Mary Dowey is one of Ireland's leading wine writers. With a background in food and travel journalism, she puts wine into a broader context than is usual in the sometimes narrow and pedantic world of wine criticism. She has written two wine books, one food and wine book and one travel book.

Mary enjoys describing regions noted for their food and wine with visitors in mind. Besides evoking landscape and atmosphere, she loves unearthing artisan food producers, interesting shops and unmissable markets; great restaurants whether Michelin-starred or miniscule and homely; hotels and B&Bs where eating well is considered as important as sleeping well.

In all of her writing, she champions quality at a reasonable price, never losing sight of the consumer.

Mary has a home in Dublin and a pied-à-terre in north-west Provence, wedged between the vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône and the Languedoc.

She is a member of NUJ, the Circle of Wine Writers and the Society of Authors.