Gigondas: Châteauneuf’s little brother
There is a hierarchy within the family of villages that makes up the Southern Rhône. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is famous the world over, and achieves heights of…
Early drinking
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m beginning to miss the huge off-licence chains we had in the UK 10 years ago. Not that their ranges were that interesting, but I’m…
St Péray: Cut from a different cloth
St Péray on the left; Cornas on the right
A quick intro to the wines of St Péray...
Like a beauty pageant, the major wine regions of France try on many different…
Madiran: Blood reds
The vineyards of Madiran are hidden away in the foothills of the Pyrenees in Gascony. They stretch along four jagged ridges that creep northwards from the mountains towards Bordeaux…
Newcomers on the scene
They wouldn’t have got past the elevator pitch in Dragons’ Den. “So you want to sell premium Austrian wines from a transport container in the East End of London?”…
Tavel: Don’t judge a wine by its colour
A quick intro to the wines of Tavel...
Of all the colours of the rainbow, the colour pink has some unfortunate connotations. Often associated with cupcake icing and little girls’…
Chapoutier’s class of 2013
If the majority of the press surrounding the 2013 vintage in Bordeaux is to be believed, most en primeur samples should have been gathered up, put in a sack and…
Gascogne: Of coops and co-ops
A quick intro to the wines of Gascogne...
The Côtes de Gascogne, south of Bordeaux, is a sprawling region. There are no main roads, so it’s easy to get lost; this really is La France…
Madeira quake
I always find it strange how fortified wines – Sherry, Port and Madeira – are so often portrayed as drinks for vicars and old ladies. The reality is these are drinks for…