Globalisation beats the Irish

A funny side observation from a brief Irish Times (subs. req'd) preview of an impending restaurant in Dublin. The son of Patrick Guilbaud (Ireland's most consistent Michelin-rated chef) is planning the place, leading Patrick to reflect on how much Dublin has changed:

In the very early days [1984], he recalls, there was such demand for Piat d'Or that he was forced, reluctantly, to add it to the wine list.

Indeed, who amongst us doesn't recall the time when Blue Nun, Liebfraumilch, and Le Piat d'Or were the height of sophistamacation. Now of course we've moved on the point where we can talk about wine at dinner with the same ease as James Bond's witticisms about Dom Perignon -- and definitely not anything as gauche as asking for red Chianti with sole, as in From Russia With Love.

But who's had the last laugh? For shocking as it may seem, Le Piat d'Or is still around, along with a few humourous imitators, and it's in the brand portfolio of none other than Diageo, who also own Guinness. Via the miracle of corporate synergy, the plonk thus has the same status as our treasured national beverage, and probably doesn't look much different on the spreadsheets at Diageo HQ in London. Indeed, the corporation is now brilliantly placed to capitalise on the inevitable "ironic" return to drinking the wine that, the ads told us, the French adore.