
Matt Walls
Matt Walls is an award-winning freelance wine writer and consultant, contributing regular articles to various print and online titles including Decanter, where he is a contributing editor. He publishes the blog mattwalls.co.uk, for which he was named the 2015 International Wine & Spirit Competition Blogger of the Year.
His first book on wine, Drink Me!, won Best Newcomer at the 2013 Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. In addition to writing, Walls advises restaurants on wine lists, hosts tastings and judges at food and wine competitions.
He was previously fine wine manager at UK importer Mentzendorff, and bought wines for the flagship store of London’s The Sampler.
He writes about all areas of wine, but specialises in the Rhône, for which he was Regional Chair at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2019.
Matt's latest book, The Smart Traveller's Wine Guide to the Rhône Valley, was published in September 2025.
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Essential oils and the fight against mildew: What producers around the world can learn from an estate in Costières de Nîmes
The sweet smell of success?...
By Matt Walls Published
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Six Rhône producers on the down-low you need to know about
Flying high above the rest...
By Matt Walls Published
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Château Rayas: The enduring winemaking mysteries behind this Rhône icon
Tasting a legacy...
By Matt Walls Published
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Northern Rhône 2015: Panel tasting results
Syrahs hitting their stride...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Our expert’s top 25 Côtes du Rhône 2024 wines
Lots of fresh drinkable wines to choose from...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Matt Walls: Reflections on 2025 and his favourite Rhône wines of the year
Looking back on the year...
By Matt Walls Published
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Six Swiss Syrah to convert the most die-hard Rhône lover
A trip to the eastern Rhône...
By Matt Walls Published
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Lirac & Tavel 2024: The most characterful top-scoring wines
Some good value to be had...
By Matt Walls Published
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Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2024: The very best wines from a standout year
Gigondas rules the roost this year...
By Matt Walls Published
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Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2024: The best of the vintage’s ‘precise and drinkable’ wines
A safe bet for enjoyment and drinkability...
By Matt Walls Published
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024: Best picks from a fresh and vibrant bunch
A tale of contrasts...
By Matt Walls Published
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St-Joseph 2024: The best wines brimming with peppery spice
An early-drinking vintage with fragrance and delicacy...
By Matt Walls Published
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Crozes-Hermitage 2024: Our expert’s picks in a year where selection is key
Tough times for this appellation, with a few glimmers of hope...
By Matt Walls Published
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Hermitage 2024: Elegant reds but a vintage where white wines reign supreme
Look out for the whites...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Smell: How our most overlooked sense can ground us
Exploring the rhythms of seasons and scent...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2024: An early drinking vintage
Challenges in Rhône's northern extremities...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Cornas & St-Péray 2024: A vintage that yielded wines of charm and elegance
A few names rose to the top this year...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Emmanuel Reynaud, owner of iconic Châteauneuf estate Château Rayas, dies at 61
Emmanuel passed away on 25 November 2025 aged 61, following a long illness...
By Matt Walls Published
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Rhône 2024 en primeur: Full report and the vintage’s top-scoring wines
An outlier vintage, with mixed results...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
Best of the far north...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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‘Vieille Julienne’s Réservé is Grenache in excelsis’: Matt Walls on a Châteauneuf stand out
An unforgettable Grenache – one to rule them all?
By Matt Walls Published
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Matt Walls: ‘Since we can only consume a bottle once, it needs to be memorable’
Matt Walls on what constitutes quality in wine...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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How Tablas Creek went on a quest to bottle Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s hidden grapes
A taste of the Rhône from Paso...
By Matt Walls Last updated
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Matt Walls picks the 12 best Cornas wines to open now or save for later
Stellar nothern stars...
By Matt Walls Last updated
