Oz Clarke Pocket Wine Book 2015

SOME OF MY FAVOURITES

The following are some of the wines I’ve enjoyed most this year. They’re not definitive lists of ‘best wines’, but all the wines, regions and producers mentioned here are on an exciting roll in terms of quality. Some are easy to find; others are very rare or expensive – but if you get the chance to try them, grab it! You can find out more about them in the A–Z: the cross-references in SMALL CAPITALS will guide you to the relevant entries.

WORLD-CLASS WINES THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH

•  Quinta do CRASTO Reserva Old Vines, Portugal

•  CVNE Rioja Imperial Reserva, Spain

•  Hatzidakis Vinsanto, Santorini, Greece

•  Dom. de Marcoux CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE, France

•  Moreau-Naudet CHABLIS, France

•  MUGA Rioja Reserva, Spain

•  Ossian RUEDA, Spain

•  Giovanni ROSSO, Barolo Serralunga, Italy

•  Eben SADIE single-vineyard releases, South Africa

•  Le Soula, CÔTES CATALANES, France

•  Te Whare Ra Gewurztraminer MARLBOROUGH, New Zealand

•  Dom. Tempier BANDOL, France

•  TORRES Priorat Salmos, Spain

•  Viñalba Gran Reservado/Bodegas FABRE, Argentina

OZ’S ODDBALLS

•  Ch. Burgozone Viognier, Bulgaria

•  Camin Larredya, Jurançon Sec, South-West France

•  Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado, JEREZ, Spain

•  COOPERS CREEK Albariño ‘Bell Ringer’, New Zealand

•  Daniel Dugois, ARBOIS Vin Jaune Jura, France

•  Vignerons d’Estézargues, CÔTES DU RHÔNE Blanc ‘Plein Sud’, France

•  Filliatreau SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY, Loire, France

•  Fox Gordon, Fiano ‘Princess’, ADELAIDE HILLS, Australia

•  Francuska Vinarija, Obecanje, Serbia

•  GEMTREE Savagnin ‘Moonstone’, McLaren Vale, Australia

•  Leventhorpe Madeleine Angevine, Yorkshire, England

•  Dom. de Montbourgeau, l’ETOILE Savagnin, Jura, France

•  NIEPOORT Vinho Verde Dócil, Portugal

•  Puklavec & Friends, Sauvignon Blanc-Furmint, Slovenia

•  RIDGEVIEW Pimlico Sparkling Red, England

•  Telmo RODRÍGUEZ Al-muvedre, Alicante, Valencia, Spain

•  SCHOFFIT Chasselas, Alsace, France

•  Suertes del Marqués, La Solana, Tenerife, CANARY ISLANDS

•  Tbilvino, Qvevris, Georgia

•  Tsantali Cabernet Sauvignon (organic), Halkidiki, Greece

•  Ch. Viranel, Arômes Sauvages Alicante Bouschet, Languedoc, France

High in the Uco Valley in the Andes foothills, Tupungatois one of Mendoza’s regions to watch.

BEST LOOKALIKES TO THE CLASSICS

Bordeaux-style red wines

•  CATENA Alta Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina

•  Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon, STELLENBOSCH, South Africa

•  OPUS ONE, California

Burgundy-style white wines

•  CULLEN, Kevin John, Australia

•  HAMILTON RUSSELL, South Africa

•  LEEUWIN ESTATE Art Series, Australia

•  Littorai, Charles Heintz Vineyard, SONOMA COAST, California

•  TE MATA Elston, New Zealand

Champagne-style wines

•  Jansz (Vintage), YALUMBA, Australia

•  NYETIMBER Classic Cuvée, England

•  ROEDERER ESTATE L’Ermitage, California

TOP-VALUE WINES

•  ALENTEJO and VINHO VERDE, Portugal

•  CAMPANIA And SICILY whites, Italy

•  CORBIÈRES, France

•  CÔTES DE GASCOGNE whites, France

•  ENTRE-DEUX-MERS and GRAVES whites, France

•  Old-vines Garnacha reds, CALATAYUD and CAMPO DE BORJA, Spain

•  Hungarian whites

•  Leyda whites and reds, SAN ANTONIO, Chile

•  White RIOJA, Spain

•  SICILY reds, Italy

REGIONS TO WATCH

•  ACONCAGUA Costa, Chile

•  Brazil, for sparkling wine

•  DOURO, Portugal

•  Hampshire, Kent, Sussex, England

•  LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, for whites such as PICPOUL DE PINET, France

•  LODI, California, USA

•  MAULE, Chile

•  Ribeiro and Valdeorras, GALICIA, Spain

•  SWARTLAND, South Africa

•  TASMANIA, Australia

•  Tupungato and Gualtallary, UCO VALLEY, Argentina

•  VIRGINIA, USA

PRODUCERS TO WATCH

•  Alheit, WALKER BAY, South Africa

•  Andeluna, MENDOZA, Argentina

•  ASTROLABE, New Zealand

•  BENEGAS, Argentina

•  Bressia, MENDOZA, Argentina

•  CHAMONIX, South Africa

•  Collector, CANBERRA, Australia

•  DE MARTINO, Chile

•  Elephant Hill, HAWKES BAY, New Zealand

•  FURLEIGH ESTATE, England

•  K Vintners/Charles SMITH, USA

•  LOMA LARGA, Chile

•  Maycas del LIMARÍ, Chile

•  MONTES (Outer Limits), Chile

•  Quinta da Pellada, DÃO, Portugal

AUSTRALIA

•  BROKENWOOD Semillon and Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz

•  HENSCHKE Hill of Grace Shiraz and Louis Semillon

•  McLean’s Farmgate barr-Eden red, EDEN VALLEY

•  MCWILLIAM’S Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon

•  Charles MELTON Nine Popes

•  S C PANNELL Nebbiolo

•  PRIMO ESTATE Moda Cabernet-Merlot

•  ROCKFORD Basket Press Shiraz

•  ROSEMOUNT Graciano-Mataro-Grenache, McLaren Vale

•  TYRRELL’S Vat 1 Semillon

•  YABBY LAKE Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

•  YALUMBA Bush Vine Grenache

RED BORDEAUX

•  Ch. ANGÉLUS

•  Ch. AUSONE

•  Ch. CANON-LA-GAFFELIÈRE

•  Ch. GRAND-PUY-LACOSTE

•  Ch. Feytit-Clinet, POMEROL

•  Ch. FIGEAC

•  Les Forts de LATOUR

•  Ch. LÉOVILLE-BARTON

•  Ch. LÉOVILLE-POYFERRÉ

•  Ch. LYNCH-BAGES

•  Ch. la MISSION-HAUT-BRION

•  Ch. MONTROSE

•  Ch. PICHON-LONGUEVILLE

•  TERTRE-RÔTEBOEUF

BURGUNDY

•  Blain-Gagnard, PULIGNY-MONTRACHET (white)

•  Jean-Claude BOISSET, Clos de la Roche (red)

•  Confuron-Cotetidot, Charmes-CHAMBERTIN (red)

•  B Dugat-Py, Charmes-CHAMBERTIN (red)

•  Comte LIGER-BELAIR, Échezeaux (red)

•  MÉO-CAMUZET, Clos de Vougeot (red)

•  de MONTILLE, Beaune Les Grèves (red)

•  de MONTILLE, Puligny-Montrachet Le Cailleret (white)

•  J-F MUGNIER, Nuits-St-Georges Clos de la Maréchale (red)

•  Pernot-Belicard, MEURSAULT Les Perrières (white)

•  Chantal Remy, CLOS DE LA ROCHE (red)

•  de Villaine, La Digoine BOURGOGNE-CÔTE CHALONNAISE (red)

•  de VOGÜÉ, Bonnes-Mares (red)

