Porseleinberg & Marc Kent

Marc Kent on Porseleinberg 2024 and the birth of a SA wine icon

One of the last vintages to be made by winemaker Callie Louw, the new Porseleinberg 2024 proves once again that this remarkable Syrah from the Boekenhoutskloof stable is a true South African icon – hailing as it does from one of the world’s great Syrah vineyards... the same one that Eben Sadie sourced his Syrah from for Columella. In order to launch the new vintage, Boekenhoutskloof's managing partner and technical director Marc Kent was in London to tell the remarkable story of how the wine came about, as well as showing the first five Porseleinberg vintages from 2010. Geoffrey Dean reports.

29th September 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

When, in early 2009, Boekenhoutskloof's managing partner and technical director, Marc Kent, was driving north through the Swartland with Rudiger Gretschel to look at some sites for his Chocolate Block label, Gretschel pointed out an elevated block where Eben Sadie got his Syrah from for his celebrated Columella blend. The pair decided to call in on the owner-grower to see if they might, too, buy some of his fruit.

“We met this guy Jakob, but he said he’d only got eight tons to sell,” Marc Kent recalled. “He’d already allocated most of it to Eben and Adi Badenhorst, who were both across the road, but he decided to give me a ton. ‘That’s all I can spare you,’ he declared, ‘but don’t you want to buy the farm?’ I replied no thanks. So I took my ton, made two barrels of wine, and realised I had something special here.”

The barrels provided the wine for the Cape Winemakers Guild Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2009, which earned rave reviews.

“It was an interesting time for Boekenhoutskloof as Chocolate Block was really taking off, but we were quite exposed because of my limitations,” Marc continued.

“As a business, we didn’t want to own vineyards as viticulture is not my skill-set, but I started thinking maybe this is the time for us to own our own vineyards and secure our future, as most of our Syrah was coming from Schalk Burger in Wellington. So I went back to my partners and we agreed to buy Jakob’s farm.”

And so the legend of Porseleinberg was born. Marc still needed, however, to find someone to act as both viticulturist and winemaker for the farm. Ironically, he met what proved the right man at a Swig clients’ tasting in Soho: Callie Louw, then winemaker for Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards.

“I would taste all the wonderful Rhône wines and use them as a reference to inspire myself before harvest.” Marc Kent.

“I realised Callie was quite a cool guy who knew what he was doing,” Marc mused. “I went home, looked up his number, and asked him round for a beer. He said straightaway he was in on the Porseleinberg project. He incubated it, and we grew it together. His appetite and work ethic has been unparalleled. He was planting 20 hectares of vines for us 16 years ago, and now aged 47, he’s planted 17 hectares this year again. He’s incredible.”

Marc Kent was speaking at a special vertical tasting of Porseleinberg in early September that was laid on by Boekenhoutskloof’s UK importer, New Generation Wines. It is the first retrospective of the wine in London since Callie Louw conducted a tasting in London in 2023, and the first since Eben Meiring took the winemaker reins as Louw’s successor, having previously worked alongside Gottfried Mocke at Boekenhoutskloof.

The September tasting also coincided with the release of the latest Porseleinberg vintage, 2024, which was part of the tasting along with the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 vintages. The Cape Winemakers Guild Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2009 was also featured. More on them later.

Continuing the story, Marc recalled how, after recruiting Louw, he still needed a press and decided to buy one in France at the annual Marché aux Vins d’Ampuis festival in January 2010.

“I would taste all the wonderful Rhône wines and use them as a reference to inspire myself before harvest,” he said. “I took Callie along in 2010, but we didn't have a press, so I took Xavier Gérard from Condrieu aside and told him I was looking. He knew someone from Côte Rotie who wanted €800 for his. I bought it, and It cost about €3000 to get it over to South Africa. To this day, that press is the only one that presses Porseleinberg fruit.”

Every one of Porseleinberg's labels has been printed by Callie Louw on the printing press at the vineyard

“That’s been the fun part of the journey - a bit the same as the label. I went to the designer and said I want a label without ink. He said that would be a problem with the authorities, and it was. So I went to our printer and asked him if he could do it. He said there were only two letter presses in Cape Town that were suitable, but I bought one of them. Callie has done all the printing for every single label himself. With each bottle, the label has to go through that press four times. You emboss the front label, then you put it through again to cut it; then you print the back label, which has the statutory info on it, and you put that through again to cut it.”

He added: “Our rule then was that you couldn't buy Porseleinberg unless you’d been to the vineyard. It was quite difficult to enforce but we were quite rigid at the time. We kind of insisted on that and it worked. To this day, we have about 700-800 private clients who each get their own Porseleinberg back label.”

If that was unusual, so too was the experimentation with Porseleinberg’s élevage.

“We had the opportunity to really take our time over the project,” Marc said. “With the 2010, the élevage was 18-24 months. With the ’11, very deliberately, we had 24 months; then with the ’12, it was 12 months; with the ’13, 24 months; with the ’14, 12 months. So we kind of bottled two vintages at a time and were following the trajectory. It was a real luxury but it was by design. We wanted to see what we could do differently at Porseleinberg but we had the luxury of not having the pressure to sell. We landed up with much shorter élevage - in foudres and concrete eggs, and then more time in bottle pre-release.

The celebrated 2011, of which only 100 cases were released, was sold at auction for a then record-breaking R2000 per bottle. A fearsome heatwave in January and early February hampered growing conditions, leading to tiny volumes that filled just two concrete eggs after fermentation. Blue fruit from Porseleinberg’s blue mica schist was a hallmark of this complex wine.

The 2012 vintage yielded a slightly higher crop - still only a measly 9hl/ha - with 230 cases produced. Acidity was even lower (TA 4.8g/l; pH 3.9) but sufficient to balance a wine of lower alcohol (13.6%) and softer tannins. The fruit’s brightness was captivating .

Maturation was in 60% foudres and 40% concrete eggs for the 2013 vintage, which saw some rain at the right times and a slightly cooler ripening period. Harvesting was, accordingly, a little later, in the second week of February. Suave tannins were a feature, while still providing plenty of structure. Long and intense, this had appealing liquorice notes.

The 2014 vintage was a farming nightmare, with lots of downy mildew to contend with. Yields were consequently low, but thanks to a wet winter, berries were bigger than normal. Maturation was in 100% foudres. Beautifully bright fruit was apparent, as were fine-grained tannins that, like the older vintages tasted, still retained their grip.

At first only visitors to the vineyard could buy bottles of Porseleinberg

Porseleinberg 2024

And, finally to the Porseleinberg 2024, the first vintage after full organic certification was conferred in 2023. At 14.26% abv, it was the highest in alcohol of the flight but, bolstered by TA of 5.7g/l, neatly balanced with refined tannins. Elevage before bottling in June 2025 was 90% in foudres and 10% in concrete eggs. Fermentation was made using wild yeasts, with predominantly whole clusters (10% de-stemmed fruit). Harvest was one of the earliest of the past decade, but the yield was generous and fruit concentration formidable.

Strongly perfumed with aromas of violet, black pepper and wild herbs, the multi-layered '24 has gloriously intense and complex concentration with notes of black cherry and blackberry. While powerful with sufficient structure to age for 15-20 years, it oozes freshness and saline minerality. All its components are in balance with no acidification necessary (as per every Porseleinberg vintage according to Kent). Long and noble, it could be a top northern Rhône - a Super Rhône even - but let's give it its own moniker: a Super Swartlander.

Another magisterial Porseleinberg indeed, from one of South Africa’s true icons and one of the world’s great Syrah vineyards.

Whisky Tourism in Speyside

Speyside's whisky tourism: Tomatin, Glenfarclas, golf and much more

Premium whisky and golf are perfect bedfellows as Geoffrey Dean discovered on a recent visit to Speyside where he visited two of Scotland’s top distilleries and managed to find the time to get a round in at Castle Stuart. At Tomatin, Dean finds out how the unique length of the fermentation period affects the liquid, as well as gets stuck into the distillery’s unique archive room. At Glenfarclas he discovers how direct-fired stills affects whisky notes and hears about ‘people power’.

11th September 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

Back in the mid 1970s, Tomatin, with a then record total of 23 pot stills, could turn out as many as 12 million litres of alcohol per annum, more than any other whisky distillery. But the Highlands producer, which lies 16 miles south-east of Inverness, has since undergone a transformation from concentration on bulk blending to top quality single malts.

Its stunning location at over 1,000 feet above sea level on the Findhorn River in the Monodhliath Mountains, as well as its collection of old and rare whiskies dating back to the 1960s, makes it an absolute must for any whisky tourist going to Speyside. It was little surprise to hear that around 30,000 people visit it each year.

Although Tomatin is just outside Speyside (which is technically a sub-region of the Highlands in any case), its whiskies mirror the soft, fruity and elegant Speyside style. They are anything but rugged and robust, as one would expect from a Highland malt, which explains the motto on their packaging of “The softer side of the Highlands.”

Jamie Muir, Tomatin’s distillery manager

Jamie Muir, Tomatin’s distillery manager for the past two and a half years, is as engaging a host as he is highly capable leader of the production team. With senior roles previously at three well-known distilleries - Isle of Jura, Fettercairn and Kilchoman - he has extensive experience, although other key figures have been working at Tomatin for decades.

“Richard Noble, our head warehouseman, has been here for 52 years, and there’s very few now in the industry with that length of service,” Muir revealed. “And Martin Hendry, our production manager, has been here 30-plus years, with Ally MacRae having done 45 years, and his brother Evan 44. It’s an amazing legacy, and testament to how good a place it is to work at, and how great the employers are. We are only one of four distilleries that has its own cooper - Allan Bartlett, whose parents both worked here until they retired last year. We own about 30 distillery houses which you see as you drive in, and where a lot of the key workers live. I live on site too, so we’re very much community-led. Workers here have seen incredible changes, hopefully for the better.”

52 years and counting ... Richard Noble, Tomatin head warehouseman

Tomatin was the first Scottish distillery to become wholly Japanese-owned, in 1986. Leading shochu distiller, Takara Shuzo, are the proprietors, but according to Muir, “we make our own calls and they are very good at leaving us be, so it’s a great partnership.”

Apart from long-serving staff members, Tomatin is also notable for one key production technique. It implements the longest fermentation period of any distillery in Scotland. Whereas the bulk of distillers opt for 54-60 hours, Tomatin aims for 180. Only Glenallachie in Aberlour gets close, with 163 hours, as I discovered when visiting there on one of their highly informative tours. What’s the reasoning I asked Muir?

“We’re trying to create a lighter, fruitier spirit, and the longer fermentation we think does that for us,” he explained. “We have the time as well as we’re not running at capacity. You get fruitier esters, with more flavour and it’s less fiery, so extraction is far better. 180 hours is used for the majority, with the lowest 160.”

We wander into one of Tomatin’s 11 warehouses, which house a total of 170,000 casks. There, we bump into Richard Noble, who is taking samples from one of them. “Richard has been part of every single one of those casks bar eight of them according to Scott Adamson, our brand ambassador,” Muir continued. “It’s an unbelievable stat. Richard’s a wealth of knowledge, and he’s the first guy in the door and the last to leave. He’s aged 73 but very fit.”

From there, we head to Tomatin’s splendid archive room, which houses hundreds of small sample bottles of their whiskies going back more than half a century.

“Every one of these bottles is a sample of everything we have in cask,” Muir continued. “Before 2010 we didn’t have this, so we had no real way of understanding what we had in our warehouses. There are ‘95s, ‘93s, ‘80s all the way down to the ‘70s. We’ve got a range of different releases here. Each one of them has different casks: your virgin oak, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, Mezcal, Tawny Port, Amontillado, white Port, old Claret. We like to try and experiment with different casks. Not all work but I think you’ve got to push the boundaries and see what new creations you can come up with.”

