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The Oregon wine region has been exciting wine professionals and ahead-of-the-curve consumers for a while.

In particular, its cool-climate, high quality Pinot Noir has inevitably been compared with Burgundy, although more in terms of outright quality than stylistic similarities.

Scroll down to see the latest Oregon content

Quick links Oregon wine reviews | Oregon travel guide

Grapes

Approximately 60% of Oregon’s grape production is Pinot Noir, while Cabernet, Riesling and Chardonnay combined only make up 10%.

The second most widely planted variety after Pinot Noir is Pinot Gris, representing 13% of production.

The long summers are warm and dry, with cool evenings which help to preserve acidity in the grapes. These conditions help to produce the elegant and distinctly ripe character Oregon wines are known for.

AVAs

There are seven major growing areas and 18 AVAs, six of which are located in the acclaimed Willamette Valley, which produces 91% of the region’s Pinot Noir and is home to over 500 wineries.

 The Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley is located 50 miles from the Pacific, protected by the Cascade Mountains to the east, Coast Range mountains to the west, and a series of ranges to the north.

The Eola-Amity Hills AVA is adjacent to a gap in the Coast Range, known as the Van Duzer Corridor, through which cool Pacific winds are channelled. Consequently its grapes are the last to ripen in the valley.

The hillsides in the valley are composed of volcanic, loess and sedimentary soils, all of which lend their own characters to the grapes grown in their soils. There are numerous different mesoclimates here, giving each vineyard its own unique style.

Despite the long, dry summer, there is always a risk of rain during harvest, so timing is vital.

In 2013, considered one of the region’s best ever vintages, a deluge of rain in September forced producers to wait until early October to pick. Like Burgundy, which sits on the same latitude, there is a fine line between great vintage conditions and average vintage conditions.

Geological differences

The identification of subregional AVAs within the Willamette Valley, with their distinct styles based on topography and geology, mirrors the setup in the Côte d’Or.

The dense muscularity of Yamhill-Carlton with its silty loam soils, for example, is in contrast to the lift and fragrance of the Eola-Amity Hills on volcanic soils. If anywhere in Oregon has the potential to match the best in Burgundy, it has to be here.

Oregon Pinot offers a ‘value’ entry point into the world of premium Pinot that the likes of Burgundy and California increasingly struggle to provide.

This next decade will be vital in establishing its credentials as a serious contender, and it will be very interesting to watch the region’s progress.

Written by James Button

See the latest wine reviews, news and opinion on Patagonia.

Quick Links Patagonia wine reviews | Argentina vintage guide | Argentina, contrasting terroirs: Northwest vs. Patagonia

Known for its ability to pack a serious punch, Petit Verdot has long been synonymous with adding tannin, colour, and flavour to Bordeaux-inspired blends across the globe.

Quick link: Left and Right Bank Bordeaux: What is the difference?

Don’t let the name fool you. Although frequently used in petit quantities, Petit Verdot is a force to be reckoned with. This robust red wine grape is known its bold flavour profile, powerful tannins, and inky black hue – in short, a little goes a long way, which is why the grape is most commonly used in blends over varietal wines (although the latter is becoming more common in certain New World regions).

Petit Verdot finds its origins in South West France, where it is still popularly cultivated – including in Bordeaux – today. Beyond France, the variety is finding solid roots in Australia and California, as well as a handful of other American states. In Italy, the grape can be found in the Maremma region of Tuscany, where it is sometimes added to the region’s eponymous Super Tuscan blends; in South America, plantings are on the rise in Chile and Peru.

On the vine, Petit Verdot (whose name translates to ‘small green’), is very late ripening, which is a big reason why Bordelais winemakers favoured other varieties. Should weather conditions not be ideal, Petit Verdot vines will often struggle to develop properly. When ripe, Petit Verdot grape bunches form cylindrical shapes and are composed of small, dark black berries.

The flavours of Petit Verdot wines can fall across a broad profile spectrum. Most commonly, the grape is associated with adding notes of ripe black fruits, plums, cassis, graphite, and dried herbs to the blends in which it’s used. As Petit Verdot wines mature, stronger flavors of violets, dried flowers, and used leather are common.

Quick link: What does Petit Verdot add to a wine? 

The northern Rhône is home to the likes of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas and Condrieu.

Hermitage famously allows producers to blend up to 20% Viognier with Syrah, producing some of the world’s most sought-after wines.

Condrieu is a temple to Viognier grown on steep hillsides, where the warmth of the summer is countered by the cooling mistral winds to produce rich, ripe white wines.

Quick Links Northern Rhône 2017: Full report | Côte-Rôtie 2012 panel tasting results

Tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border, this small area in eastern France is a missing piece of the puzzle for many wine lovers.

Quick links Jura wine reviews

Jura at a glance

Area under vine – 1,950ha

Production – 11 million bottles

Wineries – 230

Soils – Different types of marl (blue, grey, red, black) on limestone strata dating from the Jurassic era (150 million years ago)

Vineyard altitude – 200m-400m

Climate – Continental

Average rainfall – 1,200mm

Average sunshine hours – 1,800

Main grapes – White Chardonnay 43%, Savagnin 23% – Red Poulsard 14%, Trousseau 11%, Pinot Noir 7%, others 2%

Appellations – Arbois, ChâteauChalon, L’Etoile, Côtes du Jura, Crémant du Jura, Macvin du Jura, Marc du Jura

Wine styles – Dry white, red, rosé, sparkling, vin jaune, vin de paille

More Jura Information

Here you can find our guide to Piedmont vintages and associated content on Barolo and Barbaresco.

Piedmont wine vintage guide 2019-1990: vintages to drink and to keep

The Piedmont region of Italy is famous not only for its wines – the likes of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero – but also its food.

The town of Alba is renowned for its truffle market, and the nearby town of Bra is home of the Slow Food movement, founded by Carlo Petrini in the 1980s.

