Grand Vin Wine Merchants UK | Blog

The village of Châteauneuf du Pape is in the far south of France, where the long-travelled river Rhone broadens through Montélimar (of nougat fame), Orange and the Camargue on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. The atmospheric name of place and wine is uncontrived. These vineyards are just a few miles from the briefly papal city of Avignon, and are overlooked by the (now ruined) “new chateau” built on a hill as a breezy summer retreat for their Holinesses in the 14 th century. The region drips atmosphere: a place of sun, thyme and lavender. There are ruined Roman glories and craggy hills. Evocative but arid Mistral winds. We Brits seem particularly susceptible to the siren call of this bright, dry Mediterranean warmth. Châteauneuf du Pape certainly has great resonance for us: it is one of the most familiar and popular fine French reds. The producers here were the first to come together to draw up rules on production methods to maintain quality, dissuade fakers and protect their r...

My least favourite question is one that I’m frequently asked: “So, what’s your favourite wine?” I once made a chap at a party quite cross by my inability to pin it down to a single answer. It’s like being asked to choose between your children. Burgundy for temple moments. Bordeaux for purring confidence. Champagne for uplift. Australian for exuberance. But if forced, under some terrible threat, to pick one wine to save in all the world, I would choose Barolo. It has been compared with the great reds of Bordeaux. But this intriguing, sometimes misunderstood Italian is only really like itself. (Or possibly Barbaresco. But that's another story.) Like Bordeaux, Barolo is substantial. This full-bodied, long-lived wine is serious but, unlike its hedonistic Tuscan cousins, not showy. Despite its firm tannins and full body, I think Barolo has more in common with Burgundy than Bordeaux. Like Burgundy, Barolo is the expression of a single grape variety: Nebbiolo. This Italian vine var...