Meritage is a trademarked name for Bordeaux-style red and white blended wines made in the United States. Red Meritage blends are based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other Bordeaux varietals, while white Meritage blends use Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and occasionally Muscadelle. These wines are crafted to emulate the quality and […]
Wine Type
Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) is a category of French sweet fortified wine, where fermentation is stopped by the addition of grape spirit, preserving natural grape sugars. Produced in regions like Roussillon, VDN wines include Muscat de Rivesaltes and Banyuls, known for their rich, sweet flavours.
Amarone della Valpolicella, commonly known as Amarone, is a prestigious Italian dry red wine characterized by its unique production method involving the partial drying of grapes before fermentation. This process, known as appassimento, concentrates the sugars and flavours, resulting in a rich, full-bodied wine with a distinctive raisin-like sweetness despite […]
Non-Vintage (NV) refers to wines blended from grapes harvested in different years, common in Champagne and other sparkling wines. NV blending aims to achieve a consistent house style and quality across years, smoothing out variations between vintages. These wines can offer a reliable and characteristic expression of the producer’s style.
Zero Dosage refers to sparkling wines made without the addition of a dosage (sugar solution) after the second fermentation, resulting in a very dry style. These wines, also known as Brut Nature or Pas Dosé, showcase purity and terroir with minimal intervention.
Blanc de Blancs is a French term meaning “white from whites,” used to describe sparkling wines made exclusively from white grapes, typically Chardonnay. This style is most famously associated with Champagne but is also produced in other sparkling wine regions. Blanc de Blancs tend to have a light, crisp, and […]
Orange wine is made by fermenting white grapes with their skins on, similar to the process for red wine, resulting in a wine with an orange hue. This method imparts additional flavours, tannins, and complexity. Orange wines are known for their robustness and unique flavour profile, including nutty and dried […]
Blanc de Noirs, translating to “white from blacks,” refers to white wines or sparkling wines made from dark-skinned grape varieties, primarily Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. This style is notable for its body and complexity, with a fuller texture than Blanc de Blancs. The wines often exhibit a range of […]
Pét-Nat, short for Pétillant Naturel, is a type of naturally sparkling wine made by bottling wine before it has finished fermenting, trapping carbon dioxide and creating bubbles. This ancient method, known as méthode ancestrale, produces wines that are often cloudy and less fizzy than those made with the traditional method, […]
Brut is a term used to describe the dryness of sparkling wines, indicating a low sugar content. It’s the most common style of dry Champagne and sparkling wine, offering a crisp and refreshing taste profile. Brut wines are favoured for their ability to pair well with a wide range of […]