CALIFORNIA

•  Cline, Bridgehead ZINFANDEL, Contra Costa County

•  CORISON Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

•  Donelan Syrah, Obsidian and Richards Family Vineyard, SONOMA COUNTY

•  Littorai, SONOMA COAST

•  Rubissow, MOUNT VEEDER

•  Rudd, Samantha’s Cabernet Sauvignon, NAPA VALLEY

•  SHAFER Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon

•  SPOTTSWOODE

•  TABLAS CREEK, Esprit

•  Sean Thackrey, SONOMA COAST

•  VIADER

•  WIND GAP

ITALIAN REDS

•  ALLEGRINI Amarone and La Poja

•  Benanti, Rovittello ETNA, Sicily

•  Fenocchio BAROLO

•  GIACOSA Falletto Barolo

•  Illuminati, Zanna, MONTEPULCIANO d’Abruzzo

•  ISOLE E OLENA Cepparello

•  ORNELLAIA Masseto

•  Quintodecimo, CAMPANIA

•  Francesco Rinaldi BAROLO

•  Terre Nere, ETNA, Sicily

•  Vajra BAROLO

•  Viviani AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

RHÔNE VALLEY

•  CLAPE Cornas

•  Clos du Caillou CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

•  Dom. du Colombier CROZES-HERMITAGE and HERMITAGE (red and white)

•  CUILLERON Condrieu and St-Joseph

•  JAMET Côte-Rôtie

•  Dom. de la Mordorée CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

•  Dom. du Mortier ST-JOSEPH Soulane

•  Niéro CONDRIEU

•  PERRET Condrieu and St-Joseph

•  Raspail-Ay GIGONDAS

•  Marc Sorrel HERMITAGE (red and white)

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

•  BALNAVES, Australia

•  CATENA Alta, Argentina

•  Col Solare/CHATEAU STE MICHELLE, Washington State

•  DIAMOND CREEK, California

•  GROSSET Gaia, Australia

•  HEDGES FAMILY ESTATE Red Mountain, Washington State

•  RIDGE Monte Bello, California

•  SANTA RITA Casa Real, Chile

•  STAG’S LEAP WINE CELLARS Fay, California

•  VASSE FELIX, Australia

•  VERGELEGEN, South Africa

CHARDONNAY

•  BERGSTRÖM, Oregon

•  Dog Point, MARLBOROUGH, New Zealand

•  FELTON ROAD, New Zealand

•  FLOWERS Camp Meeting Ridge, California

•  Norman Hardie, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Canada

•  HdV, California

•  MARIMAR ESTATE, California

•  NEUDORF, New Zealand

•  Ocean Eight, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, Australia

•  Payten & Jones Paul’s Range, YARRA VALLEY, Australia

•  PIERRO, Australia

•  RAMEY Hyde Vineyard, California

•  Rijckaert Vignes des Voises, CÔTES DU JURA, France

•  YABBY LAKE, Australia

MERLOT

•  Buccella, NAPA VALLEY, California

•  CONO SUR 20 Barrels, Chile

•  CRAGGY RANGE Sophia, New Zealand

•  Fermoy Estate, MARGARET RIVER, Australia

•  LEONETTI CELLAR, Pedestal, Washington State

•  Le MACCHIOLE Messorio, Italy

•  Sacred Hill Brokenstone, HAWKES BAY, New Zealand

•  TAPANAPPA Whalebone Vineyard, Australia

•  WOODWARD CANYON, Washington State

PINOT NOIR

•  ATA RANGI, New Zealand

•  Bethel Heights, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, Oregon

•  Burn Cottage, CENTRAL OTAGO, New Zealand

•  Crystallum Bona Fide, WALKER BAY, South Africa

•  FELTON ROAD, New Zealand

•  FLOWERS Camp Meeting Ridge, California

•  Moorooduc, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, Australia

•  Rippon Tinker’s Field, CENTRAL OTAGO, New Zealand

•  TEN MINUTES BY TRACTOR, Australia

•  Valli, WAITAKI, New Zealand

•  WILLIAMS SELYEM Westside Road Neighbors, California

RIESLING

•  Tim ADAMS, Australia

•  Ch. Belá/Egon Müller, Slovakia

•  BRÜNDLMAYER Zöbinger Heiligenstein, Austria

•  Larry CHERUBINO, Australia

•  DÖNNHOFF Oberhäuser Brücke, Germany

•  Fielding Estate, NIAGARA PENINSULA, Canada

•  GROSSET, Australia

•  JACOB’S CREEK Steingarten, Australia

•  Toni JOST Bacharacher Hahn, Germany

•  LEITZ Rudesheimer Rosengarten, Germany

•  WEINBACH Schlossberg Cuvée Ste Catherine, France

SAUVIGNON BLANC

•  Alpha Estate, Greece

•  ASTROLABE Kekerengu Coast, New Zealand

•  BRANCOTT Late Harvest, New Zealand

•  CASA MARÍN Cipreses, Chile

•  Cedarberg David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner, ELIM, South Africa

•  Gladstone Vineyard Sophie’s Choice, MARTINBOROUGH/ WAIRARAPA, New Zealand

•  Greywacke, MARLBOROUGH, New Zealand

•  Ch. MALARTIC-LAGRAVIÈRE, France

•  MONTES Outer Limits, Chile

•  Ch. SMITH-HAUT-LAFITTE, France

•  TE MATA Cape Crest, New Zealand

•  TerraVin, MARLBOROUGH, New Zealand

SYRAH/SHIRAZ

•  Bilancia La Collina, HAWKES BAY, New Zealand

•  CLONAKILLA, Australia

•  FROMM, New Zealand

•  JAMSHEED Garden Gully, Silvan and Warner, Australia

•  KONGSGAARD, California

•  Viña LEYDA Reserva, Chile

•  MAN O’WAR Dreadnought, New Zealand

•  MATETIC EQ, Chile

•  Moon Curser, OKANAGAN VALLEY, Canada

•  MULLINEUX Schist and Granite, South Africa

•  Porseleinberg, SWARTLAND, South Africa

•  TRINITY HILL Homage, New Zealand

FORTIFIED WINE

•  Alvear Pedro Ximénez 1927 MONTILLA

•  Argüeso MANZANILLA Las Medallas

•  CHAMBERS Rutherglen Muscat

•  Cossart Gordon Vintage Bual, MADEIRA WINE COMPANY

•  Fernando de Castilla Antique sherries

•  GONZÁLEZ BYASS Noé Pedro Ximénez

•  GRAHAM’S 20-year-old Tawny

•  HENRIQUES & HENRIQUES 15-year-old Madeira

•  MAURY, Pla del Fount

•  PENFOLDS Grandfather Rare Tawny

SPARKLING WINE

•  ARGYLE Blanc de Blancs, Oregon

TODAY’S WINE STYLES

Not so long ago, if I were to have outlined the basic wine styles, the list would have been strongly biased towards the classics – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Sancerre, Mosel Riesling, Champagne. But the classics have, over time, become expensive and unreliable – giving other regions the chance to offer us wines that may or may not owe anything to the originals. These are the flavours to which ambitious winemakers the world over now aspire.

WHITE WINES

Ripe, up-front, spicy Chardonnay is the main grape and fruit is the key: apricot, peach, melon, pineapple and tropical fruits, spiced up with the vanilla and butterscotch richness of some new oak to make a delicious, approachable, fruit cocktail of taste. Australia, South Africa and Chile are best at this style, but all, Australia in particular, have begun to tone down the richness. Oak-aged Chenin from South Africa, Semillon from Australia and Semillon-Sauvignon from South-West France can have similar characteristics.

