Looking for inspiration? Here are the best things to read, watch and listen to for wine lovers. We’ve picked out some of the top wine-related books, TV shows, podcasts and more for your enjoyment!

Read

Climbing the Vines in Burgundy

by Alex Gambal

Subtitled How an American came to own a legendary vineyard in France, this memoir tells the tale of Gambal’s journey from Washington DC to Burgundy. It reveals how he managed to acquire some of the most coveted vineyard land in the region (the first non-Frenchman to own Montrachet grand cru vines) and set up a boutique winery that he went on to sell to Burgundy’s Boisset family in 2019.

Oz Clarke’s Story of Wine

This updated version of Oz’s 2015 book The History of Wine in 100 Bottles charts the history of wine and winemaking through 100 specific, significant bottles. New chapters cover phenomena that have had a significant impact over the last decade: climate change (and how it has transformed grape-growing in the UK), orange wines, natural wines, alternative packaging and wildfires.

Wine Witch on Fire

Or to give it its full title, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation and Drinking Too Much. It’s an honest memoir, written by award-winning US wine writer Natalie MacLean, charting how she overcame struggles in her life, personal and professional. She gives an insight into what it’s like to work as a woman in the male-dominated wine industry, and recommends some of her favourite wines along the way. It’s honest, raw and inspirational.

The World in a Wineglass

Written in US wine editor Ray Isle’s usual engaging style, this guide sets out to help readers choose more delicious, interesting and environmentally friendly wines that won’t
break the bank. After outlining how organic / biodynamic/ sustainable/ regenerative wines are made, and why it matters, Isle introduces his favourite independent wineries around the world who ‘work in ways that benefit the planet, rather than screw it up’.

Watch

The Most Expensive Wine in the World

The wines of Bordeaux’s Liber Pater can command prices of US$30,000 a bottle. This documentary shines a light on Loïc Pasquet, the man behind the label, who spent time in prison for failing to comply with Bordeaux’s agricultural laws and practices, giving a rare insight into why he feels so strongly about doing things his own way. (Apple TV, £8.99 or Winemasters.tv, $7.99 to rent for one week)

Street Somm

Streaming in the US on the Tastemade channel, and produced in partnership with Constellation Brands, Street Somm features hip-hop entrepreneur and self-taught wine
expert Jermaine Stone, as he explores six culinary hubs across the US – from New York to San Francisco – with numerous stops in between. Each episode sees Stone pair up
with a different food expert, and highlights signature dishes, unexpected wine pairings and the stories behind both.

The Mega Trade

Wine educator Sam Povey set himself a challenge this summer: to trade his way, with his followers on social media, from a bottle of Yellowtail Shiraz all the way up to a bottle
of one of the world’s most expensive wines, Domaine de la Romanée Conti’s Romanée Conti. It’s all taking place on his entertaining and informative @sampovey.wine Instagram page. As Decanter‘s November issue went to press, he had worked his way up to Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay, Bâtard-Montrachet GC 2018.

Stefan Neumann’s Blind Tasting Course

Hosted by Master Sommelier Stefan Neumann, this online video course is aimed at anyone sitting wine exams that involve blind tasting, but will be useful to any wine lover looking to hone their skills. Fifty bite-sized videos lasting three hours in total are divided into nine modules, covering not only how to identify grape variety, region and vintage blind, but also how to sharpen your senses, build a taste profile and expand your vocabulary.

Listen

The Four Top Podcast

Oregon-based wine writer and journalist Katherine Cole is executive producer and host of this James Beard Award-winning podcast, which sees weekly episodes distil down wine-related news stories of the moment in a chatty and instructive way. It’s a mix of more serious and lighter stories, and the bite-sized length of the episodes (typically 20 minutes) make them ideal for staying informed on the move, or during coffee breaks.

Spanish Wine Experience

Produced by the owners of Madrid wine shop and tasting space Madrid & Darracott, this podcast devoted entirely to Spanish wine has a back catalogue of about 180 episodes, and Series 3 has just started. Find deep dives into popular regions and styles such as Rioja and Cava, plus plenty for those looking to discover Spanish wine’s more obscure side – anyone for a glass of Tostado do Ribeiro? Listen on Apple Podcasts

Alcohol, wine and health podcasts

Search for ‘Professor David Nutt’ wherever you look for your podcasts, and you’ll find many individual episodes of different series featuring the neuropsychopharmacologist and former UK Government advisor. He details the science of alcohol consumption in a fascinating way. Meanwhile, over at Wine Blast (S4, E13) Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW talk to Professor Tim Spector about wine and the microbiome, highlighting how red wine drunk in moderation can boost gut health.

Looking Into Wine

What’s it like being the editor of Decanter magazine? Find out in a special 30-minute ‘Careers in Wine’ episode of Italian sommelier Mattia Scarpazza’s Looking Into Wine podcast. The interview with Amy Wislocki, who has been at the helm of the magazine for 23 years, touches on topics such as how Decanter has changed during that time, how to succeed as a wine writer, and how the magazine coped during the pandemic.

Related articles

A drink with… Rex Pickett

Helsinki for wine lovers

Family values in Cognac and Armagnac

The post Decanter Bookmarks: Things to read, watch and listen to for wine lovers appeared first on Decanter.

I started to write my thoughts on the vintage as the dust settled from the annual primeur’s week (or month in my case) and when my teeth and lips had finally lost their purple hue – an unsightly image I documented once on Instagram.

This year more than 7,000 eager wine tasters were welcomed onto the red carpets of various historic châteaux buildings, past manicured gardens and into beautifully decorated tasting rooms to taste the new batch of baby wines before tucking into lavish spreads, often with special wines and great cheese boards.

As one of my esteemed wine merchant friends wrote: ‘Primeurs is a circus and we’re part of the show.’ But what a show it is…

My month took me to dozens of châteaux and various group tastings sampling around 800 wines, as well as a few extremely glamorous gala dinners. One saw my inauguration into the Hospitaliers de Pomerol, pledging my support for the wines of the appellation, while another gave me the chance to taste a host of wines all ending in the number three, dating back to 1943 with a fabulous Doisy-Daëne.

The final event, the Fête du Bontemps, which concludes the official week, saw around 900 people in black tie attire dine inside the Smith-Haut Lafitte cellars before watching a spectacular fireworks show on the lawn.

A lot happens in April, and I’m extremely fortunate and grateful to live so close to the action.

Being inaugurated into the Hospitaliers de Pomerol

It’s also a chance to meet wine trade members from around the world – to get a feel for the market conditions in Korea or Switzerland, for instance, and see responses from buyers scouting out potential purchases for the UK or US. Price is always a concern, as in any year, but if anyone says primeurs has lost its lustre or lure, it hasn’t.

Each critic has their own schedule and formula. I like to start on the right bank with consultant tastings: Derenoncourt in Sainte-Colombe just outside of St-Emilion and Laboratoire Rolland et Associes in Pomerol. These cover almost 300 wines (red, white and sweet) and present a widespread overview of the vintage, from small names in outlying appellations up to grand cru classé estates.

I plan the larger Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) and négociant tastings (Joanne and CVBG/Dourthe) in the middle, and finish with the left bank consultants Oenoconseil and Boissenot at the end, saving re-tastes and seeking out new properties for primeurs week itself.

Tasting at Château Lafleur

Each château has its own approach too, with some waiting for a specific date before showcasing their wines, mitigating school holidays, Easter weekend and bottling of their 2021s.

Many tastings outside of the official en primeur week need specific appointments, making the logistical efforts of planning around 80 separate visits rather strenuous. I need to consider how many wines there might be – it can vary between one and up to 20 – so visits can last anywhere from 30 minutes up to two hours. The time it takes to drive from one estate to the other needs factoring in, even the walk from the car park and to the tasting room can count. I prefer to group estates by appellation and plan tastings – left bank north to south, or right bank east to west finishing closest to Bordeaux. Time management during primeurs is a fine art.

Winemaker commentary on the vintage and the supplying of wine details and technical information is key. From specific yields and precipitation to alcohol, pH and IPT – the details count. How much press wine was used? When did the harvest start and finish? Will the oak regime be changed? What is the percentage of grand vin production? The booklets range from glossy and picture filled (lots of estates) to embossed cardboard plaques (Montrose) and keepsake ceramic ornaments with the blends of each wine painted on them (Gruaud-Larose).

An initiative started last year at Lafite presents particularly creative collectible cards displaying overviews of each wine with their own title. Carruades 2022, for instance, is L’Enfant Précoce – ‘the precocious child’ and the grand vin (pictured at the bottom) is ‘La Grand-Mére O.V.N.I. – the oddball grandmother, with an ageless quiet strength and incredible charm’.

Winery representatives, from owners and managers to oenologists, present the vintage discussing localised weather conditions, vineyard management, picking strategies, blending components, personnel changes, cellar improvements and new labels (Ch Tronquoy – dropping the Lalande and now in blue – below, Batailley with reference to the late-Queen Elizabeth II and Figeac now proudly displaying their upgrade to Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the new St-Emilion classification).

Tasting at Château Montrose

What fascinates me is that no two estates, even neighbours, describe the vintage the same: one may have decided to remove the cover crop to stop water competition with the vines, the other mulched the crop to retain moisture and keep the soils cool. One may have de-leafed on the morning sunshine side, the other will have instead just cropped the canopy shorter at the top to keep shade. One may qualify the amount of rain received, the other won’t mention it. The list goes on…

The overall message of ‘surprise’ and ‘success’ for 2022 coincidentally remains the same but, more closely, Bordeaux’s dynamism is alive and well, making this even more of an interesting time to be talking about the wines.

Some samples are bottled with labels – this year often in 35cl bottles given the smaller yields and desire to reduce waste (a whole barrel full of wine can be used for primeurs samples alone, with up to 2,000 guests registered at a single winery).

Tasting at Château Margaux

Coming soon: Our full Bordeaux 2022 verdict with en primeur scores and tasting notes
Join Decanter Premium for full access

Some were drawn directly from barrels, taking more of a Burgundian approach to proceedings at Châteaux Angélus and Rauzan-Ségla (below). Some are racked the morning of, others can be a day or two old (invariably beneficial for wines increasingly made over-reductively to avoid oxidation), many are the ‘final blend’, the rest are approximations. Some wines are decanted and a few are sent to my home address to taste at leisure.

Tasting from the barrel at Château Rauzan-Ségla with winemaker Nicolas Audebert

It’s an exhausting period and, even with anticipation, I didn’t expect to be so tired at the end of each day. Every wine requires such concentration and thoughtful note taking – despite the fact I will taste all these wines again before anyone else does, so do they really need to be so detailed, I asked myself. (Decanter’s chief copy editor says ‘definitely not!’). But this year, certainly more than last, the wines presented much more power, body and tannic strength rendering early palate fatigue.

The St-Emilion Grands Crus Classés tasting at Château Dassault

The exact number of wines I tasted is not so important, though it has spilled into the region of ‘too many’. In reality, a large proportion will not be sold as futures and it takes that much longer to write them all up. Given the current climate for petit châteaux and struggling smaller estates, I think tasting at a different time of the year outside of this process would give them more opportunity to shine.

I’d like to see more sommeliers come to the region and help get Bordeaux wines, at reasonable or even lower prices than retail, into more dining establishments around the world.

I also believe the UK government, post-Brexit, is making it prohibitive to import ‘good value’ wines into the UK. One merchant told me that no matter the quality of a €10-€15 ex-château bottle, it’s ‘just not worth it financially’ to get it into the country. Such a pity.

Stay tuned for the full list of Bordeaux 2022 notes and scores and news on releases as they happen. Already around 30 wines have been released with the first of the big-names – Château Cheval Blanc and Châteaux Angélus – released yesterday (9th May).

Read the Bordeaux 2022 en primeur: Vintage analysis and first thoughts post here

Bordeaux 2022 in pictures

Candid photos taken throughout April

Tasting at Château Cos d’Estournel

Barrel tasting at Château Angélus

Tasting the 2022s at Château Cheval Blanc

Tasting the range of 2022s at Château Ausone

Weather patterns at Château Haut Bailly in 2022

Tasting at Clos Fourtet

The keepsake card for Château Lafite Rothschild grand vin 2022

Tasting the range of 2022s at Château Batailley

Tasting Château Léoville-Las Cases 2022

Tasting Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse 2022 with winemaker Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse

Tasting the 2022 with Marielle Cazaux, winemaker and general director of Château La Conseillante

Tasting Petrus 2022

Inside the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting of the 2022s

The beautiful lawn at Château Branaire-Ducru

Tasting the range of 2022s at Château d’Issan

Tasting from the barrel at Château Rauzan-Ségla with winemaker Nicolas Audebert

Inside the Cru Bourgeois 2022 tasting

Winemaker Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu pouring Château Doisy-Daëne 1943

Tasting fine wines ending in 3 at the Académie du Vin dinner in Bordeaux

The new label showing the upgraded classification at Château Figeac

The Fête du Bontemps fireworks display at Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Tasting the 2022s at the Laboratory of Oeonology Rolland & Associates

The post Bordeaux 2022: The en primeur experience appeared first on Decanter.

Tina Gellie, Content Manager and Regional Editor (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand & Canada)

It was a big year of Decanter travel for me, heading to Napa and New York in June, South Africa in October and most recently a week each in Margaret River and South Australia. These trips have formed the basis of my festive selections.

Christmas lunch on North Stradbroke Island (reunited with my family after four years, no thanks to Covid) always starts with oysters, followed by a bucket of prawns. Cue elbowing away a dozen others to peel and eat the biggest ones as fast as possible before diving in for more.

Only a fool would pause to take a sip of wine during this melee, but after the shells have been cleared, it’s time to savour a glass or two. I’m thinking of a blanc de blancs sparkling from DAOSA in the Adelaide Hills, a Polish Hill Riesling from Jeffrey Grosset in the Clare Valley or one of the outstanding single-site Chenin Blancs from David & Nadia Sadie or Alheit Vineyards in South Africa’s Swartland.

