Sir, - I am outraged by Kevin Myers' "An Irishman's Diary" of February 7th. He swaggers: "with French wines... I know nothing".
What authority has he to judge that of which he is ignorant? Furthermore, he swells with superiority, announcing that "the rules from now on are as we make them", and rallying the allegedly uneducated readers to teach them a lesson.
I am no sommelier but, aged 18 I am well aware of the differences between an Entre Deux Mers and a Pouilly Fuisse! His opinions are not only misleading, but incorrect. For example, he makes no reference to the appellation system applied to French wines, whose labels he claims are "indistinguishable".
The article was most disappointing. It was soured by tone, thinned by repetition, grew from the poor soil of opinion. I suggest that Mr. Myers stop acting the fox with sour grapes, and that readers disregard what is merely une histoire de son propre cru. - Yours, etc.,
Foxrock Avenue,
Dublin 1.