ANDREW DOWNIE heads south to visit a 20,000ha vineyard in the middle of Brazil's northeastern desert, eight degrees south of the equator. Owned by Portuguese winemaker Do Sul, ViniBrasil has an irrigation system that pumps river water across a 120,000ha holding. With 12 hours of sunlight for 300 days a year, Brazil can have as many harvests as it wants, says ViniBrasil's Carlos Moura. The company produces the Rio Sol brand, from which a Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blend will available in Waitrose later this month (4.99).
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JANE MacQUITTY chooses her Top 100 Winter Wines' under 12. Her Star White' is 2004 Chteau Rives-Blanques, Ddicace, Limoux Chenin Blanc (8.95; Great Western Wine) and her Star Red' is 2005 Domaine Boudau, Le Clos, Ctes du Roussillon, Vronique et Pierre Boudau (8.75; Lay & Wheeler.
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This week JAMIE GOODE has to match wines with Welsh food. Among the wines he goes for are: 2005 Element Terre Blanc, Vin de Pays du Comt Tolosan (4.99, Asda); 2005 Otra Vida Chardonnay (4.99, Sainsbury's); and 2005 La Chsse du Pape Winemakers Selection, Ctes du Rhne (7.99, Morrisons).
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VICTORIA MOORE visits the Gotham Bar and Grill in honour of writer Jay McInerey, whose wine essays were published last year. She chooses a Vire-Clesse from Rijckaert to go with a seafood risotto.
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JOANNA SIMON says Chilean producers are so keen on their new wines and varieties that is easy to forget the good value Cabernets, Merlots and Carmeneres, and specifically mentions Concha y Toro's Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon (3.99).
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VICTORIA MOORE takes a bottle of 2003 Vino de Calidad de Arribes (7.49) back to her local Oddbins because it 'just wasn't right'. She gets Colin the manager to taste it, and he reckons it's oxidised. She asks him whether it is worth the price, and if not what would he recommend. He suggests a 2001 Dehesa la Granja, the third winery of Alejandro Fernndez in the Zamora province up the Duero in northern Spain. At 9.99, a bin end, Moore is happy with this oaky Tempranillo. She also recommends 2005 Old Vine La Sabrosita Garnacha from Calatayud (4.99, Marks & Spencer); 1998 Montecillo Gran Reserva Rioja (16.95, Partridges; 15.15, Longford Wines); 2002 Taste the Difference Elegia Rioja Reserva (8.99, Sainsbury's) and 2005 Martin Codax Albario, Ras Baxas (7.49, Majestic).
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JONATHAN RAY celebrates the opening of the new James Bond film Casino Royale by going to New York in search of the perfect martini - all right for some.
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ANTHONY ROSE gets out his crystal ball for 2007. He advises buying 2001, 2002 and 2004 Bordeaux as good and affordable; but with a cold, wet 2006 harvest, he says the spotlight turns to 2005 Burgundies. He also says 2001 was a great vintage in Spain and for Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino Riservas. He also points to 2005 Beaujolais and 2004 Douro wines. He says he is more likely in 2007 to pick out a Pinot Gris from New Zealand, an Albario from Spain, an Austrian Grner Veltliner, an Italian Fiano d'Avellino, Greek Assyrtiko, Hunter Valley Semillon or Eden Valley Riesling from Australia.
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JOANNA SIMON also looks to the future and suggests that her readers to look at affordable reds from Spain (again), the south of France, Chile and Argentina, with 'good things coming out of Italy, especially in the south'. She says all are better bets than Australia, California and South Africa. For whites, she says that Spain is limited but worth investigating. In Italy, unfamilar grapes and regions are the key; while for France, try the Loire and the south west. In the New World: Chile and the Cape. Her Cellar Notes wines are 2005 La Sabrosita Old Vine Garnacha (4.99, Marks & Spencer); 2004 Conti Leopardi Rosso Piceno Superiore (5.69, The Sunday Times Wine Club) and 2005 Esprit du Rhne (4.99, Tesco).
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The January sales among the major independents are where JANE MACQUITTY recommends her readers look for bargains. She says Lay & Wheeler, Justerini & Brooks, Corney & Barrow and Berry Bros & Rudd all have wines that are worth seeking out.
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South Africa is the least exciting red wine producing country in the New World, states TIM ATKIN MW. Why are their red wines so mediocre when their whites are increasingly impressive, he asks. Except for likes of Vergelegen, Thelema, De Toren, Tokara, De Trafford, Boekenhoutskloof, Rustenberg, Bouchard Finlayson, Graham Beck, Fairview and Tulbagh Mountain, he says there is a huge lake of underwhelming reds. On the other hand, the Cape whites are getting better and better with old vine Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesing and especially Sauvignon Blanc proving exciting for Atkin.
