The Rhône Valley as a whole is a large wine region that runs for over 200km down through France following the Rhône river, from Lyon to Avignon and beyond. Given the vastly different landscapes from North to South, Rhône Valley wines are split stylistically into two:

• The North, from Vienne to Valence, focussing mainly on Syrah for the reds and Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne for the whites. Here, there’s more focus on wines made from single grape varieties, especially with the reds.

• The South, broadly from Montélimar to Avignon and much wider than the North, its focus is more on blends: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre largely for the reds and Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne for the whites.

Where does Côtes du Rhône sit here?

Côtes du Rhône is essentially the Rhône Valley’s calling card: the broad, regional expression that gives you a feel for the house style without zooming in too closely. While the appellation technically stretches across the whole valley north to south, most wines lean towards the warmer, sun-soaked character of the south, built on generous blends rather than single varietal wines or single sites. The real step up comes with the named ‘crus’, places like Hermitage in the north or Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south however, which are not Côtes du Rhône at all, but standalone appellations. These wines are more specific, more structured and often more age-worthy, expressing individual vineyards and terroirs rather than a broader regional style. More on those another time.

The Key Rhône Grapes (for the BOY BAND of wine styles!)

The star grapes of the Rhône Valley are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre for the reds and Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne for the whites. In the North, the reds are dominated by smoky, savoury Syrah, whereas in the South, wines are usually blends, led by juicy Grenache, then Syrah and Mourvèdre, though there are several other red and white grapes permitted.

Put another way, you could look at these Rhône blends a bit like a boy band, where each key member has been carefully chosen for their particular qualities (and there may be some backing singers on certain tracks). Grenache comes first: the cute, approachable one. Think homemade strawberry jam dripping from a liquorice spoon. Syrah comes next: he’s the complex, brooding type who probably writes all the lyrics. Think of grilled meat with fresh herbs, pepper and violets. Mourvèdre is the party animal of the group. He’s a Pepperami in liquid form: full-on and full-bodied, juicy, unsubtle and savoury but instantly appealing!

Côtes du Rhône Wines: The Hierarchy

Côtes du Rhône AOC: This first level is the largest and covers the whole of the Rhône Valley as I mentioned, though around 90% of production comes from the South. It produces almost as much wine as Bordeaux and is focussed on reds, though there are also whites and rosés (still a relatively small share, roughly 10-15% combined depending on the vintage). “Côte” means ‘slope’, referring to vineyards planted on hillsides rather than directly on the riverbanks.

Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC: While basic Côtes du Rhône can be sourced from across the entire Rhône Valley (with a heavy southern bias), ‘Villages’ wines must come from a more tightly defined selection of communes, largely in the Southern Rhône, where soils, exposure and vine age tend to deliver greater concentration and character. The rules are stricter too, particularly around yields and minimum alcohol levels, resulting in more structured, expressive wines. Production is still dominated by reds (around 85–90%), with whites and rosés making up a much smaller share. In the glass, you’ll generally find a step up in intensity: riper fruit, more depth and a touch more polish - a bit like the band, but now playing a slightly bigger stage with better sound.

Côtes du Rhône Villages ‘Crus’ (+ named village) AOC: A step above the straight ‘villages’ level are the Côtes du Rhône Villages wines with a named village on the label. Think places like Séguret or Visan, where quality and identity tighten further. These wines must come not just from the wider Villages zone, but from specific recognised communes with consistently strong track records. Rules are stricter again, particularly around yields, ripeness and blending, and in many cases the grapes must be grown within the boundaries of that named village. The result is an even more defined expression of place, with greater depth, structure and ageing potential - usually combined with a high price tag. Production remains heavily focused on reds, with whites and rosés still in the minority. In the glass, these wines tend to feel more composed and characterful, like the band starting to develop a signature sound rather than just playing a bigger stage.

Côtes du Rhône Red Wine SIPS SAFARI

If you want to taste what the three levels mean in the glass, seek out these red wines:

Côtes du Rhône, Chassaux et Fils, £5.29 Aldi

Cheap and very cheerful, this is an easy drinking, juicy example that still has a good amount of classic Côtes du Rhône character. Think earthy strawberry with a touch of spice and a savoury finish. Not the most complex but a bargain for the price

Les Dauphins, Côtes du Rhône Villages RED, £12 (£9 on offer now!) Waitrose

A big step up in quality, this gives you your brooding, dark plum fruit with baking spice, a touch of grilled meat and a hint of herbiness. It’s full-bodied and concentrated but velvety with it. A great all-rounder and versatile with food. (try this midweek recipe for a croque monsieur)

Morrisons The Best Côtes du Rhône Villages ‘‘Sablet’, £9.75 Morrisons

Morrisons have pulled a blinder with this wine, which delivers a cracking example of a Sablet ‘cru’ wine for not much cash at all. Silky smooth and savoury, this has a classic, brooding black bramble fruit profile but with a slick of something more stony and mineral. Definitely a food wine.

Want an easy midweek recipe featuring a Côtes du Rhône Villages red? Click here!

As International Women’s Day gives us a chance to shine a light on women in the workplace and the challenges we all still continue to face, be it equal pay, childcare logistics, or even just being taken seriously, it’s a good time to reflect on one woman in the wine industry, who smashed it even before anyone knew what a glass ceiling was. That woman was Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the lady who would become the legendary Veuve (widow) Clicquot and helped turn her champagne business into the global brand that we all know and love today – and all while wearing a corset.

“The world will always change. We must invent things for tomorrow. We must go ahead before others; be determined and challenging. Act audaciously.”

Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin

Who was La Veuve Clicquot?

Born in the winter of 1777 in the city of Reims, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin’s parents, while wealthy, were in the business of textiles rather than wine. Her father’s friend Phillip Clicquot also worked in this realm, so they arranged the marriage of their children to help consolidate the two businesses. As such, Barbe-Nicole married François Clicquot in 1798 at the age of twenty-one and began a life with him at a time when the Napoleonic Code prohibited women from working, earning money, voting or even going to university without their husband or father’s consent. Life as a dutiful wife had begun.

As well as wool trading and banking, François’ family had a small wine-making concern of which he became a partner in the event of his marriage. In 1801, he took over as sole owner and gradually, wine became a larger part of the family’s affairs. On his watch and fuelled by a genuine passion for the business, sales grew from 8,000 bottles a year in 1796 to 60,000 bottles by 1804. Their champagne business was beginning to show potential, and François shared his love for winemaking with his wife, explaining all the various techniques, something that brought the two much closer. Frustratingly for them, the Napoleonic wars (1803-1815) were beginning to take their toll, making it harder and harder to gain traction selling wine. In October of 2005, not helped by the stress of a struggling business, François got very ill and tragically died. There was only one solution as far as François’ father, Philippe, was concerned: to liquidate the business. Widowed Barbe-Nicole, however, at the age of 27, had other plans.

The First Woman in Wine

A woman at the helm. Tenacious and instinctive, as well as a single mother to a three-year-old, Barbe-Nicole was determined to keep her champagne business alive. While French society women were not allowed to work, widows were free to run their own businesses and she intended to make the most out of this tragic twist of fate. Convincing her father-in-law to assist with funds on the proviso that she took more formal training and honed her craft, Barbe-Nicole made champagne the sole family business. François’ passion had translated into genuine winemaking skill for her, and she shrewdly made bold choices and invented processes that are still used in champagne production today.

Three Major Inventions

On 21 July 1810, Barbe-Nicole launched her own company: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. By 1811, she was the first to make a ‘vintage champagne’; wine from a single harvest instead of a blend of many (non-vintage). Naval blockades were stopping shipments from France to her biggest clients abroad, but she persisted and together with an old friend of the business to whom she turned for regular advice, she devised a way to sneak a ship through the blockades, sending it to Russia, despite Czar Alexander having banned all French exports. From her society life, she knew the Russian palate would fall for her style of wine. It was a huge gamble, but one that paid off because as soon as the bans were lifted, the courts of Russia began to order large shipments of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagne. Ever forward-thinking and keen to continue to increase the quality of her wine, Barbe-Nicole set her mind to finding a way to create more elegant bubbles. In 1816, she invented riddling, a process used to clarify wine, where dead yeast cells are collected in the necks of bottles and then removed, giving a beautiful, clear liquid rather than a cloudy one like her competitors. This was game-changing for the sparkling wine industry, both in terms of increasing quality and the speed with which it could be made. It was with this element of winemaking that Barbe-Nicole helped to make the region of Champagne the most famous in the world for sparkling wine.

In perhaps the best-known part of her legacy, however, the year 1818 saw La Veuve create the very first rosé champagne by blending red and white wine together. Champagne is still now the only official region where this process is officially allowed to make pink wine. In a letter to her granddaughter in later years, Barbe-Nicole, La Grande Dame of Veuve Clicquot champagne, wrote, “The world will always change. We must invent things for tomorrow. We must go ahead before others; be determined and challenging. Act audaciously.”

Here’s a woman who could have comfortably been kept by her family but refused to conform, ignoring the pitying looks and the scoffing as she, a woman, dared to build a truly international business. To mark their 200 year anniversary back in 1972, the house now simply called Veuve Clicquot, launched a new cuvée at the very top of their range: La Grande Dame. With a rosé version and a white, La Grande Dame is made only in exceptional vintages with grapes from the house’s Grand Cru vineyards. It is a style of champagne that blends elegance with exuberance seamlessly, just like the lady herself – the ultimate homage to everything Barbe-Nicole had done not just for the business but for the whole story of Champagne.

This piece was originally written by me for Luxurious Magazine

Is anyone else craving wines that taste like sunshine now that the hot yellow ball in the sky has FINALLY made an appearance?

For me, few places in the Med call me quite Sicily. Perhaps it’s because it sounds like citrus and sizzling or maybe it’s the truly ancient history that is still so physically visible there? Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve been making wine since around 4000BC, so it’s truly in their DNA? Maybe it’s all of it.

This Italian island has been shaped by thousands of years of conquest and reinvention from the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to Arabs and even Normans, each of whom left their mark on the landscape, the food, the architecture and inevitably, the vines. But Sicily doesn’t flaunt its history like many other, much younger wine regions do. It just gets on with it. As a result, Sicilian wines all share a very special trait, which combines a deep ‘knowing’ with a quintessentially laid back, Italian character and the subtlest seam of tension that reminds us that this is a volcanic island after all.

Over the next month, I’ll be doing a bit of a Sicilian takeover here, so let’s start with getting to know the grapes and I’ll be back soon with more about producers to get to know, food and wine pairing and which wineries are good for a visit and some lovely nosh. For now though, GRAPES:

Sicily’s Indigenous Grapes: A Vinous Treasure Trove

Italy is well known as the country with the most indigenous grape varieties, boasting more than France, Spain and Greece combined! Sicily itself is home to 60 of them; more than almost any other Italian region. These ancient vines have evolved to thrive in the island’s extremes of heat and volcanic soils producing bold wines with great character that showcase an astonishing sense of place - all the while offering exceptional value for money. Here are the grapes you need to know with some fantastic ones to try - not always the cheapest, but amongst the BEST.

