
The M&S Collection series is their premium wine range, designed to elevate their offerings and showcase winemaking craftsmanship. Among these, the Amarone della Valpolicella 2021 is, so far, my favourite in the collection. This wine, produced by Cantine Giacomo Montresor, a winery with roots dating back to 1892, comes in at 14.5% ABV. While on…

The 2020 vintage, made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone and Croatina grapes. This wine is described on the bottle as “juicy ripe cherries, rich and complex,” due to the Ripasso technique. However, my experience with this particular bottle was somewhat unexpected. While the wine is ok, Instead of the anticipated concentrated fruit notes,…

The Specially Selected Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore from Aldi uses the traditional Ripasso technique for an added richness and depth, a characteristic feature of the process where the wine undergoes a second fermentation. It’s created predominantly from 75% Corvina, complemented by 20% Corvinone and 5% Rondinella. I tried the 2021 vintage. Olly Smith noted the 2019…

Valpolicella is a wine-producing region in Italy combining traditional techniques with the variable geography of the Verona province. Located between the Lessini Mountains and Lake Garda, Valpolicella’s landscape has a varying terrain – mountainous areas, hilly vineyards and fertile valley floors. In 2020, this region boasted a large €600 million turnover, with a significant 70%…

On 20th November 2023 I attended the ‘Amarone Calling’ tasting, a collaboration between the UK Sommelier Association and the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella, the Italian organisation dedicated to promoting and controlling the appellation of Valpolicella wines. The event focused on showcasing a range of Valpolicella and Amarone wines, offering a unique opportunity to explore these…

I recently had the pleasure of dining at the excellent Mercato Italiano in Bridport, Dorset. It was here that I discovered the Corte Lenguin Valpolicella Ripasso, DOC certified and medium to full-bodied. The blend of Corvina Veronese, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes blends beautifully to create a great flavour. A high rating of 4.0 on Vivino…
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More
Local UK bottling of wine which 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










25% Off Wine Aldi Amarone Argentina Articles Asda Australia Award Awards25 Bizarre Blog Books Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Carménère Cava Champagne Chenin Blanc Chile Climate Change Coop Decanter Duty English Wine EPR Events Fairtrade Food France Furmint Germany Glossary Greece Headaches Health Hungary Iceland IGT Italy IWSC Jeroboams Laithwaites Legislation Liberty Wines Lidl Low Alcohol M&S Majestic Malbec Marketing Merch Merlot Morrisons Natural News New Zealand Non-Alcoholic Ocado Old Vine Organic Past Tastings Pinotage Pinot Noir Port Portugal Primitivo Prosecco Reviews Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Ripasso Rose Sainsbury's Saperavi Sauvignon Blanc Shiraz Sicily South Africa Spain Sparkling Supermarkets Sustainable Tax Terroir Tesco The Wine Society Unrepresented USA Valpolicella Vinho Verde Virgin Wines Waitrose Wanderlust Welsh Wine What to Buy Wine Art WineGB WIne Glasses Zinfandel