Innehållsförteckning för August 2025 från Decanter

I don’t think a magazine should go overboard about its own internal milestones, but in addition to the usual content mix, we have taken the opportunity this month to mark our 50th birthday with a look back at Decanter’s journey. We also share pictures from our birthday bash, and hear from readers (p34) about how Decanter has helped them in their own wine journeys. I’m glad we have some female voices in there, but it was harder than it should have been to find them. (On a similar note, see our guest column, p18, on the dominance of men in the wine-collecting community.) Let’s hope that 50 years from now, women have a more equal footing in the fine wine world, and Decanter is still helping them on their way!…

Happy 50th, Decanter! I was 19 when the magazine first appeared. I bought my first copy shortly afterwards, and my earliest published text in Decanter was a letter. Pamela Vandyke Price had been replaced as The Times’ wine writer by Jane MacQuitty in the early 1980s. The transition was contested; the merits of a youthful approach to wine writing were impugned by the elder party; and the controversy spilled, like an overfull glass of Côtes du Rhône, onto the pages of this magazine. I wrote in support of youth – and Jane, now a doyenne herself. The wine world has never seen change to match the last half-century. The 1975 timing of founders Colin Parnell and his abrasive and often inebriated editor Tony Lord (who noisily defended South Africa’s apartheid…

Gin lovers who have visited Spain will no doubt have enjoyed a refreshing Gintonica in a balloon-shaped copa glass. This eyecatching Spanish serve – now popular around the world – is an ideal showcase for local gins. The balloon holds enough ice to keep the drink cool in a hot climate, providing space for garnishes to enhance the character of the gin, while the shape accentuates aromas. ‘The modern Gintonica trend originated in San Sebastián in the early 2000s,’ explains Robyn Evans, global brand ambassador for Gin Mare (£38-£52 Widely available), produced on Spain’s Costa Dorada near Barcelona. Influenced by Spain’s innovative gastronomy scene, it put a new spin on the British Gin & Tonic, traditionally served in a highball glass with less ice and a smaller garnish. ‘Spanish gin…

Salad is often thought of as being tricky with wine. And yes, it’s true that adding a large, pungent helping of green salad with a vinegary dressing to your plate might disrupt (or even kill) a fragile, old Pomerol or a velvety Priorat. Vinegary dressings prefer to spar with young wines that have more tannic or acidic fight. So a better pick – if you want a red in your glass because you’re eating a well-dressed green salad with, say, rib of beef or roast duck – might be an edgy Chianti Classico, northern Rhône Syrah or youngish Médoc from a classical vintage. But the real issue when it comes to any discussion of pairing wine with salad is the range and breadth of what is covered by the word…

The Bordelais Champenois NATALIE EARL The Rothschild name carries an air of prestige. So it’s surprising that Champagne Barons de Rothschild has flown under the radar for the past 20 years. It was founded from scratch in 2005. The three branches of the Rothschild family (Philippe Sereys de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild, Ariane de Rothschild of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, owner of Château Clarke, and Saskia de Rothschild of Château Lafite Rothschild) sought a joint venture, with Champagne being a notable absence in their collective portfolio. The Bordelais didn’t barge into this insular region, guns blazing, but suspicions were still raised among the Champenois over the venture’s seriousness. So how did they win them over? By acknowledging their unfamiliarity with Champagne’s terroir and surrounding themselves with local expertise. Avize-born…

Busi Jacobsohn, Cuvée Brut, East Sussex, England 2020 £42 Busi Jacobsohn Open and inviting, lacing hawthorn flowers, grapefruit rind and green apple skin with a creamy, leesy, toasty character. Explosively flavoursome. Tangy lemon sherbet softens into curd and cashew cream, buoyed by a silky mousse and finishing with racy acidity. NE Alc 12% Torbreck, The Steading Blanc, Barossa Valley, South Australia 2022 £35 London End Wines Inspired by the luscious whites of the Rhône, this 62% Roussanne, 28% Marsanne, 10% Viognier blend is seductive and heady, with exotic peach, guava and honeysuckle fragrance, and plenty of creamy generosity. AW Alc 13.5% Meyer-Näkel, S Spätburgunder, Ahr, Germany 2022 £48.99 The WineBarn Made by blending fruit from some of the producer’s top vineyards, the ‘S’ showcases a floral, creamy nose of red…

