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méthode cap classique, pinotage, south africa, sparkling wine, syrah -

south africa—from old to new

One of the many things I love about teaching WSET classes is the people I meet. A few years ago teaching WSET Diploma, one of my students was Peter Andrews. He's recently set up his own import business called Culture Wine Co., which is all South African wine. I was excited to taste some of the wines he's bringing into the US, and learn about the producers and their stories. South African wine is not always an easy sell in the States, so it's wonderful that the wines' reach is growing. South Africa is a country constantly undergoing a huge...

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liguria, rossese di dolceaqua -

what’s in a name?

Everyone knows the name Chardonnay as it’s so famous around the world. But in California it used to be called Pinot Chardonnay, because it’s the genetic offspring of Pinot Noir. That’s another famous name which in Germany is called Spätburgunder and in Austria Blauburgunder—Chardonnay in Austria is called Morillon. Other members of the Pinot family also have various names: Pinot Gris was historically called Fromenteau in Champagne and Beurot in Burgundy and has the literal translation of Pinot Grigio in Italy; in Germany it’s called Grauburgunder (spot the Burgungder = Pinot theme). If that’s confusing enough—and these are well-known, familiar...

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beaujolais, gamay, hawke's bay, loire valley, lorraine, new zealand -

gamay

There’s lots of great wine made from Gamay, but it’s not appreciated as much as it should be. It’s historically been planted in the wrong places on the wrong soils; criticized for the wrong reasons; often made into inexpensive wines that take advantage of its naturally high yields; and associated with Beaujolais Nouveau, which is released just a few weeks after the harvest. The conclusion: Gamay should be drunk immediately without any thought. Cru Beaujolais is proof that all these conclusions are wrong as they are some of the finest wines in France. These wines have become more popular (and...

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gamay, gisborne, grüner veltliner, hawke's bay, marlborough, new zealand, pinot gris, viognier -

New Zealand that's not Sauvignon Blanc

Over two-thirds of plantings in New Zealand are of Sauvignon Blanc. It's a style which has, since the 1980s, transformed perceptions of the grape variety and although we keep predicting the Marlborough boom will crash at some point it still hasn't. Before the Sauvignon Blanc explosion, New Zealand wine was a laughing stock to anyone who was actually paying attention. Because of Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand is one of the most important wine producing countries in the world: small scale, big influence. But New Zealand producers are conscious that they can't solely rely on Sauvignon Blanc. It's tricky because quarantine...

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gros manseng, madiran, pacherenc du vic-bilh, petit manseng, tannat -

Madiran

The south-west of France has so much history, with many regions and local grape varieties. But the regions are often forgotten about, overshadowed by nearby Bordeaux which historically had a port to ship its wines from which the other regions didn’t. Bordeaux gained an international audience, the regions of south-west France less so. In general, the climate is quite warm but moderated by the Atlantic and by the nearby Pyrenees, so there’s a balance between ripe fruit, full body, and fresh acidity. In the past, I’ve had wines in the club from Bergerac, which is essentially a warmer, drier extension of...

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