Wines made from Colombard grapes of Rhone Valley
Discover the best wines made with Colombard as a single variety or as a blend of Rhone Valley.
Colombard is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Charentes. This golden white grape variety is a cross between Chenin and Gouais. The young leaves of colombard are yellow with bronze patches. The adult leaves may be three-lobed or whole, depending on the variety. Its branches are cottony. The bunches of this variety are thick and cylindrical. Its elliptical berries are medium-sized. They change color until they ripen, ranging from greenish white to golden yellow. Colombard is associated with an average budding. It is particularly susceptible to leafhoppers, grape worms, mites, mildew, powdery mildew and gray mold. It is also sensitive to water stress, but is not very sensitive to wind. It ripens late in the second half of the year. There are a dozen approved clones of Colombard, the best known of which are 608, 607 and 606. This variety produces a full-bodied, fine white wine. Aromas of lime, nectarine, boxwood, citrus and exotic fruits are released.
The Rhone Valley is a key wine-producing region in Southeastern France. It follows the North-south course of the Rhône for nearly 240 km, from Lyon to the Rhône delta (Bouches-du-Rhône), near the Mediterranean coast. The Length of the valley means that Rhône wines are the product of a wide variety of soil types and mesoclimates. The viticultural areas of the region cover such a distance that there is a widely accepted division between its northern and southern parts.
Franciacorta producers have reported sales up by 28.3% last year, compared to 2020, when sales fell by nearly 10% to 15.8 million bottles. Sales of 20.3m bottles in 2021 were also higher than the pre-pandemic total of 17.6m bottles in 2019, according to the Franciacorta Consortium. It declined to disclose the value of sales, but there is optimism among winemakers that more consumers are discovering these traditional-method sparkling wines from Brescia in Lombardy. Arturo Ziliani, CEO of Berlucch ...
The new range, drawn from whisky stocks laid down by the Gordons for almost a century and named after the family home in Dufftown, comprises The Charles Gordon Collection – in 2022, four whiskies priced at £3,000-4,500 per bottle – and The Legacy Collection – four whiskies priced at £950-1,450. They include the first spirit produced at the Girvan grain distillery in South Ayrshire in 1964, and a 56-year-old whisky, unusually blended as new make spirit before its maturation. ‘This is a collection ...
Matthew Horsley is a judge at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards. Matthew Horsley Matthew Horsley is a buyer at The Wine Society, having worked for them for over 9 years. After graduating university with a degree in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Matthew joined The Wine Society as a Christmas temp before joining the Tastings and Events Team where he spent three and a half years. He joined the Buying Department in 2017 and now buys the wines of England, Greece and Hungary for The So ...