Fergus O'Halloran, managing director at The Twelve in Bearna, is also the boutique hotel's sommelier, and recently nailed a seventh consecutive award of excellence in Wine Spectator magazine's restaurant wine list awards for the hotel's Upstairs @West dining room.

The wine lists are judged on the following criteria: “To qualify for an award, the list must present complete, accurate wine information. It must include vintages and appellations for all selections, including wines available by the glass. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, while the overall presentation and appearance of the list is also taken into consideration.

”WWW or Wine West Wednesdays, continue each week at The Twelve until the end of August. You can bring you own wine to share and talk about (corkage €10 a bottle), or try something from the hotel’s extensive cellar and join in an informal tasting session from 6.30pm to 9pm. “Our philosophy is to make wine affordable, interesting and informative,” O’Halloran says. See thetwelvehotel.ie.