
This wine is part of Waitrose’s premium No.1 range, aimed at those seeking standout quality. Having been impressed by the No.1 La Val Albariño and Margaux, I had high hopes for this Shiraz, which boasts a 2025 IWC Silver medal and a 93-point rating. It’s produced by the seventh-generation Lindner family and aged in a…

I’m reviewing the 2023 vintage of Co-op Irresistible Cabernet Sauvignon as part of my awards25 series. This particular vintage won a silver medal at the 2024 International Wine Challenge (IWC), so I was naturally keen to try it. It’s produced by Viña Indómita in Chile’s Maipo Valley, with winemaking led by Diego Covarrubias. This is…

This, 2024 vintage, wine has swiftly risen to prominence, securing a remarkable 96 points and claiming both the IWC Vinho Verde Trophy and the Portuguese White Trophy at the International Wine Challenge 2025. Its lineage traces back to Quinta do Ameal, an estate established in the early 1700s, which Esporão rejuvenated a few years ago,…

This 2024 vintage draws inspiration from the lively elegance of 1920s Paris, a time when food, wine, music and art flourished. It also marks a period of transformation in the Rhône Valley, when the first co-operatives, like Les Dauphins, were formed. This rosé is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault, with…

As I write this, the UK is in the grip of a heatwave and I’ve been on the lookout for something light, refreshing and a little bit different to help cope with the warmth. This Spanish spritz fits the bill perfectly. Coming in at 8.5% ABV, this spritz comes from Catalunya, in the heart of…

The Lidl July Wine Tour is now underway. I wasn’t able to attend the press tasting for this release as I happened to be on holiday. Fortunately, Lidl kindly sent over a few bottles from the range for me to try. Lidl’s Wine Tours tend to run for roughly two months, offering a limited window…

This 2023 vintage Picpoul is a striking example of the quality now coming out of this Languedoc appellation. Ormarine, based in the heart of Pinet since 1922, is responsible for over 40% of the region’s total production and their expertise shows in this wine. The term ‘Élevée sur Lies Fines’ refers to ageing on fine…

Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2022 comes from California’s Central Coast, where the cooling influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean allows for a long, gentle ripening season. This slower process brings depth and elegance to the wine. At 14% ABV, it has a touch more weight than many other Pinots. This is a medium-bodied red with…

The Lidl July Wine Tour is now underway, though I unfortunately missed the press tasting last time around due to being on holiday, ironically, within reach of Puglia, where this particular wine originates. Still, Lidl kindly sent me a few bottles from the range to try for myself. These Wine Tours tend to run for…

I’ve had the chance to be one of the first to try a brand-new wine from acclaimed Burgundian winemaker Laurent Delaunay. Known for multi-award-winning expertise and as a fifth-generation winemaker, Delaunay has just released a Beaujolais under the new Les Grappillages range. It’s a wine that brings together traditional regional winemaking with a distinctly modern…

This is a striking new arrival at Majestic that’s already turning heads. At a recent store managers’ tasting, it reportedly stole the show, and it’s not hard to see why. This impressive red comes from Château Grand Moulin in the town of Lézignan-Corbières, in the heart of Occitanie. It’s made from old-vine Carignan, with some…

I first came across and liked this wine at the Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase and just to be sure, I tried it again more recently. It’s an Australian red made by Complexity, a producer sourcing grapes from family-owned vineyards spread across South Australia’s premium wine regions. While Australia is far better known for Shiraz,…

I first came across this drink at a recent Tesco press tasting. Usually, I’m guilty of ignoring anything that doesn’t fall neatly into my admittedly narrow definition of wine. But I was glad I made an exception here. Among the Spritzi flavours on offer at the tasting, Elderflower, Blood Orange and Yuzu & Pink Pepper,…

This Pinot Noir is from the Languedoc region in southern France, IGP Pays d’Oc, and made by Producteurs Réunis. It’s from an area known for its long, hot growing season, which tends to encourage a riper expression of Pinot Noir. I tried it as part of my awards25 tasting series, as it was a finalist…

This is one I’d been meaning to try after it picked up a Gold at the recent International Wine Challenge. It’s part of my ongoing awards25 series and is made by the highly respected La Chablisienne Cooperative. The wine comes from Premier Cru vineyards in northern Burgundy and is made entirely from Chardonnay grapes, with…

This 2023 vintage comes from the Taylor River area of the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand. It’s a single vineyard wine, who M&S say is made by local winemaker Matthew Large, which suggests a Wither Hills connection. However, the Clocktower reference is a mystery. The wine has been matured in French oak, bringing added…

I tasted this Pinot Noir as part of my awards25 series and it’s already made a strong impression, with a Gold at the IWC and a Bronze at the IWSC. It also previously won a Silver in the Pinot Noir Masters. The name 30° refers to its Chilean roots, highlighting the 30 degrees south latitude…

This was a real star from Sainsbury’s Spring Summer 2025 press tasting and I knew I had to revisit it properly on its own. Sourced from the Bio Bio Valley in Chile, this wine is made by Diego Covarrubias of Viña Indómita, a respected name in Chilean winemaking and a producer often praised by critic…

I first discovered this wine last year and it quickly became one of my top picks. It stood out not just in character, but as one of my outstanding wines by value. I had the chance to try the new 2023 vintage at the Asda Summer 2025 showcase, and while it still shone, I wanted…

This is the companion wine to the previously reviewed red from the same estate. It originates from Portugal’s Beira Atlântico region and is produced by João Portugal Ramos, often referred to in the wine world as JPR. The vineyards are owned by the Count of Foz, who happens to be Ramos’s father-in-law. This white is…
For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More
Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More
Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More
A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More
Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More
In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More
In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More
In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More
In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More
Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More
Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More
In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More
Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More
8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More
Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More
Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More
Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More
Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More
During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More
In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More
In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More
In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More
In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More
In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More
In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More
Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More
In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More
In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More
In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More
The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More
Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More
Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More
In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More
The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More
90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More










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