RED Sicilian Grapes

Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s calling card for red wines, producing ripe and rustic, earthy reds with notes of purple plum, cocoa powder and balsamic. It’s a dreamy pairing with grilled meat and anything tomato-based.

Try: Gulfi Rosso Ibleo Nero d’Avola, £21.95 from Fortnum & Mason

Frappato offers the opposite style, making lighter, strawberry-scented reds with zippy acidity that love a chill on warm days. They’re delicate, fruity and seriously easy drinking - perfect for light lunches that feature cold cuts or oily fish too.

Try: Santa Tresa Frappato 2024, £10.95 from The Wine Society

Nerello Mascalese, which thrives on Mount Etna’s volcanic slopes, delivers elegant reds with clearly defined texture, haunting, more subtle red fruit notes and pleasing, mineral edge. If you like Barolo, you’ll enjoy this. It can age too!

Try: Armagia Etna Rosso 2019, £17.99 from Laithwaites

Cerasuolo di Vittoria: A style rather than a single grape variety, look out for this famous name. It’s actually made with a blend of Frappato with Nero d’Avola, so offers a delicate, red-fruit lightness with some earthy, plummy undertones. There’s nothing better with rich veggie pastas and caponata’s sweet-sour notes.

Santa Tresa, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicilia 2021, £17.99 The Wine Society

WHITE Sicilian Grapes

Grillo is a fabulous go-to in any Italian restaurant. It screams seafood and hot afternoons with its zesty, mandarin and lemon notes combined with some exotic, pineapple flavours. This is also the grape that makes the famous wines of Marsala.

Terra Organica Parcel Series No. 1 Grillo, £10.40, Ocado

Catarratto on the other hand, offers softer, more textural whites with baked apple flavours, a hint of wildflowers and often, a subtle nuttiness. It loves light fish dishes, clams and any kind of Mediterranean vegetables.

Try: Da Vero Organic Catarratto, £9.79, Vino Fandango

Carricante at its best, hails from high on Etna’s slopes. Different again, think crisp, lemon citrus with green apple and a salty, stony finish that feels clean and refreshing. It makes excellent fizz too. A must with grilled sardines or anything in batter.

Try: Kew Gardens Carricante 2023, £8.99 (was £12.99) Laithwaites

Stay tuned for more on this sun-drenched, Italian island! In the meantime, why not look at these articles:

Why aren’t all wines vegan?

Understanding Bordeaux Reds

A Sips Safari through the Verdejo Wines of Rueda, Spain

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As those of us in the UK LONG for spring time, I thought I’d introduce you all to a grape that embodies mountain springs, white flowers and fresh air. It’s Grüner Veltliner: the Spritely Goat Dude of Wine Grapes.

Here’s the Vinalogy…

High on a hill lives our spritely goat herd. This lean old man of the mountain is feeling pretty Grü-V and who wouldn’t with all that steely alpine air, a carpet of pretty white flowers and fresh, green herbs laid out so beautifully before him? This lively, ginger bearded dude has a daily diet of green apples and mineral-rich stream water to keep him young - and he manages to stay as fresh as his Alpine surroundings with every year that passes. It’s just the white peppery streaks in his ginger beard and a creamy, apricot-skin softness that give away his age.

Austria’s flagship white grape Grüner Veltliner is what those in the know drink in restaurants these days as a great catch-all foodie wine. It’s fresh and dry without extremes of flavour, yet has enough about it to stand up to all sorts of dishes from fish and salads to cheese and white meats.

Traditionally drunk young, Grü-V exudes the mountain freshness of those white flowers and herbs, with green apple edging in as well as a sprinkling of white pepper and a kick of ginger on the finish. Some of the top versions can also age incredibly well and elegantly, so much so that they have been likened to white Burgundy with their creamy texture, weight and pineapple-like complexity.

FUN FACT!

‘Grüner’ means green, which aptly describes its yellow-green coloured berries but it also happens to be one of very few wines that can handle asparagus!

GRÜNER VELTLINER SIPS SAFARI

Grüner Veltliner 1: Austria

Try: No 1 Grüner Veltliner, £12.30, Waitrose

As its signature grape, there really is no other place to start other than Austria. For the very best versions, check out the regions of Wachau where they are fairly powerful (look for “Smaragd” on the label) and Kamptal and Kremstal, where they become lighter in style (look for “Steinfeder”), all in the northeastern part of the country.

Grüner Veltliner 2: Czech Republic

Try: Thaya Gruner Veltliner 2024, £11.95, The Wine Society

Lesser known but not for long, the Moravia region in the Czech Republic is becoming increasingly known for high-quality Grüner Veltliner. The region shares a similar climate to Austria and has ideal conditions for it, producing versions that are typically lighter and fresher than Austrian ones.

Gruner Veltliner 3: New Zealand

Try: Yealands Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2022, ND John £16.95

While New Zealand is more commonly associated with Sauvignon and Pinot, we’re now seeing some delicious Gruner Veltliner (note no umlaut in NZ) coming out of Marlborough and Martinborough particularly. These wines tend to showcase a unique twist on the variety, combining New Zealand’s characteristic freshness and vibrancy with Gruner’s classic flavours like white pepper.

Grüner Veltliner is…

🎨 Pale, sunshine yellow in colour

🏋️‍♂️ Lean, cool, mineral and complex

👃 All about green apple, grapefruit and refreshing acidity

📍 The star white grape of Austria

🍴 Loves all sorts of food and - even asparagus!

If you’re in the UK at the moment, it’s DISGUSTING outside and it has been - and will be - for ages. Time for a comforting, red wine, rich in purple plum, damson jam, ripe figs and baking spice. Enter Zinfandel aka Primitivo: the Godfather of wine grapes. It’s also national Pizza Day on february the 9th, so if yours is with spicy pepperoni or nduja, this is the red you’ll want. (Don’t want to read below? Watch the video :)

The Vinalogy

Fancy cosying up with a Hollywood Icon? How about an enigmatic and bold heavyweight of a leading man who demands attention? Someone with a long career history? Throw in a penchant for strong alcohol, an intriguing European heritage and there could be several contenders. If that’s who you’re after then it has got to be Zinfandel: the Godfather of wine grapes, Marlon Brando in a bottle.

Why? Full-on, full-bodied and often high in % ABV (like our friend Mr. B), Zinfandel does not make the most subtle wine. It oozes black cherry jam, sweet prune and spicy fig flavours together with a fair whack of tannin that’ll stain your teeth bright blue. It has been genetically linked to Italy’s Primitivo and Croatia’s Crljenak Kastelanski grapes (did you know Marlon also has European heritage?), but the Californian treatment has made Zin a star with a legacy of old vines dating back over a hundred years. That dollop of sweetness is the perfect foil for chilli spice too.

FUN FACT! ‘White Zinfandel’ is, confusingly, actually a pink or ‘blush’ wine. It’s made from the same red Zinfandel grape, so could really be called ‘Zinfandel rosé’

ZINFANDEL SIPS SAFARI

Zinfandel 1: California

California is the most important region for Zinfandel production in the world with some old vineyards dating back over 100 years. Here in the Golden state, the style is typically full-bodied and rich, with flavours of dark fig, spice, pepper or chocolate. It especially shines in Lodi, where it’s properly powerful and gets a little more elegant towards the coast in Sonoma. Here’s a benchmark bottle that’s great value:

Try: Carnivor Zinfandel, £12 Tesco

Zinfandel 2: Italy

In Italy, we have Primitivo, which is almost genetically identical to Zinfandel and is predominantly grown in Puglia in the south of the country with Manduria being the best known region for it. Primitivo has a long history in Italy and Puglia’s hot, Mediterranean climate allows it to ripen fully, producing bold, rustic wines with intense flavours of sweet fig and chocolate and sometimes, a savoury, balsamic note. Here’s a benchmark bottle:

Try: Terre di Faiano Organic Primitivo, £9.50 until 03/03 (was £11.50), Waitrose

Zinfandel 3: Croatia

Croatia is the ancestral home of Zinfandel, though production is small compared to California and Puglia. Croatian Zinfandel (or rather Crljenak Kastelanski), is seeing a revival, particularly in the Dalmatian coast region, where it makes wines that are usually more restrained with more pronounced mineral and herbaceous notes than their American and Italian counterparts. It’s really hard to find these in the UK but Taste Croatia in Borough Market, London would be a place to look, else try this:

Try: Krolo Crljenak Kaštelanski, 29.99 EURO, croatiarevealed

SPLASH OUT

Louis M. Martini ‘Monte Rosso Gnarly Vine’ Zinfandel 2019, £64 Mix 6 Majestic

Yes, it’s pricey but this wine is a masterclass in going big and bold, but keeping everything cinched in and elegant. The classic iron fist in a velvet glove with layers and layers of flavour. Simply stunning.

Want to get to know more grapes? Check out my bite-sized videos and don’t forget to subscribe for more drinks recommendations and learnies. Cin cin!

Helena x

As we think about toasting another brand new year, here’s a delicious little historical bombshell for you: the English officially invented sparkling wine. Yes, really. Before you spit out your Bollinger in shock however, let me explain.

Picture this: It’s 1615 in England and Admiral Sir Robert Mansell is getting twitchy. Britain’s furnaces are guzzling wood like there’s no tomorrow, turning it into charcoal, so there’s barely any left to build ships. In the age of the all-powerful East India Company, ships equal wealth and Britain desperately needs all its timber for the fleet. Mansell persuaded King James I to issue a Royal Proclamation banning wood and charcoal for furnaces and getting production to use coal instead, which he did - and here’s where it gets interesting.

A Happy Accident

Coal burns at a much hotter temperature than wood, which means British glassmakers suddenly found themselves producing stronger glass bottles that could withstand significantly more pressure. On the back of this, a new ‘shaft and globe’ shaped bottle was developed by Sir Kenelm Digby, which became known as verre Anglais (English glass). Add to this the British wine coopers’ preference for proper cork stoppers rather than the tightly packed rags the French were using (I mean, really?) and you’ve got yourself a new blueprint for fizz-making. The French wouldn’t have access to this technology for decades. Remember, this is around 1615 and the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon didn’t even start working in the wine cellars at Hautvilliers until 1668.

The English Paper Trail

Enter Christopher Merret, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians as well as a founding fellow of the Royal Society. He had many interests including natural history, metallurgy and a mild glass obsession and in 1662, he wrote a paper for the Royal Society about ‘ordering’ wines, i.e. how wines were handled, corrected, preserved and made more appealing in the trade. Within this paper, he documented the process of adding sugar to wine to create a second fermentation in the bottle - the part of the process that creates the bubbles or as he put it, to make the wine ‘brisk and sparkling’. This is a full 30 years before the French started deliberately doing this. Merret even coined the term sparkling wine, which was now a possibility thanks to corks and stronger glass. So, sparkling wine now existed - but it was a far cry from the glorious fizz that what we know and love today.

What About Dom Pérignon?