“As distillery manager, I’m here to oversee quality and make sure that continues through the years. With every release, if it sits in our warehouse for 10 or 20 years, I want you to be able to detect that the character of that spirit is still prevalent within that whisky. So we don’t want to have a full maturation of say PX for 30 years where all you get is then PX. It’s important not to over-extract things…it’s a balancing act between the spirit and the wood.”

I was lucky enough to try the 1976 from a sample bottle, and later the 1977 direct from cask.

“There won’t be many days you’ll get a whisky as old as this,” Muir smiled. “We’ve got a 1967 as well. What I think is quite unique about us is a lot of the casks were refill casks. Over the years they stumbled on the fact that refill casks are the best casks, because they’re not heavily dominant. Having been used before, the flavours really lend themselves to a long maturation. The spirit is still the dominant force through its maturation, but you get these incredible tropical notes I’ve never experienced anywhere else.”

“But nobody is going to put their spirit in refill casks as it takes so long. We still do a massive chunk of our spirit in refill casks as we know what it looks like at the end. The ’77 particularly is phenomenal – really, really tropical and heavy in pineapple.”

Castle Stuart and Old Petty - the golf connection

Castle Stuart third green with Moray Firth behind

While Tomatin’s decade-long sponsorship of the Highland Golf Links Pro-Am three-day tournament ended this year, its connection with one of the staging courses, Castle Stuart, remains strong.

“We still have an affiliation with Cabot Highlands,” [owners of Castle Stuart and its sister course Old Petty], Muir, himself a keen golfer, revealed. “A lot of people we deal with associate whisky and golf together – they go hand-in-hand and are a great pairing.”

A 50-year old Tomatin single malt, worth an estimated £10,000, was certainly a special prize for the winners of the 2021 and 2022 tournaments.

Castle Stuart, which is perched along the craggy shoreline of the Moray Firth close to Inverness, is officially a World Top 100 course, having staged the Scottish Open four times between 2011-16. Winners included Luke Donald and Phil Mickelson, with the latter claiming the Claret Jug a week later when he won the Open Championship at Muirfield.

A beautiful marriage of untamed surroundings, manicured fairways and peerless infinity greens, the course winds its way through gorse, broom, heather and marram. The views are stupendous, with ‘white horses’ waves decorating the firth on the day I played, kicked up by 25mph winds. Also visible from certain holes were the stately Kessock Bridge, the Chanonry Lighthouse and the 17th century Castle Stuart tower house.

Old Petty third hole

Old Petty, which only opened in May this year after being designed by celebrated golf course architect, Tom Doak, is right next door to Castle Stuart. Indeed, the delightful 220-yard par three third hole’s green is directly in front of the imposing tower house. It is another magisterial course, and a barely less challenging test, even if some of the holes stretch further inland and have a little more protection from the wind. Both courses share the same clubhouse, where the bar has a curated selection of Tomatin expressions and exclusive limited bottlings, such as Tomatin Legacy and special single cask editions.

Glenfarclas and the power of direct-firing

“People have characters and their character comes on the spirit," says Callum Fraser

Like Jamie Muir at Tomatin, the Glenfarclas distillery manager, Callum Fraser, is a passionate golfer, who was due to play Castle Stuart the day after I visited him. The likes of Macallan would doubtless contest Fraser’s unashamedly self-confident assertion that “I always tell people that there’s no competition in Speyside or Scotland how to make whisky – everybody just wants to be as good as Glenfarclas. So I don’t really worry about what they’re doing. I let them worry about what we’re doing.”

What Glenfarclas has done since 1983 is to employ Oloroso sherry butts almost exclusively for maturation. All come from the same bodega, Miguel Martínez in Jerez. Occasionally, the distillery matures limited edition single malts in port pipes, such as its Glenfarclas 20-Year Old Port Pipe which was released in 2023.

“We’ve got traceability in our casks as everything is hand-written and documented here,” Fraser continued, “so we know how many times it’s been filled, and what dates it was filled before. We can look at the liquid coming out of the cask, and see if it’s spent or we can use it again. So we’ve got a whole lot of traceability on site that I think other people won’t have. The casks are used four times - we’re filling 250-litre hogsheads and 500-litre butts.”

Why only Oloroso and not PX or Amontillado I ask? “Because unless somebody shows us how to improve on perfection, we won’t change,” he replied.

One other traditional production method is an unique selling-point for Glenfarclas.

“We’re the only distiller left in Scotland to direct-fire 100% of our production,” he declared. “We still have a fire underneath all of our stills, which gives us a different flavour-profile to what you get if you have an internally heated still. The direct firing gives us that nice toffee/caramel note, with dark chocolate in older whiskies.”

“The Grant family [owners of Glenfarclas since 1865] took the fires away in 1981 for three months, and decided that the spirit character had changed. They got it analytically tested, and it was clearly Glenfarclas but there were things missing. So they went back and put the fires straight back in. And they have vowed we will be direct-fired for evermore. In a direct-fired still, you get a nice caramelisation, a burning of the liquid to the copper – it gives you that nice toffee note. People who have stopped using flame have lost these notes in their whisky. So that’s unique to us, and a massive thing. We are the only distiller to do this 100% - Springbank and Glengarioch manage 50%, and Glenfiddich about 27%.”

Like Tomatin, Glenfarclas is all about people in Fraser’s view.

“This might sound silly, but I’ve been 36 years in this industry, and I think people make whisky,” he said. “We still run with people deciding on the spirit cut, looking at the temperature of the spirit, taking the feints. A lot of distilleries have moved on to the spirits cut being computerised - there’s density meters, there’s flow meters. At Glenfarclas still, there’s a man that does it.”

“People have characters and their character comes on the spirit. And the character here comes from the grandfather, John Grant, because we are the oldest family-run distillery left in Scotland. The family lives on site – Mr Grant, the chairman, is in his 70s and in his office every day. He got an OBE last month for services to the whisky industry and charity. That sums up how we are all here because we are all made to feel part of that family, and part of that band of people. People make us unique. You realise we are the best spirit in Scotland.”

Where to stay

The Dowans Hotel

Five miles from Glenfarclas on the banks of the River Spey is the historic village of Aberlour, where the Dowans Hotel is an excellent place to stay. Owned and run by the Murray family, it is a charming boutique establishment with 16 tastefully-furnished rooms. Renowned for its cuisine, it also has a famous whisky bar, named The Still, which stocks more than 750 single malts. Only a handful of labels from Scotland’s 150 or so distilleries were absent, with some international whiskies also represented.

The Still - Dowans' famous collection of 750 malt whiskies

You can taste any, or drink a special quartet put together for you. Opting for the latter, I was given four outstanding Speyside whiskies - 26-year old Imperial (from three different Bourbon casks); 10-year old Glenfiddich Century Club (a special release aged in sherry butts); Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dam (a limited release of 1,000 bottles of unspecified ageing in Oloroso casks) and Meikle Tòir (a 30ppm peated Speyside made by Glenallachie, using softer Aberdeen peat, and aged for five years in Oloroso casks).

A little further north in the centre of Elgin, another good option is the Sunninghill Hotel, which is run by the Ross family. With very comfortable rooms, a fine restaurant and a bar with 130 malt whiskies, it is walking distance from both Elgin station and the historic Glen Moray distillery, which offers an engaging hour-long tour and tasting. Founded in 1897, it produced nine million litres of spirit in 2025, although like most Scottish distilleries, output is forecast to be down by a third this year due to lower demand.

A third accommodation option is Struan House, a charming, pet-friendly bed-and-breakfast in the fishing port of Buckie 15 miles east of Elgin. Situated in Cluny Square, it is a brief hop to the harbour front and coastal walks around Spey Bay. Owners Robert and Giffie cook traditional full Scottish breakfasts of impressively wholesome quality with some exquisitely savoury haggis.

Chêne Bleu vertical

Chêne Bleu Rosé: celebrating the 20th anniversary with rare vertical

Ventoux producer Chêne Bleu has always done things a bit different, earning itself the moniker ‘Super Rhône’. So, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, co-owner Nicole Rolet hosted an aged vertical tasting in London, not of its well-regarded reds but with its ‘astonishing’ Chêne Bleu Rosé – including the first one ever made back in 2006. Apart from notes on how the wines held up, Geoffrey Dean also got the lowdown on where the estate is in terms of regenerative agriculture and its replanting programme, which is facing enormous challenges in the current drought.

11th August 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

Not many producers can lay on a vertical tasting of their rosés dating back to 2006, but Chêne Bleu did just that in London in July to celebrate its 20th anniversary. There were only four vintages - 2006 (their very first one), 2011, 2013 and 2023 - but what a revelation they were. No oxidation to speak of, apart from a little on the 2013 that did not detract, and fruit that was expressive, delicate, complex and long. If any proof was needed that rosé can age well, this was it.

No ordinary producer

Chêne Bleu, in Ventoux, is no ordinary producer, of course, deservedly attracting the moniker of being a ‘Super Rhône’ for its super-premium reds and whites that did not always conform to appellation requirements. And its rosé has always been Champions League quality, a cut above the rest.

Richard Bampfield MW professed himself to be ‘astonished’ by the Chêne Bleu quartet of rosés, adding: “They can capture people who think they don’t like rosé, but finally find something that ticks a lot of boxes for their finer palates.”

Andrew Johnson, managing director of WoodWinters, who took on the UK distribution of Chêne Bleu last autumn, likewise spoke tellingly at the tasting.

“I knew the wines by reputation a year ago when we were talking about doing business together,” he said. “The Chêne Bleu rosé stood out in a sea of indifferent, bland, charcoal-filtered rosé. This is one of those wines that, once you get inside it, actually has so much to offer, and that is quite rare for a rosé. If I think of rosés that really stand out in my mind, I can come up with five or six, but whereas if you ask me to talk about red or white wines, I can probably think of a thousand. Sadly, we don’t have truckloads of old Chêne Bleu rosé to sell but their rosé gets you to rethink how serious rosé can be - not just an afterthought. The 2023 has a lot to offer, for example, you can drink it with simple or exotic food.”

A passion for quality

Hosting the tasting was Nicole Rolet who, with her husband Xavier, bought the La Verrière estate some 30 years ago, a restored medieval priory above the historic old town of Vaison-la-Romaine in the Vaucluse department. It sits majestically on the edge of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain range.

A passionate disciple of biodiversity and organic farming, Nicole undertook an 18-month fellowship at Harvard two years ago to study regenerative viticulture. She sought to explain the advantages of the location of Chêne Bleu, which is certified organic, ‘Bee Friendly' and HVE 3 (the highest environmental level) as well as following biodynamic principles. Sheep wander in the vineyard, providing weed control as well as natural fertiliser.

“We don't have top soil – we’re right on the edge of the tectonic plate where the bottom of Europe has smashed into Africa and pushed the edge of the plate on its side,” she said. “We have access to a very unusual mix of minerals that you would not normally have in your root system if down in Châteauneuf on the river stones. Geologically, it’s a very exciting place. We’re working with Georges Truc, the famous geologist who would be the first to say our geology doesn't correspond with the typicity of a lot of the local terroirs.”

Before and after: how the estate has changed over the past 20 years.

Truc wrote the celebrated work, Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Geological History & Birth of the Terroirs, which provides an in-depth analysis of the soils in the Rhône Valley.

“In terms of our isolation, we have 450 acres of forest with a vineyard in the middle,” Rolet continued. “That has a huge bearing on the style of our wines and all the work we do with biodiversity. In our backyard, you can see the edge of the tectonic plate and the most ancient soils exposed – Jurassic, Cretaceous and Triassic that are all right on the surface. You’ll find these river stones that are the size of dinner plates. We have them in the tasting-room that feels a bit like a natural history museum.”

