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About the wine guide:
At Cotswold Wines, we stock some of the best wines available, from
all over the world. Our World Wine Web guide aims to
tell you a little about some of the major wine producing nations
in the world today. Where appropriate, weve further broken
the wine guide country information into individual regions.
We hope that by browsing our online wine guide, you will be able
to get a better overview and understanding of whats good to
drink and from from where. We also hope that by knowing a bit more
about your wine before selecting it, you will find the whole wine
purchasing experience at Cotswold Wines more enjoyable.
*Note: Not all the countries have regions, however we will be adding
to this as newer wines become available.
Argentina
Argentina has finally woken from its slumber and the world winemakers
are pouring in to create a range of excellent quality wines. The
potential here is vast and during a recent blind tasting, we were
generally impressed with the quality of the wines.
Australia
Chile
While General Pinochet ruled Chile, there was minimal contact with
the outside world, but since democracy returned, the Chilean winemakers
have absorbed many ideas from around the globe. Using arguably the
best conditions for growing grapes, they have produced a range of
enticing whites and full, rich flavoured reds. The vines in Chile
were never hit by the phylloxera aphid which destroyed most of the
world's vineyards in the nineteenth century, so the Chilean vines
are direct descendants of the great French varieties. With its naturally
fertile soil, constant sunshine, natural irrigation, Pacific sea
breezes and the protection afforded by the Andes, conditions are
almost ideal
England
France
France - Alsace
The wines of Alsace reflect the ambivalent situation of a border
province. Geographically it was intended to be part of Germany because
it is the Vosges mountains and not the Rhine which marks the great
change in landscape and climate. As a result the Alsatians make
Germanic wines in the French style but whereas the Germans look
for sweetness the Alsatians look for strength. The grapes give their
names and special quality to the wine, none more so than the Gewürztraminer
which produces a uniquely spicy and fragrant wine. The Riesling
is often described as "the true aristocrat of Alsace".
We recently re-sourced some of our Alsatian wines and are now shipping
a basic range direct from the Cave Co-operative de Hunawihr, this
is in the heart of Alsace lying between the villages of Riquewihr
and Ribeauvillé.
France - Beaujolais
Beaujolais offers a range of mid-weight, attractive, fruit-driven
wines from the Gamay grape. This delightful region is carpeted with
vines and is a wonderful sight during the late summer and early
autumn. We continue with the excellent single domaine Beaujolais
which constantly wins awards in Mâcon, Paris and in their
local wine fairs
France - Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the largest and probably the best known fine wine district
in the world. Red wines outnumber whites by three to one. The classic
areas are the north of Bordeaux (Médoc) and to the east (St.
Emilion and Pomerol). Wonderful sweet wines, such as Sauternes and
Barsac come from the south. The dominant grape varieties are Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot for the reds, and Sauvignon and Semillon for
the whites, however other grape varieties such as Malbec, Cabernet
Franc and Petit Verdot are sometimes used in small quantities. The
great wines can last for many years and fetch crazy prices. For
ordinary mortals, however, there is still a wide variety of good
value wine for drinking and we have tried to develop a sensible
balance in our Bordeaux list.
France - Champagne
We stock a wide variety and style of Champagne to reflect specific
tastes and pocket. Whilst we have a new and extremely good value
Champagne (Autréau -Roualet) we are particularly keen on
the wines of Philippe Brugnon, who is a grower and maker of Champagne
in the Premier Cru area of the Montagne de Reims. His blend of 60%
or more of ripe Pinot Noir gives body to the succulence of the Chardonnay.
His wines are considered to be amongst the best and consistently
sought after. His cuvées are not simply quaffable House Champagne
but stand alongside the finest of the brand names of grandes marques.
Germany
German wines have a poor image, not helped by the attraction of
so many cheap and cheerful branded products. Also the wine laws
in labeling are not easily understood, although there are now moves
to simplify these. As a rough guide QBA represents the lower end
(not the lowest!) of the market with the quality level rising to
Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
From Auslese level onwards the wines can become quite sweet, but
also rich, luscious, and expensive. These can be found in our dessert
wine section. A recent visit to the vineyards of Germany has inspired
me to make some additions to the list this year.
Hungary
Italy
New Zealand
Portugal
South Africa
There has been a sudden surge in the popularity of South African
wines but as a result demand has outstripped supply. This has led
to a slight increase in prices but there is no doubt that the quality
has improved quite considerably over the last few years.
Spain
A number of recent trips to the vineyards of Northern Spain is
reflected in a revitalised list. We firmly believe that Spain is
producing some of the most interesting and idiosyncratic wines available.
The quality of the red wines, particularly from Navarra, Rioja and
Ribera del Duero is first rate. This was recently recognised when
we received a Regional Award for our Spanish list, from Wines of
Spain.
USA
USA - Oregon
More northerly than California, Oregon naturally offers cooler
climate characteristics. The wines seem to mirror the fresh cool
air, water and fertile hillsides.
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