Magazine

As a premier Spanish wine region, Rioja has scaled the heights of quality and allowed the country to shine in the global wine firmament. Although rival regions such as Priorat and Ribera del Duero may be knocking on the door of vinous fame too, Rioja is not about to relinquish its ranking. It has not rested on the laurels of tradition and in recent times has successfully reinvented itself as evidenced by the relentless growth of its exports. We take a closer look at a trend that shows no signs of abating.

The Savoy wine region has fostered two genuinely complementary appellations with virtually identical names, but flavours that bear little resemblance. Although Chignin and Chignin-Bergeron are grown in neighbouring vineyards, they showcase the qualities and unique characteristics of two different grape varieties and mountain sites that are almost one-of-a-kind in France…

Argentina is renowned around the world for its Malbec, but in its fertile soils, many vibrant wines are also being produced from other varieties, both autochthonous and European.

Provence, particularly Bandol, have made it their king of grape varieties, but Mourvèdre also sits on the throne of many prestigious southern wine regions like the Rhone Valley, Languedoc and Roussillon. We shed some light on a challenging, late-ripening variety which is difficult to harness and yet so unique when it reaches peak ripeness.

Cantine Riondo is set in the beautiful rolling countryside around Verona, one of Italy’s most storied towns and the nexus of the sprawling Veneto wine region. Behind this bucolic setting, though, is one of the country’s largest co-operative groups and a range of wines that reads like a digest of global best-sellers.

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.