Barolo wine region | Barbaresco wine region

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Location

The Piedmont wine region is situated in north-eastern Italy. The alps form a prominent backdrop here, bordering the region to the north and west.

It’s a hilly region that’s renowned for its fog (or ‘nebbia’, from which the grape variety took its name).

Piedmont’s vineyards in Barolo and Barbaresco have been the subject of intense analysis, and in 2010 the Consorzio approved the MGAs laid out by cartographer Alessandro Masnaghetti, in consultation with many of the winemakers.

This pioneering work for the region delineates the best sites in much the same way as the Burgundian cru system.

Grapes

The most famous grape variety of the region is the thick-skinned Nebbiolo, however other red varieties include Barbera and Dolcetto.

Muscat is used for Moscato d’Asti, Cortese for Gavi, and Arneis for the whites of Roero and beyond.

Quick links Piedmont Wine reviews | Vintage reports | Italy travel guides

Pinot Gris, aka Tokay Pinot Gris in Alsace, is a slightly spicier and more expressive version of its stablemate, Pinot Blanc, and actually a mutation of Pinot Noir.

It is one of the chief dry white varieties in Alsace, but also produces some deliciously sweet, ageworthy, late-harvest styles. It is the same grape as northern Italy’s Pinot Grigio, Germany‘s Grauburgunder or Ruländer and Hungary‘s Szürkebarát and is becoming moderately fashionable in New Zealand.

SEE: Pinot Grigio: 13 top wines to try | Think you know Pinot Grigio? | Huia, Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand 2013

What does it taste like?

Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio, often lightly copper-coloured, can be a sort of halfway house between the more neutral-flavoured Pinot Blanc and the overtly spicy and fragrant Gewurstraminer with a smokiness, delicate spice and an occasionally oily character.

Food matching with Pinot Gris: Courgette flowers, apple and horseradish – recipe | Veal tartare with figs, hazelnuts and anchovy butter | Mozzarella cheesecake with berry sauce | Agnolotti with burrata and mint

Updated by Jeanne Thexton on the 8th of January 2016

Although frequently lived in the shadows of the more fashionable Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties, Pinot Meunier is finally finding its footing in the world of viticulture. The grape, which also goes by the names Meunier and Schwarzriesling, is a red-skinned variety cultivated mostly in the region of Champagne. In the past, Pinot Meunier was often viewed as inferior to the other two noble varieties, though things are changing. Nowadays, Pinot Meunier is lauded for the richness, weight, and red-fruit flavors that it brings to sparkling wine. Certain producers are now choosing to vinify it varietally.

In Champagne, Pinot Meunier represents about one-third of all vineyard plantings. Genetically, it is a mutation of Pinot Noir and was first acknowledged during the 1500s. The variety has somewhat become the signature grape of the Aube, Champagne’s most southerly region, as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir struggled to ripen in the area’s chilly climates in the past.

In the glass, Pinot Meunier generally produces higher-acid wine than Pinot Noir, though sugar and alcohol levels are generally the same. However, wines produced from Pinot Meunier generally do not have the same aging potential as those produced from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, though there are certainly exceptions. In French, the word Meunier means miller, which likely refers to the white dust (reminiscent of flour) found on the bottom side of Pinot Meunier’s leaves.

Outside of Champagne, Pinot Meunier can be found in the Loire Valley, Germany (Württemberg and Baden), California, and New Zealand. In addition to bubbles, these regions also vinify the grape into light-bodied red and rosé wines rather than bubbles. These wines are known for their pale hue in the glass, as well as their bright acid, light fruitiness, and smoky undertones.

Decanter’s Port vintage guide

Know your Port

Pinotage: Red South African variety developed by Professor A.I.Perold in 1924 as a cross between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir and then largely ignored for half a century.

Revival began in the late 1980s thanks largely to Beyers Truter whose championing of the variety led to international recognition with Kanonkop. It comes in a plethora of styles according to growing conditions, vineyard management and winemaking. With an assortment of plum, cherry, blackberry and banana flavours, it takes to oak barrels and can age well.

SEE ALSO: Pinotage to change your mind | Decanter travel guide: Franschhoek, South Africa | Revisiting South Africa’s Pinotage

What does it taste like?

A difficult grape to grow and equally hard to make, Pinotage comes in a range of red wine styles from simple everyday glugger to the more serious structured reds. It is known for its characteristic burnt rubber character which most growers try to eliminate, and, when successful, produce a wine with a range of plum, cherry, blackberry and banana flavours. With oak cask maturation, it can become smoky and spicy.

Port wine is a fortified style from the Douro in Portugal. Vintage examples are famed for their longevity, while tawnys and LBVs are ready to drink much sooner.

Know your Port wine styles – The Decanter guide

Cheese and Port matching guide

Top Ports for Christmas

How to decant vintage Port

Few traditions are as strong at Christmas as cheese and Port matching, but there are also some common mistakes to overcome – at the same time as paying your dues to festive tradition.

See all of Decanter’s Port wine reviews

Pinot Noir is the classic grape of red Burgundy, whose greatest wines are concentrated in the east and south-east-facing limestone hills of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or.

Quick Link: Burgundy en Primeur | Best Burgundy producers| Best Pinot Noir outside Burgundy | Best Burgundy alternatives – ask Decanter

This thin-skinned grape is a notoriously temperamental variety, which has proved difficult to grow in certain climates and soils. There’s no other grape like Pinot Noir with its wonderfully heady perfumes, and thrillingly pure, sweet, red berry flavours of raspberry, loganberry, mulberry, cherry and strawberry. It takes well to French oak and, in bottle, develops truffley and gamey undertones.

• Pinot Noir quiz: Test your knowledge

Along with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir is one of the major grape varieties in Champagne, and plantings of Pinot in the region are even more extensive than those in Burgundy itself. Despite its fickle nature, it is a tribute to its desirability among consumers and producers and it has inspired growers all over Europe and the New World.

