The Fine Wine Company Ltd - Best Wine Merchants Online | UK

  Organic, biodynamic, and natural are not three grades of the same thing they answer three different questions. Here is what each label really tells you, and what it doesn't. Few words on a wine label carry as much weight, or cause as much confusion, as organic, biodynamic and natural. They are often spoken of as if they sit on a single scale good, better, best when in truth they describe different things entirely. One is a farming standard. One is a whole philosophy of agriculture. One is a winemaking approach with no official rulebook at all. A wine can qualify for all three, or for just one, and the label alone will not always tell you which. If you want a starting point that shows how rewarding the category can be, the Marques de Caceres Ecologico, 2023 is a certified organic Tempranillo from Rioja, ruby in colour with aromas of red fruits and liquorice and a smooth, well-rounded palate a wine that makes the case for organic farming on flavour alone. Three labels, three diff...

  Rioja and Chianti are the two great everyday reds of southern Europe, and choosing between them is one of the most enjoyable decisions on the wine shelf. Both are made to be drunk with food, both come in longer-aged versions, and both sit side by side on almost every restaurant list in the country. Pour a glass of Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2021 next to a Chianti Classico, and the difference shows in the first sip. One is ripe strawberry, plum, and gentle spice. The other is all sour cherry, leather, and a mineral finish. This guide explains what separates the two, what the words on the label mean, which bottles from our shelves show each style at its best, and how to enjoy them at home. What is the difference between Rioja and Chianti? Rioja is a red wine from northern Spain, made under the DOCa Rioja designation. Its backbone is Tempranillo, usually blended with Garnacha and Graciano, and the style leans towards smooth, rounded red fruit with vanilla and gentle spice from ti...

  Port wine is a fortified wine from Portugal's Douro Valley, made by adding grape spirit to the wine during or after fermentation. That extra spirit raises the alcohol and keeps some of the grape's natural sweetness, which is why Port is typically rich, sweet and full-bodied, with flavours of blackberry, plum, chocolate and spice. A bottle such as Niepoort Late Bottle Vintage 2020 , with its aroma of fresh dark plums, cherries and a hint of chocolate, shows exactly why Port is one of the most rewarding wines to open after dinner. Once you understand the three main styles, choosing one becomes simple. The names on the label, Ruby, Tawny and Vintage, tell you how the Port was aged and roughly how it will taste. This guide explains what sets each style apart, points you to the bottles that show them off, and covers how to serve Port at home so you get the most from every glass. What really separates one Port from another Every Port starts the same way: a distilled grape spirit i...