The needling sensation started in the vineyard at Beaux Frères. I was walking next to winemaker Mike Etzel Jr., scribbling notes as he talked about biodynamic farming, when a tractor pulled up. Etzel ran into a shed, grabbed a carton of a myst...

A cool-climate wine region steeped in Old World tradition, with origins dating to the Roman Empire. A detailed hierarchy of vineyards, with specific soil types that encourage two key grape varieties to flourish under optimal conditions. Wines with te...

There are currently 17 grands crus and 42 premiers crus in Champagne, and negociants work directly with growers to set prices in a completely free market. But the number of grands and premiers crus, the connotations of these terms, and the guidelines...

The wines regarded as the flagships of Hungary are the sweet styles of Tokaj PDO and, increasingly, the dry Furmints from the same region. But their fame often means that wines from the rest of the country are overlooked. In Szekszárd, one of ...

Cabernet Franc has long taken a back seat to its dazzling offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. So wildly successful has the latter become that for most of the wine-drinking public, the name Cabernet simply means Cabernet Sauvignon. Does anyone know, or eve...

The idea of white grapes in rosé may come as a surprise to some. Surely not! Yet the blending of red and white grapes has a long history, and the practice is still used for many rosés. Combining Whites and Reds Beyond Rosé Making...

What does it take for a wine to be recognized as great? Wines of excellent quality are easily found in the global market. What makes certain wines rise above the others and become iconic? Acknowledgment of outstanding quality by both consumers and in...

The road between Siena and Montalcino is a winding thoroughfare snaking its way through the earth-toned farmhouses and cypress trees. It’s a stretch of road Andrea Lonardi often takes to check on the handful of vineyard estates he oversees. As ...

“My family has lived in the same house for over a century, yet the last four generations have had four different passports,” explains Croatian winemaker Ivica Matošević. He lives in the heart of Istria, the largest peninsula in the...

While today’s average drinkers of white wine are most likely to think of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Gris—and if more adventurous, Riesling, Furmint, or Assyrtiko—many other wine lovers are searching out new and unexplored...