SEE: The excitement surrounding German Pinot Noir – ask Decanter | Best value New World Pinot Noir | Best New Zealand Pinot Noir under £30 | Oregon Pinot Noir triumphs in DWWA 2016

What does it taste like?

Pinot Noir is one of the most sensuously fragrant red grapes in the world with a variety of scented aromas based on red berry characters closest to raspberry and strawberry, and often tinged with incense and cola-like (!) spice. It can be a little minty and vegetal but when ripe usually tastes of raspberry or strawberry as well as cherry and, when exotic, loganberry, mulberry and fraise du bois. If overripe, it becomes jammy. As it matures in bottle, it often develops silky textures and alluring undertones of truffles, game and leather.

Food matching with Pinot Noir: Mushroom Agnolotti recipe | Wild garlic and ricotta ravioli with lamb soup | Stuffed Courgettes | Casserole of Red Cabbage & Apples

Updated by Ellie Douglas on the 11th October 2016

See the latest wine reviews, news and opinion on Mendoza.

Quick Links Argentina vintage guide | Mendoza wine reviews | Wine Trails: Mendoza travel guide | Wine Trails: Four Mendoza wineries to visit

Best known for the rustic reds of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, this deep-coloured variety, the main ingredient in Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno, is widely planted in central Italy, and often used as a blender with Sangiovese.

See the latest wine reviews, news and opinion on Marlborough.

Quick Links Marlborough wine reviews | US thirst for Marlborough Sauvignon fuels NZ wine exports | Marlborough 2015 harvest worsens Sauvignon Blanc ‘squeeze’

For long considered the junior partner in the great Bordeaux duo of grape varieties, Merlot has achieved growing popularity in the last decade of the 20th century thanks to the cult worship of Pomerols and Saint Emilions in Bordeaux as well as a growing taste for its lusciously plummy and flavoursome early-drinking delights in countries such as Chile and California.

Quick Link: Bordeaux en Primeur

With its soft texture, deliciously plummy fruit flavour and mellow tannins, Merlot is more approachable than Cabernet Sauvignon. Taking to damp, cool, clay soils rather than the warmer gravels of the Médoc, plantings of the earlier-ripening, thinner-skinned Merlot outnumber those of Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux and they are also growing extensively in the south of France.

Merlot ripens earlier and more easily than Cabernet Sauvignon, hence its popularity in France and in northern Italy. It is widely planted in eastern Europe, but outside France, it is at its most serious in California, where it has become one of the ‘hottest’ varieties. It is also extensively grown in Chile, where it produces excellent value, supple-textured reds, and, increasingly in Australia and New Zealand.

SEE: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Grapes – Climatic, Winery Influence… | Napa Merlot pioneer bought by Vintage Wine Estates | Bordeaux 2013: Merlot harvest brought forward in race against rot

All your Merlot questions answered:

What does Merlot taste like?

Merlot‘s soft texture helps to give it a deliciously plummy, almost fruitcake-like flavour and a mellow smoothness which makes it more approachable than its sister grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon. Like cabernet, it can be a little grassy and bell-pepper-like from cool climate regions and it develops blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry, chocolate and spice-like characters when fully ripe. The Chilean version often produces juicy reds with blackcurrant pastille flavours.

Is Merlot a good wine?

It certainly can be! As with other varietal wines you’ll find lesser quality examples lining supermarket shelves, but Merlot has the potential to produce fine pours, with great aromatic concentration and a lovely soft texture. The regions where you’ll most likely find great examples of Merlot are Bordeaux’s Right Bank, Tuscany and Umbria. But don’t underestimate what some producers are doing further afield – Slovenia, Alto Adige, Oregon, New Zealand and Chile are also regions where Merlot has performed well.

Is Merlot dry or sweet?

Merlot is usually fermented to dry. During the infamous Californian boom of the 1980’s many single-varietal Merlots that could be found in supermarkets did have some (added) residual sugar. But the best examples are, invariably, dry wines with low tannins and a round mouthfeel. But be aware that Merlot can often mislead your palate: its rich fruitiness sometimes gives a sweet impression. That is not in fact residual sugar but a result of ripe fruit flavours.

What kind of wine is a Merlot?

Merlot is usually a low tannic, round textured, fruit-forward wine. It is almost invariably fermented to dry and, while single-varietal Merlots became extremely popular in the 1980’s, it notably plays a key role in blends. In Bordeaux, where it is the Right Bank’s dominant grape, Merlot is joined by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the production of some of the world’s most famous wines. The same blending companions that go into Tuscany’s renowned Super Tuscans.

What Merlot wine is the best?

Many of the best examples of single-varietal Merlot and Merlot-based blends still come from its native Bordeaux. Merlot is the dominant grape variety in the Right Bank (while Cabernet Sauvignon covers most vineyard area on the Left) and is the main component in the wines of iconic producers Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin. St-Émilion and Pomerol remain the most renowned Bordeaux appellations in which Merlot dominates.

Italy has also produced Pomerol-like Merlot-based wines, to great acclaim from critics and consumers. The variety plays a key role in the Bolgheri DOC or Toscana IGT blends – commonly known as the Super Tuscans – for which producers such as Ornellaia and Antinori have gained worldwide acclaim.

Why does Merlot have a bad reputation?

Merlot’s low tannins, soft texture and luscious fruit flavours make particularly easy-drinking wines that appeal to a large audience. This drove an outstanding increase in demand, namely in the 1980’s, which in turn drove producers to invest in new Merlot plantings of high-yielding clones often in locations not particularly suited for the variety. The market was flood by lower quality wines, intense but lacking in complexity, and with notoriously short shelf life.

The large plantings and outstanding output volumes from California’s Central Valley is probably the best example of this phenomenon – famously immortalised in the book/film ‘Sideway’ with the line ”… if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f***ing Merlot!”

This would eventually lead to a considerable drop in demand, as backlash, and a renewed focus on quality has since raised the profile of the average Merlot.

When should I drink Merlot?

