The Department of Foreign Affairs is selling off some of its extensive collection of wine for a loss after storing it for a number of years.

A decision was made by Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore to sell off some of the most expensive wines held by his Department, after it was revealed almost €200,000 was spent on wine for visits and events since 2005.

It has emerged that the Department is now selling off some of its stock for a loss after storing the premium wines for a number of years.

The Department off-loaded their first batch of wine in early December of last year for €11,160 to an unidentified purchaser.

 An invoice for the purchase, seen by Newstalk after a Freedom of Information request, revealed that the purchaser was able to pick up 24 bottles of Chateau Lynch Bages, Grand Cru Classe, 2001 for less than the Department originally paid for it.

The Department paid €79 for each of the bottles and then sold them for €68 each.

In March of 2012, the cellar held 2,807 bottles of red and white wine with 610 of the bottles purchased costing more than €50 each.

In 2011 alone, €51,952 was spent on wine for visits and events including visits form President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth. In 2012 only €7,835 was spent.

The Department also sold 151 bottles of two other vintages of the Chateau Lynch Bages and 10 bottles of La Reserve de Leoville Barton (1998) managing to recoup the loss and turn a total profit of €49.25 in the overall sale.