Merlot

Merlot is an early-budding, mid-season-ripening black grape from Bordeaux whose wines span a wide stylistic range. Bordeaux examples can be light and juicy or concentrated and built to age; Merlot also appears in other regions, including Friuli, where local sources describe a distinct regional expression. Its parentage is established by DNA research, while the finished wine’s body, freshness and texture depend on place and cellar choices.

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Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc can move from crisp, dry and sparkling to richly sweet without losing the thread of its naturally high acidity. The Loire Valley is its historic home: Vouvray alone spans a remarkable range of styles, while Anjou, Saumur and Touraine add further expressions. In South Africa, where the grape is also called Steen, producers have made the variety their own. Tasting Chenin side by side across these regions is a lesson in how climate, harvest and cellar choices shape a grape.

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Gamay

Gamay is best known through Beaujolais, but the grape does not make just one kind of wine. Beaujolais includes fresh, fruit-led examples as well as more structured cru wines; in Centre-Loire it can appear in red and rosé, sometimes blended with Pinot noir. Switzerland offers another perspective: in Valais, Gamay is bottled alone and used in Dôle blends. These regional contrasts make Gamay a clear example of how place and winemaking shape a grape’s expression.

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