“The sea bed has been thrust up into the vineyard as well as the famous clay that is very good for some of our wines.The vegetation also changes at altitude. You’ll get a lot of evergreens such as conifers that are associated with leaner, cleaner smells, whereas we also have the aromatic plants you’d typically associate with these more southern garrigue-type terroirs. The most important aspect is being in a very sunny place on the same latitude as Châteauneuf but way up in the mountains, giving wines that tension.”

“All of that made us deconstruct the vineyard and rebuild the logic around what we found in our backyard and take ourselves out of the appellation in a number of cases. We’re appellation agnostic – why some people call these ‘Super Rhônes.’ We spent 10 years restructuring the vineyard, trying to get every single old vine to ‘sing from the same hymn book’. It was a great privilege to inherit as they’re 80 years old in some cases. Every aspect of the vineyard has been studied to figure out how we can be working within the context of nature, not using any chemicals, to protect and preserve the natural environment around the vineyard.”

Replanting strategy

The very age of some of Chêne Bleu’s vines has required the viticultural team to pull some out.

“It’s heartbreaking to see these 70 to 80-year old vines come out,” Rolet admitted, “but if you don’t replant them in tranches, you’re stuck with your whole vineyard going under at the same time. That’s a huge opportunity of course to rethink even the direction of the slope that they were planted in, which was done at a time when people were using tractors, which we’re not. So it’s a very scientific and systematic approach that we’ve taken for the new phase in our history.”

Replanting this year at La Verrière has proved to be unfortunate timing, given the extreme heat and drought conditions in France this growing season.

“Everyone is suffering because of the heatwave,” Rolet declared. “We have some symptoms of drought but the combination of being higher up and using these regenerative farming methods has certainly protected us although we have some ‘coulure’ and some other frustrating things. I’m hoping this latest wake-up call will help make more and more wineries re-think their practices and try to manage water and the environment better at a very difficult time. We have a lot of new plantings, so we’re very vulnerable to drought at the moment and are requiring incredible precision and pro-activeness, but we hope we're staying on top of it. We learnt our lesson in 2003 when we had a similar situation and lost a lot of new plantings.”

As the founder of the Green Wine Initiative, with a website of the same name, Rolet has become the de facto leader of the campaign for wine produced without chemicals: that is to say from organic, sustainable, biodynamic, regenerative, natural, bee-friendly viticultural techniques.

“Wait! What? Green wine?” teases you at the top of the website. “Yes, that’s right - wine that’s produced in ways that are most likely to be respectful of your health and planet,” it continues, with a compelling quote from the irrepressible Nicole Rolet: “Love the land, and it will pour its heart into every grape.”

Tasting those Chêne Bleu Rosés

Chêne Bleu Rosé 2006

60% Syrah, 40% Grenache; pH3.6, TA 5.73g/l, RS 4.9g/l, 14.5% abv

No sign of any oxidation - no doubt thanks to having been under screw cap. The purity of the fruit was remarkable, while the 14.5% alcohol was perfectly in balance.

“We said at the time to drink it before 2008, so we never expected these nuances of complexity,” Rolet confessed. “The acidity and minerality makes all the rosés appear a degree less than they are.”

Chêne Bleu Rosé 2011

60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 5% Cinsault; pH3.6, TA5.1g/l, RS 3g/l, 13.5% abv

Sweet spice and almond on the nose with pure strawberry and redcurrant fruit (again closed with screw cap). Brief elevage in used French oak adds some structure.

Chêne Bleu Rosé 2013

65% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5% Cinsault; pH3.3, RS 0.7g/l, 13% abv

The darkest of the quartet due to slight oxidation (cork closure for the bottle tasted although screw cap was used for others). The fruit was nevertheless complex with grapefruit and citrus notes, the nose still floral and the length impressive. “It was a dream vintage,” Rolet sighed. Vibrant acidity as evidenced by highest TA of the flight (6.7g/l).

Chêne Bleu Rosé 2023

84% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 4% Syrah; pH3.33, RS 0.5g/l, 13% abv

Salmon pink with white fruit aromas and floral hints. Really complex with chalky, garrigue notes as well as pomegranate, quince and white blossom. Rich texture with delicate minerality on a lengthy finish. Either a classy aperitif or an ideal food wine.

Visit to Vouvray

How Vouvray AOC is handling challenges on 90th anniversary

Vouvray is 90 years old this September as an official wine region but the shadow of climate change is hanging over the celebrations. For the first time in its history grapes will start to be picked in August and the heatwaves mean that regimes will also have to change in wineries. Geoffrey Dean travelled to the region to talk with winemakers about these issues, and what measures are being undertaken to cope with the challenges, and picks out 16 wines that should be on every sommelier’s radar.

16th July 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

On July 11th, 500 guests assembled at Château Valmer near the village of Chançay in the Touraine district of the Loire Valley to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the creation of the Vouvray AOC. It was officially recognised on September 6 1936, and as such was one of the very first appellations to be established after the formation of the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO). Winemaking in the area, though, can be traced to construction of the Marmoutier monastery in 372 AD.

Viticulture, therefore, has been weaved into the fabric of Vouvray for centuries, but this year it will see its earliest harvest in living memory. Vincent Carème, one of the appellation’s best-known producers, told me while visiting there in early June that he would begin picking in August for the first time. “Last year, it was September 5, which was the earliest ever, but this year it will definitely be before the end of August,” he said. “I’ll even have to increase SO2 additions as the recent heatwave in late May affected wines in the cellar.”

Chenin Blanc harvests usually last three weeks in Vouvray, so Carème will not finish picking until September, but it was a sobering reminder of the effects of global warming. His 25 hectares under vine are almost entirely Chenin Blanc, with a few rows of Malbec (aka Cot locally), Cabernet Franc and Gamay. Only his Chenin is exported to the UK, with Berry Bros and FMV between them taking his outstanding range of vintage sparkling wines (both traditional method and ancestrale), sec, demi-sec, moelleux and licoreux.

"Important to maintain the know-how of demi-sec and moelleux products even if the market is not in favour of it." Alexis Brisebarre (far left) with Celine Champalou, Cassandre Feray & Julien Martins

Vignoble Brisebarre and the enduring nature of sweet wines

The different styles of Chenin Blanc in Vouvray remain its great strength, of course, along with their ability to age gracefully over decades thanks to Chenin’s high acidity. Alexis Brisebarre, whose family have been making wine in Vouvray “for a very, very long time” revealed he has a bottle of 1921 sweet wine in his cellar. “That was a fantastic year, one of the best of the century,” he mused. “Lots of Vouvray age very well. Some people have older vintages – 1862 is the oldest I know of.”

Brisebarre, who has a strong scientific background, is an interesting character who made sure he “did something else” before returning to the family winery, Vignoble Brisebarre.

“It was my destiny to become a winemaker – I worked extremely hard in the vineyard as a kid,” he recalled. “But my grandfather said, ‘Know one thing: this will be the last job of your life.’ So I worked for English companies gold-mining all over Africa for quite a few years before coming home to France.”

Despite the dip in sales of sweet wines globally, Brisebarre thinks that drinking preferences could change, and that Vouvray must continue to produce its high quality sweet wines.

“In the 1920s, Vouvray was very well-known for sweet wines,” he declared. “In the 1980s, it was the sparkling wines, and now it is the dry still wines. If sweet ones are not so fashionable now, it's important to maintain the know-how of demi-sec and moelleux products even if the market is not in favour of it. It’s very difficult to predict the market as I see it. But the day the market changes, there will be stock and know-how. Everyone is making them.”

Brisebarre is, therefore, bullish about Vouvray’s future despite the fact it is limited by appellation rules to one grape. “I’m optimistic we can preserve our 100% Chenin Blanc profile for another 100 years due to the clay and its fantastic water retentive capability,” he declared. “That is the true magic of Vouvray rather than the limestone. In half a metre of clay in hotter lands, we can retain the equivalent of 300mm of water. In the colder lands, we can retain 400-450mm of rain, or more when the clay is 1.2m deep.”

“What’s beautiful about Vouvray is you’ll go a few hundred metres and have a very different wine. Although there’s a clear entity of what Vouvray is, around the clay and the limestone, the way both are mixed, and the way some extra inclusions of rock are embedded into it, makes a significantly different soil. And Chenin Blanc is a fantastic medium at expressing that. I make cuvées that are just a few hundred metres apart and the wine is widely different. And so with over 80 families producing over a few kilometres, every single plot will produce something different. We will be very happy to make sweet wine a few times a decade in hot years, but also happy in cooler years to make nice dry and sparkling wines. I really see that as the uniqueness of Vouvray.”

Vincent Carème and single sites

Nowhere were the effects of different single vineyard sites better illustrated than with Vincent Carème’s range, certified organic since 2007. His ‘Le Clos’ 2024 comes from shallow soil - a 30cm mix of clay and limestone on top of a limestone bedrock. It gained a lot of structure from the limestone and was very long. Meanwhile, the ‘Clos de la Roche’ 2022 comes from very similar soil but with a different micro-climate - being south-west facing and much warmer. It was a much bigger wine, being 14% abv compared to 12.5% (although 2022 was a warmer year). Carème’s Le Peu Morier 2024, which comes from much older vines (70 years in age) from 80cm of flint and clay on a limestone bedrock, offers greater richness and stoniness.

All Carème’s wines receive no batonnage and see no more than 10% oak. His smallest barrels are 400 litre, and he is increasingly using foudres along with concrete eggs. “We like foudres,” he mused. “They are good for long ageing as they keep the freshness. But thanks to global warming, we are seeing higher sugar and less acidity every year.” Therein lies the major challenge for Vouvray producers, whose main preoccupation is how to deal with climate change.

Vouvray wines tasted from each producer met

Champalou Sec 2024, Vouvray AOP

Seventh generation owner-winemaker Céline Champalou farms her 21 hectares of vines organically and sustainably (Terra Vitis). Exquisite purity, elegance and minerality with balancing acidity. Les Caves de Pyrène imports the wines.

Château Moncontour, La Grande Reserve 2023

Traditional method sparkling wine that spent two years on the lees. Crisp and refreshing with notes of quince, apple and pear with hints of brioche. Available in UK through VINVM, Wine Direct and Hedonism.

Château Valmer Demi-Sec 2024, Vouvray AOC

Owner-winemaker Jean de Saint Venant is the fifth generation member of a family which has owned the estate since 1888. Renowned for its 15th century troglodytic cellar, stunning Renaissance gardens and 35 hectares of sustainably-farmed vines, the estate produces a wide range, with this off-dry label having 23g/l residual sugar to balance vibrant acidity. Enticing aromas of white fruits with a hint of compote. Christopher Piper Wines imports some of the wines.

Clos de L'Espinay, La Houssaie Sec 2024

Historic, organic winery under the stewardship of Antoine Labrosse and Henri Brusseau, which produces low-intervention wines ranging from dry/off-dry to sparkling and sweet styles. UK distributors are Vine Trail in Bristol.

Clos de la Meslerie 2022, Vouvray AOP

American-born Peter Hahn left corporate life to farm four hectares organically, and makes one style of wine each year. This alluring one is off-dry with 15g/l of residual sugar. His book ‘Angels in the Cellar’ is a charming account of his travails as a producer. Imported into the UK by London-based Dynamic Vines.

Domaine Bourillon Dorléans, L’Indigène Sec, Vouvray AOP

Top quality example of dry Vouvray, from 30-year old vines on the clay-limestone soils of an estate founded in 1921 by Gaston Dorléans. His grandson Frédéric, and his two sons Benjamin and Maxime, make an excellent range. This label, which is aged in old oak for 12 months, takes its name from the use of indigenous yeasts. Imported into UK by Four Walls Wine Co in West Sussex.