Merlot is best drunk with food and in cooler weather. The lack of tannic structure and of significant acidity mean that it always has a warming, rather than refreshing, feel to it. It pairs well with game but also with vegetable-based dishes. It’s not by chance that you’ll often be served roasted red peppers along with duck confit in Bordeaux restaurants.

Food matching: Mushroom Agnolotti recipe | Wild garlic and ricotta ravioli with lamb soup | Leg of Lamb Slow Cooked in Red Wine with Figs, Walnuts and Grapes

Increasingly popular as the world wakes up to its qualities, this robust, thick-skinned Mediterranean variety with its funky, animal-like character is most widely planted in Spain where it’s known as Monastrell.

It’s at its intense, blackberryish best where it gets lots of sunshine, often close to the sea, hence its ascendancy in Bandol on Provence’s Mediterranean shoreline. On the back of the Rhône revival in California and Australia, it performs well in blends with other Mediterranean varieties, especially Grenache and Syrah.

What does it taste like?

Mourvèdre is a darker, thicker-skinned variety than its Mediterranean counterpart, Grenache, producing a firm-structured, often tannic, brambly, blackberryish red with notable funky, meaty and animal-like characters.More often than not it’s blended with other southern French varieties. It can be spicy and as it ages, develop the aged meat character of game or even wet fur.

Food matching with Mourvèdre: Tarte a la tomate – Tomato tart recipe

Updated by Jeanne Thexton on the 12th of January 2016

Up until the early 20th century, Friuli-Venezia Giulia was not considered part of north-eastern Italy but instead a southern part of the Austrian Hapsburg empire. This rich region provided the Austro-Hungarian population with fruit, food and wine.

Quick Link Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Regional profile and wines to try

After World War I, the entire region became Italian but its eastern border was still far from peaceful. Gorizia was considered the Berlin of southern Europe and identity here was always crucial. Things are now far more open and producers can easily manage a winery in Slovenia but own vineyards in Italy, or vice-versa – travelling with tractors and grapes across the border.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s biggest wine export is Pinot Grigio, however it also produces plenty of wines from indigenous varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Picolit and Friulano.

One of the oldest grape varieties in viticulture, Muscat still remains a key player in global winemaking today.

QUICK LINKS: What’s the difference between Muscat, Moscatel and Moscato? – Ask Decanter

Although not as recognizable as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat is one of the most important wine grapes on the planet. A backbone variety to early viticulture, Muscat’s roots likely date back to 3000-1000 BC. Today, over 200 grape varieties make up the Muscat family of grapes, which are used in wine production and as table grapes.

On the vine, Muscat grapes can range from yellow to pink. Generally speaking, wines produced from Muscat are highly aromatic and are marked by a sweet, floral-tinged bouquet. The most popular form of Muscat is Muscat blanc à Petits Grains, which is widely cultivated across the south of France for fortified wine production, and is the same grape used in Piedmont’s famed Moscato d’Asti production. This same variety has also found a home in Australia’s Rutherglen region, where it is used to produce the area’s famed Liqueur Muscat. In Spain, South Africa, and the south of France, Muscat of Alexandria is another famous variety from the Muscat family, where it is commonly used in fortified wine production.

Theories surrounding the origins of Muscat’s name are numerous. Some claim that the variety got its name due to the musky aromas that the ripe grapes take on. Others believe it to come from the Italian word for fly (mosca), as the wines’ high sugar levels have been known to attract fruit flies. Another theory is that the grape was named for the city of Muscat, located on the Gulf of Oman, or possibly the Greek city of Moschato.

In the glass, wines produced from Muscat are known for their sweet and floral aromatics, as well as “grapey” notes. When oxidized, Muscat takes on a very dark hue and shows flavors of toffee, dried fruits, and baking spice. Muscat is not to be confused with France’s famous Muscadet wine, which is produced from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, or the Bordeaux variety of Muscadelle.

En Primeur reports

Burgundy | Bordeaux | Rhône | Tuscany | Piedmont

Latest en primeur coverage: Bordeaux 2020

En primeur is a French term for wine which is sold as a ‘future’.

Barrel samples are tasted annually by critics and merchants. The wine is then offered to consumers on the promise of delivery at a later date, once the wine is bottled and shipped.

The most important annual en primeur offers are those of Bordeaux and Burgundy, although you will also find offers from other wine regions including the Rhône Valley, Tuscany, Piedmont, California and Germany.

Scroll down for all of Decanter’s latest en primeur content

Bordeaux

Every spring after the vintage, the great cru classé properties of Bordeaux produce young barrel samples from the previous year’s harvest.

These are then tasted and assessed by members of the international wine trade in Bordeaux. The châteaux then release for sale a ‘tranche’, or proportion, of their total production at an opening price. This is sold in strict allocation to wine brokers in Bordeaux, known as négociants. The négociants then sell the offers to merchants.

What are the benefits of en primeur?

En primeur sales provide the châteaux with a ready source of cash, which they would otherwise not recoup until their wines are bottled and sold.

As the system stands, the négociants are more or less obliged to buy whatever the châteaux sell. If the négociants don’t buy what they are offered (in a bad year), they risk forfeiting their allocation for next year. This allows the châteaux to spread the risk of bad vintages, which they might otherwise struggle to sell.

For merchants, en primeur is an opportunity to check the quality of the wines at an early stage and decide if they would like their full allocations. Like négociants, they risk losing future allocations if they don’t buy the current vintage.

For consumers, en primeur is traditionally an opportunity to buy a wine at the lowest price. Market demand and retail margins can push the price of many wines up over time.

However, buyers should be aware of market volatility. The much-lauded 2010 en primeur campaign, for example, saw record high release prices in spring 2011, but suddenly crashed in the autumn. Some values have still not recovered, leaving many buyers of the 2010 vintage out of pocket.

Bordeaux produces a huge amount of wine, but in a much smaller industry such as Burgundy, en primeur can be the only opportunity to get hold of sought after wines with tiny allocations.

