Why every oenophile should discover Australia’s remote wine paradise
Often described as a paradise by winemakers, our expert shares what makes this boutique wine region so special
Margaret River is one of the most remote wine regions in the world, a strip around 60 miles long and 20 miles wide on the south-west tip of Australia, surrounded on three sides by the Indian Ocean. It’s also one of the newest, established less than 60 years ago when it was noticed how similar its climate and soils were to the best sites in Bordeaux. Margaret River's main grape varieties Margaret River – or Margs as the locals call it – has established itself among the most respected wine regions in the world. As in Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and sémillon thrive brilliantly, the latter two often blended to make wonderful, opulent whites that get better with a bit of bottle age, while chardonnay is perhaps its shining star, making dazzling wines that really sing of the region’s unique terroir. The geology here predates that of almost every other winemaking region by around 500 million years. Its well-drained gravel soils retain heat to help with the ripening of the grapes, while the clay beneath holds moisture during the dry summers. But its proximity to the ocean and its cooling sea breezes is the real key to the characteristic freshness, minerality and savoury salinity of the wines that distinguishes them from those from other, hotter parts of Australia. Margaret River's wine making While Australia’s wine industry is dominated by a few huge companies, Margaret River is very much a boutique region, accounting for only 2 per cent of Australia’s total production. Here, the focus is on small, often family-owned producers making high-quality wines, many of them organic or biodynamic, which aren’t cheap enough to compete with supermarkets’ budget bottles but generally offer great value when you’re prioritising quality over quantity. Margs has a thriving community of dynamic, innovative growers and winemakers who embody the pioneering spirit of the region, and their wines will rarely let you down. Want to stay over? Cape Lodge Margaret River is a long schlep from anywhere but well worth the journey. It’s often described as a paradise by winemakers and this holds true for wine-loving tourists too, as you’re never far from great wineries, excellent eating options, unspoilt forests or the majestic coast with pristine beaches that lure surfers from around the world. Cape Lodge is a luxurious retreat hotel set among gorgeous grounds, including its own lake and a vineyard producing award-winning wines. Quietly luxurious with airy, elegant rooms, a swimming pool and tennis courts, as well as a top-tier restaurant with a fantastic wine list, it’s secluded but within easy reach of Margaret River’s many charms. capelodge.com.au Best Margaret River wine to buy 2026 Vasse Felix Filius chardonnay Available from Majestic (£16.50) Felix was the first winery to be established in Margaret River, in 1967, and continues to be one of its finest. This is consistently delicious and is great value for the quality: juicy melon and nectarine fruit run through with a nutty warmth and a zesty acidity. Look out for its well-priced sémillon/sauvignon blanc blend in Tesco, too. Howard Park Margaret River Miamup cabernet sauvignon Available from Tesco (£12.50) Lots of bang for your buck here in this crowd-pleasing cab. Full-bodied and fruity but with Margaret River’s trademark freshness and vitality, it’s full of blackcurrant and plummy fruit, along with a savoury herbaceous finish. As good with pizza as it is with a steak. LS Merchants Margaret River chenin blanc 2023 Available from The Wine Society (£17.50) Chenin blanc fell out of favour in Margaret River a while ago but is now enjoying a welcome revival with wines such as this. Lemon curd, pink grapefruit and zingy lime juice softened by honeysuckle, creamy and slightly waxy notes along with the region’s distinctive and delicious streak of salinity. Lots going on here, a wonderful gastronomic wine. Check out more regional wine guides here: Best Hungarian wine Best Loise Valley Wine Best Georgian wine Best Sicilian Wine Best Greek Wine Best Catalonia Wine Best German wine Best South African wine
If you love seafood, this coastal Spanish wine region should be on your radar
Explore Rías Baixas, a unique northern Spanish region known for producing wines with a distinctive saline zip – a perfect partner to seafood
What’s special about Rías Baixas? Located in Galicia, on the north-west tip of Spain, the proximity of Rías Baixas to the Atlantic means it sees high rainfall and cool temperatures. Its deeply verdant landscapes and wild, craggy coastline is a marked contrast to the parched plains and sun-drenched beaches found further south. It's also one of Spain’s most important fishing areas: historically, the men would go out to sea while the woman stayed ashore to tend grapes and make wine. Still today, most of the winemakers here are women – the most widely planted grape is albariño, known for being reliably good drinking. Main grapes White: albariño, treixadura, loureiro, caíño blanco, torrontés, godello Red: sousón, espadeiro, caíño tinto, loureira tinta, mencía, brancellao, pedral Perfect pairings: seafood here is super-fresh, and pairs brilliantly with albariño. Oysters, mussels, clams, crabs, lobsters and goose barnacles are the best local matches, but it’s a very versatile wine that suits many other light, fresh dishes. Serve the reds slightly chilled with more robust flavours – try paprika-spiked octopus, chorizo or grilled veg – or a simple tomato-based pasta sauce. Rías Baixas wine-making Young albariño is fresh and zesty, with notes of white peaches, green apples and orange blossom. Some are kept on their lees (lias) after fermentation, which creates some texture and imparts more tropical notes; the best are left to age for many years, during which they develop more complexity and structure. But, all carry a distinctive saline flavour thanks to the proximity of the sea. The vines are trained onto high pergolas called parras to maximise airflow and prevent the damaging mildews that thrive in the humid climate. Most grapes come from tiny plots owned by the thousands of growers who sell their crops to the winemakers and, although organic production is impossible here because of the climate, most growers keep fungicide spraying to a minimum and work hard to maintain rich biodiversity and soil health. Other local grapes also make fantastic white wines, and there’s a welcome return of interest in traditional red grapes, too. Want to stay over? Quinta de San Amaro Set among picturesque vineyards in the heart of the Salnés Valley – and only 10 minutes from spectacular beaches – this historic house with outbuildings has been beautifully restored, offering 14 dreamy rooms, a small pool, spa treatments and plenty of space for relaxing. There’s a very good on-site restaurant, too. Or, head to O Grove on the coast, where Beiramar and D’Berto come highly recommended – there are also several wineries nearby that offer tastings. quintadesanamaro.com Best Rías Baixas wine to buy 2026 Extra Special Albariño Available from Asda (£11) Grapes in Rías Baixas are expensive to produce – all harvesting must be done by hand, and yields are low while land prices are high, so quality wines at a budget-friendly price can be hard to find. This bottle, produced by Bodegas Pazo Cilleiro, ticks all the boxes of what we know and love about albariño, while being great value for money. Expect ripe pear, citrus and peachy fruit shot through with a bright, appetising acidity. Terras Gauda O Rosal 2024 Available from Les Caves de Pyrene (£22.47) Found in the O Rosal sub-region on the banks of the Miño River bordering Spain and Portugal, Terras Gauda is unusual in that it sources most of its grapes from its own vineyards and specialises in the rare caíño blanco grape variety. Here, this is blended with albariño and loureiro grapes to create an aromatic, complex wine with seductive layers of lemon curd, pink grapefruit, cantaloupe melon, jasmine and bay, plus a briny flourish. Bodegas Attis Xión Cuvée Tinto Available from Laithwaites (£22) Established in 2013 by brothers Robustiano and Baldomero Fariña – whose family history contains generations of local fishermen and vine growers – Attis is one of Rias Baixas’s most exciting and pioneering producers, championing native red varieties that are otherwise in danger of extinction. This blend of pedral, sousón and espadeiro is juicy and refreshing, with red berries, astringent herbs, a whisper of spice and minerality. Check out more regional wine guides here: Best Sicilian Wine Best Greek Wine Best Catalonia Wine Best Loise Valley Wine Best German wine Best Georgian wine Best Hungarian wine Best South African wine
Why every wine lover should become acquainted with Lebanese wine – our expert reveals all
Discover ancient Lebanese viticulture with wines from the Bekaa Valley to sip alongside a Middle Eastern spread
More than 5,000 years ago the sea-faring Phoenicians were based in modern-day Lebanon and began trading their wine with settlements all around the Mediterranean. They also took vines and viticultural know-how, which established the wine industries in many of those countries that survive to this day. This ancient wine culture was revived in the 19th century by French clergymen who planted vines in the Bekaa Valley, where most Lebanese wine is still made. The Bekaa is a high-altitude plateau 1,200 metres above sea level – cool summer nights maintain grape freshness while cold winters kill off diseases. Lebanon's main grape varieties White Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, viognier, obeideh, merwah Red Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cinsault, carignan, merlot, meksassi, mourad and soubbagh. What food should you pair Lebanese wine with? Lebanese wines are generally robust and have bags of flavour, so think of food along the same lines. A Middle Eastern meze spread would be ideal, the whites and rosés going particularly well with hummus strewn with pomegranate seeds, tabbouleh and cheese pastries, while the reds are brilliant with olives, spiced meat kebabs, grilled lamb chops and anything using aubergines or tomatoes. Lebanese wine making Lebanon’s modern history has been plagued by political instability, financial crisis, occupation and war. But the Lebanese are brave and resilient people, and for decades their wineries have continued to produce their distinctive wines in the face of adversity. Most grapes planted are familiar French varietals that suit the climate well but some ancient indigenous grapes are also grown. Domaine des Tourelles (see below) particularly champions old vines, including some that grow wild on the slopes of Mount Lebanon and are more than 150 years old – its fabulous orange wine called Skin is made from these. Travelling to Lebanon At the time of writing the UK government advises against all but essential travel to Lebanon, which is all the more reason to support this beleaguered country by buying its wonderful wines. But do bookmark it for the future when hopefully stability returns. It’s a really beautiful country and its vibrant capital, Beirut, is full of fantastic food, wine, music and the indefatigable joie de vivre of the Lebanese people. Best Lebanese wine to buy 2026 Château Musar Jeune Rosé Available from London End Wines (£15.75) Founded in 1930, Château Musar was the first to bring Lebanese wine to the attention of the UK wine trade in 1976. Its Bordeaux-inspired reds are particularly sought after but this mourvèdre/cinsault blend rosé has plenty of Lebanese character too. Like a fruit salad of raspberries, watermelon, nectarines and orange blossom with a whisper of citrus and nutmeg. Ksara Blanc de Blancs Available from Strictly Wine (£18.87) Château Ksara was established by Jesuit monks in 1857 who planted vines for sacramental wine. Ancient Roman cellars were discovered on the same site in 1898 and are still used by Ksara to store its wines. This is a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon with some barrel-fermented chardonnay – opulent, tropical fruit but with plenty of freshness and a slight nuttiness. Domaine des Tourelles Cuvée Pierre Brun Available from Majestic (£14) François-Eugène Brun recognised the Bekaa’s wine potential and built Lebanon’s oldest commercial winery in 1868. Faouzi Issa now brings modern elan to these historic wines, like this cabernet, syrah, cinsault and carignan, aged in concrete vats for two years – dark fruits layered with cloves, cedar wood and a hint of rosemary. Check out more regional wine guides here: Best German wine Best Georgian wine Best Jura wine Best Sicilian wine Best Greek wine Best Hungarian wine Best South African wine Best Portuguese red wine Best Italian red wine
Why every wine lover should get to know Swiss wine – our expert reveals all
Wines from Switzerland are well worth seeking out for their rare indigenous grapes and distinctive sense of terroir. Discover the best wines to buy, plus where to stay
The majority of Switzerland’s wine is made in the French-speaking part of the country. The Rhône rises high in the Alps and transverses Valais, the largest wine region, before it flows into France. Immediately to the west is Vaux, hugging beautiful Lake Geneva and home to the steep UNESCO listed Lavaux vineyards where all the work has to be done by hand. The emphasis across the country is very much on quality not quantity, and prices reflect this. The best value for introductory wines are to be found from co-operatives, which make wines with grapes bought from many growers and so can achieve economies of scale. Switzerland's main grape varieties White chasselas, petite arvine, amigne, doral, heida (savagnin), chardonnay, sauvignon blanc Red gamaret, garanoir, cornalin, galotta, pinot noir, gamay, merlot, syrah What food should you pair Swiss wine with? Chasselas, accounting for nearly 30% of total plantings, has naturally low acidity and usually goes through full malolactic fermentation so is best suited to earthy or creamy food. Reds tend to be quite elegant with plenty of fruit and bright acidity, which makes them very versatile and food-friendly, as good with a tomato pasta sauce as they are with game dishes or a robust veggie bake. Swiss winemaking The distinctive Swiss way of winemaking is to allow most of its whites to go through malolactic fermentation (MLF), when the tart-tasting malic acid is converted into lactic acid after the alcoholic fermentation is complete, reducing the wine’s acidity and giving a creaminess to its texture. Switzerland is a country of small growers, respectful of their heritage and often using organic or biodynamic practices. Although it is still a male-dominated country (women only gained full voting rights in 1990), there is now an impressive roster of female winemakers, many who’ve taken over their family’s estates. With a total vineyard area about half the size of Burgundy, Swiss wines are thin on the ground, and only 2% of the production is exported. They can be hard to find in the UK so look to specialist importers for the best choices – try Alpine Wines and the Swiss Wine Company. Want to stay over? Domaine de la Crausaz Domaine de la Crausaz was founded in 1515 and is set among the stunning, steep vineyards in the pretty vintners’ village of Grandvaux. It has six stylish and well-appointed apartments, and a gorgeous terrace with fabulous views across Lake Geneva and the mountains, where you can taste local wines and enjoy excellent food from a short menu that includes traditional fondue. Don’t miss the wonderful Sunday brunch. Grandvaux is just 10 minutes by train from Lausanne, a lovely city to visit in its own right. lacrausaz.ch Best Swiss wine to buy 2025 Cave de la Côte Doral Expression Available from Alpine Wines (£31.75) Cave de la Côte uses grapes from more than 300 growers in Vaud to make its wide range of wines, including this rare doral, a new, eco-friendly cross between chardonnay and chasselas. It is very aromatic with lychee and dried mango, and a bit of spice – but it has no MLF so it retains a bright, crystalline freshness. Domaines Rouvinez Black Nose Available from Yorkshire Vinters (£22) From a family-owned producer going back four generations, this is named after the sheep that graze between the vines to keep weeds at bay and provide natural fertiliser. A blend of merlot, gamaret and syrah, with lots of pure elderberry fruit, a slight smokiness and a refreshingly tart snap. Very distinctive and very delicious. Treize Étoiles Fendant Available from Yorkshire Vinters (£18) From Caves Orsat, the biggest co-operative in Valais, working with more than 1,000 growers and making some very good, well-priced wines. Fendant is the local name for Chasselas and here goes through full malolactic fermentation giving texture and balance to its attractive floral fruitiness and pleasingly salty finish. Check out more regional wine guides here: Best German wine Best Georgian wine Best Jura wine Best Sicilian wine Best Greek wine Best Hungarian wine Best South African wine Best Portuguese red wine Best Italian red wine
Looking for a rich red wine to sip on? Discover the wines of Beaujolais
