The world of wine is constantly in a state of flux, and since it has evolved so much over the last 50 years, we’ve rounded up all our experts to predict what another 50 may bring.

Our recently launched Future of Wine Report predicts some pretty big changes, but then again in 1958, few people would have predicted the USA, Argentina or Chile would be capable of producing good wine. Now, nearly every other bottle of wine is made outside of Europe’s Big 5 wine producing regions and these countries lead the New World Wine rankings.

So, who will head the table in 2058?

Already the world’s sixth largest wine producer and number four in terms of area under vine, China, we predict, will be the world’s leading producer of volume wine by 2058 and that Cabernets and Chardonnays of real promise will be made. With the right soil, low labour costs and soaring domestic demand, China is set to take the world of wine by storm.

But not only do we believe China will establish itself as a leading producer of volume wine, our experts also consider China to have all the essential ingredients to make fine wine to rival the best of Bordeaux.

While most Chinese wines seem alien to Western palates, a new breed of Chinese winemaker, backed by foreign investment and technical advice, is already trying to change that reputation and in 50 years time China’s current 400 wineries may well mutiply more than ten-fold, with up to a quarter producing fine quality wine.

Do you agree that China will rival Bordeaux in 50 years time? Have your say by voting below or leaving us a comment.

The sun’s shining and so am I. Those lazy summer days with friends and family have finally arrived and this weekend I managed to squeeze in a beach picnic, a barbeque extravaganza and a light alfresco dinner amongst the jasmine and falling blossom! Ahh, pure bliss.

With the odds against me I decided to put some faith in British summertime and stock up with some delicious wines ahead of the weekend. For me classic Sauvignon Blanc is synonymous with summer and perfect for lighter dishes so I cracked open a couple of bottles 2006 Sancerre, Les Monts Damnés, Cotat, Chavignol at our light balmy summer dinner. Nowhere else in the Loire does Sauvignon Blanc express quite so much concentration and complexity as in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, where the region’s trademark herbal and mineral profile shines through amidst delicious notes of pear, citrus and freshly-cut grass.

But subtlety went out the window when it came to our barbeque bash where a big, bold bottle of Berrys’ Shiraz stood up beautifully to our charred steak, smoky spare ribs and spicy chicken marinade. When it comes to barbecues I don’t think you can go wrong by looking to the great barbecuers of the world – Argentineans, Australians, Americans and South Africans.

Have a favourite BBQ wine? Let us know!

Today Berrys’ launched their ‘Future of Wine Report’, attracting a whole host of media attention including an article in the Guardian and an appreciative mention on Jancis Robinson’s website.

The world of wine can change pretty quickly. So much has changed over the last 50 years that we thought it would be fun, and instructive, to consider what might be happening in another fifty years, in 2058.

Four of us – Alun Griffiths MW, Simon Field MW, David Berry Green and myself - were locked in a room with bread and water for sustenance until we could come up with some worthwhile thoughts. It made sense to divide the market into ‘volume’ and ‘fine wine’, under which headings we looked at where it would come from (China!), what it might taste like, what technological advantages might have come through and how much it might cost.

Following the last point up, I snuck a look at an old Berry’s price list from 1958 and saw Château Latour 1955 quoted at 15/6d (a snip, you cry). We have some in stock today at a mere £ 1540.00 per bottle, which I reckon is a multiplication in cost of about 2,000! If that replicates itself over the next 50 years then Latour 1955 would be worth over £ 3 million a bottle – frightening thought.

Have a look at our various thoughts

I recently read an interesting article by Dan Berger addressing the notion that our genetic makeup determines everything we taste and thus like and dislike.

He notes: “Your genetic structure may determine the wines you like to taste and smell. Some people have a genetic makeup that lets them like everything. These lucky souls are called “supertasters.”

If we all taste the same wine slightly differently from one another, does each individual’s DNA determine our ability to detect some of the near-trivial elements in wine, both in aroma and taste?