Bordeaux 2020 en primeur coverage:

NEW: Bordeaux 2020

Full Bordeaux 2020 en primeur coverage including:

Our en primeur verdict

Top-scoring wines

At a glance table: notes and scores for the best 74 wines

PLUS

Appellation overviews: Pauillac 2020, St-Estephe 2020, St-Julien 2020, Margaux 2020

Coming soon: Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2020| St-Emilion 2020| Pomerol 2020| Sauternes & Barsac 2020 | Médoc & Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac 2020 | Smaller appellations 2020 | White Bordeaux 2020

Saint-Emilion and Pomerol

See the latest wine reviews, news and opinion on Hunter Valley.

Quick Links Australia vintage guide | Decanter travel guide: Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia | Brokenwood, ILR Reserve Semillon, Hunter Valley, New South Wales 2005

Known for producing fresh, fruit-forward red wines, this native Piedmontese grape is beloved by consumers and industry folk alike.

QUICK LINKS: The brilliance of Piedmont Barbera wines | Alto Piemonte revival plus 12 wines to try | Turin city guide: Where to wine and dine

Although Nebbiolo often steals the show, it’s Barbera that keeps the locals coming back for more. Synonymous with the refreshing, easy-drinking red wines of Alba and Asti, this indigenous Piedmontese grape is one of Italy’s most widely cultivated red grape varieties.

Barbera’s main home is Piedmont, though the grape is also commonly found in Emilia-Romagna, Campania and Puglia.

Barbera is a dark-skinned variety known for producing wines low in tannins and high in acid – the former of which sets it most apart from the robustly tannic Nebbiolo-based wines of the region.

When consumed in their youth, wines made from Barbera often show flavours of bright cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and plums. The grape is believed to have originated in Piedmont’s Monferrato region, where it still has a strong presence today.

On the vine, Barbera is somewhat of a late-ripening variety and tends to be picked about one to two weeks after Dolcetto. The variety is known for its pronounced levels of acidity and relatively light tannins.

The variety is very vigorous and tends to produce hearty yields. When attentively pruned, Barbera grapes will show higher levels of concentration. Barbera is quite adaptable to a variety of soil types, though it tends to prefer those with less fertility (think calcareous or clay-loam soils). Additionally, Barbera is quite resistant to mildew, which makes it a favourable choice among growers in climates that suit it. In the cellar, most Barbera wines usually see at least a bit of oak ageing, though steel-vinified expressions are available.

Recently, Barbera has also gained some significant international traction. The grape has a noticeable presence in Australia, South America, California, and South Africa.

In Italy, Barbera is still a go-to daily drinker for many families, due in part to its attractive price point and easy drinkability.

SEE: Wine with pork: Advice on great pairings | Piedmont wine property for sale at €1,850,000 | Piedmont gets new DOCG area ‘Terre Alfieri’

See the latest wine reviews, news and opinion related to Barbera.

Bordeaux, with its many chateaux and the renowned 1855 Classification, is a leading destination for wine lovers, as well as the bedrock of the fine wine market and a benchmark for winemakers around the world.

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Quick Links Bordeaux Wine Reviews | Bordeaux Vintage Guide | Bordeaux En Primeur

New Bordeaux 2021 en primeur coverage:

Our en primeur verdict

At a glance table: notes and scores for the best 74 wines 

PLUS

Appellation overviews: Pauillac 2021, St-Estephe 2021, St-Julien 2021, Margaux 2021, Pomerol 2021, St-Emilion 2021 | Pessac-Léognan 2021 | Sauternes & Barsac 2021 | Médoc & Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac 2021 | Smaller appellations 2021 | White Bordeaux 2021

Bordeaux is often carved along its rivers, with the left bank on the Atlantic Ocean side of the rivers Gironde and Garonnne, and the right bank to the right and north of the Dordogne river, which also feeds into the Gironde. The area in between the rivers is known as Entre Deux Mers – literally, ‘between two seas’ in French.

The region is home to a plethora of the world’s best known wine estates, but they comprise only a small proportion of the area’s 120,000ha of vines that stretch right across the Gironde department in Aquitaine and likely trace their ancestral roots back around 2,000 years to when the Romans ruled the area.

Key appellations

There are 57 appellations across Bordeaux, making it the biggest producer of appellation wines in France.

Haut-Médoc

An appellation that stretches from Blanquefort in the south to past St-Estèphe in the north, with vines planted across 15 communes providing the most varied range of styles in all the left bank.

Margaux

With 1,100ha it only has a few less than St-Estèphe, and a very wide variety of soils.

Pauillac

With its 900ha sandwiched between St-Julien in the south and St-Estèphe in the north, Pauillac proudly resembles neither. The Pauillac style is varied; the fragrance of Lafite, the severity of Latour and the sumptuousness of Mouton making this point strongly, the base being a density of flavour and a firmness that needs time to open up.

St-Estèphe

With only five of the Medoc’s 62 crus classés, St-Estèphe might be seen as less able to compete for attention, but it’s the variety of styles allied to a certain robust solidity from the more clayey soils that makes it a sure bet.

St-Julien

Always the most homogeneous commune in the Médoc, with 80% of its 775ha devoted to crus classés.

St-Emilion

Soils range from clay to gravel and limestone. Premiers grands crus such as Ausone and Cheval Blanc are the equal of the left bank first growths.

Pomerol

Home to tiny estates and ‘garagistes’, Pomerol lacks any official classification but is home to titans such as Petrus. Levels of dense blue clay in the vineyards are among the highest in the world.

Sauternes & Barsac

Home to some of the most famous botrytis wines, such as Château d’Yquem.

Key grape varieties:

The designated red grape varieties in Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere.

In general, the left bank is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines and the right bank for its Merlot.

The main white varieties are Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, the former being the foundation of Bordeaux’s sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Bordeaux is also known for producing excellent dry white wines, for example under the AOC Graves or AOC Bordeaux labels.

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Famous, fabulous and fabled, Cabernet Sauvignon is responsible for many of the world’s greatest wines and is, arguably, the grandest of all red wine varieties.

