The Navarra region is located in the northeast of Spain, between the Pyrenees and the Ebro valley. The situation is unique on the Iberian peninsula, with a meeting of Atlantic, continental and Mediterranean climates, producing exceptionally diverse ecosystems and vegetation: hillside slopes, river landscapes, plains and high-altitude plains combine to create a diverse landscape. The wine growing region covers a vineyard area of around 12,000 hectares, and is located to the south of the regional capital Pamplona and bears the protected designation of origin “Denominación de Origen Protegida” (DOP). Navarra consists of five growing districts: Baja Montaña, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella, Ribera Alta and Ribera Baja.
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Wagram, Kremstal, and Traisental are relatively young Austrian wine growing regions and therefore not as well known to foreign wine consumers as for example is the Wachau. However, a closer look to these often actually very old wine regions is worthwile. Although the Grüner Veltliner is by far the dominating grape variety, one can find here an enormous diversity of styles and characters – and frequently impressive qualities.
The Thermenregion wine growing area has a total vineyard area of around 2,200 hectares, divided among some 1,250 wine growers and producers. It was created in 1985 when the regions Gumpoldskirchen and Bad Vöslau, which up to then had been independent, were merged. The former designation for both regions was Südbahn (southern train line, which runs from Vienna to here), a term still used today by older wine enthusiasts. The Thermenregion is the south-western section of the Vienna Basin, and is one of the warmest regions in Austria.
This wine growing region, with a total vineyard area of 910 hectares divided among some 750 wine growers and producers is located in the federal state of Lower Austria, close to Vienna, and is one of the smallest regions in Austria. Carnuntum derives its name from an important city that existed here in Roman times, in its heyday it had some 50,000 inhabitants and a large amphitheatre.
Ignoring Vienna for the moment, which holds a special position, Styria is the smallest wine growing region in Austria, albeit one showing relatively rapid growth. From the outside, the three sub-zones of Western Styria, Southern Styria and South-Eastern Styria are usually perceived as being less independent and distinctive than, say, the individual wine growing regions in Lower Austria, nevertheless they show more differences among each other than do, for example, the Kamptal and Kremstal regions.
With a total vineyard area of 13,840 hectares, the Burgenland region is the second-largest wine growing region in Austria, and is also considered to be the warmest region. The northern part of Burgenland, in particular, is strongly influenced by the hot continental pannonian climate, and as a result many of the most full-bodied red wines produced in Austria hail from this region. There are significant differences within the federal state, even though the two more southerly regions, Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland, are also subject to a pannonian climate, the character of the wines produced here is different.
The Weinviertel region, with its total vineyard area of 13,356 ha, is the largest wine-growing region in Austria, and only around 10 per cent smaller than the Baden region in Germany. This is a landscape that has been cultivated for more than 7,000 years, with wine having been grown here for around 1,300 years. Roughly speaking, it is bordered in the south by the Danube river, by the Czech Republic in the north, by Slovakia in the east, and by the Waldviertel region as well as the Kamptal wine growing region in the west. This large expanse makes it seem logical that there will be differences in climatic and soil conditions.
The Denominación de Origen (DO) Alicante is located in the Levante, in the southeast of Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. It is one of the oldest protected designations of origin in Spain and is sub-divided into two sub-zones: Alicante Clásico and La Marina Alta. Alicante is part of the Valencia region, and the DO bears the same name as the province, in which it is located, and of its capita. The total vineyard area of the DO Alicante is around 14,500 hectares.
The Murcia region is located in the south-east of Spain on the Mediterranean coast. Surrounded by the regions of Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucía, it is located in the Levante, and is also a province, while Murcia is also the name of the provincial capital. There are three wine-growing regions with a protected designation of origin (DO), named after the cities they surround: DO Bullas, DO Jumilla and DO Yecla. The total vineyard area of the Murcia region is around 47,000 hectares.
Two hours by car to the northwest of Madrid lies the most important white wine growing region in Spain, the D.O. Rueda. According to a current Nielsen study this is by now the fourth most important appellation in the country – and that even though it is almost exclusively a white wine region. The characteristic Verdejo wines are also very popular in Germany. For a number of years now Rueda has been heading up the export statistics for the German market. These fresh, surprisingly fruity wines are grown on the poor soils of old Castile: bounded in the north by the Duero river, the lifeblood of several famous wine growing regions in Spain, lies the D.O. Rueda in the heart of the region of Castile and León, close to the capital of Valladolid.
Ebay is the world's largest online marketplace and the largest platform for selling wines. Simple wines for every taste and Fine Wines for investment. But not every wine which is sold at auctions is the wine you are willing to bid on. Some sellers try to sell stuff that doesn't deserve the term "wine“.
Modern oenologists, craggy types, unwavering traditionalists: the spectrum of winemakers to be found on Cyprus is huge. Around 10.000 families deliver their grapes exclusively to the largest winery, the Sodap cooperative. 
The white wines as well as the Vinsanto (or vissanto) from Santorini are today reckoned to be among the best wines of Greece. However, the continuing boom in tourism on the beautiful volcanic island has taken its toll. Water is becoming increasingly scarce, and the vineyard area has been continually reduced for many years, while in the remaining vineyards the yields are low, and there is a continuous battle against wind and drought. 
Giovanni Russo is a rather reticent person, but open and extremely friendly, he listens patiently, thus giving every guest the feeling that he is welcome. In fact, he much prefers not to talk too much about himself, although eventually I was able to elicit a few details from him. 
