There's no doubt that some drinks convey a sense of glamour, excitement and sexiness more than others. It's all down, I suppose, to where the makers want to pitch it in their advertising. Carlsberg pushes the line that theirs is a drink for serious connoisseurs of beer, Guinness wants to hold on to its traditional customers as well as be clever, trendy, and above all, young. Bailey's is for sensuous females who communicate with their bodies, Southern Comfort is for young people looking for an entrée into the world of spirits, Tequila is for head-bangers and anything with an umbrella is for the girls.

When it comes to wine there's only one for celebration and it's Champagne. The noise of a cork popping is so universally understood that if you hear it in a crowded room you know there's something to celebrate somewhere. It's the classic marketing case of 'don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle.' The pop and the fizz is the image we hold - it's not the taste. Champagne is also expensive; that's partly because it arrives in Ireland carrying a much higher duty than wine, but it's also because it's time-consuming and labour-intensive to make, and that means cost. Add to this a large advertising budget and the price of a bottle of bubbly starts to make sense.

In recent years there's been a raising of the profile of 'pink' champagnes. I can't explain why a rose wine provokes little other than disinterest, while a rose champagne carries an image of exclusivity, dashingness and sophistication, yet it does. As a wine for seduction it has no equal. It has the same sparkle and kudos that goes with champagnes in general, but it's coupled with a pink blush of sensuality. It says clearly to the person it's bought for 'I'm treating this meeting with you as a very special event.'

There are other drinks that have this aura of sophistication, a result of many movie scenes and extensive advertising. A cognac, swirled gently in a large balloon glass, makes a classy ending to a meal, but it's more likely to impress the men. Just as with any drink there's the good, the bad and the mediocre. The finest Cognacs are those that have been carefully selected and then aged in Limousine oak barrels for up to five years. They become smooth, complex and display a finesse in the taste and aftertaste. If you want to try something special, Hennessy XO is widely available and is as fine a cognac as its packaging would suggest. On a purely mundane note, a cognac is also an excellent <it>digestif.

Wine of the Week

Moet & Chandon Rose, 1995 Vintage

A wine to make an impression with. It has the subtlety of a vintage champagne, dry on the first taste, but opening up to a variety of after-tastes with hints of vanilla. It has a beautiful pink blush, small bubbles that keep on going and the yeasty fragrance of good champagne. Not cheap, but it would mark a special occasion very well.

Widely available, about €50