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This thick-skinned, late-ripening variety performs best in the warm, gravelly soils of the Medoc in Bordeaux, usually blended with lesser amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Cabernet can be herbaceous when a little unripe with capsicum notes, becoming blackcurranty or cassis-like often with cedary, musky and spicy qualities. It’s deep-coloured and its assertive tannins and affinity with oak allow the wines to improve in bottle over years if not decades. It is equally capable of producing affordable, everyday reds in regions like the south of France’s pays d’Oc, and countries like Bulgaria and Chile as it is of producing wines with real finesse and class, the best of which come from Bordeaux and California and parts of Tuscany and Australia. Latterly, South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina are laying claim to some very good blends and varietals made from Cabernet Sauvignon.

SEE ALSO: The Cabernet Sauvignon quiz – test your knowledge |California Cabernet 2012: 10 top wines | Can Californian Cabernet improve with age? | 10 top To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon | WSET Level 2 – Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Grapes

How does it taste?

Cabernet Sauvignon covers a wide spectrum of aromas and flavours. It tends towards herbaceousness when not fully ripe with capsicum and grassy undertones, but as it ripens it tends towards the flavour of blackcurrant and, when very concentrated, cassis. In California and Chilean Cabernet, you can often spot mint or eucalyptus. Its affinity with oak lends secondary characters with a range of vanilla, cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, coffee, musk and spicy notes.

Food matching with Cabernet Sauvignon: Wild garlic and ricotta ravioli with lamb soup | Leg of Lamb Slow Cooked in Red Wine with Figs, Walnuts and Grapes

ASSYRTIKO IS GREECE’S most striking white grape. It hails from the Cyclades island of Santorini and covers 65% of its vineyard area, where many vines are ungrafted and vary in

age from 60 to 250 years. On this windswept volcanic isle, the roots of the Assyrtiko vine can reach up to 18m in the black, ash-rich soil, giving the resulting wines great minerality. The vines are uniquely trained in groundhugging, basket-weaved fashion to minimise wind damage during flowering, as well as grape sunburn. Maritime humidity and fog contribute to an annual rainfall of just 350mm in this improbable winemaking location. Different altitudes, latitudes and soils on this island result in varied styles. Wines classified as ‘Santorini’ are bone-dry, in-your-face, crisp, mineral-laden, high-acid wonders. Field blends of white grapes include the softer Athiri and the aromatic Aidani (it was only possible to produce a 100% Assyrtiko with the advent of sorting belts, where selection is done by hand).

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Over the past 25 years, Assyrtiko has increasingly been planted on the Greek mainland, where it is trellised and yields are higher. Mainland wines are more aromatic, with an edgy character, and rounder with a more discreet minerality. Here, Assyrtiko has proved to be a real chameleon in a blend, able to partner a variety of grapes. Malagousia and Semillon are the best, giving the resulting wines a fascinating flavour profile. One overdone, albeit commercially successful, formula has been to pair Assyrtiko with Sauvignon Blanc, but there are now more interesting options in a country not short of characterful indigenous white grapes (estimated at 150 varieties).

SEE ALSO: First Assyrtiko planted in Australia | Minerality in wine: What does it mean to you? 

With or without oak

For wines classified as ‘Nykteri’, grapes are picked at night to avoid hot temperatures. They can be vinified in steel or oak but must be aged in oak for a minumum of three months. The result is still a bone-dry wine with high acidity but is fuller-bodied. However, the majority of the island’s producers still prefer unoaked Assyrtikos (mainly those under the Santorini classification) to preserve the grape’s mineral, flinty characters. In top vintages, wines from Santorini need two to three years to come round. In outstanding years, like 2009 and 2011, Assyrtikos can age well for a decade. Mainland examples seem to evolve a little faster, but vines are still relatively young there so comparisons are difficult. Assyrtiko’s qualities have not gone unnoticed even beyond its home frontiers. It has been planted in Australia and is being evaluated elsewhere, such as in Italy’s Alto Adige – viticulturists sense that there is still much more to coax from this adaptable, charismatic grape. Prized for its high acidity even in ripe years, Assyrtiko is consequently an excellent wine to pair with food, aided by its pronounced savoury profile, stony minerality and citrus freshness.

This unique Greek grape is rising from relative obscurity, with an insider cult following, to achieve a resonant new voice in the wine world. Recent vintages to look out for are the charming 2012 and stellar 2011.

Updated by Jeanne Thexton on the 12th of January 2016

From the heart of Manhattan to the wilderness of Sweden, our experts have travelled all over the world to bring you recommendations and reviews.

Read about their experiences and find the top places to drink well and dine well, including the restaurant with the best Burgundy list in London and the famous Hitching Post II restaurant from the film Sideways.

Discover the best of cities such as Florence, Cape Town and New York, as well as wine regions such as Napa, Sonoma and Bordeaux.

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Located in northeast of France, Alsace is something of a hidden treasure, known for its very aromatic, floral and spicy white wines – and it’s white wines that make up over 90% of the region’s production.

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The region has a unique heritage, as it has changed hands between France and Germany on several occasions throughout history. The wines are heavily influenced by their German neighbours, and even the bottles share the same fluted shape.

Climate

Alsace benefits from a semi-continental climate, which is mostly sunny, hot and dry. Situated in the foothills of the Vosges mountains, the vineyards are located in a rain shadow and are well exposed to the sun, which suits the slow ripening grape varieties grown here.

Grapes

The key grape varieties include Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Gris.

Quick links Wine reviews | Producer profiles | Ten top Alsace restaurants

There are 15,500ha of AOC vineyards and 53 appellations – 51 of which are designated grands crus.

As well as still wines, the region also produces the most popular AOC sparkling wine consumed in France, Crémant d’Alsace.

Made mainly from Pinot Blanc, but also from Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay, it is a méthode traditionelle sparkling wine with a bright, fresh character.

