Bordeaux Vintages: Why the Year Can Beat the Château
A dozen 1961 Lafites sold for $4,335 in 1990–91 and a dozen 1965s for $190. This guide to Bordeaux vintages explains how weather sets a year, what First Growth means…
Alsace Wine Region: A Moving Border and a Mountain Wall
French drinkers once found Alsace's wines too green, too acidic and too expensive. This guide to the Alsace wine region covers the border that moved four times, the Vosges rain…
Loire Valley Wine Guide: Four Regions Along One River
A guide to Loire Valley wine: the four regions along the river from Muscadet to Sancerre, their grapes and styles, how to read the labels, and where the sources disagree.
Viognier: The Perfumed Grape That Almost Vanished
In the 1960s the whole world had fewer than 10 hectares of Viognier. By 2016 it had about 16,000. Here is what it tastes like, why it nearly disappeared and…
Why New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Tastes Like Passionfruit
Yeast, not the vineyard, makes the passionfruit in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. How a country that paid farmers to pull up vines ended up planting two-thirds of its vineyards with…
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris: One Grape, Many Wines
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape. What it tastes like, why the styles split so far apart, where the good bottles come from, and what to eat…
Chardonnay: The Blank Canvas of White Wine
One grape sits behind flinty Chablis, buttery Napa, the backbone of Champagne and the most expensive dry white wine in the world. Here is how to read a Chardonnay.
Wine Bottle Sizes Explained: From Split to Nebuchadnezzar
Magnum, Jeroboam, Methuselah, Nebuchadnezzar — every wine bottle size has a name and a history. Here is the complete guide, including the naming conflict between Bordeaux and Champagne that catches…
Red Wine Alcohol Content: ABV by Style and Grape Variety
Gamay is 11–12.5% ABV. Barossa Shiraz can exceed 16%. Here is the complete guide to red wine alcohol content by style, grape variety, and region — and how ABV shapes…
Wine Colours Explained: Red, White, Rosé and Orange
Every wine colour tells a story. Pale lemon-green means young and unoaked; deep garnet means age; brick-orange means old. Here is what every shade from white to orange wine reveals…
Pinot Gris vs Pinot Grigio: What Is the Difference?
Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape variety. But a light Italian Grigio and a rich Alsatian Gris taste almost nothing alike. Here is why, and which to…
Chenin Blanc: The Complete Guide to the World’s Most Versatile White Wine
Chenin Blanc produces more wine styles than almost any other grape: bone-dry, off-dry, sparkling, sweet, and botrytised wines that age for half a century. This is the complete guide to…