What kind of adventurer are you?
START QUIZ
Take our quiz to discover what satiates your adventurous spirit – and what that tells you about the next bottle of wine you should try
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Ask the waiter how the chef drinks theirs and try whatever is presented – even if it has a straw and an umbrella in it and is clearly not just coffee?
Have the strongest cup of coffee on the menu – and then another one, otherwise you’ll be forced to nap under the table?
Order a mint tea, because you never drink coffee after 4pm?
Order the coffee to go, then take a post-prandial passeggiata to show off your latest wardrobe buy?
You’re in an Italian restaurant and it’s coffee time. Do you…
2/7
Spin the globe and see where your finger lands? Then spin again when your finger lands on Blackpool or North Korea?
Get straight online, find somewhere that has endless things to do, and spend hours salivating over the possibilities?
Speak to your travel agent and ask them to find you somewhere fabulous?
Rebook the gorgeous villa you stayed at last year because nobody likes change?
You’re booking your next holiday. Do you…
3/7
Jump in the car and see where the wind takes you (within a radius that won’t involve recharging your car)?
Spend five minutes thinking and then head off windsurfing, mountain biking or kayaking?
Have a leisurely breakfast and meander to the spa you booked months ago?
Invite friends and family over for an impromptu barbecue and then regret it when they arrive?
It’s the weekend. Do you…
4/7
Head to an incredibly niche museum you read about in an equally niche blog?
Not even notice and go coasteering as planned?
Open a bottle of wine at lunchtime and settle in for a movie marathon?
Put on your wet weather gear and take the dog for a three-hour walk?
You’ve got the day to yourself but it’s raining outside. Do you…
5/7
Invent an entirely new dish and use the poor things as guinea pigs?
Spend 20 minutes on a spag bol and focus your attention where it belongs – on serving terrific wine?
Do the sensible thing and call your favourite neighbourhood bistro and order in coq au vin for eight?
Spend hours poring over online recipes to create a four-course feast that you’ll serve on a ridiculously beautiful table with name places carved into shells?
You’ve got friends coming round for dinner next weekend. Do you…
6/7
Pop to the local wine shop and ask for recommendations that might impress your not easily impressed mother-in-law?
Dig through the cupboard of half-drunk bottles of spirits and invent a house cocktail?
Knock on your neighbour’s door and beg a favour?
Do nothing, because heading out to buy wine once they arrive will be the perfect excuse to escape for half an hour?
Your in-laws are inbound and panic sets in when you realise you have no wine. Do you…
7/7
Head off-piste in search of virgin white snow?
Point yourself down the only black run to get to the bottom in the shortest possible time and then do it again five more times?
Check the piste map to see which run takes you via a lovely mountain restaurant where you ditch the skis for three hours?
Take the meandering scenic route through the trees holding your poles in one hand like a pro?
You’ve reached the top of the ski resort and there are four routes down the mountain. Do you…
Prefers the path less travelled and likes to keep moving, always willing to learn and try new things
The Nomad
Curious and open-minded, your zest for life and love of learning has rewarded you with some truly extraordinary experiences. From sampling local delicacies to ditching the guide book while you explore a new city, an adventure for you takes many forms. When it comes to good food, drink or entertainment, it’s never about price, it’s about authenticity. So when you’re choosing wine for a dinner party or to take to a friend’s house you tend to seek specialist help in search of an interesting bottle with a backstory.
Wines fit for a Nomad
A glorious English sparkler with vivacious fresh lemon and grapefruit, masses of tiny bubbles and a lingering, dry finish. It's a winner with all kinds of seafood and the ultimate treat with fish and chips.
Reads fit for a Nomad
Artelium Curator's Cuvée 2016 Sussex, England
Seven white varieties you ought to know
Know your fizz
Wines that overdeliver
A wine lover's guide to Sicily
How do I impress my in-laws for under £20?