ALDER YARROW Who? Based in Oakland, California, Alder is a wine writer and critic, publishing his own long-established website vinography.com and writing for jancisrobinson.com. He also volunteers as the manager of the Old Vine Registry, the world’s first and most authoritative public database of old vineyards around the world What & why? Does food and wine pairing deserve the acres of coverage it gets? Alder argues not, with long-term Decanter Contributing Editor Fiona Beckett taking an opposing stance. Read our head-to-head and decide who you agree with. Even better, write in and let us know where you stand – editor@decanter.com SOPHIE THORPE Who? In her role as group campaigns and editorial manager at Fine & Rare, Sophie writes and edits the London-based merchant’s business editorial section. She has written for…

So Decanter is 50. Early summer 1975, west London: the first issue of Decanter is taking shape, all scissors and the smell of Cow gum. The concept is new; a colourful consumer magazine for people serious about their wine but not claiming to be experts. I’m drafting an article (sadly I’ve lost it) intended to entertain first and enlighten second. And just down the road more scissors and Cow gum are putting together another new magazine: The Garden. As well as being a confirmed toper I have a bit of a name as a tiller of the soil. Also as a magazine man. I started my career on Vogue and for two heady years succeeded the notorious Jocelyn Stevens as editor of Queen. At the time the financial world was…

Joanna Hendrikx Reading, UKYears reading Decanter: 10 I’ve been an avid Decanter reader for about a decade; I first subscribed while doing my WSET qualifications. As a Francophile, my favourite wine regions are Bordeaux – I named my eldest daughter Margaux after a visit there – (white) Burgundy and Champagne. Decanter covers these regions in great depth and has given me ideas for wines to try, especially among the lesser-known appellations. My favourite recent article was Tom Hewson’s piece on finding Champagne houses that match your tasting preferences (December 2024 issue). Bordeaux en primeur is also always a highlight. Jim Greenhough Buckinghamshire, UK Years reading Decanter: 30 Coming from a family that generally drank beer, spirits, Champagne and Sherry only on special occasions, my relationship with wine began while travelling…

Warren and Gillian Lilleyman had no idea what they were doing when they planted a vineyard in Margaret River in southwest Western Australia in 1988. The first vines in the region had only gone in the ground two decades earlier. Like the region’s pioneer Tom Cullity, Warren was a doctor – an amateur enthusiast with no prior experience in the world of wine. And yet the couple – who live next to the vineyard and still own it – planted a near-perfect parcel of vines. ‘They just nailed it,’ says Theo Truyts – he and his wife Clare Trythall are the current custodians of the 2.7ha site. Although the Lilleymans received some guidance from Dr Mike Peterkin (who founded nearby Pierro winery and planted the first vines there in 1980),…

A taste of tequila Looking to learn more about tequila? Then a new book by Decanter contributor Millie Milliken has you covered. Published this month, Tequila: A Tasting Course (£20 DK) explores the history and culture of tequila, from Aztec times up to the modern day, explaining how and where it’s made, and profiling key styles. Milliken highlights six flavour categories – from sweet/rich to savoury/vegetal – and reviews 100 different tequilas, so you can discover new bottles to try. There’s also practical advice on how to taste, an A-Z of tasting terms, recommendations of best tequila bars around the world and a step-by-step guide to making classic cocktails such as the Margarita and El Diablo at home. A great read, whether you’re a tequila novice or agave aficionado. “SPIRITED…

I still occasionally open wine lists and find myself lost. It’s part of wine’s appeal for me – that it’s an endless odyssey, for there are always more producers, more grapes, more styles and bottles to discover. But that’s exactly what can make it frustrating – seeming to be impenetrably complicated. Finding a book that can help you find a way in can also be challenging. The authors of three recent additions to the ‘introductory’ shelf have taken three very different approaches. First up is Charlotte Kristensen’s Wine Taste Pair Pour (£20 Mitchell Beazley, 2024). This compact 224-pager is neatly put together and offers a supremely practical approach: the bulk of the book is a conventional, broad-brushstroke guide to grapes and wine styles, complemented by information on how to taste,…

This great central European red grape often goes under the radar thanks to its multiple names. Austria has led the way in showcasing Blaufränkisch, but Hungary, where it’s called Kékfrankos, is by far the biggest grower (6,983ha, compared to Austria’s 2,550ha, according to the countries’ most recent annual reports to July 2024) and is catching up rapidly. These two nations provided most of the entries for this tasting, along with a handful from Germany (as Lemberger), Slovakia (Frankovka) and Romania. Blaufränkisch is increasingly showing its mettle as an exciting, food-friendly grape capable of producing delicious, ageworthy wines that can reflect place. Wieteke Teppema explained: ‘It has the capacity to show transparency of terroir, it can get lovely minerality and not every indigenous variety can do this. Blaufränkisch is edging into…

