Sommeliest sommelier

Simon 'Ice-Cool' Keegan has been named Woodford Bourne sommelier of the year, writes Mary Dowey , in a news round-up

Simon 'Ice-Cool' Keegan has been named Woodford Bourne sommelier of the year, writes Mary Dowey, in a news round-up

I have been merciless in my criticism of restaurant wine service for quite a while, but I admit that Ireland has some outstanding sommeliers - people with the potential to turn a meal out into an exciting and memorable wine occasion through a combination of knowledge, skill and sensitivity. Simon Keegan of the Four Seasons hotel in Ballsbridge is one.

After a gruelling day-long competition run in association with the Irish Guild of Sommeliers, Keegan was recently named Woodford Bourne Sommelier of the Year 2004 - crowning his achievement of taking second place last year. Having worked as a sommelier at the K Club in Co Kildare, and then sold wine for Berry Bros & Rudd, "Ice-cool Keegan" is widely regarded as a wine pro. (The nickname reflects both his look - tall, blond and vaguely Scandinavian, although he was born in Kenya - and the an unflappably efficient demeanour.)

"The hardest part was the written exam," he says, "with questions about everything from Eastern European wines to tea and coffee from Brazil and Indonesia, aquavit and biodynamics." He did well in the six blind tastings but less well in what sounds like the trickiest assignment - to pour 25 even-sized glasses of champagne from a magnum with no topping-up allowed.

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Congratulations are also due to the two runners-up, Liza O'Doherty of the K-Club and Ian Brosnan of Chapter One (a good place to drink bubbly - Brosnan ran away with the Champagne Service prize).

TO YOUR HEALTH

Barely a month goes by without some new claim that wine has unsuspected health benefits. The National Heart and Lung Institute in London recently published research indicating that red wine can help to fight lung disease.

Resveratrol, the substance in red grape skins (also credited with helping to counter heart disease), can apparently reduce inflammation in the lungs. The only bad news for sufferers of chronic bronchitis, emphysema and the like is that they would not absorb enough of this beneficial ingredient to relieve symptoms by drinking red wine alone. It could be administered with an inhaler, however.

Hot on the heels of this revelation comes the news that oaky red wines may help to fight cancer. Scientific American reports that a substance called vescalagin, absorbed by wine stored in oak barrels, reacts with other substances in red wine to form a compound known as acutissimin A, which helps to inhibit the growth of tumours. At this stage, however, researchers are stressing that red wine should not be considered as a means of preventing cancer.

CAN SCREWCAPS SCREW UP?

It has been interesting to compare attitudes to screwcaps in New Zealand and South Africa - two countries I have visited recently. New Zealand is now leading the initiative to seal wines with a metal cap rather than a cork. It's partly a matter of avoiding the risk of cork taint (it is currently estimated that about 5 per cent of wines have their flavours impaired by faulty corks) and partly one of sealing in freshness.

This is a particular advantage for crisp white wines. In New Zealand, almost every producer I visited is now a staunch supporter of screwcaps for that country's main aromatic whites, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling; and some are introducing screwcaps across their entire range. "About 100 New Zealand wineries are using screwcaps now," says Ross Lawson of Marlborough winery Lawson's Dry Hills, a key supporter. "The biggest problem we have at the moment is supply. We need special bottles and the manufacturers can't keep up with demand."

David Pearce of Grove Mill in Marlborough is less euphoric about the screwcap than many (even though all Grove Mill wines from the 2003 vintage onwards will be sealed with it). "It's a good closure with a lot of pluses but it's not perfect. If the bottle gets a knock and the seal is broken it is a disaster." This is evidently what happened to a screwcapped bottle of stylish Australian Riesling which I opened at a wine course recently, only to find it slightly oxidised with a brown deposit smelling like sherry inside the metal cap.

South Africa is observing the reaction to screwcaps in key export markets such as Britain. While there was a reasonable scattering of screwcaps at the big biennial fair, Cape Wine 2004, a few weeks ago, corks are still commonplace.

"We will bottle a certain amount under screwcap but certainly not everything," Charles Back of Fairview Estate in Paarl told me. "We need to monitor consumer reaction first."

BORDEAUX IN JULY

Been dreaming about going to Bordeaux for years? The long weekend from July 1st to 4th would be a good time to choose. The city is hosting a festival to celebrate the wine, food, architecture and culture of one of the most famous wine regions in the world. Visitors are encouraged to apply in advance for a 10 "Taste" pass, giving access to 11 tastings (00-33-556-006600), and a 20 "Discovery" pass, permitting visits to two of 12 tempting destinations in the Bordeaux area (00-33-556-526140). For more information visit www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com.

WINE DOGGY BAGS

Here's a trend which some enterprising Irish eateries might pick up on. With wine sales in France sliding since the government announced a crackdown on drinking and driving, many restaurants are encouraging customers to take their unfinished bottle home.

It seems that the wine promotion boards of Bordeaux and Alsace have even subsidised the production of elegant carrier bags and stoppers for the purpose. Great idea! With restaurant wine prices generally on the high side (in France every bit as much as in Ireland) there's always a strong temptation to polish off every drop.

TOP MARKS FOR MARKS

Wine fans often complain that, while supermarkets may offer wines at tasty prices, they fall down lamentably when it comes to providing well-informed staff. Marks & Spencer has perhaps been more criticised than most for its habit of moving staff between departments. A few months in wine and, just when knowledge and experience are beginning to build up, zap - that supervisor is switched to lingerie.

No more. Now 300 trained wine advisers are on hand in M&S stores throughout Britain and Ireland. They will conduct in-store tastings on selected Fridays and Saturdays and be available on other days also to answer customers' queries. The advisers, whose training is ongoing, are easily spotted - they wear wine aprons.

mdowey@irish-times.ie