Classy Chardonnay always works a treat with my sister’s gravadlax. Maybe a Margaret River option like Cullen’s Kevin John or McHenry Hohnen’s Calgardup Brook? Or something from Ataraxia or Creation in Hemel-en-Aarde?

Temperatures are unusually moderate in Queensland this December, so perfect to enjoy a big red with the barbecued joint of meat. Too many choices here. Will it be a Napa Cabernet from Corison, Favia or Gallica? A Barossa Shiraz from Yalumba, Henschke or Rockford, or even Donovan Rall’s super Ava Syrah from Swartland? Then again, who can go past a McLaren Vale Grenache – particularly in tribute to the late D’Arry Osborn of D’Arenberg.

Whatever the eventual bottles, toasts will be made in thanks to so many wonderful producers around the world whose wines have seen us through yet another eventful year. Here’s to 2023!

Amy Wislocki, Magazine Editor

This is the first Christmas since my beloved mother died in February, and so will be a low-key affair for my family. Usually we spend the holiday on the north Devon coast, but we all wanted a change in routine this year so will be staying local. One advantage of that is not having to transport all the wines for the holidays down to Devon – that’s a lot of planning and a lot of wine when it comes to my family.

On Christmas Day this year we’ll be raising a glass in my mother’s memory, with the wines that she loved the most, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Elephant Hill in Hawkes Bay is a favourite) and blanc de blanc Champagne – as it’s Christmas, we might push the boat out with the recently launched Taittinger Comte de Champagne 2012. She loved Champagne so much that she even accompanied me to record a guest slot for BBC Radio 2 – it was me, fellow wine expert Susy Atkins, and my mother, as the interested consumer. Just one of many special memories.

Clive Pursehouse, US Editor

Finally, after two years of difficulty, Christmas and New Year’s seem to be returning to a sense of normalcy. I am flying my mother across the country to see her granddaughter, realising that since she was born, I’ve been a distant second fiddle.

I like to think of this stretch of time visiting with friends and family as a key opportunity to open those wines I’ve been holding onto or new discoveries I really want my wine-curious friends and family members to try.

When it comes to new wine discoveries, I’ve got two Oregon producers in mind that will allow me to show my friends and family new wines and unknown names.

For bubbles, I’ll be popping a cork from a little-known producer of Oregon sparkling wines, Kramer Vineyards. Kim Kramer may just be one of the most underrated winemakers in Oregon and is particularly deft with bubbles. Her Kramer Vineyards 2017 Brut Blanc de Blancs with 47 months of tirage is wildly delicious, both fresh and opulent. Were it from France; it would cost two to three times its price.

A Syrah, typically from Washington State, is a go-to at my household any time we’re preparing a serious meal. This Christmas, though, I’ll be surprising folks with a Syrah from the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge, a region that includes sites from both states. The Hundred Suns 2019 Columbia Gorge Syrah was a highlight when I tasted it with Charles Curtis MW at the winery in September. It’s loaded with a savoury and mineral character and tons of fresh fruit, and it will make for a perfect pairing with any heavy holiday cuisine.

The main course this year for Christmas dinner will be a prime rib roast, and I have the proper wine for it, one I’ve been cellaring for a few years. I plan on popping a 2013 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour. An iconic wine from one of America’s wine icons. It’s prime rib; no reason to mess around.

To end the evening, I’m opening a Ramos Pinto Quinta de Bom Retiro 20-Year-Old Tawny Port. Yes, I do, in fact, recognise that it’s not from the United States. I may be the US Editor, but I do love Port. It pairs well with cheese, sweets or even just contemplation of life’s larger questions: What is the meaning of life? How is Santa Claus able to be at all those malls at once, and did I really need a second helping of everything?

Merry Christmas, everyone.

James Button, Regional Editor (Italy)

The centrepiece for the day’s activities this year will focus around a twin South African attack in magnum format: Blank Bottle’s Little William Syrah and David & Nadia’s Chenin Blanc. I’m not too hung up on food and wine matching so the idea is that everybody can dip in and out as they choose.

I have had a case of Vilmart’s Grand Cellier NV Champagne in storage for the last few years, so a bottle this Christmas Day will be a good excuse to enjoy this doughy, lemony treat. Likewise, it’s about time to pull out another bottle of Vega Sicilia’s Valbuena 5 2008; last time I tried it a few years ago it was still tight and unyielding – here’s hoping it has finally begun to relax, just as I intend to do!

My first visit to Piedmont involved a stay at Guido Porro in Serralunga, and drinking a wine from the vineyard our balcony overlooked, in the Lazzarito cru, brings back fond memories, so the estate’s Vigna Santa Caterina 2010 will be a very welcome addition to the table this Christmas. Guido Porro is a winery on the up and I thoroughly recommend its traditionally-styled Nebbiolos. Yum!

Natalie Earl, Regional Editor (France, excluding Bordeaux & Burgundy)

Christmas at the in-laws this year… but thankfully this notion is less terrifying knowing that I’ll have a glass of sweet pink bubbles in my hand on Christmas morning. I tasted Philippe Balivet’s Récolte Cécile Bugey Cerdon 2020 earlier in the year and I knew I’d need to get my hands on a bottle for Christmas aperitifs. Bugey Cerdon is a rosé sparkling wine from France’s eastern border, near Savoie, made from the Gamay and Poulsard varieties in the méthode ancestrale. This results in some residual sweetness and fairly low alcohol, making it the perfect late breakfast tipple: vibrant, grapey and delicious.

I have a 1999 Savennières Roches aux Moines lurking in the cellar that needs drinking now, and to temper the rich characters I’m expecting from that wine I’ll find a fresh South African Chenin to crack open too. On the red front, I’m excited to open the Scar of the Sea Syrah from San Luis Obispo in California, alongside a red Crozes-Hermitage for a compelling comparison. As much as I’d enjoy a liquid lunch, there will of course be the entire works on the food front, with a mix of meat and vegetarian options, and I’m banking on these bottles pairing well enough with most dishes. A recently-gifted bottle of Tokaji, a favourite of the mother-in-law, will almost certainly be polished off with the cheese board, and a snifter of 2004 Michel Huard Calvados paired with mince pies will bring the indulgence to a fine close.

Alex Layton, Head of Marketing

This year will be a mix of the classic and off-the-beaten track, with plenty of inspiration taken from these very pages.

To kickstart proceedings will be the supremely decadent Frerejean Frères, Cuvée des Hussards, Premier Cru, Champagne 2012 – a Platinum medal winner from the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards and a Champagne that has developed further luxurious layers and complexity over the past three years.

The first white of the day will be the sensational Gutter&Stars Bacchus 2021 – skilfully produced by Decanter contributor Chris Wilson in an urban winery located in a Cambridge windmill, no less. This 100% Bacchus has real zing and verve alongside the textured and layered palate. Lip-smackingly delicious and definitely something a bit different alongside smoked salmon or a classic prawn cocktail.

Turkey will be the main centrepiece once again this year, but the vinous partner will be a little different from our usual new world Pinot Noir…

In steps the beautifully light, bright and crunchy Riccitelli, Old Vine Bastardo from Patagonia. It has plenty of pure red cherry fruit flavours, a wonderful purity and vibrancy and silky smooth tannins which should match sensationally.

And something a little stronger for the evening rounds of games and quizzes?

I’ve had a real penchant for North American rye whiskey over the past 12 months – and the Whistlepig 15 Year Old is a truly sublime example – showing hallmark peppery notes over hints of honey-roasted nuts and maple. A very special fireside sipper or luxurious base for a Manhattan.

Julie Sheppard, Regional Editor (Spain, Portugal & South America)

I’ll be hosting the family for Christmas this year and to get celebrations started, I’m planning to open a few bottles of English fizz. Hope & Glory The Blend 2017 is a Chardonnay-Pinot Meunier sparkler made by Hattingley Valley with wine writers Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW. I’ve known these two for years and they’re huge fans of English wines. But this bottle does good as well as tasting good, with profits of sales going to the Marine Conservation Society. Bottles are still available to buy if you feel like raising a glass for a charity…

I’ll have a glass of Hope & Glory in hand while I’m in the kitchen… Despite having a small family, everyone has different tastes, so I’ll be cooking nut roast for the vegetarians, roast turkey for the traditionalists and roast beef for my father-in-law. Thankfully everyone agrees that they love roast potatoes…

This means there will be a few different bottles on the table for food pairing. As Regional Editor for Spain, Portugal and South America, I’ve tasted some great wines from all of those regions this year and have chosen a few food-friendly favourites.

First up, a classic choice: Bodegas Pujanza’s Finca Valdepoleo 2018, an elegant single-vineyard Rioja. Alongside Borja Pérez Viticultor Artifice Tinto 2018, a thrilling volcanic wine from Tenerife made from Listán Negro – one of the stars of our Indigenous Spanish Reds Panel Tasting.

After the main event, I’ll be raiding my Port collection for a few special bottles. I’m a particular fan of tawny Ports, as they work well with both cheeses and desserts – they’re great with Christmas pudding and mince pies. A favourite is Sandeman 20 Year Old Tawny. Perfect to sip on Christmas evening!

Ines Salpico, Special Projects Editor

Christmas is usually a time of joyous excess, a happy excuse to have a fun battle of wine discovery. I’m lucky enough to live with a fellow wine geek and have been raised by another, so each year we plunge into a few days of vinous exploration, celebrating above all, the opportunity of spending time together on the same side of the channel (I was born and raised in Portugal, where my parents live).

Unfortunately, my father is battling cancer and therefore unable to indulge. So this year will be about mindful choices – that one bottle that can justify the reluctant medical dispensation for one cheeky glass. We will go for something unpretentious and elegant, almost certainly from either Filipa Pato & William Wouters or Luis Seabra. It’s an interesting if cruel exercise: when each sip is borrowed from a diagnosis, how to make each sip count?

Back in London, we will throw caution and woes to the wind and hold a post-Christmas do with some of our friends and neighbours. The wine lineup will include some personal favourites currently in our stash. Pietradolce, Arianna Occhipinti, Paul Weltner, Bründlmayer, Dermot Sugrue, Niepoort, Raúl Pérez, Gramona, Thymiopoulos and Denizot will be some of the top names on the wine list.

Here’s to the end of a surreal and tough year and to a fantastic 2023!

Sylvia Wu, Decanter China and Regional Editor (Asia, Northern & Eastern Europe)

As always, I will be hosting our usual end-of-the-year gathering of friends at home. This year, thanks to lifted travel restrictions, I have had more opportunities to explore the fascinating wine scene of my ‘Rest of the World’ regions of responsibility, so the expectations are high for me to show something they’ve never tried before.

I have put aside an English fizz, the Brut Rosé 2018 from Balfour Winery as the welcome apéritif to go with snacks such as rice crackers and roast sunflower seeds. The relatively lower acidity level from a ripe vintage combined with the vibrant red berry notes should impress even those who are less keen on high-acid fizz.

For the BBQ, a single-vineyard dry Furmint, such as Royal Tokaji’s Nyulászó 2018 should do the trick; the acacia honey on the nose is instantly charming, while the alluring, textured palate of yellow fruits and the mineral acidity would pair nicely with almost everything on the grill – from roasted abalone to ox tongue, beef galbi and the soy sauce-based Asian dressing.

With a savoury nose and a smooth, plummy palate, the Saperavi Qvevri 2019 by Koncho & Co is my top candidate for the finely-cut lamb and beef slices – to be cooked with vegetables and mushrooms in the simmering hot pot broth. Here’s also my opportunity to show off a video of myself trying to punch down the grape must into a qvevri, the traditional oval-shaped amphora buried underground, during my visit to the fascinating Kakheti region of Georgia.

Finally, as the temperature drops and my guests are ready to head home, it’s time for an old-school PX Sherry, or indeed a simple glass of mulled wine – nothing exquisite but just what we need to warm up this winter.

Related articles

Mastering Christmas

The dream cheeseboard

Dark spirits for Christmas

The post What the Decanter team is drinking this Christmas appeared first on Decanter.

First past the post in a race for the world’s first biodynamic whisky release was Waterford Distillery’s Luna 1.1, made with biodynamic barley from three Irish farms.

Matured in used and new American oak, French oak and vin doux naturel casks, the single malt joins Waterford’s Arcadian Series heritage range.

Released towards the end of 2021 and priced at £89.95 per 70cl at Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange, Waterford Luna 1.1 (Alc 50%) is fruity with mellow cereal and rye notes.

The smooth palate is tinged with clove, ginger, almond chocolate, toffee and red earth, along with lighter notes of lemon balm and mint.

Mark Reynier, Waterford Distillery’s CEO, said he took inspiration from a shift towards biodynamic methods in some vineyards, as part of broader efforts to make winemaking more sustainable and enhance expressions of terroir in the glass.

‘During my career I’ve had the fortune to taste the world’s greatest wines,’ he said. ‘It’s no surprise to see the ever-increasing adoption of biodynamics in the search for intensity and purity of flavour. If for the grape, why not the grain?’. 

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery has been working with Yatesbury House Farm, using biodynamic English barley to produce The Biodynamic Project.

An unpeated single malt distilled in 2011 and matured on Islay for 10 years, it follows in the footsteps of The Organic Barley 2010 and Bere Barley 2011.

The Biodynamic Project (Alc 50%) has notes of stone fruit and orange citrus, with gingerbread, white pepper, pineapple and salted caramel. It was available at £100 per 70cl bottle via bruichladdich.com.

On our cocktail menu this month: Espresso Martini

Photo credit: Photo by Kike Salazar N on Unsplash.

A modern classic, the Espresso Martini was invented by legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell in 1983, at the Soho Brasserie.

Allegedly supermodel Kate Moss asked him for a drink to ‘wake me up’. It’s certainly tricky to sleep after tasting this combo of espresso, coffee liqueur and vodka.

Try using creamy Black Cow (Alc 40%), a zero-waste vodka made from milk, with notes of vanilla pod, coconut and sweet liquorice. It’s priced at £25-£30 per 70cl bottle and is widely available, including via Amazon.

