Show Notes
1. WHAT IT IS A small, cool region in north-eastern France, 140km from Paris, with 34,000 hectares of vineyards. Only sparkling wine made here can be called Champagne, mainly from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.
2. HOW IT TASTES Fine bubbles, citrus and green apple, with brioche and toast notes from ageing in the bottle. Crisp and elegant.
3. THE LAND • Montagne de Reims – mainly Pinot Noir • Vallée de la Marne – mainly Meunier • Côte des Blancs – mainly Chardonnay • Côte des Bar - further south, Mainly Pinot Noir
4. HOW IT’S MADE First fermentation – still wines are made, then blended Second fermentation in the bottle – a little sugar and yeast create the bubbles Riddling and disgorging – the sediment is collected in the neck, frozen and removed Dosage – a touch of sugar sets the style, from Brut Nature (driest) through Brut to Doux (sweetest)
5. THE VILLAGES 319 villages may grow grapes for Champagne, each graded from 80% to 100%: • Grand Cru – 17 villages, graded 100% • Premier Cru – 42 villages, graded 90–99% • The rest – 260 villages, graded 80–89% (Anton’s “Mötley Cru”)
6. OUR RECOMMENDED PAIRING Serve well chilled, and open by turning the base of the bottle, not the cork. • Oysters and shellfish – the classic match • Fried and salty bites – tempura, even crisps • Soft cheeses – Brie, or Chaource from Champagne itself
7. SAY IT RIGHT Reims = “Rance”, not “Reams”.
8. IN A WORD Celebration. The wine of every toast – and, as Madame Bollinger showed, of almost every other moment too.
More from What Is…? by Winexel
1. WHAT IT IS A sparkling wine from north-eastItaly, made across nine provinces in two regions, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, between Venice and the Dolomites. Prosecco is a protected place name, not a grape: the wine is made from atleast 85% Glera. 2. HOW IT TASTESLight, fresh and fruity: green and yellow apple, pear, peach, citrus and melon, with fresh acidity, moderate alcohol and a light to medium body. Simple, clean and refreshing. 3. THE LAND -Prosecco DOC: about 85% of production, mostly from flatter land -Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG: the steep historic hills where Prosecco began, about 15% of production; a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2019 -Rive: 43 recognised hillside sites within the DOCG, picked by hand -Cartizze: the most prestigious hill, close to Valdobbiadene, the nearestthing Prosecco has to a Grand Cru 4. HOW IT’S MADE The tank method: the base wine has its second fermentation in a sealed, pressurised tank, notin the bottle as in Champagne. This keeps Glera’s fresh, floral, fruity aromas, and makes the wine more quickly and atlower cost. 5. READ THE LABEL Spumante: fully sparkling, atleast 3 bar of pressure; about 90% of Prosecco Frizzante: gently sparkling, about 1 to 2.5 bar Brut: drier and crisper, with more citrus; about a third of production and rising Extra Dry: slightly sweet, fruity and soft; about 60% of production. Yes, Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut 6. OUR RECOMMENDED PAIRING Brut and Extra Brut: oysters, prawns, grilled fish, fish and chips, sushi and sashimi, lighter cheeses, salty canapés Extra Dry: dim sum, mildly spicy Thai and Vietnamese food, Parma ham with melon, fresh fruit, and as an aperitif 7. SAY IT RIGHT Prosecco = “proh-SEK-koh”. Glera = “GLEH-ra”. Conegliano = “koh-neh-LYAH-noh”. Valdobbiadene = “val-doh-BYAH-deh-neh”. Cartizze = “car-T EET -zeh”. 8. IN A WORD Fresh. Prosecco is made to be enjoyed young, cold and without fuss.
1. WHAT IT IS A small but celebrated wine region in the south-west corner of Western Australia, about 300 km south of Perth. It runs around 110 km from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, with ocean on three sides. Its 5,800 hectares of vines make it about a third the size of Napa and a small fraction of Bordeaux: a boutique fine-wine region, not a wine factory. Its Mediterranean climate and cooling ocean winds let the grapes ripen fully while keeping their freshness.
