Discovery

With 250 native grape varieties, Portugal is enough to make other producer countries go green with envy. Comparing them with international standards is like comparing apples and oranges and just-burgeoning awareness means that they remain largely under the public’s radar. Heading off to explore Portugal’s vine heritage is like stepping into the shoes of a treasure hunter, away from the well-trodden vinous paths.

Nebbiolo is widely considered to be the prince of Northern Italian grape varieties due to its elegance and undisputed longevity. This historic variety is widespread across North-West Italy, in Piedmont, Lombardy and Valle d'Aosta. We drill down on one of Italy’s most iconic grapes.

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.

So far in 2022, Germany is experiencing the hottest and, above all, driest summer since weather records began. Weeks without any rain, forest fires, historically low river levels and shallow-rooted plants withered - all the result of 40 days at over 30°C. Under these conditions, it seems a little cynical to call Germany a possible ‘winner of global warming’. But climate is a long-term matter, and many people – German winegrowers included – quickly forget that only a year ago, in early summer 2021, they had complained about fungal pressure in the vineyards caused by high rainfall and humidity.