Poor Dom Pérignon has been carrying a reputation he never wanted. Far from inventing Champagne, he was actually trying to stop the secondary fermentation that gives wine bubbles because it kept making his bottles explode. He called this exploding fizz ‘the devil’s wine’ which, while it sounds pretty cool, was not the vibe he was going for. What he did do brilliantly however, was everything else. The man was a genius at blending grapes from different vineyards (what we now call assemblage), perfecting the art of making white wine from black grapes, implementing rigorous vineyard management and yes, eventually embracing those stronger English glass bottles and better cork closures. His meticulous approach to quality transformed Champagne region wines into the prestigious tipple that caught the eye of King Louis XIV. So while Dom Pérignon wasn’t the bubble pioneer, he did lay the groundwork for quality Champagne production. This is why he has been lauded in the Champagne industry and why Moët et Chandon named their top Champagne after him - not because he ‘tasted the stars’. That bit is just great marketing.

A Beautiful, Joint Anglo-French Effort

So, while it’s true that the English provided the crucial technology and technical know-how that made sparkling wine possible, the French took that knowledge, ran with it and created an entire industry, complete with geographical indication, protected production methods and marketing so good that most of the world thinks they invented the whole thing. So next time you pop open a bottle of fizz, remember: you’re drinking a little piece of Anglo-French cooperation, born from a timber shortage and perfected by a monk who thought he was fighting the devil.

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Let’s drink to that with two brilliant English Sparkling wines made by famous Champagne houses who have chosen to plant vines in England. Huzzah!

Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée Edition I NV, £55 Majestic Wines

Domaine Evremond is a partnership between Champagne Taittinger and their British friends at Hatch Mansfield and it was the first Champagne house to plant vines in England from scratch back in 2017. Located near the impossibly pretty village of Chilham in Kent, the estate sits on south-facing slopes with the same chalky soil seam as the Champagne region itself. Their debut wine finally arrived in spring 2025: the Classic Cuvée Edition I. It’s a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier across three vintages (2020, 2019, and 2018), fermented in stainless steel with three years of lees ageing. Named after Charles de Saint-Évremond, the 17th-century French epicurean who first championed Champagne in England, this is Anglo-French wine collaboration at its finest. The wine itself? Pure, elegant and with a distinctly English, baked apple note complete with a beautiful mineral backbone that Kent does so well.

Louis Pommery England Brut NV, £30 Tesco, £32 Majestic mix 6

Louis Pommery England was the first commercial English sparkling wine made by a Champagne house available to buy. Madame Pommery herself was an anglophile who pioneered the Brut style of Champagne back in 1874 specifically for the English palate, so there’s a beautiful symmetry to Pommery now making wine on English soil. Their Pinglestone Estate in Hampshire sits on the same vein of chalk that runs through the Champagne region like Evremond in Kent, with vines also planted in 2017. Their first vintage was made with grapes sourced by neighbours in Hampshire and Essex with the first vintage from their own site in 2021. The wine itself is predominantly Chardonnay with a good slug of Pinot Noir and a touch of Pinot Meunier, made in the traditional method by their winemaker Clément Pierlot. What you get is crisp and tangy. Think green apple, lemon zest, brioche and honeycomb, with a distinctive English freshness and purity.

Want to know more about Sir Kenelm Digby? Check out the book The Knight Who Invented Champagne by Stephen Skelton MW.

Wishing you all the best for a happy and healthy 2026!

It’s right about now that we remember that Port exists. Shame really, as it’s such a fabulous tipple all year round. Here’s a super quick guide to the various styles so you know which to gift, sip or cook with…

Port wine is arguably the world’s most famous fortified wine. If it were a pudding, it would be a Black Forest gateau with its layers of dark fruit and chocolate with brighter cherry notes - and the more cream you put on your spoon, the more into tawny and white Port styles you go. It’s produced in Portugal’s Douro Valley and there are up to 80 different native grapes that are allowed to go into it.

The 14 Styles of Port

There are a whopping fourteen official styles of Port including white, rosé and some specialty Ports. White and rosé styles stand alone but the two main categories for everything else are Ruby and Tawny. Ruby Ports are the powerful, deep red-black coloured ones made in large vats with a focus on fresher fruit flavours, while Tawny Ports are paler and more nutty, aged with oxygen in wooden barrels. Here’s an overview of all the styles:

Ruby Port

While Ruby is the general term for anything that’s not Tawny, white or pink, if it’s labelled with the word ‘ruby’, it’s the most basic style: Young and deeply coloured, with quite burny alcohol and fresh blackberry and cherry flavours.

Reserve Ruby is a small step up in quality, with more depth and complexity thanks to a slightly longer ageing period. This is also (lesser) known as Vintage Character Port.

Tawny Port

Tawny is a term for barrel-aged Ports known for their nutty, creamy, caramel flavours. It gets its name from its amber or ‘tawny’ colour, which develops over time due to extended ageing in wooden barrels and it comes in 3 key styles:

Basic Tawny is the youngest, which will have been aged in small oak barrels for 2 to 3 years, whereas Reserve Tawny will have had at least 7 years. Then you have Aged Tawny Ports, which are labelled with 10, 20, 30, or 40 years, indicating the average age of the wine in the bottle as it will be a blend of vintages.

There are also Colheita and Single Quinta Colheita Ports which are both technically Tawnies too. Colheita means ‘vintage’ in Portuguese so it’s a tawny made with grapes from one single year. Quinta means estate in Portuguese so a Single Quinta Colheita is a vintage Tawny that comes from a single estate. These wines express their vineyard terroir very strongly.

Vintage Port

The default with Port is to make non vintage wines, i.e. a blend of wines from several years, and only make vintage Port when conditions in one year were exceptional. A bit like in Champagne. There is no universal ‘vintage year’ declared by all producers though. Each house decides independently whether to declare a vintage, as they call it, based on their own quality benchmarks.

Vintage Port, because it’s technically a Ruby, starts life ageing for 2-3 years in large vats before being bottled where it continues to age, often over decades, to develop remarkable complexity, with lovely dried fruit, leather and earthy notes. This style is pure bottled potential and a great one to buy to lay down for years to mature.

Single Quinta Vintage Ports however are wines from one year and one single estate. ‘quinta’ again means estate. Style-wise, these are similar to Vintage Ports but are often softer and can be enjoyed slightly younger.

LBV stands for Late Bottled Vintage and this is a Vintage Port that is aged longer than standard vintage Port before bottling i.e. between 4–6 years - and in oak barrels. This means that unlike Vintage Port, LBV is ready to drink upon release. It can be filtered, which means it doesn’t need decanting, or unfiltered, which means it can improve with additional bottle age but will need decanting before serving.

White Port

White Port is traditionally always a blend of different years and local grapes and can range from dry to sweet. These days, it is quite the trending aperitif alternative to gin - White Port and tonic. Dry styles are citrusy, nutty and floral, while sweeter versions have honey and caramel nuances. The very sweetest, most floral White Ports are known as Lágrima style.

White Port can be aged too and like Tawny, will have the average age of the wines on the label, so 10, 20, 30 etc. These aged White Ports take on intriguing characteristics with flavours like dried tropical fruit and nutmeg

Rosé Port

A relatively new style, Rosé Port is made with the same grapes as ruby and tawnies, allowing the juice minimal contact with the skins to produce a light pink colour. It’s fresh and fruity, with red berry flavours.

Speciality Ports

There are also two types of Speciality port to look out for: Crusted and Garrafeira.

Crusted Port is a delightful sounding style that has nothing to do with hippies. Instead, it’s a blend of high-quality Port wines from multiple vintages, bottled without filtration to develop in the bottle so they throw a sediment, hence the name. These can taste similar to Vintage Ports and are generally cheaper.

Garrafeira Port on the other hand is a very rare style produced by only a few Port houses and is somewhere between a vintage and a tawny port style. It has its own distinct, very complex style thanks to using a combination of barrel and glass ageing in demi-johns for many years.

Fun Fact!

Taylor’s, Graham’s, Cockburn’s? Ever wondered why lots of the Port names are British? Well, There’s been a strong British influence in Port since the 1600s when England was at odds with France, leading to trade restrictions, so British merchants looked to Portugal as an alternative wine source. They formed close commercial ties with Portuguese winemakers and in 1703, there was a treaty drawn up that allowed British merchants to import wines at reduced tariffs. Many British families decided to move there to set up Port houses in Porto and the Douro Valley, establishing the famous brands we know today.

Clear as mud? Good!

Fancy another lesson? Check out this piece on the red wines of Bordeaux, or this article on the white wines of Rueda - or even this piece on the various styles of Sherry! And while we’re at it, why aren’t all wines vegan?

Zoë Ombler the Epicurean Chef and just hosted our first Corks & Canapés event: a wine masterclass held by me, with perfectly paired nibbles created by Zoë. The first topic for our wine lovers? The white wines of Rueda, Spain!

D.O. RUEDA: What you need to know

White wine fans looking to expand their repertoire will love getting to know the underrated, Spanish white wine region of D.O. Rueda. D.O. stands for ‘Denominación de Origen’, which essentially guarantees that the wine in the bottle comes from the legally defined Rueda region and meets its strict rules on grapes, vineyard practices and winemaking standards. You’ll find Rueda nestled high on the central plains of Castile and León, occupying a sweeping terrain around the town of Rueda in the provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Ávila.

Verdejo: Rueda’s flagship grape

While a handful of reds and rosés are made in Rueda, the region is most famous for its expressive, indigenous white grape Verdejo, which has been grown in the area for centuries and truly finds its voice here. Classic notes for Verdejo are fennel and citrus, crushed herbs and salted almonds with crisp acidity and a texture reminiscent of lime wine gums. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, you will love Verdejo.

Given the fairly high altitudes of the area, which range roughly from 600m to 780m above sea level, nights are cool despite sunny days. This helps to give these grapes a particular freshness, while stony, lime-rich and well drained soils also contribute to wine’s hallmark purity and finesse.

Check out my video wine course!

Rueda White Wines: The Three Tiers

Rueda offers a surprisingly wide spectrum of styles, all centred on its star grape, Verdejo. At the entry level, you’ll find bright, stainless-steel wines that show the grape at its freshest: citrus, green apple, fennel and that signature almond-skin nip on the finish. Step up a tier and producers begin to work with lees, allowing the wines to gain texture, savoury depth and a more serious mineral core - proof that Verdejo can be far more than a simple aperitif. At the top of the tree sits Gran Vino de Rueda; a label that stands for Verdejo at its most refined and site-specific. The fruit for these must come from genuinely old, low-yielding vineyards, which naturally deliver greater concentration, depth and varietal character. Winemakers treat these parcels with corresponding reverence using extended lees ageing, careful bâtonnage and, in some cases, discreet oak to allow texture and complexity to build without overwhelming Verdejo’s hallmark freshness. Crucially, these wines express the stony, high-altitude terroirs of Rueda with far more clarity, resulting in structured, age-worthy whites that show just how serious this region can be.

Of course, there’s also the region’s quiet overachiever: sparkling Verdejo. Made in both traditional and charmat methods (like Prosecco), these wines take the grape’s natural acidity and herbal lift and turn it into something crisp, effervescent and unexpectedly elegant. Together, they show just how versatile Verdejo can be and why Rueda, long known for freshness, is fast becoming one of Spain’s most exciting white-wine regions.