1. WHAT IT IS Spain’s most famous wine region, along the River Ebro in the north. Red Rioja is led by Tempranillo, traditionally blended with Garnacha. Look out, too, for white Rioja from Viura: fresh, textured and quietly having a revival. 2. HOW IT TASTES Red cherry and plum when young, moving towards darker fruit as the grapes ripen. The signature is oak: vanilla, coconut and sweet spice, with leather, tobacco and dried fruit as the wine ages. 3. THE LAND • Rioja Alta – high vineyards (around 400–800m), mostly Tempranillo; home to Haro, the main wine town • Rioja Alavesa – the smallest and coolest sub-zone; again Tempranillo-led • Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja) – lower, hotter and flatter, with fertile soils; more Garnacha 4. THE FOUR STYLES • Joven / Genérico (green) – no minimum ageing; usually young, bright, lively and red-fruit driven • Crianza (red) – two years’ ageing, at least one in oak; fruit with a touch of oak • Reserva (burgundy) – three years’ ageing, at least one in oak; leather and tobacco appear Gran Reserva (blue) – five years’ ageing, at least two in oak; dried fruit and real complexity, usually only made in the best vintages Look for the coloured seal on the back label – it tells you how long the wine has been aged: 5. A BIT OF HISTORY When phylloxera hit Bordeaux in the late 1800s, many of its winemakers moved to Rioja and helped establish the 225-litre barrique. Add Spain’s access to American oak, and the classic style was born. Today over 1.3 million barrels lie aging here. 6. OUR RECOMMENDED PAIRING Match the wine to the weight of the food: 7. SAY IT RIGHT Rioja = “ree-OH-ha.” The Spanish “j” sounds like a soft, breathy “h”. 8. IN A WORD Time. Rioja is the wine that does the ageing for you – and the label tells you exactly how long.
“WHAT IS…?” SERIES Episode 02: “What is Cabernet Sauvignon?” Date: September 23, 2026 Hosts: Gavin Jones with Chris Page Recorded at: Winexel HQ, Hong Kong
1. What It Is A place, not a grape. Chablis is a small town in northern France, around 180km south-east of Paris, making wine from 100% Chardonnay. But it's cool-climate Chardonnay - none of the heavy oak and butter the grape was once known for. 2. How It Tastes Crisp lemon, lime and green apple, zesty and bright, with high, piercing acidity, a chalky minerality, and a slight salty kick on the finish. 3. The Soil & Terroir The secret is underfoot. Around 150 million years ago this part of France lay under a shallow sea, leaving soils rich in fossilised oyster shells — the famous Kimmeridgian limestone. That, plus the cool northern climate, is what gives Chablis its unmistakable minerality and saline edge. 4. The Four Tiers The quality ladder, entry to summit: Petit Chablis — younger vines and flatter, cooler sites; fresh and unoaked, made for drinking young Chablis / Village — the classic, around 65% of total production Premier Cru — better-exposed slopes, more depth and concentration Grand Cru — the pinnacle, from the best southwest-facing hillside; around 1.5% of total production 5. A Bit of History First identified for quality by Cistercian monks in the 12th century. The region shrank from 40,000 hectares to just 500 by the 1950s — hit by phylloxera, frosts, and two world wars. Today it stands at around 6,000 hectares of quality vineyards, and the region is in very good health. 6. Our Recommended Pairing Shellfish and white fish — the classic squeeze-of-lemon effect Roast chicken — keep the sauces light Creamy pasta — the acidity cuts right through 7. Say It Right Chablis = shab-LEE. The s at the end stays silent. 8. In a Word Precision. Chablis is the world's benchmark for unoaked Chardonnay — the reference point everything cool-climate is measured against.