Grenache was the first grape variety I ever harvested. It was in Banyuls in southern France, a beautiful vineyard by the Mediterranean Sea. Big bunches with ripe grapes. Maybe that is why I like it
Caprettone is a grape that until recently was often confused with coda di volpe, another native grape variety from Campania. A small group of wine producers are now making a big effort to bring caprettone
Tempranillo is one of the world’s most planted grapes. We associate it with Spain, where most of the plantings are (~190,000 hectares), and above all with Rioja. But it is grown in several regions in
Riesling is a magnificent grape but a difficult one. For its many devoted admirers, it is the foremost white wine grape in the world. Riesling is one of the most prestigious grapes, but it is
Wine enthusiasts tend to like unusual grape varieties. What is unusual and common however, varies with time. The grape varieties that are the most grown today are not the same as 20 years ago. Since
No, your Bordeaux wine will not soon be made from other grape varieties, as some headlines have implied. Last year, producers in Bordeaux approved a proposal to experiment with grape varieties that have never been
The wine world loves hierarchies. But despite this fact, isn’t it time to scrap the term “noble grape”? In Alsace, it’s been around for ages, but it’s a glaring anachronism. You can make an Alsace
Viognier has its “home” in the Rhône district, in the two small appellations Condrieu and Château Grillet. Until the end of the 20th century, it was hardly found anywhere else in France or any other
The Torres family’s most spectacular vineyard is called Tremp and is located at an altitude of 950 meters up in the mountains, north-west of Barcelona. In the 1950s and 1960s, people made a living here
There is an interest today in many wine countries for old, forgotten, grape varieties. Since 1990, the Technical Institute of Agriculture in the region of Castilla y León in Spain (ITACYL) has been conducting research
Pinot noir has a reputation for being a difficult grape, yet it is found in many places around the world. Maybe the grape isn’t so tricky after all if you free yourself from the idea
We had a question from a reader a while ago: “I discovered pinotage many years ago in Cape Town. But unfortunately, the quality has varied a lot. Are there any pinotage wines that you can
Merlot is something of a chameleon. All grapes are, of course, in one way or another. But sometimes it’s more noticeable, as with merlot. Château Petrus, 95% merlot, is Bordeaux’s most expensive wine. Petrus’ prices
Chardonnay is grown all over the world. It can handle many kinds of climate and soil types. It is often oak aged but not always. All this means that chardonnay is available in many different
Almost all of the world’s most popular quality grape varieties have spread around the globe. But in the world’s top ten list of most planted grapes, there is one that you will find almost only
A versatile grape variety that has survived multiple crises, with the world’s second largest white plantings Chardonnay has survived trends and fashion. Maybe you remember the ABC movement, Anything But Chardonnay? I am sure there
A tasting of syrah from four countries France and Australia are the two major countries producing syrah (or shiraz). But the grape is grown in many countries around the world. Does the character change depending
Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in virtually all wine countries around the world. It is the world’s most popular – most planted – grape variety. The best way to discover the many different faces of cabernet
Syrah is the fourth most planted red grape in the world after cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and tempranillo. Syrah is found on almost 190,000 hectares across the globe. It is today a fashionable and popular grape
Most people probably see Italy as a red wine country. That is why the numbers are so surprising. 57% of Italian wine production is white wine. Prosecco and pinot grigio, the enormous successes of recent
Cabernet Sauvignon is now the grape variety with the biggest acreage in the world Cabernet Sauvignon has long been responsible for some of the world’s most talked-about, appreciated and expensive wines. In Bordeaux, it is
Chardonnay, the swan that became an ugly duckling? …and… Issue 200 …and… Where are we now? This will be a long Brief, so save it and read when you have the time. Let’s start with
Time for Pinotage to come out of the closet? The apple never falls far from the tree. Well, sometimes it does. For, to be honest, does pinotage really resemble its parents, pinot noir and cinsault?
