Wine

Cathal McBride on wine: Fame isn’t everything, even in wine

Many lesser known grapes, regions and smaller, family-run producers deserve their place in the sun, and their wines would make a quaffable addition to your cellar

Julien and Sophie Ilbert are continuing a tradition of four generations at the small family-run Château Combel-la-Serre, where they are embedded in the nuances of malbec

“What is your favourite wine?” I am often asked. This is an obvious and natural question, but one that is almost impossible to answer.

It is not a cop-out when I say that there’s a time and a place for everything. The glamour of the big guns shines with a gleam that’s impossible to deny, and yet a huge part of wine production involves low-key family operations expressing year-on-year a love and passion for their ...