Wine

Rosé is a wine with surprising nuance that encompasses impressive traditions in some of Europe’s great appellations. However, it’s not so complex that it’s intimidating to learn the basics. Rosé is the fastest-growing category in America, as consumption grew roughly 50% in 2017. Consequently, you’ll likely see more choices on shelves as summer nears. How Rosé is Made Many believe that all rosé is a blend of white and red wine, but most bottles are the result of skin contact, or as a “Saignée.” Blending red wine into white is only common in rosé Champagne. Another misconception left over from America’s white...

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It’s hard to believe, but effervescence in wine was not always considered a good thing. For centuries, Old World winemakers in cool regions struggled with bottles that would re-ferment when hot, which would create unintentional bubbles. But during the 17th century, French winemakers began to harness the process and developed various methods to produce sparkling wine. Today, there’s an array of bubbles, from Champagne to Cava, all made with slightly different methods. Traditional Method Many of the world’s best sparkling wines are made by the méthode traditionelle, or traditional method, where still wine is bottled before additional yeast and sugar are...

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Buying wine can be a complicated business. While most producers list the grape on the label, it can be a guessing game if you don’t know which region to look for. Especially if the label’s in French or Italian. But one thing we do seem to be confident about is our taste for Shiraz. According to new data from retail analyst Nielsen, Shiraz was the UK’s top selling varietal red over the past year. We’re slurping more of this reliably rich, dark-skinned grape than any other. Why does it have two names? Shiraz and Syrah are in fact the same...

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Larkin Wines, a winery based in Napa Valley which specialises Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends retailing at around £70, is set to launch a range of canned wines in the UK, focusing on wine merchants, speciality food and drink retailers and event catering companies. The range, which will include a white blend (Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Rousanne), a Merlot and a rosé made from Pinot Noir, will retail at £9.99 per 375ml can. Distribution will be managed by Californian agency James Hocking Wine. Grapes have been sourced from the same small plot vineyards used for Larkin’s bottling. The new range will...

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Latest figures from the UK wine industry revealed a record-breaking harvest for 2018 and a 50% increase in sales both domestic and international, with more land under vine than ever before. A survey of the UK wine industry, conducted by Wines of Great Britain, in conjunction with data analysts Wine Intelligence, confirmed that last year 15.6m bottles were produced, 130% higher than the previous year’s crop in 2017. Acreage of vineyards has tripled since 2000 with a further 2m vines set to be planted in 2019, confirming the wine industry as one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in the UK. Most of...

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