The 5 S’s of Wine Tasting: See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Savour
See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip and Savour, with the physical reason behind each step, plus the two myths the ritual carries and one cheap bottle to practise on.
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Off-Dry Wine: What It Means and How Sweet It Is
Off-dry means 4 to 12 grams of sugar a litre. Here is the full sweetness scale in numbers, why off-dry often tastes dry, and why Extra Dry sparkling is sweeter than Brut.
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What Is a Fifth Growth Wine? The 1855 Bordeaux Ranking Explained
A fifth growth is a Bordeaux château in the bottom band of the 1855 classification. There are 18, twelve of them in Pauillac, and the label says more about 1855 prices than today’s wine.
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What Is a Riddling Rack? The Champagne Tool Explained
A riddling rack holds 120 bottles neck-down so the yeast slides into the neck. Here is how it works, who invented it, and why machines replaced it.
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Vintage vs Non-Vintage Champagne: The Difference Explained
Non-vintage is a blend of years made for consistency; vintage is one great year aged longer. How each is made, how they taste, what they cost and which to buy.
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MCC vs Champagne: The Difference, and Which One to Buy
Same method, different place, very different price. What Méthode Cap Classique is, how the rules compare to Champagne, and when each one is the right bottle.
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