Matthew's World of Wine and Drink

Italian white wine has improved greatly over the last 30 years, with much fresher, crisper wines. There are lots of different varieties which are associated with specific regions. This episode explores varieties from Pinot Grigio to Verdicchio to Zibbibo. Dive into the world of Italian white wine!

Sémillon is an historic Bordeaux variety, although plantings have fallen over the last 50 years. But it remains important, producing a range of styles: full-bodied and oak-aged, light-bodied and acidic, dry and sweet, and blends with Sauvignon Blanc. This episode explores the grape and the regions it's grown in: Bordeaux, Hunter Valley, Margaret River, California, Washington, and different parts of South Africa.

My recent visit to Mediterranean France and Spain gave me a chance to explore the possibilities of Carignan. It's a contradictory variety: younger vines producer high yields while older vines produce low yields for completely different levels of quality. It can be a minor or significant part of a blend, or a single-varietal wine. But one consistency: warm Mediterranan climates, which is what this episode is all about.

Priorat is one of Spain's most prestigious regions, the vines grown on steep slate slopes. Garnatxa (Grenache) and Carinyena (Carignan) are the two most important varieties, often from old vines. The wines of Priorat are known as big and full-bodied, but as I learnt on a recent visit there's a lot more diversity than that.

Mourvèdre is a grape best known as part of a Rhône blend with Grenache and Syrah, but it makes fantastic wine in its own right and in a wide range of styles. Originally from Spain where it's known as Monastrell, it's also planted in California and Australia where it's sometimes called Mataró. Whatever its name, Mourvèdre prefers a warm Mediterrean climate - in Spain, France, California, Australia, and California.

All-encompassing interview with Edouard Parinet of Château du Moulin-à-Vent, covering Beaujolais, Gamay, and the cru of Moulin-à-Vent itself. This is Beaujolais inside out — Edouard recognised the name of a restaurant before I'd even described it!

Priorat is one of the most historic wine regions in the Mediterranean, with plantings by monks going back to the 1200s. However, its modern history was only resurrected in the late 1980s—the region is a combination of the old and the new. In this interview, Ricard Rofes of Scala Dei, Priorat's oldest winery, talks about the history of Priorat, the climate and soils, the grape varieties, old vines, and in general the character of Priorat in relation to Catalan culture.

Interview with Mayte Calvo de la Banda of Bodegas Bilbainas/Viña Pomal in Rioja, in which we talk about the winery, different grape varieties, how the vineyard influences the style of the wines, and overall trends in a traditional region which is always changing.

Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape variety, yet very different wines are made from them. That gives an indication of the versatility of the variety, which this episode explores—from simple and neutral to rich and aromatic and all levels of sweetness, from Alsace to northern Italy to Germany to New Zealand to Oregon to all places in between.

Interview with Alex Rosanelli of Hound's Tree Winery on Long Island, New York. We talk about Long Island's climate, the challenges that come with it, and the grape varieties best suited to the moderate temperatures and the Atlantic growing conditions, particularly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Long Island is a young and exciting wine region—listen and learn!