How to make an Espresso Martini

Ingredients:

• Martini glass
• 45ml vodka
• 30ml hot, freshly made espresso coffee
• 20ml coffee liqueur
• Coffee beans (for the garnish)

Method:

• Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice
• Shake until your hands are cold
• Fine strain into a Martini glass
• Add the garnish

No-alcohol spirits

If you’re attempting dry January, or if you’re looking to mix things up in general, see our newly published guide to no-alcohol spirits with 12 recommendations on bottles to try.

Editing for Decanter.com by Chris Mercer.

Out now: Decanter magazine latest issue: February 2022

More guides from our spirits section

Best no-alcohol spirits for dry January

Best single malt whiskies to try

Best rums for sipping: Eight to try

The post Distilled: Biodynamic whisky takes centre stage appeared first on Decanter.

If you’re still on the hunt for presents, see these great wine gifts selected by the Decanter team for Christmas 2021, covering a wide range of budgets and options.

Best wine gifts for Christmas 2021 

Waste Cork Wine Cooler

• Price: £75

• Available at: Very Good & Proper 

During the production of wine corks, some 25% of the raw material is wasted. This innovative wine cooler, designed in collaboration with London-based architecture practice Mowat & Company, repurposes the cork waste by shaping and sealing cork particles with natural oils – without affecting the insulating properties of the cork.

Christmas In a Can Taster Kit

• Price: £14.99

• Available at: The Copper Crew

The perfect stocking filler for those concerned about the carbon footprint of heavy wine bottles. Packs include one 250ml can each of South African Chenin Blanc, rosé and Merlot. Alternatively, customers can build their own box full of their favourite cans. Cans, delivery box and tape are all completely recyclable.

Personalised Grapevine Crate

• Price: £52

• Available at: The Gluttonous Gardener

Presented in a smart, personalised crate, there are two varieties of vine – one white (usually Phoenix) and one red (usually Muscat Bleu) – specially chosen for their ability to thrive in the unpredictable British climate, and to produce a harvest within a few seasons, the company says. The vines may be grown in large pots, and full care instructions are included.

Gusbourne Estate wine tour

• Price: £95

• Available at: Gusbourne

Kent-based English sparkling estate Gusbourne offers a range of vineyard tours and tastings at different price levels. The Estate Tour offers an afternoon at the estate and includes a tasting of rare releases and limited-edition bottlings, paired with a seasonal three-course lunch.

Home Cocktail Bible, by Olly Smith

• Price: £20 (Kindle Edition: £6.99)

• Available at: Amazon.co.uk  (Quadrille Publishing) 

Beautifully designed, and written in Olly Smith’s usual bright and breezy style, this contains more than 200 cocktail recipes, divided by type of spirit. You’ll also find information on essential spirits, syrups, mixers and kit.

Wine ‘Condom’ stoppers

• Price: £22.33 for a set of six

• Available at: Amazon.co.uk  |  Also available on in the US Amazon.com 

Protect your Pinot! These reusable Wine Condoms are certainly a different take on the traditional wine stopper. Simply open the package and roll it over the top of the bottle. This would make a funny novelty addition to the gift of a bottle.

British Kir Royale Gift Set

• Price: £48

• Available at: Harvey Nichols

Mix your own version of this classic cocktail, invented by the French, and refined by the British. The gift box contains a bottle of Harvey Nichols English Sparkling Brut – made for the retailer by Digby Fine English – and a bottle of Harvey Nichols Crème de Cassis.

The Original Pick-Me-Up Hangover Cure

• Price: £6.50-£19.95

• Available at: The Original Pick-Me-Up

DR Harris & Co, renowned chemist and perfumer on St James’s Street since 1790, has released a newly formulated version of The Original Pick-Me-Up, reputedly a tried and tested hangover cure, in partnership with Bob’s Bitters. The bitters can be used to prepare the classic hangover cure or added to a wide variety of cocktails and long drinks.

Key flavours include gentian, clove and cardamom, along with new ingredients, such as ginger, milk thistle, ginseng, calamus root and Regent’s Park honey. Also available in gift sets.

Le Creuset Wine Cooler Sleeve

• Price: £21

• Available at: John Lewis  |  Also available in US on Amazon.com

Store this in the freezer, and it will chill a bottle from room temperature in 20 minutes. Or if the wine was chilled to start, this should keep it cold for hours. A great addition to a backpack for picnics. It’s available in black or volcanic orange at John Lewis in the UK, or in several colours via Amazon in the US.

The gift of a cellar

• Price: From £2,500

• Available at: Berry Bros & Rudd

Looking to go big this Christmas? Gift the oenophile in your life an experience they’ll never forget. Fine wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd’s package comes in three tiers, at £2,500, £5,000 or £10,000. The recipient will receive a bottle of mature wine in a wooden case to open on Christmas Day, along with an invitation to meet a fine wine specialist at Berry’s historic home on London’s St James’s Street.

Over a glass of fine wine amid three centuries of vinous history, the recipient will discuss their cellar and wines to include in their new collection. With a portfolio of world-class producers and access to both mature and en primeur fine wine, this is a gift that will set recipients on a journey that could last them a lifetime.

Wine Cork Letters

• Price: £26-£40

• Available at: Uncommon Goods

Stumped about what to do with your wine corks from favourite bottles? Why not turn them into a personalised display? Select a letter, a pair of initials, or even spell a word. This gift comes with custom supports for mounting.

Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 – Lady Gaga limited edition

• Price: £350

• Available at: The Champagne Company

A collaboration between Lady Gaga and Dom Pérignon, this signed limited-edition release celebrates creative freedom. Dom Pérignon Rosé 2006 was rated 96 points by expert Yohan Castaing, who recently tasted it for Decanter Premium. DP Blanc de Blancs 2010 is also available in the same series.

Le Nez du Vin Masterkit 54

• Price: €300 (£256)

• Available at: Lenez.com  

A brilliant educational tool for any wine lover looking to develop their tasting expertise, this 54-aroma kit with a guide book will help train your sense of smell. An extra €20 gets the games, too: Aroma Race and Wine Route challenge players’ ability to identify and memorise aromas, and match them with world wines.

Quinta do Vesuvio Private Visit

• Price: €250-€300 (£210-£255) per person; children €50

• Available at: Quinta do Vesuvio

Iconic Douro: for the first time, Symington Family Estates is offering a private day visit to this working estate. Tour the winery, cellars and vineyards, before enjoying a tutored tasting and lunch on the river-view terrace.

California Wine Jigsaw Puzzle

• Price: £35

• Available at: Water & Wines

The Golden State’s main wine-producing regions and grape varieties, in 1,000 pieces. The range of puzzles available also includes Italy, France, Spain, South Africa, Portugal and Scotland (for whisky). For every item sold, the company plants one tree and makes a donation to improve global access to safe drinking water.

The World of Wine Quiz Book

Price: £11.99

Available at: Amazon.co.uk  |  Also available on Amazon.com ($16.91)

Test, then boost, your wine knowledge with this clever book. Dip into the 100 quizzes (10 questions each), then refer to the amplified answers section for a ‘mini wine course’. Published by Fairbanks King Books.

Decanter at Home event tickets

• Price: Masterclass tickets start from £45

• Available exclusively at: Decanter

Join Decanter any time that suits you until 10 January 2022 for our exciting new virtual event, featuring masterclasses from leading producers in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont, California and more.

Masterclass tickets come with wine samples so you can taste along at home. You can also buy a view-only ticket that will include all masterclasses, as well as specially curated videos, including interviews, insider tips and behind-the-scenes content.

Riedel ‘O’ Wine Tumbler for Pinot Noir / Nebbiolo

• Price: £27.50 for a set of two (excluding shipping)

• Available: Riedel 

Bring out the complex, aromatic flavours of your Pinot or Nebbiolo with these innovative stemless glasses. Crafted from fine crystal, they are easy to use, wash and store.

Coravin Sparkling System

• Price: £399

• Available at: Coravin UK  |  Also available via Coravin in the US

Are you hoping to make that Christmas fizz last until New Year? Launched in October, the Coravin Sparkling Wine Preservation System is the only universal solution to preserve sparkling wines for two weeks, the company says.

The system pairs a secure, universal-fit stopper with a handheld charging unit to maintain sparkling wine’s carbonation level between pours.

The Wine Society Membership

• Price: £40

• Available at: The Wine Society

This lifetime membership is the gift that keeps on giving.  The Wine Society was recently named Outstanding Retailer of the Year at the Decanter Retailer Awards 2021, but you can’t buy wine from The Wine Society without being a member.

The one-off cost of £40 includes a voucher for £20 towards the recipient’s first order.

The contents of this gift guide first appeared in Decanter magazine’s December 2021 issue.

Related articles

Give a Decanter Premium subscription this Christmas

Best wine and spirits books of 2021

See all Decanter at Home masterclasses

The post Best wine gifts for Christmas 2021: A Decanter guide appeared first on Decanter.

A couple of years ago, my eight-year-old grandson asked, ‘Grandpa, why are you famous?’ And all I needed to do was to show him a copy of George Taber’s book, Judgement of Paris – California vs France and the historic 1976 tasting that revolutionized wine.

I’d always thought of writing a slim volume to tell the grandchildren about my life, and bit by bit it grew into something bigger. However, Wine – A Way of Life remains a memoir, not an autobiography. For my 21st birthday, my maternal grandmother gave me membership to The Wine Society and a 12-bottle wine rack.

While these presents added to my enjoyment of life, my paternal grandfather had lit the flame eight years before after a Christmas Eve dinner at the family house in Derbyshire, saying I was old enough for a glass of Port.

It was quite amazing. ‘What’s this, Grandpa?’ ‘Cockburn’s 1908, my boy.’

In the 1950s my parents took me and my elder brother abroad with them to France and Italy, where the bistros and trattorias epitomised the ‘conviviality’ of wine drinking, leaving a colourful impression compared to grey, post-war Britain.

At the London School of Economics I joined the Wine Club, but already, thanks to my family, there was never any doubt that wine would become my profession.

From joining Christopher & Co, London’s oldest wine merchant, in 1964, moving to Provence on my wedding day in 1968, relocating to Paris two years later to purchase a wine shop in the city (‘Your wine merchant speaks English’ ran my ad in the International Herald Tribune), founding the first private wine school in France, creating the Paris Tasting, expanding into restaurants and warehousing, and then losing it all in the late 1980s, it has been a rocky ride.

The chapter on my return to London in 1990 is entitled ‘The Road Back’, which began with a brief spell running the Harrods wine department and then meeting Sarah Kemp in 1993 and joining the Decanter team.

The next chapter –‘Life with Decanter’ – sets the scene for what is still my main focus after a quarter of a century, and while my 300th column will be in the October issue, I cannot hope to match the 430 columns of my mentor Michael Broadbent MW.

The last roll of the Spurrier wine dice has been Bride Valley Vineyard in Dorset – a risky step that caused Eric de Rothschild to say with sympathy, ‘Welcome to the Club’, which is covered in the final chapter, ‘Poacher turned Gamekeeper’.

My attitude to wine – apart from my mantra ‘drink for mood and not for food’ – is based on the Three Ps: Place – where the vineyards are, generally very nice to visit; People – those who produce wine, who are generally good, and if they are bad they will make bad wine; Product – the result of P1 and P2.

Looking back over a lifetime around the Three Ps, I am still totally in love with it all. I have been very fortunate indeed, for wine has brought me more than I ever could have imagined.

What I’ve been drinking

The post From the archive: Steven Spurrier on 'wine - a way of life' appeared first on Decanter.

Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan CC 2009

The cover of Decanter’s June 2010 issue, which covered the 2009 Bordeaux en primeur tastings, carried a quote from me: ‘The best vintage of my lifetime’. The vintage brought ripeness to the Cabernets, allowing them to blend with the more earthy Merlots to produce wines of elegance and vigour.

Haut-Bailly is one of my very favourite clarets, as much for the charm of the owners: first Daniel Sanders, then from 1979 his son Jean and especially his granddaughter Véronique Sanders, the current CEO under the ownership of Robert G Wilmers. I remember the 1955 in London in the 1960s and Haut-Bailly was always in my shop in Paris in the 1970s and 1980s.

There are bottles in my Dorset cellar from 2012 to 1998, including this superb 2009, which I placed third in the en primeur tastings in Pessac-Léognan, just after Haut-Brion and La Mission, noting its ‘undeniable beauty and class’.

Château d’Yquem, Sauternes 1CS 1988 in jeroboam

This was served at a lunch to open the splendid new Cheval Blanc cellar designed by 1994 Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Christian de Portzamparc in 2011. Dom Pérignon flowed as we arrived and the red wines included the 2000 and 1990 Cheval Blanc.

Perfect though the Yquem was, I refused a second glass and after coffee got into my car to head to Bordeaux. For no reason I was stopped by the police and asked if I’d been drinking. Their breathalyser put me over 50mg/l and they took me to Libourne police station for an official test, which showed 54mg/l. A 10% excess being allowed, I was free to go.

That evening I attended a dinner at Haut-Brion, safe in the knowledge that when one encounters a perfect wine, one does not need a second glass.

Domaine de Chevalier, Graves 1941*

*unclassified, as before 1953

This was served at a lunch by Olivier Bernard, of Domaine de Chevalier. He didn’t know it was my birth year, so he unwittingly provided me with a rare pleasure, for 1941 was almost as poor a vintage as my wife’s – 1946.

Bernard noted that it was part of a batch acquired from a cousin of the estate’s previous owner, all re-corked at the château in 1994.

I remember it being still fresh in colour, no oxidation either on the nose or the palate, quite fully flavoured with good length and balance, despite being quite high in acidity. But it was Bernard’s faith in such a poor vintage to re-condition it and present it in its (and my) 60th year that I remember most.

Château Margaux, Margaux 1GCC 1985

Served from magnums for the opening of the Lord Foster-designed new chais at Château Margaux in 2015, this is the greatest claret I have drunk in recent years.

