It has been both extraordinary and refreshing to have witnessed, over the past twenty years, the extreme transformation across the Dunnes Stores’ wine offering. When I worked (with the brothers) in our Vintage stores we applauded Dunnes for its ineptitude! Our reasoning was simple. The longer Ireland’s leading supermarket continued to sell boring wines, based on price alone, the better it was for quality independent stores ie us!

Today Dunnes Stores offers not just an amazing selection of wines but it goes out of its way to bring genuine value to its shelves. ‘Genuine’ in this sense equates to both quality and price!

All through Christmas Dunnes is offering a 20% off selected Wine and Champagnes. This means that the higher the retail price the greater the discount is back to the customer. Great news at the time of year when we like to trade up.

Here’s a few that will bring Christmas alive. Each of these caught our eye at a Dunnes Stores Press tasting last month.

Domaine Joseph Drouhin Macon-Lugny Les Crays 2017 €19.20. Macon Lugny is a region in Southern Burgundy called the Maconnaise, and in this case from the village of Lugny and specifically the les Crays vineyard. It is white and made with the chardonnay grape. Drouhin has made a magical wine here as the grape is rich and broad and exquisitely balanced by an aged maturity showing a fine mineral driven finish. Sumptuous and simply crying out for the Christmas feast.

Chateau les Corcelles Poncie ‘ Lieux Dit’ Fleurie 2022 €16.00 Fleurie is one of the ten cru villages in Beaujolais – that part of eastern France below Burgundy and above the Rhone. It is made with the Gamay grape and hand picked from low lying bush shaped vines. The vineyard in this case is Poncie. Rich purple and top class bouquet of light forest earth and bright red berry fruits. This is a wine with a truly memorable palate of edgy fruit and top class structure. Bring on the turkey leg!

Dunnes has a stack of wines worth checking out around or below €10.00! These include just about everything from the brilliant Laurent Miquel in Southern France (love his Kinsale from Faugeres €10.56). Try the Zonin Soave Classico at €10.00 and the crisp, rounded Chateau Lauberdiere Muscadet Severe et Maine sur lie €9.32. THE best value might be the Vinhas de Xisto Douro red at €11.20 – its playing a blinder!

Happy Dunnes Stores. Happy Christmas!