Wine Education - Matthew's World of Wine and Drink

South America: a bewildering, vast continent where wine has been made for hundreds of years. The size of the continent makes it a difficult concept to fully understand, but Amanda Barnes has published the best, most comprehensive book on South America’s wines. It’s a must-have book: here’s why.

Jun 17

Jun 17 Abruzzo

italy

I went to a tasting of Abruzzo wines to see if Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can convince: I came away much more excited by the whites from Pecorino, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, and a variety I’d never heard of before, Cococciola.

Jun 10

Jun 10 rancio/rancí

Rancio is an extreme style of wine made in Mediterranean France and Spain, and a strong part of Catalan culture and history. It may not be the most popular style, but it’s fascinating and there is still some amazing examples being made as I discovered on my recent trip.

Jun 10

Jun 10 Catalan White Wines

Catalunya may be more known for its red wines, but there’s plenty of great white wine made too from an array of varieties such as Garnatxa Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximinez, and Malvasia. Should we be drinking these wines when we can’t afford white Burgundy?

Jun 6

Jun 6 Priorat & Montsant

Priorat is one the most rugged, beautiful wine regions. I recently visited, and learnt all about the soils, slopes, and grape varieties—and heard lots of different opinions about how best to make wine in the region. Surrounding Priorat is Montsant, an unsung region that may become better known in the near future.

Jun 3

Jun 3 Languedoc

Languedoc: a vast region that’s difficult to wrap one’s head around. But a brief trip to Pic-St-Loup and St-Chinian gave an insight into the high-quality potential that small producers are capable of fulfilling.

Mar 28

Mar 28 England

Over the last 30 years, English sparkling wine has developed from nothing to being one of the most exciting categories around. I got to visit English wine country for the first time: quality is high and English bubbles are not going away.

Dec 14

Dec 14 The White Wines of the Rhône

The Rhône is best known for its red wines, but there’s a fair amount of white wine made too, varying in style and price point: rich and aromatic to fresh and easy-drinking. That diversity makes white Rhône well worth exploring.

Nov 14

Nov 14 Silvaner/Sylvaner

Silvaner is an historic white variety found in Germany and Alsace. Plantings declined in the twentieth century, but quality producers are working with the grape again and producing interesting alternatives to Riesling. Here’s a quick guide to Silvaner!

Oct 18

Oct 18 Terroir and Sparkling Wine

“Can we talk about terroir in the context of sparkling wine?” For those who want to dismiss the concept of terroir, sparkling wine is a convenient weapon because production method is so important. But the quality and style of sparkling wine changes from region to region and within regions. Why? Because of terroir.

Sep 21

Sep 21 Should We Be Drinking More Cava?

How to find the best Cava and why we should be drinking more of it… As with any other wine region, seek out the small producers who marry tradition and innovation to make distinctive wine.

Apr 12

Apr 12 Cava: Back to the Future?

Cava is sparkling wine from Spain made in the traditional method. It’s too often simple, inexpensive, and lacking identity. However, things are changing, with more of an emphasis on regionality, vineyard location, and grape varieties. Here’s an overview of why we should be more excited about the future of cava.

Jan 31

Jan 31 Revisiting Beaujolais

Has Beaujolais finally shrugged off its Nouveau image? The wines are now considered as serious and distinctive, with their own identity. So it’s time to revisit the region and consider what makes Beaujolais so unique.

Nov 19

Nov 19 Reimagining Food Pairings

USA

Pairing food and wine can offer many unexpected surprises. At an online tasting of Washington wines and burgers, classic pairings with Cabernet and a GSM blend worked as well as expected, but rosé and burgers? Yes!

Sep 18

Sep 18 Sta. Rita Hills

USA

Sta. Rita Hills is an AVA in Santa Barbara County producing increasingly impressive wines, most notably from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but also from Syrah. For my first wine tasting trip in months, I visited the region to see exactly what’s going on and came back extremely enamoured with the wines and the direction in which the region is heading.

Feb 28

Feb 28 Malbec & Cahors

Cahors is the traditional heartlaand of Malbec, and is the only appellation in France dedicated to the variety. Due to the success of Malbec in Argentina, there’s a renewed sense of purpose in Cahors with an astonishing range of styles made from just the one variety but from many different soil types and aspects. After meeting a number of producers, I came away with the impression of a dynamic, ever-changing region.

Feb 21

Feb 21 The Vins Doux Naturels of Roussillon

Vin Doux Naturel is one of the great, historic styles of fortified wine, made all over the south of France. It’s not a fashionable or well-known style, but it’s been made for centuries and is full of history. There is an incredible range of wines made, from fresh and fruity to oxidative and mature, making it extraordinarily versatile. I got to taste the wines of several producers—including a wine from 1895, which made the 1959 look young…

Dec 16

Dec 16 Visiting Rioja

Rioja is one of Spain’s most historic regions, steeped in tradition. But a recent visit showed that Rioja is slowly changing, as producers place greater emphasis on expressing terroir. There’s plenty of debate on how best to do this—Rioja is a more contradictory and dynamic region that its reputation perhaps suggests.

Dec 5

Dec 5 Visiting the Sherry Triangle