Denis Breussin, Vouvray Sec 2023

Denis is a fifth generation family winemaker, who has 15 hectares in the Vaugondy valley where he produces four different styles of Vouvray. His vines nearest the Loire river produce this fine dry expression, which has apple and white blossom aromas with notes of pear and white peach. The wines are intermittently imported by distributors and merchants.

Château Gaudrelle, Le Sec 2024, Vouvray AOP

The estate received biodynamic certification in 2025. From 60-year old vines on limestone soils with no clay at all, this was fermented and aged in oak, a small amount being new. Floral, spicy aromas with notes of baked apple, citrus and honey. Quite complex with good body and length. Imported into the UK by Graft.

Domaine Damien Pinon, Clos Tenau 2023

2023 was the first year this estate was certified organic. From 40-year old vines on predominantly limestone soils with some clay. Elevage in concrete (80%) and old foudres (20%). Very fresh and quite complex with aromas of pear and white blossom. Pairs well with Asian cuisine. No UK representation.

Domaine de la Pierre Gravée, Brut Nature 2022, Vouvray 2022

Philippe Guyonnet has crafted a very appealing sparkling wine that spent two years on the lees in barrel before second fermentation in bottle, where it was aged for 16 months. Disgorged June 2025. Aromas of pear and peach with notes of citrus pith and sea salt. Wines intermittently imported by distributors and retailers.

Domaine d’Orfeuilles, Atemporelle Brut NV, Vouvray AOP

Arnaud Herivault has followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps to make an impressive bubbly. This NV traditional method sparkling wine spent three years and a half years on the lees. Persistent mousse with brioche on the nose and notes of marshmallow and vanilla.

Domaine du Clos Naudin, Moelleux 2018

Philippe Foreau, whose grandfather acquired the estate in 1923, produces almost exclusively sweet wine of super-premium quality with son Vincent. This 11.5% abv 'moelleux', which has 110 g/l residual sugar, is all about texture, possessing lovely viscosity that is not cloying. The RS is beautifully balanced by lively acidity, with intense minerality at its core. UK importer is The Rare Wine Company.

Domaine Gaudron Sec, Les Vaux Louis, Vouvray AOP

Since 1890, four generations of the Gaudron family have produced wine in Vernou-sur-Brenne. The cellar under the winery dates back to the 13th century, with 1000 metres carved into the clay limestone tuffeau. Gilles Gaudron makes the wines. This enticing dry Chenin has wetstone and herbs on the nose. Imported by Alliance Wine.

Domaine du Mouton Noir Sec 2023, Vouvray AOP

Pleasing minerality from clay and flint soils on limestone bedrock. Quite complex with good intensity and length. Owner-winemaker Julien Martins is seeking UK representation.

Domaine Vincent Carème, Première Trie, Licoreux 2018, AOP Vouvray

Glorious honeyed notes and great length on this 12.5% abv sticky that has 100 g/l residual sugar.

Vignoble Brisebarre, Cuvée Millesimée Extra Brut 2018, AOP Vouvray

Creamy buttery finish on this complex traditional method bubbly, which spent seven years on the lees. Imported by Amathus Drinks.

Sir Ridley Scott's Luberon winery

Geoffrey Dean visits Sir Ridley Scott at his Mas des Infermières estate

Like Branjelina and John Malkovich before him, Sir Ridley Scott is a filmmaker who has turned winemaker in the South of France, with his five-year-old Mas des Infermières wine estate looking to expand into the UK with an 11-wine portfolio. Geoffrey Dean visited him and the winemaking team in the Luberon, to talk movies, brand-building and where he intends to take the wines. Dean also puts each of the wines to the test.

8th July 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

It was on one of those warm but fresh, idyllic late spring days in the Luberon when Sir Ridley Scott lent back in his cellar chair and mused about his latest film, The Dog Stars, which releases on August 28. “It’s probably the best movie I’ve done since The Martian [his 2015 production],” he said. “This guy Jacob Elordi, who’s in it, is going to be a big star. He’s a farm lad from Australia, so he and I got on great. It touches the emotional possibilities – whatever happens you need people. If the world ends, how do you deal with it?”

One of the great film directors of his time, Scott has no intention of retiring despite reaching the age of 88. He looks and sounds many years younger, and travels frequently between his main home in Los Angeles, his film sets and Mas des Infermières, his beautiful estate an hour or so's drive north of Marseilles in the Luberon region.

Ironically, given the fact that a virus wipes out humanity in The Dog Stars, it was in the Covid year of 2020 that Scott started making his own wine. He had bought Mas des Infermières, which came with 11 hectares of vines, as a holiday home in 1992 but always sent the grapes to the local co-operative. Then, in 2017, he recruited Christophe Barraud to design the construction of a winery and stay on as general manager and winemaker.

Mas des Infermières - 350m of elevation and high diurnal range means the wines have a natural freshness

“I had no intention of getting into wine originally but the grapes kept getting prizes,” Scott revealed. “I’m a farmer at heart, and wine brings me joy. Once I began, I didn’t expect people to stop drinking. Everything’s a challenge, but I’m still pleased I did it. Hopefully people will get over being teetotal and not drinking. We’re five years old really, and our ambition is to break even. It takes time and we know that. We’re working on Ireland - they will never stop drinking there.”

Targeting the UK market is also part of the business plan, with a distributor there being actively sought by Mélanie de Rudder, Mas des Infermières’ commercial director. Scott’s daughter, Jordan, and one of his sons, Luke, who both live in London, take a strong interest in the winery and are keen to see its labels sold in the UK.

It’s no secret that good labels can help persuade consumers to buy a wine, and the brilliant artwork on Mas des Infirmières’ bottles has every chance of having that effect. Remarkably, the labels are all the work of Scott himself.

“I did badly at school in Hartlepool, but I could do one thing – I could draw,” he chuckled. “I can do a label in 15 minutes while on the phone. It happens in a flash, I just use my intuition. My work is entirely intuitive, and story-telling is part of my life. I did Napoleon in 42 days. Al Pacino needed 40 takes, and Robert DeNiro doesn't get going till he’s had 38 takes. A lot of life is about decision-making. I like the mantra: ‘Just do it’.”

Being a dog-lover with two cavopous of his own - Lulu and Jojo - there is always a dog (and generally two of them) on every one of his labels. Sometimes, you have to look hard to spot them if the main images are human, but the dogs are always there. There are even dogs inscribed on his corks.

What of his wines though? With its cool nights and consequent wide diurnal range, not forgetting altitude of 350m, all of the wines have natural freshness thanks to low pHs and high acidity. Fruit quality is excellent with the Grenache vines being 80, Carignan 60 and Syrah 40-years old. Cinsault, Mourvedre and Marselan are also grown, while Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne are the main white varietals. Two distinct soil types shape the range: limestone in the southern end, with sandier clay to the north for a more fruit-forward expression. Sheltered from the Mistral by the Luberon mountains, the parcels enjoy long growing seasons.

Barraud is a top-notch technical director, and Fabien Lacassaigne a highly capable cellar master, with the full estate team numbering 24. They are committed to enhancing biodiversity and improving soil life, and eschew fertiliser or insecticides, favouring green waste and cover crops. Although not certified organic, the estate enjoys both HVE3 and Bee Friendly certification, with 20 beehives tended by a local beekeeper.

The winery and cellar door house a permanent exhibition dedicated to Scott’s films, with props, iconic costumes and photos from The Martian, Gladiator and Napoleon displayed inside them. In July and August on Friday nights, the estate hosts open-air screenings of Scott’s films, with this summer’s selections being A Good Year, Blade Runner, Alien, Thelma & Louise, Robin Hood, Gladiator, Gladiator II and House of Gucci.

Mas des Infermières is situated just outside Oppède, one of 28 ancient villages in the Luberon, all of which are perched on hilltops or nestled against the Luberon and Monts de Vaucluse massifs. Landscapes of centuries-old drystone walls, fields of lavender, poppies, sunflowers, cherry orchards and olive groves have a magnetically seductive appeal. Five of the villages are among ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’, and it was in one such, Lourmarin, where we met Bianca Ogel, marketing director for Destination Luberon.

“We have 63 independent wineries and nine co-operatives in the Luberon, which was granted AOC status in 1988,” she said. “Approximately 7,500 hectares are under vine, with 95% between 250 and 500 metres above sea level. Nearly two-thirds are HVE certified and 28% organic, and production in 2025 was 50% rosé, 28% white and 22% white.” She added that the Luberon has been granted both Biosphere Reserve and Global Geopark status, a rare distinction.

Lourmarin was where Albert Camus bought a house with his Nobel Literature Prize money in 1958, and lived till his tragic death two years later aged 46 in a car crash. He is buried in the town’s cemetery. While the author Peter Mayle lived in the village of Menerbes, very close to Mas des Infirmières, when he wrote “A Year in Provence”, he loved Lourmarin, which remains a magnet for artists and writers, as well as hundreds of locals and visitors every Friday morning when its celebrated market is staged.

Mayle ended up in the village of Vaugines where we had a delicious lunch at L’Insitio, a charming little bistro that boasts not just 350 wine labels but also a Michelin star. Equally good was Le Bacheto, a Lourmarin restaurant that takes its name from a Provençal expression ‘faire bachéto’, meaning to linger and savour without any time pressure. We had dinner under a century-old olive tree on the patio.

The last word must go to Sir Ridley Scott, whose love of the Luberon knows no bounds. “I wanted a farm in the sunshine,” he mused. “I ended up in the Luberon, and that was the best thing that ever happened.”

Tasting the Mas des Infermières range

Source Rosé 2025, AOC Luberon

Benchmark Provencal rosé, being pale in colour with fresh red fruits on the palate. 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah. Grapes machine-harvested at night-time.

Perle du Mas Rosé NV, Vin de France

Tank method sparkling wine made from Grenache (70%) and Syrah (30%). The label features an officer in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army who grew vines on the estate. Delicate acacia aromas with refreshing white fruit on the palate.

Lulu Blanc 2025, Vin de France

Named after Lulu, one of the family’s current dogs, this is a blend of Clairette (50%), Sauvignon Blanc (25%) and Rolle (25%). Very fresh everyday drinker with stone fruit notes.

Source Blanc, 2023, AOP Luberon

A 13% abv blend of Rolle (50%), Clairette (30%) and Roussanne (20%). The name “cuvée source” derives from an historic abundance of water locally. Notes of almond and white fruits, notably peach.

Chevalier Blanc 2024, AOP Luberon

40% Rolle, 32% Roussanne, 28% Clairette. Fermented in second fill oak. Ample and generous, with aromas of citrus and fig. Brioche on the finish. Fresh and long.

Jack Rouge 2024, Vin de France

Named after a favourite Jack Russell of the Scott family, this is a refreshing everyday drinking red, made up of Grenache (50%), Syrah (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%).

Spicy red fruit with approachable tannins.

Jojo Rouge 2024, Vin de France

Named after another of the family’s current dogs, this is almost the same blend as the Jack Rouge, with Merlot replacing the Cabernet. No SO2 added. Appealing cherry, raspberry and blackberry notes, with soft tannins.

Source Rouge 2022, AOP Luberon

70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. Spicy black fruit with elegant tannins and a lengthy finish.

Chevalier Rouge 2022, AOP Luberon

50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Carignan. Carbonic maceration for the Carignan only. Elevage in 30% new oak for 12 months. Plenty of structure with fine-grained tannins melding seamlessly. Woody, spicy aromas with attractive red and black fruit on the palate.

