Wednesday is undoubtedly the busiest night on the Dublin social scene and I've been saying for ages now that PRs and party planners should set-up a central diary in order avoid clashing events. Too many parties spoil the socialite.
Last night there were no less than 4 parties taking place around the capital and not wishing to dilute my enjoyment of the evening I attended 2 of them. Gone are the days when I would flit from pillar to post - now good champagne and a quality goodie bag do it for me.
I was picked up in town by a chauffeur driven limo and whisked out to Monkstown for the 1st birthday celebrations of enowine, where the champers was, indeed, very good. Owners James and Yvonne Connolly were toasting the success of their revolutionary wine shop and officially opening the latest addition, the new tasting room. Comedian Pat Shortt, who is nominated for the TV Personality of the Year Award, was on hand to officiate. TV3s Lorraine Keane and author Marisa Mackle were also in attendance and looked amazing, as always.
Pat Shortt is not the only Irish comedian to have taken a liking to enowine; larger than life funnyman Karl Spain, took his first date to enowine, when filming the RTE programme ‘Karl Spain wants a Woman’. In fact, it was in enowine, that Karl met the woman whom he chose at the end of the series, following many dates with many women!
Launched last year, enowine is not just a shop; it’s a brand new concept in wine buying - the first of its kind in Ireland. The store is dotted with special state-of-the-art wine dispensers so that customers can taste before they buy. And instead of the usual offering of two or three bottles on a Saturday afternoon, enowine offer 104 different wines open for tasting at all times, every day of the week.
It works as follows: The enomatic tasting stations will allow you to buy a wine card on your way into the shop for €10 or €20 or whatever other amount you like. When you find a wine you want to try, you simply insert the card into a slot and it dispenses a tasting measure. For a cheaper wine you will be charged from 20c and for an expensive bottle, like a good Claret, from 2 euro. If you're accustomed to buying your wines by the case it's a service that could save an awful lot of tears.
After the party I got to do something I've always wanted to do. I jumped into the limo and instructed the driver to take me to Brown Thomas.