Green and tangy New Zealand Sauvignon was the originator of this style – zingy lime zest, nettles and asparagus and passionfruit – and coastal South Africa and Chile’s coastal valleys and Casablanca regions now have their own tangy, super-fresh examples. Good, less expensive versions from southern France and Hungary. Bordeaux and the Loire are the original sources of dry Sauvignon wines, and an expanding band of modern pro-ducers are matching clean fruit with zippy green tang. Spain’s Rueda is zesty. Riesling in Australia is usually lean and limy; in New Zealand, Chile and Austria it’s a little more scented and full.

Bone-dry, neutral Chablis is the most famous, and most appetizing. Unoaked Chardonnay in cool parts of Australia, New Zealand and the USA does a good, but fruitier, impression. Many Italian and Greek whites from indigenous varieties fit this bill in a minerally way. Southern French wines are often like this, as are basic wines from Bordeaux, South-West France, Muscadet and Anjou. Modern young Spanish whites and dry Portuguese Vinho Verdes are good examples. Cheap South African and California whites can be ‘superneutral’. More interesting are Verdelhos and Chenins from Australia.

White Burgundy By this I mean the nutty, oatmealy-ripe but dry, subtly oaked styles of villages like Meursault at their best. Few people do it well, even in Burgundy itself, and it’s a difficult style to emulate. California makes the most effort. Washington, Oregon, New York State and British Columbia each have occasional successes, but the best New World producers are in Australia and New Zealand, followed by South Africa.

Perfumy, dry or off-dry Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris from Alsace or Gewürztraminer, Scheurebe, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and occasionally Riesling in southern Germany will give you this style. In New Zealand look for Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. Irsai Olivér from Hungary and Torrontés from Argentina are both heady and perfumed. Albariño in Spain is leaner but heady with citrus scent. Viognier is apricotty and scented in southern Europe, Australia, Chile and California. Croatian Malvasia and Greek Malagousia are bright and subtly scented.

Mouthfuls of luscious gold Good sweet wines are difficult to make. Sauternes is the most famous, but Monbazillac, the Loire, and sometimes Alsace, can also come up with rich, intensely sweet wines that can live for decades. Top sweeties from Germany and Austria are stunning. Hungarian Tokaji has a wonderful sweet-sour smoky flavour. Australia, California and New Zealand produce some exciting examples and South Africa, the USA and Croatia have a few excellent sweeties. Canadian Icewines are impressive.

RED WINES

Juicy, fruity Beaujolais – and other wines from the Gamay grape – can be the perfect example, but leafy, raspberryish Loire reds, and simple Grenache and Syrah are also good. Modern Spanish reds from Valdepeñas, Bierzo and La Mancha, and old-vine Garnachas from Campo de Borja and Calatayud, do the trick, as do unoaked Douros from Portugal and young Valpolicella and Teroldego in Italy. Young Chilean Merlots are juicy, and Argentina has some good examples from Bonarda, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Barbera.

Soft, strawberryish charmers Good Burgundy tops this group. Pinot Noir in California, Oregon, Chile and New Zealand is frequently delicious, and South Africa and Australia increasingly get it right. German Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) can thrill. Rioja, Navarra and Valdepeñas in Spain sometimes get there. In Bordeaux, St-Émilion, Pomerol and Blaye can do the business.

Spicy, warm-hearted Australia’s Shiraz reds are ripe, almost sweet, sinfully easy to enjoy, though they’re becoming lighter and more scented. France’s southern Rhône Valley and the traditional appellations in the far south of France are looking good. In Italy, Piedmont produces rich, beefy Barbera, Puglia has chocolaty Negroamaro and Sicily has Nero d’Avola. Portugal’s Tejo and Alentejo also deliver the goods, as does Malbec in Argentina. California Zinfandel made in its most powerful style is spicy and rich; Lebanese reds have the succulent scent of the kasbah.

Deep and blackcurranty Chile has climbed back to the top of the Cabernet tree, though good producers in cooler parts of Australia and South Africa produce Cabernets of thrilling blackcurranty intensity. New Zealand Merlot and Cabernet Franc are dense and rich yet dry. California and Argentina too frequently overripen their Cabernet and Merlot, though restrained examples can be terrific, as can the best from Washington and Virginia. Top Bordeaux is on a rich blackcurranty roll since 2000: it’s expensive but exciting – as is top Tuscan Cabernet.

Tough, tannic long-haul boys Bordeaux leads this field, and the best wines are really good after 10 years or so – but minor properties rarely age in the same way. Top wines in Tuscany and Piedmont age well – especially Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, some IGT and Chianti Classico, Barolo and Barbaresco. Portugal has some increasingly good Dão and Douro reds, and Spain’s Toro and Ribera del Duero reds need aging. Top Cabernet- and Malbec-based blends from Chile and Argentina are burly and dark and may age well.

Rosé There’s been a surge in rosé’s popularity, probably led by California’s blush Zinfandel and Grenache. But far better, drier rosés are also becoming popular, with Spain, Italy and France leading the way for drier styles and Chile and New Zealand the best for fuller pinks.

SPARKLING AND FORTIFIED WINES

Fizz White, pink or red, dry or sweet; I sometimes think it doesn’t matter what it tastes like as long as it’s cold enough and plentiful. Champagne can be best, but frequently isn’t – and there are lots of new-wave winemakers making good-value lookalikes. California, Tasmania, England and New Zealand all produce top-quality fizz. Spain can also excel. Prosecco is a lively party fizz. New kid on the block is Brazil.

Fortified wines Spain is unassailable as the master of dry fortifieds with its fino sherries. Ports are the most intense and satisfying rich red wines – but Australia, California and South Africa have their own versions of both these styles. Madeira’s fortifieds have rich, brown smoky flavours, and luscious Muscats are made all round the Mediterranean and in Rutherglen, Australia.

GOOD MATCHES: FOOD AND WINE

Give me a rule, I’ll break it – well, bend it anyway. So when I see the proliferation of publications laying down rules as to what wine to drink with what food, I get very uneasy and have to quell a burning desire to slosh back a Grand Cru Burgundy with my chilli con carne.

The pleasures of eating and drinking operate on so many levels that hard and fast rules make no sense. What about mood? If I’m in the mood for Champagne, Champagne it shall be, whatever I’m eating. What about company? An old friend, a lover, a bank manager – each of these companions would probably be best served by quite different wines. What about place? If I’m sitting gazing out across the shimmering Mediterranean, hand me anything, just as long as it’s local – it’ll be perfect.

Even so, there are some things that simply don’t go well with wine: artichokes, asparagus, spinach, kippers and mackerel, chilli, salsas and vinegars, salted peanuts, chocolate, all flatten the flavours of wines. The general rule here is avoid tannic red wines and go for juicy young reds, or whites with plenty of fruit and fresh acidity. And for chocolate, liqueur Muscats, raisiny Banyuls or Italy’s grapy, frothy Asti all work, but some people like Argentine Malbec or powerful Italian reds such as Barolo or Amarone. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Who would guess that salty Roquefort cheese is perfect with rich, sweet Sauternes? So, with these factors in mind, the following pairings are not rules – just my recommendations.

FISH

Grilled or baked white fish White Burgundy or other fine Chardonnay, white Bordeaux, Viognier, Australian and New Zealand Riesling and Sauvignon, South African Chenin.

Grilled or baked oily or ‘meaty’ fish (e.g. salmon, tuna, swordfish) Alsace or Austrian Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, fruity New World Chardonnay or Semillon; reds such as Chinon or Bourgueil, Grenache/Garnacha, or New World Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc.

Fried/battered fish Simple, fresh whites, e.g. Soave, Mâcon-Villages, Verdelho, Vinho Verde, Pinot Gris, white Bordeaux, or a Riesling Spätlese from the Pfalz.