Heritage Rouge 2023, Vin de France

Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah co-fermented in a 50:50 split. Elevage in second and third fill barrels for 12 months. Expressive nose with notes of black fruit and leather. Quite rich with silky tannins that are well-integrated.

Ombre de Lune Rouge 2021, AOP Luberon

Flagship wine of the estate with 40-year old Syrah vines providing 90% of the fruit (with Grenache making up the remaining 10%). Aged in 100% new oak, which is absorbed very well with fine-grained tannins being beautifully integrated. Spicy, vanilla aromas with complex stewed black fruits on the palate with a very long finish.

Visit to Washington State

Geoffrey Dean takes a deep dive into the wines of Washington State

Fresh from his popular deep dives into the wines of Tasmania and New Zealand, The Buyer's roving reporter Geoffrey Dean travels to Washington State for a six day trip to discover how winemakers are faring in America's second biggest wine-producing state. There he discovers how a new generation of winemakers are pushing the envelope in terms of making wine from non-mainstream grape varieties and in new locations. Tasting extensively Dean comes up with a list of 22 wines to make note of – one for each winery he visited and tasted in the Evergreen State.

12th June 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

If you slipped this question into your local pub quiz, the chances are most people would be scratching their heads: What’s the biggest wine-producing state in America after California? Many would doubtless come up with Oregon, or New York State, or even Virginia. But the correct answer is Washington State in the north-west of the USA. It has 21 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) with 56,000 acres under vine, 1,050 wineries and 400 growers with 80-plus varietals grown. That all adds up to in excess of ten million cases of wine per annum.

Throw in one of America’s great cities in Seattle; one of its biggest waterways, the mighty Columbia River; and three national parks – Mt Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic – and you have all the ingredients for a wine tourism destination par excellence.

And that’s not forgetting one of America’s most powerful waterfalls, the Snoqualmie Falls, which are 100 feet taller than Niagara. The opening scenes of the iconic TV show, Twin Peaks, which achieved cult status in the 1990s and beyond, were shot there. It is a delightful stop-off en route from Seattle to the Yakima Valley AVA.

Terroir and climate

If Washington State’s wine industry can hardly be described as a hidden gem (being well-known to trade professionals) what is less clear is the primacy of its varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape, with Chardonnay and Riesling in second and third place, but ask producers in the state which varietal best suits its terroir, and you do not get unanimity of opinion.

Cabernet Sauvignon gets plenty of votes, but so do Merlot, Syrah and even Grenache. The above two white varietals are clear frontrunners for that colour, but we came across fine examples of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc on our six-day exploration of Washington State’s vineyards.

Washington Wine (aka WA Wine) is blessed with a special terroir that ticks all the boxes for winemaking. Its vineyards are largely situated between the 46th and 47th parallels – just south of Burgundy and just north of the northern Rhône. Two mountain ranges either side of Seattle – the Olympics and the Cascades – create a rain shadow effect that protects the Columbia Valley from wet weather systems. This results in a perfect climate for growing grapes in the warm and dry eastern part of the state, where annual rainfall is generally between 150-200mm. The Columbia River, America’s fourth largest, is the main source of irrigation.

The combination of a growing season that sees up to 17 hours of sunlight a day, and a very wide diurnal range that affords cool nights, delivers a lovely balance of slow-ripening, flavourful fruit and high levels of acidity. Soils have a volcanic foundation, with the largest lava flows ever documented forming a basalt bedrock ideal for viticulture. Epic floods in the last ice age from the ancient Lake Missoula inundated eastern and central Washington, bringing soils uniquely suited for growing grapes.

Bordeaux vs Rhône

And it is a long list of grapes that Washington grows well. So long, in fact, that the perceived wisdom of old that the state is best for red Bordeaux varietals and Riesling is a matter of debate amongst the wine community there. Take Rhône varietals for starters, as there is no doubt they are flourishing in Washington State. While Cabernet Sauvignon made up nearly half of the state’s crush for red wines in 2024 (83,701 tons), Syrah came in second with just over 16,000. Grenache and Mourvèdre formed 1,143 and 1,117 tons respectively.

“We think Washington does Rhône better than anyone in the US,” Daniel Burchardt, general manager of LATTA Wines, said on a visit to its tasting room in Woodinville, just north of Seattle. “We make five Syrahs here as it should be Washington’s grape. We want to showcase what we do best. We don’t want to be Napa, although we say thank you to it for putting the USA on the map.”

This view was endorsed by Brandon Moss, winemaker for Betz Family Winery, whose Syrah showed so well. “I love the Rhône varietals,” he told David Kermode, who travelled with us to film an episode for his podcast, The Drinking Hour.

“Our cool climate regions are going to work best for Syrah, while a lot of our warm-climate sites are going to work best for Grenache and Mourvèdre. We do have very sandy soils in Washington, which sets our Grenache apart as it tends to be lighter in colour, having tons of flavour and bright aromatics. It can be so pretty and red-fruited and just delicious. It takes all of our season to get Mourvèdre ripe, but it’s still light, savoury and fresh here. You can include some of those niche varieties like Counoise, Cinsault or Petite Syrah. We can grow all these well and we have a climate that really enhances these varietals’ characteristics.”

Moss conceded that he still found it difficult to pick a favourite varietal grown in Washington.

“I love Syrah but can’t ignore how well the Bordeaux varietals are doing now. So there’s no perfect answer for which grape fares best. We do too many things too well. But Syrah here comes in different styles – from bright, red-fruit peppery to more dark-fruited, more structured brooding Syrah. Then you’ll have non-fruit components like umami, nori and meat from the Rocks AVA.”

Blanketed in cobblestones and pebbles that were washed down from the Blue Mountains, this AVA, whose full name is ‘The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater’, gets compared with Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is a warmer micro-climate within the Walla Walla AVA, which is slightly cooler than the rest of the broader Columbia Valley. While half of the Walla Walla AVA’s vines stretch across the state border into Oregon, the Rocks AVA is entirely within Oregon.

“These soils came from lava flows 15 million years ago.” Ryan Pennington by basalt bedrock-face on Ferguson Vineyard

Don't forget the Merlot

For Ryan Pennington, chief operations officer at the venerable L’Ecole No 41 winery, Merlot is the top grape in Walla Walla.

“We think Washington is one of the best places in the world to grow Merlot,” he said. “It could be the state’s signature grape. It grows so well here, and gets perfectly ripe but not over-ripe. It maintains its structure, acidity and tension.” Merlot from L’Ecole’s Ferguson Vineyard went into its 2011 label of that name that won the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards’ best Bordeaux blend globally. Interestingly, 2011 was the very first vintage from the Ferguson Vineyard, L’Ecole’s crown-jewel 30-acre site at 1,450 feet, which was planted in 2008/9 to Bordeaux varietals.

The blow of discovering phylloxera in 2019 on the neighbouring Seven Hills Vineyard has not proved the major concern it might have been. Sadie Drury, a leading viticulturist who manages a number of estates, explained why.

“One block wasn't doing well, so we dug a hole and found phylloxera,” she recalled. “It proved to be widespread here but caused very little to no actual decline. But as we know we have it, we are now planting on American rootstock. Most blocks are really healthy and those we have removed had more to do with varietal demand, getting a variety in the right location or leafroll virus. There’s been very few that we’ve had to pull up because of phylloxera, which is pretty widespread throughout the state. It gets really cold here, so the aphids don’t move very far. We’ve not been using herbicides for 14 years, so we knew we would keep spreading it.”

Ferguson and Seven Hills

As two of Walla Walla, and indeed Washington’s, premier sites, Ferguson and Seven Hills make for fascinating viticulture.

“Here on Seven Hills, we have very deep fertile soils - 20 to 30 feet of wind-blown loess on top of the flood salts, which are significant on top of basalt,” Drury continued. “Plants can go deep. At Ferguson, there are thinner soils as wind has blown the topsoil away over a period of time, meaning plants are more stressed. There’s no granite native to this area, what’s here came from floods from western Montana. We need lots of frost fans, which we run one days in ten in spring. Historically, Walla Walla would have catastrophic cold weather events but thanks to global warming there’s not as much cold weather pressure as there used to be.”

Pennington revealed some remarkable figures. “These soils came from lava flows 15 million years ago,” he said. “There’s 10,000 feet of lava beneath us…it has sunk the earth and created a natural heat sink which has made agriculture possible. The basalt is highly fractured allowing vines to penetrate and find nutrients and water. High iron leads to iron rich clay, while pure calcium carbonate has been formed by organic material decomposing. So the soil chemistry is quite similar to Bordeaux and Burgundy. It’s not cheap to farm, so the wine’s not cheap. The yield is only two tons an acre up here – it’s a really cool place. In 2011 when we were picking ripe Cabernet, we got phenomenal acid, 3.0 pH, and around 10g/l of total acidity, mostly malic.

Red Mountain

Another leading AVA for Cabernet Sauvignon is Red Mountain, which has a total of 4,040 acres under vine. JJ Williams oversees 272 acres of vines at Kiona, whose original plantings in 1975 were made by his grandparents, who pioneered Red Mountain as a growing area.

“Red Mountain, like neighbouring Yakima Valley, is known for big, powerful concentrated red wine,” he declared. “We make our own wines but grow grapes for about 60 wineries. Red Mountain is actually a little brown hill in the middle of the desert. We get six inches of rain per year, with most falling out of our ripening periods. Within 10 miles of here, we have the convergence of the Columbia River, the Snake River and Yakima River, so ample resources thanks to one of the largest canal systems in the hemisphere.”

Williams grows as many as 20 different varietals.

“We wouldn’t grow them if we didn’t like them,” he mused. “We have primarily Cabernet, which pays the bills, but also Chenin Blanc, Sangiovese, Lemberger [aka Blaufrankisch] and Carménère as you don't want to get pigeon-holed. It’s OK to not have a definitive grape although Red Mountain could be the Cabernet region, Walla Walla the Syrah, Ancient Lakes the Riesling.”

“That’s OK – much in the same way that California has evolved from just being Cabernet. Washington is still a frontier – we have work to do in terms of building awareness. The wines are still somewhat hard to find. Having importers taking a chance on us is what we need, but I think people find that once it is in their glass, the wine is very compelling.”

Like Walla Walla, the Columbia Gorge AVA is half in Washington State and half in Oregon (either side of the Columbia River). Three Washington wineries there have followed Kiona’s lead and planted varietals that were something of a surprise to find. Syncline’s Gruner Veltliner, Gamay and Grenache from 2024 impressed, as did its traditional method Blanc de Noirs, while COR Cellars’s Friulano showed well. Meanwhile, the wackily-named and spelt Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co in the town of Lyle produces an impressive range that included a delightful Mencía 2023 with firm but fine-grained tannins.

The drive through Columbia Gorge, and indeed alongside the Columbia River, revealed yet more spectacular scenery in a state where panoramic views seem to be round most corners. The imperious 11,249 feet Mount Hood, which is actually in Oregon, dominates the skyline as you head west, and is one of many stunning peaks for the wine tourist to admire. Mt Adams, even higher at 12,276 in the Cascade Range, is visible from Kiona, while Mt Rainier, at 14,410, is the second tallest in the contiguous United States. Three great mountains in a skyline where the sky really is the limit for great viticulture and wine-making.

Some wines that caught the eye

Two Vintners, Grenache Blanc 2024, Bouchey Vineyard, Yakima Valley AVA, 12.7% abv

A delightful Grenache Blanc with 10% Marsanne to add some mid-palate viscosity. 15% new oak adds structure. Owner-winemaker Morgan Lee has no UK representation.

