Wines made from Khikhvi grapes

‘When I started producing wine, the wineries were all in a very bad condition,’ said Askaneli Brothers president Gocha Chkhaidze, recalling the poor state of the Georgian wine industry shortly after the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. ‘There was inadequate sanitation, a lack of know-how and old-fashioned bottling lines. People were unable to make wine sustainably, vineyards were not sufficiently cared for, agronomists were unskilled and used to harvest the maximu ...

At a national committee meeting held on Thursday 8th September, members of the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) voted unanimously to ratify the change to the appellation guidelines to allow white wines into AP Gigondas. A working group of growers and négociants has been pursuing the amendment for 11 years. The amendment states that white Gigondas must contain a minimum 70% Clairette. Other permitted varieties include Bourboulenc, Clairette Rose, Grenache Gris, Grenache Blan ...

Strong demand for Château Lynch-Bages wines from collectors in Europe, US and Asia helped ensure all 342 lots in the London-based auction were sold, said Sotheby’s. Total sales at the 25 March event hit £877,826 ($1.16m), eclipsing a pre-sale high estimate of just under £700,000. It’s another sign of a strong auction market, and of Lynch-Bages’ popularity; this Pauillac-based Bordeaux estate owned by the Cazes family has long been known for punching above its fifth growth status in the 1855 Clas ...