Hear it here first, Slovenian wines are ready to break into the big time! Covering an area approximately the same size as Bordeaux, although producing half the quantity, Slovenia makes some very high quality wines. This is generally due to the extremely variable climate of the region which means that annual total production may vary by as much as 50% making some extraordinary vintages. Slovenia particularly excels in its white wines producing distinctive wines from familiar neighbouring grapes like Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc as well as many lesser known varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia, Traminer, and Sylvaner. With help from the EU and dedicated importers like ourselves Slovenian winemakers are beginning to receive the recognition they deserve. Try them for yourself - our range of Verus wines have already been highly recommended by wine critics Jancis Robinson MW and Jamie Goode.

The historic and cultural heart of wine making! Arguably responsible for the world's greatest wines, her many and varied wine regions are a source of national pride and international pleasure, with France defining and classifying her vineyards more than anywhere else. The regulations of the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) introduced into the vineyards in the 1920s has restricted experimentation giving France a major disadvantage over its innovative New World rivals. However the more relaxed Vin de Pays regulations do allow for much greater experimentation. Despite this the quality of French wines still exceeds that of any other country.

Currently enjoying a renewed popularity, Spain has the largest area under vine in the world (although its annual production is still lower than that of France or Italy).

Despite its rich history of wine making (the Greeks named it Oenotria – the land of wine!) it is only within the last few decades that Italy has renewed its role as a producer of quality wine. It has a huge variety of wines with approximately 1000 different types grown in over 300 locations, making it the second biggest wine producer in the world behind France. The geography of Italy, a country surrounded by mountains and coastline, makes Italy practically perfect for winemaking but also leads to considerable climate differences between the country's wine regions and explains the diversity of wines found. Also famous for its sparkling wines, why not try our delicious range of fizz from Sacchetto in North-East Italy.

The most exciting wine producing country of the moment! It has just overtaken South Africa to fifth place in UK wine imports. Its climate is a wine-grower's dream, with winds from the Pacific to the west and the sheltering Andes to the east providing a constant supply of irrigation through melting snow, all of which help to keep the country's vineyards disease and pest-free. This near-perfect climate with cool nights and hot days has helped produce rich, fruity wines of a very high quality, spurred on by much foreign investment.