Stéphane Beauroy

Though we have put off discussion of Cabernet Sauvignon until now, the grape is perhaps the world’s most famous, known both for its popularity on its own and for its role in the blended wines of Bordeaux. In warm climates, such as California and Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon ripens well, so … Read More

Wine’s most surprising grape might just be Sauvignon Blanc, a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. Initially a rather quiet grape, after being planted in New Zealand in the 1970s, it soon made wines of screaming pungency and raciness. Marlborough Sauvignon is now one of the world’s most distinctive kinds of wine. … Read More

Red Wine 201 continues with what’s arguably the “world’s best red grape”: Shiraz – or Syrah. For many years, the story was that it came from Persia and was named after the city of Shiraz. But myth-busting DNA analysis has revealed that it’s indigenous to France’s northern Rhône where it’s … Read More

White Wine 201 would fail you if it didn’t mention Riesling. The thrillingly fine balance of sweetness and acidity of this variety can have “the inevitability of great art” in the best examples. One 19th century traveler exclaimed, on tasting wine from the world’s oldest all-Riesling vineyard at Germany’s Schloss … Read More