Less than an hour from Lyon, Beaujolais is dotted with medieval villages, vineyards and rolling hills. The region was once looked down on as inferior to its neighbour Burgundy, and a huge marketing push in the 1980s for its Beaujolais Nouveau wines – released on the third Thursday in November – perpetuated this. It’s still best known for light reds made with gamay grapes but a young, dynamic generation of producers now makes exciting wines that reflect the region’s diversity of soils and microclimates, using biodynamic and natural practices that have been common here for decades. Beaujolais continues to attract dynamic winemakers and growers with forward-thinking ideas, partly because land is much cheaper than in Burgundy – but also because of the spirit of cooperation and sharing of ideas and equipment that the province’s producers are known for. “Everybody is welcome, as long as they’re not snobs,” says winemaker Julien Sunier. “We work hand in hand together.” What grape is Beaujolais wine made from? Gamay is the main grape here, snappy with red berry flavours and gentle scents of violets. They’re best served lightly chilled to make the most of their bright freshness, but this doesn’t mean they’re only for summer – enjoy in the gloom of winter (delicious alongside mildly spiced food) for a much-needed breath of fresh air. Carbonic maceration is Beaujolais’ signature wine-making technique, whereby whole bunches of grapes are put into the vat with carbon dioxide so fermentation begins inside the fruit, rather than the conventional way of pressing the juice first. This makes wine that’s super juicy and brightly aromatic, with very low tannins – perfect for easy summer drinking. Red wines simply labelled ‘Beaujolais’ are generally from the southern part of the region, while ‘Beaujolais Villages’ wines come from the north in the areas surrounding the 10 crus – those specific sub-regions, each with their own characteristics, that produce the region’s most esteemed wines. These are Fleurie (the lightest and most delicate), Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly and Moulin-à-Vent (the most dense and structured). Beaujolais Blanc can be made anywhere in the region. What food should you pair Beaujolais with? Lighter Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages styles are really versatile, best served slightly chilled with simple, summery food. Plates of charcuterie, earthy salads and tomato-based pasta dishes are all ace matches. Cru wines generally have more weight and complexity, so suit more robust food – they’re brilliant for a barbecue or with a Sunday roast. Best beaujolais wine to buy 2025 Lapierre Raisins Gaulois Available from More Wine (£99.50/5 litres) Marcel Lapierre was the father of modern organic, low-intervention wine-making in Beaujolais and his children Camille and Mathieu carry on his good work in the Morgon cru. This iconic bag-in-box wine is a good one to keep on hand in the fridge (it’ll last for a month after opening) or take to a party or picnic – it’s crunchy, refreshing and very smashable. Château d’Emeringes Beaujolais Villages Vieilles Vignes 2023 Available from The Wine Society (£9.95) Fantastic value from a third-generation estate very near Juliénas, where the wine is made in cellars below the local church. Old vines give some concentration and gravitas to the bright and juicy fruit, which has just a little grip to keep it fresh and appetising. Domaine Bulliat Beaujolais Blanc ‘Sur Le Granit’ 2023 Available from Forest Wines (£24) From a family that has grown grapes for seven generations, Loïc Bulliat and his father Noël now grow vines in eight Beaujolais appellations and make great wines. White Beaujolais is rare, accounting for just 1% of the region’s wine, and can be hit or miss. This is a shining example – the granite soils give minerality to its lemony, zesty fruit and racy acidity. Really delicious. Check out more regional wine guides here: Best Swiss wine Best Georgian wine Best Jura wine Best Sicilian wine Best Greek wine Best German wine Best Hungarian wine Best South African wine Best Portuguese red wine Best Italian red wine
Explore the variety of styles of this unique fortified wine and discover the best madeira wine to buy for your cupboard
Check out our guide to madeira wine from olive's wine expert Kate Hawkings, then get the lowdown on Italian sparkling wine for more celebration tipples, as well as everything you need to know about oaked wine, the best Stellenbosch wines to buy and wines from Bordeaux. Jump to: Best madeira to buy at a glance What is madeira wine? Best madeira to buy 2025 What are the different styles of madeira? What food does madeira pair with? Best madeira to buy at a glance Best sweet madeira: Blandy’s Duke of Clarence, £15 Best value madeira: Henriques & Henriques 10-year-old sercial, £22.50 Best introduction to madeira: Henriques & Henriques Finest Medium Rich 5 Years Old, £14.07 Best modern madeira: Blandy’s Verdelho 10 Year Old, £34.95 What is madeira wine? Like port, madeira is a fortified wine, but it's made in a unique way on the lonely island of Madeira, which sits about 320 miles off the west coast of Morocco. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1419, Madeira was established as a stopping point on transatlantic voyages, where ships would stock up on food, water and wine. The wine was fortified with rum made on the island from the sugar cane that grew there to help preserve it on its journey, and as the ships passed through the tropics, the barrels of wine were exposed to oxygen and heat – usually the sworn enemies of wine, but which instead transformed it into something very special indeed. These days, the heating takes place on the island itself, and it makes the wine entirely stable so it will last almost indefinitely, even after it’s been opened – I’m lucky enough to have tasted one made in 1827, which still tasted incredibly vibrant and fresh. I’ve recommended here some very affordable wines, but if you’re looking for a very special present from a certain year, head to Bovey Wines, which stocks some of the oldest madeiras on the market, made by the esteemed D’Oliveiras company. Best madeira wine to buy 2025 Blandy’s Duke of Clarence Available from Waitrose Cellar (£15) Best sweet madeira Named after the Duke of Clarence, who was famously drowned in a barrel of malmsey madeira in 1478 as a punishment for conspiring against his brother, King Edward IV. Made in a sweet style like malmsey, it’s a great introduction to madeira and is widely available. Great with mince pies, Christmas cake or pistachio and almond date bark, or add a splash to coffee or hot chocolate. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£15) Henriques & Henriques 10-year-old sercial Available from Waitrose Cellar (£22.50) Best value madeira Fantastic value for this elegant, bone-dry sercial. It's a blend of wines, the youngest of which is aged for 10 years, although some may be much older than that. Expect dried apricots and roasted almonds with a bite of tart cooking apples, and serve chilled with crisps, nuts, hard cheeses or as a very classy accompaniment to a cheese toastie with date and tamarind chutney. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£22.50) Henriques & Henriques Finest Medium Rich 5 Years Old Available from Master of Malt (£14.07) Best introduction to madeira Established by João Gonçalves Henriques in 1850, Henriques & Henriques continues as a benchmark producer of madeira wine. This, made from tinta negra in the medium-sweet style, is a great introduction to madeira wine with its burnt orange, walnut and toffee notes finishing with a tangy acidity to cut the sweetness. Fantastic value. Available from: Master of Malt (£14.07) Blandy’s Verdelho 10 Year Old Available from The Whisky Exchange (£34.95) Best modern madeira Blandy’s offers a range of well-priced traditional wines. This, however, is made in a very modern style – one of a new selection of wines aged in Blandy’s warehouses on the coast, which are cooler and more humid than their traditional lodge in Funchal, so giving fresher, more saline wines. Dried apricots, warm spices and a seam of savoury umami are lifted by a zesty and very long, appetising finish. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£34.95) What are the different styles of madeira wine? Sercial, verdelho, bual and malvasia are known as the ‘noble’ grapes and are always made, correspondingly, in dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet and sweet styles in the traditional canteiro system, whereby the casks of wine (called pipes) are moved from time to time as they age for a minimum of three years (but often very much longer) within the ageing rooms, mimicking the changes in temperature the wines underwent as they crossed the oceans centuries ago. Tinta negra is the most widely planted grape and is made in all styles, indicated on the label, often for entry-level wines which are heated artificially in tanks using the estufagem process, although they are also capable of canteiro greatness. Frasqueira refers to wines that have been aged in barrel for at least 20 years. The heating and cooling of the wines renders them stable so they last for ever, even after they’re opened; bottles from a specific colheita (vintage) make great presents for a special occasion. What food does madeira pair with? Drier styles are generally best with savoury food and are as good with nuts and olives as they are with seafood, summer salads and cheesy pasta. Sweeter styles naturally suit blue cheese, fruity puddings and chocolate, but can also be good with spicy food. Whichever you choose, madeira should be sipped rather than glugged. Serve it chilled in glasses big enough to swirl and sniff it so you explore the nuances. Speedy serve Madeira flip A variation on an eggnog that makes it a retro drink to serve with canapés to kick off a party, or instead of (or as well as) pudding. You can use any kind of madeira, but might want to add a little more sugar, depending on its sweetness. For six people, whizz up 300ml of madeira, 300ml of brandy or whisky, 4 eggs and 1 tbsp of sugar in a blender with 4 cubes of ice. Pour into glasses and garnish each with a grating of nutmeg. More regional wine guides Best Swiss wine Best Slovenian wine Best Georgian wine Best Sicilian wine Best Greek wine Best German wine Best Hungarian wine Best English wine Best Portuguese red wine Best Italian red wine Best Madeira wines Best Bordeaux wine Best Stellenbosch wine Best urban wines Best Tuscan wine
4 Californian wine regions you need to visit
Plan the ultimate US wine tour with our expert guide to California's wine regions, from Napa Valley to lesser known areas
Are you a fan of Californian wine? A trip to the Californian wine regions could be the perfect holiday for you, and a chance to learn much more about how the wine is produced. Tour vineyards, have wine tastings in the sun and get to know local producers and small towns across this incredible wine-producing area. From the famous Napa Valley to lesser known Yolo County and laidback Mendocino, these are the best Californian wine regions to visit. For more like this, check out our best UK vineyard breaks or the best European vineyards to visit. Jump to: Sonoma County Mendocino Napa Valley Yolo County Sonoma County The Sonoma region has a large variety of microclimates and soil types, so is able to produce a wider range of grapes and wine styles. Pinot noirs and chardonnays, particularly from the cool Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast regions, are capable of great elegance and complexity, while warmer inland areas such as the Alexander Valley are known for their robust wines made from cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel (also known as primitivo) that tend to be heavily oaked and high in alcohol. Sonoma is a wonderful place to visit, with its rolling countryside, pretty towns, ancient redwood forests and wild Pacific coastline, as well as hundreds of vineyards and wineries which are very welcoming to tourists. Where to stay in Sonoma County Montage Healdsburg Billing itself as a resort rather than a hotel, Montage Healdsburg is the ultimate in discreet luxury, set among its own immaculate vineyards in the heart of Sonoma’s wine country. The gorgeous rooms all have their own balconies with fabulous views and are very hard to leave, but don’t miss out on dining on the terrace at the Hazel Hill restaurant, which uses brilliant local produce to create spectacular dishes, or eat poolside at the more casual Hudson Springs Bar and Grill. Check rates and availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or montage.com/healdsburg Where to eat in Sonoma County Barndiva, Healdsburg Quirkily decorated and with bags of charm, Barndiva recently turned its back on the Michelin-starred food it used to serve and now focuses on more approachable, more affordable dishes made from fantastic local organic produce. Drinkers are spoilt for choice with inventive seasonal cocktails and an incredible international wine list. barndiva.com Catelli’s, Geyserville Fifth-generation family-run Italian restaurant lies on Geyserville’s main street. It’s laid back and lots of fun with homemade pasta dishes, vibrant salads and local wine the highlights, all served with warm and welcoming hospitality. mycatellis.com Cyrus, Geyserville Set right on the edge of vineyards with Sonoma’s majestic mountains as a backdrop, this beautiful restaurant will take your breath away. Settle in for a multi-course dining experience of many dazzling dishes, or just treat yourself to a glass of fizz and very superior bar snacks in the Bubble Lounge. cyrusrestaurant.com Mendocino County North of Sonoma, at the upper end of Highway 128, sleepy Mendocino County is a lesser-known and more laid-back wine region but has loads to offer intrepid drinkers and tourists alike. Dramatic landscapes, from rolling hillsides inland to the rugged Pacific coastline, provide diverse microclimates for its mainly small, family-owned wine producers, many of whom are committed to sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic practices. Cooling maritime breezes give elegant, poised wines, especially in the Anderson Valley which produces excellent pinot noirs and chardonnays, as well as other cool-climate grapes such as riesling. Warmer inland areas are known for riper, more robust zinfandels, syrahs and cabernet sauvignons. Many wine producers welcome visitors and there are also plenty of brilliant local breweries and cider makers – pay a visit to Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, established in 1876 and set on the edge of an orchard of very old apple trees, and taste through their range of lovely award-winning ciders. What to do in Mendocino Mendocino town is a good base from which to explore the area. Right on the coast with rocky cliffs and surf-bashed beaches either side, Mendocino’s pretty Victorian architecture dates from its heyday as a logging centre in the 19th century. These days it’s more of a village, attracting artists and craftspeople as well as tourists who are well served with good accommodation and dining options. As well as great eating and drinking, there are loads of activities for outdoorsy types in the region. Hiking, cycling, horse-riding and fishing are all available, or paddle up the appropriately named Big River from Catch-a-Canoe on the edge of Mendocino where you can rent canoes of different sizes to explore the wild and wonderful nature all around – look out for otters, seals and herons. Where to stay in Mendocino Stanford Inn Mendocino Stay in gorgeous, cosy wooden cabins with balconies overlooking the extensive gardens and out to the sea in this lovely hotel on the outskirts of Mendocino town. Innovative all-vegan organic food at on-site Ravens Restaurant, a heated pool and a well-stocked bookshop with the emphasis on wellness and good living are a few of its many charms. Check rates and availability at stanfordinn.com Where to eat in Mendocino Cafe Beaujolais Set in an attractive 19th century farmhouse in the town of Mendocino, this restaurant has been running since 1968. Great French-Italian-Californian dishes are served with old-school charm and there’s a really interesting wine list of bottles from Europe as well as the US. cafebeaujolais.com Noyo Fish Company, Noyo Harbour Don’t miss this casual, sunny joint in the middle of Noyo harbour where you can soak in the atmosphere of the busy fishing town. Huge portions of super fresh fried fish, oysters, tacos and other treats are best washed down with excellent local beers. Pennyroyal Farm, Boonville This charming farmstead makes its own wine as well as handmade cheeses using milk from its own flocks of sheep and goats. Drop by for a wine and cheese tasting, visit the animals and stay for delicious food made with wonderful produce from the organic kitchen garden. pennyroyalfarm.com Napa Valley Napa Valley still produces some of the world’s most prestigious (and costly) wines, and is a playground of delights for the millions of well-heeled, wine-loving tourists who visit each year. There are now over 400 wineries, many of which have their own tasting rooms to welcome visitors. Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are the king and queen of the grapes here and make Napa’s most famous wines. What to do in Napa Valley Napa is a premium region for its quality of tourist offerings as well as its wines. There are countless top-notch uber-luxe hotels, many with their own immaculate vineyards, golf courses, spas and anything else your holidaying heart could desire. Roll up your sleeves and roll out the dollar bills as everything costs big here but serious wine lovers are unlikely to leave disappointed. