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beaujolais, gamay -

beaujolais

Beaujolais is one of my favorite regions. My aunt moved there in 1987, and we regularly visited, driving around the beautiful, sleepy villages in the summer sun. I had no idea about the region's wines—I was only a teenager—but I knew my aunt would only ever order a glass of Beaujolais at a local restaurant. At the time, over 50% of the wine was Beaujolais Nouveau, a style which both made and scarred Beaujolais's reputation. Based on a widespread European tradition of drinking wine to celebrate the end of harvest, Beaujolais Nouveau was commercialised to be sold globally as a...

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douro, port, porto, portugal, tawny, white port -

port

It's the middle of summer so maybe port isn't the first wine that comes to mind. In the UK, where I'm from, port is often seen as a Christmas drink because of its warming nature and the sweetness pairs well with the rich desserts. But port can certainly be enjoyed all year round because of its many different styles, the versatility of the potential food pairings, and its use in cocktails. quick history When William of Orange became King of England in 1689, the first thing he did was ban all imports from France (he really hated the French). That...

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austria, sauvignon blanc, st-bris, steiermark -

sauvignon blanc with a twist

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can be smelt across the room. It's wonderful in a blind tasting as the tasting note writes itself. These wines remain extremely popular even if they have a (sometimes undeserved) reputation for being too obvious and unsubtle in their pungent, unrestrained aromas. They also give the impression that all Sauvignon Blanc tastes the same. That's unfair on New Zealand, as there are many different expressions between and within regions. It's also unfair on Sauvignon Blanc as there are many extremely interesting and individual wines from regions not strongly associated with the grape variety. I recently wrote...

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cinsault, languedoc, mourvèdre, pinot noir, rosé, sparkling rosé, st-chinian, tasmania -

two types of rosé

Over the last ten years, rosé has become much more fashionable, but the stereotype remains that all rosé is the same: but here are two very different rosés.

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burgundy, irancy, montalcino, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, tuscany -

Tuscan Sauvignon Blanc?! Almost Chablis Pinot Noir?!

Two unusual wines that aren’t found too often: Tuscan Sauvignon Blanc and Irancy, a small, northerly Burgundy appellation for Pinot Noir.

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