China’s most celebrated wine region sits in the dry foothills of the Helan Mountains, on the edge of the desert.

A word that means something specific in Spain, almost nothing in California, and is up for grabs everywhere else. Here is what it does, and does not, promise.

You probably don’t need to. When you do, the rules are shorter than the ritual suggests.

A 1961 cross from the Languedoc, planted as insurance, that has become the most interesting red grape in China.

How Bordeaux sells wine in barrel — and why the system survives.

A short explanation of the traditional method, from second fermentation to disgorgement.

The five fields that actually predict what is in the bottle.

Cooler than you think for reds, warmer than you think for whites.

Five regions to know, in roughly the order you should taste them.

Beyond the marketing — the actual practices the Demeter standard requires.