Decanter China staff's articles
Carricante (white)
Carricante is said to come from Viagrande in the province of Catania on the Italian island of Sicily, and Catania is home to the majority of Italy's 252 hectares of this variety, which performs especially well on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna.
Juhfark (white)
Juhfark, the old Hungarian variety whose name means 'sheep's tail' (referring to the shape of the bunches), is grown exclusively in northwest Hungary.
Baga (red)
Although Baga probably originates from Dão in central-northern Portugal, it is even more commonly planted, and more highly valued, in neighbouring Bairrada, closer to the Atlantic.
Bordeaux trivia (I) - The concept of Château
Château is a common prefix seen on the label of many Bordeaux wines, and wines from across France. In recent years, it has become a trend for wines produced outside France to put this word on their labels. So what exactly is a Château, and what does it me
Bobal (red)
[Grape Variety] Widely planted in its homeland, Spain's Utiel-Requena, west of the port city of Valencia, and in neighbouring Manchuela, Bobal is far from rare.
The making of Ice wine
Arguably the most well-known ice wine comes from Canada (where it is written as icewine). But actually ice wine originated in Germany, where it’s called ‘Eiswein’.
Frappato (red)
It was when I tasted the aromatic, finely structured but refreshing Frappato produced by Azienda Agricola Cos that I first fell for Frappato's charms.
The world of Chinese sommeliers: GUO Ying
Read about how GUO Ying get into the business, and what is it like to work as a sommelier in China.
Oak aging and oak flavours
Oak, especially new oak, can add intense flavours (coconut, vanilla, clove spice) and tannins to a wine, which if used unskilfully, could undesirably mask the fruit.
Pinot Noir (Red)
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned red grape, capable of producing light-coloured red wines that often feature attractive red fruit flavours, soft tannins and a hint of sweetness.