Although the 1982s launched Bordeaux into the modern world and are still superb, 1985 was almost as good (but less acclaimed), and I have never had a poor bottle from right across the Gironde.

But the memory here is Château Margaux itself, the perfect grandeur of the château among its vineyards, the old and new chais, past vintages such as 1953 and 1961.

In particular, from 1977, the dedication of the Mentzelopoulous family through three generations – André’s widow Laure and her daughter Corinne were Decanter Women of the Year in 1985 – and the skills and charm of the late Paul Pontallier, head winemaker from 1985 to 2015. If wine is art, it is Château Margaux.

Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien 2CC 1989

In my mind, Bordeaux is inseparable from the Barton family. Langoa and Léoville Barton are the only châteaux from the 1855 Classification, along with Mouton-Rothschild, that remain in the hands of the same family.

I enjoyed many visits at vintage time in the early 1970s under Ronald Barton, many more under his nephew Anthony and continuing, I hope, into the future with Anthony’s daughter Lilian.

To say that Léoville Barton is ‘benchmark St-Julien’ is inadequate, for it is the family’s expression of their vineyards, through thick and thin, since 1826 – and this is what shows. The 1989 was served at a dinner I gave in March 2004 for 40 people, to celebrate 40 years in the wine trade.

I had the 1986, 1988 and 1989 in my cellar – I’d already finished the 1985 – and asked Anthony Barton which vintage he would recommend. He unhestitatingly went for the 1989 from the heatwave year, a wine that warmed our hearts then and still would today.

Château Figeac, St-Emilion 1GCC 1970

Figeac joins Haut-Bailly and Léoville Barton as my three favourite Bordeaux châteaux for the buildings – Langoa’s classic 18th-century chartreuse, Figeac’s 18th-century manoir and Haut-Bailly’s 19th-century gentleman’s residence – as well as for the family, in this case the Manoncourts, owners of Figeac since 1892.

Thierry Manoncourt, one of Bordeaux’s true heroes, inherited the château in 1947 and fathered over 60 vintages, one of the greatest being the 1970.

At L’Académie du Vin we held a comparative tasting of Figeac and Cheval Blanc from 1966 to 1971, and for me the dense 1970 and the exuberant 1971 took the palm.

For Michael Broadbent it is a ‘glorious 1970’. I love Figeac because it is so different from its neighbour (and once part of the same estate) across the road, made with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon to match the 35% Cabernet Franc grown on its fine gravelly croupes (banks). Like the château itself, it’s a marvellous example of discreet power.

The oldest Figeac in my cellar is the splendid 2001, but the 1970 still resonates in my mind.

Château Latour, Pauillac 1CC 1964

Starting out in the wine trade that year, I knew Latour as ‘the English château’, following its sale by the de Beaumont family to the Pearson Group and Harveys of Bristol in 1962.

President Charles de Gaulle was asked to prevent this prestigious estate falling to ‘Le Perfide Albion’, but merely stated that ‘they can’t take the land with them’.

Much-needed replanting began and stainless steel fermentation tanks were installed in time for the 1964 vintage, with picking starting on 25 September and finishing the day before the rains came to wreck the vintage for the more northerly Pauillacs.

Decanter’s Stephen Brook states that ‘no other Médoc wine can match Latour for power, depth of flavour and grandeur’ – and it is easy to agree.

My connections with Latour, first through the manager Jean-Paul Gardère in the 1970s, then Hugh Johnson as a director, David Orr as the last manager before the estate was sold to François Pinault, and since then Frédéric Engerer, have kept the château very much in my life, if not in my cellar. The 1964 is a monument.

Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol 1961

Going through my memory, two wines stand out with personal family connections. The first is Château Pape Clément 1953, the wine I took from my London cellar to go with the packed supper that my mother had prepared for Bella and I to enjoy on our Golden Arrow train to Paris on the evening of our wedding, ahead of a life in France.

The second is Vieux Château Certan 1961, about which Bella’s father, who was staying with us in Paris in the mid-1970s, remarked, ‘I never knew wine could be this good’. So VCC it is – a château I have known through generations of the Thienpont family, the 1961 being made by the ebullient Georges Thienpont, who thought that ‘a magnum of claret is perfect for two gentlemen dining together, provided they have had a bottle of Champagne beforehand’.

VCC is my favourite Pomerol, the 1998 being a star in my Dorset cellar. The 1961 came from the reserves of Nicolas, the dominant Parisian wine merchant, at a very affordable price, and is a wonderful blend of elegance and power, as the marvellous VCCs still are today.

Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac 2CC* 1959

*until 1973, then promoted to 1CC

The greatest wine collector in Brazil (and one of the nicest possible people) is a gentleman named Célio Pinto de Almeida, who, with his wife Sonia, holds annual vertical tastings over two or three days from the greatest vineyards in the world. I was fortunate enough to be his guest on 6 and 7 May 2005 to taste 61 vintages of every single Art Label from 1924 to 1926 and 1945 to 2002.

We were 35 guests at the Locanda della Mimosa restaurant in Petropolis, once an imperial country estate outside Rio de Janeiro.

The first day covered 30 vintages, beginning with 2001 and ending with 1924. The 1959 was my only perfect score and the average of the group was a pure 100/100, with 1989 coming second on 97.5, while 1949, 1924, 1983 and 1982 were all equal on 92.5.

On the second day, with vintages from 2002 back to 1925, the famous 1945 topped the bill at 97.5, with 1986, 2000 and 1953 equal on 95, and 1985, 1996, 1950 and 1961 following on with 92.5. I described it as possessing ‘exotic robustness’; Michael Broadbent, as usual, goes one better, with ‘magnificence piled upon magnificence’.

Château Lafite Rothschild*, Pauillac* 1806

*unclassified, as before 1855

**Known as simply ‘Lafite’. Baron James Mayer Rothschild did not buy the château until 1868.  

This wine completes the Pauillac triumvirate in my selection and is always my answer to the question: ‘What is the most memorable wine you have ever drunk?’

The restaurant Darroze in southwest France had one of the greatest cellars in the country, much of which I packed up in the early 1980s for sale at Christie’s.

The 1806 had been re-corked at the château in 1953 and six bottles each sold to Darroze, Le Chapon Fin in Bordeaux, Le Coq Hardi at Bougival and Le Taillevent in Paris. The occasion was September 1969, the host a close friend and (mostly) Burgundy lover, David Fromkin, and the guests Martin Bamford MW (we were all staying at Château Loudenne which he managed for IDV), my wife Bella and two others.

After Dom Pérignon and Marquis de Laguiche’s Montrachet, this was the first red wine, not decanted to avoid oxidation, but poured directly into the glass.

The colour was a fading but clear red, the nose delicate with red fruits present, the finish firm and fragrant and then, after 30 minutes, it died away, but its memory did not.

• This article first appeared in Decanter magazine’s 2017 Bordeaux supplement. Subscribe to Decanter here. 

The post From the archive: Steven Spurrier - My top 10 Bordeaux wines of all time appeared first on Decanter.

Séverine Frerson has worked in Champagne for 20 years, but this is her first year as chef de cave at Perrier-Jouët without the guidance of Hervé Deschamps, her predecessor. She joined in October 2018, and spent two years working alongside Deschamps, preparing to take the reins on his retirement. Her appointment was one of a series of announcements in the region that ‘put female talent in the spotlight, to an extent never seen before,’ as Anne Krebiehl MW observed last year. 

The eighth cellarmaster at Perrier-Jouët since it was founded more than 200 years ago, Frerson is at home here and undaunted. Born in the Champagne region, she graduated from Reims University, and then worked her way up the ladder at Maisons Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck, becoming cellarmaster there in 2016.

The move to ‘Perrier-Jouët thrilled her. ‘The house has always been close to my heart,’ she says, ‘and it’s a good fit with my personality. It has a long and distinguished history, of course, but it also has a lot of soul.’

Charting progress

At this time of year, it’s Champagne blending that is keeping her and her team busy. Séverine explains where this vital step falls in the winemaking process: ‘After the harvest, we carry out the first alcoholic fermentation, and taste all the wines after this (last September for the 2020 harvest). We taste them all again after the malolactic fermentation (in October), then again in December, to see how they’re opening up.

‘In January we start to decide the orientation of each wine – that is, where each vat will end up. Then in February, we taste through every wine and group them together for each blend. You’re talking about 300 or so wines this year – 100 different Chardonnays – some floral in character, others more fruity – around the same number of Pinot Noirs, and 50 or so lots of Pinot Meunier. Plus we’re tasting around 100 reserve wines that will be included in the blends, so about 400 wines in total.’

The skill of tasting

The wine samples – which have not yet undergone the secondary fermentation in bottle and so are still wines at this stage, known as vins clairs – are tasted and blended in the laboratory using a large test tube. ‘First we look at the colour, including the brightness, before moving on to describe the aromas and flavours,’ Séverine explains. ‘But it’s not all about whether individual wines are floral or fruity or spicy. We’re also looking at the structure, and the texture. Texture is very important in all the components.’

Séverine and her team taste in 90-minute sessions, always in the morning. ‘I eat a little beforehand, as it helps protect the stomach – usually just bread, which is neutral.’ It’s a very intense process, she says, and ‘it requires a great deal of concentration and precision.’ To be successful, a blender must have passion, intuition – and a phenomenal memory: of vintages, of plots, of the characteristics of the reserve wines. ‘I have a library in my head!’

House style

The goal is consistency. And the preservation of the house style. ‘We’re looking for complexity, finesse and texture in the final cuvées,’ says Séverine, who describes the house style of Perrier-Jouët as ‘intricate and floral, with Chardonnay the pillar.’

The decision around picking dates is as important as blending here, she adds: ‘We monitor the maturity of the grapes very closely, so that when we pick, we achieve the florality we’re looking for – we need the right balance of fruitiness, florality and structure in the raw materials.’

2020 is a beautiful year, and excellent quality, especially for Chardonnay, according to Séverine – Perrier-Jouët had brought in all its Chardonnay by the end of August. ‘The wines have a great precision, and marked florality of aroma: peony and honeysuckle, and especially rose in 2020.’

The wines  

Séverine talked through three of the house’s main cuvées:

Grand Brut is the DNA of Perrier-Jouët. A blend of around 35% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 25% Meunier, the style majors on florality of aroma. The Pinots Noir and Meunier are built around the Chardonnay to best express the white grape, adding structure. No Meunier reserve wines are used, because the Meunier component is all about adding richness of fruit aroma.

Perrier-Jouët’s Blanc de Blancs is the most recent addition to the range, introduced in 2017. Look out for the typical floral aromas of the house, says Séverine – honeysuckle, peony – with some apricot and mirabelle plum, then spice later on (cumin, white pepper). Perfect as an aperitif or with white fish carpaccio.

Belle Epoque: the vintage wine should be very precise, complex and refined. The current release (2012) is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, with a dash (5%) of Meunier. In this cuvée, look for florality, spice, minerality and salinity. You should find richness, delicacy and precision. Séverine suggests pairing with langoustine or lobster – or a hard cheese with some salinity (old Comté, or Parmesan, for instance). The 2012 vintage is still adolescent, she says, and could be cellared for another 10 years.

The post Champagne: the art of blending appeared first on Decanter.

There’s been a boom in online wine courses and virtual tastings over the past year, and ongoing travel restrictions mean things look to continue that way at the beginning of 2021.

The beauty of online wine courses, of course, is that you can still deepen your wine knowledge wherever you are.

Here is a selection of courses for a range of ability levels and prices, compiled by leading educators and trade bodies around the world. You’ll also find a few additional online resources and tastings to look out for.

If you enjoy them, you could always try hosting your own virtual wine tasting, too. 

Do you know somebody who wants to start learning about how to pair, taste and serve your favourite wines? Pairing & serving wine: a guide for the real beginner is a new online learning course from Decanter designed to introduce the basic principles and start beginners on their journey through the fascinating world of wine. Find out more… 

Top online wine courses

Burgundy expert in 90 minutes, BIVB

Can you name every Bourgogne climat? Burgundy’s regional wine board, the BIVB, has revamped its online learning resources to including new content and updated rules on appellations.

Although it’s mostly aimed at the trade, the course is free for everyone. There are four modules, taking around 20 minutes each, followed by a quiz at the end. Topics include grape varieties, appellations, food pairing and tasting wine.

From grape to glass, University of Adelaide

This online wine course run by the University of Adelaide made headlines in 2016 when more than 11,000 people signed up.

The course runs over six weeks and is designed to take a few hours each week. It is still free, although you can pay for a verified certificate once completed.

The course is designed to help you describe the taste and aroma of wine, understand grapevines and vineyard methods, and compare different winemaking techniques.

According to the course description, you can even virtually ‘make your own wine’ once you’re done. There’s only one way to find out…

Become a Champagne expert with the Comité Champagne

The Champagne regional body, Comité Champagne, has also launched its own online course to help create more experts on France’s premier fizz.

This course is divided into classic and premium sections.

Classic is free and covers Champagne production methods, terroir, the history of the region and how different Champagnes taste in the glass. It takes around five hours to complete.

For €49, the premium version gives you access to extra learning videos, the chance to test your knowledge and a certificate of completion.

Introduction to Wine and Winemaking, by UC Davis

California’s UC Davis is a world-famous institution when it comes to wine research, and many top winemakers have graduated from its classrooms.

As Decanter’s Jane Anson put it, university staff have taught a ‘dizzying array of rockstar winemakers from Christian Moueix to Cathy Corison to Alberto Antonini‘.

The university also offers an Introduction to Wine and Winemaking course online.

It’s not free, but it’s comprehensive. Learn about wine regions around the world, as well as the winemaking process, how to read wine labels, the basics of wine tasting and the history of wine.

You can do this either as a standalone course, or use it as stage one of the Winemaking Certificate programme, which can also be taken online but takes two years to complete.

There is also an online tasting course ‘sensory techniques for wine analysis’, designed to be taken at your own pace, across 4 to 6 weeks.

