Beaujolais
Gamay is the constant; the result is not. Beaujolais runs from immediate, juicy reds to serious, structured cru wines, making it one of the clearest places to learn what a single grape can do across different sites.
Discover
Ways in
There is no single right order. Answer five questions about what you like, or follow a grape, a region, or a piece of writing until it makes sense.
By grape
Albariño
Bright, dry and aromatic is the familiar version — but Albariño can carry more texture and development than its reputation as a simple summer white suggests.
Assyrtiko
A white grape that can keep striking acidity and structure in hot conditions. Santorini is its defining reference point: citrus, density, austerity and a salty impression rather than exuberant perfume.
Cabernet Franc
Fresh red fruit, herbal and floral lift, and usually less sheer weight than Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet Franc is one of the most useful red grapes for drinkers who want structure without heaviness.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is famous for power and prestige, but the more useful thing to understand is its structure: tannin, ripeness and blending shape the wine far more than the price tag does.
Chardonnay
One grape, remarkably different results. Chardonnay can be taut and fresh or broad and creamy, depending on where it grows and what happens in the winery.
Chenin Blanc
Dry, sweet, sparkling, lean or richly textured: Chenin Blanc changes form dramatically, but its naturally high acidity is the thread that keeps the family resemblance.
By place
Beaujolais
Gamay is the constant; the result is not. Beaujolais runs from immediate, juicy reds to serious, structured cru wines, making it one of the clearest places to learn what a single grape can do across different sites.
Burgundy
Burgundy is easier once you stop trying to memorise famous names. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir do most of the work; the place on the label tells you how narrowly the wine's origin has been defined.
Cahors
Malbec before the Argentine shorthand: Cahors is a red-only appellation in south-west France where the grape can show darker fruit, firmer structure and a more savoury frame.
Loire Valley
The Loire is not one wine style stretched along a river. It is a sequence of different vineyard areas, grapes and traditions — from Muscadet by the Atlantic to Chenin, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon further inland.
Mendoza
Argentina's most famous wine province is far more varied than the phrase “high-altitude Malbec” suggests. The useful clue is to look past Mendoza on the front label and ask which part of Mendoza the wine actually comes from.
Mosel
Riesling, steep river valleys and a remarkable range from bone-dry to intensely sweet — but the useful way into Mosel is to understand how lightness, acidity and place can coexist with real intensity.