Discovery

When you think about the Republic of Moldova, the image that immediately springs to mind is a country at the intersection between the new wine world and the old, between West and East. There is something Romanian about it, and yet it also has very local traits, all of which are woven into a blend of traditions gradually moving into the modern world.

After three decades of a free-market economy, the Czech Republic is about to reach another milestone in its wine history. While in recent times, the local wine industry has always been a more or less disparate, yet in many ways co-operative, mass of competing businesses, over the past few months the idea of a common approach for the future has slowly begun to materialise. With the general support of winegrowers, the idea of a unified winery concept is being developed, with emphasis among others on production efficiency, the most suitable varieties, exports and the environment, in addition to the established focus on quality. After years of adolescence, a fully-fledged and self-confident wine region with very promising potential is breaking onto the scene.

Navigating amongst the shadows cast on them by the Grands Crus Classés and the Crus Bourgeois, it could seem that Médoc Crus Artisans suffer from a lack awareness. But these often long-standing, boutique estates spread across all the Médoc appellations in the world’s most famous wine region focus on site-expressiveness and most certainly deserve a visit.

When a legendary wine region makes a firm commitment to the environment, its status is enhanced even further. In Burgundy, the number of wineries certified High Environmental Value has doubled since 2020, a trend which mirrors the region’s long-standing quality-driven focus. Gilbert & Gaillard went to the heart of the region to find out more about the phenomenon.

Are you really familiar with Bordeaux wines sporting the intriguing ‘Cru Bourgeois’ moniker on their labels? In an era of constant one-upmanship and an ocean of endorsements and superlatives, is this just one more marketing gimmick to catch the consumer’s eye, or is it genuinely meaningful? We went through the required specifications with a fine-tooth comb and quizzed the chairman of the Alliance along with various member chateaux. And here is our verdict!

The Castilla y Leon region, in North-West Spain, is replete with famous appellations such as Ribera del Duero, Toro, Cigales and Rueda – lining the banks of the river Duero and producing some of the country’s finest wines.