Shellfish Chablis or unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc; clams and oysters Albariño, Aligoté, Vinho Verde, Seyval Blanc; crab Riesling, Viognier; lobster, scallops fine Chardonnay, Champagne, Viognier; mussels Muscadet, Pinot Grigio.

Smoked fish Ice-cold basic fizz, manzanilla or fino sherry, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Alsace Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris.

MEAT

Beef and lamb are perfect with just about any red wine.

Beef/steak Plain roasted or grilled tannic reds, Bordeaux, New World Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Ribera del Duero, Chianti Classico.

Lamb Plain roasted or grilled red Burgundy, red Bordeaux, especially Pauillac or St-Julien, Rioja Reserva, New World Pinot Noir, Merlot or Malbec.

Pork Plain roasted or grilled full, spicy dry whites, e.g. Alsace Pinot Gris, lightly oaked Chardonnay; smooth reds, e.g. Rioja, Alentejo, Sicily; ham, bacon, sausages, salami young, fruity reds, e.g. Beaujolais, Lambrusco, Teroldego, unoaked Tempranillo or Garnacha, New World Malbec, Merlot, Zinfandel/Primitivo.

Veal Plain roasted or grilled full-bodied whites, e.g. Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, white Rioja; soft reds, e.g. mature Rioja or Pinot Noir; with cream-based sauce full, ripe whites, e.g. Alsace or New Zealand Pinot Gris, Vouvray, oaked New World Chardonnay; with rich red-wine sauce (e.g. osso buco) young Italian reds, Zinfandel.

Venison Plain roasted or grilled Barolo, St-Estèphe, Pomerol, Côte de Nuits, Hermitage, big Zinfandel, Alsace or German Pinot Gris; with red-wine sauce Piedmont and Portuguese reds, Pomerol, St-Émilion, Priorat, New World Syrah/Shiraz or Pinotage.

Chicken and turkey Most red and white wines go with these meats – much depends on the sauce or accompaniments. Try red or white Burgundy, red Rioja Reserva, New World Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Duck Pomerol, St-Émilion, Côte de Nuits or Rhône reds, New World Syrah/Shiraz (including sparkling) or Merlot; also full, soft whites from Austria and southern Germany.

Game birds Plain roasted or grilled top reds from Burgundy, Rhône, Tuscany, Piedmont, Ribera del Duero, New World Cabernet or Merlot; also full whites such as oaked New World Semillon.

Casseroles and stews Generally uncomplicated, full-flavoured reds. The thicker the sauce, the fuller the wine. If wine is used in the preparation, match the colour. For strong tomato flavours see Pasta.

HIGHLY SPICED FOOD

Chinese Riesling, Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, unoaked New World Chardonnay or Semillon; fruity rosé; light Pinot Noir.

Indian Aromatic whites, e.g. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Viognier; non-tannic reds, e.g. Valpolicella, Rioja, Grenache.

Mexican Fruity reds, e.g. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel.

Thai/South-East Asian Spicy or tangy whites, e.g. Riesling, Gewürztraminer, New World Sauvignon Blanc, dry Alsace Muscat. Coconut is tricky: New World Chardonnay may work.

EGG DISHES

Champagne and traditional-method fizz; light, fresh reds such as Beaujolais or Chinon; full, dry unoaked whites; New World rosé.

PASTA, PIZZA

With tomato sauce Barbera, Valpolicella, Soave, Verdicchio, New World Sauvignon Blanc; with meat-based sauce north or central Italian reds, French or New World Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel; with cream-or cheese-based sauce gently oaked Chardonnay, Soave, Verdicchio, Campania whites, Valpolicella or Merlot; with seafood/fish dry, tangy whites, e.g. Verdicchio, Vermentino, Grüner Veltliner, Istrian Malvasia from Croatia; with pesto New World Sauvignon Blanc, Campania whites; Dolcetto, Languedoc reds. Basic pizza, with tomato, mozzarella and oregano juicy young reds, e.g. Grenache/Garnacha, Valpolicella, Austrian reds, Languedoc reds.

SALADS

Sharp-edged whites, e.g. New World Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, dry Riesling, Vinho Verde.

CHEESES

Hard Full reds from Italy, France or Spain, New World Merlot or Zinfandel, dry oloroso sherry, tawny port.

Soft LBV port, Zinfandel, Alsace Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer.

Blue Botrytized sweet whites such as Sauternes, vintage port, old oloroso sherry, Malmsey Madeira.

Goats’ Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, New World Sauvignon Blanc, Chinon, Saumur-Champigny.

DESSERTS

Chocolate Asti, Australian Liqueur Muscat, Banyuls, Cabernet Franc Icewine, Malbec, Barolo.

Fruit-based Sauternes, Eiswein, fortified European Muscats.

Christmas pudding Asti, Australian Liqueur Muscat.

MATCHING WINE AND FOOD

With very special bottles, when you have found an irresistible bargain or when you are casting around for culinary inspiration, it can be a good idea to let the wine dictate the choice of food.

Although I said earlier that rules in this area are made to be bent, if not broken, there are certain points to remember when matching wine and food. Before you make specific choices, think about some basic characteristics and see how thinking in terms of grape varieties and wine styles can point you in the right direction.

In many cases, the local food and wine combinations that have evolved over the years simply cannot be bettered (think of ripe Burgundy with coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon; Chianti Riserva with bistecca alla Fiorentina; Muscadet with Breton oysters). Yet the world of food and wine is moving so fast that it would be madness to be restricted by the old tenets. Californian cuisine, fusion food, and the infiltration of innumerable ethnic influences coupled with the re-invigoration of traditional wines, continuous experiment with new methods and blends and the opening up of completely new wine areas mean that the search for perfect food and wine partners is, and will remain, very much an on-going process.

Here are some of the characteristics you need to consider, plus a summary of the main grape varieties and their best food matches.

Body/weight As well as considering the taste of the wine you need to match the body or weight of the wine to the intensity of the food’s flavour. A heavy alcoholic wine will not suit a delicate dish, and vice versa.

Acidity The acidity of a dish should balance the acidity of a wine. Highacid flavours, such as tomato, lemon or vinegar, should need matching acidity in their accompanying wines, but, almost by mistake, I’ve tried a few reds with salad dressing and the wine’s fruit was enhanced, not wrecked. Was I lucky? More research needed, I think. Use acidity in wine to cut through the richness of a dish – but for this to work, make sure the wine is full in flavour.

Sweetness Sweet food makes dry wine taste unpleasantly lean and acidic. With desserts and puddings, find a wine that is at least as sweet as the food (sweeter than the food is better). However, many savoury foods, such as carrots, onions and parsnips, taste slightly sweet and dishes in which they feature prominently will go best with ripe, fruity wines that have a touch of sweetness.

Salt Salty foods, such as blue cheese, and sweet wines match. Salty foods and tannic reds are definitely best avoided.

Age/maturity The bouquet of a wine is only acquired over time and should be savoured and appreciated: with age, many red wines acquire complex flavours and perfumes and simple food flavours are the best accompaniment.

Tannin Red meat, when cooked rare, can have the effect of softening tannic wine. Mature hard cheeses can make rough wine seem gentle. Avoid eggs and fish with tannic wines.

Oak Oak flavours in wine vary from the satisfyingly subtle to positively strident. This latter end of the scale can conflict with food, although it may be suitable for smoked fish (white wines only) or full-flavoured meat or game.

Wine in the food If you want to use wine in cooking it is best to use the same style of wine as the one you are going to drink with the meal (it can be an inferior version though).

RED GRAPES

Barbera Wines made to be drunk young have high acidity that can hold their own with sausages, salami, ham, and tomato sauces. Complex, older or oak-aged wines from the top growers need to be matched with rich food such as beef casseroles and game dishes.