What food to pair with Rueda wines?

Verdejo makes extremely versatile white wines. When fresh and young, it particularly loves anything light, zesty or tangy. Think grilled prawns, ceviche, green olives, goat’s cheese salads or sushi. Its citrus, fennel and herbal notes make it a natural partner for dishes with lime, coriander or a gentle chilli kick. Lees-aged or textural Verdejo has the weight for roast chicken, creamy pasta, octopus, richer tapas and dishes with saffron or smoked paprika. The added savoury depth means it stands up well to umami flavours. Gran Vino de Rueda pairs beautifully with more serious plates: roast monkfish, turbot, Iberian pork, truffle risotto or mature Manchego. Its structure and complexity echo white Burgundy territory, so it can carry richer sauces and layered flavours with ease. Here’s what the Epicurean Sailor Zoë Ombler paired at our inaugural Corks & Canapés event:

Deep Fried Feta Stuffed Olives: The perfect partner to our sparkling Verdejo

Manchego crusted potatoes with spicy roasted garlic ajonesa: An ideal pairing for our young and fresh verdejos.

Marinated paprika pork ribeye with red pepper sauce: This calls for the richer, more textured barrel-fermented wines.

THE WINES

Palacio de Bornos, Brut Nature NV, 100% Verdejo, 12% £17.95 from Ultracomida

Notable points: A great example of a traditional method wine made with 100% Verdejo.

Diez Siglos Organic 100% Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 13.5%, £11.99 from Kwoff

Notable points: A classic youthful Sauvignon Blanc to make the comparaion between this and Verdejo.

Celeste Verdejo 2024, 100% Verdejo, 13%, £15.50 from Vinissimus

Notable points: Young, simple Verdejo made in stainless steel for freshness and some lees for texture. Slightly riper style due to vineyard soils and location.

Finca Montepedroso 2024, 100% Verdejo, 12.5% , £14.49 from Strictly Wine

Notable points: Young, simple Verdejo grown at higher altitudes and made in stainless steel for freshness balanced by lees ageing and some batonnage for creaminess, texture and agebility.

Cuatro Rayas Longverdejo 2023, 100% Verdejo 12.5%, £17.95 from Terra Wines

Notable points: Gran Vino de Rueda is the top tier within the Rueda appellation; a category created to spotlight the region’s most serious, age-worthy, vineyard-specific wines. Made with pre-phylloxera, ungrafted vines, so this shows the character of the areas and the old vineyards. Use of oak, lees and batonnage for creaminess and spice.

Naìades 2021, 100% Verdejo, 14%, £27.37 from Decantalo

Notable points: Barrel ageing for texture, flavour and spice with lees aging for richness.

Have you ever tried wine from Rueda? Share your thoughts with me below!

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As it’s officially Sherry Week, I wanted to continue to bang the drum for these moreishly saline, food friendly sippers. Here’s why it’s time to reacquaint ourselves with these unique wines from the sun-soaked vineyards of southern Spain.

Wine? Spirit? Liqueur? What exactly is Sherry?

In recent years, Sherry has had a renaissance. Younger generations discovering its charms, Sherry bars are popping up in trendy neighbourhoods worldwide and restaurant lists now boast numerous offerings. But what is it exactly? In a nutshell, Sherry is a fortified wine that hails from a triangle of villages in Spain’s Andalusia and more often than not, it is bone dry. Yes, there are several types of sweet Sherry, naturally so or not so naturally so, but when wine lovers talk about authentic Sherry, it’s the dry stuff they mean.

It all starts with Palomino Fino grapes, which are grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia. Being an ‘Old World’ (European, essentially) wine style, it takes its name from the place rather than the grapes and ‘Sherry’ is just a slightly confusing English translation of ‘Jerez’.

For dry Sherries, wine is made by grapes in the normal way, with a splash of brandy or grape spirit added at the end to fortify the wine. The historical reasons for doing this were many, but the key reason was to raise the wine’s alcohol content to make it less susceptible to spoilage, especially during transportation. After all, the Andalusian climate is warm and humid, so normal wine would go off very quickly in the days before air conditioning.

What makes the dry styles of Sherry unique?

It’s what happens once the wine is fortified and put into wooden barrels that the Sherry magic happens. A small amount of space is left as the liquid ages and the region’s humidity causes a thin layer of yeast called ‘flor’ to develop on the top of the wine, which helps protect it from being completely oxidised. Whether this flor layer remains intact or not and how long it remains then defines the final style of the Sherry inside the barrel. Here’s a rundown of the five, stunningly dry Sherry styles followed by the sweeter ones:

✨ Read the full article on Substack HERE ✨

Manzanilla (15-17% abv typically)

Manzanilla is the seaside cousin of the famous Fino and has an unmistakable maritime vibe. It can only be made in the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and has a characteristic chamomile note (manzanilla is Spanish for chamomile). It also tends to be a touch lighter and more saline than Fino. Picture sipping the sea breeze captured in a bottle with a delightful, fresh bread yeastiness. Great with savoury snacks and salty cheeses.

Try: La Gitana Manzanilla NV, £15.50 from Waitrose

Fino (15-17% abv typically)

Fino is a similarly pale and bone-dry style that’s as crisp as a newly ironed shirt. Unlike Manzanilla, it can be produced in any of the three towns within the Sherry Triangle and has more of a roasted, salted almond note with hints of crunchy apple. A great aperitif that also loves salty snacks and can cut through fried food like a blade. It’s also awesome with tonic. Incidentally, the famously sweet ‘cream’ sherries that Granny loves are often Finos with added concentrated grape must or grape syrup.

Try: Tio Pepe Fino, £13.50 from Sainsbury’s

Amontillado (17-22% ABV typically)

While both Manzanilla and Fino are made with wines where the flor layer has stayed intact, Amontillado is what you get when flor is removed. Starting life as a Fino, it spends time ageing in barrels before having a slosh of brandy for fortification. This spirited wine then moves to a new barrel, where it begins its journey into oxidative ageing, resulting in a darker, amber colour with notes of roasted nuts, tobacco, spice and dried fruit, all the while keeping a tangy saltiness. Amontillado can also have a bit of PX (see below) added for sweetness.

Try: Gonzalez Byass Vina AB Amontillado £14.50 from The Champagne Company

Oloroso (16-20% ABV typically)

Made deliberately without any flor from the start and subjected to extensive ageing, Oloroso is the darkest dry Sherry style and is full-bodied, concentrated and complex. Silky smooth and intensely nutty in character, it has wonderfully Christmassy notes of dried raisins, figs and salted caramel. Stunning alone but it also loves mature cheeses and can handle game too.

Try: No.1 Emilio Lustau Dry Oloroso, £13.95 from Waitrose

Palo Cortado (17-22% ABV typically)

Palo Cortado is the style to ask for in a bar if you want to show off your Sherry skills. Made often unintentionally when the flor layer naturally dies away on wines destined to be Fino or Amontillado, PC combines the dryness of Amontillado with the nuttiness and body of Oloroso. Think tangy, salted almonds, hazelnuts, dried fruits, toffee, and vanilla oak. It’s what the Sherry hipsters are drinking!

Try: Apostoles Gonzalez Byass Palo Cortado, £25 (mix 6 price ) for a half bottle, Majestic

What About Sweet Sherry?

There’s nothing at all wrong with these stalwart, sweeter styles and they still sell by the truck load during the festive season; it’s just not what the Sherry revolution is about. Here are the styles to know:

Pedro Ximenez (15-17% abv typically)

PX, as it is affectionately known, is a sweet style of Sherry made with very ripe, white, Pedro Ximenez grapes, which are air dried on mats to concentrate sugars and flavours before being gently pressed. The lusciously sweet juice is then aged in barrels for a long time - sometimes decades, to achieve a thick, dark, treacley consistency and flavours of dried fig and baking spice. These are fortified early, before fermentation really begins, so sugar remains sky-high while alcohol is moderate. Stuff the chocolate sauce, pour this over your ice cream! Note: This is not the sweet ‘cream’ sherry beloved by elderly parents at Christmastime.

Try: Tesco Finest Pedro Ximenez Sherry, £7.50 from Tesco

Moscatel (15–18% abv typically)

Made from the intensely aromatic Muscat of Alexandria grape, Moscatel Sherry is all sunshine and orange blossom. The grapes are sometimes sun-dried to boost sweetness before being gently fortified, keeping plenty of natural sugar intact. Expect notes of honey, candied citrus peel and dried apricot wrapped up in a golden glow. It’s less treacly than PX - more marmalade glaze than molasses - and it works beautifully with fruit tarts or blue cheese.

Try Lustau Moscatel Emilin, £27.50 on Master of Malt

Pale Cream Sherry (15–17% abv typically)

Born from the dry, delicate world of Fino and Manzanilla, Pale Cream is made from these dry sherries sweetened with unfermented grape must to smooth the edges and go down more easily. Light straw in colour and gently floral, it has notes of bruised apple, almond and vanilla syrup. Best served chilled, it’s a bridge for those dipping their toes into the world of sherry, especially as an aperitif or alongside pâté and salted nuts.

Try Waitrose Blueprint Pale Cream Sherry, £9.95 from Waitrose

Medium Sherry (17–19% abv typically)

A halfway house between dry and sweet, Medium sherry starts life as an Amontillado or Oloroso before being softened with a touch of Pedro Ximénez or concentrated grape must. The result? A burnished amber beauty with notes of caramel, orange peel, and roasted nuts. It’s more off-dry and moreish, like the the Goldilocks of sherries: not too sweet, not too dry.

Try: Romate Don José A Selection Oloroso Medium Dry £11.50, The Wine Society

Cream Sherry (17–20% abv typically)

The classic after-dinner style, Cream sherry is a blend of rich, nutty Oloroso with luscious PX for sweetness and texture. Expect toffee, coffee, walnut and dried fruit aromas with a silky, velvety finish that lingers. It’s the ultimate fireside sip, best served with a box of quality streets or sticky toffee pudding.

Try Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847, £16.50 from Master of Malt

Let me know which styles you have tried in the comments of come and fine me on socials @helenasips. Thanks for reading!

Why aren’t all wines vegan when they’re made with grapes?

It’s true, sometimes wine isn’t vegan but whether you’d still drink it or not depends on how strict your veganism is.

You see, all wines start off a bit cloudy with little particles floating around such as proteins, tannins or dead yeast cells. It’s just that what normally happens next is that the wine goes through a process to remove those bits and make the liquid clear and bright so it’s more commercially acceptable.

There are various ways to stop a wine being cloudy with many winemakers opting for a process called fining, where they run certain substances through the wine to help bind the particles together. Once this has happened, the combined particles either fall to the bottom of the tank or can be filtered out. Whatever substance has been used for the fining is then removed from the wine with the particles so that by the time the wine is bottled, there is little to no trace of it. Still, because there has been physical contact with the wine, it matters what was used.

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Substances like bentonite clay or activated charcoal are vegan friendly and very effective for fining but in some places around the world, they still use old fashioned, animal-derived substances like albumin, which comes from eggs or isinglass, which comes from fish bones. Wines that have been fined with these can therefore not be considered vegan, even if though any trace is negligible.

