Sherry explained as “sweet fortified wine” is a particularly efficient way to miss most of its interesting styles. Fino and Manzanilla are dry
Continue ReadingSparkling Wines Beyond Champagne: Cava, Prosecco, Asti, Sekt, and New World Styles
Sparkling wines beyond Champagne offer more than a cheaper route to the same experience. A floral Asti, an apple-scented Prosecco and a savoury, l
Continue ReadingChampagne Explained: Its Regions, Grapes, Production, and Quality
Champagne explained through a label can sound deceptively simple: a place, perhaps a vintage, and a word such as Brut. Each answers a different qu
Continue ReadingHow Sparkling Wine Is Made: Traditional, Tank, Transfer, and Other Methods
How sparkling wine is made explains much more than the bubbles. A fresh, floral wine and a savoury, biscuit-scented one may both fizz enthusiastic
Continue ReadingNew Zealand Wines Explained: Marlborough, Central Otago, and Beyond
New Zealand wines have a recognisable calling card: a vividly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc with enough freshness to make the first sip quite an introd
Continue ReadingAustralian Wines Beyond South Australia: Victoria, Hunter Valley, Tasmania, and Margaret River
Australian wines beyond South Australia offer a useful correction to the country's big-red stereotype. There are delicate Pinot Noirs shaped by co
Continue ReadingSouth Australian Wines Explained: Barossa, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, and More
South Australian wines don't fit neatly into “big reds from a hot country.” A rich Barossa Valley Shiraz and a taut Eden Valley Riesling can c
Continue ReadingSouth African Wines Explained: Stellenbosch, Swartland, and the Cape
South African wines make more sense once you stop treating the Cape as one warm vineyard. A sheltered inland site and a windy slope facing ocean a
Continue ReadingArgentine Wines Explained: Mendoza, Altitude, Malbec, and Torrontés
Argentine wines often arrive with a number attached: the vineyard’s altitude. It is useful information, but it isn't a score. Higher sites can b
Continue ReadingChilean Wines Explained: Coastal Valleys, the Andes, and the Central Valley
Chilean wines are easier to understand if you turn the map sideways for a moment. North to south matters, but so does the short journey from the c
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