Decanter

F rance’sgovernment has said up to €160m (£142m) could be made available to help crisis-hit producers drain surplus wine this year. The funding would aid winemakers wishing to distil excess wine into industrial alcohol – amethod also used previously

Uzuntawas the last hamlet. Then it was up through the snows of the Khikhata pass: still wet in early winter, but the fat, swirling flakes brightened the cinder-grey forest. That ridge divides Georgia’s Imereti region from its northern neighbour, Rach

100 £115 (ib)-£170 The best 2020s seem to be confident without shouting too loudly and this Carmes does just that. Focused and precise, this is complex, vibrant with texture, making an impact straight away. Fresh black fruits, floral notes and sensat

It’sboth a blessing and a curse approaching an in-bottle vintage ‘blind’ as it were, having not tasted these wines en primeur. There are no expectations, meaning each is judged on its own merits, yet there’s a lack of context and inability to detect

Foundationalto the notion of terroir is the story of Burgundy. It is a relationship between Pinot Noir and the monks’ investment in defining place, identifying growing conditions in a complex tapestry of climat and cru that has inspired winemakers wo

IsSyrah wine’s greatest chameleon? There are certainly few other varieties in South America that give us such a great illustration of the continent’s diverse wine regions and myriad styles. Chile is undoubtedly the home of South America’s best Syrah

All southern appellations suffered the same widespread frost as the north in 2021. AP Vacqueyras president Jacky Bernard (who sadly died in early January 2023) said that at least 80% of the appellation was hit by frost. But he and others witnessed a

Sinceits first vintage release in 1999, Orin Swift Cellars has left an indelible mark on the US wine industry. Founder Dave Swift Phinney made headlines in 2010 for selling (see below) his most famous creation The Prisoner, which has inspired a host

1 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château de Vaudieu, Les Vieilles Roussanne 99 £95.99 Liberty Wines Richly aromatic, with deep pear and a touch of yellow melon. Lightly honeyed on the nose, more noticeably so on the palate, sweet oak spice melding with sappy ac

1 Orin Swift, Burnt Sacrifice, California, USA 2020 95 POA The Great Wine Co Following the 2017 fires in California, Dave Phinney worked with Gallo to create Burnt Sacrifice in partnership with the Napa Valley Community Foundation. Ripe brandied cher

PHOTOGRAPH BETH DIXSON/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO VSOP Cognacs, in which the youngest component in the blend must have been aged in cask for at least four years, are the great all-rounders. They are affordable in price, can be mixed or sipped, and the best ex

£2,399-£3,150/70cl Amathus Drinks, Hard to Find Whisky, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Master of Malt, Premium Tequila, Prestige Drinks, Selfridges, The Bottle Club, The Whisky Exchange One of the world’s most exclusive tequilas, Clase Azul sets the bench

O neof my very favourite times to be at Borough Market, on the south side of London Bridge, is first thing on a Saturday morning. That’s when the locals come to do their food shopping, armed with empty shopping bags that will be full to bursting when

Chicagohas always been on the shortlist of America’s great food cities, and this reputation has become stronger than ever. Much of this has to do with Chicago being a city made up of many small neighbourhoods. In addition to the local staples of stea

Each month our experts answer your burning wine questions. Email your questions to [email protected] Why are there so many different wine bottle shapes across different French regions? Is it driven by variety or by other factors? Stella Marshall,

Of all the seasonings we use in our cooking, lemon is one of the most common and most assertive. You’d think the obvious pairing would be an equally citrussy white wine, but one type of lemon tends to cancel out the other. Red, surprisingly, tends to

Eversince James Hilton’s Lost Horizon was published in 1933, the name Shangri-La has become something of a legend. But despite the name of Shangri-La being so well known, few are familiar with it as a wine region – even the most dedicated sommeliers

Meaning ‘late harvests’ (and often written in plural as several passes through the vineyard are required), vendanges tardives (VT) is a style of wine found throughout France, although Alsace is its spiritual home. Alsace is sheltered by the Vosges mo

Personality. I can think of few parts of the world of wine that possess as much of it, alongside individuality, as Israel. Its story needs to be heard. Wine has been central to this land since before it was even Israel, and Judaism celebrates with wi

Collectorthirst for the top Burgundy 2021 en primeur wines has been strong, according to merchants, but the recent campaign also played out to a backdrop of pricing concerns and market uncertainty. Jason Haynes, director of UK-based Flint Wines, told

Bordeaux could feature more prominently in the thoughts of investors and collectors in 2023, following price rises for top wines in other regions on the market, some merchants believe. Data from Bordeaux Index’s LiveTrade trading platform showed some

Severalvintages of Château Léoville Las Cases and Petrus saw strong price gains in 2022, according to data from Bordeaux Index’s LiveTrade online trading platform. Léoville Las Cases 2014, 2012, 2011 and 2008 all rose strongly in price last year (see

Inside a professional’s everyday life How did you get here? I grew up partly in France, where wine was a big part of the culture. In order to fund my undergraduate degree in English literature, I worked in editorial and translation, but I knew I want

Howwould you describe Rioja in three words? We were asked that question recently for a marketing survey. The first three came easily: different, original, historic. But also: welcoming, innovative, surprising. In this supplement you will find all thi