No US, EU or British law requires producers to list fining agents (such as egg white, casein, or isinglass) unless they are still present in the final wine at detectable levels and could cause an allergic reaction.

The good news is that for quite a while now, many wineries have switched to the vegan-friendly alternatives. The challenge there is that not everyone wants the expense and paperwork associated with getting that word officially onto the label, so even if a wine doesn’t say it’s suitable for vegans on it, it might well still be vegan. A bit frustrating! It is absolutely something to be aware of and thankfully, it’s becoming much easier to find wines that are clearly labelled vegan than it used to be.

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It’s the 31st December and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be thinking ahead to things you want to achieve and things you want to leave behind in 2026. I’ll personally be reading more, moving more and writing more of what fills me with joy, which for this hub, means leaning into drinks other than wine and bringing in more elements around the Art of Living well.

Stay tuned for more Wine Wisdom where I’ll publish explainers, longer form reads, FAQs and fun facts specifically about wine. I’ll be doing the same for spirits liqueurs and non-alcoholics within Drinks Wisdom too. You can expect more specific retailer Drinks Picks & Pairings and my bite-sized, wine video learnies will be drip fed for FREE and live in my Video Resources library. There will be many more collaborations too, featuring sensory delights like fragrance and chocolate as well as wine masterclasses and pairing dinners. Keep an eye on my Events for these.

Thank you for all your support in 2025 and here’s to a joyous, creative and successful 2026 full of happy collaborations!

To kick you off…

Read it HERE!

And for those of you wanting to boost your wine confidence in 2026, I’ll be gradually releasing my bite-size wine video learnies. Here’s a juicy one to get you started:

Watch it HERE!

When many of us hear the word Bordeaux, our minds instantly leap to the grand, super expensive red wines: powerful, cassis-scented Cabernet blends from the Left Bank and plush, velvety Merlot-dominated reds from the Right. And while it’s normal to put our attention on these, let’s not forget that almost 10% of Bordeaux’s vineyard area is dedicated to sparkling, white, rosé and sweet wines: a delicious quartet of styles that bring freshness, versatility and a touch of surprise to the table. Let’s lift the claret curtain and step into Bordeaux’s other wine worlds.

SPARKLING WINE: Crémant de Bordeaux

Crémant is well and truly front of mind with winelovers these days and since 1990, Bordeaux has boasted its own official version. Crémant de Bordeaux is made using the same time consuming ‘traditional method’ as Champagne (secondary fermentation in bottle to create fizz, lees ageing for texture and complexity), although usually with the local grapes so they offer something delightful different from Champagne and other Crémants from around France. The sparkling wines are superb with oysters (Bordeaux’s own Arcachon Bay produces some of the best), smoked salmon blinis, or even fish and chips for a Franco-British mash-up.

Grapes for Crémant

White Crémant blends lean on waxy Sémillon, zesty Sauvignon Blanc and aromatic Muscadelle, which are also the key grapes for the famous whites and sweet wines. Classic versions offer bright citrus notes with green apple and the odd chalky, pastry-like note from lees ageing. Rosé versions often use Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot - all quite hefty red grapes, so these sparkling pinks bring the structure and a very different, more floral and leafy profile with strawberry and redcurrant notes. Alcohol levels hover around 12%, making them both food-friendly and dangerously drinkable.

STILL, DRY, WHITE BORDEAUX

Whites make up a modest share of Bordeaux production (about 8%) but they span an impressive spectrum of styles. The grapes are almost always blends of Sauvignon Blanc (bringing citrusy zest, grassy verve, and acid lift) and Sémillon (adding body, texture and honeyed notes with age), sometimes scented by grapey, floral Muscadelle or other permitted grapes.

At their simplest, wines labelled ‘Bordeaux Blanc’ are typically un-oaked and meant for youthful drinking, with classic notes of lime zest, gooseberry and grapefruit. As you go up the price and quality scale, oak is often introduced both for the alcoholic fermentation and for ageing. Wine is also often kept on its lees for longer (the dead yeast cells left from alcoholic fermentation), which add some creamy texture and savoury, nutty complexity. This white style is Bordeaux’s quiet ace, appealing to Sauvignon Blanc lovers but with extra layers, thanks to Sémillon’s waxy generosity. In youth, they offer a smoky, tropical fruit style with richer flavours of lemon curd, baked pear and beeswax and with age, they can develop lanolin, nut and truffle notes; a revelation for those who only know Bordeaux’s reds.

White Bordeaux Food Pairing

Zesty, youthful versions shine with goat’s cheese, sushi or summer salads. The weightier, oak-aged bottles are glorious with roast chicken, creamy fish dishes or even lobster in butter sauce. Yum!

BORDEAUX ROSÉ (Two Key Styles)

Rosé has been made in Bordeaux for centuries and the grapes used for it are the classic red varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Straight Bordeaux Rosé is typically fresh, light and fruit-driven, with notes of strawberry, redcurrant, grapefruit and sometimes a salty nip. This is your picnic and terrace wine so think grilled vegetables, charcuterie or even tomato salads.There’s another historical style of rosé that’s having a renaissance in Bordeaux however and it’s a great one to know: Clairet.

What is Clairet?

Clairet sits halfway between rosé and red wine. It’s fuller-bodied and dry, with more colour, grippiness and juicy cherry and plum notes. It’s made from the region’s usual red grapes as mentioned above but with a slightly longer skin maceration than straight rosé, so the colour is deeper - more vivid raspberry rather than pale salmon. Clairet comes into its own with grilled burgers or lamb skewers, bridging the gap where red might feel too heavy but rosé is too light.

Fun Fact! When Bordeaux wine got famous after being exported to England in the Middle Ages, it was actually this darker rosé style that people were drinking, not the plush, full reds. They called it Clairet too, which is why us Brits to this day still refer to any red wine from Bordeaux as ‘Claret’. Oh the irony that it was more like rosé!

SWEET BORDEAUX

If Crémant is the life of the party and rosé the summer flirt, then Bordeaux’s sweet wines are the aristocrats: golden, unctuous and commanding reverence.The most famous appellations are Sauternes and Barsac, but there’s a family of others (Cadillac, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Cérons…) offering more affordable alternatives.

The Grapes & Process

As for the dry whites and Crémant blanc, grapes used are primarily Sémillon with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The magic for sweet wines however lies in the ‘noble rot’ fungus (Botrytis cinerea), which shrivels the grapes, concentrating sugars and flavour and adding a specific, nutty marzipan-like quality. Harvesting is painstaking, often requiring multiple passes through the vineyard to pick individual botrytised berries at perfect ripeness. These unctuous golden wines taste of acacia honey, apricot, candied citrus peel, saffron, quince and almond, always lifted by zesty acidity so the wines never feel cloying. The best examples are capable of ageing for decades, developing nutty, caramelised complexity. Drink a chilled glass of these with blue cheese and foie gras as a classic combination but with delicately spiced Asian cuisine, the pairing is off the charts! Tarte tatin and fried chicken too are excellent food partners.

Together, sparkling, white, rosé and sweet Bordeaux wines remind us that this region is not a monolith of rouge. They’re versatile at the table, relatively affordable and brimming with character. More importantly, they tell the story of a region that has never stopped experimenting, adapting and broadening its appeal, so next time you think of Bordeaux, try some of these. They might just surprise you - and possibly even steal the show!

Want to know more about key wine styles in manageable , bite-sized video chunks? Check out the HelenaSips Wine Course HERE!

Syrah is unquestionably one of the ‘big four’ red grapes that wine lovers should get to know alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. It has evolved so much over time and place however (while also being subject to a small spelling remix), that its most famous alter ego has its own name: Shiraz. While Syrah and Shiraz are technically the same grape, the name on the label is often the strongest clue to the style of wine in your glass.

In Syrah mode, think of it as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, performed by the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch in a cool, tailored leather jacket: brooding, intellectual and a little bit on the wild side. Syrah is a red grape with a magnetic personality that produces opaque, inky-purple wines that are savoury and structured but smooth and plush with it rather than chewy and tannic. Classic notes for this style feature fresh blackberry, cracked black pepper and smoky, grilled meat with a pinch of olive tapenade and a tell-tale lift of violet and thyme. For wines like this, head to Syrah’s spiritual home in France’s northern Rhône Valley, where famous villages such Saint-Joseph, Hermitage and Cornas specialise in reds made purely with this grape, each with their own nuances. In other parts of the Rhône and southern France, it often features as an important part of the blend, offering its savoury, complex tones to balance out brighter, fruitier varieties like Grenache as well as the more astringent, tangy ones like Carignan. It’s part of the holy trinity of grapes that dominate most Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf du Pape blends but it also plays a key supporting role in Languedoc’s Minervois, Corbières, Saint-Chinian and Fitou appellations.

Shiraz on the other hand, is the style that Australia became known for after the grape crossed the water in the 1830s and basked in the sun for a while to beef up a bit, particularly around the OG regions of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Once thought to be an exotic, globetrotter grape from the city of Shiraz in Persia, DNA testing showed that it did actually hail from France and was, in fact, most likely just mispronounced or mislabelled Syrah that grew beautifully into its new moniker. Shiraz, after all, does share Syrah’s plush structure but tends to be more about bolder, sweeter, red fruit and spicy jam with the odd swirl of liquorice and chocolate fudge, finished off with a kick of white pepper. It’s more Hugh Jackman than Hamlet in all the best, most accessible ways and can be perfectly executed at any price range, whether that’s £5 or £500 (plus) per bottle, like Penfold’s iconic ‘Grange’ wine.

As Syrah/Shiraz has travelled beyond France and Australia, it’s proven itself to be a true vinous chameleon, picking up accents from every new terroir it encounters, making its mark in several notable places. In South Africa’s Swartland for example, Syrah has become a poster child for the country’s modern wine movement with its edgy, herbaceous wines that come from wild fermentations and whole bunch pressing. Names like Mullineux and Porseleinberg offer a new, premium benchmark here. California’s Central Coast is another key region for ‘Rhône Rangers’, where we’ll find everything from Rhône-inspired restraint to full-on, Barossa-style hedonism, depending on who’s behind the winemaking wheel.

You’ll also find delicious mid-way Syrah styles thriving in pockets of Chile, New Zealand, Italy and beyond. These areas can offer a real sweet spot for Syrah, combining some of that Rhône-style, savoury character with a dollop of riper, Shiraz-style fruit. Wherever it’s grown though, this is a noble grape that holds a mirror to its landscape, at times being quietly intense and at others, bold and swaggering. It’s not just a grape, it’s a storyteller and this is why it’s so often a wine lover’s favourite: it always has something new to say - and it’s fabulous with food.

WHAT FOOD TO PAIR WITH SYRAH/SHIRAZ

The classic match

ROSEMARY LAMB WITH GARLIC POTATOES

The classic pairing for Rhône-Style Syrah is roast lamb with heaps of rosemary, and crispy, salty, garlic potatoes. The wine’s herby earthiness echoes the rosemary and caramelised lamb edges and its velvety tannins cut through without overpowering it. Try this recipe from Delicious Magazine.