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to winery visits. Some, like Castello di Amorosa, a complete facsimile of a 14th century Tuscan castle complete with torture chamber and antique suits of armour, are more like theme parks. My pick of the crop is Sterling Vineyards, one of the oldest producers in Napa, offering stunning views from the cable-car ride that takes you up to the hillside winery. Renovated following damage in the 2020 fires that wreaked such havoc on the region, the winery has interesting explainers as you walk around seeing all stages of production up close, and some very good wines in the bar which has a panoramic terrace, as well as artwork treasures by the likes of Picasso and Matisse on the walls. Where to stay in Napa Valley Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs Calistoga is Napa’s northernmost town, more low-key than the rest of the valley and with a rustic, historic charm. Dr. Wilkinson's has well-appointed modern rooms and warm mineral pools, plus an on-site spa including its famous mud bath treatments and a restaurant serving healthy but delicious Mexican-inspired vegan food. Check rates and availability at booking.com or drwilkinson.com Best restaurants in Napa Valley Mustard’s Grill A staple of Napa Valley dining for more than 30 years where you rub shoulders with truck drivers, winemakers and in-the-know tourists. Generous servings of excellent American dishes served along with an astonishing wine list drawn from across the US and Europe. Really good fun and not to be missed. mustardsgrill.com Oakville Grocery California’s oldest grocery store; lots of tempting food to take away or eat in, and a splendid collection of wine to taste by the glass, including those from some of Napa’s most prestigious producers. oakvillegrocery.com Truss Restaurant & Bar Eat on the drop dead gorgeous terrance overlooking the valley’s vineyards here at the Four Seasons Hotel & Resort. Innovative but crowd-pleasing food using local produce, unsurprisingly wonderful wines and charming service. fourseasons.com/napavalley Yolo County Just to the south of Napa, Yolo County is known as a more low-key (and cheaper) alternative; locals say it’s like Napa was 30 years ago. Most of its wine producers are small, boutique operations, often family-run farms which also grow other crops. This is a solidly agricultural region where grapes grow alongside walnuts, olives, plums, apricots and almonds, and it is one of the world’s largest producers of sushi rice – which is why very few of the wines make it across the pond to the UK. What is there to do in Yolo County? With activities such as trekking, horseback riding and fishing, Yolo is also a resting place for migratory birds on their annual trek from Canada to Mexico and back, so has lots to offer nature-loving visitors as well as those more interested in wine. Unlike Napa, it’s one of the most diverse regions in terms of grape varieties grown, ranging from albariño to zinfandel and with so many in between. Twenty five miles from Sacramento Airport, the town of Winters makes a great base from which to explore Yolo. It has a certain sleepy, wild west feel to it, with pretty buildings and plenty of eating and drinking options including tasting rooms of some of the regions’s best wine producers, such as Berryessa Gap Winery & Brewing Company and Turkovich Family Wines. Winters is also the start of Highway 128 which travels 144 miles through Napa and Sonoma to Albion on the coast of Mendocino County and would make a fantastic road trip for wine-loving travellers. Where to stay in Yolo County Hotel Winters Slap bang in the middle of Winters with comfortable, well-equipped rooms, a rooftop bar, excellent restaurant and a luxury spa, Hotel Winters offers small-town charm and warm hospitality with all mod cons. Check rates and availability at booking.com or hotelwinters.com Where to eat in Yolo County Park Winters Just 10 minutes' drive from Winters town and set in a charming eco-friendly flower farm that also grows its own organic food, Park Winters serves fabulous weekend brunches, as well as pizzas made in their outdoor wood-fired oven on Thursday-Sunday evenings. You can also stay at The Inn at Park Winters which has four lovely rooms in the beautifully restored main house on the site. parkwinters.com Steady Eddy’s A Winters institution, Steady Eddy’s is a terrific café and coffee roasters serving breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes using fabulous fresh local produce, including very generous salads, sandwiches and homemade cakes, as well as a range of their own coffees and smoothies, and local beers and wines. steady-eddys.com L’Apero à Trois Three women, all with backgrounds in food and/or farming, run this pretty bar and tasting room in the middle of Winters and produce their own delicious farmhouse-style aperitifs using local fruit and nuts. Take the tasting flight to sample the full range, alongside carefully matched and beautifully cooked snacks. They also have bi-monthly seasonal dinners which are well worth looking out for. laperolestrois.com More travel inspiration Best Morocco food trips Best French food trips Best Spanish food trips Best Portuguese food trips Best European vineyards to visit and stay Best foodie city breaks by train Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best country house hotels in the UK Best Scottish hotels
Napa Valley wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Discover more about the iconic Napa Valley – the wines produced here, styles to look out for and great bottles to buy
Are you a fan of Californian wine? Learn more about the signature styles of the iconic Napa Valley from our wine expert Kate Hawkings – from the grapes grown there to the best bottles to buy. For more wine inspiration, check out our guides to Sonoma County wine, or plan a wine-fuelled holiday with our guide to the best European vineyards to visit. In 1976 Stephen Spurrier, a British wine merchant based in France, organised what became known as the Judgement of Paris. This was a blind tasting by renowned industry professionals, comparing top chardonnays from Burgundy and cabernet sauvignons from Bordeaux alongside those from California. To everybody’s great surprise, the wines from California’s Napa Valley scooped top marks in both categories. Napa Valley still produces some of the world’s most prestigious (and costly) wines, and nowadays is a playground of many delights for the millions of well-heeled, wine-loving tourists who visit each year. In 1976 there were only around 50 producers in the region. Since then, money poured in, new vineyards and wineries sprung up, and now there are more than 400, many of which have their own tasting rooms to welcome visitors. Which grapes are grown the most in Napa Valley? Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are the king and queen of the grapes here. These make Napa’s most famous wines from producers such as Stag’s Leap and Chateau Montelena (the winners of the Judgement of Paris and both still going strong) as well as Opus One, Robert Mondavi, Ridge Vineyards and many other jewels in Napa’s winemaking crown. What style are Napa Valley wines? While many French winemakers are making lighter, more elegant wines these days, those in Napa have generally stuck to the style that made their region famous 50 years ago – sleek, well-polished wines usually with very ripe fruit and relatively high alcohol due to the warm climate, as well as extensive oak ageing, often in expensive new barrels, which gives the wines the characteristic bold, buttery and/or spicy notes. Best Napa Valley wines to buy Bread & Butter ‘Winemaker’s Selection’ pinot noir Available from Majestic (£16) Established in 2014 by winemaker Linda Trotta, Bread & Butter is a reliable brand for approachable, well-made wines that won’t break the bank. Pinot noir is relatively rare in Napa because it prefers a cooler climate, but this shows how good the grape can be here when made with careful hands. Ripe and fruity but not overly jammy; excellent value for money. Trefethen Family Vineyards chardonnay 2021 Available from Waitrose (£35) Gene and Katie Trefethen founded this winery way back in 1968 and were ahead of their time for realising the importance of sustainability in all they do, and their success was sealed when they won Best Chardonnay in the World in 1979. Now run by the third generation of the family who carry on their good work, and still their chardonnays are rightly considered to be benchmark Napa wines. Frog’s Leap Rutherford Estate Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon 2019 Available from Cambridge Wine Merchants (£53.99) Frog’s Leap is one of Napa’s iconic producers, with roots going back to 1838 and the earliest plantings in the region, and the first to be certified with organically grown grapes. This is plush and concentrated with blackcurrant and plummy fruit layered with mocha and tobacco notes, velvety tannins and a sleek elegance that’s so appealing to modern drinkers. More wine guides Best Chilean wine Best Tuscan wine Best Greek wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine Best Swiss wine Best Rhône Valley wine
France's historic region of Loire Valley is home to a surprisingly diverse collection of wine, including Pouilly Fumé, Crémant and popular Sancerre
The Loire river winds westward from the mountainous region of Auvergne for 625 miles to the Atlantic Ocean – it’s the longest river in France – passing fairy tale chateaux, historic towns and a remarkable diversity of soils, microclimates and wine styles along the way. Whites, reds, rosés, sparkling and sweet wines are all found here, with plenty of choice, from fresh, easy wines made for glugging to more serious, top-class bottlings. With over 80% of Loire estates holding organic or similar accreditation, it’s a hotbed of natural winemaking with a modern, innovative outlook. Read our expert guide then check out our favourite vineyards in the UK for tours, tastings and overnight stays among the vines. Or check out our pick of the best albariño wines, best appassimento wine and best oaked wine. For summer sipping, check out the best summer wines to buy. Jump to: What is Loire Valley white wine? What is Loire Valley red wine? Main grapes to know from the Loire Valley What food to pair with Loire Valley wine Loire Valley wine regions Best Loire Valley wines to buy What is Loire Valley white wine? Known as the ‘garden of France’, the dreamy, bucolic Loire valley is dotted with hundreds of turreted châteaux, dating from the late 15th century when the royal court was based here, as well as thousands of vineyards producing great-value wines. Crisp muscadet whites are made from the melon de bourgogne grape and are dream matches for the oysters and other seafood found on the nearby Atlantic coast, while sauvignon blanc is used in the classy dry wines from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé at the eastern end of the valley, and in the central Touraine region where better value is often found. Sancerre's whites are famed for the finesse and purity of their elderflower and grassy notes, as well as their racy minerality that comes from the limestone and flinty soils found in the area. Land is expensive here, hence the more hefty price tags, but a good sauv blanc from Sancerre is really hard to beat, especially if it’s matched with goat’s cheese or grilled asparagus. Chardonnay is also grown, but chenin blanc is the Loire’s flagship white grape, and is the one currently exciting me most. Chenin’s inherent acidity gives it great versatility, so it’s used successfully to make sparkling wines (look for crémants de Loire, made the same way as champagne) and all styles of still wines, from bone dry to lusciously sweet, sometimes fermented and/or aged in oak for extra complexity. Some, most famously from Vouvray, are often made off-dry, a style also known as sec tendre. These can be tricky to get to know but are well worth attention; many of us shy away from sweetness in table wine, and it’s true that cheap vouvray can be unpleasantly cloying, but the best of these are a revelation with creamy or cheesy dishes that are often hard to match with wine – mac ’n’ cheese or fish pie are perfect partners. What is Loire Valley red wine? When it comes to reds, trendy cabernet franc is the star attraction, medium-bodied and prettily perfumed, with crunchy berry fruits given structure by an energetic minerality rather than by burly tannins. Pinot noir and gamay also appear, soft and whispery, and lovely for spring drinking, especially if slightly chilled. Sancerre’s reds and rosés are less well known than its whites – they make up only 20% of its total production – but are well worth seeking out. Made from pinot noir, the refined elegance of the reds can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those from Burgundy, while the rosés make a pleasing, often more fruity, change from the more ubiquitous Provençale styles, and are an ace match for summery dishes such as poached salmon. The complexity of the Loire’s different appellations and the many wine styles they produce can be confusing, and often labels aren’t much help – levels of sweetness are rarely indicated, for example – so it’s worth doing a little research before dipping your toes in its lesser-known waters. Main grapes to know from the Loire Valley White: Melon de bourgogne, chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Red: Cabernet franc, gamay, pinot noir, côt (malbec) and pineau d’aunis. What food to pair with Loire Valley wine Muscadet cries out for seafood, especially oysters and fried fish. The same goes for all the Loire’s sauvignon blancs, which also suit summery salads, while richer chenin blancs sit well with river fish in beurre blanc, a classic local dish. Cabernet franc is an excellent foil for rich, meaty dishes and brilliant for a barbecue when served slightly chilled. Loire Valley wine regions The key to Loire wine is knowing the three main sub-regions along the valley and the wines they’re famous for which, confusingly, are often labelled with the place they come from (the appellation) rather than grape variety. Coastal Pays Nantais is best known for muscadet, made with melon de bourgogne. Look for sur lie on the label, which means the wine has been aged on its lees (the dead yeast cells) after fermentation to give complexity and creaminess. Anjou-Saumur makes fantastic fizz and whites with chenin blanc (especially good from Savennières), as well as rosés and reds with cabernet franc and/or gamay. Touraine also has more restrained and less grassy sauvignon blanc, along with chenin blancs from Vouvray made sweet and dry, and crunchy cabernet francs from Chinon and Bourgueil. Further east are Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, both famed for sauvignon blanc but in the latter’s case also making fine pinot noirs. Best Loire Valley wine to buy The Society’s Saumur Brut NV Available from The Wine Society (£10.76) Founded in 1864, Gratien & Meyer buys grapes, juice and wine from producers in the heart of the Anjou region to make some of its most reliable wine. This traditional method sparkler, made with chenin blanc and just a little cabernet franc, has generous, peachy fruit, creamy bubbles and a refreshing lemony finish – this is fantastic value for money and great for a party. Available from: The Wine Society (£10.76) Domaine des Herbauges, Fief Guérin Muscadet Côtes De Grandlieu Sur Lie Available from Waitrose (£10) Muscadet rather fell out of favour in recent years but deserves attention for well made, characterful wines at excellent prices such as this. Made by the leading estate in the Côtes de Grandlieu appellation with grapes from the Fief Guérin, one of the oldest vineyards in the region, this super sur lie is bright and breezy with zesty fruit and a little yeasty, salty savouriness. Available from: Waitrose (£10) La Niverdière, Renaissance Chinon 2019 Available from Modal Wines (£31.50) Martine Budé is a self-taught winemaker who set up this domaine in 2015 where she ages natural wines in concrete vats rather than the more usual oak barrels, which gives a certain elegance. Cabernet franc, fragrant with violet scented fruit, can be a bit tight and green in its youth but here has evolved into a wonderful wine with lifted layers of brambly fruit, herbs, wood smoke and wet leaves. Available from: Modal Wines (£31.50) Morrisons The Best Touraine Rosé Available from Morrisons (£8.50) Cabernet franc and gamay are blended in this bargain rosé. Full of summery berries and sunshine, it’s a top match for honey masala chicken with tangy corn and mango. Available from: Morrisons (£8.50) Bouvet-Ladubay Blanc de Blancs Crémant de Loire Available from Majestic (£16) A smart choice for lovers of blanc de blancs champagnes (meaning they’re made with 100% chardonnay grapes) – fantastic value for some very classy bubbles. Available from: Majestic (£16) Tesco Finest Sancerre Rosé Available from Tesco (£16) Prettily pale but with plenty of vibrant raspberry and redcurrant fruits, a great example of Sancerre rośe that comes with the region’s trademark crisp minerality. Try it with our spiced fish cakes with carrot and cucumber salad. Available from: Tesco (£16) Check out more wine guides here: Best Champagne Best Albariño Best Cava Best Vinho verde Best Pinot noir Best Riesling Best Chardonnay Best natural wine
olive's wine expert Kate Hawkings turns to the Vinho Verde region for supreme quality and value
As the warmer months roll around there's nothing quite like a chilled glass of white wine. Whether you're looking to learn more about white wines, or want to add a new bottle to your repertoire, Portuguese vinho verde wines are a great place to start. Read on for our favourite tried and tested vinho verde wines, and everything you need to know about this unique drink. Looking for Portuguese wine to buy? Want to know more about unfamiliar wine-making techniques? Read our expert guide, then check out our guides to the best Portuguese red wine to buy and best Douro Valley wines to buy. For more Portuguese inspiration, discover 10 things we love about the food from the Algarve and our favourite foodie trips in Portugal. Jump to: Best vinho verde wines at a glance Best vinho verde wines to try 2025 What kind of wine is vinho verde? Best vinho verde wines at a glance Best classic vinho verde: LB7 Vinho Verde, £8.50 Best vinho verde for summer: Azvedo Vinho Verde, £10 Best with spicy food: Casal de Ventozela Arinto 2024, £9.50 Best rosé vinho verde: M&S Abertura Vinho Verde rosé, £8 Best luxury vinho verde: Quinta da Raza Lagares, £24.50 Best vinho verde wines to try 2025 LB7 Vinho Verde Available from Majestic (£8.50) Best classic vinho verde Classic, spritzy vinho verde, naturally low in alcohol at just 10% and with a sherbet-like, citric freshness that makes it really thirst-quenching. Serve well chilled as a sunny aperitif or with simple seafood dishes. Available from: Majestic (£8.50) Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde Available from Waitrose (£10) Best vinho verde for summer A more serious style of VV, with no carbonation and more body and roundness than with the classic wines. Green-apple crispness with hints of mangoes, jasmine and lime zest, it really suits summery salads and grilled fish. Available from: Waitrose (£10) Casal de Ventozela Arinto 2024 Available from Majestic (£9.50) Best with spicy food Crunchy green apples and a thread of stony minerality are the characteristics of the arinto grape, grown throughout Portugal and known as pedernã in the Vinho Verde region. A few months’ ageing on its lees (the dead yeast cells left after fermentation is complete) adds a pleasing creamy texture to this and, while it’s made slightly off-dry, it has a bracing saline finish. Really good with slightly spicy food – piri-piri prawns would be an ace match. Available from: Majestic (£9.50) M&S Abertura Vinho Verde rosé Available from Ocado (£8) Best rosé vinho verde Vinho Verde rosé was relatively rare but is becoming more common as the world’s thirst for pink wine continues to grow. Touriga nacional and espadeiro grapes are used in this easy-to-like wine with notes of peaches and juicy cherries, and just a little jolly lime-scented spritz. As delicious as it is versatile it makes a great standby to see you through the sunny months. Available from: Ocado (£8) Quinta da Raza Lagares Available from Beckford Bottle Shop (£24.50) Best luxury vinho verde Quinta de Raza was established in 1791 in a mountainous region in the south of Vinho Verde and is still run by the same family. This is made from old vines of vinhão grapes, foot trodden and fermented with native yeasts in traditional stone lagares, yet is very modern in its appeal – earthy but with refreshing acidity and loads of crunchy berry fruit. It’s best slightly chilled and served with anything hot from a grill. Available from: Beckford Bottle Shop (£24.50) What kind of wine is vinho verde? Vinho Verde is unique in the wine world in that it’s the only region not named after a place or geographical feature. It means ‘green wine’ and most think this refers to the young white wines for which it is best known, although it must be said that the area itself is indeed very green and lush – on the north-west corner of Portugal, stretching south from the Galician border in Spain to Porto and the Douro River, its long Atlantic coast to the west brings chilly winds and high rainfall – these are very much cool climate wines. Classic vinho verdes are fresh and zesty, a gentle 9.5% or so ABV and bottled when still slightly sweet, often with a little carbon dioxide added to give it a little spritz. Historically, most growers sold their grapes to cooperatives or other makers to produce these generic wines but an increasing number are making their own, more serious, estate bottlings that better reflect the diversity of their terroirs. Portugal is famous for its field-blend wines, where different grape varieties are grown on the same plot and vinified together, but there is now a trend to make single-varietal wines here, nearly always from indigenous grapes. Loureiro, arinto and alvarinho (the same as Spanish albariño) are the main white grapes, while the most widely planted red is vinhāo (also known as sezão), used for wines sold to the Brits as an alternative to burgundy as far back as the 14th century. One of the few varieties that has red flesh as well as skin, vinhão has an incredibly intense, inky purple colour and was traditionally served in white ceramic bowls. Until recently rather shunned by discerning drinkers, it’s now enjoying a welcome revival. Vinho verde, like other Portuguese regions, is producing really exciting, well priced wines these days and, whether you pick white, red or rosé, their distinctive bright acidity and lip-smacking freshness make for great springtime drinking. Check out more wine guides here: Best Champagne Best Cava Best Sancerre Best Albariño Best Pinot noir Best Riesling Best Chardonnay Best natural wine Best Tuscan wine Best Swiss wine Best Slovenian wine Best Chilean wine
