Magazine

Port wine is one of Portugal’s oldest global ambassadors. There are few places in the world where wine has had such a remarkable influence as in the Douro. Consumer tastes have shifted though, from sweet to drier offerings. Santiago Jimenez goes on a journey along the region’s iconic river, seeking out, not its storied fortified wines, but the more recent addition to its present-day portfolio – still wines.

Pyrenees-Orientales is France’s fifteenth largest wine region. Its dry and sweet wines draw on skills and an array of styles rarely seen elsewhere and they are the means by which Roussillon aims to conquer high-value markets outside the EU, whilst also remaining focused on trends.

Roederer Champagne, Louis Jadot, Famille Perrin, André Lurton, Ramos Pinto, Sassicaia, Marqués de Murrieta, Bodega Norton, Coppola… The impressive line-up in the Wine4You portfolio makes it seem the perfect match for one of the world’s more mature wine markets. Its founder, wine collector and expert Jaroslaw Cybulski, describes how the Polish wine market has come on in leaps and bounds.

Over the past few years, Bordeaux has had to contend with numerous challenges, ranging from ‘Bordeaux bashing’ in France to climate change, Brexit, the political crisis in Hong Kong, Trump taxes and the global pandemic. More than any other wine region, Bordeaux is France’s vinous showcase around the world, so how are markets performing in 2021 and what solutions have been devised to cope with these issues? To find out the real consequences of this string of crises, we interviewed a number of industry players. Here’s what they told us.

Boasting a 350-year history of brandy production and a wealth of award-winning brands, South Africa’s premium distillers are confident that Cape Brandy can finally emerge from the shadow of Cognac.

In the far South of Burgundy, between the Chalonnais and Beaujolais, is an area home to 43 appellations, including 5 Crus and 1er Crus. Renowned for offering the best value for money among Burgundy whites, there is an endless range of styles, extending to reds and Crémants. Alain Echalier explains more.