Something different

MEXICAN MOLE ROJO

A bold, Barossa Shiraz with a bit of age or an earthy, Swartland Syrah both have the depth of flavour, fruitiness and structure to match the mole’s intensity with its complex layers of chillies, cumin, dark chocolate, sesame and spices. Try this recipe from Delicious Magazine.

Wine Recommendations

UNDER A TENNER

Porcupine Ridge Syrah, Swartland, South Africa, £9.25, Sainsbury’s link

Here’s a great example of an easy-going, inexpensive wine that shows a bit of both worlds in terms of style. Packed with juicy plum and pepper spice, it’s rich and a little rustic - perfect for mid week meals like spaghetti bolognaise or a steak and chips.

MID-RANGE

Whistler Wines ‘Shiver’ Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022, £19.50 The Wine Society

This Beautiful Barossa Shiraz proves that bold can also be elegant. Made sustainably by a family-run winery with hand-harvested and foot trodden grapes, this is all about lifted cassis, baking spice and fudge with a hint of dried thyme on the finish and a delightful freshness.

SPLURGE

Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2012, £42 The Wine Society Link

Aged Rhône Syrah from a great producer like Jaboulet is well worth splashing out on and this red ticks every box. Finely textured with notes of tobacco and grilled meat, damson fruit, a whiff of leather, thyme and violet, it opens up with every sip. With game, it will be epic.

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September is Bordeaux month so I thought it would a great time to break down the world’s most famous (and famously complicated) wine regions into bite-sized chunks by wine colour. Let’s start with the famous RED BLENDS, even though the region makes fabulous whites, rosés and sparkling wines. Stay tuned for more on those.

In this article, we’ll look at:

• Why Bordeaux is ‘The Beatles of Wine’

• Why Bordeaux is all about blending

• The red grapes of Bordeaux

• New red grape varieties allowed in Bordeaux for climate change

• The Right Bank and Left Bank thing

• What does ‘claret’ mean?

• The famous quality classification systems

Psst…You can watch and keep a 5 min video of this lesson when you purchase the HelenaSips Course!

So, red Bordeaux. Here we go!

Bordeaux Red Blends: The ‘Beatles’ of Wine

Red wines from Bordeaux are almost always blends of several grape varieties where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If Bordeaux were a band, it would be the Beatles: Legendary, widely recognised and with a historic reputation for excellence, where each member has great talent but together, they are sensational.

Why Bordeaux is all About Blending

Blending is a deeply rooted art form in Bordeaux where it’s used to give wines more complexity and age-worthiness. It stems from the fact that traditionally, Bordeaux’s maritime climate has been quite variable with vines facing issues like spring frosts and summer rains, which can mean certain grapes might not ripen properly. Blending allows winemakers to offset weaker-performing varieties with those that have thrived in particular growing seasons. This ensures consistently balanced and reliable wines despite a vintage’s unique challenges.

This tradition has become a hallmark of Bordeaux’s identity, setting it apart from regions like Burgundy, which is known for single-varietal wines made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Speaking of grapes though. The ones that make Bordeaux are pretty legendary:

The Red Bordeaux Grapes

In red Bordeaux wines, there are five main grape varieties used but the two big boys are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon (John Lennon)

Cabernet Sauvignon adds tannin and brawn plus blackcurrant or blackberry flavours. This is like John Lennon: bold and intense, bringing structure and depth to the band.

Merlot (Paul McCartney)

Merlot is known for its softer, smoother texture and more juicy, red fruit. This is Paul McCartney with his melodic voice and easy charisma, balancing John’s edgier side. Then you have the other two band members:

Cabernet Franc (George Harrison)

Cabernet Franc adds herbaceous notes and an understated elegance, a bit like how George Harrison brought a thoughtful complexity to the band with his spiritual side.

Petit Verdot (Ringo Starr)

Petit Verdot is used sparingly but provides clear finishing touches, contributing spice, colour and structure, much like Ringo’s drumming, which anchored the Beatles’ sound without overpowering anyone.

Malbec (The 5th Beatle?)

Sometimes in the blend and sometimes not, Malbec adds a touch of fruitiness and depth, reminiscent of the Beatles’ collaborators and influences. Maybe it’s that elusive 5th Beatle?

New Grapes for Climate Change

Here’s something to keep your eye on: In 2019, Bordeaux authorities approved the planting of several new grape varieties designed to better withstand higher temperatures and drought due to climate change. These grapes are currently only allowed in small percentages (up to 5% in the final blend) but that number may increase soonish. The new red grapes are:

Touriga Nacional - Brings structure and floral notes

Marselan - Brings softness, texture and colour

Castets: Brings spicy, earthiness

Arinarnoa: Brings riper fruit and is good for deeper colour

The Right Bank and Left Bank thing

The concept of ‘terroir’, which is the unique combination of soil, climate and topography in a particular place, is essential in Bordeaux. The gravel soils of the Left Bank of the river Gironde are ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon for example, while the clay soils of the Right Bank are better suited to Merlot.

Left Bank wines often feature Cabernet Sauvignon as the dominant grape as it thrives in well drained, gravelly soils, resulting in more tannic and age-worthy wines with notes of blackcurrant, cedar and leather as they age. The Right Bank on the other hand is known for more Merlot-dominant wines that love clay and have a softer, rounder feel with notes like ripe plum and vine tomato. They’re often ready to drink earlier than their Left Bank friends too.

In song terms, it’s basically Lennon’s Hard Day’s Night on the Left Bank versus McCartney's softer Hey Jude on the Right. Both great - but give very different vibes.

Fun Fact! ‘Claret’

‘Claret’ is a very British term for a red blend from Bordeaux. It goes back to mediaeval times when red wines from Bordeaux were actually pretty pale in colour - more like rosés really and the old French word for pale was ‘clairet’. A lot of these Bordeaux wines were drunk in English courts and the name sort of stuck. Now it just means any classic red blend from Bordeaux and is cockney for blood!

Bordeaux Wine Month - Get Involved!

The Famous Quality Classification Systems

Bordeaux’s quality classification systems, plural, are intricate to say the least, with not just one but six different ranking structures reflecting the quality and prestige of wines across its many, many sub regions.

The ‘Big Three’ to know are these:

The 1855 Médoc Classification

The 1855 Classification of Médoc red wines is still the most famous and has barely changed in all that time. It’s like being in the premier league, only you can't get relegated. This randomly also includes one sneaky sweet Sauternes.

The 1955 Saint-Émilion Classification

Medoc is on the Left bank so here, Saint Emilion eventually developed its own version for the Right Bank in 1955 - but it has slightly different rules and is updated every 10 years.

The 1953 Graves Classification

There’s a classification for Graves dating back to 1953, updated in 1959, which ranks both red and whites from the ‘Pessac-Léognan’ subregion

While these are the top three classifications, there’s also Cru Bourgeois, Bordeaux Supérieur and Cru Artisans to know about, which rank on a lower, more accessible level:

Cru Bourgeois (Médoc)

Created in 1932 and revised in 2020, this classification includes wines from Médoc that did not make it into the 1855 classification. The current system has three tiers: Cru Bourgeois, then Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, then Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.

Bordeaux Supérieur

Bordeaux Supérieur is a category for red and white wines that meet stricter production standards than regular Bordeaux AOC wines. These wines must meet higher aging requirements and lower maximum yields, typically resulting in more structured and refined wines.

Crus Artisans

Recognized in 2006, this classification applies to smaller, family-owned vineyards in the Médoc region that produce high-quality wines. It emphasises the artisanal approach and dedication of small producers, creating value-oriented wines.

Got all that? Phew! Stay tuned for more on the whites, pinks, sparkling and sweet wines of Bordeaux. Can’t wait? Check out the HelenaSips Wine Course!

It’s BORDEAUX Wine Month!

During September, 115 independent wine shops across the UK are taking part in Bordeaux Wine Month to help YOU take a deep dive in Bordeaux wine and discover the diversity of the region through masterclasses, food and wine pairings and more. There’s also a chance to win £250 of Bordeaux wines by simply scanning the special QR code on the bottle necks.

While the fabulous red wine blends from Bordeaux often take the spotlight, don’t forget that there’s plenty of rosé, white and sparkling wine to try, as well as the world class sweet wines. Sauternes anyone?

Bordeaux Wine Month is a fantastic opportunity to challenge your palate and get to know the world’s most famous region - and just because it’s Bordeaux, it doesn’t mean it’s super pricey. You can get excellent wines of all styles for an affordable price tag.

Below is the full UK list of participating retailers. For a map view, see here.

Share this with someone you want to be your Bordeaux wine tasting partner!

UK PARTICIPATING RETAILERS (Alphabetical order)

Alexander Hadleigh Wine Merchants (ahadleigh-wine.com)

19 CENTRE WAY, LOCKS HEATH SHOPPING CENTRE, SOUTHAMPTON, SO31 6DX, SO31 6DX

Amathus Drinks (amathusdrinks.com)

6 Green Street, BA1 2JY

Amp (ampswinemerchants.co.uk)

6 Market Place, PE8 4BQ

Oundle Wharf, PE8 4DE

Angus Wines Limited (montyswineshop.co.uk)

10 Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen AB11 6EL, AB106XA

Auriol Wines (auriolwines.com)

High St, Hartley Wintney Hants. RG27 8NY, RG278NY

Bacchus Beyond (bacchusbeyond.com)

Basement Studio, IP19 8AY

Blackheath Vintners (blackheathvintners.co.uk)

26 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, London SE3 0AX, SE3 0AX

Blanco & Gomez Wine Merchants LTD (bgwm.co.uk)

410 King's Road, sw10 0lj

Bon Coeur Fine Wines (bcfw.co.uk)

Moor Park, Moor Road, Melsonby, DL10 5PR

Bray Valley Wines (brayvalleywines.co.uk)

1 Westhill, Pathfields Business Park, South Molton, EX36 3BS

Brigitte Bordeaux Wine Ltd (brigittebordeauxwine.co.uk)

494 Mansfield Road, NG5 2FB

Brompton Wine Ltd (bromptonwine.co.uk)

86 Ashen Grove, SW19 8BN

Buckingham Cavavin (buckinghamcavavin.co.uk)

12 Cornwall Place, Buckingham, MK181SB, MK18 1SB

Cambridge Wine Merchants (cambridgewine.com)

1 MILL YARD, CHILDERLEY, CB23 8BA

12 Church St, Ampthill, Bedford, MK45 2EH

163 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7BX

2 King's Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ

31 Bridge Street, Cambridge, CB2 1UJ

34B Kneesworth St, Royston, SG8 5AB

Casa Felici N.I. Ltd T/A McGarry's Fine Wines (INFO@MCGARRYSFINEWINES.COM)

39-41 Church Square, BT32 4AP

Cavavin London (brixton.cavavin.co.uk)

8 Arlington parade, SW2 1RH

Caviste Ltd (caviste.co.uk)

6B High Street, Overton, Hampshire, RG25 3HA

Unit 2, Newlyns Farm, North Warnborough, Hook, Hampshire, RG29 1HA

Cellar Door Wines (cellardoorwines.co.uk)