Cabernet Franc Best drunk with plain rather than sauced meat dishes, or, slightly chilled, with grilled or baked salmon or trout.

Cabernet Sauvignon All over the world the Cabernet Sauvignon makes full-flavoured reliable red wine: the ideal food wine. Cabernet Sauvignon seems to have a particular affinity with lamb, but it partners all plain roast or grilled meats and game well and would be an excellent choice for many sauced meat dishes such as beef casserole, steak and kidney pie or rabbit stew and substantial dishes made with mushrooms.

Dolcetto Dolcetto produces fruity purple wines that go beautifully with hearty meat dishes such as calves’ liver and onions or casseroled pork, beef or game.

Gamay The grape of red Beaujolais, Gamay makes wine you can drink whenever, wherever, however and with whatever you want – although it’s particularly good lightly chilled on hot summer days. It goes well with pâtés, bacon and sausages because its acidity provides a satisfying foil to their richness. It would be a good choice for many vegetarian dishes.

Grenache/Garnacha Frequently blended with other grapes, Grenache nonetheless dominates, with its high alcoholic strength and rich, spicy flavours. These are wines readily matched with food: barbecues and casseroles for heavier wines; almost anything for lighter reds and rosés – vegetarian dishes, charcuterie, picnics, grills, and even meaty fish such as tuna and salmon.

Merlot Merlot makes soft, rounded, fruity wines that are some of the easiest red wines to enjoy without food, yet are also a good choice with many kinds of food. Spicier game dishes, herby terrines and pâtés, pheasant, pigeon, duck or goose all team well with Merlot; substantial casseroles made with wine are excellent with Pomerols and St-Émilions; and the soft fruitiness of the wines is perfect for pork, liver, turkey, and savoury foods with a hint of sweetness such as Iberico, Parma or honey-roast ham.

Nebbiolo Lean but fragrant, early-drinking styles of Nebbiolo wine are best with Italian salami, pâtés, bresaola and lighter meat dishes. Top Barolos and Barbarescos need substantial food: bollito misto, rich hare or beef casseroles and brasato al Barolo (a large piece of beef marinated then braised slowly in Barolo) are just the job in Piedmont, or anywhere else for that matter.

Pinot Noir The great grape of Burgundy has taken its food-friendly complexity all over the wine world. However, nothing can beat the marriage of great wine with sublime local food that is Burgundy’s heritage, and it is Burgundian dishes that spring to mind as perfect partners for Pinot Noir: coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, rabbit with mustard, braised ham, chicken with tarragon, entrecôtes from prized Charolais cattle with a rich red-wine sauce … the list is endless.

Pinot Noir’s subtle flavours make it a natural choice for complex meat dishes, but it is excellent with plain grills and roasts. New World Pinots are often richer and fruitier – good with grills and roasts and a match for salmon or tuna.

In spite of the prevalence of superb cheese in Burgundy, the best Pinot Noir red wines are wasted on cheese.

Sangiovese Only in Tuscany does Sangiovese claim to be one of the world’s great grapes, though Australia and Argentina are starting to succeed. Sangiovese definitely ‘needs’ food and Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the biggest of them all, Brunello, positively demand to be drunk with food. Drink them with grilled steak, roast meats and game, calves’ liver, casseroles, hearty pasta sauces, porcini mushrooms and Pecorino cheese.

Syrah/Shiraz Modern Syrah/Shiraz can be rich and exotic or scented and savoury, but it always offers loads of flavour and is superb with full-flavoured food. France and Australia lead the pack, followed by South America, South Africa, California and Washington, and even New Zealand. The classic barbecue wine, also brilliant with roasts, game, hearty casseroles and charcuterie. It can be good with tangy cheeses such as Manchego or Cheshire.

Tempranillo Spain’s best native red grape makes juicy wines for drinking young, and matures well in a rich (usually) oaky style. Good with game, cured hams and sausages, casseroles and meat grilled with herbs, particularly roast lamb. It can partner some Indian and Mexican dishes.

Zinfandel California’s muchplanted, most versatile grape is used for a bewildering variety of wine styles from bland, sweetish pinks to rich, succulent, fruity reds. And the good red Zinfandels themselves may vary greatly in style, from relatively soft and light to big and beefy, but they’re always ripe and ready for spicy, smoky, unsubtle food: barbecued meat, haunches of lamb, venison or beef, game casseroles, sausages, Tex-Mex, the Beach Boys, The Eagles – anything rowdy – Zin copes with them all.

WHITE GRAPES

Albariño Light, crisp, aromatic in a grapefruity way, this goes well with crab and prawn dishes as well as Chinese-style chicken dishes.

Aligoté This Burgundian grape can, at its best, make very versatile food wine. It goes well with many fish and seafood dishes, smoked fish, salads and snails in garlic and butter.

Chardonnay More than almost any other grape, Chardonnay responds to different climatic conditions and to the winemaker’s art. This, plus the relative ease with which it can be grown, accounts for the marked gradation of flavours and styles: from steely, cool-climate austerity to almost tropical lusciousness. The relatively sharp end of the spectrum is one of the best choices for simple fish dishes; most Chardonnays are superb with roast chicken or other white meat; the really full, rich, New World-style blockbusters need rich fish and seafood dishes. Oaky Chardonnays are, surprisingly, a good choice for smoked fish.

Chenin Blanc One of the most versatile of grapes, Chenin Blanc makes wines ranging from averagely quaffable dry whites to the great sweet whites of the Loire. The lighter wines can be good as aperitifs or with light fish dishes or salads while the medium-sweet versions usually retain enough of their acidity to counteract the richness of creamy chicken and meat dishes. The sweet wines are superb with foie gras or blue cheese, and with fruit puddings – especially those made with slightly tart fruit.

Gewürztraminer Spicy and perfumed, Gewürztraminer has the weight and flavour to go with such hard-to-match dishes as choucroute and smoked fish. It is also a good choice for Chinese or any lightly spiced Oriental food, with its use of lemongrass, coriander and ginger, and pungent soft cheeses, such as Munster from Alsace.

Grüner Veltliner In its lightest form, this makes a peppery, refreshing aperitif. Riper, more structured versions keep the pepper but add peach and apple fruit, and are particularly good with grilled or baked fish.

Marsanne These rich, fat wines are a bit short of acidity, so match them with simply prepared chicken, pork, fish or vegetables.

Muscadet The dry, light Muscadet grape (best wines are sur lie) is perfect with seafood.

Muscat Fragrant, grapy wines in a multitude of styles, from delicate to downright syrupy. The drier ones are more difficult to pair with food, but can be delightful with Oriental cuisines; the sweeties really come into their own with most desserts. Sweet Moscato d’Asti, delicious by itself, goes well with rich Christmas pudding or mince pies.

Pinot Blanc Clean, bright and appley, Pinot Blanc is very food-friendly. Classic fish and chicken dishes, modern vegetarian food, pasta and pizza all match up well.

Pinot Gris In Alsace, this makes rich, fat wines that need rich, fat food: choucroute, confit de canard, rich pork and fish dishes. Italian Pinot Grigio wines are light quaffers. New World Pinot Gris is often delightfully fragrant and ideal with grilled fish.

Riesling Good dry Rieslings are excellent with spicy cuisine. Sweet Rieslings are best enjoyed for their own lusciousness but are suitable partners to fruit-based desserts. In between, those with a fresh acid bite and some residual sweetness can counteract the richness of, say, goose or duck, and the fuller examples can be good with Oriental food and otherwise hard-to-match salads.

Sauvignon Blanc Tangy green flavours and high acidity are the hallmarks of this grape. Led by New Zealand, New World Sauvignons are some of the snappiest, tastiest whites around and make good, thirst-quenching aperitifs. Brilliant with seafood and Oriental cuisine, they also go well with tomato dishes, salads and goats’ cheese.

