The Winery Les Vignerons du Castelas of Côtes-du-Rhône of Rhone Valley

President of Inter Rhône Philippe Pellaton put forward the body’s ambitious commercial strategy from now until 2035 at the Maison des Vins on 8th December. The Rhône Valley continues to make considerably more red wine than white and rosé, but Pellaton explained that reweighting the split of different colours will be one of their principal policies. Their intention is to increase production of white wines with a view to doubling shipments between now and 2031. ‘Historically, Rhône Valley Vineyard ...

Think of Colombia, think of balmy evenings dancing to salsa, fuelled by shots of aguardiente and arepas. But there’s plenty more than the anise-based spirit and cornmeal cakes to sample in the South American country. Chefs have stepped up their game to put gastronomy on the map, with sommeliers and bartenders following suit. Not just appreciating local ingredients and distilling spirits, they also seek out wines from around the world to accompany fine-dining experiences. Their endeavours have pa ...

In preparation for this column I tasted 46 reds in total, and – taking both quality and value into account – I can recommend 33 of them. Overall, the reds were less consistent than the whites, and although the lows were lower, the highs were higher. This tasting confirmed that it’s still possible to buy genuinely excellent northern Rhône reds for under £30 in the UK. That being said, it’s virtually impossible to find any Cornas, Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage for under £30 a bottle these days, but ther ...