Rioja introduces single vineyard and sparkling

Discussions around the future of Rioja have come to a head this week with two new major decisions from the D.O.Ca. control board.

Australian Premium

Generating more than £1.1 billion in off-trade sales alone in the UK each year, Australia is clearly a category to be reckoned with, continuing to lead its nearest rivals Italy, France and the US by quite some degree. In the on-trade, too, while sitting in a far more modest third position, the country racked up a further  £366 million worth of sales in 2016, adding another sizeable dose of Down Under flavour to the British wine scene.

Bordeaux 2016 en primeur

Insights_bordeaux.pdfOur resident Bordeaux correspondent and producer Gavin Quinney gives the low-down on the highs of a fine year

Vinho Verde quality focus delivering Portuguese success story

Vinho Verde is far and away Portugal's leading white wine region, this northernmost province of Portugal one of Europe's largest demarcated wine regions with 21,000 hectares of planted vineyard, nine sub-regions and more than 2000 wine brands. And something is definitely stirring. 

Mad for Malbec

Argentina is Malbec; New Zealand is Sauvignon Blanc. The intimate link between a country and dominant single variety is a strategy fraught with danger – apparently. Change the record, please.

Lebanon gaining ground

Swiss wine Part 1: The unknown country

“In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”

Swiss wine Part 2: Indigenous variety heaven

Wineries from all six of Switzerland’s wine regions were present at the Swiss Wine tasting last month: Valais and Vaud, where most wineries are based, and which account respectively for 33% and 25% of production, Geneva, Ticino, the surprisingly extensive German-speaking area and the Three Lakes Region.

Shop Rioja

he month of October is quickly becoming synonymous with Shop Rioja - Wines from Rioja's month-long promotion which brings the full diversity and dynamism of Spain's foremost wine region to the UK's independent retailers.

Resurrected Western Wines concept focuses on post-referendum opportunities for UK bottling

The family behind the now defunct Western Wines is re-launching part of its business model to export South African bulk to wine to the UK.

Australian UK wine exports continue premium trend

Australian wine exports to the UK continue to show a strong trend towards premiumisation, according to Wine Australia's latest annual Export Report, due to be released this Friday.