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Robert Parker of Maryland is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most influential wine critic there has ever been,' insists JANCIS ROBINSON MW. Her wine tastes have varied from his on occasion, particularly over a bottle of 2003 Chteau Pavie, and these differences in opinion have led to a media obsession with The American Palate versus The British Palate, she remonstrates. This transatlantic divide has experienced a bit of setback, however, and she reveals that Robert Parker's newest team member is British. In Robinson's opinion, Neil Martin of www.wine-journal.com, may have a particularly inexpressive face but, fortunately for us all, he has the most distinctively expressive way with a keyboard'. Furthermore, Martin has assured her that Parker welcomes and positively encourages an alternative view and not an echo of his own voice (what would be the point of that)'.
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JANCIS ROBINSON visits Domaine David Clark in Morey-Saint Denis, Burgundy, and meets a fresh-faced, bright-eyed, Indianapolis-born man of Scottish parents who went to Cambridge. While at IBM in Leamington Spa, he worked his way through the stock of the local Oddbins and ended up doing vintages in Napa and at Tahbilk in Australia. Hebecame a software engineer with the Williams Formula One racing team, and then ended up on an organic farm in the Auvergne. In 2004, he bought a small vineyard up on the bottom rung of Burgundy's vinous ladder. Last year Clark produced 6,000 bottles of wine and his land will be certified organic by the 2009 vintage. His wines are available in the UK through Berry Bros & Rudd.
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JOANTHAN RAY lunches with 'Mr Grner Veltliner', Lenz Moser, whose company, Laurenz V (he is the fifth generation Lenz Moser), concentrates on Austria's indigenous white grape variety.
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JAMIE GOODE has chosen a few bottles that offer something a bit out of the ordinary'. These alternatives include 2005 Via Leyda Pinot Noir La Brisas Vineyard, Chile (7.99, Oddbins). I'm not opting for the usual red Burgundy, but instead going for a Pinot Noir from Chile, combining cherry fruit with a subtle herbiness. Don't look so surprised: it's really very good.'
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It's not always a good idea to give wine as a Christmas present, says SUSY ATKINS. Uninspiring bottles include the very big brands and cheap supermarket own-labels. Instead choose a classic, traditional label which screams "special"' - 2003 Campbells Rutherglen Muscat NV, Victoria, Australia, 37.5cl (7.99, Waitrose) for example, or 2003 Margaux Initial de Desmirail, Bordeaux, France (13.99, Marks & Spencer). Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV, France (28-31, available nationwide) is high up on my wish list because of its elegant, fresh flavours with rich notes'.
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RICHARD EHRLICH dons a professor's hat for an evening to teach the food writing students at London's City University a thing or two about wine. He chooses to do this with the sadistic' method of blind tasting, and although the results are not revealed, Ehrlich promises that sharpening one's tastebuds by blind tasting is as useful for budding food writers as it is for oenophiles'. This week's wine recommendations include 2004 Insignum Riesling (4.99; Sainsbury's).
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Tokaji is a wonderful wine to have to hand at Christmas,' says JOANNA SIMON. 1995 Disznoko Tokaji Asz 5 Puttonyos, 50cl (21.49, Oddbins) is rich yet tangy'; 1999/2000 Royal Tokaji Asz 5 Puttonyos, 25cl (8.99, Waitrose) has apricots and spice in a stocking-filler bottle'; 1999 Oremus Tokaji Asz 6 Puttonyos, 50cl (37.50-38, Fortnum & Mason, Berry Bros) is exceptionally opulent'.
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Instead of arranging wine by price, geography or the banal "dry and fruity" route, Christine Parkinson at London restaurant Hakkasan has come up with headings such as "Curious Vines: distinctive wines, unusual, often ancient, grape varieties. Not Chardonnay".' And it's working, says VICTORIA MOORE. Sales of a Piedmont white made from Arneis have risen eightfold'. This week's top bottle tip from Moore is the elegant' 2004 Condrieu Les Vins de Vienne, France (19.99, Tesco Fine Wine).
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We can't get enough of sparkling wine at this time of year, but you should be suspicious of bargain-basement Champagne,' says TIM ATKIN MW. Its invariably acidic mouthwash.' His choice of ros Champagne is Delamotte Ros NV (23.97, Corney & Barrow), best branded non-vintage is Taittinger Prlude Grands Crus (24.99 each for three, Majestic; 34.99, Tesco) and top branded vintage Champagne is 1999 Bollinger La Grande Anne (from 49.99, Oddbins, Majestic, Thresher).
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