Unit 1, Verulam Industrial Estate, London Rd, St Albans, AL1 1JB

Cheers Wine Merchants Ltd (cheerswinemerchants.co.uk)

132, Westcross Lane, Swansea, SA3 5NG, SA3 5NG

30 Newton Road, Mumbles, Swansea, SA3 4AX

Davy's Wine Shop (davywine.co.uk)

171 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8JA

Direct Wine Shipments (directwineshipments.com)

5-7 Corporation Square, Belfast BT1 3AJ, BT1 3AJ

Doddington Farms LLP (doddingtonhall.com)

Doddington Farm Shop, LN6 4RU

Dulwich Vintners (dulwichvintners.co.uk)

DULWICH VINTNERS, 85-87 Dulwich Village, London, SE21 7BJ, SE21 7BJ

Evington's (evingtons-wines.co.uk)

120 Evington Road, Leicester. LE21HH, LE21HH

EWWines (ewwines.co.uk)

Unit 9C, A30 Business Park, Indian Queens, TR9 6FZ, TR9 6FZ

Feel Good Grapes (feelgoodgrapes.com)

The Row, NG33 5BX

Fine Wines Direct UK (finewinesdirectuk.com)

Fine Wines Direct UK, CF11 8TU

Frazier Jones Wine Merchants (frazierjones.wine)

2 Stirling Road, B904NE

Friarwood Fine Wines Ltd (friarwood.com)

26 New Kings Road, SW6 4ST

31 High Street Wimbledon, London, SW19 5BY

GAPWines Ltd (gapwines.com)

121 Somerton Road, BT154DH

George Hill Ltd (goergehill.co.uk)

59 Wards End, Loughborough, Leics, LE11 3HB

Grape Minds Ltd (grapemindsdrinkalike.co.uk)

10 St Martins Street, Wallingford, OX10 0AL

35 South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JN, OX2 7JN

Harrison's (harrisonswines.co.uk)

60 Pitshanger Lane, Ealing, London, W5 1QY

Harvey & Son (Lewes) Ltd. (harveys.org.uk)

6 Cliffe High Street, Lewes. East Sussex, BN7 2AH, BN7 2AH

Highbury Vintners (highburyvintners.co.uk)

https://highburyvintners.co.uk/collections/france/bordeaux, N5 1UA

Hogarth Wines & Tastings (hogarthwines.co.uk)

29 Castle Acre, Stafford, ST17 9YU

Hourlier Wines (hourlierwines.co.uk)

Unit 11, Melbourne Hall Visitor Centre, Church Square Melbourne, Derbyshire DE73 8EN, DE73 8EN

JN Wine (jnwine.com)

7-9 Killyleagh Street, BT30 9DQ

Kirkness & Gorie (kirknessandgorie.com)

11 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH, KW15 1DH

KWM Wines & Spirits (kwmwine.com)

38 Greencastle Street, Kilkeel, Co Down, BT34 4BH, United Kingdom, BT34 4BH

L'Ami Jac (lamijac.com)

94 Shepherds Bush Rd, London W6 7PD, Royaume-Uni, W67PD

Le Bon Vin Ltd (sheffield.cavavin.co.uk)

340 Brightside Lane, S9 2SP

Le Vacherin Deli (deli.levacherin.com)

76/77 South parade, W4 5LF

Lea & Sandeman Co Chelsea (leaandsandeman.co.uk)

170 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9PR

Lea & Sandeman Fulham (leaandsandeman.co.uk)

739a Fulham Road, SW6 5UL

Lea and Sandeman Wine Merchants - Kensington (leaandsandeman.co.uk)

106 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4BH

Lea and Sandeman, Chiswick (leaandsandeman.co.uk)

167 Chiswick High Road, W42DR

Liquorice Wine & Deli Ltd. (liquoricewine.co.uk)

65 Hutton Road, Shenfield, Essex, CM158JD

Loki Wine (lokiwine.co.uk)

10 Greenfield Crescent|B15 3AU, 20-22|B93 0HT

36 Great Western Arcade, B2 5HU

Magnum Wineshop (magnumwineshop.co.uk)

Magnum Wines, 22 Wood Street, SN1 4AB

Michael Sutton's Cellar Limited (michaelsuttonscellar.co.uk)

Riversbridge Dartmouth, TQ6 0LG

Mumbles Fine Wines (mumblesfinewines.co.uk)

Mumbles Fine Wines, SA3 4DH

Nickolls and Perks Ltd (nickollsandperks.com)

37 Lower High Street, DY8 1TA

Noahs Goat Wine (noahsgoatwine.co.uk)

146 Athelstan Road, TN34 3EE

Old Chapel Cellars (oldchapelcellars.co.uk)

The Old Chapel, St Clement Street, Truro, TR1 1EX

Partners in Wine (partnersinwine.uk)

6/7 Aldsworth Parade, Goring by Sea, West Sussex., BN12 4UP

Paulette (paulettelondon.com)

Josette, EC1R 3EA

Paulette, 18 Formosa Street, W9 1EE

Penistone wine cellars (pcwine)

Penistone wine cellars, unit 5, Pentistone Train Station, penistone, S36 6HP

Portal, Dingwall & Norris (pdnwines.com)

48 Main Road, PO10 8AU

Portland Wine Company (portlandwine.co.uk)

16 North Parade, Sale M33 3JS, M33 3JS

Goyt Wines, 1 Canal Street, Whaley Bridge, SK23 7LS

Portland Wine Hale, 152a Ashley Road, Hale, WA15 9SA

Portland Wine Marple, 45/4 Compstall Road, Marple, SK6 5HG

Priory Wines (priorywines.com)

17 Lymington Enterprise Centre, Ampress Lane, Lymington SO41 8LZ, So41 8LZ

Shekleton Wines (shekletonwines.co.uk)

2 Chapel Yard, PE9 1EH

Soho Wine Supply (sohowine.co.uk)

18 Percy Street, W1T 1DX

South Downs Cellars (southdownscellars.co.uk)

100 High Street, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex BN6 9PX, BN6 9PX

South Downs Cellars, 70 High Street, Lindfield, West Sussex, RH16 2HL

Symposium (symposiumlondon.co.uk)

363 Roman Road, E3 5QR

Taurus Wines (tauruswines.co.uk)

Whipley Manor Palmers Cross, GU5 0LL

The Bishops Cave (thebishopscave.co.uk)

19 Holywell Hill, AL1 1EZ

22 North Street, CM23 2LW

The Drinks Cabinet

43 High Street, Aberdour, Fife, Scotland, KY3 0SJ

The General Wine Company (thegeneralwine.co.uk)

25 Station Road, Liphook, GU30 7DW

39 Lavant Street, Petersfield, GU32 3EL

The Scottish Gantry (thescottishgantry.com)

1 Murray Place, Stirling, FK8 1AX

10b Queensferry Street, EH2 4PG

5 Mugdock Road, Milngavie, G62 8PD, G62 8PD

The Secret Cellar (thesecretcellar.co.uk)

133 Station Road East, Oxted, RH8 0QE

43-45 Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1JT

The Wine Press (wpwines.com)

Grange Lane, Lye, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 7HH

The Wine Story Club (thewinestoryclub.com)

2 Hadham Hall, Little Hadham, SG11 2AU, Hertfordshire, SG11 2AU

Theatre of Wine (theatreofwine.com)

124 Junction Road, N19 5LB

75 Trafalgar Road, London, SE10 9TS

Trinkfluss Wines (trinkflusswines.co.uk)

2 Church Street, Godalming, GU7 1EH

Victor Indigo November Limited (victorindigonovember.co.uk)

12 Wellington Street, Gateshead, NE8 2AJ

VINO (vinowines.co.uk)

26 NORTH WEST CIRCUS PLACE, EDINBURGH, EH3 6TP

30 BROUGHTON STREET, EDINBURGH, EH1 3SB

Vinotopia (vinotopiawine.co.uk)

The Wine Barn, Gl6 0BS

Wine Down (winedown.im)

24 Duke Street, IM1 2AY

Wine Poole Ltd (winepoole.co.uk)

Unit 1 St George's Business Park, Lower Cape, Warwick, CV34 5DR

Wine World (wine-world.co.uk)

11 Fore Street, Topsham,Exeter, EX3 0HF

28 South Street, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3NQ

83 High Street, Honiton,Devon EX14 1PG, EX14 1PG

WoodWinters Wines & Whiskies Inverness (woodwinters.com)

99 Church Street, Inverness, IV11ES

York Wines (yorkwines.co.uk)

Moor Farm, Sheriff Hutton Road, York, YO32 5TX

Yorkshire Vintners (yorkshirevintners.co.uk)

Unit 2 Ripon Business Park, Charter Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1AJ, HG4 1AJ

What exactly is ‘natural’ wine? Isn’t all wine natural?

You may well ask. ‘Natural’ wine is a philosophy rather than a legally defined term and therefore open to a bit of interpretation BUT the guiding principle is to avoid additives and make the most unprocessed version of a wine possible. What this means in practice is growing grapes without chemicals and not using additives in the winery, so things like powdered tartaric acid to balance acidity, enzymes for stability and the big one - sulphites, which work as antioxidants and antimicrobials but can cause problems for some wine drinkers..

Natural winemakers also tend to use the wild yeasts that are found on the grape skins and in the general environment to ferment the wine rather than shop-bought, commercial versions that have certain approved properties. And as natural wine is not filtered, it can be a bit cloudy or funky with some sediment - literally a wine without a glossy filter!

The unprocessed bit means winemakers pretty much let the wine make itself. Get grapes, crush grapes, leave grapes to ferment, bottle the wine. You may hear the term low-intervention wines and that means precisely this: the wine has seen as few steps and additions as possible, hence it's all made more naturally because the reality is, with the normal wines we’re used to, there can be many more steps and additions, especially in the winery.

So what are natural wines like? Well, in all honesty, this is a style that can really split the judges, partly because it can be hard to know what you’re going to get and because they rarely taste as you would expect classic varieties or blends to taste. They can also be unpredictable, even from within the same batch. What they do all seem to have in common though is an earthy, raw, tanginess that can be quite moreish. Some can be a bit stinky and funky and others are more clean as it were and they’re generally also a bit better for you thanks to a fewer additives, slightly lower alcohol levels and the potential for good gut substances that don’t get filtered out. Many orange wines and ‘Pét Nat’ wines are natural - but not all of them.

Whatever you feel about natural wines, this is how wine always used to be made when it first existed thousands of years ago and there’s a huge movement celebrating natural wine today.

What are your thoughts on any you’ve tasted?

Try These Natural Wines

Orange Wine, Recaş Estate, Romania, 2022

Find it for £11.50-£12.99 at Gusto Wines Adnams Fenwick ClinknDrink

This ravishing Romanian is a great introduction to natural wine and it’s a skin contact, orange wine too - as many natural wines are. Dark gold in colour, think ripe pear and vanilla-scented apple crumble with a bitter, orange peel kick. It’s complex and textured but beautifully fresh with it too.

