Want to know why a Champagne bottle is different than any other? Discover how this precious drink is stored and find out how to take out the cork in style As you raise a glass to celebrate Christmas or New Year, you might think the only difference between a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne is […]
The best summer days begin with blue-sky mornings, carry on with sunny afternoons at the pool or the beach, and end with lazy, comfortable chit-chat among friends as the sun dips below the horizon. Of course, summer afternoons and evenings are made inevitably better if you are relaxing with a cool, sweet drink in your […]
A non-Champagne sparkling wine, Asti spumanti comes from the Turin region of Italy and is very popular with new wine drinkers. Asti spumanti is Italy’s second most produced wine, with “clones” produced in California and other locations. It is a sweet-to-semi-sweet dessert wine. Some people prefer asti to French Champagne because of asti’s sweetness and […]
The name literally means “Spice Traminer”, or “Perfumed Traminer”. Gewürz is the wine student’s favourite – it’s the first grape variety you learn to recognise because of its exotic aroma. Depending on the style it is a pale to deep gold colour. It made its name in Alsace, North-East France, a region renowned for its […]
When the world got tired of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc was ready to step into its shoes. The producers of New Zealand led the charge with their clean, zesty, pea-pod and passion-fruited charmers. Cloudy Bay was one of the leaders of the global charm offensive, but there are many others including Isabel, Jackson Estate, Villa Maria […]
Chenin Blanc could easily be classified as one of the great ‘noble’ grapes. That’s because all around the world, in different climates and soils, it can produce exceptional wine. In France, in Joan of Arc country along the Loire river, it shows its diversity. The dry whites range from basic to very fine. It’s important […]
