Wine

There are few words in the world of wine that conjure up quite as many adjectives as terroir. These days most labels read like an atlas of descriptive language aimed at setting a scene and creating provenance, but what if you could do away with all that and simply show someone? High against the Andes Mountains in Mendoza sits one of Argentina's jewels: the Remolinos vineyard. Its vintage Bordeaux-style red blend, The Owl & The Dust Devil, is an elegant wine...

In the year between April 2017 and April 2018, UK wine producers planted a record one million vines, meaning an extra two million bottles will enter the market in 2018. The UK’s wine production has been on the up for well over a decade now, and with British summers becoming warmer, that trend is set to continue. There are over 500 vineyards in the UK producing different types of grapes, with Chardonnay taking the number one spot as the most...

It’s indisputable that fine wine has been a popular investment over the last few years. Diamonds, fine art and classic cars have been outstripped as passion investments, as fine wine price growth ‘powers ahead’ of other luxury sectors. Justerini and Brooks, experts who provide information on selling fine wine, confirm that ‘Today, there are an ever increasing number of private investors and wine funds who are tapping into the potential of wine.’ Statistics reflect this interest. Over the last year,...

If you, like me, ever worry about showing up to a party with a low-grade bottle of fizz then worry no more - we've unearthed a bottle that looks the part, tastes the part and, most importantly, doesn't break the bank. Villa Oppi Spumante Extra Dry comes in a sleek tall bottle with a silver plaque carrying embossed print. It's the sort of branding you would associate with a vintage champagne but with the price tag of a bottle of prosecco,...

Easter is here and like other religious festivals it gives us chance to enjoy a few days off, overeat and, crucially, think hard about wine pairing. With spring on the horizon it is a wonderful time of year to embrace the rich and diverse colours and tastes of the season, tapping in to the variable flora and fauna transported to our table courtesy of the lamb meats we consume. Although there is a temptation, especially given the gloomier weather forecast, to...

"What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary."  Valentine's Day has arrived once again leaving men across the World scratching their heads as to how to be original and romantic. And while giving her the moon might sound quite impractical, giving her an experience of NASA certainly...

You know what makes sweet wine so fascinating? The way it is produced. Take ice wine, for example. The grapes are frozen while still on the vine which means the sugars don't freeze but the water does, allowing for a more concentrated grape juice to develop. Port wine vines in the Douro Valley endure an incredibly harsh environment to produce the intense flavours they do, and survive only because the gravel soaks up the heat through the day and releases...

So Valentine's Day has arrived and you've booked your other half into a luxurious hotel with spa treatments and rose-covered bed sheets. Or, more likely, you have left it until the last minute and pitched a romantic night at home under the guise of saving money for the summer holiday? Either way your luck is in, for what better way of recreating a spa night than to drink a wine grown in the grounds of the renowned Château de Berne? The...

January can be a rather dull month all told, which is why the brains in the booze business came up with Tryanuary in order to do-away with its sober counterpart. Initially aimed at the beer market, Tryanuary was created to encourage ale fans to support independent breweries, pubs, bars and other retailers during what can be a challenging month for the industry. Since its inception in 2015, the campaign has garnered huge support, and has now been adapted across the piste to...