Part One
Climate and Place
Same grape, different sun.| Ch. | Style | Wine | Buy from | Price | Vivino | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Feeling hot, hot, hot – Chardonnay part une | A | Chablis, Esprit de ChablisCool climate: Burgundy’s cold northern frontier. Taut citrus and flint with a generous streak of minerality – the green-apple zip and wet-stone edge come naturally. Same bottle as Chapter 12. | Waitrose Cellar | £18.75 | See score | Buy |
| 1 | B | Dark Horse Chardonnay, CaliforniaWarm climate. Riper and rounder – baked apple, peach and tropical fruit where the Chablis had citrus and wet stone, plus a lick of toasty oak and vanilla. | Waitrose Cellar | £11.25 | See score | Buy |
| 2Upstarts – Sancerre vs Cloudy Bay | A | Hubert Brochard SancerreThe benchmark. Family-run since the early 1900s, from the hills around Chavignol on the flinty upper Loire. Citrus, flint and restraint. | Waitrose | £23.00 | See score | Buy |
| 2 | B | Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, MarlboroughMarlborough, and the name most credited with putting New Zealand on the world wine map (first vintage 1985). Tropical, punchy, unmistakable. Same bottle as Chapter 24. | Waitrose | £26.50 | See score | Buy |
| 3G’day or bonjour? – Syrah vs Shiraz | A | Cave de Tain Grand Classique Crozes-HermitageNorthern Rhône Syrah at 12.5%, from the region’s biggest appellation, sprawled around the Hermitage hill. Black pepper, red fruit, savoury. | Waitrose | £17.50 | See score | Buy |
| 3 | B | Yalumba Galway Vintage Barossa ShirazSame grape, Barossa accent, 14.5%. Ripe blackberry, sweet spice, sunshine. | Waitrose | £14.00 | See score | Buy |
| 4Vin rouge? Mais oui! – Bordeaux vs Cape blend | A | Château Carcanieux, Cru Bourgeois MédocProper claret: a Cru Bourgeois from the cooler northern Médoc. Cedar, pencil shaving, blackcurrant. | Waitrose | £17.00 | See score | Buy |
| 4 | B | Reyneke Organic Cabernet Merlot, StellenboschThe Cape answer, with the same two grapes. Cassis and cedar again, but riper and rounder – far more sun in the glass. | Waitrose | £12.00 | See score | Buy |
| 5Down under again – Riesling | A | Dr L Grey Slate Riesling, MoselOff-dry and light at 10.5%, from Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen. Green apple and slate, a touch of sweetness against lively acidity. | Waitrose | £10.25 | See score | Buy |
| 5 | B | Pikes Traditionale Riesling, Clare ValleyBone dry, 12%, all lime and steel. The Clare Valley sits high and dry in South Australia; cold nights hold that lime acidity razor sharp. | Tesco | £13.00 | See score | Buy |
Part Two
The Grapes
What the grape itself decides.| Ch. | Style | Wine | Buy from | Price | Vivino | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6The grape escape – Pinot Grigio vs Pinot Gris | A | Forte Alto Pinot Grigio, TrentinoAlpine and zesty, from the Dolomite foothills. Pear, lemon, nothing to hide behind. | Waitrose | £10.00 | See score | Buy |
| 6 | B | Cave de Beblenheim Pinot Gris Réserve, AlsaceSame grape, different personality. Richer, waxy and gently spiced, with a honeyed palate. | Waitrose | £12.25 | See score | Buy |
| 7Fight club – Zinfandel vs Primitivo | A | Brazin Old Vine Zinfandel, LodiLodi old vines, 14.5%. Jammy and bold – rich black fruit, mocha, a hint of black pepper. | Waitrose | £18.00 | See score | Buy |
| 7 | B | Paolo Leo Primitivo di Manduria DOPThe very same grape, from 40-year-old bush vines around Sava in Puglia. Earthier and more herbal – spice, smoke, wild herbs, more grip. | Waitrose | £14.00 | See score | Buy |
| 8Beauty is only skin deep – Pinot Noir vs Cabernet | A | Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir, MarlboroughThin skins. Pale, perfumed and silky – red cherry, cranberry, raspberry – and you can very nearly see straight through it. | Waitrose | £13.50 | See score | Buy |
| 8 | B | Errázuriz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, AconcaguaThick skins. Deep colour and firm tannin – hold it over something white and see how little light gets through. Same bottle as Chapters 10 and 29. | Waitrose | £10.00 | See score | Buy |
| 9One skin, two skin, three skin – Gewürztraminer vs Muscadet | A | Cave de Turckheim Gewurztraminer, AlsaceVolume at eleven. Rose petal, lychee and spice, full-bodied – and dry at the finish. | Waitrose | £11.50 | See score | Buy |
