SuperValu: Real Food, Real People

Our Wine Expert

Gerry Kelly, SuperValu Loughrea

We spoke to Gerry Kelly, McInerney’s SuperValu Loughrea’s Wine Expert, about his love for the fruit of the vine and what is a good choice of wine to go with a winter roast.

If you’re looking for the perfect tipple to go with your meal, you could do no better than talk to Gerry Kelly, Wine Expert at McInerney’s SuperValu Loughrea. Gerry joined SuperValu eleven years ago and has spent quite some time developing his nose for fine wine. He completed the SuperValu wine training programme after which he received his certificate in wine expertise from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Gerry says he was always fascinated by the world of wines and the addition of so many New World varieties in recent years has made the field even more interesting. His passion for wine was not something that he picked up at home. “All my family are Pioneers” he laughs. Gerry is not the only member of his family working in the Loughrea store as his aunt has been working on the tills for a formidable 41 years.

“Wine has become a lot more of a hobby for people. They are much more interested in wines from different countries and regions than they used to be”

Over the past decade Gerry has seen the volume of wine sold in SuperValu increase dramatically, as more and more Irish consumers have succumbed to the allure of the vine. “Wine has become a lot more of a hobby for people. They are much more interested in wines from different countries and regions than they used to be”.

Has the growing health consciousness amongst consumers had a knock-on effect on his trade? One noticeable trend is the growing interest in organic wines. “In the last few years we have a lot of people coming into the store and asking for organic wine” he says. In addition, weight-conscious customers can now find wine in the Weight Watchers range, which offers two whites, a red, and a rose wine. Gerry explains that although people are concerned about how much they drink, “they still feel they have earned a glass of wine after a hard day’s work”.

What does Gerry recommend now that tough times call for a little belt-tightening? “Always look out for deals” he advises. “We have great deals on wines from €6.99”.

Gerry advises customers to come up and ask him what’s on offer. He also points out that SuperValu is ready to lend a helping hand when big occasions are called for. There are deals on weddings, champagne and glass hire.

Now that the cold nights are closing in, does Gerry have a bottle to go with a winter night meal? “A lovely wine to have with your winter roast dinner is a Nugan Estate. I would recommend it highly”.

He sums up by letting us know that SuperValu staff are always available to give a helping hand to any customer who needs friendly advice. He assures us that the staff are there to make sure every customer leaves the store with a smile.

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