Sometimes it is difficult to tell what a wine will taste like from the label. Fashion and media can create a demand for a certain drink, for example, the Sex and The City ‘ladies’ made Pinot Grigio the drink for the girls and consumption went through the roof. This grape variety is easy to pronounce with a twang to it and people felt comfortable asking for it in restaurants and bars.

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Christmas is the perfect excuse to open a bottle of Champagne and celebrate the year in style with loved ones.  The Champagne Information Bureau has compiled a list of top tips and dispelled some myths on how to serve and enjoy the ultimate luxurious drink this festive season:

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I am transporting us down under to look at the amazing rise in popularity of Australian  wines. The snow is falling here and I want to think about the traditional winter tipples such as mulled wines later. Meanwhile, a trip Down Under throws up some interesting facts while we contemplate their summer.

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Autumn seems to have curled its colourful leaves around us which have landed on the ground as if by magic. Certainly I seemed to have missed the transition from summer. Wines also have seasons and they also have a way of subtly showing their colours without you noticing.  When I say wines have a season, of course there is a season in wine production but all are available all year round.  There is however an emotional side to seasonal wines and we have our favourites almost subconsciously depending on the time of year.

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