Summary: With over 2000 years of winemaking history the Languedoc-Roussillon could be seen as a very traditional wine region, after all fortified and sparkling wines were first invented or discovered here. Many traditions still exist but also sit alongside a whole raft of innovative and cutting edge developments. No region has moved so far or so fast in the last 50 years. Using examples from regions as diverse as Pic St Loup, Terrasses du Larzac,

Summary: The tiny wine region of Jura in eastern France has leapt to fame in the last five years with its wines finally appearing on export markets around the world. Famous in its home country for its unique Vin Jaune, the region produces an extraordinary diversity of wine styles from pale reds, through minerally dry whites to oxidative whites, sparkling, sweet and fortified, all from

Summary:  Tissot, Overnoy, Puffeney, Macle… These are the producer names that have been on Jura aficionados’ lips since the little eastern French region started emerging onto export markets. But, they are far from the only winemakers who matter there, and even with these, there’s more to their story than their name on the label suggests. Join us for a delve into history looking at the people who made Jura

Summary:  Every classic wine region is associated with a list of producers who manage to bring out the best in soil, site and grape. Their wines have purity of flavor, layers of flavor and concentration of flavor. In essence, these producers manage to bottle the soul of the region itself.  In the Loire Valley, diverse soil types and grape varieties give us three producer groupings who

Summary:  Every classic wine region is associated with a list of producers who manage to bring out the best in soil, site and grape. Their wines have purity of flavor, layers of flavor and concentration of flavor. In essence, these producers manage to bottle the soul of the region itself.  In the Loire Valley, diverse soil types and grape varieties give us three producer groupings who

Summary:  The Mâconnais is the most southerly area of Bourgogne before one reaches Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley. The area produces some of the greatest value Chardonnay wines in the world but has long been overlooked with much more attention being lavished on its more prestigious northern neighbours in the Côte d’Or. With increasing prices and demand for the best white wines of the Côte d’Or and the elevation of 22

Summary:  Champagne specialist Essi Avellan MW hosts a live discussion on the latest trends in Champagne and the outlook for the region's future. Her prestigious panel will be covering a broad range of trends from vineyards to wineries as well as business. She will be joined by cellar master Cyril Brun of the prestigious house Charles Heidsieck, Vallée de la Marne Meunier specialist

Summary:  Bordeaux may serve as a general model for fine-wine regions worldwide, but one Bordeaux institution is little imitated elsewhere: its property classifications.  How and why did these come into being?  How do they differ from one another?  Is it better to leave an original classification unchanged since inception, as the 1855 classification of the

Summary: The famous classifications of Bordeaux (discussed in our Meeting of the Minds webinar on June 22nd) are based on properties – privately owned land entities whose boundaries are subject to change.  Of more significance to French wine as a whole, though, are the land classifications based on the notion of the cru or ‘growth’: an entity which rarely coincides, Bordeaux excepted, with private property boundaries and which thus might be considered a

Summary:  Meunier has always been somewhat marginalized in Champagne despite the fact that it occupies a third of the territory under vine. Many Champenois consider it mere filler to bulk up the ‘star players’ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while for others the late-budding early-ripening variety represents little more than an insurance policy against frost. But Meunier has its own unique

Synopsis: Masterclass delving into what is new in terroir-focused Beaujolais, covering the region's recent soil mapping project, stylistic evolutions in the 10 crus and beyond, trends from the latest generation of winemakers, latest in sustainable winemaking and climate change adaptation, and more. About the Speaker: Jacky Blisson MW is an independent wine educator, video presenter, writer, and consultant with over two decades experience in all facets of the

Summary:  As with all wine regions, there is a list of producers with whom every wine student should be familiar in order to understand the diversity and complexity of the wines produced. In the Rhône, the list is long because there are those known for their traditional winemaking styles and those known for being more modern (if not avant garde!). In

Summary: In order to understand better the specificities that led not only to the present-day landscape but also to the soil and subsoil nature and diversity of the French vineyard, a travel in the past times is necessary. In order to understand all the key events that occurred during the hundreds of million years of geological history. Being aware that a lagoon, a tidal-influenced

Summary:  Rosé champagnes have been around since at least 1764 and today represent a tenth of champagne sales. There is huge variation and some controversy to them. Colors vary from the palest blush to depths approaching red wine tones. Many perceive them as simple quaffing bubbles but some of Champagne’s finest, most age-worthy and prestigious wines are pink. Essi Avellan MW gives us an indepth introduction to the world of

Summary:  Saint Emilion is one of the most famous names in the wine world. It is also one of the only regions in the world where an appellation also contains a classification. If this sounds confusing, the legal wrangles over the Saint Emilion classification which is updated every decade have thrown up many interesting discussions about the quality of the different terroirs and crus in the region. Some of the most famous châteaux have decided not to be classified, others have been

Summary: To some observers, Saint Emilion is the epicentre of the qualitative and stylistic revolution in Bordeaux, bursting with courageous and dedicated artisanal wine estates pushing the boundaries, regardless of tradition and hierarchy. To others, Saint Emilion has become a byword for the worst excesses of hubris and greed in a region already well known for them.  In this webinar,

Summary:  Discover the South West, arguably one of the most mysterious and least well-known regions of France. With over 130 grape varieties and 29 different appellations, it is home to a fascinating array of varieties wine styles. In this session we will concentrate on the area to the North and East of Toulouse covering the appellations of Gaillac, Marcillac and Cahors. If you want to

Summary:  As with all wine regions, there is a list of producers with whom every wine student should be familiar in order to understand the diversity and complexity of the wines produced. In the Rhône, the list is long because there are those known for their traditional winemaking styles and those known for being more modern (if not

Summary: The city of Bordeaux has recently been governed by a green mayor, more than 14,000 hectares of vineyards are certified organic or are being converted, and biodynamics is experiencing great popularity.In the Gironde region, too, it has been realized, not least after various pesticide scandals, that neither people nor the environment can be poisoned for a luxury product like wine. In this webinar, we want to get to the bottom of the efforts for more

Summary:  Alsace vineyards are one of the most renowned vineyard in the world, but difficult to define because of its geological complexity and numerous grape varieties. Through the grape variety, we will look at taste profiles that come from different soil types.  Presenter: Romain Iltis MOF Romain Iltis is a French sommelier from Alsace who has won multiple awards including Best Sommelier of France 2012, Master of Port 2008 and  "Meilleur Ouvrier de France", a