Sémillon Dry Bordeaux Blancs are excellent with fish and shellfish; fuller, riper New World Semillons are equal to spicy food and rich sauces, often going even better with meat than with fish; sweet Sémillons can partner many puddings, especially rich, creamy ones. Sémillon also goes well with many cheeses, and Sauternes with Roquefort is a classic combination.

Viognier Fresh, young Viognier is at its best drunk as an aperitif. It can also go well with mildly spiced Indian dishes or chicken in a creamy sauce. The apricot aroma that typifies even inexpensive Viognier suggests another good pairing – pork or chicken dishes with apricot stuffing.

MAKING THE MOST OF WINE

Most wine is pretty hardy stuff and can put up with a fair amount of rough handling. Young red wines can knock about in the back of a car for a day or two and be lugged from garage to kitchen to dinner table without coming to too much harm. Serving young white wines when well chilled can cover up all kinds of ill-treatment – a couple of hours in the fridge should do the trick. Even so, there are some conditions that are better than others for storing your wines, especially if they are on the mature side. And there are certain ways of serving wines that will emphasize any flavours or perfumes they have.

STORING

Most wines are sold ready for drinking, and it will be hard to ruin them if you store them for a few months before you pull the cork. Don’t stand them next to the central heating or the cooker, though, nor on a sunny windowsill, as too much warmth will flatten the flavour and give a ‘baked’ taste.

Light and extremes of temperature are also the things to worry about if you are storing wine long-term. Some wines, Chardonnay for instance, are particularly sensitive to exposure to light over several months, and the damage will be worse if the bottle is made of pale-coloured glass. The warmer the wine, the quicker it will age, and really high temperatures can spoil wine quite quickly. Beware in the winter of garages and outhouses, too: a very cold snap – say –4°C (25°F) or below – will freeze your wine, push out the corks and crack the bottles. An underground cellar is ideal, with a fairly constant temperature of 10°–15°C (50°–59°F). And bottles really do need to lie on their sides, so that the cork stays damp and swollen, and keeps out the air. You can store screwcaps upright if you want.

TEMPERATURE

The person who thought up the rule that red wine should be served at room temperature certainly didn’t live in a modern, centrally heated flat. It’s no great sin to serve a big, beefy red at the temperature of your central heating, but I prefer most reds just a touch cooler. Over-heated wine tastes flabby, and will lose some of its more volatile aromas. In general, the lighter the red, the cooler it can be. Really light, refreshing reds, such as Beaujolais, are nice lightly chilled. Ideally, I’d serve Burgundy and other Pinot Noir wines at larder temperature (about 15°C/59°F), Bordeaux and Rioja a bit warmer (17°C/62°F), Rhône wines and New World Cabernet at a comfortable room temperature, but never more than 20°C (68°F).

Chilling white wines makes them taste fresher, emphasizing their acidity. White wines with low acidity especially benefit from chilling, and it’s vital for sparkling wines if you want to avoid exploding corks and a tableful of froth. Drastic chilling also subdues flavours, however – a useful ruse if you’re serving basic wine, but a shame if the wine is very good. A good guide for whites is to give the cheapest and lightest a spell in the fridge, but serve bigger and better wines – Australian Chardonnays or top white Burgundies – perhaps halfway between fridge and central-heating temperature. If you’re undecided, err on the cooler side, for whites or reds. To chill wine quickly, and to keep it cool, an ice bucket is much more efficient if filled with a mixture of ice and water, rather than ice alone.

OPENING THE BOTTLE

There’s no corkscrew to beat the Screwpull, and the Spinhandle Screwpull is especially easy to use. Don’t worry if bits of cork crumble into the wine – just fish them out of your glass. Tight corks that refuse to budge might be loosened if you run hot water over the bottle neck to expand the glass. If the cork is loose and falls in, push it right in and don’t worry about it.

Opening sparkling wines is a serious business – point the cork away from people! Once you’ve started, never take your hand off the cork until it’s safely out. Remove the foil, loosen the wire, hold the wire and cork firmly and twist the bottle. If the wine froths, hold the bottle at an angle of 45 degrees, and have a glass at hand.

AIRING AND DECANTING

Contact with air does change wine. Opening a bottle and pouring out half a glass will help mix oxygen with the wine and improve the flavour. Screwcapped wines are greatly improved by exposure to oxygen – the screw cap is such an efficient closure that the wine won’t have experienced air before it’s opened and typically its flavours will blossom after 5 or 10 minutes – i.e. by the second glass.

Decanting is good fun – and makes the wine look lovely. Some older wines with sediment need decanting to separate the liquid from the deposit: mature Bordeaux, Rhône, Burgundy and Vintage Port usually benefit. Ideally, if you are able to plan that far in advance, you need to stand the bottle upright for a day or two to let the sediment settle in the bottom. Draw the cork extremely gently. As you tip the bottle, shine a bright light through from underneath as you pour in a single steady movement. Stop pouring when you see the sediment approaching the bottle neck. Contrary to many wine buffs’ practice, I would decant a mature wine only just before serving; elderly wines often fade rapidly once they meet with air, and an hour in the decanter could kill off what little fruit they had left.

A good-quality young white wine can benefit from decanting, and mature white Burgundy looks fabulous – all glistening gold – in a decanter.

GLASSES

If you want to taste wine at its best, to enjoy all its flavours and aromas, to admire its colours and texture, choose glasses designed for the purpose and show the wine a bit of respect. The ideal wine glass is a fairly large tulip shape, narrower at the top, to concentrate aromas, and is made of fine, clear glass, with a slender stem. When you pour the wine, fill the glass no more than halfway to allow space for aromas. For sparkling wines choose a tall, slender flute glass, as it helps the bubbles to last longer.

KEEPING LEFTOVERS

Leftover white wine keeps better than red, since the tannin and colouring matter in red wine is easily attacked by the air. Any wine, red or white, keeps better in the fridge than in a warm kitchen. And most wines, if well made in the first place, will be perfectly acceptable, if not pristine, after 2 or 3 days re-corked in the fridge. Young, screw-capped wines, especially whites, might even improve and can easily last a week and still be good to drink.

A variety of gadgets are sold for the purpose of keeping wine fresh. The ones that work by blanketing the wine with heavier-than-air inert gas are much better than those that create a vacuum in the air space in the bottle.

FRANCE

I’ve visited most of the wine-producing countries of the world, but the one I come back to again and again, with my enthusiasm undimmed by time, is France. The sheer range of its wine flavours, the number of wine styles produced, and indeed the quality differences, from very best to very nearly worst, continue to enthral me, and as each year’s vintage nears, I find myself itching to leap into the car and head for the vineyards of Champagne, of Burgundy, of Bordeaux and the Loire. France is currently going through a difficult period – aware that the New World is making tremendous strides and is the master of innovation and technology, yet unwilling to admit to the quality and character of this new breed of wines. But the best French producers learn from the newcomers while proudly defining their Frenchness.

CLIMATE AND SOIL

France lies between the 40th and 50th parallels north, and the climate runs from the distinctly chilly and almost too cool to ripen grapes in the far north near the English Channel, right through to the swelteringly hot and almost too torrid to avoid grapes overripening in the far south on the Mediterranean shores. In the north, the most refined and delicate sparkling wine is made in Champagne. In the south, rich, luscious dessert Muscats and fortified wines dominate. In between is just about every sort of wine you could wish for.

