Club Oenologique Stories Archive

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

16 award-winning ports to try

From colheita tawny ports to vintage bottlings offering exceptional value, check out this selection of fortified wines declared the best ports in 2021 by the IWSC

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

18 top wines from the USA to try

From full-bodied Chardonnays to concentrated Cabernet Sauvignons, USA wine has a reputation that shines – especially when looking to California. But find more diversity in your glass with this list of wines that includes the Golden State but also spans Oregon, Washington, Virginia and New Mexico

Battle Creek Cellars – Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: the four sub-regions you need to know

With the Oregon wine region recently given prestigious PGI status, Jim Clarke takes a look at four star sub-regions in Willamette Valley and the various styles of Oregonian Pinot Noir they produce

pinot noir grape sorting in willamette valley, oregon

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

The best USA Pinot Noir

Ripe, fruit-forward yet elegant reds are the order of the day in this selection of award-winning wines from the Pinot Noir heartlands of California and Oregon

Columns

Canned wine is the future – so why is it so bad?

A first-time festival experience means David Kermode must confront the truth about canned wine: current standards are embarrassingly low. Here, he explains why it’s time for winemakers to up their aluminium game

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

Eight award-winning Cavas

Pop that cork! Here's a list of eight of the best Cavas to try, with each of the following Spanish sparkling wines winning an IWSC 2021 medal

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

16 of the best central and eastern European wines

Central and eastern Europe has an illustrious history when it comes to winemaking. But how do its wines hold up in 2021? Find out in this list of IWSC award-winning wines from Hungary, Turkey, Croatia and more

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

Six award-winning Alsace wines

From aromatic whites and stand-out Gewürztraminers to a surprising Pinot Noir, these wines have been tasted and rated by IWSC experts. Read on for a selection of six of the best Alsace wines to try right now

Features

Single malts: Distillery originals vs Independent bottlings

Joel Harrison and Colin Hampden-White taste independent single malt whisky bottlings alongside distillery releases to see how the ‘bootleg’ versions stack up against the originals

ReviewHandpicked by IWSC

Alistair Cooper MW’s top northern hemisphere wines

Following on from the IWSC’s latest round of blind tastings, judge Alistair Cooper shares the eight wines he most enjoyed from across the northern hemisphere