The Department of Foreign Affairs has a collection of 2,117 bottles of wine, worth an estimated €50,000, for wining and dining State visitors.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said yesterday the wine stock is for use "in relation to State and official hospitality" and the range of wines "facilitates choices being made that are suitable for events at various levels".
Details of the department's wine collection, stored in the basement at Iveagh House, were revealed by the Minister in a parliamentary question asked by Green Party TD Ciarán Cuffe.
The wine collection includes 120 bottles of Chateau Talbot from 1995, 108 bottles of Chateau Léoville Barton from 1998, and 96 bottles of Chateau Lynch Bages grand cru classé from 1998. It also includes 92 bottles of Nijinski Cabernet Sauvignon from 1992 and 48 bottles of Chateau Kirwan Margaux from 2000.
The most expensive wine was a Chateau Léoville Barton cru classé which cost €72.38 a bottle.
The cheapest wine was Nijinski Cabernet Sauvignon which cost €8.72 a bottle.
The list of wines provided by Mr Ahern shows the department has 30 bottles of the 1997 vintage of Chateau Vignelaure, owned by horse trainer, David O'Brien.
Several other wines in the cellar come from vineyards owned or part-owned by Irish people
Mr Cuffe said yesterday he realised the department needed to "lay on a good table" for visitors, but he was critical of some of the purchases.
"I wasn't expecting them to be drinking plonk, but €68 a go for Chateau Léoville Barton is a bit excessive when there are people lying on hospital trolleys," he told The Irish Times.
Many wines purchased since January 2002 have doubled or tripled in value. Peter Dunne, a director of Mitchell and Sons Wines which supplied some of the wine to the department, said yesterday the collection covers a lot of good world areas in good vintages.
"A lot of restaurants would love to have a collection like this," said Mr Dunne. "They seem to have quite a number of Irish-connected wines, which is nice."
A department spokesperson said it maintains a stock of wines to use for lunches, dinners and receptions held for State visitors. Where possible, it provides guests with a wine from their country of origin.