Theyear 2017 was a memorable one in Rioja for two reasons. First, on 28 April, came the great frost, which also wreaked its chilly havoc over Bordeaux and swathes of northern Europe. Some producers were lucky enough to suffer less than others, but ev

When the story of modern Rioja is written, Alavesa will have an outsized role to play. The smallest of Rioja’s three production zones has been by far the most influential in shaping Rioja’s new, terroir-focused incarnation, and its small producers ar

£27.83 The Fine Wine Co No tasting of village wines, or varietal ones, is complete without Abel Mendoza and his wife Maite Fernández. They would be making excellent, authentic village wines from all over Rioja at their one winery if the regulations l

Sandra Bravo was born in Rioja, and her winemaking style was shaped by her initially peripatetic wine career, which took her to Bordeaux, California, Tuscany and, ultimately, back to Spain, where she put in a long stint working in Priorat. It was the

For almost two centuries, the Cañas family had been making wines to sell to négociants, but that all changed in 1970, when the ambitious Luis Cañas went against the prevailing local custom and wisdom, deciding to bottle wines under the family’s own n

Abel Mendoza and his partner in life and wine, Maite Fernández, have always stood somewhat apart from the Rioja mainstream. In part, it seems to be a matter of temperament: there’s little of the limelight-chasing that preoccupies some of their more o

Telmo Rodríguez’s remarkable vinous career has taken him to all parts of Spain, producing wines of arresting beauty from Alicante to Valdeorras. But for many, this writer included, it is the wines he makes at the family estate in Rioja Alavesa that a

Another highly individualistic star winery in the Alavesa firmament, Remírez de Ganuza emerged in the late 1980s as the project of Fernando Remírez de Ganuza – awine broker who decided to turn his intimate knowledge of the region’s vineyards into an

When I was young, Rioja was very easy to define. With a 90% probability, it was a red wine aged in American oak barrels. It was distinctive because of its sweet vanilla scents, medium body and smooth finish. Today, most wine drinkers will order a gla

R areindeed are the fine wine regions that can compete with Rioja in their capacity to hold amazing historic tastings. Marqués de Riscal (with wines made in the 19th century), Marqués de Murrieta, La Rioja Alta, Viña Tondonia and Martínez Lacuesta, t

PHOTOGRAPH GEFOTOSTOCK/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, DANIEL DEL CASTILLO (2) 100 The best white Rioja I have ever tasted. Still bright and not very intense, amber colour. Restrained nose, with notes of tea leaves, a hint of orange blossom, lemon peel, cedar, cl

In between the lockdowns in 2021, I took the train from Zaragoza to Logroño. As ever, it was an eye opener. It’s a slow train, which gives you the chance to savour the countryside. You enter Rioja proper at Alfaro, almost its easternmost point. This

Javier Arizcuren is a man of many talents. He not only makes wines, he’s also an architect who designs wineries – and hotels too (see Finca de los Arandinos on p44). He has a boutique winery open to the public in the centre of Logroño, as well as a c

1 Palacios Remondo, Plácet de Valtomelloso 2021 93 £21.90-£22.95 Berry Bros & Rudd, Vinvm The only white wine that Alvaro Palacios produces. Based on this example, perhaps he should do it more often. It brings out the best in Viura: bright, light gol

TRAVEL It’s an exciting time to visit Rioja and sample its wines. Beyond the bodegas and the increasing diversity and quality of the wines themselves, the region seems to be seriously waking up to wine tourism. There has been a flurry of openings in

Anyone who has spent time in the Rioja region will be familiar with its main speciality: grilled lamb cooked over an open fire made from vine cuttings. It’s extraordinarily good – the meat is young and tender and harmonises perfectly with the local T

Serves 2 Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 10 minutes INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced 50ml oaked white Rioja 50ml fish or vegetable stock 1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped good pinch drie

Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 large tin or 2 x500g jars white asparagus 112g tin high-quality tuna (such as Ortiz) 100g homemade or shop-bought mayonnaise freshly grated lemon rind black pepper METHOD 1. Arrange the asparagus on

Serves 4 Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 10 minutes INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 225g small chestnut or button mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 20g butter 2 heaped tbsp finely chop

Tapas fans will know that bravas is the name of a spicy sauce, spiked with paprika and commonly served over fried potatoes. My version is based on the one from my local tapas bar, Bar 44 in Bristol. It makes enough for twice this quantity of potatoes

Onceused as mere support for Tempranillo, the red varieties Graciano, Mazuelo and Maturana now have a voice of their own. They may be a little more challenging than the versatile, charming Garnacha, but changing conditions resulting from climate chan

Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade platform at Bordeaux Index, reiterated his view that even top Rioja is of more interest to collectors than investors. ‘ There’s no doubt that they’re world-class wines, but you don’t really see parcels of this

R iojacontinues to be one to watch on the fine wine market, even if opinions are mixed on its investment credentials. It is certainly no fine wine newcomer, but has been garnering more attention from collectors and drinkers, according to Georgina Cra

Thebest Rioja wines need to be aged, first in barrel and then in bottle, for many years. Some of them, in the greatest vintages, can develop in complexity over decades – and will stay in pristine shape even after a century or more. Legendary 20th-cen