Alsace Premiers Crus: What you need to know

Alsace Riesling: Comparing grand cru sites

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This page is currently being sponsored by the Lake Geneva Region tourist office and content here originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Decanter magazine.

The Canton Vaud is Switzerland’s second largest wine region and where a quarter of all Swiss wine is produced.

It is a jaw-droppingly beautiful area, especially around Lausanne and Vevey. On the North shores of Lake Geneva, it specialises in Chasselas, Gamay and Pinot Noir with 66% (2,498ha) of its vineyard area dedicated to white and 34% (1,286ha) to red.

The Lavaux vineyards were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their remarkable natural beauty in 2007.

About the Chasselas (Fendant) grape: Typically gives delicate, low-acid, low-alcohol wines with a slight CO2 prickle. Planted in prime sites, notably Lavaux, it can give wines of distinction and subtle depth.

Once seen as a workhorse variety, Carignan is coming back with a serious, flavour-packed bang.

Formerly one of the most important grape varieties in southern France, Carignan fell from grace in the 20th century due to a rapidly increasing demand for international varieties. Because of this, many of southern Europe’s treasured – and very old – vines were replaced with more ‘fashionable’ grapes, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Quick link: The Rise of Carignan

However, Carignan is seeing a renaissance like never before, and it’s popularity amongst winemakers goes far beyond the south of France.

Referred to as Carignane in the United States and Cariñena in Spain / South America (also Samsó in Catalonia/Priorat and Mazuelo in Rioja), Carignan is known for its high levels of acidity and very austere tannins.

These traits have made the variety a go-to candidate for using in red blends, as the grape’s innately robust nature can be overpowering when vinified as a mono-varietal wine. However, many producers are turning to carbonic maceration and other techniques to craft easier-drinking, more approachable expressions of single-varietal Carignan.

Carignan viticulture

In the vineyard, Carignan can be quite finicky. The grape is late ripening, which renders it susceptible to powdery mildew. Mechanical harvesting can also be tricky, as the vines themselves are quite hardy.

In terms of quantity, Carignan vines produce very high yields (for larger producers, this is seen more as a benefit than a disadvantage).

Today, Carignan is widely planted across the south of France (Languedoc and Roussillon, specifically), California’s Central Coast, Chile, Sardinia, and numerous regions in Spain, including Priorat, Catalonia, Rioja, and beyond.

The grape does well in hot, desert-like conditions and thrives in a variety of soils, from the llicorella (schist) based soils of Priorat to limestone and more.

Although detailed tasting notes are wine-specific, Carignan tends to show spicy flavours of dark fruits, pepper, liquorice and baking spice.

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Castilla y León encompasses some of Spain’s most memorable vistas, from its wild mountain ranges and sprawling plains to historic cities like Segovia and Salamanca.

Several Denominación de Origens (DOs) also sit within the area, including Ribera del Duero, Bierzo, Toro and Rueda.

Learn about this diverse wine area with the articles below.

• Grape guide to Castilla y León
• The best of Castilla y León regions

Native to the coastal region of Galicia, Albariño (also referred to as Alvarinho) is one of the key white grape varieties of the Iberian Peninsula.

The grape is characterised by high acidity and thick skins, as well as its ability to respond well to excessive humidity and heat. The names Albariño and Alvarinho derive from the word albo, which means white in Latin.

Albariño wine styles

Wines produced from Albariño span a variety of flavour profiles and styles. Most commonly, Albariño wines are dry, show flavours of peach, apricot, citrus, and white flowers, and clock in around 11.5-12.5% ABV. When used to create Portugal’s signature Vinho Verde wines, the bottles are often labeled varietally (Alvarinho, as opposed to Vinho Verde) so as to separate it from the more common Loureiro-based assemblages of the region.

Although most frequently vinified into crisp and mineral-driven mono-varietal wines, producers of Albariño will sometimes implement lees ageing to add texture, richness, and weight to these relatively light-bodied cuvées. Oak ageing can also be used to add the same effect. Most Albariño-based wines, particularly from the Iberian Peninsula, show a signature saline-tinged characteristic, due to the vines’ proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. This pronounced salinity makes the wines ideal for serving alongside a variety of tapas, especially seafood.

Outside of Spain and Portugal, Albariño is gaining traction in other maritime-influenced regions, including coastal California (San Luis Obispo, Napa, and Santa Ynez Valley), Oregon, and New Zealand (Marlborough, Nelson, and Gisborne). Although thought to have been a key player in Australia’s viticultural scene, recent DNA testing has confirmed that almost all of the “Albariño” planted on the continent is actually the French variety Savagnin.

Albariño viticulture

In the vineyard, Albariño is cultivated in a variety of ways. In Portugal’s Minho region (home of Vinho Verde), the vines are often trained on pergolas, whereas in Spain, these plants are often wire trained. Canopies are generally kept large so as to house the generous amount of buds that an average Albariño vine produces (around 30-40). These hardy vines are able to withstand excessive heat and humidity, rendering them perfect matches for the damp, salty conditions of western Iberia.

QUICK LINKS: Origins of Albariño | Best Albariño wines under £20: Ten to try | Albariños of acclaim

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DNA analyses have indicated that Aglianico may be a variety ancestral to such grapes as Syrah, Teroldego and Negroamaro.

The Mastroberardino family, led by the scholarly Antonio Mastroberardino (who considers himself as much an archaeologist of vines as a winemaker), preserved and propagated the species, which may be the oldest of Campanian vines.

‘Aglianico has been grown in Campania for thousands of years. It made wine for the Romans. For centuries it has proliferated but was almost destroyed by phylloxera and was on the verge of extinction until my family acted.’

Before phylloxera, Aglianico was one of the most widely planted varieties throughout the south of Italy. After phylloxera, the grape survived in small quantities in more or less isolated areas, principally around Rionero del Vulture in Basilicata, around Avellino, Benevento, Caserta and Salerno in Campania.