Sampagnino Sulle Bucce Pétillant Naturel

Find it for £16.50 at purewines.co.uk

Made from ancient varieties within the DOC of Monterosso in Emilia Romagna, Italy, this is a natural, sparkling wine that still has its lees so will be cloudy in the bottle. Think tropical fruit with pineapple and orange peel with a very tangy texture. Great with cold cuts and cheese.

New Theory White Lies Orange Wine

Find it for £16.50 at Ocado

Both an orange wine (skin-contact style) and a natural wine from Stellenbosch, South Africa, this is a flavoursome, very textural wine with notes of pink grapefruit apricot, bergamot and ripe peach. A very moreish style, thai is crying out for halloumi or roast chicken - or even nutty cheese.

Stay tuned and I’ll guide you through organics, biodynamics and orange wine soon! OR you check out my video wine course with its bite-sized videos that answer all these sorts of questions as well as give you a roadmap for where to start when learning about the good stuff!

Provence in southeastern France sets the benchmark for pale and pretty pinks with a characteristic saline tang. - but they are not all the same. Here’s everything you what you need to know about the nuances of Provençal rosé. Buckle up. It’s a juicy one!

Provence is famous for blends, especially its premium pink wines, which make up 90% of production. Only around 8% of wine here is red and under 4% is white, it’s clear to see that Provence’s power lies in its pink. We’ll cover white and reds another time but for now, let’s look at Provence through rosé tinted glasses.

Provençal Rosé: The Key Grapes

There are four grapes that make the most noise in Provençal pink blends with some other varieties permitted but not used as much, generally. Together they’re like members of a band and that band is the beach Boys!

Grenache - The leader. The Brian Wilson! Juicy, red fruit and complexity.

Cinsault - Delicate & floral with fresh strawberry notes.

Syrah - Colour, spice and power!

Mourvèdre - Earthy, brooding dark fruit.

One grape to keep an ear out for in Provence in Tibouren. Currently, it’s largely one of the supporting grapes but some producers like Chateau Galoupet are nurturing it. Tibouren is known for its subtle but reliable complexity, adding a lovely herbaceous Mediterranean garrigue note to a blend. This is the Al Jardine of the blend.

There are some other grapes too, which are like the supporting members (such as Brian Johnston and David Marks were): Carignan and Vermentino are largely used to add balance and complexity as well as adding nuance to creating styles like harmonies that are unique to each producer.

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FUN FACT!

Domaines Ott in Provence made the first skittle shaped bottle that sparked a trend in the area but not only that, it was said that it was because of their premium white wines made from Sémillon and Rolle (aka Vermentino) at their Clos Mireille estate that people took a punt on the pinks they made a small amount of - and sort of sold on the side. People quite liked the pinks, to say the least and the rest is history.

SIPS SAFARI: Provence Pinks

Provence is not just one homogeneous area; there are tones of regions and sub regions, though they are often lumped together on wine lists. However, there are three areas that are the most famous with five more niche ones to know about - and each brings specific qualities. Start your Sips Safari with the big three and don’t forget to try their trade up, gastronomic styles too, which often have some oak and lees ageing for creaminess.

Côtes de Provence AOC

This is the largest and most famous appellation responsible for around 75% of wines. It’s pretty big and has now has its own official ‘crus’, where each cru is defined by stricter rules on yields, permitted grape varieties, winemaking and vineyard area, recognising them as the “best bits” of Côtes de Provence. Here are the cru:

Côtes de Provence La Londe - Elegant, citrusy and floral, from coastal vineyards with a sea-breeze freshness.

Côtes de Provence Fréjus - Peppery, saline and distinctive, from volcanic soils with garrigue shrubs.

Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu - Full-bodied, spicy and ripe, from more inland valleys. Thee have softer lines and a more generous body.

Côtes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges - Aromatic, balanced and floral, from vineyards in the central, forested heartland of Provence.

Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire (newly elevated!) - Lean, structured and mineral, from rocky, sun-drenched slopes. These are classical, tight and ageworthy.

Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence AOC

The second-largest rosé-producing region after Côtes de Provence is Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, located to the west of Aix-en-Provence. These rosés often show an extra touch of spice and herbal aromas, typical of the garrigue ie. those aromatic, wild French herbs.

Coteaux Varois en Provence AOC

A much smaller appellation, located in the heart of Provence around Brignoles is Coteaux Varois en Provence. This region produces elegant, fresh peachy rosés with more of a zesty, citrusy character.

The Niche Appellations

As I mentioned there are other smaller sub appellations to explore with Provencal pink but it helps to get a feel for the big three first. The niche ones to try however are:

Bandol AOC, which is more famous for its Mourvèdre-based reds but its pinks are Mourvedre heavy too and with more weight and meatiness to them. This is the best known of this particular bunch, but you might also want to try wines from the teeny

Les Baux-de-Provence AOC, Cassis AOC, Palette AOC and Bellet AOC.

QUALITY FACT! Cru Classé de Provence

Although Provence doesn’t have an official Premier Cru or Grand Cru system, it does have a historical classification called Cru Classé. This was introduced in 1955, identifying 23 estates in Provence, mostly within the Côtes de Provence AOC, that were recognised for their quality, history, and terroir. Examples of Cru Classé estates you may know include Domaines Ott, Château Minuty, and Château Galoupet.

Want some recommendations? I’ll send a newsletter at the end of this week with an article on my website helenasips.com. In the meantime, make sure you are subscribed and if you want more in depth wine knowledge, sign up for my bite-sized, video wine course!

Here’s a story that has many variations, but learn it and you’ll sound properly cultured at dinner parties…

Bacchus? Dionysus? Who’s Who?

Let’s start at the beginning. Bacchus was the Roman’s own version of the Greek god Dionysus but while they share a wardrobe of ivy crowns, leopard skins and a penchant for ecstatic revelry, they’re not quite the same. Dionysus came first: the Greek god of wine, fertility, ritual madness and semi-religious ecstasy. He was the androgynous outsider who became divine with a wild, theatrical entourage of ‘maenads and satyrs’ who, quite frankly, were the wildest party crew mythology ever dreamt up. These folk embodied everything Dionysus stood for: liberation, instinct, ecstasy and occasionally, absolute chaos.

Bacchus was his Roman echo but while he retained much of the Dionysian flair, this was gradually streamlined by the sensibilities of Rome. The Romans gave him more festivals but over time, he became more associated with the social and celebratory aspects of wine rather than with the spiritual wildness Dionysus often evoked. Think of Bacchus as Dionysus but through an imperial lens: less mystical cult leader and more party god of the villa. Still, their stories entwine and the most famous of them is the tale of how the first grapevine grew.

The Legend of the First Grapevine

According to one of history’s most enduring myths, the first grapevine was created through the trauma of loss. As the tale goes, it was actually Dionysus rather than Bacchus who was in love with a beautiful, young boy named Ampelos. One day, tragedy struck when Ampelos started showing off on a wild bull and fell to his death. Dionysus was inconsolable and wandered around in mourning, mad with grief and from the tears that fell onto the earth while Dionysus bent over the broken body of Ampelos, something miraculous grew: a slender tendril winding its way into the sunlight. This was the first grapevine, which became a living tribute to love lost and memories cherished. Some say that Dionysus squeezed the berries and drank their juice, finding in its heady rush both solace and transcendence.

In another version, the goddess Gaia (Earth herself) took pity on Dionysus and transformed Ampelos into the vine as a gesture of renewal. Thus, wine was born from the union of grief and generosity, from earth and gods, loss and desire.

Did it, though?

Weeeell. SOME say that the grapevine was always wild and its unadulterated, uncultivated version still grows across parts of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. These wild vines (Vitis vinifera subsp. Sylvestris) are like the untamed cousins of our cultivated Vitis vinifera vines, producing smaller berries with tougher skins and bitter juice. The wild vines were there from ancient times, twisting up trees, basking in sunshine and offering fruit to the birds and bears until humans tamed them around 8,000 years ago. This apparently happened in the South Caucasus region, which is modern-day Georgia, Armenia and eastern Turkey, where some enterprising Neolithic farmer noticed that birds liked the berries because they were sweet, pressed the juice and then realised that it you left it too long, it went bubbly, made you giggle, do the robot and eventually, fall over.

Which version do you believe?

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What is Verdejo and what does it taste like?

Lovers of Sauvignon Blanc looking for something a little different will do well to seek out the Verdejo grape variety. As far as taste families go they’re a little like siblings, with both grapes sharing an intense, aromatic, grassy zesty personality, which can go tropical, especially if oak is involved. Verdejo however, is a little more yellow green in the glass and alongside its plush lime and greengage fruit flavours, there’s something slightly fennel or aniseed about it. Body-wise, Verdejo is a little fuller and textural than most Sauvignons and it can have a characteristic bitterness and minerality on the finish too.

Where is the Verdejo grape from?

While tiny pockets of Verdejo can be found around Spain and occasionally elsewhere in the world, the place to know about really is Rueda D.O. (Designation of Origin), which is located in the Community of Castilla y León in Spain. This is a wine region famous for white wines, though some red and rosé is made. It is Verdejo however that is the star of the show as the flagship white wine grape, with vines here dating back a thousand years. The most highly prized vineyards for it are largely concentrated around the municipalities of La Seca, Rueda, and Serrada.

What to Eat with Verdejo?

Verdejo’s acidity, especially when it’s a young wine, cuts through the richness of seafood beautifully and enhances anything citrus or with vinaigrette, so grilled or fried fish, shellfish and salads work really nicely. It’s a great choice for goats cheese too and any aromatic, green herbs which might normally be tricky to match, such as dill and coriander. Older and more oak aged Verdejo wine can take stronger, richer flavours and creamy sauces.

One Grape, Three Ways: Verdejo from Rueda

Sparkling

Palacio de Bornos Brut Nature (100% Verdejo) NV

Palacio de Bornos was the first Rueda winery to make a sparkling wine and this is an exceptional fizz made in the traditional method (like Champagne) and as it’s a ‘brut nature,’ meaning it’s made without the usual dose of sugar (dosage) added. Extended lees aging give this a rich, textured mouthfeel and a sense of ripe fruit despite the lack of sugar. A great food wine that will love smoked or grilled fish particularly.

Find it on offer at £14.36 at spanishwinesonline

Crisp & Elegant

Finca La Colina Verdejo CIEN X CIEN 2024

Made by the oldest winery in D.O. Rueda, this is a classic, aperitif style Verdejo, grown in the renowned La Seca part of the region. It’s pale yellowy green in the glass and bright, crisp and saline on the palate, with understated notes of tropical guava and fresh herbs.

Find it for £14.73 from winebuyers.com

Fuller & Foodie

Marques de Riscal Limousin Gran Vino de Rueda 2023

Gran Vino de Rueda is a relatively new classification for wine made with old vines (must be 30 years plus) and lower grape yields for extra concentration. Marques de Riscal is better known for its Rioja wines but here, they make a stunning, foodie Verdejo from grapes hand harvested from old bush vines grown in the highest terraces of Rueda, then aged in French Limousin oak. The result is a full-bodied, fleshy, slightly waxy wine with elegant tropical notes, a creamy texture and a whiff of toastiness

Find it for £22.99 at thewineflyer.co.uk