Wines from Jura: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our expert gives us the lowdown on Jura, a tiny yet celebrated wine region in eastern France
Are you a fan of French wine? Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the wines of the region of Jura in Eastern France, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for, along with recommendations of the best wines to buy. For more French wine guides, check out our expert guides to the best Sancerre and Loire Valley wines or the best Bordeaux wines. Want to learn more at the source itself? Check out our guides to the best European vineyards to visit and best UK vineyards to visit. For the ultimate gift for a wine lover, check out our review of the best wine subscriptions. Jump to: A guide to wines from Jura Best wines from Jura to buy Where to stay in Jura A guide to wines from Jura East of Burgundy and tucked up by the Swiss border, remote Jura is France’s smallest wine region, accounting for around only 0.2% of total production. Only a decade or so ago its unique and diverse wines made by impassioned winemakers were virtually unknown outside the area, but now they’re hot on the lips of switched-on sommeliers and geeky drinkers everywhere. Vin jaune is Jura’s most famous and distinctive wine. Made from the local white savagnin grape, it is aged in oak barrels for at least six years. A layer of yeast grows on the surface of the wine, similar to the flor in sherry, which imparts its characteristic nutty, earthy, deeply savoury notes. The barrel is not topped up so the wine slowly evaporates and oxidises, losing around 40% of its volume, which is why vin jaune is sold in squat 62cl bottles called clavelins. Wines released with less than six years ageing under the flor – called sous voile – may also be made with chardonnay and have a less extreme flavour profile, while ouillé refers to wines that are topped up so remain unoxidised and are generally fresher and more zesty but still distinctly Juran. Trousseau and poulsard (also known as ploussard) are the native red grapes, both beautifully delicate and ethereal, while crémant du Jura is the local méthode champenoise fizz. Vin de paille is made from grapes laid out to partially dry on straw mats before they are pressed, concentrating the sugars and giving a luscious sweet wine. Unfortunately, Jura’s cult status among the wine cognoscenti has coincided with a series of terrible harvests as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe – around 70% of 2024’s crop was lost – with wetter growing seasons proving particularly challenging for the region’s many organic producers who are unable to spray with fungicides to keep damaging mildews at bay. Their scarcity means prices are steep but these are really spellbinding wines from a spellbinding region and should be on the radar of all inquisitive drinkers. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2025/02/Jura-6f2a339.jpg" width="3888" height="2592" alt="Landscape of the medevial old town of Château-Châlon (Chateau Chalon) with the remains of the ancient castle walls, the church, stone houses and vines in the foreground. Jura, Franche Comte (Franche-Comté), Eastern France." title="Landscape of the medevial old town of Château-Châlon (Chateau Chalon) with the remains of the ancient castle walls, the church, stone houses and vines in the foreground. Jura, Franche Comte (Franche-Comté), Eastern France." /> Best wines to buy from Jura Domaine Marie-Pierre Chevassu Savagnin Ouillé Available from Sip Wines (£31.60) Marie-Pierre Chevassu, one of the few female winemakers in the region, grew up with her three sisters on her family’s small estate which she now runs, farming sustainably and making traditional wine with a lightness of touch. This stunning savagnin has complex layers of fragrant orchard fruit, creamy meringue and salted lemons – rich but with a brisk acidity that makes it very compelling. Domaine Jean-Louis Tissot Vin Jaune Available from Yapp Brothers (£45) A shining example of classic vin jaune from this established branch of the famous Tissot family. Exuberant but elegant with vin jaune’s classic nutty, yeasty, umami punch. A wine to be contemplated – best with the local aged comté cheese, or anything with a creamy sauce – the famous dish of the region, chicken cooked with cream, vin jaune and morels, is a bullseye match. Jean-Luc Mouillard ‘Sur La Cour’ Trousseau Available from Wanderlust Wine (£23) The trousseau grape is known as bastardo in Portugal, where it is used to make port. In Jura it becomes something completely different and totally delicious – this is made from organic grapes naturally fermented, a delicate balance of red berries, orange peel, wet leaves, some smoke and a bit of spice. Serve it slightly chilled. Where to stay in Jura The pretty town of Arbois in Jura is small but with plenty going on and is a great base to explore this beautiful and still largely undiscovered region, which has lots to offer outdoorsy types as well as wine lovers. The comfy hotel Les Caudalies is owned by famous sommelier Philippe Troussard and his family, and has an incredible wine list along with excellent food and a really lovely garden. For more low-key eating and drinking, hang out with local winemakers at the very jolly Le Bistrot des Claquets, or Le Bec Bunsen in the town square, while Les Jardins de St Vincent is the town’s best wine shop. Don’t miss the Maison de Louis Pasteur – the famous scientist lived and worked here most of his life, and his restored house is now a fascinating museum. lescaudalies.fr More wine guides Sonoma County wine: an expert guide Best Chilean wine Best Tuscan wine Best Greek wine Best Swiss wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine Best Rhône Valley wine
Wines from Catalonia: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the wines of the region of Catalonia, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for
Are you a fan of Spanish wine? Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the wines of the region of Catalonia, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for, along with recommendations of the best wines to buy. For more like this, check out our expert guides to the best Sancerre and Loire Valley wines or the best Bordeaux wines. Want to learn more at the source itself? Check out our guides to the best European vineyards to visit and best UK vineyards to visit. For the ultimate gift for a wine lover, check out our review of the best wine subscriptions. A guide to wines from Catalonia Catalonia’s most famous wine is cava, the go-to for so many of us when we want bargain bubbles and something a little less sweet than most prosecco. Most comes from the Penedès region, south-west of Barcelona, and is made in the same way as champagne, though usually with less lees ageing so it’s less complex. Trusted brands include Segura Viudas, Campo Viejo and Codorníu but the region’s most interesting fizz is corpinnat, a new designation launched in 2019 for high-quality sparkling wines. Understandably more costly than mass-market cavas – they must be made from manually harvested, organic grapes, vinified at the estate and aged for at least 18 months before disgorging – corpinnat slightly confuses the cava category but is a reliable marker of the very best. Macabeo, parellada and xarel·lo are the widely used indigenous white grapes – they are always used in cava but can also make very good still wine. Exciting reds to look out for include sumoll and trepat, while white and red grenache (garnatxa in Catalan) are also commonly grown. Brisat is the Catalan name for skin-contact or orange wine – now so trendy but in fact the traditional way of making wine here. Winemaking was introduced to the region by the Phoenicians, who traded Catalan wine with the Egyptians 2,500 years ago, and is embedded into the rural culture. In contrast to the rolling hills of Penedès is the rugged, mountainous Priorat region, known for its prestigious, powerful red wines made on its mineral-rich slate slopes. It is cradled by Montsant, a newer denomination that is equally dramatic and makes equally good reds at a generally lower price. Look out for wines from Terra Alta, an up-and coming appellation with many dynamic producers doing really interesting things that, like all the best winemaking in Catalonia, embody the fiesty, creative spirit of the region as a whole. Best wine to buy from Catalonia Casa Mariol Garnatxa Negra Available from 9 Elms Wines (£13.49) From this innovative family winery based in Terra Alta, with an eye on sustainability and low-intervention production, a gorgeous, crunchy, modern garnatxa. Very versatile with food, chill it slightly to make the most of its thirst-quenching freshness. Casa Mariol also makes fantastic vermouths (vermut in Catalan) and has a very cool wine bar in Barcelona that’s well worth a visit. Llopart Original 1887 Brut Nature Gran Reserva, Corpinnat 2011 Available from The Wine Society (£45.50) The Llopart family has been cultivating vines since the 14th century and was the co-founder of the corpinnat label. This is a fine example, dominated by the little-known montònega grape, along with macabeo and xarel·lo, a full nine years on its lees gives remarkable depth and complexity. Creamy layers of peachy fruit, roast nuts and warm pastry finishing with a zesty freshness. Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro Available from Ocado (£11.15) Familia Torres, based in Catalonia, is the largest wine producer in Spain, now in the fifth generation of family ownership. Its wines are widely available – try Viña Sol for a crowd-pleasing dry white – and this is also a treat. Seductively aromatic with rose petals, marmalade, honey and warm spice, it’s sweet but not sticky. Enjoy it chilled as an aperitif or sip it with blue cheese and fruity puddings. Where to visit in Catalonia Terra Dominicata Set in the dramatic landscape of the Montsant National Park, this gorgeous boutique hotel in Priorat is a beautifully restored Carthusian monastery about two hours’ drive from Barcelona. Remote but luxurious, with jaw-dropping views and all mod cons including a pool and outdoor spa. Visit the on-site winery, take a yoga class or hire a bike to work up an appetite, then drink from the very classy wine list in the excellent restaurant overlooking vineyards and olive groves. terradominicata.com Doubles from £318, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com More wine guides Sonoma County wine: an expert guide Best Chilean wine Best Tuscan wine Best Greek wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine Best Rhône Valley wine
Best cava wines to buy, tried and tested 2025
Spanish producers are upping their game with some exceptional cava wines – our expert shares where to find them and the best bottles to buy
Want to know more about cava wines? Read our expert guide, then check out our guides on the best champagne, prosecco and summer wines. Discover why all wine benefits from chilling with our guide to chilling wine. Not as costly as champagne, nor as popular as prosecco, cava is often overlooked when it comes to sparkling wine. For many years, Spain’s trademark fizz was rather frowned upon, seen only as cheap and cheerful pop for parties but, while it still gives bargain bubbles crisper and less sweet than most proseccos, there are now many more serious and complex cavas that can be counted among the world’s best and most interesting sparklers. Cavas tend to be very good with food – think tapas and you won’t go far wrong. Crisps, nuts and ceviches or sashimi are great with simpler wines, while those with more age love anything fried – fish or perhaps croquetas. Pet-nats can carry more robust flavours and make a fine companion to a summery centrepiece paella. Read on for our picks of 5 of the best cavas to buy. Best cava wines to try at a glance Best rosé cava: Colet Vatua! Rosé 2019, £24 Best budget cava: Contevedo Cava Brut, £5.79 Best supermarket cava: Codorniu Seleccion Familia Reserve Organic Cava, £12.99 Best champagne alternative: Pere Ventura Cava, £12.95 Best non-alcoholic cava: Vilarnau 0% Sparkling Rosé, £7 5 of the best cava wines to try Colet Vatua! Rosé 2019 Available from The Sourcing Table (£24) Best rosé cava A really unusual, and unusually delicious, rosé cava from a family that has been farming its organic vineyards for more than 200 years. Headily fragrant muscat and gewürztraminer grapes are blended with parellada, then given a dosage of garnaxa from their friend Fred Torres’ project in Priorat. Rich with tropical fruit and exotic scents including ginger and jasmine, it finishes bone-dry with a zap of pink grapefruit. Available from: The Sourcing Table (£24) Contevedo Cava Brut Available from Aldi (£5.79) Best budget cava Aldi’s perennially popular cava gives plenty of bubbly bang for your buck. Bright and creamy with notes of green apples and orange blossom finishing with a crisp, dry tang. Brilliant value and great for a party – add a dash of crème de cassis or elderflower cordial for extra pizazz. Available from: Aldi (£5.79) Codorniu Seleccion Familia Reserva Organic Cava Available from Waitrose Cellar (£12.99) Best supermarket cava From the reliable Codorniu brand, this is great quality for the price, a blend of chardonnay with macabeo and xarel-lo grapes, aged for 18 months and delivering fine bubbles and a nice balance of crisp fruit and toasted almonds. A step above most supermarket cavas, drink it well chilled with tapas-style snacks, or use it to toast a special occasion. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£12.99) Pere Ventura Cava Available from The Great Wine Co. (£12.95) Best champagne alternative A rich, toasty fizz that's spent 18 months on the lees and could pass for a decent champagne at twice the price. Available from: The Great Wine Co. (£12.95) Vilarnau 0% Sparkling Rosé Available from Amazon (£8) Best non-alcoholic cava A pretty organic rosé for those that want the fun of fizz without the hit of alcohol. Summer pudding fruitiness with pink grapefruit zest, it’s made for drinking on a hot sunny day. Available from: Amazon (£8) How is cava made? Most cava is made in the Penedès region, immediately to the west of Barcelona, whose dynamic wine-making scene has improved the range and quality hugely in the past few years. Large producers have really upped their games in making fantastic value cavas in different styles, while a growing number of boutique wineries are embracing low-intervention methods to make wines of character and distinction, often using traditional grape varieties and techniques from the region. The hot, dry climate suits organic and biodynamic viticulture, so it’s not surprising that those wines are common. Unlike most proseccos, which get their bubbles from a secondary fermentation in large metal tanks, all cavas must undergo this process in the bottle, as is the way in Champagne. The longer they spend ageing in contact with the resulting sediment, called the lees, the fuller and richer the flavours will be when the lees are removed and the finished wine is ready for sale. Nine months on the lees is the legal minimum for cava but this can be as much as three years or more. Some maverick makers are reviving the ancestrale method, when bubbles are the result of the wine being bottled before the first fermentation is complete, known as pet nats (pétillant-naturel). Check out more wine guides here: Best champagne to buy Best Sancerre wines to buy Best cava wines to buy Best albariño wines to buy Best vinho verde wines to buy Best pinot noir to buy Best Rieslings to buy Best chenin blancs to buy Best madeira wines to buy
Sonoma County wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our expert explores the world-class wines of Sonoma County, California