The wines of two of those areas always commanded respect within Italy and among a handful of connoisseurs abroad: Aglianico del Vulture, of which D’Angelo was the major producer, and Taurasi, of which the Avellino-based Mastroberardino was the most important producer.

It’s probably not stretching the truth to say that for a few decades in the late 20th century, those two accounted for 90% of the Aglianico wines on the Italian market and 99% of the Aglianico wines sold abroad – the wines’ commercial and critical success gradually encouraged other producers to try a similar path.

Aided and abetted by clonal studies undertaken in cooperation with the University of Naples, growers old and new began to renovate their vineyards, a process still ongoing and likely to continue for some time yet.

They also began to modernise their cellar techniques and started bringing into the traditional-minded Aglianico heartland some of Italy’s best and most up-to-date consulting oenologists – notably Riccardo Cotarella, who has scored fantastic successes with estates such as Feudi di San Gregorio, Villa Matilde, and Montevetrano.

Written by Tom Maresca

Although the rediscovery of ancient varieties is always welcome, the focus in Abruzzo remains firmly on Montepulciano. It’s a versatile grape, in the sense that it can give pleasure in numerous guises. It can be vinified and aged in stainless steel to give a simple, attractive wine with freshness and transparency of fruit. If cropped low, it can be aged in casks or barriques – even new barriques – to create wines of altogether greater depth, concentration and complexity.

The oaked Montepulcianos are not really wines for everyday drinking, being too dense and powerful, but are superb winter warmers. Some can develop gamey aromas with age; others remain on a plateau, displaying primary fruit for years. Montepulciano does evolve with age, but it’s not a variety that demands bottle age to show complexity.

Another manifestation of Montepulciano is Cerasuolo, a rosé wine that is usually made by giving the juice a maceration of eight to 18 hours on the skins before fermentation. The result is a light red rather than a rosé, a wine with body and succulence. It’s very popular in the region, but exports have been growing. Even in a good pizzeria in the regional capital of Pescara, you don’t necessarily want to drink a rich red. Cerasuolo, with its vinosity and weight – ideally drunk lightly chilled – is just the ticket. Most producers agree that you mustn’t think of Cerasuolo as a way to use up your least interesting grapes; it should be made from grapes of high quality, and treated seriously.

Being a very large and dispersed region, with vineyards separated by 100km from north to south, Abruzzo is divided into many sub-regions, and there are also DOCs such as Controguerra that permit the use of non-Italian varieties such as Chardonnay or Merlot. Only someone steeped in the detail of Abruzzo terroir would be able to identify the many sub-zones for Montepulciano in the glass. Only one is of real importance: Colline Teramane, Abruzzo’s only DOCG. Located around the town of Teramo on clay and limestone soils in the region’s north, the wines from here have noticeable concentration and depth – but so can regular Montepulciano made elsewhere from low-yielding vines.

Vine training is an issue here. The traditional trellising, known as tendone, is similar to the pergola system found in many other parts of Italy. Designed to shade the bunches and make harvest less arduous, it can produce very good wines, as long as yields are kept low. Because new plantings have moved to French-style rows, the remaining tendone vineyards are old, which can also contribute to quality. Both systems of training have their advocates and merits.

Co-op country

Abruzzo is dominated by cooperatives. It’s thought that about 80% of all wine from Abruzzo is made by coops, most of which are located in hotter areas like Chieti. The best, such as Tollo and Citra, make very good wine at the top of the range – Tollo even dabbles in organic wines. But most of their products fall into the cheap and cheerful category.

So in Abruzzo, as elsewhere, it’s important to identify the best producers. The big beasts are Masciarelli, still on fine form despite the untimely death of its dynamic founder Gianni Masciarelli, and the patchier if more zany Zaccagnini. As well as the estates below, look out for the rich, polished reds from Nicodemi; the whites from Il Feuduccio; a good range of sensibly priced wines from Talamonti; the top wines (especially Montepulciano ‘Bellovedere’) of La Valentina, an estate advised by the renowned Luca D’Attoma; and the remarkable but very expensive Trebbiano from Valentini.

By Stephen Brook

Although long regarded as Chardonnay’s inferior Burgundian counterpart, Aligoté is finally beginning to make a name for itself across the globe. Although its history is much more youthful than Chardonnay’s (the first documentation of the variety in Burgundy dates back to the 1700s), this hardy grape is responsible for some of the region’s most exciting wines today.

Aligoté is generally used to make dry white wines, though it is permitted in the production of regional crémants. When vinified still and dry, Aligoté commonly shows bright and slightly herbal flavors of tart green apple, stone fruit, white flowers, acacia, lemon, and grilled nuts. The grape is high in natural acidity, and although most expressions are enjoyed in their youth, those produced at the hands of high-quality producers can withstand years in the cellar.

Aligoté was first created as the result of crossing Pinot Noir with Gouais Blanc. On the vine, Aligoté is early ripening and is quite tolerant to cooler temperatures. Aligoté has two dedicated AOCs within Burgundy: Bourgogne Aligoté and Bouzeron. Outside of Burgundy, Aligoté is also cultivated in the eastern European countries of Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Switzerland, as well as in Washington State and California (albeit, in small quantities).

In its past life, Aligoté was most commonly known for its role in Burgundy’s Kir cocktail, which blends local white wine (generally produced from the Aligoté variety) with cassis. As land prices continue to explode in Burgundy’s most sought-after appellations, many up-and-coming producers are looking to Aligoté plots to cultivate their wines. For those looking to stay in the know, we recommend following regional pioneers of Aligoté, including Charles Lachaux, Sylvain Pataille, and more.

Classic Aligoté characters include citrus fruit and apple aromas and flavours, high levels of acidity and some mineral/stony notes.

It is often drunk young – usually released in the spring after harvest – and is the traditional white wine used in the ‘Kir Royale’ cocktail.

Popular synonyms for Aligoté include Blanc de Trois, Vert Blanc and Chaudenet Gris.

Read about Custoza wines from Northern Italy.

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