Features

The Guild of Sommeliers publishes several original feature articles, discussions and in-depth reports every month on a range of wine and beverage topics. Written by the trade and for the trade, this section is public content and free to read for all.

  • Elizabeth Gabay: Szekszárd

    The wines regarded as the flagships of Hungary are the sweet styles of Tokaj PDO and, increasingly, the dry Furmints from the same region. But their fame often means that wines from the rest of the country are overlooked. In Szekszárd, one of ...
    • Dec 2, 2022
  • Beverley Blanning: Cabernet Franc In the Loire

    Cabernet Franc has long taken a back seat to its dazzling offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. So wildly successful has the latter become that for most of the wine-drinking public, the name Cabernet simply means Cabernet Sauvignon. Does anyone know, or eve...
    • Nov 22, 2022
  • Elizabeth Gabay: The Role of White Grapes in Rosé

    The idea of white grapes in rosé may come as a surprise to some. Surely not! Yet the blending of red and white grapes has a long history, and the practice is still used for many rosés. Combining Whites and Reds Beyond Rosé Making...
    • Oct 7, 2022
  • Susan Lin: The Power of the Story

    What does it take for a wine to be recognized as great? Wines of excellent quality are easily found in the global market. What makes certain wines rise above the others and become iconic? Acknowledgment of outstanding quality by both consumers and in...
    • Sep 23, 2022
  • Jessica Dupuy: Defining a New Italy

    The road between Siena and Montalcino is a winding thoroughfare snaking its way through the earth-toned farmhouses and cypress trees. It’s a stretch of road Andrea Lonardi often takes to check on the handful of vineyard estates he oversees. As ...
    • Sep 2, 2022
  • Caroline Gilby: Istria: Wine Across Borders

    “My family has lived in the same house for over a century, yet the last four generations have had four different passports,” explains Croatian winemaker Ivica Matošević. He lives in the heart of Istria, the largest peninsula in the...
    • Aug 5, 2022
  • Elizabeth Gabay: Great Whites of Southern France

    While today’s average drinkers of white wine are most likely to think of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Gris—and if more adventurous, Riesling, Furmint, or Assyrtiko—many other wine lovers are searching out new and unexplored...
    • Jun 10, 2022
  • Leona De Pasquale: The Taiwanese Wine Renaissance

    Taiwan, an island in East Asia, lies on the 23rd parallel. With the impacts of climate change, and as more countries in tropical and subtropical climates produce stellar wines, it is not a surprise to see new wine regions emerging outside the 30th to...
    • May 20, 2022
  • Amy Christine: An Introduction to Sulfur

    The term sulfur is frequently misused in wine vernacular. This miscomprehension colors our understanding of winemaking and leads to confusion for both consumers and members of the trade. Indeed, it may have contributed to the current trend toward eli...
    • Mar 25, 2022
  • Miquel Hudin: The Dry Side of Roussillon

    While Roussillon is not a behemoth of overall French wine production, much has been written about it. Unfortunately, in what text exists, this Southern French region is almost always in a "suffix state," at the end of Languedoc-Roussillon. ...
    • Nov 5, 2021