The vessels that take wine from grape to bottle, through fermentation and maturation, have a huge impact on how it tastes. Here Martin Hudson MW explores the world of barriques and botte, concrete and clay The oldest archaeological records of wine storage involve clay pots, rather than wooden vessels. Whether wood was used in ancient […]

Txokos are societies dedicated to celebrating northern Spain’s extraordinary culinary and vinous heritage. Food writer Victoria Stewart reports on how these gastronomic gatherings came about and what goes on behind the societies’ (normally) shut doors Sitting in a room that feels like the intersection of a village hall and a somewhat dated restaurant, on one […]

There’s something going on out west: California is leaving behind its super-charged turbo-strength reputation, with a new generation striving for poise in their wines. Here, Sophie Thorpe traces the state’s exciting evolution California is unbelievably hip right now. As long as it’s the right California – the New California. In circles of natural-wine nuts, off-beat […]

Best known for producing the wines of Rioja, Tempranillo is a grape with many faces. Here Buyer Catriona Felstead MW talks through the varied styles it produces in Spain and further afield Glorious Tempranillo is Spain’s flagship grape variety. In its traditional heartland, it is revered for its contribution to rich, deep Riojas; structured and […]