Discovery

Alsace is home to varietal wines even though several varieties can sometimes be blended. This apparently simple approach in actual fact belies the region’s remarkable complexity and array of vineyard sites. It promotes multiple combinations that lend the wines their unique characters.

As a premier Spanish wine region, Rioja has scaled the heights of quality and allowed the country to shine in the global wine firmament. Although rival regions such as Priorat and Ribera del Duero may be knocking on the door of vinous fame too, Rioja is not about to relinquish its ranking. It has not rested on the laurels of tradition and in recent times has successfully reinvented itself as evidenced by the relentless growth of its exports. We take a closer look at a trend that shows no signs of abating.

Argentina is renowned around the world for its Malbec, but in its fertile soils, many vibrant wines are also being produced from other varieties, both autochthonous and European.

After three decades of a free-market economy, the Czech Republic is about to reach another milestone in its wine history. While in recent times, the local wine industry has always been a more or less disparate, yet in many ways co-operative, mass of competing businesses, over the past few months the idea of a common approach for the future has slowly begun to materialise. With the general support of winegrowers, the idea of a unified winery concept is being developed, with emphasis among others on production efficiency, the most suitable varieties, exports and the environment, in addition to the established focus on quality. After years of adolescence, a fully-fledged and self-confident wine region with very promising potential is breaking onto the scene.

Navigating amongst the shadows cast on them by the Grands Crus Classés and the Crus Bourgeois, it could seem that Médoc Crus Artisans suffer from a lack awareness. But these often long-standing, boutique estates spread across all the Médoc appellations in the world’s most famous wine region focus on site-expressiveness and most certainly deserve a visit.

When a legendary wine region makes a firm commitment to the environment, its status is enhanced even further. In Burgundy, the number of wineries certified High Environmental Value has doubled since 2020, a trend which mirrors the region’s long-standing quality-driven focus. Gilbert & Gaillard went to the heart of the region to find out more about the phenomenon.