BY COLM BRADLEY

So, there you are, sitting in a nice restaurant, the better half has just ordered the Sea Bass while you went for a medium to rare steak. But there is a small problem. What wine will you go for? A robust red for you, a dry white for your partner? The waiter is waiting.

The names on the wine list mean nothing, yet you still search among them looking for inspiration. With the pressure mounting, it is easier to use the old reliable line: "I think we will just go for a bottle of house red and a bottle of house white."

For one Enniskillen man, however, the above scenario is one that he never finds himself in. John Donnelly, proprietor of Cafe Merlot Restaurant in Enniskillen, can now rightly call himself a wine expert with an international pedigree.

John recently finished in an excellent third place in a world renowned wine tasting competition.

Held in Barcelona, the 20th Miguel Torres Wine Tasting Competition attracted competitors from all across the world. Canada, the USA and Australia, as well as the majority of countries in Europe were all represented.

John was representing Northern Ireland, which was entering a competitor in the contest for the first time ever.

"It was a terrific experience and one which I won't forget too easy. The competition was held at the end of a seven day intensive wine seminar and I was pleasantly surprised to do so well," John explained to 'the Herald' this week.

The 40-plus competitors who took part were tested on over 40 wines. Handed a glass of wine, they had to ascertain the region, the grape variety, the vintage and, if they were very lucky, the actual name of the wine itself.

"I did quite well with most of the wines. In fact, nobody was able to get the name of any of the wines exactly right but that is exceptionally difficult. But, I was delighted with how I did," John said.

To most people, the only differentiation that can be made between wines is if it is red or white but to a trained eye there can be a lot established before it even reaches your lips.

"Four senses are used: sight, smell, taste and touch," John explained, before he continued, "To begin with, the shade of the wine will tell you an awful lot so, before you even pick up the glass you should have been able to rule out certain wines."

After seeing and before tasting, it is important to poke your nose in and get a good whiff of the bouquet.

"You may get a plumy nose, a forest fruit nose, a peppery nose, an oak scent or even some hints of exotic fruits," John said.

So now you are ready to taste the wine, what should we be looking for?

"Well, it is important to swirl it around in your mouth because different parts of the mouth can taste different things.

"You may find an acidic taste or a taste of tannins, which is particularly prevalent in red wine. You will also look for the length of the wine."

The length?

"The 'length' of a wine is the term used to describe how long the taste lingers. The normal rule is that the longer the length, the better the wine," John patiently explained.

The last sense used in a wine tasting contest may surprise some; touch. Over to John.

"Well, touch is rarely used but can be quite beneficial. What you are looking for is if the wine is quite oily or quite light to touch. Wines vary in alcohol content from 8% to 14.5% and the more oily the wine is, the more alcohol is present."

So, it seems there is a lot more to wine tasting than simple tasting.

John himself stocks a fine selection of wines in his restaurant in Enniskillen and he can see a real change in the habits of county Fermanagh people over the last five years.

"When I first came back to Fermanagh from Switzerland five years ago, 90% of people who ate in the restaurant were beer drinkers and I would say in the five years that have passed that has been turned completely on its head. Now 95% of people would drink wine with a meal."

And what does John put this change down to?

"I think people are travelling more today and experiencing more of different cultures and are willing to try new things."

New things indeed, perhaps some of us will even venture away from the house red and white!