Or do external factors such as our upbringing, acquired wine knowledge and level of exposure to differing wine types together with various ethnic, social, and acculturative influences play a greater role than genetic makeup?

If you’ve been following our blog reports direct from Bordeaux this month, you’ll know that 2007 is an extremely varied vintage - unlike any other our Fine Wine Team have ever tasted.

Our Sales Director Simon Staples says that while “the majority of the red wines are either dilute and lack weight or are over-extracted some of the Grand Châteaux have made soft, rich seductive wines which will offer delightful early drinkers”

 ”The 2007 white wines are magnificent: the dry whites are the best I’ve tasted at this stage 20 years and this is unquestionably the second best year for Sauternes after the peerless 2001 vintage”

We have just released the first wine of 2007 - the 2007 Ch. Rieussec from Sauternes.  Awarded 19/20 points from Jancis Robinson, this rightly popular wine from the owners of First Growth Lafite-Rothschild is as engaging and sumptuous as ever in 2007. The soft, dense, rich texture is classic Rieussec while the level of sweetness is more balanced than in some previous vintages.

Read more about this wine and keep up-to-date with the vintage with our comprehensive Bordeaux 2007 section, including exclusive podcasks, vintage reports and tasting notes.  

And don’t forget, we offer an extensive Bordeaux Guide for further information on any of the producers mentioned and you can always view previous vintages such as Bordeaux 2005 & Bordeaux 2006 for comparison.

What determines a food and wine match made in heaven? In a word: YOU.

Your ability to gauge what you like and why you like it – and I’m sure you won’t be too disheartened to hear that experimentation is key. While what pleases your palate is determined by, well, your palate - there is a vast array of food and wine matching information on the web, including Kathleen Lisson’s excellent food and wine matching blog and our own food and wine matching section which may help you save both time and money on the road to vinous enlightenment.

Some wines naturally compliment specific dishes by matching or clashing with their components. Perhaps you prefer your wine to match your food– such as a Chablis with a delicate fish? Or maybe you tend to opt for a wine which provides you with the polar opposite of your food, what your meal is missing – a crisp white wine full of acidity to cut through the fat of a dish perhaps?

Peculiar palate pleasers I’ve heard about recently don’t seem so peculiar if you analyse the components of both the food and the wine. How about Champagne to accompany your Fish & Chips or a Shiraz to go with your Pasty? If you think about it, the acidity of the champagne works well to neutralise the fat of the fish & chips, providing you with a refreshing break, whereas the full-bodied and full-flavoured Shiraz can stand up to and compliment the weight and flavours of the pasty. Of course if you don’t like Champagne, Shiraz, Fish & Chips or Pasties, then these food and wine matches aren’t for you!

While some dishes lend themselves to certain wines, there are no right or wrong combinations and the most important variable in finding a great match is you. To my mind the process of tasting is determined by your own unique senses and therefore what is a match made in heaven for one person may not be for you. If you want to discover your own favourite food and wine combinations, try to determine what it is you like about the wines (and food) you tend to go for and don’t forget your preferences may change with age so continue to experiment!

Weird and wacky food favourites? Let us know!

It had to be a let down to have to chat about 2007 Bordeaux with dull old Staples at BBR HQ over a glass of fizzy water, rather than quaffing 1961 Ch. Margaux at Windsor Castle with the Queen and The Sarkosy’s, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Jancis was looking extremely glam and I think was almost disappointed when I explained that we were doing an audio podcask this time around.

I hope the bottle of 1952 Musigny (BBR bottled) we shared with Simon Berry after our exhausting locking of antlers, made up for it though!

If you’d like to hear our chit-chat about the wines and pricing, the podcask is now available on our Bordeaux 2007 Podcask Page.

Well, what an interesting week. And what have we learnt? Well, 2007 was about as good as it could be given the dreadful growing season up to the end of August. It was never going to be as good as 2005, and for once no one has pretended otherwise. However good the winemaking, vineyard management and technology you simply can’t make truly sublime Claret with a wet, cold summer.