‘This self-paced course will help you take the first steps toward understanding the physiological process of wine tasting.’

Various, San Francisco Wine school

San Francisco Wine school has made more courses available online.

According to its website, most of the regular class will be available via live webinar. ‘Custom tasting kits are included with each class and available for delivery to 43 states [of the US],’ it adds.

Options include the Certified Specialist ($1,095), professional and sommelier-focused courses, including wine service, plus introductory courses, such as:

• The Introduction to blind tasting ($95)
• TheIntroduction to food pairing ($95).
• There are also options to focus on a particular region or grape variety. 

Various, Napa Valley Wine Academy

Recommended by Vicki Denig in her guide to US online wine tasting options, the Napa Valley Wine Academy has a range of courses for all abilities that are now being offered online.

You could start with the basics on the Wine 101 foundation course ($125). Or, if you want to improve your food matching skills, the ‘enjoy wine with any food’ course is $49.

Rioja Wine Academy

Want to get an in-depth understanding of a region? The Rioja Wine Diploma is a free course that takes you through Rioja’s classifications, grape varieties, winemaking techniques and wine styles.

There is approximately 15 hours of learning, and there are review questions at the end of each module (you need pass to progress in some cases). You’ll also find a final exam at the end of the course.

Other course options include wine tourism, trade and distribution, and wine educating.

Other online learning resources for wine lovers

Decanter Know Your Wine app

Decanter’s own learning app, Know Your Wine, helps you fit-in wine learning around everyday life. It uses a technique called ‘s p a c i n g’ – or what some have called ‘spaced repetition’ – to deliver learning in highly efficient short bursts. It’s currently available on iPhone only. You can learn more and download the app here.

The Decanter archive of wine quizzes is also a great way to test yourself when revising for exams.

The Wine and Spirits Education Trust

The WSET’s globally-recognised qualifications are generally seen as the formal training one needs when pursuing a career in wine, but it has also seen a rise in students beyond the wine world who are keen to improve their knowledge.

Courses are run online and in-person, both directly and via affiliated institutions, although check with your local provider about the latest news regarding the coronavirus situation.

The WSET Online classroom teaches in English, but affiliated course providers can deliver courses in local languages through online conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

The WSET School London is now offering a ‘blended learning’ programme for its students, giving the option to continue their studies online through digital classes, webinars and live Q&A sessions. Online exams have now been launched for Level 1 and 2 Awards.

Virtual masterclasses

Many of your favourite wine producers have switched to providing masterclasses via social media channels and websites, as a result of the pandemic and travel restrictions.

Decanter also has launched online masterclasses. The next event, featuring Château Cos d’Estournel, has now sold out, but you can still purchase a viewing only ticket (no wines included, free for Premium subscribers).

Keep your eyes peeled for our next one. Decanter Premium members can view the Château Palmer session from November 2020 here.

There are also plenty of virtual events run by merchants and wineries themselves that give wine lovers the chance to meet winemakers and cellar teams. Those who have done online sessions include Ornellaia, Nyetimber, Churchill’s Port and Ridge Vineyards, to name just a few.

Related articles

See also: Top wine books to read 

See also: Ten top wine shows to stream

The post Top online wine courses to try appeared first on Decanter.

Wine IQ

Who has the highest Wine IQ? This wine quiz has 400 multiple choice questions on the cards, which should see you through a few games.

In the second round, questions are then read out with only a few of the words, making this more than your regular q&a game.

Teams score positive or negative IQ points and scores are marked on the ‘IQ charts’. Although this is a game for teams, rules can also be adapted for groups of just two to three players.

Questions include, ‘Which country has the highest rate of wine consumption per capita?’, and, ‘Why is there no Chianti in the cellar of the Elysée Palace?’.

Buy: UK – £34.99 Amazon UK

The wine Game

Credit: Laurence King

Next up on this list of wine games is one simply called ‘the wine game’. It involves two decks of cards – one for red wines and one for white wines – both beautifully illustrated. They cover the major wine-producing regions, plus a few lesser-known ones.

Almost like the ‘Happy Families’ card game, the aim is to get four cards of a ‘wine family’, such as from the same country or region. The winner is the one with the most ‘families’ at the end.

The accompanying booklet gives descriptions of wines and regions, helping you learn more as you play.

Buy: UK – £17.99 Amazon UK / Laurence King £19.99 / US $24.99 Amazon US

Somm Blinders

Credit: Somm

Of the wine games listed here, this is the one that involves blind tasting wine and it is from the makers of the SOMM films.

A reference list is provided to help you buy the right bottles, although the game’s inventors advise pouring small measures and using spittoons.

The main aim is to collect cards that correctly describe the wine, although its identity is hidden to everyone except the dealer for that round. Things are kept interesting with elements like ‘Steal cards’, which can be used to take a random card from another player.

Choose from the original deck, or versions focused on white or red wines. This could be a good game for anyone who has tasting exams coming up. It’s also another game with beautiful illustrations, which you can also buy as prints or other gifts. 

Buy: US $35 a deck

World of Wine trivia game

You could be a fount of wine knowledge after playing this trivia game. There are more than 320 cards, with questions on  wine styles, key grapes and regions, plus other interesting wine facts.

If you get through all of the questions, you can buy an additional card pack with even more questions. Test your knowledge with some of its questions in our quiz. 

Buy: UK – Wine School of Excellence £47.96

Corks

It’s not a wine game as such, and wine doesn’t even have to be mentioned, but Corks is described as ‘fast and furious’ and looks more than capable of adding a bit of fun to your afternoon or evening.

Players must try to get a set of four matching cork cards, and then can grab a cork from the middle of the table. Other players must also then try to take a cork from the middle, but there won’t be enough for everyone…

Buy: UK – £14.98 Amazon UK / US – $19.95 Amazon US

Best wine gifts

Best spirits gifts

Best wine books: Latest releases to read

The post Five great wine games for Christmas appeared first on Decanter.

Best wine gifts under £15

Wine tree decorations

For a fun stocking filler, these drinks-themed Christmas tree decorations are now on sale and under £10. Alternatively, divide them up and give one to each person at the dinner table alongside their cracker.

Buy: UK – Marks & Spencer £7.50

Wine glass letterpress cards

Some reports suggest 2020 has made many of us fall back in love with the art of sending hand-written notes, so how about treating someone to these wine glass-themed letterpress correspondence cards? There are eight cards and envelopes with a choice of blue or red ribbon.

Buy: UK – Topnote Design £12.99

Champagne stopper

Every household needs (at least) one Champagne stopper – using a spoon or fork won’t cut it – and these can also make a great stocking filler. These ones come in a fun choice of gold or rose gold, to match your Champagne or rosé perfectly.

Buy: UK – £8.99  for two Amazon UK / US – $12.49 for two Amazon US

Wine glass charms

This year more than ever it’s essential not to lose track of which wine glass is yours. These wine charms from John Lewis help everyone know which is their own – and the wine-themed design means they can be used all-year-round, not just at Christmas.

Buy: UK – £7.50 John Lewis

Best wine gifts under £50

Moët Christmas crackers

Great for a stocking, or to upgrade the Christmas crackers – for the grown-ups at the table, that is. These Moët crackers contain a 20cl bottle of Moët & Chandon Moët Impérial Champagne. You can also get the rosé version.

Buy: UK – £20 John Lewis 

Decanter magazine subscription

A Decanter magazine subscription makes a great present for those tricky-to-buy-for people. As well as hundreds of wine recommendations each month, the latest issue will also come straight to their door, or digital device. Purchase a subscription now and save at least 35%. If you purchase before 13 December, get an Amazon £5 giftcard (UK) or a further 5% off.

Buy: UK £45.59 / US – $68.99

Riedel Vinum Chianti glasses

A set of Riedel wine glasses will always be a welcome and well-used present. Although you could choose a specific glass for a wine style – there are more than 150 options – a good all-rounder from the range is the Chianti glass, also used by Decanter across DWWA judging and our tastings. Decanter‘s Georgie Hindle went behind the scenes at Riedel earlier this year.

Buy: UK – £40.94 Amazon UK / US – $59 Amazon US  

Best wine gifts under £100

Decanter Premium subscription

A Decanter Premium subscription gives access to thousands of tasting notes every month and in-depth vintage reports; recent ones include Rhône 2019, Napa Cabernet 2018 and Chablis 2019, while reviews of recently bottled Bordeaux 2018 wines are just around the corner.

Subscriber benefits include early access to Decanter Events tickets, including our new virtual tastings, such as the recent sold-out masterclass with Château Palmer, plus exclusive in-depth collector’s reports.

Buy: UK – £75 / US – $100  

 

Veuve Clicquot Champagne and personalised arrow

Clos19, the online retail platform launched by LVMH in 2017, has released a Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne in a gift tin that can be emblazoned with the recipient’s name. Shaped liked an arrow and with a design inspired by grape seeds, the tin can also include the distance of your chosen address to Reims in Champagne.

Buy: UK – £69 Clos19

Best wine gifts under £300

Coravin Model Six

If you’re working with a bigger budget, why not treat a wine collector to a Coravin this Christmas? The device enables you to pour a glass of wine without opening the entire bottle. There are several designs, but the ‘Mica’ version is currently half-price on Amazon in the UK and US. It’s available in a range of colours.

Buy: UK – £164 Amazon UK / US – $199 Amazon US 

 

Armand de Brignac & Harrods Champagne gift

For the ultimate luxury gift, Harrods has released a limited number of Armand de Brignac Champagnes in a special Harrods-green gift box. All the bottles are numbered and only 300 of the Harrods Édition Spéciale Brut Gold has been made.

Buy: UK – £295 Harrods

Hawksmoor guide to Christmas drinking hamper

A great gift if you’re away from loved ones this year, or just want to sort all of your Christmas wines in one swoop, steak restaurant Hawksmoor has released a ‘Guide to Christmas drinking’ hamper.

It includes:

• Two bottles of Palmer & Co Brut Reserve Champagnes;
• One bottle of Nicolas Choblet, ‘Pavillon’ Muscadet 2018;
• Domaine Berthenet, Montagny 1er Cru 2014;
• Pulenta Estate, ‘Hawksmoor Blend’ Malbec 2018;
• ‘Viña Tondonia’ Reserva Rioja 2005;
• Quinta de la Rosa LBV Port 2014;
• A bottle of Hepple Gin;
• Six Hawksmoor lagers and a 500ml bottle of Fuller-Fat Old Fashioned.

Buy: UK – £200 Hawksmoor

Cuvée Privée Adopt a vine

Cuvée Privée’s unique gifting concept gives the chance to ‘adopt a vine’ and receive the wine made from it! Vines can be selected from a range of prominent estates spanning exceptional vineyard locations including Champagne, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy and a recent tasting of six wines showcased the quality of production.  Membership options range from one to three years and all come with a beautiful welcome box containing either one or six bottles of the current vintage, introductory words from the winemaker, a personalised certificate and a medallion placed above your vine.  During the year of your adoption, you will be invited to visit the property (and your vines) to taste their wines and meet the winemaker and at the end of the subscription Cuvée Privée members will receive six or twelve bottles of the next vintage personalised with their name.
This Christmas, Cuvée Privée is offering a £10 voucher code for every Decanter reader using the code DECANTER10. Valid until 21st December 2020.

Buy: UK – prices from £140 Cuvée Privée

See also: 

Best spirits gifts to give this Christmas

Best wines to have with turkey

Best wine books: Latest releases to read

The post Best wine gifts to give this Christmas appeared first on Decanter.

Best wine books: Latest releases 2020

Inside Bordeaux, Jane Anson

As any regular readers of her Decanter columns will know, Jane Anson has incredible knowledge and access to Bordeaux.

Her highly anticipated book, Inside Bordeaux, profiles 600 châteaux across the region in exceptional detail, and examines both the history of the region and modern trends.

UK – £60 BBR.com  / US – $80 Sotheby’s Wine

Big Macs + Burgundy, Vanessa Price

For a fun, light-hearted guide to wine pairing, Big Macs + Burgundy is from sommelier Vanessa Price, who writes for New York magazine’s Grub Street blog.

From fried chicken and brut Champagne to pairing wines with a Big Mac, Price argues that exceptional matches can be found everywhere and that ‘you don’t need truffle-dusted sunchokes or sous-vide pheasant loins to unlock the joys of an exceptional or even just-plain-good bottle of wine’.

UK – £13.51 Amazon / US – $19.99 Amazon

Noble Rot: Wines from another galaxy, Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew

From the duo behind the two London sites of Noble Rot, and the magazine by the same name, Wines from another galaxy sets out to demystify parts of the wine world. A definitive guide to ordering wines, talking about wines and knowing how to find what you like.

UK – £30 Amazon / UK – £30 Waterstones / US – $45 Amazon

The pocket wine guide 2021, Hugh Johnson

Always a great choice for a stocking filler, Decanter columnist Hugh Johnson’s ever popular annual pocket wine guide is back. In its 44th year of publication, it’s a practical guide for wherever you’re buying wine, including what to drink in 2021 and what vintages to hold on to.

For a heartier read, look out for Johnson’s new edition of The Story of Wine: From Noah to now, which examines how wine became the global phenomenon it is today. It’s available from the Académie du Vin Library.

UK – £8.99 Amazon / UK – £12.99 Waterstones / US – $15.75 Amazon

Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World’s Favourite Sommelier, Gerard Basset

This is the fascinating memoir of the late Gerard Basset OBE MW MS, the world-renowned sommelier who also founded the Hotel du Vin. The book provides a rich insight into an extraordinary career, during a period of significant change on the UK culinary scene. Decanter’s Amy Wislocki also notes that, when reading this book, ‘it is striking just how much work went into the preparation for all of the many sommelier competitions that Gérard entered.’

UK – £17.23 Amazon UK / UK – £25 Foyles  / US – $30 Amazon US

Château Lafite: The Almanac, Saskia de Rothschild

Released in December 2020, this book charts 150 years of vintages at the First Growth estate from 2018 back to the Rothschild family’s arrival in 1868.