Spain’s best-known wine regions, Rioja and Ribera del Duero, are well established on the international stage. But beyond them lies a much broader map of producers working in varied and often challenging conditions. The 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards results offer a window into this wider picture, showcasing a number of standout wines from lesser-known areas across the country. In the far northwest, Ribeira Sacra and Bierzo are known for their dramatic landscapes and Atlantic influence, producing fresh, structured reds often from old vines and on steep, terraced vineyards. Over in Catalonia, in the northeast, Priorat and neighbouring Montsant show a more Mediterranean character – Priorat especially known for its slate soils and concentrated, ageworthy wines. Inland regions such as Calatayud and Campo de Borja in Aragón, and the arid…

Gen Z: alcohol consumption on the up Young adults making up ‘Generation Z’ are not shunning alcohol as much as commonly portrayed in reports, a global survey has found. Gen Z is known for ‘sober curious’ tendencies, but a rising proportion of this demographic group may be enjoying a glass or two, suggested data from drinks research specialist IWSR. Its multi-country survey found 73% of Gen Z respondents (up to and including 27 years of age) had consumed alcohol in the previous six months. The average was 78% across all ages, but the Gen Z figure rose from 66% in a similar survey two years ago, said IWSR’s Bevtrac trends monitor. Results by country showed 70% of US Gen Z respondents had consumed alcohol in the past six months, compared…

My first en primeur purchase was deeply uncool; from a terrible Bordeaux vintage (1997) and an unfashionable appellation (Canon-Fronsac) it was the best I could afford, but I still remember the thrill of my first investment in my future drinking. As my career progressed and my wine knowledge increased, my collection has grown in both quantity and quality, and I now have enough wine from around the world to share with friends well into my dotage. Of course, being in the wine industry is a boon, but observing that very few of my female friends have been bitten by the wine bug, I can’t help but wonder why collecting wine is still such a male-dominated arena. Collector Aileen Daly feels ‘it’s not a wine problem but a society problem –…

It’s no secret that Champagne prices in the UK have shot up since the Covid pandemic. A recent report by consultancy firm Wine Lister found that between December 2021 and December 2024, prices increased by 21% among 15 top-selling brands. This is considerably larger than for any other sparkling wine type. In 2024, Champagne sales declined significantly, by 9.2% overall and 10.8% in export markets. In trying to explain this slump, Maxime Toubart, president of Champagne’s grower association SGV (whose members sell their grapes to Champagne houses), accused the houses of ‘disproportionate’ price rises compared to the prices paid to grape-growers. Houses will argue that small and difficult vintages, such as 2021, and significant cost increases in areas such as energy, vineyard work and shipping, have led to these price…

1 Botivo x Ottolenghi £32/50cl Ottolenghi The team behind award-winning Botivo Botanical Aperitivo have joined forces with chef Yotam Ottolenghi for their latest limited-edition seasonal release. Made from a base of apple cider vinegar, the bittersweet aperitif features a selection of flavours that define Ottolenghi’s vibrant Middle Eastern cuisine: think pomegranate molasses, black lime, cardamom and rose. Mix 25ml with soda water or sparkling water over ice. Alcohol 0% 2 Christopher’s Gooseberry & Lime £11.50/35cl Christopher’s Premium Cordials Created by Tom Parker Bowles and Jolyon Fenwick, Christoper’s Premium Cordials launched in June. The sophisticated soft drinks are made with 64% pure fruit juice, plus organic botanicals and organic cane sugar. The range includes Blackcurrant & Blueberry and Sicilian Lemon & Redcurrant, but my favourite is the refreshing, slightly tart Gooseberry…

ALDER YARROW Why food & wine pairing is a load of bunk Thinking about, talking about, writing about, and – God help us – actually attempting food and wine pairing is the single greatest waste of time and energy in the entire world of wine. Across the hundreds of books, the thousands (millions?) of iPhone apps, through countless wine festival seminars and in the ceaselessly contrived pairing menus still haunting white-tablecloth restaurants like revenants of a bygone era, I ask you – what have we actually accomplished? Other than eroding the confidence of the average wine drinker by implying they’re either doing it wrong or missing out on some mythical 1+1=3 epiphany, denied them by their inexperience or lack of attunement to an obscure, ethereal art? I call bullshit. The…

