Anything but oak
Is Italy’s love affair with the barrique over? Simon Woolf investigates
Champagne during WW2: From vines to victory - Decanter
The German army's official surrender in Reims on 8 May 1945 - Victory in Europe (VE) day - tasted particularly sweet for the canny, local Champagne winemakers and workers who spent much of World War Two outfoxing the occupying forces, writes Julian Hitner.
The cork comeback
In the last two decades, cork producers have been researching ways to combat TCA and salvage the tainted reputation of corks. Carla Capalbo reports on the latest developments
‘Two veryprestigious Burgundies failed to light any fires’ | Hugh Johnson
‘There are no great wines; only great bottles’ is always so true.
How do you tell the difference between Armagnac and Cognac?
The Gascon countryside is quintessential rural France: picture-postcard landscapes, bastide villages and a sleepy atmosphere. Unlike the monotonous monoculture of the Médoc or the Côte d’Or, vines here compete for space with sunflowers, maize and cattle.
Yeasts: do you know what’s flavouring your wine?
The gooseberry aromas of Sauvignon Blanc, the lychee of Gewurztraminer, the strawberry notes of Pinot Noir – none of these are found in the grapes, but they are released or created by yeast during fermentation.
Comment: Has wine quality improved?
Long-standing wine writer Hugh Johnson considers whether quality has moved on from the top wines of the 1960s and 1970s...
Minerality in wine: What does it mean to you?
As the term 'minerality' becomes ever more fashionable, so the search for a definition gathers momentum. Sarah Jane Evans MW canvasses opinion from winemakers and researchers around the globe.
Comment: The rise of natural wine
There’s been a lot of talk in the past year about whether natural wine (which as a category resists easy definition) has become mainstream or will be, but its casual image and ‘cool’ factor suggest many winemakers and aficionados may not actually want it to go there...
Bordeaux: the ageing process
From birth through maturity to old age, STEPHEN BROOK investigates the life cycle of red Bordeaux and asks how to know when to open that prized bottle