Wine Territories

It is sometimes tempting to think that Burgundy is all about its revered giants, and nothing else. Its Chambertins, Montrachets and Cortons, all those ruinously expensive labels that are not only reserved for an elite audience, but also totally impossible to lay your hands on. Or at best, its Meursault and Gevrey Chambertin Premiers Crus, that are barely more affordable. But no, the ‘Village’ appellation level provides the perfect solution for those who want to drink very good wines, without breaking the bank. And if you’re prepared to spend some time searching – they are only produced on a boutique scale – some of them even have extremely affordable price tags. We dive deep into some classic offerings for enlightened enthusiasts, and a genuine treasure trove for the geeky browsers.

Producing your own wine is a challenging task where seemingly trivial choices can rapidly become consequential. Winegrowers’ character traits can come into sharper focus and before Champagne becomes an art form, it requires technical skills. Joining forces to produce it may seem like a tall order, but the reality belies this assumption. Co-operative wineries account for a sizeable chunk of production and have met with significant success. To find out more, we questioned six co-operatives producing different styles of Champagne from different areas.

The Côtes de Bordeaux group of appellations is a major player both in France and export markets, but it is increasingly under threat from a fragile, volatile economic climate. We decided to sound out some of the area’s leading lights and hear their testimonials about a wine market that is struggling to reinvent itself.

Mention the Southern Rhone wine region and most people immediately think Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As the region’s spearhead, blessed with ancient craftsmanship and an international reputation, it could easily make us forget that very nearby other fine southern wines are being produced, on similar soils. One is Lirac, in all three colours, and the other is the rosé-only Tavel appellation. We go on a voyage of discovery through these three appellations to look at their unique characters.

Only the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Umbria are missing from our journey through Italy's wine-growing regions. We visit them and place particular emphasis on their sustainability efforts.

In 1971, Cahors was awarded appellation status with 500 hectares under vine. Half a century later, this benchmark appellation in South-West France now boasts nearly 4,500 hectares of bearing vineyards spread across 45 localities. This quantum leap in acreage is a genuine symbol of success…