It includes tasting notes, information on vintage conditions and blends, as well as historical documents, and has been written by Saskia de Rothschild, a former journalist who succeeded her father, Baron Eric de Rothschild, at the helm of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in 2018.

DBR (Lafite) has also announced that it will release 300 cases containing a numbered magnum of Lafite Rothschild 2018 and a copy of The Almanac. Stockists for the book only are listed below:

UK – £125 Waterstones / UK – £93 Amazon / US – $118.48 (List price $175) Amazon US

Wine and Food: The perfect match, Ronan Sayburn MS and Marcus Verberne

Another food and wine pairing choice, Wine and Food: The perfect match, is from 67 Pall Mall’s head of wine, Ronan Sayburn MS, and head chef Marcus Verberne. This coffee table book includes food and wine pairing advice, plus guidance on wine service. Read an extract on pairing wine with tricky ingredients. The book’s guide to canapé and wine matching can also be found in the current Decanter magazine (January issue).

UK – £40 / RoW £50 – 67 Pall Mall

On Bordeaux: Tales of the Unexpected from the World’s Greatest Wine Region, Various authors.

A guide to all things Bordeaux, Jane Anson wrote the introduction to this, and some of the chapters. Other wine experts offering insights include Decanter contributors James Lawther MW and Fiona Beckett.

Chapters cover a range of topics, including the history of the region, the châteaux and the rivalries – from Left vs Right Bank to Mouton vs Lafite – plus Bordeaux in the modern world.

UK – £25 Amazon / UK – £30 Académie du Vin Library / US – $46 Amazon

A Life in Wine, Steven Spurrier

Steven Spurrier has updated his 2018 memoir (Wine a way of life), revamping the original and also including two new chapters, with one on the value of a life in wine. A fascinating look back over a significant wine career – and the changes across the industry in that time.

UK – £30 Académie du Vin Library

Steven Spurrier’s top wine memories

Great wine books to read while in self-isolation – something for every kind of reader

Written March 2020

If you want a memoir… ‘Cork Dork’, Bianca Bosker

For an insight into the life of working in the New York wine scene, settle in to Bianca Bosker’s Cork Dork. A ‘high-octane account of her year in the New York wine scene’, Bosker was previously an editor at Huffington Post before pursuing a career in wine. As a New York Times bestseller, it’s got a broad appeal, for both the beginner and the seasoned oenophile.

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

If you want to laugh and learn… ‘Red and White: An unquenchable thirst for wine’, Oz Clarke

Oz Clarke’s Red and White marks a slight departure from his previous books. Not just a technical reference book, it’s part autobiographical, including Clarke’s first venture into the world of wine, but also includes plenty of serious wine content. It’s ‘full of joie de vivre, wit, opinion and anecdotes,’ and it’s laugh-out-loud funny at times, said the Decanter review.

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

If you’re improving your knowledge… ‘The World Atlas of Wine’, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson MW

The eighth edition of the World Atlas of Wine was released at the end of 2019, and is an essential item on the book shelf of any self-proclaimed wine lover. Written by Jancis Robinson MW and Hugh Johnson, this is the longest edition yet, with 230 maps, 22 of which are new – showing how much the wine world is evolving.

See our interview with Robinson and Johnson, on what’s changed over the years of producing the Atlas. 

Buy Amazon UK / Amazon US

If you want some light relief from the news… ‘Monsieur Pamplemousse’ series, Michael Bond

Best known for creating Paddington Bear, Michael Bond also wrote a series of novels for adults, around a character called Monsieur Pamplemousse – a Michelin inspector who also solved crime, with his canine sidekick ‘Pommes Frites’.

A series of culinary adventures are set in France, continually referencing fine wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône and more… Read a taster of the books here. 

Buy Waterstones UK / Amazon US

If you’re looking for a novel…. ‘My Italian Bulldozer’, Alexander McCall Smith

Jane Anson shared some of her favourite novels that manage to effortlessly weave wine into the main story. My Italian Bulldozer is a romantic novel set in Tuscany, about a food writer who is travelling to get over a breakup.

See Jane Anson’s other wine novel suggestions here. 

Buy Amazon UK / Amazon US

If you want a visual guide to wine… ‘Wine Folly: The essential guide to wine’, Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack

Online publication Wine Folly made a name for itself with its easy to understand graphics that help you get to grips with learning about wine. This book, which offers a visual guide to wine, was published in 2016 and covers major grapes and regions, as well as food pairing, glassware and methods of production. It may be particularly useful for anyone using this time to revise for future WSET exams.

Buy Amazon UK / Amazon US

See also

Top wine shows to stream while in self-isolation

Chianti with The Sopranos? Top TV shows and wine pairing ideas

The post Best wine books: Latest releases to read appeared first on Decanter.

The paper wine bottle, known as the ‘Frugal bottle’, has been pitched as a lighter and more environmentally friendly alternative to glass.

At 83g, Frugalpac said its bottle is up to five times lighter than a regular glass wine bottle and that major supermarkets in the UK were ‘actively considering’ the idea.

It added that the overall carbon footprint is up to six times lower than glass bottles, based on analysis by the Intertek group. 

The bottle’s debut is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to shrink the wine industry’s impact on the environment, from recycled plastic bottles to lighter-weight glass and shipping more wine in bulk.

How can a paper wine bottle work?

Frugal bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard, with a plastic food-grade liner to contain the wine or spirits within, similar in concept to a bag-in-box.

While there is some plastic involved, the company said that its Frugal bottle uses ‘up to 77% less’ than a plastic bottle and that the plastic lining is recyclable.

There is ’15g compared to a 64g bottle made from 100% recycled plastic’, it said.

In terms of recycling, either the whole bottle can be placed in your bin, or you can separate to two parts.

First release

The first wine released with the Frugal bottle is Cantina Goccia, 3Q 2017, a Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet blend. Previous vintages have won medals in the Decanter World Wine Awards.

‘We’ve had fantastic feedback from people who’ve trialled the Frugal Bottle,’ Malcolm Waugh, Frugalpac’s CEO.

‘As well as the superior environmental benefits, it looks and feels like no other bottle you have ever seen.’

See also: 

Andrew Jefford column: The trouble with bottles (2018)

How good is canned wine? 

The post Paper wine bottle launched: What is it like? appeared first on Decanter.

When the late Gérard Basset OBE MW MS was crowned World’s Best Sommelier in Santiago in 2010, on his sixth attempt, his son Romané and wife Nina were there to share in the celebration of an achievement that was the culmination of years of hard work and study. Romané, who was aged 11 at the time, remembers that his father was convinced he hadn’t made the final round, and when his number was called, there was a frantic search to find Gérard and get him back on stage. That wasn’t the only hitch. ‘I remember dropping the trophy in the hotel lobby, in front of the world’s wine press. It still has a dent in it today.’

Tasting Victory

Gérard, Decanter’s Hall of Fame Award recipient in 2013, describes this episode in Tasting Victory, the book he wrote during his illness with cancer of the oesophagus. He was diagnosed in 2017 and died in January 2019, aged 61.

‘It was hard sometimes, writing when he was unwell, but I think he was grateful to have a project that he could focus on when he couldn’t get out to tastings,’ remembers Romané. ‘When he wrote his previous book about tasting, The Wine Experience, he would agonise over every sentence. This time, Mum urged him just to sit down and write, and refine it afterwards. He could sometimes be overly self-critical.’ Indeed, he didn’t see the book as an autobiography, according to Romané: ‘For him, it was more about showing people how to be competitive, to be the best that you can.’

Reading the book, it is striking just how much work went into the preparation for all of the many sommelier competitions that Gérard entered. ‘There is a three-year gap between the World’s Best Sommelier competitions, and about halfway through that cycle, the books would start piling up on the dining room table,’ says Romané. ‘As the competition approached, he would spend longer and longer studying. I’d help Mum prepare blind tastings for him, using black glasses. Generally, it would be very nice wines that we poured, but we sometimes went to the off-licence and picked up a bottle of Echo Falls or something similar, to throw him off the scent.’

Introducing wine

Romané got a taste of Gérard’s thorough approach while studying for his own wine qualifications, WSET Levels 1 and 2, during the university summer holiday in 2019. ‘By this time, Papa was unwell and was undergoing chemotherapy. But we’d walk the dog together and he’d quiz me: “Name all of Bordeaux’s Left Bank appellations, from north to south”, that kind of thing!’

Despite Gérard’s career success and work ethic, Romané never felt that he came second best. ‘ By the time I was born, he’d done his time working the restaurant floor every night. And he didn’t compromise on being a father because of the competitions.’ Naturally, Gérard was eager to pass on his love of wine. ‘I can’t remember a definitive time when I was introduced to wine,’ says Romané. ‘I’d be given perhaps a couple of tiny sips from a young age, and as I grew older, Papa would encourage me to articulate what I thought of the wine.’

Father and son shared a love in particular of Champagne, Sherry and Madeira. ‘We holidayed in wine regions often, especially in Jerez and Madeira,’ says Romané. ‘Sipping on a Madeira with local food, looking out to sea, is a special experience.’

The last trip that Romané took with his father was to Valpolicella in late 2018, when Gérard was among five winners of the 37th Masi Prize. ‘While he was there, he forgot he was ill. He enjoyed spending time with friends in the industry, and we had a very special evening at a restaurant on Lake Garda, drinking Amarone with friends. Actually, I didn’t quite realise how deeply he was loved in the sommelier community until after he’d passed away.’

Romané, Gerard and Nina Basset, in 2016

Romané may end up following in his father’s footsteps. This autumn he starts his final year of a French degree at King’s College University, London – where, naturally, he has spent some time as president of the wine society. He is considering studying for the WSET Diploma, and has completed work experience in the wine industry in the UK, Spain and France, including a four-month stage at Moët & Chandon.

‘I’m still not 100% sure whether wine will be my career,’ he says. Whatever direction his path eventually takes, Romané has been influenced by Gérard’s attitude to work.

‘He believed in always going above and beyond what’s being asked of you, for one – if I had to write a one-page essay, he’d urge me to write a page-and-a-half. He believed in the importance of finding your passion – and following it. And he always learned from past failures. All his competition experience came together in that moment when he lifted the trophy in Santiago, 10 years ago.’

Read more about Gérard’s life and career in Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World’s Favourite Sommelier (Unbound, £25). The book will be published in the US soon. 

See also: Which wine persona does your dad have?

The post Romané Basset remembers his father Gérard appeared first on Decanter.

After three years of painstaking research and writing, Inside Bordeaux goes on sale today (27 May) and offers one of the most in-depth analyses available on this famous wine region.

It has been published by UK merchant Berry & Bros & Rudd, which is also the publisher of Inside Burgundy.

Author Jane Anson, who is also Decanter’s Bordeaux wine correspondent, says, ‘Many of the books on Bordeaux to date are either a compilation of information provided by châteaux, or have researchers covering different sections.

‘I did all the visits, researching and tasting myself, and I hope the book feels more accessible as a result, with personality and a point-of-view.’

Scroll down to read exclusive excerpts from Inside Bordeaux

What the book contains

Alongside a detailed account of Bordeaux history, shaped by the different nationalities taking ownership of estates over the centuries, the book also looks at modern trends. It highlights winemakers leading the way in organic viticulture and the revival of rare grape varieties, for instance.

It indexes more than 800 of the region’s estates with Anson’s own ranking system, too.

However, a core focus for the book is terroir and, specifically, how vineyard sites affect the wines – an aspect of Bordeaux that has sometimes been overlooked in the past.

Anson writes that the intention was to ‘start assessing Bordeaux in the way that we more typically do for other fine wine regions, such as Burgundy, Barolo, the northern Rhône – by its soils, and by how these individual soils react to different growing conditions year on year.’

Anson adds, ‘For many years, Bordeaux’s vineyard owners and managers simply “knew” that certain plots of land made better wine that others. Today’s generation of winemakers, consultants and scientists are no longer content to rely simply on intuition and the (still essential) knowledge stored in old ledgers and records.

‘They no longer want to concede to Burgundy the moral high ground on terroir, and are determined to prove that the concept in Bordeaux is not something frozen in 1855, and that instead the interplay between grape, soil, climate and man is becoming ever more refined.’

There is chapter of the book dedicated to Bordeaux terroirs, although soil types and climate are regularly referenced within individual appellation overviews and châteaux entries.

Anson also offers practical ways to interpret this information when it comes to purchasing decisions.

In particular, Inside Bordeaux draws on ground-breaking research into terroir profiling by experts at the University of Bordeaux, and includes 65 full colour maps, including sets in gatefolds (a first for wine publishing) depicting Bordeaux topographies.

‘It’s not to say I did all the work – the book could not have been done without the expertise of Professor Kees van Leeuwen, who has created more than 65 entirely new maps that show, among other things, the terroirs of the region,’ Anson writes.

‘I am thrilled with the result – it looks beautiful for a start, with a simple clean layout and brilliantly accessible gatefold maps that set out different views of Bordeaux in a highly digestible manner. And I feel so happy to showcase what is new and exciting in a region that doesn’t often get recognised for its dynamism.’

She adds, ‘The producers making exciting wines in smaller appellations, the trailblazers in organics or biodynamics, and the conversations about how climate change is affecting the region; I loved looking into all of these things and hopefully moving the conversation forward about Bordeaux as a whole.’

The book includes 20 appellation overviews, providing a summary of that area’s history and wine profile, and a list of key facts and figures. These include the communes, average annual productions and average size of the châteaux, key terroir types, appellation rules, grape varieties and new developments.

Inside Bordeaux, £60, will be available for general release from Wedneday 27th May 2020. It will be available exclusively in the UK, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore from Berry Bros. & Rudd, Sotheby’s in the US and Librairie Mollat in France.

You might also like: 

Bordeaux 2019: What to expect from the wines

New World Atlas of Wine released

Tasting a decade of Phélan Ségur wines in St-Estèphe

The post Inside Bordeaux by Jane Anson: The châteaux, the wines and their terroir appeared first on Decanter.

German photographer David Weimann has won the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year, a category of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2020.

Weimann won the People section for his portrait of Meike and Dorte Näkel, winemakers at Meyer Näkel in Ahr, Germany. He then triumphed over the winners of the Places and Produce sections for the overall wine prize.

Tom Hyland (US): Castiglione Falletto in Langhe, Piedmont

US-based wine writer Tom Hyland, who has contributed to Decanter on Italian wines, won the Places category with his winterscape of Castiglione Falletto in Piedmont’s Langhe region.

French photographer Patrick Desgraupes won the Produce category for his image of a worker at Clos St-Patrice in Châteauneuf du Pape.

Patrick Desgraupes (France): Worker at Clos St-Patrice, Châteauneuf du Pape

The awards ceremony was held online for the first time since the competition’s inception in 2011, with winners announced in a live-streamed event on the evening of 28 April.

Renowned food photographer David Loftus was the chair of judges, whose panel included Decanter contributor and wine writer Joanna Simon, as well as winery representatives Magui Chadwiz of Viña Errazuriz and Vitalie Taittinger of Champagne Taittinger.

How Decanter’s art editor judges a photo

Things were very different when I started life as a lowly junior designer more than 30 years ago.

My main responsibilities then seemed to be making tea, collecting the art editor’s dry-cleaning and designing the letters or horoscope pages.

There have been many changes in magazines since but the one constant has been, and always will be, great photography.

When the organisers of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year competition asked me to be a judge, I jumped at the chance. But, as I looked at the many different images in each category, I realised how difficult it is to assess a great photo. To be honest I found it quite daunting.

The first thing to do when judging is to remove any personal preference or objection. I once submitted a front cover design to my editor who instantly hated it, even though the photo was impactful. It transpired he didn’t like yellow, so when I changed the design to orange he loved it!

A good photograph needs a focal point, whether it is a sun-drenched dewdrop on a grape, the concentrated stare of a vineyard worker or a distant château amid a misty landscape. The viewer needs to be drawn into the image.

Colour is another important element; whether vibrant or subdued, it can be used to create a mood. In the same way light can transform a subject by highlighting the focal point or creating contrasting shadows.

Technical details

I am acutely aware of modern technology used in digital photography. I prefer an image that looks natural without many hours of post-production PhotoShop applied to it. However, this technology can also enhance an image without being intrusive.

It’s when it oversteps this mark that it no longer becomes an aid but an obstacle. Colour can be enhanced, or altered to the point where it looks false. A great photo is an image that captivates you and makes you believe in it.

And while a great camera helps, you don’t need expensive equipment to take a great photograph. David Weimann’s winning photo was shot using a Hasselblad, but LM Archer’s third in the Places section was taken on an iphone.

Nearing the end of our judging process, we were asked to order the final entries into order of preference; it took me close to an hour to complete.

When I returned to the task the following morning with a fresh mind, I realised that while I was happy to swap around some entries, the top ones in each category always remained the same. A great photo stands out above the rest.

My last consideration when judging a photograph is, ‘Could I have taken that?’

I have looked at thousands of images during my time as an art editor and have learnt many things from excellent photographers. But it comes down to that innate ability (or luck) to capture a particular 1/100^th of a second in time that separates a great photo from a good one.

A photograph should tell the whole story in a single frame.

Wine Photographer of the Year: runners up

John Carey (UK): Holborn Dining Room’s head sommelier Michael Raebel in The Pie Room. Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (People) 2^nd

Marina Spironetti (Italy): Time to meditate, at the Vineria of Tenuta San Leonardo in Trentino. Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (People) 3^rd

Jon Wyand (UK): Late afternoon sun illuminates the vineyards of the Vallée des Vaux, Côte Chalonnaise. Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (Places) 2^nd

LM Archer (US): Villa Calicantus, a biodynamic wine producer in Bardolino, Veneto. Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (Places) 3^rd

Matt Wilson (Chile): Schalk and Bertho van der Westhuizen, winemakers at the Alto Estate Winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (Produce) 2^nd

Andrew Barrow (UK): Wine and cheese still life with Old Master styling. Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (Produce) 3^rd

The post Wine Photographer of the Year 2020: The winners appeared first on Decanter.

Chapter 7 in my memoirs, Wine – a Way of Life, carries the title ‘Bonjour Paris’ and Chapter 12, set 19 years later, is titled ‘Au Revoir Paris’. My commercial life in Paris had been very up in the 1970s and progressively down in the ’80s, so, returning in straitened circumstances to London in 1990 to look for employment in a city from which I had essentially been absent for two decades, Chapter 13 is inevitably titled ‘The Road Back’– the shortest in the book, followed by ‘Life with Decanter’, which is the longest.

I knew Decanter well as a magazine. The first edition in June 1975 for the modest price of 40p had a cover line: ‘How to buy good Bordeaux and keep your bank manager happy’ and an inside story, ‘Confessions of a Lady Wine Bar Proprietress’. Both could be columns today. The founders – Colin Parnell, a bookish and talented musician, and Tony Lord, a hard-drinking Australian journalist – had created Decanter following the demise of Katie Bourke’s much-loved Wine Magazine, and in late 1985 had employed Sarah Kemp to head the commercial side.

I was invited to the occasional tasting, and in early 1993 found myself seated next to Sarah, with Michael Broadbent being on her other side, at a charity dinner for the wine trade Benevolent, and told her of the demise of my six-month stint managing the Harrods wine department. ‘You’re well out of that,’ she said; ‘come and work for Decanter’ – of which she had become the publisher on Parnell’s retirement.

My first column appeared that September and continued without a break until last month’s issue, a total of 320 – not bad, but still unapproachably far from my hero and mentor Michael Broadbent’s 433.

Competitive element

Working alongside Sarah and her team was a joy. Every idea was considered and many used with success. Over the years, Decanter has been like a family to me, and early on I stopped using my ‘Steven Spurrier, Wine Consultant’ business cards in favour of the more recognisable Decanter ones. Sarah was a great captain of the Good Ship Decanter, which sails on under Robin McMillan, and many of the old hands are still on board, with unsurprising continuity.

Shortly after joining Decanter, I was asked to take over the Japan Wine Challenge, a wine competition backed by Tokyo-based entrepreneur Ronald Brown. A branch of my Paris Académie du Vin had opened in Tokyo in 1987, and I could combine this with my annual masterclass at the school. I was also a regular judge on the International Wine Challenge, based in London and run by Decanter’s competitors at Wine magazine, and from around the turn of the century had been pushing Sarah to create a Decanter wine competition. She always pushed back, saying ‘Decanter does events, not competitions’. Then, in about Easter 2003, she said: ‘Steven, the time is right: you set the rules and we’ll present it at the Bordeaux Vinexpo in June.’

The rules were those that I had imposed on the JWC: tasting sitting down at tables of four with a senior judge per table, flights of not more than 12 wines, taste like with like in price brackets with full information except the name of the wine, and elect a Regional Chair for each country or major wine region. These rules were simple and, while expanded and refined to take account of the 17,000 entries to what quickly became the world’s largest and most respected wine competition, have remained in place for the Decanter World Wine Awards.

See also: Steven Spurrier’s top wine memories

Good reading

I am often asked what, in my life in wine, I am most proud of and I always reply that it was the creation of L’Académie du Vin, France’s first private wine school, in 1973. The Judgement of Paris tasting held in May 1976 of course made L’Académie famous and cemented its reputation, but in terms of pride, the DWWA would run it pretty close.

So why, after nearly three decades of interactive pleasure, am I leaving Decanter? I think I can lay a fraction of the blame on Hugh Johnson, Decanter’s longest-serving contributor. In summer 2018, I had managed to retrieve the rights to the name and brand L’Académie du Vin and was considering how it might be revived.

Lunching with Hugh that autumn, I was bemoaning the fact that wine books today were either hefty reference books or buying guides and asked what had happened to all the ‘literature’ on wine, on people and places, that we had been brought up with. ‘All gone,’ he replied; ‘someone should recreate it.’

Within six months, the Académie du Vin Library had been formed, the force behind it being the brilliant Simon McMurtrie who, as managing director of Mitchell Beazley in his mid-20s, had published both Hugh Johnson and Michael Broadbent.

Our first book was the commemorative edition of Michael’s seminal Wine Tasting, launched to great acclaim on 30 April 2019 – 50 years since its original publication and two days before Michael’s 92nd birthday – followed by Fiona Morrison MW’s 10 Great Wine Families, Ben Howkins’ Sherry: Maligned, Misunderstood, Magnificent, and my particular baby, In Vino Veritas, a recreation of Cyril Ray’s The Compleat Imbiber, an anthology with the best writing from the past and the present on all aspects of wine. This year we have another five books in the pipeline, and for this reason what is left of my brain cells will be devoted to nurturing the development of the Académie du Vin Library.

But it is ‘Au revoir’ and not ‘Goodbye’, as I cannot truly leave Decanter, and I look forward to all the Fine Wine Encounter events in the future. The only difference now is that I will be buying my own tickets and not getting a free lunch…

Decanter consultant editor Steven Spurrier has been a columnist for the magazine since September 1993, and was the Decanter Hall of Fame Award recipient in 2017. This is his final column.

The post Steven Spurrier's farewell column: Not ‘Goodbye’ just ‘Au revoir’ appeared first on Decanter.

Lessons in wine appreciation – back to basics

The approach of September reminds me that exactly half a century ago I began my part-time professional wine writing. That is to say, I got paid. I still have the receipted invoice for £5, a welcome addition to my modest wine trade stipend, for my first monthly column on wine in Cheshire Life. Appropriately, for though at the time I was working for Harveys in Manchester, in the mid 1970s we lived in Cheshire.

Each column was headed by one of my drawings, an appropriate vignette, foreshadowing the illustrated wine maps to come, currently being promoted by Decanter. It was also around the same time that I began ‘tutored’ tastings – a term I detest – first for local organisations ranging from the Women’s Institute to the Wine and Food Society.

Was all this seminal wine lecturing of any use whatsoever? I think it was, because I realised that, faced with a glass of wine, the vast majority of my audience had not the foggiest idea how to start: the significance of the appearance of wine, particularly its nose, and the components of taste. Worse still, in the early 1960s, having been transferred to Bristol, I found that Harveys ‘reps’ and sales staff in the retail shops were almost as ignorant, relying entirely on brief wine list notes – and prices.

Which brings me to another appropriate and significant anniversary, coinciding with the time the reader will receive the advance October issue of Decanter – the 25th anniversary of the first Christie’s wine course, which Steven Spurrier and I based on the classes at his successful Académie du Vin in Paris.

They say that ‘those who can, do; those who can’t, teach’. But the more one teaches, the more one learns, not only helping to better master the subject but – and this is important – to take note of what the participants, of all ages, want to learn about wine.

For the past quarter-century, my part in the five-course sessions has alternated between the introduction to wine and the Bordeaux session, helping to identify regional and cépage variations. What do beginners need to know?

First of all, what one can learn from the appearance of wine: the whites ranging from almost colourless to more pronounced yellow, its clarity, its viscosity, and any signs of oxidation; then the extra dimensions of the reds, the significance of depth of colour, the actual hue, the intensity or weakness of the rim.

The question of whether and when to decant crops up at every tasting. Timing is not crucial. My short answer is that it matters little though I do advocate decanting red wines. At home I invariably pour young wines into an open jug an hour or so before serving. If a mature wine, then over a strong light – I prefer an upturned torch or table lamp to the traditional candle – to spot any sediment as it approaches the shoulder of the bottle. Glasses are important too. Riedel has all the answers, perhaps too many!

After ‘appearance’ comes the next natural progression, raising the glass to the nose. First, though, I advocate swirling the wine in the glass to rouse, aerate and maximise the surface area of wine.

Much has been said about the importance of the first impression, the first sniff. It is important, up to a point, but I always stress that unless the taster concentrates, undistractedly, on that first elusive sniff, the significance is missed. In practice, the professional, experienced taster will be on the look-out for typicity, perhaps its varietal aroma, cleanliness, possible faults including corkiness.

It is the next stage which is vastly more important and I always recommend a steady, not too deep inhalation, for it is then that the component parts can be identified, and, of course, its fragrance, its depth; if red, the not-always-identifiable sweaty leathery tannin, the ‘hot’ prickle of high alcohol and, that latter-day scourge, oak – new oak, with its spicy cinnamon scent.

In the case of a young red Bordeaux, whether it is dumb or forthcoming, the former needing time. Also, most importantly, to realise that the identification of major facets, particularly in a young red, is irrelevant in a fine mature wine, for the purpose of giving such a wine bottle age is for all the component parts to blend, resulting in a harmonious, seamless, bouquet.

In short, it is pointless to attempt to identify the same characteristics of a young wine in an old wine; for example, with the 1955 Latour or 1953 Lafite (should you be so lucky), one just luxuriates in the unravelling layers of delectable scents.

What about maturing whites? Sauternes for example? Starting off life a palish yellow-gold, the wines become a deeper amber-gold; and the fresh, sweet aroma develops into a richer, more honeyed, crème brûleé when fully matured.

To quote the late Professor Peynaud, the appearance – depth of colour and hue – and nose of the wine will tell you all you need to know about its quality and maturity. The third stage, the taste, merely acts as confirmation. He was of course referring mainly to red Bordeaux.

See also: Andrew Jefford’s guide to writing wine tasting notes

Obituary: Wine world great Michael Broadbent MW dies

The post From the archive: Michael Broadbent MW - Lessons in wine appreciation appeared first on Decanter.

With millions of people now staying at home, or practicing voluntary social distancing, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime provide a great way of passing time and ticking off items on your must-watch lists.

There’s an almost endless source of educational and entertaining programmes out there but when it comes to wine the following list, comprising acclaimed documentaries and Hollywood hits, is a few of our favourites…

Sour Grapes, 2016

If you recognise the name Rudy Kurniawan, the now-infamous wine fraudster, you may have already seen this, if not it’s definitely one to watch.