That the best producers did as well as they did was nothing short of miraculous. The very best 2007s are ripe, fruity, seductive and often very elegant wines that will provide gorgeous early drinking and in some cases will age well too.

Nevertheless, 2007 is a very inconsistent vintage. For every good wine in 2007 there are several that make you want to shout Blackadder-style (Series 1) ‘Don’t drink the wiiiiiiiiine!’ The worst 2007s are green, dilute and charmless, or where producers have tried too hard, extremely fruity but with no structure and bitter tannins.

The prize for the best appellations in 2007 goes to Pomerol on the Right Bank and St Julien in the Médoc.

Close behind are a very impressive crop of Pauillacs and the slightly inconsistent but occasionally outstanding St Emilions which provided the top 2 reds in Cheval Blanc and Ausone. Margaux was very up and down, ditto St Estèphe led by the excellent Cos d’Estournel, and Pessac with the very fine Haut Brion and Domaine de Chevalier.

Pessac-Léognan’s dry whites are the best of the lot, while the Sauternes are excellent, just lacking a touch of acidity that would bring them up to the level of the other-worldly 2001s.

There will be wines in 2007 that are stupidly overpriced and should be avoided like a Gironde lamprey in red wine. But you shouldn’t believe the harbingers of doom either – as long as you are looking to drink the wines rather than invest in them, there will definitely be wines worth buying from 2007.

To give you a bit of a helping hand we have posted the team’s top 10 overall, cellar must-haves and best value wines for 2007. BBR’s 2007 offering will be pretty slim so you can be reassured that anything we recommend will be well worth it.

I hope you’ve found the blogs interesting and we’ll all keep our fingers crossed that prices are attractive enough to tempt us all to pick up a few cases from 2007. It would be a shame not to have some of these seductive, fruity, finely balanced wines in your cellar. In the meantime, please have a look at Alun Griffiths MW’s excellent 2007 vintage report along with full tasting notes for all the 2007 wines that will be posted on bbr.com over the coming week.

And don’t forget to listen to all of our Bordeaux 2007 Podcasks featuring exclusive interviews with some of the best names in the world of wine.

I look forward to seeing you same time, same place for the 2008s, so farewell and thanks for all the fish.

Poor old Graves – it’s not a Médoc, it’s not a Right Bank, it feels like a bit of an orphan, unloved and forgotten.

Even with the stylish new Pessac-Léognan name its top estates have been able to use since 1987, the region – with the honourable exception of Haut Brion - has never really caught Claret-lovers’ imagination.

After all, why go for a Pessac when you can have a wine a bottle of evocatively-named Margaux or St Emilion?

Well, for one thing Pessacs can be every bit as good and tend to be much better value too. Excellent wines (especially in the last decade) from estates like Haut Bailly (Above and Veronique of Haut Bailly to right) and Domaine de Chevalier have created a real momentum.

At their best, red Pessacs combine the structure and minerality of the Médoc with the plump richness and sweet textured fruit of the Right Bank. So forget about picking up a famous name this year, adopt a Pessac, and not just for Christmas either.

Our last visit of the week was to one of Pessac’s very best estates, Domaine de Chevalier, known affectionately as Dommy Chev.

The charismatic and clearly perfectionist Olivier Bernard’s (left) attitude to nature and wine, working the soil naturally and respecting the terroir and the vintage, makes him a Burgundian at heart according to Jasper Morris MW, which is praise indeed.

Certainly nowhere outside of Ch. Haut-Brion and Ch. Margaux will you find a better pair of red and white Bordeaux wines.

Domaine de Chevalier’s red is absolutely glorious in 2007. The tannins are higher than in 2005 and the concentration here is close to that of Haut Brion. It has full, spicy blackberry and plum fruit with a gorgeous streak of minerality and an impressive long, pure finish. The previous 3 vintages of Domaine de Chevalier (which we were lucky enough to taste) are well worth a mention too.