The factors that influence a wine’s flavour are the grape variety, the soil and climate, and the winemaker’s techniques. Most of the great wine grapes, like the red Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, and the white Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Viognier, find conditions in France where they can ripen slowly but reliably – and slow, even ripening always gives the best flavours to a wine. Since grapes have been grown for over 2000 years in France, the most suitable varieties for the different soils and mesoclimates have naturally evolved. And since winemaking was brought to France by the Romans, generation upon generation of winemakers have refined their techniques to produce the best possible results from their different grape types. The great wines of areas like Bordeaux and Burgundy are the results of centuries of experience and of trial and error, which winemakers from other countries of the world now use as role models in their attempts to create good wine.

WINE REGIONS

White grapes generally ripen more easily than red grapes and they dominate the northern regions. Even so, the chilly Champagne region barely manages to ripen its red or white grapes on its chalky soil. But the resultant acid wine is the ideal base for sparkling wine: with good winemaking and a few years’ maturing, the young still wine can transform into a golden, honeyed sparkling wine of incomparable finesse.

Alsace, on the German border, is warmer and drier than its northerly location might suggest (the vineyards sit in the Vosges mountains’ rain shadow). It produces mainly dry – and some sweet – whites, from grapes such as Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer that are seldom encountered elsewhere in France, plus a little Pinot Noir red. With its clear blue skies, Alsace can provide ripeness, and therefore the higher alcoholic strength of the warm south, but also the perfume and fragrance of the cool north.

South-east of Paris, heading into limestone country, Chablis marks the northernmost tip of the Burgundy region, and the Chardonnay grape here produces very dry wines, usually with a streak of green acidity and minerality, but nowadays with a fuller, softer texture to subdue any harshness.

It’s a good 2 hours’ drive further south to the heart of Burgundy – the Côte d’Or, which runs between Dijon and Chagny. World-famous villages such as Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée (where the red Pinot Noir dominates) and Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet (where Chardonnay reigns) produce the great Burgundies that have given the region renown over the centuries. Lesser Burgundies – but they’re still good – are produced further south in the Côte Chalonnaise, while between Mâcon and Lyon are the Mâconnais white wine villages (Pouilly-Fuissé and St-Véran are particularly tasty) and the villages of Beaujolais, famous for bright, easy-going red wine from the Gamay grape, and less well known for their whites. The 10 Beaujolais Crus or ‘growths’ produce wine with more character and structure.

East of Burgundy, Jura makes unusual whites, good sparkling and light reds; further south, Savoie and Bugey make crisp whites and light, spicy reds.

South of Lyon, in the Rhône Valley, red wines take over. The Syrah grape makes great wine at Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas in the north, while in the much warmer south the Grenache and a host of supporting grapes (most southern Rhône reds add at least Syrah, Mourvèdre or Cinsaut to their blends) make profound, densely flavoured reds, of which Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the richest, most famous and most expensive. Viognier makes scented whites at Condrieu and Château-Grillet in the north, where Marsanne is the foundation for the long-lived white wines of Hermitage.

The whole of the south of France has undergone considerable change over the last 25 years. New ownership and a new generation are producing exciting wines from previously unpromising lands. The traditional Provence, Languedoc and Roussillon vineyards make increasingly impressive reds from

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, as well as some surprisingly fragrant whites from varieties such as Rolle, Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Gris and even Carignan Blanc. Rosés, previously overproduced and underflavoured, are now some of France’s most elegant. And with the new Languedoc appellation (covering the whole of Languedoc and Roussillon), the freedom to improve by blending will be extended. Many tasty and affordable vins de pays/IGP wines come either from international grapes such as Cabernet and Chardonnay or traditional southern varieties; Viognier is increasingly finding its way into Provençal white wines. Roussillon also makes fine sweet Muscats and Grenache-based fortifieds.

The South-West is finally taking its rightful place as a producer of some of France’s most original and unusual wines, from as many as 50 different grape varieties. Dry whites from Gascony, Bergerac and Gaillac are crisp and fresh, while Monbazillac, Saussignac and Jurançon make fine sweet wines. Madiran, Cahors, Fronton, Gaillac and Bergerac produce top-quality reds.

But Bordeaux is the king here. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the chief grapes, the Cabernet dominating the production of deep reds from the Médoc peninsula and its famous villages of Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac and St-Estèphe on the left bank of the Gironde river. Round the city of Bordeaux are Pessac-Léognan and Graves, where Cabernet and Merlot blend to produce fragrant refined reds. On the right bank of the Gironde estuary, the Merlot is most important in the plump rich reds of St-Émilion and Pomerol. Sweet whites from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc are made in Sauternes, with increasingly good dry whites produced in the Entre-Deux-Mers, and especially in Graves and Pessac-Léognan.

The Loire Valley is France’s northernmost Atlantic wine region but, since the river rises in the heart of France not far from the Rhône and extends over 1000km (600 miles), styles from its 77 appellations vary widely. Sancerre and Pouilly in the east produce tangy, terroir-influenced Sauvignon whites and some surprisingly good Pinot Noir reds and rosés. The river Cher, which joins the Loire at Tours, grows Sauvignon and Romorantin for whites, Gamay and Côt/Malbec for reds. In central Touraine, Saumur and Anjou the focus is on Chenin Blanc in styles which range from bone dry to lusciously sweet, even sparkling, and for reds (and rosés), Cabernet Franc with a little Cabernet Sauvignon. Down at the mouth of the river, as it slips past Nantes into the Atlantic swell, the vineyards of Muscadet produce dry whites that take on the salty notes of the sea. At the vanguard of the natural wine movement – some 2415 hectares (6000 acres) are cultivated organically – the Loire Valley is teeming with producers working as naturally as possible both in the vineyard and winery; look out for ambitious, characterful vins de France.

CLASSIFICATIONS

Not for the first time, France is making an attempt to simplify its wine classification system, this time in partnership with general changes in the EU wine industry. The basic category is Vin de France and this can now show both grape variety and vintage on the label, covering both everyday wines and exciting non-mainstream innovations (see page 162). The middle-ranking Vin de Pays category has been morphed into a pretty similar IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) category. For instance, Vin de Pays d’Oc may now appear with Pays d’Oc IGP on the label. It’ll taste exactly the same, but there’ll be another gaggle of contented bureaucrats somewhere in Europe. The top classification is Appellation d’Origine Protégée, or AOP, which will gradually replace AC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée).

2013 VINTAGE REPORT

2013 was the most onerous vintage the Bordelais have experienced in the last 20 years. Nothing seemed to go right from start to finish. Flowering was blighted by rain and unseasonably cold weather, which continued until the end of June. This meant poor fruit set and pressure from mildew. Warmer weather in July and August brought a moment of optimism but the delay in the ripening cycle was never fully recouped. A hailstorm in early August caused a huge amount of damage in the Entre-Deux-Mers and Castillon. Then semi-tropical conditions in September encouraged grey rot, inciting growers to harvest before the grapes were fully ripe. The consequences were a tiny crop (25% less than 2012) and a small amount of satisfactory red wine at the highest level, where draconian selection could be applied. Otherwise, finding a positive note is difficult. There’s some decent fruity rosé, and dry whites are fresh and aromatic. Sauternes also returned with a respectable year. Most of the reds, though, need to be looked at with a wary eye.

In South-West France a long, cool but mostly dry winter gave way to a cold, dry spring, which retarded the budding of the grapes. There was little warmth until July. The harvest was punctuated with rain. Frost and hail devastated the crop in many areas, particularly Bergerac and Cahors. Muchreduced volume, but the quality is expected to be fair. A difficult year.

Poor old Burgundy. We start to wonder whether the vignerons will ever produce a full crop again. This time the problems were poor, damp flowering conditions, which restricted the potential size of the crop, and then a catastrophic hailstorm across Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Savigny and into the Corton and Corton-Charlemagne vineyards. It is going to be hit and miss everywhere else, though once again the Côte de Nuits seems to have had the best of conditions. Whites in the Côte de Beaune may prove interesting; Chablis was difficult as rot started to set in.