Leitz Dragonstone Riesling 2021, Rheingau, Germany
This medium-sweet riesling from one of the leading wineries of the Rheingau is a versatile food matcher that’s especially good with sweet and sour dishes or melon with Parma ham.
Ken Forrester Sparklehorse Brut 2019, Western Cape, South Africa
Made in the traditional Champagne method from 100% chenin blanc, this impressive sparkling wine is dry and crisp with yellow apple fruit, a lemon curd tinge and a soft creaminess.
Colterenzio Gewürztraminer DOC Alto Adige, Italy
Gewürztraminer tastes like no other grape variety, and this example from northern Italy is a joy. It’s also a brilliant food matcher: try it with cheeses, Chinese dishes, pâtés or fragrant Thai green curries.
Chaffey Bros Düfte Punkt Riesling Gewürztraminer Kerner 2021, South Australia
Lime blossom, rose petal, lemongrass and passionfruit are kept in focus by an icy blast of cooling acid. Brilliant with fragrant Thai food.
Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2022, Western Cape, South Africa
There is lots of wine here for the price. Full in flavour and rich but deftly structured, it’s also beautifully pure.
Ascheri Nirane Dolcetto d'Alba 2020, Piedmont, Italy
There’s plenty of exuberant red cherry at the heart of this premium dolcetto from a top name in Piedmont. It makes a very fine partner for a mushroom risotto, or try it with steak.
Ulterior Parcela No. 17 Organic Graciano 2017, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
This graciano is gorgeous and surprisingly refined and fresh. It smells of cardamom and nutmeg and tastes of roasted balsamic strawberries with more spice.
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Extreme adventures with regular hits of jumping off things
The Daredevil
Your freewheeling approach to life gets turbocharged on holiday; with endless opportunities for new experiences and adventures, why would you settle for anything less than extraordinary? Your adventurous palate extends to your wine choices: friends have come to rely on you to introduce them to a niche grape variety or a bottle from an up-and-coming region.
Wines fit for a Daredevil
An elegant sparkler from an award-winning winery, displaying fresh citrus, apple and pear but with a creamy, rich layer and a light salty dab at the very end. Perfect for seafood and delicate white fish.
Reads fit for a Daredevil
Artelium Blanc de Blancs 2015, Sussex, England
Grape varieties to explore
Unexpected matches: rioja
How to choose a case of wine
The best English vineyards to visit now
Which red wines can you chill?
Russiz Superiore Pinot Bianco 2021, Friuli, Italy
This elegant pinot bianco delivers aromatic succulent peach and crunchy apple with a white blossom whiff and twist of white pepper. Enjoy with delicate white fish or a risotto primavera.
Gramona La Cuvee Organic Brut 2017, Penedès, Spain
A great-value premium sparkling wine from the cava region that’s floral and lemon-scented with soft bubbles and a creamy palate. Try it with lightly spiced dishes such as korma or katsu curry.
Ktima Kir-Yianni Paranga White 2022, Macedonia, Greece
A dry white made from a blend of two indigenous Greek varieties which give a floral fruitiness coupled with crisp acidity and lemon zest. Ideal for sundowners, or paired with white meats and seafood.
A zesty white from renowned Clare Valley producer Pikes. This dry and balanced fiano has notes of lemon and lime, apple and honeydew melon. Enjoy with pan-fried fish or a spring vegetable risotto.
Colterenzio St Magdalener Schiava 2021, Alto Adige, Italy
This juicy red from the cool northeastern Italian region of Alto Adige delivers lots of red berries and plums. Try it chilled in hot weather, and serve with charcuterie or pizza.
Chaffey Bros Not Your Grandma's Chillable Red 2021, Barossa Valley, South Australia
This unusual blend of old-vine grenache and mourvèdre tastes like pomegranate and wild strawberries with a hint of blood orange peel. As the name suggests, it’s best drunk lightly chilled.
Ixsir Altitudes Red 2018, Batroun, Lebanon
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, caladoc, syrah and tempranillo, some grown in vineyards at an altitude of 1,800m. Deep and brooding with flavours of blackcurrant jam, dark plum and hedgerow fruit.
Pikes Luccio Fiano 2022, South Australia, Australia
Loves to explore and wants to do it in style
The Flashpacker
Adventures on the more glossy and fabulous end of the scale are your preference – especially if they come with the chance to see and be seen. From a stay at the latest boutique bolthole to the tasting menu at that impossible-to-book restaurant, life’s too short to settle for dull, so you’ll look to the experts to help you discern the very best things to see and do. When choosing wine you don’t buy cheap, but you do buy twice, because the only thing better than sampling one delicious bottle is treating you – and your friends – to an evening of palate pleasure.
Wines fit for a Flashpacker
A sparkling English rosé made with the three Champagne grapes. Expect a nose of ripe red fruits, particularly strawberry, and a creamy palate of nuts, warm brioche, and cherry compôte.
Reads fit for a Flashpacker
Artelium Makers Rosé 2015, Sussex, England
Are celebrity wines a waste of money?
How to buy wine for a party
Unexpected matches: champagne
How do I know if a wine is worth keeping?
Swirl, sniff and sip like a pro
Carrick Winery Bannockburn Organic Pinot Noir 2018, Central Otago, New Zealand
An organic pinot from one of Otago’s finest estates. Combining wild edges of cherry compôte, clove and mushroom with perfumed finesse, savour with roast duck or pork or wild mushroom dishes.
Love by Léoube Organic Rosé 2021, Provence, France
A smooth and silky organic rosé that has a gentle smell of red berries and white nectarines and a delicate flavour. Try it on its own or pair with soft cheeses.
Conterno Fantino Ginestrino Nebbiolo 2021, Piemonte, Italy
This insider’s wine always overdelivers. Produced in an approachable, fruit-forward style, expect flavours of leather, dark cherry and lavender and a stony grip of tannin.
Loves a filter and sees beauty everywhere
The Romantic
Your bucket list is likely to include some of the world’s most beautiful sights, such as cherry blossom season in Japan or the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Closer to home, you’ll seek out beauty in the everyday, whether it’s taking in the view on a country walk or savouring a glass of wine at an open-air classical concert.
Wines fit for a Romantic
Reminiscent of cool stones and the outdoorsy taste of Conference pear skin and flesh, Quartese is a delicate joy.
Reads fit for a Romantic
Ruggeri Quartese Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV, Veneto, Italy
Which wine with pasta?
Crib sheet: wine tasting
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A wine lover’s guide to the Loire
If you like chardonnay, try this…
Leitz Colterenzio Pinot Grigio 2022, Alto Adige, Italy
This elegant pinot grigio, made in the cool foothills of the Dolomites, is clean and crisp, with a slightly riper and more complex character than many and very long on the finish.
Quinta da Lixa QL Loureiro 2022, Vinho Verde, Portugal
This new wave, modern vinho verde is the perfect hot weather wine: a super-fresh, spritzy and dry white with a whiff of apple blossom, zesty lemon and lime and relatively light at 11%.
Santadi Cala Silenti Vermentino 2021, Sardinia, Italy
A fine example of vermentino – fresh, crisp and elegant with a fairly intense flavour of lime and a tangy, clean finish. Chill it for pasta with creamy sauces or a salad of roast chicken with tarragon.
Not Your Grandma's Rosé 2021, South Australia
Small amounts of pungent white grapes bring exotic aromatics to this pale-hued, grenache-led blend. It’s textured, yet laser sharp in its freshness – an ideal rosé to sip through a meal.
Aubert & Mathieu Marie Antoinette Corbières 2021, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Reminiscent of brambles and fig leaves, this fruity blend of syrah and grenache reflects the sensitive approach to winemaking of these two former school friends.
Château Laulerie Bergerac Rouge 2022, South West France
When on form – as here – Bergerac delivers unbeatable value compared to its neighbour Bordeaux. Decant, tell your friends it cost double and serve alongside the Sunday roast.
