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The barrel room at Beykush Winery. In partnership with Beykush Winery, Big Wines and SHABO With over 2,800 years of history, winemaking in Ukraine is not new. The earliest roots of the country’s winemaking heritage can be traced back through evidence of vinegrowing in the 8th century BC. Viticulture on the territory of modern Ukraine began in earnest with the …

When María Sancho and Paco Cotino came upon a property in Utiel-Requena with an imposing, albeit almost derelict, estate manor surrounded by rolling hills and old, bush-trained Bobal vines, they knew they were being offered a challenge worth embracing. They embarked on a renovation and renewal project that combines their passion for architecture and viticulture, allowing them to revisit tradition …

The exclusive Domanie Clarence Dillon masterclass at Decanter’s NYC Fine Wine Encounter featured 10 wines from three impressive estates. Soon after 9am – an hour before doors opened – queues started forming for the Domaine Clarence Dillon masterclass, the first in a stellar programme of guided tastings at Decanter’s third Fine Wine Encounter in New York. With three vintages each …

Grape pickers at Beykush Winery in Ukraine. In partnership with Beykush Winery, Big Wines and SHABO Beykush Winery Winemaking in the northern reaches of the Black Sea has always been a dialogue. This conversation has spanned some 3,000 years, enriched by the voices of winemakers from far and wide, among them the Cimmerians, ancient Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. That’s the belief of family-run winery …

It wasn’t all that long ago that judging the rosé class in a New Zealand wine show was a bit like receiving a competition booby prize. Quality was as variable as the colours, but alas, not nearly as enticing. New Zealand’s rosés may still come in a veritable rainbow of pink hues, but the quality has taken a huge leap …

Pauly Vandenbergh of Munda Wines Pauly Vandenbergh, a proud Wirangu and Kokatha man, is the director and co-owner of Munda Wines, one of Australia’s first indigenous wine brands. The label was launched in 2022 with co-founder and wine industry veteran Damien Smith, and it now is about to release four new wines. However, there is plenty more to these wines …

We set off into the subject, agreeing that part of the pleasure of wine was mood-enhancement: relaxation, changed perspectives, lubricated conversation, emotional engagement, a wider view on life. Moderation is essential, but there’s no denying that in drinking wine we’re looking for mild inebriation and the fun it brings. ‘I’m not advocating getting drunk,’ said Laura, ‘but we have to …

Washington’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates continues to divest itself of wineries and brands. Wine Spectator has learned that Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori has purchased sole ownership of Col Solare, a premium Washington winery the two companies launched as a 50-50 partnership in 1995. The sale includes the brand, a winery and 29 acres of vines. The price was not disclosed. Annual …

Wine lists are a labor of love, reflecting passion at every level—from the winemakers to the sommeliers to the restaurant owners. Hard work goes into curating wine selections that align with the restaurant’s cuisine, pricing and atmosphere, as well as the desires of all its customers. It takes a special level of dedication for a restaurant to reach the pinnacle …

Felipe Tosso, Viña Ventisquero’s chief oenologist Do you know the feeling? You’ve got new shoes and your favourite jacket. You’ve had a good haircut. You step out into the street feeling confident and ready to take on the world… That feeling was everywhere I went, on my recent visit to Chile – winemakers brimming with enthusiasm; wines full of energy. …

Beehives at Denbies Wine Estate. Last year was a ‘near perfect year’, according to a recent report released by the Wines of Great Britain (WineGB) trade body, written by Stephen Skelton MW. Figures from the Food Standards Agency Wine Team showed total production reached 21.6 million (m) bottles, almost double the amount in the previous year. Skelton forecast that if …

Winners of the 50 coveted Best in Show medals at Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 have been revealed, following publication of the full results of this year’s competition. From a warehouse brimming with more than 72,000 bottles to four tasting suites hosting the world’s foremost wine experts, assessing more than 18,000 wines, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) judging process …

Bitter beginnings: British cocktail bitters The Bitter Club is a new range of premium British cocktail bitters inspired by luxury perfume and beauty brands. Created by Ro Murray, the range consists of three flavours: Grapefruit & Elderberry, Cinnamon & Orange and Hibiscus & Rose (all Alc 39%). Made without artificial sweeteners or flavourings, they can be used to add a …

Throughout the world of wine, certain vineyards become legendary. Some because they are synonymous (or even eponymous) with legendary producers who often have owned the entire vineyard for generations. Other vineyards, however, achieve their renown in the space of a single lifetime through (and sometimes because of) the many producers who return year after year to make wine from what …

The glass jar inside the funerary urn contained five litres of oxidised wine. Researchers said their analysis suggests an ash urn dating back roughly 2,000 years contains the ‘oldest wine conserved in a liquid state’ that has so far been found. In 2019, archaeologists in the Spanish city of Carmona near Seville unearthed a Roman necropolis dating to the 1st …

Elizabeth Gabay MW, Beatrice Bessi and Poppy de Courcy-Wheeler tasted 77 wines, with 4 Outstanding and 26 Highly recommended. Bandol: Panel tasting scores 77 wines tasted Exceptional 0 Outstanding 4 Highly recommended 26 Recommended 42 Commended 5 Fair 0 Poor 0 Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-vintage AP Bandol wines in white, rosé or …

A view across the estate of RdV Vineyards, now renamed Lost Mountain. Virginia’s RdV Vineyards has been acquired by Eutopia Estates, set to be the new brand name for the Bouygues family’s wine portfolio and which includes Château Montrose in Bordeaux. Under the deal, RdV Vineyards will also be renamed Lost Mountain. It has been named after its founder, Rutger …

Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 results have been published today (19 June), showing all medal winners in this year’s competition. ‘Picture yourself in the biggest wine shelf of the world, and next to you there are the best wine experts, holding your hand and helping you to make the best decision possible,’ described wine consultant and judge Agnes Csiba Herczeg, …

Ancient, gnarly, cork oaks stand half-naked in the midday sun. And then come the vineyards, as far as the eye can see. Welcome to the Alentejo region. With its golden plains and rolling hills topped with white-washed villages and majestic medieval cities, the Alentejo grows most of the nation’s rice, wheat, barley and oats, supplies half of the world’s cork, …

Terry Robards, a longtime reporter and wine writer for The New York Times who later served as a columnist for Wine Spectator, died last month at the age of 84. The cause was heart failure. Robards wrote his best-known works between the 1960s and 1980s, at a time when many Americans were just discovering wine. Sales had long lagged behind …