Styles & Regions

Despite Its Success, Pinot Grigio Might Lose Out

In Trentino, Pinot Grigio represents a formidable product in its marketing arsenal. However, the situation of this universally admired varietal here starkly contrasts with that in other wine-growing regions. Clemens Gerke reports.

Reading time: 4m 15s

Austria’s Younger Generation Emerges to Acclaim

A new generation of winemakers is rising in Austria, helping to accelerate the country’s quality revolution — while respecting what’s gone before.

Reading time: 4m

New Zealand's Wine Sector - a Snapshot

The annual New Zealand Wine report of highlights export records, cyclone damage, and legislative concerns.

Reading time: 2m

MUNDUS VINI Spring Tasting 2023

7,568 wines from 44 countries - one even from Afghanistan - were in line for the MUNDUS VINI spring tasting. 242 jurors from all over the world awarded prizes to the best wines. As a premiere, the category "alcohol-free" was tasted for the first time, with 131 still wines and 56 sparkling 'wines'.

Reading time: 2m 15s

Greece: Island Odyssey

Greece's islands are a cosmos of their own: the barren Cyclades, the evergreen Ionian Islands, and Crete, which feels like a continent. And these are by no means all of them. Simon Werner reports.

Reading time: 5m

The Rhône Valley Bets Big on White Wine

The Rhône Valley is preparing for the challenges of climate change by testing hybrid grapes, among other measures. Iris Trenkner-Panwitz reports.

Reading time: 4m 15s

Chianti Launches 11 New Sub Zones. US Importers are yet to be Convinced

For most US consumers with more than passing knowledge of Italian wine, Tuscany’s most famous wine comes in two forms: as Chianti and Chianti Classico. Now, as Liza B. Zimmerman explains, labels bearing the names of generally unfamiliar sub zones will begin to appear on the shelves.

Reading time: 4m 15s

The Quality-Driven Basque Separatists of Rioja

The dispute over the Basque part of Rioja, the "Rioja Alavesa", continues following the Basque regional government approval of the DO "Arabako Mahastiak - Viñedos de Álava". The Basques have a strong argument: higher quality standards.

Reading time: 1m 30s

Barolo: Deserves its Reputation?

Has Barolo gone out of fashion? For our sister publication WEINWIRTSCHAFT it is clear after this tasting that the Piedmontese classic has lost none of its relevance. Clemens Gerke exalts the wines.

Reading time: 4m

Germany: VDP Wines Punch Above Their Weight

VDP wineries may only represent 3% of the German market by volume, but their 10% of the value makes them very significant. It also explains the importance of  the annual Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru) tasting. Alexandra Wrann of WEINWIRTSCHAFT takes a closer look.

Reading time: 2m 30s

VDP White GG 2021: Wide Field of White

A good 60 white wines other than Riesling entered the lineup at the preview. This large complement to the traditional white wine GGs is far more than a marginal note of the Wiesbaden preview. Some of the wines were of a particularly high standard. Christoph Nicklas reports.

Reading time: 2m 45s

VDP Riesling GG 2021: Walking a Fine Line

The VDP has made around 450 wines from 2017 to 2021 available for tasting. Of the 629 GGs that will be released from September 1, 2022, 380 are Rieslings. The 2021 Riesling vintage does not come close to the great 2019 vintage, nor to 2020. However, top wineries from Rheinhessen, Nahe and Pfalz offer numerous highlights. Sascha Speicher describes his impressions.

Reading time: 6m 10s

VDP Pinot Noir GG 2021: Idig Raises the Bar for Pinot

The GG preview in Wiesbaden was again excellently organized. The top rating of 97 points was awarded to one Pinot only. Another shone with 96 points. There were seven Pinots with this rating in the 2019 vintage. In the uppermost tier, it looks like the 2020 vintage is a notch behind the 2019, but both were unquestionably two excellent years for Pinot. Sascha Speicher reports.

Reading time: 3m 45s

Ambitious Greek Winemakers Take to the Mountains

Greece's new generation of winegrowers is moving on up, growing grapes at higher altitudes to make fresher, more natural wines, as Simon Werner reports.

Reading time: 5m 50s

Meiningers German Sparkling Award 2022

German sparkling wines showed a high quality in the 2022 tasting. Sekthaus Raumland was awarded with collection of the year.

Reading time: 3m 30s