Home to the world's benchmark wines in almost every style.
France
France exerts such a strong influence on the wine world that almost everybody making wine has a style of French wine in mind while they’re doing it (even if that’s only because they’re trying to produce something completely different). The classic French regions still provide the benchmarks for wines made from the most popular grape varieties, and all the competition has done French wine good. There are now a host of small producers in lesser-known areas thinking much more carefully about what they do, and doing it better. There are some amazing bargains to be had if you (or your wine company) know where to find them.
Portugal
While other countries are now scrambling around looking to rediscover (and replant) their native grape varieties as interest continues to increase in distinctive, characterful wines, Portugal can c...
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Italy
Italy now offers one of the most interesting, varied and unique ranges of quality wine in the world. But it wasn’t always this way. Not long ago, Italian wine was best known for being mass produced and cheap, but the era of the Supertuscan in the 1990s and early 2000s saw a new wave of quality wine, albeit made outside the traditional rules and regulations in the new ‘international’ style. From there, we have now arrived at a revival of traditional Italian grape varieties and regions, and there is a new focus on quality, small artisan winemakers and the astonishing regional diversity that only Italy can offer.
Germany
German wine may be starting to emerge from years of neglect by British drinkers. At one time, the great wines of Germany were among the world’s most prized. Then quality nosedived, the fashion chan...
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Austria
There has been a wine revolution in Austria in the last few decades. Not long ago, its wines barely registered even for enthusiasts, but now, with modern winemaking techniques, great vineyard sites...
The New World remakes the classic European wines in its own image.
U.S.A.
The U.S.A. is perhaps, at last, entering a golden age for wine. Since the first European settlers introduced vines from Europe (the native American vines they found produced wine with an unpleasant ‘foxy’ taste) the industry has been beset with difficulties including a great many vine diseases (especially Phylloxera, the pest the kills the vine species known in Europe) and Prohibition. Across this vast country, wine is produced in wildly different conditions. Most significant is California, but further north Oregon and Washington are becoming increasingly important, and on the west coast in New York and Virginia quality is soaring. In fact, every state now produces some wine and the publi...
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Source of some great value wines packed with fruit flavour.
Chile
Chilean wine these days is much more than just a reliable source of cheap, fruity Merlot, Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc. Those wines, which were so popular in U.K. supermarkets in the 1990s, are now...
Dynamic winemaking produces modern classics to challenge the traditions of Europe.
Australia
Australia is home to many famous wine styles - Barossa Shiraz, Hunter Valley Semillon, Coonawarra Cabernet, Clare Valley Riesling, the Bordeaux-blends of Margaret River - that were revolutionary wh...
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New Zealand
New Zealand wine occupies a place in the market and the mind of the U.K. wine drinker far more significant than the amount it produces. This is partly because such a high proportion of the (relativ...
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The best of Old and New World styles from the world's most beautiful vineyards.
South Africa
The stunning vineyards of South Africa are not only among the most beautiful in the world, they also produce some exceptionally fine wine. For a long time the South African wine scene was dominated...
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Ancient home of the vine and now some outstanding modern wineries.
Lebanon
Lebanon has a small but growing wine industry. There are now around 40 (mostly small-scale) producers, and while some are long-established, the majority are new arrivals keen to take the opportunit...
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