When it comes to a foodie atmosphere, it doesn't get much better than being surrounded by 1,700 bottles of wine ranging from classic and fine, to organic, natural and biodynamic. No, you don't have to go to a chateaux in Burgundy or a castillo in Cadiz, I'm talking about Gerard Maguire's 64 Wine in the coastal village of Glasthule, between Dun Laoghaire and Dalkey.
"Look for red wines that have lower tannin and brighter acidity," Henderson advises. "Wine is used in cooking for flavor. But it's big advantage is natural acidity which tenderizes foods and keeps them moist." That alcoholic bite cooks off but, says Henderson, it "helps the flavor molecules of the other ingredients open up." Wine delivers an underlying richness to a red pasta sauce, for example, while also enhancing the flavors of the tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics.