FAQ — 518
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Tendances et nouveautés·Informational
E-commerce has reshaped the wine market, growing from 5 % of global sales in 2019 to 12 % in 2024, worth roughly $38 billion (IWSR). The Covid-19 pandemic was the catalyst, but the shift stuck. Online wine retail has democratised access to small producers, popularised subscription models and direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, and made educational content and reviews central to how people choose what to drink.
Tendances et nouveautés·Informational
Gen Z — born between 1997 and 2012 — drinks structurally less alcohol than any previous generation. About 20 % identify as non-drinkers (Berenberg Research, 2023). Wine isn't irrelevant to them, but the industry needs to adapt: smaller formats (25 cl, cans), authentic digital storytelling, low-alcohol and zero-alcohol options, and full transparency on ingredients and farming practices.
Tendances et nouveautés·Informational
Slow Wine is both a philosophy and an annual guide launched in 2010 by Slow Food Editore in Italy. It rates wineries on three criteria: wine quality, environmental stewardship, and connection to terroir. Born from Carlo Petrini's Slow Food movement (which started in 1986 as a protest against a McDonald's opening near Rome's Spanish Steps), Slow Wine champions sustainable farming, controlled yields, and artisanal winemaking over industrial standardisation.
Tendances et nouveautés·Informational
AI is transforming every link in the wine chain. In the vineyard, IoT sensors and predictive algorithms optimise irrigation and spot diseases (downy mildew, powdery mildew) 7-10 days before visible symptoms. In the cellar, AI adjusts fermentation in real time. For consumers, recommendation engines on platforms like Vivino and Wine-Searcher analyse preferences across 70+ million users. The wine AgTech market is projected at $3.2 billion in 2025 (MarketsandMarkets).
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A light-bodied wine feels delicate and refreshing in your mouth, think water rather than cream. These wines typically have lower alcohol (9-12.5%), minimal tannins, and a crisp, easygoing personality. Muscadet, Beaujolais, Vinho Verde, and many Rieslings are classic examples. They're brilliant for warm weather, light meals, or when you just want something drinkable without the heft.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
An oaky wine is one that's been aged in oak barrels, picking up flavours like vanilla, toast, coconut, smoke, and baking spices along the way. The effect ranges from subtle (a whisper of vanilla in the background) to in-your-face (like drinking liquid toasted marshmallow). French oak tends to be more restrained; American oak delivers bolder coconut and vanilla.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A medium-sweet wine (moelleux in French) falls between off-dry and fully sweet, typically containing 12-45 grams of residual sugar per litre. The sweetness comes from natural grape sugars that weren't fully converted to alcohol. Think Vouvray Moelleux, Jurançon, Coteaux du Layon, or German Spätlese Riesling, wines where sweetness and acidity dance together beautifully.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
Astringency is that dry, puckering, mouth-gripping sensation you get from tannic red wines. It's not a taste, it's a physical feeling. Tannins in the wine bind to proteins in your saliva, reducing lubrication and making your mouth feel rough and dry. Think of biting into an unripe banana or drinking very strong black tea. It mellows with ageing and softens dramatically when paired with protein-rich food.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
Red wine gets its colour from anthocyanins — natural pigments found in the skins of dark-skinned grapes. The juice inside most grapes is actually clear. During winemaking, the juice soaks with the grape skins for days or weeks (a process called maceration), extracting those purple-red pigments. The longer the soak, the deeper the colour. As red wine ages, the pigments change chemically, shifting from vibrant purple to garnet to brick-orange.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A dessert wine is a sweet wine typically served at the end of a meal, with residual sugar levels above 45 g/L. The sweetness can come from noble rot (Sauternes, Tokaji), late harvesting, grape drying (Recioto, Vin Santo), freezing on the vine (Eiswein), or adding grape spirit to stop fermentation (Port, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise). The best dessert wines balance their sweetness with vibrant acidity.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A corked wine smells like wet cardboard, damp basement, musty newspaper, or mouldy towel. The culprit is TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), a chemical produced when fungi in the cork react with chlorine-based compounds. Humans can detect it at incredibly low levels, just a few parts per trillion. About 2-5% of natural cork-sealed bottles are affected. The wine won't harm you, but it will taste flat and unpleasant.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A 'corsé' wine (full-bodied in English) is a big, powerful wine that fills your mouth with density and weight. Think of the difference between skimmed milk and double cream, that's roughly the difference between a light wine and a corsé one. These wines typically have higher alcohol (13.5-15.5%), generous tannins, and concentrated flavours. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Barolo, Amarone, and Napa Cabernet are textbook examples.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A floral wine is one that smells like flowers, roses, violets, jasmine, orange blossom, honeysuckle, or acacia. These aromas come from terpene compounds (linalool, geraniol, nerol) naturally found in certain grape varieties. Gewurztraminer (roses and lychee), Muscat (orange blossom), Viognier (white flowers), and Torrontés (jasmine) are the most dramatically floral grapes. Even some reds, like Nebbiolo, carry beautiful rose petal and violet notes.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
That vanilla flavour in wine comes from oak barrels. When wine ages in oak, a compound called vanillin migrates from the wood into the wine, the same molecule that gives vanilla pods their scent. American oak delivers stronger, more obvious vanilla (and coconut) notes than French oak, which is subtler. The barrel's 'toast' level (how much it's charred inside) also matters: medium toast produces the most vanilla character.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
'Gouleyant' (goo-lay-YAHN) is a wonderfully French word with no perfect English translation. It describes a wine that's so easy to drink it practically slides down your throat, fresh, fruity, light on tannins, and irresistibly quaffable. Think of it as the wine equivalent of a page-turner novel: you start a glass and suddenly the bottle's empty. Beaujolais, Gamay, and many natural wines nail this style.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
Absolutely, and millions of people do. The key is being deliberate about it. Instead of just drinking wine, start paying attention: look at the colour, swirl and smell before sipping, and take notes. Compare wines side by side whenever you can. Use aroma kits to train your nose. Read books like Jancis Robinson's 'Wine Course.' You'll be surprised how quickly your palate develops with regular, focused practice.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
A structured wine has a strong 'skeleton' — firm tannins, good acidity, balanced alcohol, and concentrated flavour all working together to create a solid framework. It's the wine equivalent of a building with good bones. Structured wines typically age well because that framework supports the wine as it evolves over years. Bordeaux, Barolo, and Burgundy Grand Cru are classic examples of structured wines.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
Different grapes produce different aromatic molecules — it's literally in their DNA. Pinot Noir and Gamay are rich in compounds that smell like strawberry and raspberry (esters like ethyl butyrate, plus a molecule called furaneol). Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah produce thiol compounds and damascenone that smell like blackcurrant and dark berries. The grape variety, ripeness level, and fermentation conditions all influence which fruit aromas end up in your glass.
Bases et dégustation·Informational
Beaujolais Nouveau is the world's most famous 'primeur' wine, a young wine released just weeks after harvest. It hits the shelves every third Thursday of November, barely 6-8 weeks after the grapes were picked. Made from Gamay grapes using carbonic maceration, it's light, fruity, and meant to be drunk immediately, no ageing required. Think of it as wine's version of fresh-baked bread: best enjoyed while it's still warm.
Conservation et service·Informational
Absolutely, and it might be even more important than decanting old wine. Young, tannic reds (think Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Nebbiolo) can taste tight and aggressive straight from the bottle. Pouring them into a decanter for 30 minutes to 2 hours lets the tannins soften and hidden fruit and spice emerge. The goal isn't to remove sediment, it's to wake the wine up.