About Me

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Dublin, Ireland
Hi, I'm Dermot Nolan, and I became a Master of Wine (MW) in 1997, and resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2023 after being an MW for exactly 26 years. I opened a wine shop in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, called The Wine Library, which closed in 2018, and this is my personal wine blog. I will do my utmost to be fair and responsible in my posts – please read my Who Pays article in re the ethics of wine trips and writing. I have worked in wine education, retail, and consultancy since 1990. I was a Director of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) from 2008 to 2014 and was also a member of the Events Committee, founder of the Trips Committee, and member of the Governance Committee. Having had problems with potentially libellous comments from unidentifiable posters, I now require that if you post a comment, you must identify yourself properly or it won't be published. Please note that I do not review products or services on request so kindly don't ask. I value my independence and I believe my readers (few that they may be) do so also.

Friday, May 16, 2014

What a lucky band we are...

What you are looking at is the Madonna and Child with six Angels, by Botticelli. why on a wine blog? Because at dinner tonight, hosted by the Chianti Classico Consorzio for delegates at the Institute of Masters of Wine's 8th Symposium in Florence this painting was on display in the Palazzo Corsini.We got to taste about 26 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines, we had  a superb four course dinner, preseded by a range of Franciacorta sparkling wines and book-ended by a range of stunning Vini Santi but to see a waork of art which takes your breath away and which is rarely ever on public display...
We are so lucky. For what it's worth, to get here would have cost most people about €1500; the 60 to 70 wines we tasted today would cost you about €1200 to buy so given that we'll taste anohter 100 to 200 wines and we get to see rare art, actually that Symposium price is pretty good.
Add in the social networking and simple fun - hey, this is looking like a bargain!

Posted by at Friday, May 16, 2014
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