Criolla is the collective name of the grapes in South America that were either brought here as seeds or cuttings by the Spaniards in the 17th century or which are the result of spontaneous crossings
Are we wine consumers ready to stand up for our environmental commitment? Or are we merely paying lip service? A trend for 2020 will undoubtedly be the continued focus on organic and sustainable wines. Many
Nowhere else is the dominance of a few grape varieties as big as in Australia. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay account for almost 60% of the total vineyard area of 149,000 hectares. Syrah alone accounts
Unusual grapes can pop-up when you least expect it. On one of our tours in Chablis in the spring, a little-known grape called sacy made an appearance during the tasting of Domaine Frédéric and Céline
France has 806,000 hectares planted with vines. This area includes about 70,000 hectares used for Cognac. Three grape varieties take up one third of this area: Merlot (112,000 hectares), Ugni Blanc (82,000 hectares, which is
Varietal or terroir? Or just “different”? The grape variety was not really important before the New World wines appeared on a larger scale in the 1990s. Well, of course it was important. But consumers did
Chardonnay? Cabernet? Syrah? Or if you have done your homework (some while ago), airen? No, no, no, and no. But one might say that it is (to some extent) a trick question. The world’s most
Grenache was the first grape variety I ever harvested. It was in Banyuls in southern France, a beautiful vineyard by the Mediterranean Sea. Big bunches
Caprettone is a grape that until recently was often confused with coda di volpe, another native grape variety from Campania. A small group of wine
Tempranillo is one of the world’s most planted grapes. We associate it with Spain, where most of the plantings are (~190,000 hectares), and above all
Riesling is a magnificent grape but a difficult one. For its many devoted admirers, it is the foremost white wine grape in the world. Riesling
Wine enthusiasts tend to like unusual grape varieties. What is unusual and common however, varies with time. The grape varieties that are the most grown
No, your Bordeaux wine will not soon be made from other grape varieties, as some headlines have implied. Last year, producers in Bordeaux approved a
The wine world loves hierarchies. But despite this fact, isn’t it time to scrap the term “noble grape”? In Alsace, it’s been around for ages,
Viognier has its “home” in the Rhône district, in the two small appellations Condrieu and Château Grillet. Until the end of the 20th century, it
The Torres family’s most spectacular vineyard is called Tremp and is located at an altitude of 950 meters up in the mountains, north-west of Barcelona.
There is an interest today in many wine countries for old, forgotten, grape varieties. Since 1990, the Technical Institute of Agriculture in the region of
Pinot noir has a reputation for being a difficult grape, yet it is found in many places around the world. Maybe the grape isn’t so
We had a question from a reader a while ago: “I discovered pinotage many years ago in Cape Town. But unfortunately, the quality has varied
Merlot is something of a chameleon. All grapes are, of course, in one way or another. But sometimes it’s more noticeable, as with merlot. Château
Chardonnay is grown all over the world. It can handle many kinds of climate and soil types. It is often oak aged but not always.
Almost all of the world’s most popular quality grape varieties have spread around the globe. But in the world’s top ten list of most planted
A versatile grape variety that has survived multiple crises, with the world’s second largest white plantings Chardonnay has survived trends and fashion. Maybe you remember
A tasting of syrah from four countries France and Australia are the two major countries producing syrah (or shiraz). But the grape is grown in
Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in virtually all wine countries around the world. It is the world’s most popular – most planted – grape variety. The
Syrah is the fourth most planted red grape in the world after cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and tempranillo. Syrah is found on almost 190,000 hectares across
Most people probably see Italy as a red wine country. That is why the numbers are so surprising. 57% of Italian wine production is white
Cabernet Sauvignon is now the grape variety with the biggest acreage in the world Cabernet Sauvignon has long been responsible for some of the world’s
Chardonnay, the swan that became an ugly duckling? …and… Issue 200 …and… Where are we now? This will be a long Brief, so save it
Time for Pinotage to come out of the closet? The apple never falls far from the tree. Well, sometimes it does. For, to be honest,
Criolla is the collective name of the grapes in South America that were either brought here as seeds or cuttings by the Spaniards in the
Are we wine consumers ready to stand up for our environmental commitment? Or are we merely paying lip service? A trend for 2020 will undoubtedly
Nowhere else is the dominance of a few grape varieties as big as in Australia. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay account for almost 60% of
Unusual grapes can pop-up when you least expect it. On one of our tours in Chablis in the spring, a little-known grape called sacy made
France has 806,000 hectares planted with vines. This area includes about 70,000 hectares used for Cognac. Three grape varieties take up one third of this
Varietal or terroir? Or just “different”? The grape variety was not really important before the New World wines appeared on a larger scale in the
Chardonnay? Cabernet? Syrah? Or if you have done your homework (some while ago), airen? No, no, no, and no. But one might say that it
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