SUMMER PRICEWATCH:Have we found Ireland's most expensive glass of wine? And why is the measure of a glass of wine not standardised, when other drinks are, asks Conor Pope
HOW WOULD you feel about being asked to pay €13.50 for a slightly warm glass of ordinary white wine? Well, one reader from Kilkenny was not at all pleased, and the experience prompted him to get in touch with us.
He was on holiday in the Parknasilla Resort in Co Kerry last week and, to while away part of another wet afternoon in an Irish summer, he and two friends popped into the hotel bar. There was no table service, he writes, not by way of complaint, just to set the scene.
"We placed our order at the bar and when I asked for a glass of white wine the barman picked up an open bottle that he had to hand, showed it to me briefly, asked if it was all right and poured a normal-sized glass. The wine wasn't even properly chilled."
Quality of wine and presentation aside, it was only when the group got their bill that our correspondent was, in his own words, "gobsmacked and amazed" to see a charge of €13.50 for his white wine.
"If they are going to sell you an expensive glass of wine then they should at the very least give you a menu to allow you to make an informed choice," he fumes. "This was an average Chablis that came from an open bottle sitting behind the bar counter, so there was nothing at all that would have alerted you.
"If you walked into the Ritz in London where you might expect your glass of wine to be served by a white-gloved waiter, you would be conscious that something like this could happen, but not in the bar of this particular hotel."
He wonders if this is Ireland's most expensive glass of wine and says that the "classic consumer response to an incident like this is to say 'don't be caught again'. Needless to say, we won't be."
We called the hotel to see how it justified charging such a sum. Klaus Voss, Parknasilla's general manager, said there were a number of wines available by the glass, ranging in price from €7.50 up to €13.50.
"The wine lists are readily available in the bar, but we apologise that the gentleman was not shown the list to choose from in this instance. This was clearly a mistake made by our barman - an isolated incident as we would always try to ensure that our customers are made aware of the prices being charged before they purchase, and are shown the wine list to choose from when they order a glass of wine. We understand that this wasn't the case on this occasion and apologise to the gentleman in question."
The measure of wine
Coincidentally, another reader has contacted us with wine on her mind. Helen King wants to know the measure of her favourite tipple.
"Various establishments have a price on their menus, but when it arrives it is served in an assortment of wine glasses, going from goblets to smaller glasses. What is the measure of a glass of white wine? We know the measure of spirits, but wine seems to be at the barman's discretion."
We contacted restaurateur Conrad Howard, who owns the Market Lane restaurant in Cork, to see if he could help us out. He said that, in broad terms, the measure of a glass of wine was down to the individual premises. He said that in his restaurant they serve 187.5ml glasses which "gives us a neat four glasses per bottle, so it is easier to cost, and it looks more substantial in the glass".
Typically, the small wine bottles are 175ml and if you get less than that, it might be worth having a word with the bar tender.
Car hire rip-off
Still more about car hire in Ireland. Tom Butler recently rented a minivan from Thrifty in Dublin for nine days and paid an eye-watering $2,468 (€1,671), including insurance. "I picked Thrifty because they were the cheapest," he writes. "A minivan from Thrifty in Seattle costs $493 for nine days. A premium van in London for nine days costs $1,039 (€704). Next time, I'll rent a car in London and take the ferry across. Better yet, I'll vacation in Maui and save a bundle."
Frank O'Moore has another angle on the car hire rip-off of Irish consumers. He says that if you try to book a car in France on some of the major car-hire websites you are asked for your country of origin, "and for a typical two-week rental the difference between the charge for a customer originating in Ireland and one in the UK is approximately 30 per cent". No prizes for guessing who pays more.
"I have written to various European consumer bodies but they say that the [companies] are not an homogenous body, but a set of agencies and therefore this practice cannot be challenged."
Expensive swimming
Aisling Curran and her family travelled from Belfast to Dublin in July over the "Glorious 12th" and decided to visit the "much talked about" National Aquatic Centre. She says her family had "a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, however, I was staggered by the cost - €58.80, for a family of two adults and three children."
Near her home is the Lisburn Leisureplex, "with very similar slides , beach pool, restaurants, etc, and for the same family it would cost a mere £18 (€23) - half the price. I know where we'll be going in future."
Toast at 55 cent, not 75 cent
And finally, last week we carried an item from a reader who said he was asked to pay 75 cent for a slice of toast in Bloomfield's cafe in
Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Michael Cummins, the owner, has been in touch to say that the price of a slice of toast is actually 55 cent. He says the mini-breakfast, at €4.95, is any three items and includes toast, jam and butter and a choice of a pot of tea or a mug of coffee.
"It is perceived as very good value and is a favourite with our many old-age pensioners," he writes.
"We also sell a cup of coffee for €1.70, which is, again, excellent value."
• Summer Pricewatch series concluded, but Pricewatch continues every Monday.