Wow – can you believe 2023 is almost over? The end of the year has crept up on me and I wonder if it’s just me or everyone else too. Regardless there is plenty to celebrate now that the year has ended. Whether it is looking forward to the holidays at the end of the year, spending time with friends and family, or both! It’s also a great time to look back at the year that was, and I’m looking back on a year packed full of great wines and some awesome wine guides. So to help you celebrate the end of the year, I wanted to share my top wine guides of 2023. I hope they might give you some fun holiday reading if you want to brush up on some wine knowledge. So let’s dive into some of my favourites.
Wine region guides
I know this is more than one article, but I had a lot of fun collating a bunch of great information about the wine regions we visited on our trip to Europe. We ticked off a lot of major regions on our holiday, and I wanted to share these guides in one place so you can read up on them and plan your next wine holiday (or daydream of course)!
- Piedmont travel guide
- Bordeaux travel guide
- Tuscany travel guide
- Rioja travel guide
- Douro Valley travel guide
Wine ageing: Oak barrels versus stainless steel tanks
One of the big parts of the winemaking process is ageing, which can last anywhere from a couple of months to several years. When it comes to ageing wine there are several different vessels winemakers can choose to use. Two of the most popular vessels are oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. But which one is better? This guide dives into everything you need to know about these two vessels and the pros and cons of each.
Get the guide here.
Why are there specific glasses for different wines?
You may have noticed that there are so many wine glass shapes out there. And often there are glasses designed specifically for certain varieties i.e. a Pinot Noir glass vs a Shiraz glass. But why are there specific glasses for different wines and does it make a difference? This wine guide dives into everything you need to know about glasses. It looks at why there are so many available, and what you should look for.
Get the guide here.
Elegance in wine – Wine Terms Explained
There are so many weird wine terms out there that I unpack on the blog (get the full catalogue here). And this year we covered a few fun ones, from spicy to backbone. But I enjoyed writing about the topic of elegance in wine.
Elegance in wine, or elegant, is a word used a lot in wine descriptions. But when you start to look into what it means, you realize just how vague it is. Everyone seems to have their definition of this term, and it is used commonly out of context. This guide dives into this confusing and subjective wine term.
Get the guide here.
Cava wine guide
I also write many wine guides that break down everything you need to know about grape varieties and wine types (get more here). One of my favourite ones I covered this year was Cava from Spain.
Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne, using similar methods to produce delicious Sparkling wine that’s affordable too. In this Cava wine guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about Cava. From its origins, where to find it and food pairings, this guide has it all.
Get the guide here.
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