Andrew Will, Cuvée Lucia Semillon 2024, Two Blondes Vineyard, Yakima Valley AVA, 13% abv

From nine-year old vines, this appealing Semillon was fermented in stainless steel using wild yeasts, and aged in neutral wood. Imported by Bancroft.

Latta Wines, Syrah 2021, Weathereye, Columbia Valley AVA, 14.1% abv

Co-fermented with 5% Viognier to give some florality, this high quality Syrah saw no racking until filtration and bottling. No new oak used, allowing full fruit expression. The winery buys in all its grapes, mainly from high elevation sites, and makes around 21,000 cases per annum. No current exports.

DeLille, Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Grand Ciel Estate Vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, 14% abv

Very high quality single varietal Cabernet, which has effortlessly absorbed 100% new oak, in which it was aged for 20 months. Winemaker Nick Bernstein has crafted a wine with consummate harmony and balance with beautifully integrated tannins. Dark red fruit and blackberry notes, along with minerality, tension and a long, complex finish. No UK representation.

Betz Family Winery, Clos de Betz Red Wine 2019, Columbia Valley AVA, 14.2% abv

Top-class Bordeaux blend with Merlot (60%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (19%) and Petit Verdot (21%). One of 13 wineries acquired by Ackley Brands, who own the acclaimed The Cove wine bar in Seattle where most of their labels can be tasted. Enotria imports some of their brands.

Cadence Bel Canto 2012, Cara Mia Vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, 14.4% abv

Ben Smith, a former Boeing engineer, quit his job there in 2000 to set up Cadence, whose first harvest was six years later. He crafted this fine Bordeaux blend (84% Cabernet Franc with the balance split between Merlot and Petit Verdot) that shows how well Washington reds can age. Elevage in 50% new French oak for 23 months with no filtration or fining. Glorious fruit with dusty tannins. Imported into the UK by Coast.

Pomum Cellars, Noris White Wine Blend 2024, Yakima Valley AVA, 13.5% abv

Aromas of pear and stone fruit with a lovely mineral finish and bright acidity on this blend of Sauvignon Blanc (62%) and Semillon (38%). Fermented in stainless steel and aged on fine lees for five months. The fruit was sourced from vines planted in 2008 in the organically-farmed Konnowac Vineyard, a native American name. Seeking UK distribution.

Two Mountain Winery, Riesling 2025, Copeland Vineyard, Rattlesnake Hills AVA, 12.7% abv

A good example of off-dry Riesling that is common in Washington to balance often shrill acidity. Grannysmith apple, lemon and pear notes. Fourth generation winemaker Matt Rawn has 60 hectares under vine, all on own roots, and is certified through Sustainable WA. His wines were previously exported to the UK, and he is seeking representation.

Dineen Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Yakima Valley AVA, 14.4% abv

Very floral single varietal Cabernet with aromas of mulberries and sandalwood. Silky tannins with notes of blackberries, black cherries and coffee. Very classy. Owner Marissa Dineen is looking for UK distribution.

Gilbert Cellars, TV Wine 2025, Yakima Valley AVA, 13% abv

Not a bottle but a 1.5l ‘astrapouch’ (a bag but not in-box). The initials ‘TV’ stand for Tempranillo (40%) and Verdelho (60%), which were co-fermented. Once opened, the wine lasts 60 days. 300 bags were produced as an experiment but have sold like hotcakes. An ideal quaffer for summer, best drunk chilled, although Gilbert Cellars don’t currently export any of their range.

Hedges Family Estate, ‘Descendants Liegeois Dupont’ Le Blanc 2019, Red Mountain AVA, 13.5% abv

An alluring blend of Marsanne (85%) and Viognier (15%) from Tom Hedges, with the label a nod to his French wife Anne-Marie. Full-bodied with some oily texture and richness, but also sufficient freshness for it to age. Jasmin, lemon curd and toasted almond notes. Wine & Earth in Guildford import Hedges' fine range.

Kiona, Chenin Blanc 2024, Columbia Valley AVA, 14% abv

From vines planted in 1976, 1979 and 1983, this underlines how Washington can make excellent Chenin Blanc. Some Viognier (8%) and a dash of Marsanne (2%) were added with fermentation in stainless steel before some of the blend was matured in concrete eggs with lees stirring. The pithiness and silky creamy texture stood out. Imported by Coast.

Valdemar Estates, Las Canteras Viognier 2024, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 13.1% abv

Top-class Viognier made by Portland native, Devyani Gupte, at the first non-American owned winery in Washington. CEO and co-owner Jesús Martínez Bujanda Mora, whose family have a 130-year old wine business in Rioja, says he fell in love with the Walla Walla wine community when first visiting in 2016. A year later, he bought the property and opened the facility in 2019 with 36 acres of vines planted. “We think Walla Walla can be the Old World in the New World,” he mused. Round, flinty and generous with lots of concentration and a lovely texture, this could be mistaken for a Condrieu. Berkmann Wine Cellars are the UK importers.

Seven Hills Winery, Pentad Red Wine 2023, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 15% abv

Very impressive flagship Bordeaux blend from one of the oldest wineries in Walla Walla. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) with Merlot (18), Malbec (10), Petit Verdot (9) and Carménère (3). Winemaker Bobby Richards employed 50% new oak for 20 months. Powerful yet harmonious with vibrant acidity counter-balancing firm tannins and 15% alcohol. Cigar box aromas with intense black fruit notes. Cellars Wines are importers.

Grosgrain, Grenache 2023, French Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley AVA, 13.8% abv

Owner-winemaker Matt Austin, a former Los Angeles tax attorney, works with as many as 20 varietals, with many being heat and drought-resistant ones. His UK distributor is Coast. This elegant Grenache has red berry fruits, dried herbs and gentle spice with soft tannins.

L’Ecole No 41, Ferguson Vineyard 2022, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 14.5% abv.

World-class Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (53%), Merlot (24), Cabernet Franc (14), Malbec (6) and Petit Verdot (3) from the acclaimed Ferguson Vineyard of this revered producer. Aromas of cassis, blackberry and crushed rock. Black fruit, graphite and black pepper notes with firm but fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Imported by Cellars Wines.

Echolands, Syrah 2023, Resurgent Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 13.6% abv

Established in 2018, this $27 million facility at 1600 feet has sensational views over the Blue Mountains. Around 14,000 cases produced per annum with no exports, although owner Doug Frost would like some. Single vineyard Syrah from a cool site upstream from the Rocks District AVA, making it lighter in body, brighter in acid and lower in alcohol. Earthy, forest-floor aromatics give way to complex tobacco and brambly fruit. 6% Viognier added.

The Walls Vineyards, Pášxa Grenache 2023, Rocks District AVA, 14% abv

Pášxa is the old native name for Walla Walla. This limited production (50 cases) of acclaimed Grenache comes from a single vineyard site, the Rockgarden Estate, on densely packed cobblestones. Savoury red and blue fruits, complex herbal notes and notable minerality with silky texture. The winery is owned by former Microsoft lawyer, Mike Martin, who left corporate life in 2014 to set it up. The Wine Society stocks some of his range.

Doubleback, Merlot 2023, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 14.5% abv

The Doubleback brand was launched in 2007 by former American footballer Drew Bledsoe and named because he had ‘doubled back’ to his home town of Walla Walla. Predominantly from the Schafer site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, this is super premium Merlot (with 9% Cabernet Franc) that is rich with generous red fruit and chalky tannins. Winemaker Josh McDaniels employed 65% new oak for 16 months. Imported into the UK by Sporting Wine Club.

Syncline, ‘Scintillation’ Blanc de Noirs 2018, Columbia Gorge AVA, 12.5% abv

Excellent traditional method bubbly made from 100% Pinot Noir, whose vines were planted in 1973 and are overlooked by Mt Hood. Five years on the lees with zero dosage. Owners James and Poppy Mantone aim to make 200 cases per annum of it. They are seeking UK representation.

Cor Cellars, ‘Ago’ Friulano 2024, Columbia Gorge AVA, 13% abv

The only Friulano in Washington State is made by Luke Bradford, who produces 5,000 cases a year from his vines in Lyle, a short drive from Syncline. Crisp with notes of melon and peach, it has fresh minerality and nice length. No UK representation.

Le Doubblé Troubblé (LDT) Wine Company, Chardonnay 2022, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge AVA, 14.1% abv

LDT, as it is known, sources fruit from five sites in Columbia Gorge and two in Willamette Valley, Oregon. This outstanding Chardonnay comes from the cool climate, high elevation Celilo Vineyard in Columbia Gorge. It saw 20% new oak, and has lovely balance and texture. McIntosh Forrence describes himself as a hands-off winemaker who loves old vines. He makes some good craft beer too. No current exports.

Geoffrey Dean was a guest of the Washington State Wine Commission

Sbarbatelle: Italy's lady winemakers

Inside Sbarbatelle: the Italian women-only wine association

Sbarbatelle is a non-profit association of women wine producers aged under 40 from all over Italy. It started in 2017 at a wine-tasting event in Monferrato, and, in a short time, has evolved into a significant movement bringing together over 200 young women wine producers from across Italy. Sbarbatelle is a community that champions innovation and represents a new generation of women, carrying forward the legacy of their territories with an innovative spirit. Geoffrey Dean met up with them at their first-ever UK event.

10th June 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

The movement started in Piemonte nine years ago when a group of young Italian women whose families had vineyards got together socially in Asti. It slowly grew in numbers every year until 2024 when it went national with the formation of an association named Sbarbatelle. A new body of women Italian winemakers was born, and last month, 17 of them came to London for their first overseas event, where they showed their wines to British buyers, media and educators.

A walk-around tasting of their wines during the day at Cornus was followed by drinks and dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant in Victoria. The event was the brainchild of the wine director there, Melania Battiston, herself an Italian, who had promoted Sbarbatelle’s first big get-together in Italy two years ago.

“This is the first event for us outside Italy, and it’s all thanks to Melania,” Marianna Velenosi, a board member of the association, said. “She gave us the opportunity to use Cornus for the tasting and have the dinner after. About half of us here tonight don’t have distribution in the UK, so we are searching for importers. I export our Velenosi wines to other countries all over Europe, but not here yet.”

Marianna is not the winemaker for her family’s winery but the strategic marketing manager. Most of the 110 members of the association are winemakers or viticulturists, but other trade professionals are welcome as long as they or their families own the winery and they are directly involved in the business. In addition, they must be under 40 to join. Once they reach 40, they must resign.

The Velenosi winery is in Ascoli Piceno in the Marche, and only two regions in Italy - Calabria and Molise - do not yet have members of Sbarbatelle (translated as 'saplings'). “There was a third region without a member until recently - Alto Adige - but a girl came up to our booth at VinItaly last month and joined up,” Velenosi revealed. Members all pay an annual subscription.

The association organises several workshops and masterclasses for members throughout the year, with its flagship event held in Piemonte every year over a mid-summer weekend. The 2026 festival will be on 21-22 June at Tenuta Marchese Alfieri in Asti, with over 200 wines from some 75 producers available for tasting. Tickets are available online.

Velenosi explained how the whole idea had kicked off. “Many early members were daughters of winemakers in Piemonte, and most knew each other through school or wine events. Most were the same age, and had the same interests. There were good vibes about sharing information, meeting up and going out together. We wanted to be together to share experiences, opinions and suggestions.”

Calabria Wines (Australia)

How diversity of Australian wine is the focus of Calabria Family Wines

The diversity of Australian wine was celebrated at this year’s London Wine Fair through the introduction of two new brands – Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. Both labels are part of the hugely successful Calabria Family Wines, the only exhibitor flying the Aussie flag at the fair, which showed its new wines alongside McWilliam’s wines amongst others. Geoffrey Dean caught up with the team and with Calabria's UK distributor, Brand Phoenix, to discover how it is focused on rock-solid and fruit-forward Australian wines that deliver week-in-week-out value for money.