Are you a fan of Californian wine? Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the wines of Sonoma County, California, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for, along with recommendations of the best wines to buy. For more like this, check out our expert guides to the best Sancerre and Loire Valley wines or the best Bordeaux wines. Want to learn more at the source itself? Check out our guides to the best European vineyards to visit and best UK vineyards to visit. For the ultimate gift for a wine lover, check out our review of the best wine subscriptions. A guide to Sonoma County Wine If you’re looking to cut back on the booze but not go without altogether, now is a chance to look to wines that might usually be beyond your budget, and drink less but drink better. California’s Sonoma County is a good place to start. Spanish missionaries first planted grapes here in the early 1800s and a thriving wine industry developed until prohibition in the early 20th century led to most vineyards being pulled out, although some vines still exist here that are more than 100 years old. The modern wine industry began in the late 20th century and, while California now produces vast quantities of cheap, low-quality wine, the Sonoma region is known for making some really world-class bottles that are more pricey. Land, labour and equipment are very expensive – many producers use costly new French oak barrels for ageing which give the plush toasty, vanilla-scented wines that are so characteristically Californian – and there are strict agricultural and environmental regulations that all add to the costs. In addition, producers are still recovering from catastrophic wildfires in 2020 and 2021 that destroyed huge swathes of vineyards as well as hundreds of homes. Unlike its immediate neighbour, the Napa Valley, Sonoma has a large variety of microclimates and soil types, so is able to produce a wider range of grapes and wine styles. Pinot noirs and chardonnays, particularly from the cool Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast regions, are capable of great elegance and complexity, while warmer inland areas such as the Alexander Valley are known for their robust wines made from cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel (also known as primitivo) that tend to be heavily oaked and high in alcohol, although there is a welcome trend towards making lighter, more elegant wines that are well worth splashing out on. Best Sonoma County wine to buy Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay Available from Waitrose Cellar (£19.99) Frei Brothers has been producing wine, when it’s been allowed, in Sonoma for 125 years, making it one of the oldest producers in the region. This comes from the Russian River Valley region which gives a bright, citric freshness to its lush tropical fruit and toasty richness that calls to mind classy chardonnays from Burgundy. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£19.99) Pedroncelli Friends Sonoma County Red Available from Amathus Drinks (£15.50) From a family winery based in the Dry Creek Valley, this blend of merlot, zinfandel and sangiovese is a bargain for wine of this quality from the region. Packed with opulent blackcurrant, plummy fruit, mocha and warming spices wrapped in toasty but not overbearing oak. A winner with anything rich and meaty, or Middle Eastern veggie dishes. Available from: Amathus Drinks (£15.50) La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2022 Available from Amazon (£24.45) Absolutely gorgeous and complex yet elegant pinot – bright red cherry and crunchy pomegranate fruit beautifully balanced with an earthy, savoury underbelly, and given perfectly poised structure from very judicious use of oak. Very versatile with food but avoid overpowering it with hot spices – simple lamb chops or a mushroom risotto would be a great match. Available from: Amazon (£24.45) More wine guides Best Chilean wine Best Tuscan wine Best Greek wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine Best Rhône Valley wine
Looking to try a monthly wine subscription box? We've tested the best regular wine deliveries and clubs, with something for everyone, from all-rounders to natural or English wine specialists
Wine subscription boxes have enjoyed huge success over the past few years as drinkers were forced to do more shopping online. The concept is simple – a wine delivery to your door at regular intervals, relieving you from having to choose from a shelf then lugging the bottles home. They also make a great gift for a wine lover. Whether you want everyday, reliable wines that won’t scare the horses, or are looking to expand your usual wine horizons with unexpected bottles from unexpected places, here are some of the best options around. Read on for our picks of the best wine subscriptions to buy. It's not just wine you can subscribe to either - we've reviewed the best gin subscriptions and best coffee subscriptions too for regular deliveries no matter your favourite drink. Sponsored by The Wine Flyer Make this summer one to remember with bottles from across the world Here at olive, our favourite things are food, drink and travel, and we’ve partnered with The Wine Flyer to bring you The Vine, including an exclusive curated case of wines, based on our favourite places to travel across the world. Discover new bottles from diverse regions and vineyards, as well as recognisable and much-loved brands, all while collecting exclusive Avios points that can be used for your next trip. Shop The Vine by The Wine Flyer and olive for £159.99 Best wine subscriptions at a glance Best all-round wine subscription: Laithwaites, from £24 a month for 4 bottles Best for small quantities: Corkk Club, from £23 a month for one bottle Best for cheese and wine: Abel & Cole cheese and wine club, £13.75 a week for 2 bottles + cheese Best wine subscription for customising: Oranj, from £85 a month for 3 bottles Best for discovering small producers: Cellar Next Door, from £88 a month for 4 bottles Best high-end wine subscription: The Sourcing Table, from £150 for 6 bottles quarterly Best for flexible choice: The Wine Society, from £95 for 12 bottles Best for unique themes: Provisions wine subscription, from £67.50 a month for 3 bottles Best wine subscriptions to try 2025 Laithwaites Available from Laithwaites (from £24 for 4 bottles) Best all-round wine subscription Laithwaite’s has been delivering wine for more than 50 years, selling dependable, no-nonsense wines at reasonable prices. There are plenty of wine subscription choices to choose from, as well as craft beer options, along with exclusive offers and tasting events for members. The different wine subscriptions on offer depend how much wine you'd like to try each month, with plans for 4, 8 or 12 bottles delivered to your door per month. You can also choose your wine preference: red, white or a mix. The mixed box we tried included a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough region, bursting with zesty tropical fruit, and a classic oak-aged red rioja by Barón de Barbón. Overall, Laithwaite’s offers reliable wines from established wineries that will appeal to those most comfortable with familiar regions and styles of wines. Available from: Laithwaites (from £24 for 4 bottles) Corkk Club Available from Corkk (from £19.50 for one bottle) Best for small quantities Based in the Kentish Downs and surrounded by vineyards and wine makers, Corkk are on a mission to champion English wine, especially smaller, artisanal producers. They’re doing this via their Corkk Club, which offers still, sparkling or mixed cases of wine curated by Master of Wine and English wine expert Clive Barlow. The strength of the Corkk Club is the many options available. Choose from still, sparkling or mixed cases on a monthly (from £19.50 a month for still, £33 for sparkling, £48.50 for mixed), quarterly or six-month basis. You can also customise how many bottles you receive in each box, with options for one, two, three, six and 12 bottles. We chose a three-bottle box, which arrived in minimal (yet still secure) plastic-free packaging, alongside lengthy descriptions and tasting notes for each wine. We loved the wines we were sent, including Wiltshire’s fresh and zingy Whitehall Vineyard bacchus 2019 with appealing elderflower and green apple notes; and a crisp, lively Simpsons Wine Estate Gravel Castle chardonnay from Kent. With a wide range of price points, this is an accessible wine subscription and a great way to get more in-depth knowledge of English wine, as well as supporting smaller, local winemakers and vineyards. Read our full review of the Corkk wine subscription here. Available from: Corkk (from £19.50 for one bottle) Abel & Cole cheese and wine club Available from Abel & Cole (£13.75 a week for one bottle + cheese) Best for cheese and wine Abel & Cole, the organic box scheme giant, offer a weekly Cheese and Wine Club, a simple subscription that is an easy add-on to their regular box schemes. If you'd rather just focus on wines, they also now do an Organic & Sustainable monthly wine club where you receive 3 bottles a month. Currently there are only two wines – red or white – offered, but they are both from the excellent Purato winery in Sicily whose ‘green to the extreme’ philosophy ticks all the sustainability boxes – organic, carbon neutral, vegan, and packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable materials. While the wine stays the same, it’s the cheese that changes each week – we received a big wedge of Wyfe of Bath cheese in perfect condition. Abel & Cole are pioneers of low-plastic and compostable packaging and their boxes are returnable for re-use. At £13.75, this combination is £2 cheaper than ordering the items separately and is great value for everyday drinking with cheese alongside. Read our full review of the Abel & Cole cheese and wine club here. Available from: Abel & Cole (£13.75 a week for one bottle + cheese) Oranj wine subscription Available from Oranj (from £80 a month for 3 bottles) Best wine subscription for customising When Oranj couldn't open as planned as a natural wine bar in London in 2020, the Oranj monthly wine subscription service was launched instead, along with an online wine shop. Haven't tried natural wine before? Read our guide to natural wine for everything you need to know. Boxes contain between three and six bottles, priced at £80 to £150, with a choice of delivery every four or eight weeks. You can build your own subscription based on the styles of wine you like, adding your own combination of red, white, orange or rosé wines. Each subscription box has a guaranteed lower price than if the bottles were purchased individually from the shop. Expect the unexpected from Oranj’s groovy range of natural wines. ­In the case we tested, our wines included a Sauvignon Blanc/Müller Thurgau/Muscat blend from Germany’s Staffelter Hof and a great Zweigelt/Blaufränkisch rosé by esteemed maker Judith Beck. Available from: Oranj (from £30 a month for 1 bottle) Cellar Next Door wine subscription Available from Cellar Next Door (from £88 a month for 4 bottles) Best for discovering small producers Peckham Cellars is a neighbourhood restaurant and wine shop that opened in south-east London in 2019 and quickly moved to online wine sales when covid struck. This has now evolved into Cellar Next Door, a wine shop and bar in Camberwell. The Cellar Next Door wine subscription offers a carefully curated selection of four bottles delivered each month. There is good flexibility on the length of subscription as you can pick exactly how many months you'd like to subscribe for. Your first delivery comes with a bonus free bottle of sparkling wine, and being a subscriber entitles you to 10% off in the wine bar and online shop. The emphasis is on wines from small producers using low-intervention techniques, with a fair smattering of funky natural wines. Our box includes a cracking fizz made with indigenous grapes by famed Portuguese winemaker Filipa Pato. Available from: Cellar Next Door (from £88 a month for 4 bottles) The Sourcing Table wine subscription Available from The Sourcing Table (from £150 for 6 bottles quarterly) Best high-end wine subscription The Sourcing Table is an off-shoot of Indigo Wines, one of the UK’s most respected importers, which has been tracking down really exciting wines for nearly 20 years. Quarterly wine club subscription boxes bring you top-quality wines that were previously only available in restaurants and independent wine shops. It is easy to subscribe online: simply choose to receive either six (£150) or 12 bottles (£280) selected by wine-experts every quarter, which is around 15% cheaper than buying the wines individually. The Sourcing Table buy most of their wines directly from winemakers, many of whom work with organic and/or biodynamic principles. Our favourites were a wonderful dry riesling from Vignoble du Rêveur in Alsace, and Patapon, a joyously fresh natural red made from the unusual Pineau d’Aunis grape in the Loire. Members also get 10% off The Sourcing Table website. Available from: The Sourcing Table (from £150 for 6 bottles quarterly) The Wine Society wine subscription Available from The Wine Society (from £95 for 12 bottles) Best for flexible choice The Wine Society is a highly-regarded member-owned co-operative – life membership costs a one-off £40 joining fee, of which £20 is refundable against your first order of whatever you buy. Their Wine Without Fuss subscription boxes offer flexible plans to suit all tastes and pockets, while their Vintage Cellar Plans are aimed at more serious wine collectors. Signing up is easy, then you’re spoilt for choice. There are five Wine Without Fuss plans to choose from, with 12-bottle cases priced from £95 to £169. The plans focus on different styles, from Lighter Wines to Wine Rack Essentials or Discovery for wines from around the world. Within each plan, you can choose all reds, all whites or a mixed case. Wines arrive with tasting notes and food-matching suggestions. In addition, the website has an enormous amount of information on every bottle and winemaker. With customer service and wines that never miss a beat, the Wines Without Fuss subscription service does just what it says on the tin, whichever option you choose. Read our full review of The Wine Society wine subscription here. Available from: The Wine Society (from £95 for 12 bottles) Provisions wine subscription Available from Provisions (from £67.50 a month for 3 bottles) Best for unique themes Based at its shop in North London, Provisions imports wine, cheese and other artisan food products from specialist makers in Europe. Its wine subscription scheme offers ‘learn while you drink’ natural wine experiences through its monthly wine boxes. Choose from a one-off case of three wines for £67.50 or sign up for three, six or 12 months and pay £65, £60 or £55 per month respectively. Each monthly case is themed, whether from a particular region, grape variety or style. Our month’s theme was orange wine and was a great introduction to these sometimes challenging but very food-friendly wines. There’s an immaculate sauvignon blanc from Slovakia and a nutty and complex 2009 ugni blanc from Château Tour Blanc in Gascony. Shipping is free and comes with a booklet giving details of the wines and their makers along with great food-pairing ideas. Overall, the Provisions wine box offers really interesting wines from very good makers, with the 12-month subscriptions offering good value for money. Available from: Provisions (from £65 a month for 3 bottles) Related reviews Best gin subscriptions and clubs Best Champagne Best Cava Best Sancerre Best Albariño Best Pinot noir Best Riesling Best Chardonnay Best natural wine Best urban wines Best Tuscan wine Best Chilean wine
olive’s wine expert picks out the really special bottles for the big day, and the best bargains to see you through the festive party season
Looking for Christmas wines to buy for the festive season? Wine expert Kate Hawkings gives the lowdown on the best wines for Christmas. Next, check out Kate's guide to best festive sparkling wines. Best Christmas wines to buy at a glance Best budget red wine to go with Christmas dinner: Aldi Specially Selected Toscana Rosso, £7.69 Best blowout red wine to go with Christmas dinner: Elisa Guerin ‘Les Thorins’ Moulin-à-Vent 2022, £32 Best budget white wine to go with Christmas dinner: Jackson Estate Stich 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, £14.99 Best blowout white wine to go with Christmas dinner: Tesselaarsdal, Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay 2021, £38.99 Best budget wine to go with a Boxing Day buffet: Aldi Specially Selected Ile de Beauté Rosé, £8.49 Best blowout wine to go with a Boxing Day buffet: Cum Vineis Sclavis Schiava 2022, £19 Best budget wine for New Year's Eve: L’Occhiolino Sparkling Red, £8.99 Best blowout wine for New Year's Eve: Blurred Vines Spark Alt Wine, £16 Best budget wine to go with nibbles: English Pink Mulled Rosé, £25 Best blowout wine to go with nibbles: Champagne René Jolly Rosé d’Assemblage, £37.99 Best budget wine to go with pudding: Araldica Moscato d’Asti, £11 Best blowout wine to go with pudding: Graham’s 20-Year-Old Tawny Port, £40 Best budget wine to go with a cheeseboard: Cramele Recas Orange, £10.99 Best blowout wine to go with a cheeseboard: Kopke 10-Year-Old White Port, £37.99 Top tip: buy your Christmas wine ahead My advice for avoiding stress when buying Christmas wine is to plan ahead. Stock up online for versatile crowd-pleasers to have on standby that will multitask for a variety of festive occasions, menus and dietary requirements. Then splash out on some special bottles for the feasting highlights. Best Christmas wines to buy 2024 Aldi Specially Selected Toscana Rosso Available from Aldi (£7.69) Best budget red wine to go with Christmas dinner The main event usually involves so many sides and sauces with riots of different flavours, so choose something versatile that will have wide appeal. This sangiovese-based blend is full of ripe blackcurrant, damson and liquorice, robust enough to stand up to any meaty feast but with a crisp, sour-sherry lift on the finish. Available from: Aldi (£7.69) Elisa Guerin ‘Les Thorins’ Moulin-à-Vent 2022 Available from Wayward Wines (£32) Best blowout red wine to go with Christmas dinner Elisa is a rising star of the Beaujolais region, making immaculate unfiltered, unfined wines from old vines fermented with natural yeasts. Concentrated and muscular fruit open up in the glass and finishes with a lovely savoury elegance. Available from: Wayward Wines (£32) Jackson Estate Stich 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Available from Waitrose Cellar (£14.99) Best budget white wine to go with Christmas dinner This is a great-value, crowd-pleasing sauv blanc. More restrained than many from New Zealand, it’s grassy but not too pungent and has a pleasing sunny richness from its lees ageing. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£14.99) Tesselaarsdal, Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay 2021 Available from Lay Wheeler (£38.99) Best blowout white wine to go with Christmas dinner Made by Berene Sauls, one of a small but growing number of black women winemakers in South Africa, this is really special. Gently aged in old oak and clay amphorae to give shape and texture to its crisp melon and tangerine fruit, underpinned with just a touch of warm, gingery spice. Available from: Lay Wheeler (£38.99) Aldi Specially Selected Ile de Beauté Rosé Available from Aldi (£8.49) Best budget wine to go with a Boxing Day buffet Keep things bright and fresh after the indulgences of the day before. This easy-drinking Corsican rosé has breezy redcurrant and cranberry fruit with a refreshing lemony acidity to cut through the richness in dishes such as the cover recipe butter turkey curry. Available from: Aldi (£8.49) Cum Vineis Sclavis Schiava 2022 Available from Svinando (£19) Best blowout wine to go with a Boxing Day buffet At a gentle 12% ABV, this is made from the unusual schiava grape in Italy’s mountainous Trentino region. Very elegant and poised with delicate red berry fruitiness, and a savoury backbone of mountain herbs – serve slightly chilled. Available from: Svinando (£19) L’Occhiolino Sparkling Red Available from Laithwaites (£8.99) Best budget wine for New Year's Eve Made from the lambrusco grape, this jolly light red has bags of raspberry and pomegranate lifted by an edge of astringent herbs. Slightly sweet, it weighs in at only 7.5% ABV, so would make a refreshing partner with pudding as the clock strikes midnight. Available from: Laithwaites (£8.99) Blurred Vines Spark Alt Wine Available from Three Spirit (£16) Best blowout wine for New Year's Eve A non-alcoholic pink fizz made from cold-brewed teas and British fruit juices flavoured with numerous botanicals. Caffeine from the teas and the addition of a little cayenne pepper give a real pep to its bright herbaceous and strawberry notes. Available from: Three Spirit (£16) English Pink Mulled Rosé Available from English Pink (£25) Best budget wine to go with nibbles Mulled rosé is having a moment. Who knew? English rosé with gentle spices and festive tangerine citrus giving something warming but not too sickly. Great for a party when you’re looking for something different – just heat gently in a pan or warm in a microwave. Very good with spicy snacks. Available from: English Pink (£25) Champagne René Jolly Rosé d’Assemblage Available from Waitrose Cellar (£37.99) Best blowout wine to go with nibbles Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without champagne and this chardonnay/pinot blend has lots to say for itself – strawberries and cream on the nose, very fine bubbles and crunchy, slightly spicy fruit on the palate that sits well with festive nibbles. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£37.99) Araldica Moscato d’Asti Available from Majestic (£11) Best budget wine to go with pudding Very pretty, slightly sparkling white at only 5% ABV, a wine that actually tastes of grapes along with its notes of warm apricots, white flowers and a touch of honey. Easy to drink at any time of day – perfect with a trifle. Available from: Majestic (£11) Graham’s 20-Year-Old Tawny Port Available from Amazon (£40), Waitrose Cellar (£44.99) Best blowout wine to go with pudding Complex and layered with marmalade, nuts, honey and vanilla, this ticks so many boxes. A small glass makes a perfect pairing with Christmas cake or a mince pie, and it’s also ace with cheese. Serve slightly chilled – it’ll last for weeks after opening so none will go to waste. Available from: Amazon (£40) Waitrose Cellar (£44.99) Cramele Recas Orange Available from Adnams (£10.99) Best budget wine to go with a cheeseboard Orange wine is a surprisingly good match with cheese, and this affordable example is very approachable. Gently crunchy tannins with lovely baked apple and quince fruit, and a hint of candied oranges. Versatile with so many other things, too. Available from: Adnams (£10.99) Kopke 10-Year-Old White Port Available from Waitrose Cellar (£37.99), Amazon (£39.95) Best blowout wine to go with a cheeseboard Aged white ports are sweeter and more woody than the dry ports we’re used to mixing with tonic in summer, and make a welcome change from red ports to go with a festive cheeseboard. This is opulent with ripe peach and dried fruit, soft spice, hazelnuts and a little orange zest freshness. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£37.99) Amazon (£39.95) More wine reviews Best Vinho Verde wine Best Pinot Noir wine Best Chardonnay wine Best Cava wine Best sweet wines Best vegan wine Best natural wine
Our wine expert explores the savoury, nutty notes of this Spanish fortified wine, and recommends the best bottles of fino sherries to buy
Looking for the best fino sherries to buy? Want to know more about Spain's wine-making region? Read our expert guide, then check out our guide to English pinot noirs, Sancerre and Loire Valley wines and the best albariño wines to buy. Best fino sherries to buy at a glance Best savoury fino sherry: Bodegas Tradición Fino, £41.92 Best unfiltered fino sherry: Gonzalez Byass Una Palma Fino, £21.95 Best manzanilla sherry: Barbadillo Solear Manzanilla Sherry, £12.99 Best well-known sherry: Tio Pepe Fino En Rama, £13.25 Best investment fino sherry: Lustau Puerto Fino Sherry, £17.94 Best aged manzanilla: Hidalgo 'Pastrana' Pasada Manzanilla Sherry, £17.99 Sherry's long-awaited revival After decades in the doldrums, sherry is shrugging off its fusty image and enjoying a much-deserved revival. Sales have shown a 13 per cent rise over the past year, with fino and manzanilla, the driest styles, leading the growth. I’m rarely without a bottle of fino or manzanilla in my fridge – they’re among my favourite things to drink to mark the end of a day. They make fantastic aperitifs, especially with roasted almonds or olives alongside, but are good with so many other things besides. Traditionally served well-chilled in small, tulip-shaped glasses called copitas, and sipped slowly to appreciate their nuances, they are also great for cocktails and long drinks. Sling 75ml of sherry into a glass filled with ice, then add tonic to make a She & T; or add lemonade, which turns it into a rebujito, garnished with mint, a green olive and/or a slice of lemon, as downed by the bucketload at summer fiestas in the south of Spain. I've also used them with great success in place of vermouth in a negroni or a dry martini. Finos come from the Andalusian city of Jerez, from which sherry gets its name. They are made from dry wine, usually from the palomino grape, that’s fortified with spirit then left to age in barrels laid on their sides and piled high in vast cathedral-like buildings called bodegas. Some space is left above the wine allowing a veil of yeast called the flor to grow, preventing it from oxidising while also imparting sherry’s uniquely nutty, savoury flavours as it ages. Manzanilla is made in the same way but in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, north-west of Jerez, where the humid sea air makes the flor grow thicker and gives the sherry its characteristic salty freshness. Finos and manzanillas labelled 'en rama' are those bottled straight from the barrel, usually released each May to the great excitement of the sherry-loving community, with little or no filtering, giving a richer, more intense flavour to the sherry. Best fino sherries to buy 2024 Bodegas Tradición Fino Available from Master of Malt (£41.92) Best savoury fino sherry Made using a blend of sherries aged for around 12 years, this golden fino is intense and savoury, with bracing salinity, yeasty aromas and notes of salted almonds. Available from: Master of Malt (£41.92) Gonzalez Byass Una Palma Fino Available from Amazon (£21.95) Best unfiltered fino sherry An unfiltered fino sherry that starts with yeasty brioche notes on the nose, followed by incredibly dry, salty flavours with a lemony kick. We also enjoyed the long, savoury finish. undefined Barbadillo Solear Manzanilla Available from Waitrose (£12.99) Best manzanilla sherry This ticks all the boxes of a great manzanilla – bracingly fresh with a really appetising salty zip on the finish. The tempura squid with ponzu dipping sauce would be an ace match. Available from: Waitrose (£12.99) Tio Pepe Fino En Rama Latest Deals Best well-known sherry Tio Pepe, made since 1841, is the world’s best-selling fino, and great value for money. This en rama bottling is more intense and complex, with notes of almonds, salted lemons and baked apples. Latest Deals Lustau Puerto Fino Available from Amazon (£17.94) Best investment fino sherry Lustau makes a huge range of sherries in different styles, both in Jerez and in El Puerto de Santa María, a seaside town from which this comes. Delightfully fresh, fragrant and yeasty, try it with our recipe for salt and pepper squid with chilli and spring onions. Available from: Amazon (£17.94) Hidalgo Pastrana Manzanilla Pasada Available from Waitrose Cellar (£17.99) Incredible value for this award-winning manzanilla that’s aged for 12 years, giving extra depth to its salty, nutty flavours. Ideal with our grilled sardines with tomato and almond salad and sherry vinegar dressing. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£17.99) Related reviews Best aperitifs to buy Best digestifs to try Best coffee liqueur Best Irish cream and cream liqueurs Best white port Best whisky liqueurs
Our wine expert gives her lowdown on the best budget and blowout ports to buy, from fruit-forward ruby to delicate tawny, plus shares her favourite glassware for the drink
Looking for the best port wine to buy over the festive period? Our wine expert shares her favourites, including supermarket port, vintage port and tawny port. For more post-supper sipping inspiration, check out the best digestifs to try, or discover the world of white port with our expert review of the best white ports to buy. Like mince pies, mulled wine and comedy jumpers, port tends to appear only at Christmas and then is forgotten for the rest of the year. This is a great shame, for port is a wonderful drink, made in many different styles and to suit so many occasions. Port has something of an image problem. Its unfortunate reputation calls to mind red-trousered gentlemen puffing cigars after dinner and passing decanters of port to their left – a tradition that allegedly relates to keeping one’s right hand free, in case access to one’s sword is required. Eye rolls all round. However, there is so much more to port than this – read on to find the best port to buy for all occasions, plus understand the many different styles of port. Jump to: Best port to buy at a glance What is port wine? Best port to buy 2024 How to drink port Best port glasses to buy Best port to buy at a glance Best late-bottled vintage port: Taylor's LBV port, £15 Best affordable white port: Niepoort dry white port, £21.95 Best luxury white port: Kopke 10-Year-Old White Port, £35.75 Best pink port: Croft pink port, £12.74 Best rosé port: Offley rosé port, £14.99 Best reserve port: Barros special reserve port, £19.29 Best vintage port: 1994 Warre’s vintage port, £113 Best crusted port: Fonesca crusted port, £22.95 Best tawny port: Corney & Barrow 20-Year-Old Tawny Port, £39.95 What is port wine? Port is a fortified wine that comes from the Douro region of Portugal, whose main city Oporto (also known as Porto) gives the wine its name. It dates back more than 300 years, when the Brits were at war with France so looked to Portugal – their oldest allies – to quench their thirst for wine. Producers in the Douro valley added a little distilled grape spirit to stabilise and preserve the wines before their long journey aboard sail-powered ships to reach our damp shores. They were an immediate (and lucrative) hit, and close relationships with producers and English shippers endure to this day. Vintage port is only made in years when there has been an exceptional harvest, and it’s intended to be drunk at least 10 years after bottling (often much longer). Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) spends longer in the barrel before bottling, while tawny port is aged in small barrels and bottled only when it’s deemed ready to drink. Lighter and fresher than vintage and LBV ports, tawny ports have the added advantage of lasting longer after opening. White port, as the name suggests, is made from white grapes and is generally bottled young. Served over ice with tonic and a slice of orange, a sprig of thyme or maybe a cinnamon stick, it is the aperitif of the Douro region. Best port to buy 2024 Taylor's LBV port Available from Amazon (£15), Tesco (£20), Waitrose Cellar (£19.99) Best late-bottled vintage port Like vintage ports, LBVs are made from grapes grown in a single year but are aged in barrel for up to six years before bottling, making them a little lighter, and longer lived once opened. This is a real crowd pleaser for Christmas. Great with a mixed cheeseboard, rich chocolatey puddings and anything with dried fruits, this is also a perfect match for a wintery fruit crumble. Available from: Amazon (£15) Tesco (£20) Waitrose Cellar (£19.99) Niepoort Dry White Port Available from The Whisky Exchange (£21.95) Best affordable white port Made, as its name suggests, from white grapes, and usually sold fresh and young. White port and tonic is THE aperitif in the Douro region, served over lots of ice and garnished with lemon and a sprig of mint, and makes a great, less alcoholic, alternative to a G&T. Give it a seasonal twist by replacing the mint with a cinnamon stick. This example is not as sweet as many white ports, this has lovely notes of bergamot, bay leaves and toasted almonds. Great with tonic, or chilled and served by itself with citrussy puddings. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£21.95) Kopke 10-Year-Old White Port Available from Amazon (£39.95), Waitrose Cellar (£39.99), The Whisky Exchange (£35.75) Best luxury white port Altogether more serious, as its price suggests. Tangerines, honey and a slight tang of ginger, this really special port is great with hard cheeses such as comté or manchego, and is a surprisingly good match with sushi. It will keep for several weeks after it's opened, in the unlikely event you’ll need it to. Available from: Amazon (£39.95) Waitrose Cellar (£39.99) The Whisky Exchange (£35.75) Croft Pink Port Available from Master of Malt (£12.74), Selfridges (£15.99), The Whisky Exchange (£12.75) Best pink port Pink port is made from red grapes that, as with rosé wine, are left for a short time in contact with the juice after pressing to give colour and a little bit of tannic grip. Sweet and fruity, it’s best served over ice with tonic garnished with a slice of orange. This example has raspberry and cherry fruits with a touch of vanilla, this also makes a great riff on a negroni when used in place of the vermouth. Available from: Master of Malt (£12.74) Selfridges (£15.99) The Whisky Exchange (£12.75) Offley Rosé Port Available from Waitrose (£14.99) Best rosé port Fragrant with notes of mango, Turkish delight and orange blossom, this would be good very cold alongside (or on top of) vanilla ice cream. Available from: Waitrose (£14.99) Barros Special Reserve Available from Strictly Wine (£19.29) Best reserve port Reserve ports are rubies that have been aged a little longer and have a bit more finesse and complexity. This is intense and velvety with notes of stewed blackcurrants and violets – too good to cook with. Available from: Strictly Wine (£19.29) 1994 Warre’s vintage port Available from The Whisky Exchange (£113) Best vintage port Produced only in the best years, and from the very best grapes, vintage ports are aged in barrel for two years then bottled and laid down for further maturation. The best vintages can be kept for many years, or even decades. Vintage ports form a sediment at the bottom of the bottle so should be left upright to settle for 24 hours or so, then poured slowly into a decanter or jug, leaving the sediment behind. They oxidise quite quickly after opening, so I recommend rinsing the bottle to get rid of the sediment then pouring the port back into it before serving, and drinking within a week or so. Deep, dark and tannic, vintage ports are brilliant with hard cheeses but I think the best are enjoyed quietly alone, or maybe with a little very good dark chocolate. Vintage ports make great gifts for special anniversaries and birthdays. The 1994 vintage is one of the best of the 20th century, and Warre’s is one of the best makers. Intense plum and blackcurrant fruit wrapped around layers of black pepper, liquorice, a bit of mellow smoke and so much more besides. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£113) Fonseca Crusted Port Available from Amazon (£22.95) Best crusted port Made in the same way as vintage port but a blend of wines from two or three different harvests, crusted port is so called because, like vintage port, it contains sediment so should be decanted in the same way. Known as ‘the poor man’s vintage’ because it so often punches above its weight for the price (hence why we've only included one option), crusted port is rare these days but well worth seeking out. This Fonesca crusted port is dark and luscious with intense, brambly fruits, this much-lauded port is lifted with a really fresh acidity. Great quality for the price. Available from: Amazon (£22.95) Corney & Barrow 20-Year-Old Tawny Port Available from Corney & Barrow (£39.95) Best tawny port Tawny ports are aged in small barrels for a minimum of seven years, often longer, so they lose the dark red colour of ruby and vintage ports and take on a brownish hue from which they get their name. This ageing process means they are very stable, so will keep well for weeks after they’re opened. Most are blended from several vintages – the age on the label indicates the average age of wines in the blend. Single vintage tawnies are labelled colheita along with the year of their harvest. Tawnies are fresher and more delicate than their fruit-forward cousins, with nutty, leathery notes along with caramel, coffee and orange peel. Served slightly chilled, they’re the most versatile of ports, working with snacks of salted nuts and charcuterie, all but the most pungent cheeses, and anything with dried fruits, chocolate and/or nuts – they cut the richness of Christmas pud really well. Good aged tawnies don’t come cheap, but this is fantastic for the price. With layers of figs, walnuts, cloves and candied citrus peel, it has compelling complexity and a refreshingly clean finish. Totally delicious alone or with any of the suggestions above, it’s also an incredible match with Portuguese custard tarts. Available from: Corney & Barrow (£39.95) How to drink port Port and other fortified wines are not just for sipping in winter, they make for great summer drinking, too. Keep these bottles in the fridge, serve them neat or poured over ice, or mix them with tonic water, soda or lemonade. Make free with whatever garnish takes your fancy – lemon, orange, strawberry, thyme, mint, rosemary and bay leaves can all work well. And spread the word – these drinks are cool, in more ways than one. Best port glasses to buy Portônica – white port and tonic – is best served as you would a G&T so go with whatever you like best. Some people use stubby tumblers, others prefer more modish balloon-shaped glasses, while I happen to favour tall highballs – it’s really just a matter of choice. Other ports are traditionally drunk in small glasses – at around 20% ABV, it’s much stronger than unfortified table wine so serves should be smaller. Charity shops and antique fairs are good sources for pretty vintage glasses; don’t feel they all have to match. LSA Canopy Highballs Set Available from LSA International (£45, set of 4) Made from 100% recycled materials as part of a pioneering sustainable glassware partnership with the Eden Project in Cornwall, these also have a very pretty colour and a cute dimple on their bottom which seem to enhance the freshness of a portônica so well. Available from: LSA International (£45, set of 4) Urban Bar Nick & Nora 1910 Glass Available from Amazon (£15) Named after a couple of sleuths with a fondness for cocktails in the 1934 film, The Thin Man, this pretty etched glass is also perfect for port with a cheeseboard, or just a mince pie and a good book. Available from: Amazon (£15) Riedel Vinum port glass Available from Amazon (£40/set of 2) Riedel famously make a huge range of glasses, each designed to bring out the very best in a specific wine or grape varietal. This classic shape allows port’s aromas to develop while emphasising the concentration of the fruit. A desert-island glass for port, sherry, madeira or any other fortified wine. Available from: Amazon (£40/set of 2) More drinks reviews Best gins to try – our favourite bottles Best tequilas Best vodkas to buy Best premium rums to try Best gin subscriptions and clubs Best American gins to try Best gifts for gin lovers Best savoury gins Best international gins
