Wines made from Grenache Blanc grapes of Duché-d'Uzès

These styles are produced via biological ageing, which involves the formation of a veil of flor yeast on top of the barrel during maturation. Such flor is responsible for the development of these wines’ unique flavours and texture and is therefore generally understood to be an integral part of their terroir expression. ‘We have dual terroir,’ said Barbadillo vineyard manager Catina Aveledo, ‘the vineyard terroir and the bodega terroir, which is about the air (temperature, humidity and circulatio ...

The proposal reduces the mandatory density of planting from 8,000 vines per hectare to approximately 6,000. This would be accomplished by allowing 2.2 metres between rows, essentially removing every other row. The stated purposes include reducing the cost of maintaining the vineyards and therefore the time necessary to maintain them. This has been put forward as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and proponents estimate that such emissions would be 20% lower under the measure, leading som ...

It’s easy to forget that the southern Rhône’s four most prevalent red varieties aren’t indigenous. Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre all appear to originate from Spain; Syrah made its way down the river from the northern Rhône. Of the long tail of other grapes, most have their roots closer to home. Plantings have dwindled in recent years, but today local varieties are experiencing renewed interest. One that’s finding a lot of fans – both in the Rhône and further afield – is Counoise. Scroll down ...