2nd June 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

As the only stand flying the flag for ‘Category Australia’ at the London Wine Fair, it was gratifying that Calabria Family Wines reported huge interest in a couple of its new brands – Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. For these are wines with a difference, both coming in highly unusual, innovative bottles.

Bélena – a ‘take’ on Italy… from Australia

First, Bélena whose name is an ode to second generation Bill and Lena Calabria, a family of Italian descent which has been making wine in the Riverina since the 1940s. The Bélena brand features two wines from 2025 – a Pinot Grigio and a Rosé – that both come in a classy crystal-glass bottle. Meanwhile, the family’s Kings of Prohibition red and white range comes in the sort of wacky cylindrical bottle in which you might expect to find a rum or a whisky.

Both style of bottles are eye-catching packaging, and have been selling well in markets where they have already been released – Australia, the United States, Belgium, Holland and Poland.

Bélena - innovate packaging to attract younger consumers

The two Bélena SKUs were listed by Asda in early May. It was too early for any sales data at the time of writing but Darren Mackey, Calabria Family Wines’ commercial manager for UK and Europe, revealed that buyers who had tasted both at the stand were very positive.

“Several buyers and journalists commented on the fact that the Pinot Grigio had far more depth and complexity than other Pinot Grigios at a similar price," Mackey said.

“That’s a really nice endorsement that we’re on the right track. Asda seemed very excited and enthused about listing the brand. We’re hoping from that there’ll be a lot more eyeballs on the brand. Asda are big and go to every global wine show, and for them to choose Bélena is a real feather in the cap of the company, a real boost to confidence. Raising of brand awareness is what we’re looking for.”

Bringing back an honest Aussie approach to wine – Greg Wilkins, Brand Phoenix MD

Brand Phoenix, perhaps best-known for being the sole UK importers of leading South African brands First Cape and Leopard's Leap, has been building up its Australian and New Zealand brands.

“I feel that in Australia, the market in the last decade has slightly altered,” said Greg Wilkins, Brand Phoenix’s managing director. “Suppliers have been going down the reduced alcohol route, changing packaging quite dramatically, and really changing the relationship UK consumers have had with Australian wine.”

“So what we trying to do with Calabria, and in particular with McWilliam’s [recently bought by Calabria], is bring back that honest Aussie approach, which is wines that have not been altered in any way, that are rock-solid and fruit-forward, and deliver week-in-week-out at a great price. Bélena is Calabria’s take on ‘Italy from Australia’ if that makes sense.”

Putting quality first - Andrew Calabria, sales and marketing director, Calabria Family Wines

Andrew Calabria, sales and marketing director for the Calabria Family Wines Group, which produces 80 million bottles per annum and exports to 40 countries, had to shelve plans to come to the London Wine Fair due to flight difficulties from Australia, but spoke to The Buyer from his home town of Griffith.

“We are simple winemakers and don’t try and over-complicate it.,” he declared. “Our remit is to over-deliver on quality. The Bélena Rosé, made from Shiraz and Nero d’Avola, and the Bélena Pinot Grigio are perfect fits for barbecues in the UK summer. Both have done well in Australia since coming to market four years ago, with the Pinot Grigio the number one brand in AU$15-20 range.”

As for the innovative bottling for both Bélena and Kings of Prohibition, Calabria explained the rationale behind it.

“We’re an 80-year old business but six or seven years ago, we saw a shift and were very worried with the lack of young consumers coming to wine,” he continued. “We said, ‘let’s take a gamble and do something a little bit unique with the packaging.’ Dad supported it but was adamant quality must come first, and we’ve had great success here and in the US.”

Calabria’s father, Bill, who was awarded the Order of Australia for services to wine, was responsible for driving the business to ever more success after his own father founded it.

Kings of Prohibition – varietal-driven VFM

Calabria owns vineyards in Riverina and the Barossa Valley as well as sourcing fruit from across the region

A Kings of Prohibition shipment is due to reach British shores in early June. There are three mid-market labels, all of which showed well - the red blend 2024 (14% abv), Chardonnay 2025 (12.5%) and ‘Lucky Luciano’ Shiraz 2025 (13.5%). Calabria revealed the company has been able to blend cross-regional fruit from elsewhere in New South Wales to increase quality significantly, with some Chardonnay coming from cool-climate Tumbarumba, and Shiraz from Hilltops.

“I'm excited about the Kings of Prohibition range,” Mackey said. “People go crazy over it at consumer shows. I’ve got some commitments from wholesalers and independent retailers.”

Also shortly available on the British market will be some of the extensive McWilliam’s range after a lengthy absence. It used to be distributed by Gallo until they sold the company in 2014, before Calabria Family Wines acquired it in 2021. Next year, McWilliam's celebrates its 150th anniversary, with Calabria planning some commemorative releases, notably from their collection of very rare old tawny ports and other old fortifieds.

"McWilliam's used to be in distribution in the majority of all major retailers in the late 90s/2000s, and we aspire to regain their position as one of Australia's leading wine brands in the UK," added Mackey.

Targeting national UK distribution by year end: Darren Mackey commercial manager UK and Europe, Calabria Family Wines

Mackey revealed that Calabria, while already established in the UK on-trade, want to expand more into the off-trade.

“That’s where Brand Phoenix and Greg come in,” he declared. “A year ago we signed a distribution partnership with Greg that they are distributors for McWilliam’s, Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. There isn’t a time pressure to achieve specific sales within a certain time period, as we want to grow organically and with the right partners."

He added: "We do have big ambitions for the UK market but most importantly, we are in this for the long-haul and appreciate we have to be patient. That being said, we are working extremely hard to ensure we have national distribution on each of these brands by the end of 2026."

A tour of Tasmania's wineries

Geoffrey Dean takes an in-depth tour of Tasmania’s top wineries

Tasmania’s unique, cool, maritime climate and mix of soils makes it an ideal location for world-class sparkling and still wines using Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. As climate change starts to make its presence felt on mainland Australia so large-scale operations such as Penfolds and Hill-Smith Family Estates are also buying up land and sourcing grapes to follow freshness. Geoffrey Dean spent a week there and visited 17 wineries, looking at the island through the lens of an Australian wine expert and as a wine tourist.

15th May 2026by Geoffrey Dean

posted in People: Producer,People,

It is hard not to be seduced by Tasmania as a wine region after driving around it for a week. In that time, I covered 1400 kilometres and visited 17 wineries as well as one whisky distillery. That isn’t even half the number of wineries on the island, while there are several distilleries. The quality of ‘Tassie’ wines, and indeed that of its whisky, continues to reach new heights of excellence, with world-class examples of sparkling wines, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling seemingly around every corner of Australia’s most picture-perfect state.

For the wine tourist, it is nothing short of heaven. For, apart from its wines, you can savour great cuisine, spectacular hiking or cycling, stunning national parks, historic villages and a number of delightful wine estates to stay at. For anyone wanting a round of golf, there is the lure of Australia’s number one links course, Barnbougle, on the north coast.

Meadowbank

Where better to start than my first port of call, Meadowbank, whose Pinot Noir 2024 also happened to be the winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy last November. That is one of Australia’s most cherished prizes at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, being given to the best young red wine of one or two year's age. Making up a triumvirate of Tasmanian all-Australia champions were Tolpuddle Vineyard (their 2024 vintage being crowned Best Chardonnay) and Freycinet Vineyard (whose Radenti Vintage Rose 2017 won Best Sparkling trophy).

Meadowbank is situated at the top end of the Derwent River valley, some 40 miles north-west of Hobart. It is both a vineyard and a Merino sheep station, with owner/viticulturist Gerald Ellis having bought the property in 1976. He planted the Jimmy Watson-winning Pinot Noir vines in 1989 on a bedrock of sandstone over clay, with drip irrigation essential as he gets only 450mm of rain per year. Tastings are by appointment only, with visits from Hobart possible by flying boat, which lands on the river that runs through this scenic hillside property. Renowned vigneron Peter Dredge makes the wines.

Tolpuddle Vineyard

Tolpuddle Vineyard, was named after the Dorset village where some farm labourers, later dubbed the Tolpuddle Martyrs, were deported as convicts to Australia in the 1830s but eventually pardoned. It is arguably Tasmania’s best-known site. Planted in 1988 in the cool and dry Coal River Valley near Hobart, the 31-hectare vineyard is on a north-east facing slope on light silica soils over sandstone, providing perfect conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Since buying it in 2011, Martin Hill Smith MW and Adam Shaw have made a great site even better thanks to soil and clonal improvement, conversion to cane pruning and trellis modifications. Vineyard manager Carlos Souris employs as many as nine Chardonnay and ten Pinot Noir clones. Tasting of current and older vintages is by appointment from Friday till Monday at the new cellar door, which also serves delicious light lunches from top chef Sam Bray. Liberty Wines imports both labels.

Freycinet Vineyard

Adam Wadewitz at Tolpuddle, and Claudio Radenti, are two of Australia’s most accomplished winemakers. The latter has 16 hectares under vine at his Freycinet Vineyard on the picturesque east coast, including a 46-year old block of Pinot Noir vines on one of Australia’s steepest slopes - 42 degrees, close to the maximum gradient found in viticulture. Radenti, one of the most affable of characters, presides over an outstanding range (imported by the Wine Society) that is available for tasting at his welcoming cellar door. Open seven days a week, it is well worth a visit.

Devil’s Corner

So too is the nearby Devil’s Corner winery, whose cellar door offers not just sensational views to the Freycinet Peninsula and the Hazards mountain range but also serious culinary delights. Wallaby bolognese, with its lean meat, is a popular favourite that I enjoyed. ‘Fishers of Freycinet’ has an on-site stall selling Pacific oysters delivered fresh every morning as well as crayfish, scallops, calamari and mussels.

Another attraction is the opportunity to catch one of Freycinet Air’s helicopters that take off from Devil Corner’s front lawn and treat you to a glorious 20-minute flight over the rugged Freycinet National Park and peerless Wineglass Bay. You also get a great view of the Devil’s Corner Hazard’s Vineyard which, with 188 hectares under vine, is the biggest on the island, featuring six varietals. The Mt Baudin Chardonnay 2022 showed especially well, being made by Tamar Ridge winemaker, Tom Wallace, as both wineries are owned by Brown Brothers.

Tamar Ridge

The Tamar Ridge cellar door, which is near the town of Launceston in the north of Tasmania, is a must for any visitor. Perched high above the Tamar Valley beneath it, it has a superb range of sparkling and still wines. Most are imported by Enotria. The Rosevears Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 was a personal favourite, being made from the 115 clone. Right next door to the cellar door, Tamar Ridge owns a dozen individual apartments that offer the wine tourist very comfortable accommodation with eye-catching views over the Tamar River.

Ghost Rock Wines

An hour’s drive west of Tamar Ridge on the north coast is another winery that is a wonderful place to stay at - Ghost Rock Vineyard, 17km east of Devonport. You can rent its stylishly-furnished three-bedroom ‘Vineyard House’, which looks down over the vines to Bass Strait. The restaurant there, open seven days a week for lunches, serves exquisite cuisine that includes Tarkine oysters, gin-cured ocean trout, chargrilled octopus and coal-fired venison.

Ghost Rock’s impressive range, which is made by Californian Sierra Blair and imported into the UK by The Vinorium, features some top-end Pinot Noir, with 14 clones of it grown on several single vineyard sites. Some fine Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc is produced from amongst the most westerly vines on Tasmania. The further west you are in Tasmania the more rain you get, with 800mm per annum typically at Ghost Rock.

