South America’s wine regions don’t ever sit still. They are constantly on the move and in the last two decades we have seen several new wine regions emerge in previously unimaginable locations: the Atacama desert, Patagonia and in the heights of the Andes mountains …
Mendoza may be a sleepy agricultural region by the quiet foothills of the Andes, but it is now also home to the world’s first open source winery. OpenVino at Costaflores Organic Vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo is the brainchild of US expat and IT …
What are Switzerland’s wine regions and how are they each different? One of the world’s leading ampelographers Dr José Vouillamoz describes the indigenous Swiss varieties of grapes as well as the traditional and new grape varieties being produced in Switzerland today. In this fascinating …
As a journalist visiting wine harvests, I’m pretty used to swanning in and out while others are doing the hard work. While the harvest team are busily picking grapes under the hot sun, I usually just take photos, kick around a few rocks with …
How is Port made and what are the terroir essentials of the Douro? This Fast Facts is a Douro study guide to the viticulture and winemaking in Portugal’s Douro Valley where Port is made. Learn about the climate, soils, vineyard training systems (the patamares, socalcos …
Anjou-Saumur can at first glance seem rather mind-boglingly diverse, so we hope that our Fast Facts feature and Anjou-Saumur guide will give you a clear overview of this wine region and its many different styles of wines. Our Anjou-Saumur guide includes the essentials of terroir, the …
There’s a black bunch next to a white bunch, which is next to a pink bunch. “This is the problem in Austria!” says winemaker Dorli Muhr, as we stand between vine rows and windmills in Spitzerberg. “The vineyards have passed down so many family …
When looking at all the great wine regions of the world, Tunisia is rarely among those included. Its location on the northern coast of Africa might strike you as making it too hot for wine production, and the fact that it’s a predominantly Muslim …
The crumbling stone walls, first laid some 2400 years ago, stand at complete odds with the budget airline jumbo jets flying overhead. Hvar may be a party destination to some, but there’s a completely different side to this Croatian island – one which has …
I don’t know what’s not to love about Istria. The people welcome you as if you have returned home after a long voyage; the rolling green hillsides are crowned with Medieval castles, and this is a land of truffles and wine. Honestly, within about …