Grapes

In just over 30 years, Malbec has catapulted Argentina into the competitive international world of wines. It arrived in the South American country in the 1850s and subsequently managed to avoid the ravages caused by phylloxera in France, thus preserving its original genetics. Fast forward to 2022, and it accounted for 56% of Argentina’s total wine exports.

In 2022, the Rhone Valley marketed 329 million bottles and shipped wines to 186 countries, making it one of France’s premier wine regions. Amidst a galaxy of legendary appellations like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côte-Rôtie and Crozes-Hermitage, five less publicised southern growths each offer some incredible pours.

Twins and yet different in so many ways, the Brouilly and Côte-de-Brouilly appellations fully illustrate the breadth and depth of the Beaujolais Crus proposition. Their location and their name make them neighbours, and yet they offer unique defining features that translate the subtlety of their respective vineyard sites and can be identified with every sip.

Stellenbosch is the heartbeat of South African Cabernet Sauvignon, whose legacy has been nurtured here for over a century, rooted in soils as old as 600 million years. This storied region boasts a landscape sculpted by towering mountains and nuanced valleys where Cabernet Sauvignon has become inseparable from its identity. Furthering its international footprint, Stellenbosch Cabernet was founded as a collective, underscoring a decade-long journey of refining Cabernet Sauvignon and beckoning the curious Cabernet Sauvignon drinker to delve deeper.

A global consumer lauds Sauvignon Blanc, and South Africa excels without regional constraints. The myriad styles produced here attest to its potential and exceptional ageability as passionate producers embrace the contrasting landscapes to make mystifying to boastfully aromatic wines with a burgeoning following from both ends. Hence, Sauvignon Blanc remains the country's top-selling and most exported cultivar.

South Africa has by far the most Chenin Blanc plantings in the world, constituting 50% of all global plantings. As a variety in South Africa, Chenin has unleashed a wine culture bereft of profanities, pretence, and the fear of imperfection. Instead, through the lucid exploration of Chenin over decades, authentic stories surfaced, many rooted in old vines discovered throughout the Cape Winelands. As a wine, it steers creatives and empowers people. And as a phenomenon, its character, quality, and success in diverse styles stir the interest of the global wine community.