| 9 | B | Fief Guérin Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Sur LieSur lie, as the chapter asks: old vines from a single vineyard at the Atlantic end of the Loire, rested on its lees. Neutral, saline, sea-fresh – take it to oysters and watch both improve. | Waitrose | £10.00 | See score | Buy |
| 10Tannintastic – Beaujolais vs Cabernet | A | No.1 Beaujolais VillagesGamay off ancient granite, made by Mommessin. Juicy, bouncy, almost no tannin. | Waitrose | £14.75 | Find score | Buy |
| 10 | B | Errázuriz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, AconcaguaThe opposite pole: tannin you can actually feel drying your gums. Same bottle as Chapters 8 and 29. | Waitrose | £10.00 | See score | Buy |
| 11Respect your elders – old vines | A | Waitrose Blueprint Old Vine Garnacha, CariñenaThe elder. Old vines in Cariñena, in sun-baked Aragón – red berry into ripe, spiced plum, with fresh acidity and more depth than the price suggests. | Waitrose Cellar | £7.50 | See score | Buy |
| 11 | B | Borsao Borgia Tinto Garnacha, Campo de BorjaThe young one. Campo de Borja, the self-styled “Empire of Garnacha”, under Monte Moncayo. Juicy blackberry and cherry, soft tannins – plummy and generous, but lighter and less concentrated than the old-vine bottle. That gap is the whole lesson. | Butler’s Wine Cellar | £9.95 | See score | Buy |
Part Three
Winemaking Choices
What the cellar decides.| Ch. | Style | Wine | Buy from | Price | Vivino | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12It is okay – Chardonnay part deux | A | Chablis, Esprit de ChablisThe steely one. Kimmeridgian limestone packed with fossil oyster shells – green apple, lemon, gunflint. Same bottle as Chapter 1. | Waitrose Cellar | £18.75 | See score | Buy |
| 12 | B | Howard Park Miamup Chardonnay, Margaret RiverRich and rounded: fermented and matured in French oak barrels, stirred on its lees. Vanilla, hazelnut and nougat over the fruit – the taste of the barrel, not the grape. | Waitrose | £14.00 | See score | Buy |
| 13I’m stumped (but Rioja isn’t) – the ageing ladder | A | Cune Crianza, RiojaRung one, the first oak-aged step: a year in oak, then a rest in bottle before release. Red cherry and vanilla, still young. Same bottle as Chapters 27 and 28. | Tesco | £10.75 | See score | Buy |
| 13 | B | Cune Reserva, RiojaRung two, same house. Three years’ ageing, at least one in oak – this one has 18 months in French and American barrels. The fruit steps back; savoury, leathery notes step forward. | Waitrose | £15.00 | See score | Buy |
| 14Legs eleven – Valpolicella vs Amarone | A | Rocca Alata Valpolicella DOCThe control sample. The same Corvina grapes as Amarone, simply never left to shrivel. Light, fresh, everyday, 12.5%. | Tesco | £9.00 | See score | Buy |
| 14 | B | Tesco Finest Amarone della Valpolicella DOCGGrapes dried for months until they are half-raisins. Cantina Valpantena, 15.5% – watch those legs. Same Verona hills, one big decision apart. | Tesco | £21.00 | See score | Buy |
| 15Sweet nothings – the four roads to sweetness | Château Liot Sauternes, half bottle (37.5cl)Road one: noble rot. Botrytised Sémillon, with a little Sauvignon Blanc, from 45-year-old vines – marmalade, honey, apricot. A half bottle is plenty. | Waitrose Cellar | £15.50 | See score | Buy | |
| 16Trumptastic – orange wine | Côté Mas Vin OrangeWhite grapes given the red-wine treatment: Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu left on their skins. Tangerine, zesty spice, a tea-like grip. | Waitrose | £10.25 | See score | Buy | |
| 17A rose by any other name – how rosé is made | A | Whispering Angel, Côtes de ProvenceMinutes of skin contact. Barely pink, bone dry, the benchmark. | Waitrose | £23.00 | See score | Buy |
| 17 | B | Arbousset Tavel RoséFar longer on the skins – typically a day or so, not minutes. Deep pink, dry and full-bodied – grapefruit, raspberry, spice. A rosé you can chew, from an appellation that makes nothing else. | Tesco | £13.00 | See score | Buy |
| 18That takes the biscuit – Prosecco vs Champagne | A | Valdo Elevantum Prosecco Superiore DOCGTank method, from the steep DOCG hills of Valdobbiadene. Pear and white blossom – fruit and froth, no biscuit. | Waitrose | £14.50 | See score | Buy |
| 18 | B | Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut NVNon-vintage Brut. That biscuit note comes from the years it spends on the lees after its second fermentation in bottle. Also used in Chapters 19, 20 and 21. | Waitrose | £33.00 | See score | Buy |