House of Arras

Some 90km east of Ghost Rock at Piper’s River can be found the House of Arras winery, widely viewed as home to Australia’s finest sparkling wines. Celebrated vigneron Ed Carr is certainly the country’s most-awarded sparkling winemaker. The cellar door, which is open seven days a week in summer, has 10am and 2pm tutored tastings with a walk through the vineyards included. Some older vintages may be opened. Tirage is generally four to seven years, although the 2006 Late Disgorged EJ Carr, which won the chairman’s trophy at the 2024 Champagne & Sparkling Wines World Championship in London, spent 16 years on the lees. Arras takes fruit from as many as 13 sites from seven different sub-regions across Tasmania in its quest for the best grapes.

Stefano Lubiana

Another outstanding traditional method producer, Stefano Lubiana, is located just outside Hobart in Granton on the banks of the Derwent River. It is also Tasmania’s first biodynamically-certified winery. Steve Lubiana, who is originally from South Australia, moved to Tasmania in 1990 to fulfil his dream of making top sparkling wines and Pinot Noir. He has succeeded in both aims, also crafting fine Chardonnay and Pinot Gris with son Marco. His Prestige 2011, a 50:50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which spent 12 years on the lees, was declared ‘best Aussie sparkling’ in Australia’s leading wine guide, while his La Roccia Pinot Noir 2022 won American critic James Suckling’s citation for Australian wine of 2024. Both are available for tasting from Wednesday till Sunday at the well-appointed cellar.

Chatto Wines

Of comparable quality are the Pinot Noirs of Jim Chatto, who grows nothing but that varietal on his 1.5h plot south-west of Hobart overlooking Glaziers Bay. It is one of the most idyllic vineyards, possessing a warm microclimate in one of the coolest parts of the island. Tastings are by appointment only, but highly recommended for the beautiful drive through the Huon Valley, Jim’s radiant positivity and, of course, his premium range of seven Pinot Noir labels (imported into the UK by Liberty Wines).

Sailor Seeks Horse

Next door to Chatto can be found another excellent Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay) producer by the catchy name of Sailor Seeks Horse. Owner-winemaker Paul Lipscombe, an Englishman who left his marketing job in London twenty years ago aged 29 to study oenology, married an Aussie and moved to Tasmania in 2010 where he bought an eight-hectare vineyard that was derelict with very poor ancient soils. Replanting 75% of it, he gets low yields of 2-3 tons per hectare, but the wines absolutely sing, with savouriness, salinity and minerality their hallmarks. In keeping with the winery’s wacky name (dreamt up by Lipscombe in a pub), his ‘cellar door’ is not a building but the back of his ‘ute’ (utility vehicle) from which tastings are done. He’s even enticed the finance director of Apple there.

Stargazer Wines

Another top quality boutique producer is Stargazer, whose newly opened cellar door has dramatic 180-degree views down towards Tea Tree and the pretty village of Richmond beyond. Talented New Zealander Samantha Connew, who also makes the wines at the Pressing Matters winery, fashions a much-lauded range of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that is imported by Enotria. She also buys in Shiraz from the Brinktop winery that constitutes 75% of an alluring 2024 label (25% Pinot) that is named ‘Kura' after the Maori word for ‘scarlet.’

Brinktop

Brinktop, which lies 10km south-east of Richmond, is a boutique eight-hectare estate that not only produces high quality fruit but also has a very comfortable two-bedroom cottage that can be rented. Owners Todd Goebbel, a Canadian, and his Australian wife, Gill Christian, are a charming couple, who act as winemaker and viticulturist respectively. Their Killara Pinot Noir 2024 showed very well, with Chatto buying some of the fruit for it for one of his own labels. Giant Steps, the Yarra Valley producer, and Stargazer also take some of Brinktop’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Riversdale Estate

Situated, like Brinktop, in the Coal River Valley is the premium winery of Riversdale Estate. With 46 hectares under vine, it is the biggest privately-owned estate in Tasmania, having been bought in 1980 by Ian Roberts before he married joint-owner Wendy. Its location is second to none, being the only vineyard planted by the Pittwater waterfront, into which the Coal River flows. As such, it benefits from a maritime climate.

Fittingly, given the presence of a giant observatory next door, some wines are named after constellations. These include the excellent Centaurus Pinot Noir 2023, made from a selection of the best barrels, and the Musca Syrah 2021, which won best-wine-of-show at the 2023 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge (the first time a producer had done so back-to-back).

Riversdale Estate's Roberts Cottage

Riversdale is much more than a winery, with the Roberts farming 450 Border Leicester and Merino sheep. Lamb from them is used in the onsite French bistro as well as the nearby Richmond Arms & Crown Inn, a good place to eat. The estate has one of the largest olive groves in Tasmania, and also has four delightful French provincial-style cottages to stay in, with sweeping views down to the Pittwater. The striking cellar door does too, with the full Riversdale range available for tasting seven days a week. Two-hour winery tours can be made by appointment. The range is imported by VINVM Ltd.

Sullivans Cove

Very close to Riversdale is the Sullivans Cove distillery, which is Australia’s most awarded whisky producer. In 2014, it was the first distillery outside Scotland and Japan to be classified the world’s best single malt at the World Whiskies Awards, and the first to win the world’s best single cask twice (in 2018 and 2019). Head distiller Heather Tillott was adjudged distillery manager of the year in 2024. “It was nice recognition, but we don’t do it for the awards,” she told me. “Whether we are going to copy Scotch is something I often get asked. I like to perceive it through the lense of of our premium wine casks. We do some finishing but focus on full maturation in cask.” Her casks include Bourbon, Australian tawny port, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other still wine barrels. The distillery is open seven days a week for tours.

The Sullivans Cove 25-year old whisky is available at the excellent Restaurant Maria on the Brook Street pier in Hobart. Apart from its lovely views out over the capital’s harbour and delicious Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, it has an extensive wine list from both Tasmania and Latin countries alike as well as Tassie ciders, beers and spirits.

Moorilla Estate

Finally, no trip to Tasmania would be complete without a visit to Moorilla Estate, the island’s second oldest winery, which is located in Hobart on an isthmus projecting out into the Derwent River. The combination of winery and restaurant, and beneath, the underground Mona Museum with its ancient and contemporary art, makes for a rewarding half-day visit. Canadian winemaker Conor van der Rees crafts a worthy range, notable for its sparklings and red/white blends.\

Domaine A

The cellar door and museum are open Thursday till Sunday, as is another leading Coal River Valley estate, Domaine A, where van der Rees is also winemaker. It produces Tasmania’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon, which ripens thanks to its unusually warm microclimate. Once thought too cool climate for certain black grapes, Tasmania has benefited from global warming, and arguably now has the best conditions for grape-growing in Australia thanks to its wide diurnal range. It is also the country’s premier wine tourism destination.

Taittinger & the 2026 World Cup

Taittinger on its special relationship with the 2026 FIFA World Cup™

As the world readies itself for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ this summer, for Champagne Taittinger this biggest event in footballing history has extra special significance. This year’s World Cup will be the fourth one for which Taittinger has been FIFA’s sole Champagne house partner – a relationship which has helped change its perception from being traditional to audacious, and which has been a step change for the house in terms of size. Geoffrey Dean travelled to Paris to hear from Vitalie and Clovis Taittinger as they launched the 350,000 limited edition special label bottles.

7th May 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

Ahead of the football World Cup of 2014 in Brazil, FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, decided it wanted a leading Champagne house to become one of its partners for the event. So they approached a cousin of the Taittinger family, who happened to be working in the world of sports marketing, to see if Taittinger might be interested. It was and Champagne Taittinger has remained a partner of FIFA for every World Cup since, with 350,000 limited edition special label bottles about to be released for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.

The tournament, which starts in early June and runs until the middle of July, will be the biggest event in footballing history, with 48 nations taking part across three host countries – Mexico, the United States and Canada. There will also be three host countries for the 2030 World Cup – Morocco, Portugal and Spain – where Taittinger has already announced it will also be a partner with FIFA for that event, as well as the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

"So we have to go back to the basics, and to understand we are human, we need emotion," Vitalie Taittinger, president and CEO of Champagne Taittinger, Paris, April 2026.

Significant allocation

In Paris last week, Taittinger formally launched the limited edition release, with both Vitalie Taittinger, the company’s president and CEO, and her brother Clovis Taittinger, the general manager, being present. Vitalie revealed that Hatch Mansfield, Taittinger’s UK importer, would receive a significant allocation of the product which is available from late April.

“Taittinger is a serious Champagne house,” Vitalie announced in the hallowed gardens of the Saint James hotel in central Paris. “All year we are dreamers. It started for us with my father, who thought one day he could re-buy our Champagne company, and finally he managed to do it. We have to build teams, excellency, vineyards - we have to be the major actor in everything.”

Vitalie went on to explain the significance of partnering with FIFA, both internally and externally.

“When Clovis came one day with this partnership with FIFA, it was the beginning of a new page at Taittinger. We were the first Champagne house partner at FIFA. For Taittinger, it has been a step, a jump in terms of size, image and perception. They used to see us as quite traditional, but this partnership told something different to everyone. It was important to tell everyone we were competitors, that we were audacious, and to make people dream. The teams in the export countries - they build this brand with much more energy and to take it to new places.”

The Taittinger family’s love of football goes back generations.

“My grandfather Jean Taittinger was mayor of Reims for almost 20 years, where there was a fantastic football team,” Vitalie recalled. “He and my father attended their home matches. Our passion for football started there with Clovis, my sister Clemence and I going to a lot of matches. We learnt that football is, most of all, the team. You have an energy to this sport which is fantastic; you have a possibility of dreams which is fantastic, and you have a joy which is present at every match.”

Not about politics

“For us, it is not a question of politics. This wine is what it is because of the passion of countries for Champagne. It is important for us to show that Champagne is for all the countries and to show the link is about love, friendship and to create joy.”

Both Vitalie and Clovis will be going to North America for some of the World Cup matches. Clovis will be there for a month and will attend as many as ten games. The motivation, however, runs far deeper than the sport.

“This is much more than a football partnership,” Vitalie continued, “The USA is very important for Champagne as they helped us a lot to refurbish Reims after the Second World War. Thanks to them, we have a roof on the cathedral, a wonderful hospital for children and many many places in Reims that are proving the link. For all those reasons, we love America, and we will always fight with America to help them and to share adventures with them.”

Clovis likewise sought to explain the company’s rationale behind its partner status with FIFA.

“A partnership like this obliges you to go beyond your natural playground and out of the box,” he mused. “It’s something you have to force yourself to do. The challenge is part of life – sometimes you can sit quietly in your seat, but at Taittinger we like to participate in the banquet of life. Life is a football game, and as an official partner, we are a player.”

“We are FIFA' s only French company, their only wine producer. I am a big football fan. When I was young, my wish was to see France win a World Cup before I die. We’ve done that twice, and are becoming more a winning nation. When I was young, it was impossible. The magic of sport is the unpredictability, and that’s the magic of life too.”

The last word should go to Vitalie, who radiates undiluted positivity.

“This World Cup will be a big family platform of joy," she concluded. “We need that more than everything else today because the world is too complex. So we have to go back to the basics, and to understand we are human, we need emotion, we need to be close to each other and we need to continue to have those things with other countries.”

“I am committed to culture as I am convinced that through it we find ourselves, and I think this is the only way to be able to bring people together without thinking about politics. We are here to have a good life, to enjoy. It’s important that being a Champagne company, we are able to give this input.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ special label of Taittinger will be available in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose, independent drinks retailers and selected on-trade.

Champagne Taittinger is sold and distributed in the UK through Hatch Mansfield which is a commercial partner of The Buyer.