There has been a huge increase in the amount of wine that is sold in Ireland over the past ten years, due in part to increasing affluence and in part to changes in life-style. Research shows that a significant amount of the wine sold in Ireland is picked up in a supermarket along with the groceries - which seems entirely reasonable, given that the wine is most likely to be drunk with a meal. Off-licenses represent the other major outlet for consumers who want to take the bottles home with them, rather than drink them on the premises, as in a restaurant.

Yet there are other ways for consumers to find the wines of their choice. Wine clubs, offering a delivery service to the door, are beginning to make a little headway and many of the traditional merchants are offering a postal service. For people who live far from retail outlets these can be a great help, but for the armchair shopper the internet is rapidly becoming the first port of call. The advantages of net shopping are principally that in a well-laid out site you can find photographs and descriptions of the wines on offer, you can take your time browsing and most importantly you can compare offers easily without actually having to leave your chair.

If there is a drawback to the rosy picture that I've just drawn it's that there's a lingering suspicion in many peoples minds that once you've put your credit card number on the net then it becomes common property for hackers, who can then spend your money like sailors on shore leave. Like a meteor strike, it's a possibility, but I suspect it's a remote one. Still, if that's what's holding you back Visa will issue you with a one-off number for a net transaction which is valid only for that transaction. That safeguard, plus the secure pages on the net, make it as safe as using your card for buying petrol or groceries.

So if you're prepared to take the plunge, where can you go? One of the first merchants to make use of the net was Bubble Brothers, a Cork based company that originally specialised in Champagne. Now their range includes many wines as well, particularly from the Languedoc. You can find them at www.bubblebrothers.com.

Two of Ireland's long-established merchants and wholesalers, Gilbeys and Mitchells of Kildare Street have sites where you can browse their list of wine as well as learn about particular wines and special offers. Gilbeys site is called www.thewineroom.ie where apart from the wine library, there is a chat room, you can find articles about wines and special offers. Mitchells site at www.mitchellandson.com offers a shop, wine courses, trips to vineyards around the world as well as information and wine-related articles. A new addition to the web, aimed more at fine wines and brokering, can be found at www.thewinecentre.com.

Wine of the Week

Chateau Pech Redon 'La Clape' 1999

A fuller-bodied rose than usual, spicy, with a fruity nose and aftertaste.

Available from Bubble Brothers £7.95