With our focus firmly on Spain, Buyer Will Heslop offers an essential guide to planning a vinous adventure in Rioja, with tips on bodegas to visit, must-try dishes and where to stay. The quickest way to reach Rioja is to fly to Bilbao and drive due south – within an hour, you’re among the vineyards. […]

Our Spain Buyer Catriona Felstead MW de-codes three of the terms you’ll see on Spanish wine labels: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva Most of us are used to seeing the terms “Crianza”, “Reserva” or “Gran Reserva” on wine labels – but what do they actually mean? In Spain (unlike South America) the use of these […]

While on holiday in the region, Wine Buyer Will Heslop dropped in to Haro to visit the famous Bodegas R. López de Heredia, one of the most traditional and respected Rioja producers. Here his evocative description of their extraordinary cellars is paired with Jason Lowe’s images. It’s difficult to remain business-like on a visit to […]

Winemaker of the moment Álvaro Palacios joined us earlier in the week to taste through the range of his 2015 wines. Having just been named Decanter Man of the Year 2015 and The Drinks Business’s 2016 Winemakers’ Winemaker Award, expectations were more than usually high – suffice to say, we were not disappointed. On terroir: […]