The 2006 is very pure and focused but not quite as good as the 2007. The rich, explosive 2004 is probably on a par with 2007, while the fantastic 2005 is even better, reminding us (again) just what a wonderful vintage that was. Apart from yours truly - who has a costly pied à terre in Paris to support along with a glamorous wife, hedonistic lifestyle, not to mention no job - everyone snapped up at least a case of the 2005 red as soon as they left the tasting.

It surprised us too, but the white Domaine de Chevalier was even better than the red. It was one of those moments where you wonder where on earth all the flavour comes from. The white had everything: a phenomenal concentration of pears, pineapple and citrus fruit, balanced but crisp acidity, silky smooth texture and a finish of eyewatering intensity and purity.

Grand Cru White Burgundy? Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet – your boys took one hell of a beating. At this stage it is even better than the Haut Brion Blanc, although the Haut Brion has just a smidgen more richness and depth so is likely to overtake it in the next few years.

All in all not a bad end to the week.

As we rambled through St Emilion and Pomerol today we found it increasingly difficult to visit a château without bumping into one of the members of the Thienpont clan. (Left: Nicolas Thienpont)

It must be quite galling to own one of the greatest estates in the world and not even produce the best wine in your own family. One can probably hold off the violins for the moment but such is the lot of Alexandre Thienpont at Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol.

In 2007 he has produced an aromatic VCC (16.25/20) of great finesse and precision, closer in style to Burgundy than Bordeaux. It lacks the density of great vintages of VCC but Alexandre has got it spot on in terms of getting the most out of the vintage and not trying to force the wine to be something it’s not.

He realises that you cannot fight against nature; you can’t make a 2005 if you have a cold, gloomy summer however much green or pink harvesting you do, and however much you chaptalise or use the rarely-mentioned concentrators. So to that end Alexandre’s VCC is a success, and a pleasingly early drinking one at that.

A short leap from Alexandre is cousin Jacques (left) at the small shed of a winery that is Le Pin. It is fair to say that Jacques is cut from slightly different cloth than his quiet, modest cousin; a witty, engaging chap without any airs and graces (for a Bordelais anyway).

Certainly his warm, relaxed welcome belies the fact that he owns one of the finest, most expensive and sought-after wines in the world. It was my first visit to Le Pin and it really is as remarkable as everyone says.

A small house in the middle of the vineyards (right), its downstairs garage is home to 4 or 5 steel cuves, a few barrels and a palette or two of wine. Its simplicity makes most Burgundian estates look like Mouton Rothschild (well almost). You don’t have to ask Jacques how much wine he has made, you can just count the barrels (34 this year, for the record, poor maths notwithstanding).

It was nice to see that the future is in good hands too. His polite, well-mannered (as so many French children seem to be) young son George was working hard helping out with the En Primeur tastings. A request for some more Le Pin from some other visitors was met with a firm, albeit rather high-pitched ‘Il n’y a plus’ (There’s none left). The boy is learning fast.

As for the wine, well, like VCC, 2007 Le Pin is a Burgundy-styled Bordeaux but with the volume turned up. It had a heavenly nose, finely textured tannins, focused cassis and raspberry fruit and a finish of great intensity. An unforgettable experience. Le Pin is one place where you don’t bother asking about pricing. With the tiny quantity produced, however good it is, Le Pin is not really about value for money. It is a wine where, as they say, if you have to ask the price it is probably not for you.

The final stop on our Thienpont world tour (I’m sure there are T-shirts available somewhere) was the much lesser-known St Emilion estates of Larcis-Ducasse  (left) and Pavie-Macquin where another cousin Nicolas Thienpont (top left) is effecting a quiet revolution. We have been real fans of this estate since 2005 and 2007 did not disappoint.Both wines were excellent, and received a very solid 16/20 score.

The Larcis was more feminine with lots of fine, ripe, succulent fruit, while the Pavie-Macquin was very refined too but richer and more structured. Both should be very good value buys this year.