Our wine expert shows us why this under-the-radar fortified wine should be everyone’s new summertime aperitif and picks the best white ports to buy
Looking for the best white port to buy? Want to know more about white port? Read our expert guide then check out our guide to the best port to buy too. Discover why all wine benefits from chilling with our guide to chilling wine. To display your spirits in style, check out our round-ups of the best decanters or the best bar carts. Best white port at a glance Best fruity white port: Kopke 10-Year-Old White Port, £39.95 Best for a port and tonic: Graham’s Blend No5 White Port, £26.49 Best modern white port: Cockburn’s White Heights, £23.95 Best versatile white port: Quinta da Pedra Alta No 3, £18.24 Best aged white port: Churchill’s Dry White Port, £30.39 Best classic white port: Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port, £17.49 Best white port with food: Fonseca Siroco, £20.89 Best sweet white port: Kopke Colheita port, £47 What is white port? One of my favourite drinks for summer is white port and tonic. Portônica, as it’s known, is the go-to aperitif in the city of Porto that sits at the end of the Douro Valley where port is made. White port is a fortified wine, made in the same way as its red counterpart by adding brandy to halt the fermentation of wine, leaving residual sugars which give sweetness to the finished drink. The earlier in the fermentation process the brandy is added, the sweeter the port will be. Most white ports are made quite dry and are intended to be drunk young as an aperitif, either by itself over ice or, more commonly, as a portônica garnished with a lemon slice, a sprig of mint or even a stick of cinnamon to bring out its gentle spicy notes. Use about 100ml port to 150ml tonic with plenty of ice either in a high-ball or in a more modish balloon-shaped glass. But white port is good for so much more. Its closest cousin in a cocktail cupboard is dry vermouth and, while it lacks vermouth's characteristic bitterness, white port can happily be used as a substitute in so many cocktails. It makes a killer martini (the less port you use, the drier the martini will be: I favour about one part port to five parts gin or vodka), or mix it with equal parts of gin and Campari for a riff on a negroni called a cardinale. Sweeter styles of white port tend to be aged in oak casks to give extra richness and depth, the sweetest of which are known as lágrima, meaning ‘tear’, because the high sugar content in the wine creates tear-shaped droplets when it’s swirled in a glass. These are best as an alternative to red ports after dinner as an accompaniment to cheese, or as a tea-time treat with a piece of cake. Because white port is not better known in this country, it means prices are kept low, so they offer great value for money. Once open, dry white port will keep for about two weeks in a fridge, while sweet styles will last for a couple of months or more (in the unlikely event they'll need to). Best white port to buy 2024 Kopke 10-year-old white port Available from The Whisky Exchange (£35.75), Amazon (£39.95), Waitrose Cellar (£37.99) Best fruity white port Luscious with baked apple, candied orange peel, toasted nut and caramel notes, this would be wonderful with pudding or cheese. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£35.75) Amazon (£39.95) Waitrose Cellar (£37.99) Graham’s Blend No 5 white port Available from Master of Malt (£26.49), Waitrose Cellar (£27.99) Best for a port and tonic This fresh, contemporary white port is brimming with fragrant fruit and floral aromas, particularly lime, peach and orange blossom. A perfect partner with tonic water, garnished with a grapefruit wedge. Available from: Master of Malt (£26.49) Waitrose Cellar (£27.99) Cockburn’s White Heights Available from Amazon (£31.79), The Whisky Exchange (£23.95) Best modern white port White Heights is part of a newish range by Cockburn’s called Tales of the Unexpected. With modern, snappy branding, it’s designed to shake up what can be viewed as a very classic, traditional drinks category, and attract the next generation of port lovers. With lovely acidity and tropical fruit notes, White Heights is another cracking choice for a port and tonic. Available from: Amazon (£31.22) The Whisky Exchange (£23.95) Quinta da Pedra Alta No 3 Available from Master of Malt (£18.24) Best versatile white port Made from a blend of native grapes grown in some of the Douro Valley’s highest vineyards, this is fresh and vibrant with a slight tropical-fruit sweetness that makes it versatile. It can be served any which way, but is very good in a cardinale. Available from: Master of Malt (£18.24) Churchill’s Dry White Port Available from Spiritly (£30.39) Best aged white port Gold medal winner in the recent International Wine Challenge awards, this is aged for 10 years in old oak barrels before bottling. Rounded and complex with gentle spice, it goes surprisingly well with smoked salmon. Available from: Spiritly (£30.39) Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port Available from Waitrose Cellar (£17.49) Best classic white port The original white port, first made in 1934, this is extra-dry, crisp and herbaceous. It makes a fine portônica garnished with a slice of orange, or in a dry martini with green olives alongside. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£17.49) Fonseca Siroco Available from Amazon (£20.89) Best white port with food Dry in style but given a nutty depth by blending single-varietal wines that have been aged in barrels for three years. Great with tonic or by itself over ice with salted almonds and/or a hard sheep’s cheese to nibble on. Available from: Amazon (£20.89) Kopke Colheita 2003 Available from Vivino (£47), Vintage Wine & Port (£59.95) Best lágrima style port A wonderful example of the lágrima style, sweet and luscious with layers of dried apricots, toffee and toasted nuts. Fantastic with blue cheese, or with our peach cake with thyme and lemon. Available from: Vivino (£47) Vintage Wine & Port (£59.95) More drinks reviews Best port Best Portuguese red wines Best UK gins Introduction to bourbon Best supermarket red wines Best gin subscriptions and clubs Best Portuguese vinho verde to buy
Chilean wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the wines of Chile, including it's styles, the varieties to look out for and the best bottles to buy
Have you tried wine from Chile? Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the unique wines of Chile, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for, along with recommendations of the best Chilean wines to buy. For more like this, check out our expert guides to the best Sancerre and Loire Valley wines or the best Bordeaux wines. Want to learn more at the source itself? Check out our guides to the best European vineyards to visit and best UK vineyards to visit. A guide to Chilean wine Chile is the world’s fifth-largest wine producer, making more wine than Australia, South Africa and its neighbour Argentina, so it’s no surprise it’s the source of so many bottles found on the shelves of our supermarkets and corner shops. Although Chile has been growing vines since the 16th century, when they were brought by the Spanish conquistadors, wine took off big time here in the 19th century. The dry climate and high altitudes saved it from the ravages of phylloxera, the deadly insect that destroyed nearly all the vines in Europe then, so there was an influx of growers and winemakers, mainly from France, who brought their grapes and know-how with them. This is why most grapes grown here are familiar French varieties. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are the most common; Chile’s signature red grape, carménère, originally from Bordeaux, is now virtually extinct in France. It is a skinny strip of a country, clinging to the eastern coast of South America and stretching for more than 4,000km, from the arid Atacama Desert in the north to the sub-zero wilds of Patagonia in the south, hemmed in by the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. These diverse terroirs are reflected in the wines; those from the cool, coastal regions, and the high Andes, tend to have more freshness and acidity than the plush, very ripe styles found in the warmer inland valleys. While Chile’s modern wine industry is best known either for making wines which hit a sweet spot when delivering what so many budget drinkers want, or expensive, brutish reds heavy on the oak, extraction, additives and alcohol, there is a welcome move towards treating the grapes more gently, and an increasing number of innovative producers experimenting with different grapes and production methods to make modern wines with distinctive personalities. Cin cin, Chile! Best Chilean wine to buy Luis Felipe Edwards Macerao Naranjo Available from Waitrose Cellar (£8.99) Founded in 1976, Luis Felipe Edwards is now Chile’s largest 100% family-owned producer, responsible for millions of bottles of dependable, easy-drinking, value wine produced under many labels. This shows their more experimental side – an orange wine made from 60-year-old moscatel grapes fermented on their skins with wild yeasts then bottled unfiltered. A really approachable orange wine; aromatic with seductive hints of apricot, rose petals and ginger, and brilliant value too. Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2022 Available from Majestic (£13.99/£11.99 mix-six) Errazuriz, another huge producer, has been going for 150 years and makes well-priced wines found in all major retailers. This is a step up from their basic ranges: grapes cooled by ocean breezes are wild-fermented and given a little gentle oak treatment in French barrels. Silky and rich with peachy fruit and a little spice, but beautifully refreshing with a crisp, saline finish. Viña Echeverría, ‘No es Pituko’ Carignan 2023 Available from Noble Green Wines (£15.50) From a family winery now run by four siblings, ‘No es pituko’ means ‘It ain’t fancy’ and is the label of their range of groovy natural wines. The French grape carignan is rare to find in Chile but here is used with great aplomb – bright and cheery with bags of late-summer fruits, some mountain herbs and a bit of an earthy grunt. A wine with attitude. More wine guides Best Tuscan wine Best Greek wine Best German wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine Best Rhône Valley wine
Best decanters to buy for wine, whisky and more
Looking for a glass or crystal decanter? See the best wine and whisky decanters to buy and learn about the benefits of decanting your drinks
Looking for a new decanter to buy? Wine expert Kate Hawkings has gathered her top picks of the best wine and whisky decanters to buy, whether you're looking for a simple option to display on a bar cart, a housewarming gift for a wine enthusiast or a blow the budget investment for a true connoisseur. For more like this, check out our reviews section packed with our top buys and tried and tested reviews - everything from coffee machines and cake tins to gift guides for every occasion. If you're still on the hunt for quality glassware, read our top picks of the best whisky glasses, best wine glasses or best champagne glasses to build the ultimate collection. What is a decanter? Before glass bottles were mass produced, in the 19th century, wine would always be served from decanters, having been bought directly from the barrel in take-home containers. These days they’ve rather fallen out of fashion but, as well as being attractive centrepieces to a table, wine decanters serve two practical but different purposes. Firstly, to separate wine from any sediments that may have formed in the bottle - this is common in older wines, particularly robust reds and vintage ports, and while the sediments are harmless, their bitterness and gritty texture can spoil the pleasure if they reach the glass. Stand the bottle upright and leave it undisturbed for at least 24 hours. Pour the wine slowly and continuously into the decanter, using a funnel if your hand is not steady, with a light source behind it so you can see when the sediment appears at the neck of the bottle, at which point you stop pouring. You can use a candle or a lamp for this, or the torch on your phone. Slender decanters are best for these wines as they can spoil if exposed to too much air. On the other hand, younger wines, especially full-bodied reds that are high in tannins, often benefit from decanting to aerate the wine and allow it to soften. Natural wines that smell a bit funky are also improved with decanting; the exposure to oxygen gets rid of the stink and lets the wine properly open up. Any container would do - I often just use a water jug and pour the wine in from a height to maximise aeration - but a wide-based decanter is a more aesthetically pleasing choice. Pour the wine into the decanter, then swirl it around for a few seconds to maximise contact with the air. For special occasions, I have a beautiful, theatrical Le Creuset decanter with a glass funnel. It’s a pleasure to use but difficult to clean so usually I use a simple glass jug instead. In decanter-less situations, don’t despair. Aerate your wine by pouring a little into a tulip-shaped glass, hold it by the stem and swirl in an anti-clockwise direction for 30 seconds then repeat; or pour carefully from bottle to glass and stop when any sediment appears. Whisky, brandy and other spirits can be kept in decanters almost indefinitely, because they’re totally stable when they’re bottled so won’t spoil with exposure to air. Stoppers prevent evaporation, and keep dust and flying insects out of the liquid. Vintage ports should be drunk within a week of decanting because they oxidise quite quickly, but tawny ports and madeiras, while they don’t need decanting because they don’t have sediment, look so attractive in a nice decanter and will keep for months after opening. How to clean a decanter Keep your decanters clean by rinsing them out thoroughly with warm water after use, using a bottle brush if you have one, then polish the outside with a soft cloth. Red wine and port can stain decanters after a while, so invest in cleaning balls (see below) to keep them at their sparkling best. Best wine and whisky decanters at a glance Best classic whisky decanter: Luigi Bormioli Texture Decanter, £17.25 Best versatile decanter: LSA Gio line carafe, £50 Best minimalist wine decanter: Dartington decanter, £40 Best for gifting: Theia cut decanter, £150 Best decanter for spirits or batch cocktails: Pols Potten bottle set, £330 Best luxury whisky decanter: Richard Brendon large fluted decanter, £340 Best blow the budget wine decanter: Riedel crystal 'mamba' decanter, £450 Best wine and whisky decanters to buy 2024 Luigi Bormioli Texture Decanter Available from The Whisky Exchange (£17.25) Best classic whisky decanter A modern twist on a classic cut-glass decanter at a very affordable price, its dimpled texture refracts light very beautifully through whisky or any other spirit. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£17.25) LSA Gio Line Carafe Available from Amazon (£43.99), LSA International (£50) Best versatile decanter The stopper on this carafe makes it a great contemporary decanter for spirits, or for when you have some wine left over you want to keep. If so, store it in the fridge overnight to maintain its freshness; if it’s red, bring it out a couple of hours before you’re ready to drink to bring it to room temperature. It's also equally versatile for soft drinks and water in summer. Available from: Amazon (£43.99) LSA International (£50) Dartington decanter Available from Laithwaites (£40) Best minimalist wine decanter An elegant choice for mature wines decanted to get rid of sediment rather than to aerate. Its wide mouth makes it easy to fill, and a doddle to clean with a bottle brush. Available from: Laithwaites (£40) Theia cut whisky decanter Available from The Conran Shop (£120) Best for gifting This crystal glass decanter is designed by the Conran Shop and made in Slovakia. The cut glass design gives a stylish but unfussy finish. It would make a wonderful gift, with its modern and elegant shape giving a subtle nod to more traditional decanters. Available from: The Conran Shop (£120) Pols Potten bottle set Available from Heal's (£330/set of four) Best decanter for spirits or batch cocktails These beautiful, brightly coloured mouth-blown bottles make fabulous decanters for spirits or for serving up batch cocktails when guests come over for drinks. Available from: Heal's (£330) Fluted cut-glass crystal decanter Available from Richard Brendon (£340) Best luxury whisky decanter A drop-dead gorgeous spirits decanter that calls to mind the decadent days of the Jazz Age. Mouth-blown and hand-cut in Slovenia, the quality of the craftsmanship really shines through. Available from: Richard Brendon (£340) Riedel crystal ‘mamba’ decanter Available from Riedel (£450) Best blow the budget wine decanter Riedel is one of the world’s finest glass producers, famous for the quality of its products. This extraordinary, blow-the-budget decanter is mouth-blown in Austria by master craftsmen; its spectacular snake-like contours make the very best of a spectacular bottle of wine. Available from: Riedel (£450) Related reviews Which wine glasses to buy Best champagne glasses Best whisky glasses Best whiskies to buy Best bourbon to try Best cocktail glasses Best reusable ice cubes
