How to describe wine like a French sommelier Winemaker Jonathan Hesford provides a beginner’s guide to talking about flavours, smells and preferences in French
French supermarkets prepare to launch traditional ‘Foires aux Vins’ The annual event sees many wines on offer at lower-than-normal prices but the involvement of supermarkets in wine sales is still considered controversial by some
Wine tips: ‘Acidity is a balancing act with sweetness and tannins’ Vigneron Jonathan Hesford explains how acids affect the way a wine tastes and reveals some winemaker tricks Are there bargains to be found at France’s Foires aux Vins wine sales? Wine tasting basics: describing the smell, the flavour and the texture French wine rules despite sour grapes at ‘Judgment of Paris’
What makes the perfect French wine fair? 'Wine fairs are the perfect opportunity to discover local wines that are not in the supermarkets or taste and buy wines direct from producers from outside your region'
From a French vineyard: The science behind why wine goes bad Eventually every bottle of wine will become 'over the hill', says Jonathan Hesford, who walks us through how some wines taste off, yet why some faults are a good thing
French wine tasting: How to sound like an expert A brief guide on key terms to learn the 'language of wine' and sound like a seasoned wine connoisseur
How the wine of France’s royal court has been reborn again A wine served only at France’s royal court until the Revolution has been saved from extinction for a second time, and the grape is being grown once again.
200-years of Australian-French winemaking cooperation Today, French consumers may be indifferent to Australian wine but there is a 200-year history of winemaking cooperation between the two countries, as Michael Delahaye explains.
Zero-waste winemaking technique means more flavour and taste How one French researcher's innovative method is using fermentation to unlock flavours normally hidden in the pulp left over from winemaking.
The rise of rosé wine in France, plus taste trends to note Jonathan Hesford on taste trends and the most ‘Instagrammable’ of French tipples.
Are hand-picked grapes the hallmark of a true quality wine? Human vs machine: Jonathan Hesford gives a vigneron view of the pros and cons of hand-picking grapes.
Wine tasting: should we value enthusiasm over expertise? Why we should appreciate the knowledge of enthusiasts and debunk tasteless wine snobbery.
Coronavirus: How France's winemakers are coping What does Covid-19 mean for France's independent winemakers? Jonathan Hesford reveals all. Fine French wine auctioned to help Covid-19 care staff My tasty day as a citizen wine jury member The French vineyard: get the best from your bottle
Trump wine taxes threaten 100,000 jobs in France At least 100,000 jobs in France could be at risk as the 25% import taxes imposed on French wine by US President Donald Trump continue to affect the industry, wine industry experts have said. Parisian wine: an Eiffel vintage A year in a French vineyard: April 2019 Dordogne winemaker uses cotton pants to analyse soil A 'grand cru' tour of southern France French ‘ice wine’ producers begin freezing harvest
Oenologist Antoine Médeville talks about his work Antoine Médeville is an oenologue who is the director of a consultancy service, Oenoconseil, which gives advice on every stage of wine making from planting the vines to marketing the bottled end result to chateaux and winemakers in the Bordeaux area. In his office at Pauillac there is a wine testing laboratory and three oenologues , including himself, who work with 120 wine producers. Unsurprisingly September, when the wine harvest begins, is the busiest time of the year...
Six different activities to try at vineyards Traditionally, wine producers made wine and sold it. What stock was not bought in bulk by retailers they sold via their own boutiques, occasionally holding tastings to encourage people to buy a case or two.
French saucisson world championship concludes today A contest calling itself the first ever world championship of proper French-style saucisson is to announce a winner today, from over 80 global entrants.
Centuries-old bottle of wine sells for €103,700 A bottle of wine from the year 1774 has been auctioned for over €100,000 in the Jura, along with two other bottles that fetched almost as much.
Wine matured at bottom of Lac Léman raised and tasted More than 2,000 bottles and barrels of Savoie wine that were submerged at the bottom of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) one year ago, to accelerate their aging process, have been brought to the surface and tasted.
Wine expert predicts dramatic change for Bordeaux 2050 A viticulturist and oenologist has predicted that the taste of Bordeaux wine is likely to change dramatically by 2050, should global warming continue at its current rate.
A year in the vineyard: April A vineyard visit is not simply an excuse for a few free drinks, says Jonathan Hesford
A year in the vineyard: January There are many falsehoods surrounding wine and wine drinking, says Jonathan Hesford
First bottles of 2017 New Beaujolais wine uncorked The first bottles of the 2017 vintage of new Beaujolais - Beaujolais Nouveau - have been uncorked and tasted.