Wine in the World

Caves, Kings, and Pinot: The Hidden History of Burgundy Few wine regions carry as much myth as Burgundy, where limestone caves echo with centuries of vinting and the idea that a bottle can capture a landscape. The world-spanning dialogue of wine bloggers and connoisseurs keeps circling back to this slender French spine, where caves hold more than wine: they cradle a history of dukes, monastic hands, and the quiet science of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In Burgundy, the story of wine is inseparable from place, power, and palate. From monastery cellars to ducal courts In Burgundy, much of the wine’s history centers on storage and aging in cool, damp caverns carved into limestone. These caves are both practical and symbolic: a way to preserve precious juice and a stage for a regional economy that thrived on trust between grower and buyer. During the medieval and early modern eras, the Duchy of Burgundy rose in power, turning wine into diplomatic capital. Monastic orders refined technique...

Bordeaux by the Century: A History of the World's Most Revered Wine Region Monks, Markets, and Merlot: The Long History of Bordeaux From the abbeys and monasteries that once shaded the banks of the Gironde, Bordeaux’s wine story begins with careful hands tending vines and disciplined vineyard practices. The orders—Cistercians and Benedictines among them—helped cultivate vines and establish blending sensibilities that would define the region for centuries. Merlot, which would mature into a signature component of many right-bank blends, found its favored home in Bordeaux’s clay and gravel soils, imparting softness, fragrance, and balance that set a standard for approachable elegance. As vineyards spread along the left bank toward the gravelly Médoc and Graves and on the right toward Saint‑Émilion and Pomerol, the river transformed into a conduit for trade. Bordeaux wines traveled by boat to markets across Europe, especially England, turning the region into a durable, recognizable ...

From Monks to Microclimates: Burgundy's Long, Tasted History Burgundy does more than produce wines; it tells a layered history of monks, monasteries, and meticulous attention to place. The earliest whispers of Burgundy wine arise from medieval cloisters, where Benedictine and later Cistercian orders organized, protected, and shared a wine culture that traveled far beyond church walls. In places like the Côte d’Or, visionary monks laid out vine blocks, mapped sun‑drenched slopes, and built cellars that echoed with the rhythm of harvests. From those quiet vintages grew a reputation that would one day be measured not just in bottles, but in the map of a land where terroir became a language wine could speak across centuries. Terroir and Microclimates: The Dance of Soils and Slope What makes Burgundy’s wines so unmistakable is less a single grape than a geography. The Côte d’Or splits into a mosaic of microclimates—from sunlit, limestone-rich plots to cooler, clay‑laden pockets—each ...

Deep Roots, Wide Worlds: The Global Ties of Viticultural Traditions Wine travels. Vines were planted along ancient trade routes, and today they knit together continents with the same curiosity that makes a good glass linger on the palate. In Wine in the World, we trace how vineyards speak through soil, climate, and craft, revealing a tapestry of taste that spans famed regions and quiet corners alike. Old World Anchors From Bordeaux and Burgundy to Rioja and Mosel, Old World wine regions carry centuries of tradition in their stone cellars and hillside terraces. Bordeaux blends taught generations the art of cépage and oak; Burgundy forged terroir into a language of mineral soil and Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. In Rioja and Ribera del Duero, time is a quiet companion to Tempranillo, while the Douro whispers Port's story in Lusitanian sun. Champagne remains the theatre of carbonic sparkle and patient dosage, while Tuscany's Sangiovese gives lives to Brunello and Chianti riservas. A...

Rioja: A Tapestry of Time and Terroir In the north of Spain, along the Ebro, Rioja unfolds as a living tapestry woven from centuries of winemaking. When I stand in a cellar that has aged with nobles and neighbors alike, the air tastes of vanilla, rain-soaked earth, and dry oak. Rioja isn’t a single vintage; it is a timeline, a map of memory from sun-warmed terraces to the bottle that waits in a quiet cellar. To trace Rioja is to follow a river of tradition that has grown richer with time. Grapes and Terroir Grapes are Rioja’s bones. Tempranillo, Rioja’s beating heart, carries red cherry, plum, and a natural acidity that helps it age with dignity. Garnacha lends warmth and softness, while Graciano contributes color, aroma, and a backbone of spice. Mazuelo adds structure and a hint of tartness that keeps wines lively through the years. Viura (and its white cousins Malvasía and Moscatel in some blends) gives the brighter side, producing whites that range from brisk and citrusy to rich...

Sip the Unseen: An Unusual Wine Tasting Journey Across Hidden Wineries Worldwide Wine journalism often chases the marquee labels and the crowd‑pleasing vintage. Yet true tasting magic happens when you step beyond the well‑trodden map and listen to the land. This is a journey through hidden wineries worldwide, where the vines answer with mineral, fruit, and time rather than prestige. In every glass, a story of climate, altitude, and patient hands emerges—a story you drink as much as you savor. From famed regions that shaped modern winemaking to quiet outposts that guard rare grape souls, the voyage invites you to taste with intention, curiosity, and a light touch of adventure. The Classics Revisited: Hidden Corners of Bordeaux and Burgundy In the shade of grand châteaux, small domaines practice invisible art—often biodynamic, always attentive to terroir. A Saint‑Émilion merlot here, a Burgundy pinot noir there, leaner, cooler vintages aged in old barrels reveal a restrained elegance ...