Slovenian wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about wine from Slovenia, including it's styles, the varieties to look out for and best bottles to buy
Discover wine from a whole new region with our guide to the top quality wines from Slovenia. Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about this emerging wine scene, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for, along with recommendations of the best Slovenian wines to buy. On your next visit, make sure you include a couple of days in the capital exploring Ljubljana's best restaurants. For more like this, check out our expert guide to the best Georgian wine, best Sancerre and Loire Valley wines or best Hungarian wine. Travel to the source of your favourite wines with our guide to the best European vineyards to visit. A guide to wine from Slovenia Wines from central Europe are creating something of a stir. While we’re all used to wines from Italy, France, Spain and Germany, those from further east have kept a low profile until recently. Many of these countries, including Slovenia, were under communist control until the 1990s, making low-quality wine at nationalised wineries. Now they are rediscovering and reinventing their ancient wine-making traditions that began with the Celts 2,500 years ago. Slovenia borders Austria, Croatia, Hungary and the Friuli region of north Italy. It’s a small country, half the size of Switzerland – you can drive across it in four hours – but its landscapes include Alpine peaks, an Adriatic coastline and a large rural hinterland of rolling hills and thermal spas. Wine is made in all these regions and expresses the diversity of the terroirs. Traditionally, wine was fermented in large barrels made from Slovenian oak but these days there is a thriving scene of dynamic winemakers who are experimenting with other techniques, both ancient and modern, and focussing on sustainability as well as quality. Stainless steel is often used for pure, fresh wines made to be drunk young, while concrete tanks, clay amphorae and small French barriques are used for more complex wines. There is a large natural wine movement here – organic and biodynamic viticulture are widespread, growing local varieties with tricky to pronounce names as well as more familiar grapes. Around 70% of production is white wine but there are also excellent reds, sparkling wines and an increasing number of orange skin-contact wines to be discovered. Most of Slovenia’s wines are consumed domestically so can be hard to find in the UK but, as they attract growing attention from international drinkers, this is bound to change. Switched-on independent wine shops or online specialists are more likely to stock them than the large retailers, so do seek their advice. Best Slovenian wine to buy Krasno Sauvignon Blanc/Ribolla Gialla 2023 Available from Majestic (£9.99) The Goriška Brda region, known as the Tuscany of Slovenia, borders Italy so it’s no surprise there’s an Italian influence to the wines here. This one blends perennial favourite sauvignon blanc with the fragrant ribolla gialla grape, known as rebula in Slovenia and grown here since the 13th century, to make a wine with generous apple and pear notes and a fresh, grassy finish. Dveri Pax Šipon Furmint Available from The Wine Society (£12.50) Benedictine monks at the Admont Abbey have been making wine here since 1139 and reclaimed their vineyards following Slovenian independence in 1991. Since then they’ve replanted and modernised their wine-making and this, from the furmint grape (known as šipon here), is a fine example. It’s beautifully textured, with elderflower and lemon sherbet notes and a stony, mineral finish. Tilia Pinot Noir 2022 Available from Novel Wines (£21.99) Novel Wines specialises in Central and Eastern Europe, so is a great place to explore quality wines from these regions. The Tilia estate was established in 1996 with the aim of creating pinot noirs that give those from Burgundy a run for their money. This one is really gorgeous – still young but very elegant, with bags of red cherry, plum and redcurrant fruit, silky tannins and a well measured hint of smoke. More like this Best Tuscan wine Best Rhône Valley wine Best Greek wine Best German wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Chilean wine
Rhône Valley wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the wines of the Rhône Valley, including it's styles, the varieties to look out for and best bottles to buy
Do you love French wine and want to learn more? Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the unique wines of the Rhône Valley, including it's varied styles and the grape varieties to look out for, along with recommendations of the best Rhône Valley wines to buy. For more like this, check out our expert guide to the best Sancerre and Loire Valley wines, Bordeaux wines or travel to the source itself with our guide to the best European vineyards to visit. A guide to Rhône Valley wine The Rhône Valley is France’s second-largest wine producing region after Bordeaux. The river flows due south from Lyon to the city of Avignon near the Mediterranean and its valley is divided into two distinct wine regions. The Northern Rhône is the most prestigious, producing serious, tannic wines capable of long ageing, often commanding high prices. It has some of the oldest vineyards in France, and some of the hardest to cultivate, with very steep slopes that are incredibly hard to work, and where everything has to be done by hand. Syrah is the only red grape here – meaty and savoury with a characteristic black pepper spiciness, the best coming from esteemed crus such as St-Joseph, Hermitage and Cornas. In Côte-Rôtie, the syrah is often grown and co-fermented with a few white grapes which add aromatic floral notes that entwine beautifully with its brambly fruit. The Southern Rhône, with a hotter climate and flatter terrain, is a much larger area, producing around 95% of the Rhône Valley’s wine. The most famous appellation is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so named because Pope Clement V moved to Avignon in 1309 and oversaw the planting of vineyards, paving the way for today’s wine culture here. Wines simply labelled Côtes du Rhône are from the less celebrated vineyards, while Côtes du Rhône Villages wines have stricter quality controls and tend to offer great value for money. Reds are usually GMS blends (grenache, mourvèdre, syrah), although cinsault, carignan and other grapes are also grown. Viognier, marsanne and roussanne are the leading white grapes throughout the area, often blended with each other, making voluptuous, aromatic and quite weighty wines. While there are many variations in power, elegance and aromatics in Rhône wines, nearly all share the characteristic of what’s known as garrigue – the low scrubland found across the region, with vegetation including juniper, thyme and rosemary that seem to infuse the wines, giving them a wild, herbaceous quality that is really attractive and goes so well with Mediterranean food. Best Rhône Valley wines to buy Gabriel Meffre Côtes du Rhône Available from Waitrose (£10.99) Grenache blanc, viognier and roussanne are blended here to make a white with the classic Rhône characteristics – luscious with notes of tangerine peel, honeysuckle, pears, almonds and honey – at an affordable price. Rounded and opulent but still elegant, this cries out for rich food with creamy textures. A great wine for roast chicken or fish pie. Tavel Cuvée Prima Donna Rosé, Domaine Maby 2022 Available from The Wine Society (£14.50) Tavel is a rosé-only appellation in the Southern Rhône, making distinctive dark pink wines with body and flavour that are closer to red wine than to pale Provençal rosés. This grenache-cinsault blend is one of my favourites – crunchy cranberry and raspberry fruit with rose petals, wild herbs and a refreshing pink grapefruit acidity. These wines are really versatile but especially good with spicy or tomato-based dishes. Les Caveau du Prieuré Vinsobres Available from Majestic (£13.99) Vinsobres is the most northerly cru in the Southern Rhône, with a little more altitude than the regions to the south. This brings some freshness to the rich, glossy fruit in this powerful grenache, syrah and mourvèdre blend that’s perfumed and silky, with attractive vanilla and warm, spicy notes. It’s great with robust, meaty dishes, especially if they contain garlic, black olives and/or Mediterranean herbs, and is perfect for a barbecue if served slightly chilled. More wine guides Best Chilean wine Best Tuscan wine Best Greek wine Best German wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine
Tuscan wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy
Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the unique wines of Tuscany, including it's history, styles and the varieties to look out for
Do you love Italian wine and want to learn more? Our wine expert Kate Hawkings shares all you need to know about the unique wines of Tuscany, including it's history, styles and the varieties to look out for, along with four recommendations of top Tuscan wines to buy. For more like this, check out our expert guide to Tuscan cuisine, or travel to the source itself with our guide to the best European vineyards to visit. A guide to Tuscan wine Tuscany is perhaps the most beautiful region in Italy. Occupied by the Etruscans (from whom it gets its name – Toscana in Italian) who brought wine here in pre-Roman times, Tuscany was at the centre of the Renaissance. Its dreamy appearance seems to have changed little since, with rolling hills, medieval villages, olive groves, majestic stands of cypress trees and swathes of vineyards everywhere you turn. From the 1970s onwards, several owners of aristocratic estates around Bolgheri in the Maremma region began to plant cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah, in an attempt to produce wines in the style of Bordeaux – these became known as the ‘super Tuscans’ and include Ornellaia and Sassicaia, today revered among the finest wines in the world, with prices to match. They can be spectacular but there are plenty of excellent, more affordable wines from Tuscany. Chianti is the most important wine here, a region stretching roughly between Florence and Siena, with eight sub-zones – the most prestigious and historic of which is chianti classico, right at its heart. Chianti classicos, as with most from the demarcated sub-zones, are generally really reliable wines, with quality assured by rigorous testing. Sangiovese is the king of the Tuscan red grapes. It’s something of a chameleon and adapts to its specific terroir. Some wines are earthy and rustic, with grippy tannins and savoury notes of herbs and tobacco. Others are more fruit-forward, with lots of cherry and raspberry fruit, often with hints of tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. While Tuscany is primarily a red wine region, it does produce some whites, too. Look for vermentino, vernaccia and malvasia. Vin santo is Tuscany’s glorious sweet wine, made from grapes that are partially dried in the sun after picking. My favourite way to serve it is with almond biscotti alongside for dunking. Four of the best Tuscan wines to buy in 2024 Aldi Specially Selected Toscana Rosso Available from Aldi (£7.99) Aldi has rather cheekily aped the famous (and famously expensive) Tignanello super Tuscan label for this wine. No surprise that the quality isn’t as stellar as what’s affectionately known as ‘Tig’ but this muscular sangiovese/merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend is terrific value. Lots of dark, brambly fruit, with luscious notes of chocolate and wood smoke. A great go-to for pizza. Piccini Histrio Organic Anfora Toscana Bianco 2022 Available from Majestic (£12.99) From Piccini, one of the largest Tuscan wine brands (and now run by the fifth generation of the founder’s family), this blend of vermentino and malvasia grapes, aged in clay amphorae, is really charming. Aromatic with floral and tropical fruit notes, a little bit of spice and a zingy citrus freshness, it would be an ace match with our scallop risotto recipe. Chianti Rùfina, Frascole 2021 Available from The Wine Society (£13.50) Rùfina is a sub-region of Chianti, with relatively high slopes (up to 500m) and a correspondingly cool climate, which creates lifted brightness in the wines. This is made from organic sangiovese and is very light on its feet, with crunchy red berries and a pleasing delicacy. Serve it slightly chilled to make the most of its refreshing juiciness. Teruzzi & Puthod Acinaia Vernaccia di San Gimignano Available from Waitrose (£10.49) Vernaccias from the pretty hill town of San Gimignano offer really reliable, well-priced wines that tick many boxes. Some are given oak ageing to make them rich and opulent but this one is fresh and very easy to like. Crunchy green apple fruit, some mountain herbs and a whisper of toasted almonds; a lovely wine by itself or with lemony pasta dishes. More like this Best Greek wine Best German wine Best Hungarian wine Orange wine guide Guide to Italian sparkling wine Best wine subscriptions Best Sancerre and Loire valley wines Best Slovenian wine Best Chilean wine
Sip your favourite sparkling from our picks of the best champagne glasses: choose from elegant coupes, flutes and saucers
Whether you prefer a champagne coupe or saucer, or a classic flute, our wine expert tells us which champagne glasses you should be using to get the most out of your sparkling wine. Find out which bottle to buy with our expert champagne guide, or why not use your new glasses to explore the innovative range of English sparkling wines or Italian sparkling wines on offer? For gifting inspiration, take a browse through the best champagne gifts for champagne lovers. For more glassware recommendations, check out our picks of the best cocktail glasses or see our picks of the best cocktail shakers. Best champagne glasses to buy at a glance Best budget champagne flutes: M&S Maxim champagne flutes, £15/set of 4 Best delicate champagne flutes: Dartington Crystal elevate champagne flutes, £35/set of 2 Best vintage-style champagne flutes: Sinna champagne flute glasses, £70/set of 4 Best wide champagne flutes: Riedel champagne glasses, £36.95/set of 2 Best coloured champagne glasses: Dunelm Florence flute glasses, £15/set of 2 Best classic champagne saucers: LSA International wine saucers, £50/set of 2 Best patterned champagne saucers: Oliver Bonas pink champagne saucers, £29.50/set of 2 Best champagne coupes large set: Liberty London oval champagne coupes, £82/set of 6 Best unusual champagne saucers: LSA Epoque champagne saucer, £42/set of 2 Best wine glass for champagne: Richard Brendon wine glass, £90/set of 2 Best champagne glasses to buy 2024 M&S Maxim champagne flutes Available from M&S (£15/set of 4) Best budget champagne flutes If you're worried about breakages, you don't need to spend a fortune on champagne glasses. This wallet-friendly set of simple, minimalist champagne flutes give you four glasses to raise a toast for under £20. Available from: M&S (£15/set of 4) Dartington Crystal elevate champagne flutes Available from Dartington (£35/set of 2) Best delicate champagne flutes Dartington Crystal are known for top-quality glassware, and these sleek, minimalist champagne flutes are a classic choice. You can even have the glasses engraved with text or even imagery, for something personalised. Available from: Dartington (£35/set of 2) Sinna champagne flute glasses Available from Anthropologie (£70/set of 4) Best vintage-style champagne flutes We love the intricate detail adorning this pretty flutes set, giving them an almost vintage feel. The delicate pattern and subtle gold rim means they can't go in the dishwasher, but they'll make an extra special toast. Available in clear glass or a unique green tone. Available from: Anthropologie (£70/set of 4) Riedel Ouverture champagne flutes Available from Amazon (£36.95/set of 2) Best wide champagne flutes Tall and elegant, like the best-dressed guest at a wedding, flutes are the most commonly used glasses for sparkling wine. Riedel make some of the best glasses in the world; these are beautiful to look at and to hold. Available from: Amazon (£36.95/set of 2) Dunelm Florence flute glasses Available from Dunelm (£15/set of 2) Best coloured champagne glasses The Art Deco design, chunky short stem and gently coloured glass sets these modern champagne glasses apart. The set of two comes with one in pale pink, one in pale green, so you'll always remember who's glass is who's. Available from: Dunelm (£15/set of 2) LSA International Bar Collection Champagne Saucers Available from John Lewis (£50/set of 2) Best classic champagne saucers Champagne saucers, also known as coupes, were allegedly inspired by the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breasts and have enjoyed a recent revival among modish drinkers for their deliciously decadent, retro feel. These taper inwards at the top to retain bubbles and aromas; très chic. Available from: John Lewis (£50/set of 2) Oliver Bonas pink champagne saucers Available from Oliver Bonas (£29.50/set of 2) Best patterned gin glasses If you're looking for a housewarming gift, these pink gin glasses are pretty enough to display on a bar cart all year round. The saucer-style glasses have a fluted shape and chunky stem to hold. Available from: Oliver Bonas (£29.50/set of 2) Liberty London oval champagne coupes Available from Liberty (£82/set of 6) Best large champagne coupes set If you've got a large family or just love to host, this set of six champagne coupes will ensure everyone can sip their fizz in style. Inspired by 19th and early 20th-century English glassware, the delicate coupes are hand engraved (but happily still dishwasher safe) for a timeless glass collection to hand down through the generations. Available from: Liberty (£82/set of 6) LSA Epoque champagne saucer Available from Amara (£42/set of 2), Amazon (£46/set of 2), LSA (£42/set of 2) Best unusual champagne saucers These unique champagne saucers are inspired by the classic coupe-shape of the 1920s, but have hollow stems enabling your chosen fizz to go all the way to the bottom. They're also available in a range of colours alongside the classic glass, including peacock blue and a glossy amber. Available from: Amara (£42/set of 2), Amazon (£46/set of 2), LSA (£42/set of 2) Richard Brendon The Wine Glass Available from Richard Brendon (£90/set of 2) Champagne purists these days prefer a normal wine glass shape to saucers (which often let the bubbles dissipate too quickly) and flutes (which retain bubbles well but don’t have space for aromas to develop). These are the crème de la crème: expensive, but they can be used for any wines, and are reassuringly dishwasher proof. Available from: Richard Brendon (£90/set of 2)