellar without the hassle of choosing it themselves. It also introduces them to new varietals and quirky wines they might not have chosen themselves.
Among my favourite places to buy wine are Red Island Wines of Skerries, Mitchell Son, CHQ and Gibneys of Malahide. My favoured everyday drinking wine of the moment is Château Laujac 2003, Cru Bourgeoisfrom the Médoc. This has a typical restrained Bordeaux nose with cedar notes, full bodied with blackcurrant flavours leading to a medium length elegant finish. Available from Mitchell's, CHQ, 2005 (€19.95).
I enjoy Rieslings and especially the wines of Georg Breur, whose winery I visited. I recently drank an Alsace Riesling, Becker Riesling Hagenschlauf 2002, made from old vines showing developed petrol aromas and flavours of honey and lime with bracing minerality. It costs €14.99 from Enowine.
Another favourite, from my favourite restaurant of the moment, Botticelli in Malahide, is Don Luigi Rosso, Di Majo Norante, 2004from the La Molise area of Italy. This has lovely aromas of blackberry, roasted plums, liquorice, dark chocolate and nutty oak. It costs €44.50 in the restaurant (€33.95 from atasteofitaly.ie).
• Mary McCormack is a past chairwoman of Premier Cru wine club