The wine list at the „La Vierge” restaurant makes great reading. This has recently become one of the leading trendy restaurants, listing a half dozen sparkling wines by the glass, and half of these are genuine Champagne. One must stress this, imported from France for hard Euros, highly valued against the weak South African Rand, yet they are only marginally more expensive than the top local sparkling wines... 
When you arrive in the Gavi region - or even better, when you return to it - you will perceive a ”sense of place, which turns this territory into something unique, and distinguishes it from other well-known wine regions in southern Piemont, such as the Langhe and Monferrato... 
The province of Alessandria in the Piemont region stretches over a very wide area, and includes five different winegrowing regions: the Acquese, the Ovadese, the Gaviese, the Tortonese and the Casalese. They represent the most easterly part of the southern Piemont... 
How to describe Dolcetto without sounding too banal? Lets try. First of all, one notes the colour, a full and deep ruby red that tends to be more intense than that of Barbera... 
Although there is little doubt that the oldest wine-related archaeological finds are from Mesopotamia, it is equally right to consider Greece to be the cradle of wine culture as far as Central Europe is concerned. The wine industry stagnated for a long time, now it is catching up with a high level of activity and innovation. That is not only a result of... 
In the third part of the series „Alto Adige goes green” author Roland Brunner looks at some of the best-known wine producers in Alto Adige, and at their organic wine projects. 
They said there was no danger anymore, and went off duty themselves later, going back down to the village for a well-earned break. The next morning, the 34-year-old wine producer got up early to go up to his wine estate. But that was no longer there. All he could see in front of him was a wildly burning heap of rubble. The fire had come during the night.
The Xynomavro is a red grape variety and, something that is the rule rather than the exception in Greece, an indigenous variety. The name translates as ”black and sour, which does not sound too appealing, particularly in an age of fruit-driven, approachable, soft wines. And apart from that? 
At the time, the founding fathers of the region had only one objective in mind: to create a proper, regulated production and marketing environment. Nobody at the time had dared to think that only a decade later they would be turning the world of Spanish wines upside down... 
The Roussillon region is one of the most attractive and varied regions in France, as well as being the southernmost departement. The Roussillon region has a number of advantages in terms of winegrowing and these are being used increasingly by modern winemakers today... 
Here, in the southeastern corner of Austria, they produce more than just outstanding wine. This paradise on earth has many other delights in store for the dedicated hedonist: chocolate of a slightly different style, nutty pumpkin seed oil, vinegar, ham and many other specialities. 
Within their regions, these groups and associations of young winemakers are often bringing a fresh breath of air into the local wine scene. Both with regard to the marketing of their wines, and also in terms of adjusting their quality to the demands of a new and more sophisticated... 
Throughout the year in New York City wine events and trade tastings promoting wines from the well-known and unknown wine regions of the world are held on a daily basis. At the height of the spring and fall season, there can be three or more in a day. Its easy for people here in the wine trade to become jaded, complacent, or at least tired. So, who cares about this? 
Retsina is a style of wine that is thousands of years old, and even in modern Greece still represents the classical ubiquitous style of wine. No taverna in Greece could afford not to stock retsina, and it can be found on the wine lists of even the most upper-class restaurants... 
Eric Bordelet, Ex-sommelier of the three-star Arpège restaurant in Paris, was the first to point out to me that apple wine is not just a liquid designed to scratch your throat and flush your kidneys. The sydres or poirés, gently sparkling beverages made on the border between Normandy and Brittany... 
Grapes have been grown and wine has been made on Canadas Niagara Peninsula since the 19th century. However, the modern success of the Canadian wine industry can be traced to the 1970s when a few forward thinking wine producers made the commitment to Vitis vinifera... 
Barbera has always had a tough time in Piemont, being overshadowed by Nebbiolo. Increasingly now, it is gaining ground, not least thanks to the slowly awakening growing regions DOC Barbera Monferrato... 
The wine scene in Austria is flush with any number of new ideas and projects, yet even here the Leithaberg project caused quite a stir. Certainly, it had become more frequent in recent years to hear wine producers talking about ”terroir and ”individual character...
Acqui Terme is a delightful historical town. All around the town, a wine is grown and produced that promises quality and sensual delights. Its name is Brachetto (dAcqui). An Italian treasure...
Some may think of Canada as the land of permafrost and northern lights bordering the Arctic with decent beer, maple syrup, and bacon in a can, with an endless supply of good comedians and hockey players who eventually emigrate south. 
The Antique Wine Company, which has ist headquarters in London, is in the happy position of being able to offer a total of 134 vintages of what is perhaps the most famous sweet wine in the world - Chateau dYquem - on auction. 
The biggest international wine festival in Italy takes place in Merano, a weekend in the Vinschgau region with the best Riesling wines in the world.
As in many of the best known and most interesting wine-growing regions in Europe, viticulture has a long tradition in the Mittelburgenland region in Austria. It all began more than 2000 years ago with the Celts, and experienced a first golden age in Roman times..., 
California evokes opposite worlds of both sin and sanctity, but with more emotional fervor and more luxuriant resources than other places. I spent the month of April there.
London and wine? Is it possible that one of the greatest and most interesting capitals of wine can be found in a country that hardly has a 1000 hectares of vineyards to show for itself? Yes!
The small estates are suffering most from the crisis in Bordeaux. Even an outstanding vintage is currently of not much use to the producers in the marginal appellations.