AskDecanter Each month our experts answer your burning wine questions. Email your queries to editor@decanter.com An Italian conundrum Q I’m never really sure of the difference in character between Soave and Gavi. I often see both on restaurant lists and struggle to choose between the two. Can you offer any guidance? Philipp Bergstrom A Michael Garner, DWWA Regional Chair, replies: Both styles are excellent for pairing with food, and worth exploring. Soave is made from mainly Garganega grapes (minimum 70% plus Trebbiano di Soave and/or Chardonnay) to the east of Verona in an area that partially overlaps with Valpolicella and surrounds the town of Soave itself. Gavi meanwhile is produced entirely from the Cortese grape, grown in the Monferrato hills of southern Piedmont. It is a smaller area than Soave…

The Aegean islands, between the Greek mainland and Turkey to the east, are a historical treasure trove of ancient and rare grape varieties, some of which were referenced as far back as Minoan (Dafni) and Homeric (Limnio) times. This exceptional tasting showcased the remarkable diversity and high quality of many of these indigenous grapes. The overall quality was high: something I find with Greek whites in general. Importantly, winemakers are now embracing the distinct characteristics of these Greek native varieties. Where oak and other winemaking techniques once overshadowed the grapes’ identities, a more restrained, hands-off approach is now emerging. Characterful rather than technical styles were the clear winners of this tasting. As Ana Jackson MW remarked: ‘Lesser-known Greek grape varieties really shone. These wines showed real character and also lower…

Costellore, Prosecco Extra Dry Rosé, Veneto, Italy 2023 £6.49 Aldi Including minis and alcohol-free versions, Aldi sells 11 Proseccos. The black-label Valdobbiadene Superiore (£7.99) is still the best, but for a crowd-pleasing rosé you won’t go wrong with this. Hints of red Fruit Gums alongside classic pear drop flavours. TG Alc 11% Morrisons, The Best, Block Series 002 Sauvignon Blanc, Dillons Point, Marlborough, New Zealand 2024 £14 Morrisons Smoky stone fruits, guava, elderflower and grassy freshness. The linear palate reveals green apple, star fruit and savoury stone fruits, finishing with a hint of green pea. SW Alc 13% Co-op, Irresistible Assyrtiko, Macedonia, Greece 2024 £10 Co-op Made by Kir-Yianni. Assyrtiko with 5% Viognier adding herbal, spicy aromas to smoky white peach and freshly peeled green apple. Zesty and lightly spiced,…

Koch cellar auction bucks the recent trend AChristie’s auction of US billionaire Bill Koch’s cellar has fetched more than $28m, adding to a sense that buyers remain willing to spend big on highly prized bottles. All lots found buyers in the New York-based auction, which was split across three days. Christie’s said total sales hit $28.8m (£21.4m), and large-format grand cru Burgundy saw particularly intense bidding. A 6-litre methuselah bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Romanée-Conti Grand Cru 1999 fetched $275,000, including buyer’s premium (high estimate: $160,000). Six magnums of Domaine Georges Roumier, Bonnes Mares 1985 sold for $200,000 (high e: $85,000). From Bordeaux, six magnums of Château Latour 1961 fetched $187,500 (high e: $110,000), and a 6-litre imperial bottle sold for $87,500 (high e: $45,000). Beyond France, six bottles…

WINERY PETS OF THE MONTH Names Yoko (in the pink bandana) and Olaf Breed Golden retriever Ages Four and two Owner Pia Strehn, owner of Weingut Strehn in Burgenland, Austria Likes Yoko: rolling around in the grass, sniffing flowers in meadows, watching people cooking. Olaf: having his fur brushed, car journeys, shoes Dislikes Cats, dog trainers, wearing fancy dress costumes Hobbies Entertaining winery visitors, massages, sleeping, watching films with animals in Favourite food Yoko: pig’s ears, hamburgers, dog treats. Olaf: cheese, steak, pineapple Cheeky habits Yoko: sleeping on the sofa. Olaf: hiding slippers Party trick Yoko: disappearing. Olaf: singing along to his favourite songs Celeb watch Katherine Jenkins Who and what? Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins OBE and her husband Andrew Levitas have launched an oak-aged gin to add to their Cygnet range. Called…