John Wilson

Contributor and Wine Critic at Irish Times

Journalist at Freelance

Irish Times wine, beer and spirits scribe, lover of things liquid.

Articles

John Wilson: Two light wines for chilled summer bites

6 days ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

Two lighter, summery wines from SuperValu this week. Villa Maria is part of one of the largest producers in New Zealand, making consistently good wines at every price level, including the Marlborough Sauvignon. The Cuvée Dissenay comes from the Languedoc in south France. The cooler parts of this region are proving a great place to produce well-priced wine from the Burgundian pinot noir grape.
Wine with ice cream? It’s all the rage and works way better than you think

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

The short answer is: yes, of course you can. You should always feel free to drink wine any way you please. Now pairing wine with ice cream seems to be a growing trend on social media. It’s a Gen Z thing apparently. TikTok and Instagram are going crazy with people mixing ice cream with wine in the same glass. Does a red wine milkshake sound appealing? Or a “float” of white ice cream in a glass of Chablis?
Poland’s wines are its best kept secret. Here are four of the best

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

As climate change increases temperatures in Europe, many northern countries find themselves able to ripen grapes and produce wine. The UK, Netherlands and Scandinavian countries all produce wine, as does Ireland. But did you know Poland has a burgeoning wine business? Under communism, no wine was produced in Poland. The very first sales took place in 2009. Since then the wine business has expanded rapidly. There are now more than 700 growers and 500 wineries, mostly very small.
These two light, refreshing wines are great value at €8

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

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On Italian wine labels, do the words ‘Classico’ or ‘Riserva’ mean better quality?

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

The word “classico” on a label means the wine comes from the original or classic region within a wine area. In the past, the boundaries of some of the most famous regions were extended to include the surrounding area as producers sought to use the more prestigious name to help sell their wine. As these wines came from inferior vineyards, the wines were not always as good. Take Chianti, for example. It is one of the most historic and famous wine regions of all.
John Wilson: I tasted 16 wines for this article, there were no bad ones

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

It may not have been on our radar until recently but we Irish have fallen completely in love with albariño. Part of its popularity may be down to location; the many Irish pilgrims walking the Camino end up in Santiago de Compostella, a town full of seafood restaurants serving albariño. But there is more to it than that. The primary growing region is Rías Baixas (pronounced REE-ahs BYE-shahs), which translates to “low estuaries”. It is part of Galicia in northwest Spain.
John Wilson: Two wines perfect for summer day sipping

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

As I write, we are enjoying some lovely warm sunny weather so this week, two summery wines from Lidl. Soave is light and refreshing, with delicate aromas and vibrant acidity. Some of the cheaper versions can be disappointing, but I was very taken with this one from Lidl. As the sun comes out, so too does the barbecue. The red wine below would be perfect with an Italian-style grill featuring steak and burgers, as well as aubergines and red peppers.
John Wilson: What is the best way to open sparkling wine?

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

This may seem a silly question to some, but there is a knack to opening a bottle of Champagne or other sparkling wine. It can also be quite hazardous, so a little care is needed too. Last December doctors from the University of Cambridge, University College Dublin and a number of US universities writing in the British Medical Journal said eye injuries while opening bottles of fizz can be significant.
John Wilson: The best wines to drink with the Easter feast

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

Genuine spring lamb is a treat, but I prefer the mature flavours of hogget and enjoy a slow-roasted shoulder just as much as a leg. If you are looking for something to drink with Easter lamb, the good news is that most red wines, especially those with some tannins, will go perfectly with a roast of lamb. I feature two classic matches today, but this can also be the occasion to bring out your finest wine.
Two Macedonian wines big on flavour and light on the pocket

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | John Wilson

We value your privacyWe and our 84 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting I ACCEPT enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Settings link on the bottom of the webpage .