Magazine

Portugal is now very much up there in the big international league. The days when locals drank virtually all of the country’s wines, bar a few thousand hectolitres of Port – a popular tipple with the English and the French – are now long gone.

The South American wine industry is primarily represented worldwide by Argentina and Chile, which account for 80% of production. Uruguay and Brazil are also important contributors, even though Brazil exports very few of its wines.

Piedmont is a region that has made wine its pride and joy, establishing itself as a renowned producer of high quality wines thanks to its most prominent appellations. And yet, not everyone is aware of the full variety of appellations and grape varieties that are available to Piedmont growers and wineries, akin to the range of colours and tones that Mediterranean artists have at their fingertips.

E-commerce wine sales are posting strong growth worldwide but their development is perhaps most spectacular in Brazil. Traditionally, Brazilians show little enthusiasm when it comes to drinking wine, but in just a few years – since the pandemic – the country has become the world’s third largest online wine market, after the United States and China. This small revolution is partly due to the sector’s dynamic and innovative stakeholders, which include Víssimo. The company is one of the largest wine e-tailers in Latin America, through its Evino platform, and is also one of the biggest importers of international wine in the Brazilian market after buying major Brazilian importer and wine merchant Grand Cru in 2021.

The former Sex and the City icon has undeniably left a lasting impression on television. Who doesn’t remember Sarah Jessica Parker playing Carrie Bradshaw, the successful journalist with a penchant for fashion and designer shoes, looking for trouble-free love in the Big Apple? The American star has added another string to her bow, partnering with a New Zealand winery in 2019 to launch ‘Invivo X, SJP’, a Sauvignon blanc which she created and whose sales have soared to dizzying heights matched only by the Empire State Building…

The legendary Champagne is celebrated worldwide and epitomises French winemaking excellence. Among the high-end offerings geared to quality, brands and winegrowers have broadened their standard range to include unique labels that showcase both terroir and the art of winegrowing.