| 19Different folks, different strokes – Champagne vs Cava | A | Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut NVYour benchmark and the control sample: the classic bottle-fermented method, on Champagne’s chalk. Same bottle as Chapter 18. | Waitrose | £33.00 | See score | Buy |
| 19 | B | No.1 Castillo Perelada Cava BrutThe same bottle-fermented method in warmer Spain: Parellada, Xarel·lo and Macabeo, made for Waitrose by Castillo Perelada – at well under half the Champagne price. | Waitrose | £12.50 | See score | Buy |
| 20Pink to make the girls wink – rosé Champagne | A | Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut NVThe white benchmark. Same house as the rosé, so colour does most of the talking. Same bottle as Chapter 18. | Waitrose | £33.00 | See score | Buy |
| 20 | B | Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Rosé NVSame house, with a little red wine blended in. Strawberry, red apple, more body. | Waitrose | £38.00 | See score | Buy |
| 21Reading the fizz label – Champagne the return | Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut NVNo new bottle needed. Take the Champagne from Chapter 18 and read the label: NV, Brut (that is the dosage talking) and the tiny NM, RM or CM code. | Waitrose | £33.00 | See score | Buy | |
| 22Breathe in, breathe out – Port, Ruby vs Tawny | A | Cockburn’s Special Reserve PortThe held breath. A Reserve Ruby, bottled young and sealed – still purple, still grippy, still fruity. | Waitrose | £15.75 | See score | Buy |
| 22 | B | Graham’s 10 Year Old Tawny PortThe long exhale. Aged in seasoned oak casks at Graham’s lodge on the Douro estuary – nuts, fig, toffee. | Waitrose | £24.25 | See score | Buy |
| 23Under the veil – Sherry | A | Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, González ByassGrew flor. Pale, taut, salty and bone dry. Serve it fridge-cold, with almonds. | Waitrose Cellar | £14.25 | See score | Buy |
| 23 | B | No.1 Emilio Lustau Dry Oloroso SherryNever grew flor, so it aged in contact with the air. Dark and nutty – roasted chestnut, dried fruit – and still bone dry. Same grape, same town, opposite result. | Waitrose Cellar | £14.50 | See score | Buy |
Part Four
Choosing, Serving, and Drinking
What you decide.| Ch. | Style | Wine | Buy from | Price | Vivino | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24Screw you – cork vs screw cap | Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, MarlboroughIt is nearly impossible to find the same wine under both cork and screw cap, so drink one of the world’s most famous screw-capped whites and notice that nothing is missing. Same bottle as Chapter 2. | Waitrose | £26.50 | See score | Buy | |
| 25Ice ice baby – serving temperature | Picpoul de Pinet, Les CanotsOne bottle, three glasses: straight from the fridge (too cold), twenty minutes out at around 10°C (right), and left to warm (too warm). Bone dry and saline; the name means “lip-stinger”. | Waitrose | £11.00 | See score | Buy | |
| 26Decant touch this – decanting | Val di Suga Brunello di MontalcinoClassic, and worth decanting. Pour a small glass on opening, decant the rest, and taste again in one to two hours – or longer if you are patient. Brunello can happily take four. | Waitrose Cellar | £30.00 | See score | Buy | |
| 27When I get older – bottle ageing | A | Cune Crianza, RiojaYouthful and vibrant: a year in oak, released young with its fruit still out in front. Same bottle as Chapters 13 and 28. | Tesco | £10.75 | See score | Buy |
| 27 | B | Cune Gran Reserva, RiojaSame producer, far older. Gran Reserva demands five years’ ageing before sale, at least two in oak and two in bottle – this one has two years in oak and three in bottle. Also used in Chapter 28. | Ocado | £19.50 | See score | Buy |
| 28The long goodbye – length of finish | A | Cune Crianza, RiojaSame two bottles as Chapter 27. Bright, juicy, a brisk goodbye – it says what it has to say, then politely leaves. | Tesco | £10.75 | See score | Buy |
| 28 | B | Cune Gran Reserva, RiojaFrom the same house: same cellar in Haro, same family since 1879, the same Tempranillo backbone. The big variable is years. Count the seconds on each. | Ocado | £19.50 | See score | Buy |
| 29The dinner table – food and wine | Errázuriz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, AconcaguaOne tannic red. Sip it alone, then with salty hard cheese, then with plain mushroom – salt and umami doing opposite jobs. Same bottle as Chapters 8 and 10. | Waitrose | £10.00 | See score | Buy |