After a couple of trying vintages, Beaujolais is back on form in 2013. Things weren’t looking that promising early in the year, with an extremely cold spring delaying growth. However, a hot and sunny summer resulted in very healthy grapes. Growers were grateful for rainy spells during the relatively cool September: these helped bring the crop to full maturity in time for a later-than-usual harvest. The only catch is that yields are modest, so the best wines will be in short supply.

The northern Rhône reds have good colour, agreeable depth and last pretty well on the palate. It is a cool style of vintage. The southern Rhône reds are lighter than usual; the right bank around Lirac fared OK; elsewhere the signature is loose-knit fruit, a juicy style. 2012 is superior to both 2013 and 2011. The 2013 whites are fresh, clear, aromatic.

In Provence, a slow, wet start to the year meant that flowering, fruit set and ripening were all delayed, resulting in a harvest 2 weeks later than usual. Regional storms in June caused some damage, but less than in 2012. The wet spring meant the vines were not water-stressed, while moderate temperatures allowed for slow and consistent ripening. Rain in September gave a final boost to the development of the fruit, although in some regions, such as Bellet, the heavy rain caused harvest delays. Balanced, fresh, fruity and aromatic wines epitomize the 2013 vintage.

The Languedoc fared significantly better than the rest of France. One of the wettest springs for 30 years avoided any problems of water stress during the summer. However, the summer was late to arrive, so the flowering was late and uneven, making for smaller yields, especially from Grenache. Limoux had hail. A fine September brought on a very late but very good harvest, with many fresh, fragrant wines.

In the Loire, a cold spring and late frosts delayed budbreak and flowering by up to 4 weeks, and led to some uneven ripening. Vouvray suffered a devastating hailstorm in mid-June, resulting in a loss of some 70% of the crop. A hot, dry summer came to the rescue, and growers across the region saw their grapes ripen steadily, though lack of rainfall threatened to block full maturity, so when the rains began to fall in late September they were welcomed in many quarters, despite the threat of rot. Overall, yields are fairly low, and alcohol levels are a little lower than usual, while acidity is on the high side, especially in Muscadet and the Sauvignon Blancs. Reds had to be picked earlier than usual to avoid the risk of rot, but are balanced. Dry Chenin Blanc is, arguably, the star style of the vintage, but this is not a great year for sweet wines.

In Alsace a poor flowering and hailstorms produced a reduced crop of fairly high-acid wines. Attempts to leave the grapes to ripen in an Indian summer were threatened by early October rains. Few sweet wines, high acids all round.

In Champagne a cold wet spring led to a late harvest, with picking continuing until mid-October. Yields in the Chardonnay-dominated Côte des Blancs were hit by poor weather during flowering, and hail, but while quality is uneven there is some excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with good ripeness and acidity levels in the best sites. Aube Pinot Noir was hit by September rain.

French entries in the A–Z section by region.

ALSACE

ACs

Alsace

Crémant d’Alsace

PRODUCERS

Deiss, Marcel

Hugel

Josmeyer

Mann, Albert

Muré, René

Ostertag, Dom.

Schoffit, Dom.

Trimbach

Turckheim, Cave de

Weinbach

Zind-Humbrecht

BORDEAUX

ACs

Barsac

Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Supérieur

Cadillac

Cadillac-Côtes de Bordeaux

Canon-Fronsac

Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux

Cérons

Côtes de Bourg

Entre-Deux-Mers

Francs-Côtes de Bordeaux

Fronsac

Graves

Haut-Médoc

Lalande-de-Pomerol

Listrac-Médoc

Loupiac

Lussac-St-Émilion

Margaux

Médoc

Montagne-St-Émilion

Moulis

Pauillac

Pessac-Léognan

Pomerol

Premières Côtes de Bordeaux

Puisseguin-St-Émilion

St-Émilion

St-Émilion Grand Cru

St-Estèphe

St-Georges-St-Émilion

St-Julien

Ste-Croix-du-Mont

Sauternes

CHATEAUX

Angélus

d’Angludet

l’Arrosée

Ausone

Batailley

Beau-Séjour Bécot

Belair-Monange

Beychevelle

le Bon Pasteur

Bonnet

Branaire-Ducru

Brane-Cantenac

Calon-Ségur

Canon

Canon-la-Gaffelière

Cantemerle

Chasse-Spleen

Cheval Blanc

Dom. de Chevalier

Clarke

Climens

La Conseillante

Cos d’Estournel

Coutet

Doisy-Daëne

Doisy-Védrines

Ducru-Beaucaillou

Duhart-Milon

l’Église-Clinet

l’Évangile

Falfas

de Fargues

Ferrière

de Fieuzal

Figeac

La Fleur de Boüard

la Fleur-Pétrus

Gazin

Gilette

Gloria

Grand-Puy-Ducasse

Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Gruaud-Larose

Guiraud

Haut-Bages-Libéral

Haut-Bailly

Haut-Batailley

Haut-Brion

Haut-Marbuzet

d’Issan

Kirwan

Lafaurie-Peyraguey

Lafite-Rothschild

Lafleur

Lafon-Rochet

Lagrange

la Lagune

Langoa-Barton

Lascombes

Latour

Latour-Martillac

Latour-à-Pomerol

Laville-Haut-Brion

Léoville-Barton

Léoville-Las-Cases

Léoville-Poyferré

la Louvière

Lynch-Bages

Magdelaine

Malartic-Lagravière

Malescot St-Exupéry

Margaux

Maucaillou

Meyney

la Mission-Haut-Brion

Monbousquet

Montrose

Moueix, J P

Mouton-Cadet

Mouton-Rothschild

Nairac

Palmer

Pape-Clément

Pavie

Pavie-Macquin

Petit-Village

Pétrus

de Pez

Pichon-Longueville

Pichon-Longueville-

Lalande

le Pin

Pontet-Canet

Potensac

Poujeaux

Prieuré-Lichine

Rauzan-Ségla

Reynon

Rieussec

Roc de Cambes

St-Pierre

Siran

Smith-Haut-Lafitte

Sociando-Mallet

Suduiraut

Talbot

Tertre-Rôteboeuf

la Tour Blanche

Troplong-Mondot

Trotanoy

Valandraud

Vieux-Château-

Certan d’Yquem

SEE ALSO

Bordeaux Red

Wines

Bordeaux White

Wines

St-Émilion Premier

Grand Cru Classé

BURGUNDY AND BEAUJOLAIS

ACs

Aloxe-Corton

Auxey-Duresses

Bâtard-Montrachet

Beaujolais

Beaujolais-Villages

Beaune

Blagny

Bonnes-Mares

Bourgogne

Bourgogne-Côte Chalonnaise

Bourgogne-Côte d’Or

Bourgogne-Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

Bourgogne-Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

Brouilly

Chablis

Chablis Grand Cru

Chambertin

Chambolle-Musigny

Chassagne-Montrachet

Chénas

Chiroubles

Chorey-lès-Beaune

Clos des Lambrays

Clos de la Roche

Clos St-Denis

Clos de Tart

Clos de Vougeot

Corton

Corton-Charlemagne

Côte de Beaune

Côte de Beaune-Villages

Côte de Brouilly

CHAMPAGNE

Champagne AC

Champagne Rosé

Coteaux Champenois AC

Rosé des Riceys AC

Côte de Nuits-Villages

Coteaux Bourguignons

Coteaux du L:yonnais

Crémant de Bourgogne

Échézeaux

Fixin

Fleurie

Gevrey-Chambertin

Givry

Irancy

Juliénas

Ladoix

Mâcon

Mâcon-Villages

Maranges

Marsannay

Mercurey