The dizzying documentary, about the fine and rare wine auction market, chronicles the activities of Rudy’s counterfeiting as well as his relationships with the rich and powerful that helped him sell millions of pounds worth of fraudulent wine through top auction houses.

The scale of his deception is staggeringly large and at times unbelievable. This is addictive viewing about the often hidden, darker side of the fine wine world.

Available on Netflix.

Bottle Shock, 2008

This American comedy-drama has it all – a famous wine competition that revolutionised the industry, stunning Napa Valley scenery and the excellent Alan Rickman.

Based on the Judgement of Paris wine tasting in 1976, in which Californian wines defeated top bottles from France in a blind tasting, the film follows wine legend Steven Spurrier, played by Rickman, who organised the contest alongside winemakers Jim and Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena (Bill Pullman and Chris Pine).

While the film is only loosely historically accurate it does a great job of capturing the sense of the occasion at the time and showcasing the excitement and atmosphere of winemaking in California in the 70s.

Available to rent on Amazon.

SOMM, 2012

Do you know what it takes to become a Master Sommelier? If not, this in-depth documentary will almost certainly surprise you detailing the notoriously tough process to be able to join an elite group of people worldwide (currently just 269) who have received the prestigious title.

Released in 2012, the film follows four hopeful and determined candidates on their intense MS journey. It delves into their history and backgrounds and the various methods they use to prepare themselves – from flashcards to a personal tasting trainer – for the final Master Sommelier exam, one of the toughest in the wine industry.

It’s a people-focussed documentary but with enough interest to sustain its run time, plus there’s a thought-provoking twist at the end…we won’t spoil it.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Somm: Into the Bottle, 2015

If you enjoyed SOMM (and there’s two more follow-up films in that series), you might also like In The Bottle which focusses more on wine as opposed to the somms themselves.

Through a series of interviews with sommeliers and winemakers from around the world the film tells the story of wine answering the question ‘What is wine and why does it matter?’.

Ten mini documentaries cover different facets of the wine industry from its history in the old world to modern methods of production and marketing.

Journey through ‘the winemaker’, ‘the vintage’, ‘the wars’, ‘the cost’ and ‘the point scores’ to name a few and look out for the opening of some extremely rare bottles of wine including; Penfolds Bin 60A 1962, Dom Ruinart 1969, Clos Sainte Hume 1962 and Mondavi 1966 – the first wine Robert Mondavi produced.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

The Wine Show – Series 2, 2017/8

If you’re looking for a series to get stuck into then this might be the one. Presented by Matthew Goode of Downton Abbey fame and fellow-actor James Purefoy, the enthusiastic wine novice duo give a fresh, informative and engaging take on the world of wine.

From their villa in the Italian countryside, the pair face a different challenge each week while also exploring the best wines Italy has to offer.

Former series 1 presenter Matthew Rhys joins for a recurring section on wine gadgets including ways to keep wine fresh, transporting wine and taking your wine to go.

The show also features international segments from wine experts Joe Fattorini and Amelia Singer as well as special correspondent chef Gizzi Erskine who reports from Napa Valley and Arizona.

If you want, you can start from the beginning with series one featuring 12 episodes plus a finale featuring all the best bits while series two has seven episodes. That’s just 1,000 minutes of escapist wine watching to schedule in then…

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

A Year in Burgundy, 2013

Experience a year in the life of a bottle of Burgundy in this 90-minute documentary from 2011.

With sweeping cinematography and unprecedented access to some of the most renowned winemaking families in Burgundy – including the inimitable Madame Lalou-Bize Leroy owner of Domaine Leroy and formerly co-manager of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, this is a great way to spend an hour and a half.

The film follows seven illustrious families in the region over the course of a year, delving into the cultural and creative process of making some of the world’s most highly prized, and valuable wines.

It’s played out in four season sections covering various weather factors affecting the grapes and style of the year’s resulting wines – heat, drought, showers, hail, storms and winter cold.

The film is sentimental and Burgundy is affectionately portrayed. It also successfully manages to encapsulate the history and family bonds in the region. Glass of premier cru anyone?

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

A Year in Champagne, 2014

From the same makers as A Year in Burgundy, director David Kennard is this time uncorking Champagne.

It’s not often illustrious champagne houses open their doors so filmmakers can get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes but this documentary offers just that and more.

From small independent producers to Grand Marques Gosset and Bollinger, the film guides viewers through the full spectrum of the winemaking process and showcases the vintners who create the magic in the bottle (and reveal the science behind how it gets there).

It’s informative and entertaining and pairs particularly well with a cold glass of Champagne, naturally.

Oh, and expect plenty of Kennard’s signature spectacular photography showcasing the region in all its glory.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Red Obsession, 2013

Narrated by Russel Crowe, this documentary centres around the global Bordeaux phenomenon and the rise of unprecedented demand from Asian buyers.

The film journeys from Bordeaux to Beijing exploring the background of the wine-producing capital – its history and modern-day challenges as well as the notorious counterfeit market in the Far East.

Through interviews with winemakers and chateaux owners – including director Francis Ford Coppola and Chateau Haut-Brion’s Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the film presents the ins and outs of the business, the pressure to produce top-class wines despite vintage conditions and the role of fine wine investment.

Some of Decanter staff even make small background cameos during footage of en primeur week in Bordeaux.

To rent on Amazon.

Mondovino, 2004

For something a little more hard-hitting is the documentary by Jonathan Nossiter that presents a damming, full-bodied examination of the international wine industry.

At 2hr 15mins it’s not the shortest documentary on the list – a 10-part series of the same name has been made for more in depth single episodes, but it’s still worth persevering with as long as you don’t mind the hand-held camera shots.

Covering five continents, the film questions the business practices of big players in the wine industry, at looks at the effect of globalisation on producers in various wine regions around the world.

The film also includes rare interviews with wine critic Robert Parker and famed consultant Michel Rolland.

Available to rent on Amazon.

Decanted, 2016

Ever thought of starting your own winery? This feature-length documentary might make you think twice.

Decanted shows the process of creating a new winery in California from the ground up and what it takes to break into the highly competitive industry, with no history or credibility.

The film successfully captures the small production, small yields and precision vineyard work taking place at Napa’s top estates and gives an insight into the people who are trying to make their dream a reality.

It’s quite a niche topic, with a specific focus on the plight of a few individuals but if you’re still interested it’s worth a watch.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

You may also like

Best box sets and wine pairings
Ten of the best gins for Mother’s Day
Merchants get creative as they continue to sell wine during COVID-19 uncertainty

The post Top 10 wine-related shows to stream while in self-isolation appeared first on Decanter.

The Crown (2016-), Netflix (UK/US)

The jewel in Netflix’s, ahem, crown, Peter Morgan’s peek at life inside Buckingham Palace is luxurious viewing. Charting the long and sometimes turbulent reign of Elizabeth II (Claire Foy in seasons one and two, Olivia Colman in the brand new season three), it’s perfect for royal watchers and high-class soap fans alike.

What to drink: English sparkling wine

Princess Margaret may have been partial to a Vodka Martini at midday, but bubbles make a more celebratory match for this award-winning show – and it has to be English sparkling wine of course. Camel Valley in Cornwall has a Royal Warrant, while Chapel Down was served at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.

Camel Valley, Reserve Brut, Cornwall 2015

Chapel Down, Brut, Kent NV

Call My Agent! (2004-) Netflix (UK/US)

Love Entourage and Extras? Then try this French showbiz send-up which, three seasons in – and a fourth on the way – has become a cult favourite. Set in the offices of Agence Samuel Kerr, each episode hooks around one guest star, as the likes of Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert riotously send themselves up.

What to drink: Bordeaux Premier Cru

French A-listers are lining up to star in this hilarious comedy, which calls for an equally stellar list of big names from France’s top wine region: Bordeaux. The 1855 classification ensured fame and celebrity for the chosen châteaux, which are still delivering a vintage performance.

Château Latour, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé 2006

Château Margaux, Margaux, 1er Cru Classé 2008

The Sopranos (1999-2007), Now TV (UK), HBO (US)

Recently voted the best TV show of the 21st Century by The Guardian, David Chase’s New Jersey-set saga of Italian-American gangsters – led by James Gandolfini’s inimitable Tony Soprano – is landmark television. Never seen it? Now is the time as next year the movie prequel The Many Saints of Newark hits the big screen.

What to drink: Chianti Classico

Despite sun-kissed Sicily’s Mafia credentials, this classic show calls for an equally classic Italian wine style. Step up Chianti Classico, delightfully drinkable reds made from the Sangiovese grape in central Tuscany.

Fèlsina, Rancia Riserva, Chianti Classico 2010

Castello di Monsanto, Il Poggio, Chianti Classico 1999

Succession (2018-), Sky Atlantic/Now TV (UK), HBO (US)

The ‘are you watching?’ show of the past 18 months, this satire about a global media empire, Waystar Royco, and the fight for its control by the four grown-up children of owner Logan Roy (Brian Cox) was created by Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong. Any likeness to the Murdoch family is, of course, purely coincidental.

What to drink: Barossa Valley Shiraz

Yes, any similarity to Rupert Murdoch is entirely coincidental, but the Australian roots of this media mogul give us an excuse to reach for a bottle of the country’s finest Barossa Valley Shiraz. As rich, complex and characterful as the man himself, but thankfully much more palatable.

Chris Ringland, Dimchurch Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2010

Rockford, Basket Press Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2008

The Bridge (2011-2018), Amazon Prime (UK/US)

Don’t bother with the American re-make. Instead, treat yourself to some classic Scandi noir, which begins when a mutilated corpse is found in the centre of the Øresund Bridge, inspiring a joint investigation between Danish and Swedish authorities. Sofia Helin and Kim Bodnia – recently seen in Killing Eve – lead the charge.

What to drink: Rioja Gran Reserva

Beautifully shot and cleverly scripted, a show like The Bridge deserves a wine that has been carefully crafted over time and will open up in the glass, just like revelations unfolding in the plot. Rioja’s gran reservas are aged for five years with at least two years in barrel and two in bottle.

López de Heredía, Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, Rioja, 1994

CVNE, Imperial, Rioja 2009

The Morning Show (2019-) , Apple TV+ (UK/US)

The centerpiece of 2019’s Apple TV+ launch, this slick drama is an on-the-nose examination of sexual misconduct behind-the-scenes at an American breakfast TV show. Jennifer Aniston, in her first small-screen outing since Friends, and Reese Witherspoon head a glitzy cast in a story inspired by real-life scandal.

What to drink: Canadian Icewine

Relationships between the main characters get decidedly frosty in this of-the-moment drama. The same can be said about the grapes used to make Icewine in Canada’s wine-growing provinces, where bunches are left on the vine as temperatures drop to -7°C or -8ºC. Freezing concentrates the flavours in the grapes, producing wines as sweet as Reese Witherspoon’s smile.

Pillitteri Estate, Vidal Icewine, Niagara Peninsula 2016

Lakeview Cellars, Icewine, Ontario NV

Billions (2016-), Sky Atlantic/Now TV (UK), Showtime (US)

Single-handedly turning the world of hedge funds into sexy, compulsive TV, Billions is a masterful look at the dual aphrodisiacs of money and power. The rivalry between Damian Lewis’ financial kingpin and Paul Giamatti’s attorney… Well it hasn’t been this juicy since JR and Cliff Barnes went head-to-head in Dallas.

What to drink: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Make like the power-players of this compelling show and invest in some seriously complex Cabernets from California’s Napa Valley. Home to icon wines such as Screaming Eagle Napa is a natural fit for high-rollers.

Eisele Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016

Frog’s Leap, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012

Big Little Lies (2017-), Sky Atlantic/Now TV (UK), HBO (US)

A box-set that oozes class. Created by Ally McBeal’s David E Kelley, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman head a gorgeous A-List cast for this addictive murder-mystery set amid the upwardly-mobile folk of Monterey. Dreamy Pacific Ocean locations mask heaps of domestic troubles as friendships and family fray at the seams.

What to drink: Monterey County wines

Pretend you’re a Monterey local and opt for a bottle from scenic Californian wine country. Located just 24km south of Monterey Bay, the Santa Lucia Highlands is one of the top regions in the US for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Morgan, Morgan Double L Vineyard Chardonnay 2015

Amuse Bouche, Richard G Peterson Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands 2014

Homeland (2011-2020), All 4 (UK), Showtime (US)

Forget Jack Ryan or 24… Homeland is the best spy show on TV. Powered by Claire Danes’ troubled agent, this post-9/11 depiction of a world soaked in the war on terror has shaken itself up in every year. The eighth and final season launches in February 2020, so you’d better get ready for what’s to come.

What to drink: German Riesling

Season Five of Homeland sees lead character Carrie Mathison working in Germany’s capital, Berlin. The nervy acidity and taut palate of dry German Riesling perfectly mirrors the show’s on-screen tension and nail-biting drama. Pour yourself a large glass… you’ll need it.

Van Volxem, Altenberg Alte Reben, Grosses Gewächs 2016

Reheimer Rat Dr von Bassermann-Jordan, Forster Pechstein, Grosses Gewächs 2018

Orange is the New Black (2013-2019), Netflix (UK/US)

This Netflix Original about life in the women-only Litchfield Penitentiary – think HBO’s Oz with more estrogen – was one of the streaming giant’s most-watched shows. It wrapped it all up in 2019 with a seventh season, making now the perfect time to binge-watch all 91 episodes (!) of this gender-redefining groundbreaker.

What to drink: Orange wines

If breaking with convention is your thing, reach for a bottle of orange: white wine that’s been fermented on its skins to create a distinctive orange hue and bags of personality. Orange wines are hugely food-friendly too, if you fancy a snack while you view.

Gravner, Ribolla, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2007

Lumiére, Prestige Class Orange Fuefuki Koshu 2017

Need to put a wine order in? Our guide to buying wine online

The post Best box sets and wine pairings appeared first on Decanter.