From the category archives:

Grape Varieties

Umberto Cesari – Sangiovese Riserva 2008

December 31, 2011
Thumbnail image for Umberto Cesari – Sangiovese Riserva 2008

Emilia-Romagna is not a wine producing region in Italy that is well known for turning out wines of quality but one producer believed in the area and founded his vineyards there over 40 years ago. Emilia-Romagna is not that far from Tuscany, situated to the north east of the area on the other side of [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

If You Like Merlot You Should Try…

December 5, 2011
Thumbnail image for If You Like Merlot You Should Try…

Merlot is arguably the most fashionable red wine grape currently. Its soft and fruity characteristics make it easy to drink and yet it has enough complexity to satisfy the discerning drinker. If you are not a fan of big, heavyweight red wines then Merlot and other medium-bodied reds could be for you. With the health [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

If You Like Shiraz, Try These…

October 3, 2011
Thumbnail image for If You Like Shiraz, Try These…

Shiraz, or Syrah as it is also known, is one of the most popular red wine grapes in the world. It delivers a heavyweight red wine packed with characteristics of pepper and spice. The grape is known as Shiraz in Australia. Australian Shiraz is robust and powerful, full of black fruit and with a velvety [...]

2 comments Read the full article →

L’azerolle 2009, Old Vine Carignan From the Minervois

September 23, 2011
Thumbnail image for L’azerolle 2009, Old Vine Carignan From the Minervois

I was in the new Battersea Market not long ago and came upon the folks from DVine Wine who had set up a small stall in the market. DVine are a great bunch of people and are doing their best to bring organic and biodynamic wines to the public’s attention. Greg and Sara of DVine [...]

2 comments Read the full article →

The Durif Grape

September 21, 2011
Thumbnail image for The Durif Grape

If you are a fan of big red wines made from the Nebbiolo grape, such as Barolo, or Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre blends such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape then you may find the Durif grape to your liking. This historic Rhone grape is now rarely seen in France but is starting to make its name in Australia [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Shiraz – Australia’s Most Popular Grape?

August 4, 2011
Thumbnail image for Shiraz – Australia’s Most Popular Grape?

Ask any red wine drinker which grape they would most associate with Australia and the answer would almost certainly be “Shiraz“. This big blockbuster of a red wine grape has become synonymous with the Australian wine industry, despite the fact that it only started being taken seriously in the 1990s. Until the 1990s the Shiraz [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Montenegrin Red Wine, Vranac, 2007

May 6, 2011
Thumbnail image for Montenegrin Red Wine, Vranac, 2007

Photo courtesy of Blue Danube Wine Company Montenegro is not really a place that I know much about. The name rings a bell, as in, didn’t it used to be part of the former Yugoslavia, but other then that, I draw a blank. And as for wines, I wasn’t even aware that they made wine, [...]

1 comment Read the full article →

Tannat: Uruguay’s Flagship Varietal

January 27, 2011
Thumbnail image for Tannat: Uruguay’s Flagship Varietal

I was in Uruguay before Christmas to try their national grape, Tannat. Tannat is originally from South West France, the Madiran DOC and there is known as a rustic wine with plenty of tannic structure. It’s not common to find 100% Tannat from France because of this. More often then not, it’s a blend, (as most French [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Gamay

June 12, 2010
Thumbnail image for Gamay

Whilst perhaps not as well known as many other red wines hailing from France (the legendary Burgundy being a good example), Gamay red wine nevertheless has a staunch following among those who really know their red wine. Also known as Beaujolais because it principally hails from the Beaujolais region of Burgundy in France, the Gamay [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Nebbiolo

April 30, 2010
Thumbnail image for Nebbiolo

An Italian red wine grape which is used to make some of the country’s finest wines, Nebbiolo is rich in tannins and its wines lend themselves well to ageing. The grape is most commonly associated with the Piedmont region of Italy, where it is known as Nebieul in the local dialect. Typically, Nebbiolo produces red [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Malbec

March 5, 2010
Thumbnail image for Malbec

A red wine grape that is used to produce some of the world’s most popular wines, Malbec benefits from its ability to adapt well to varied weather conditions and soil types. Originating in the Bordeaux region of France, where it is seen principally as a blending wine, Malbec grapes have found fame in their own [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries