Wine Site
	Peter F May BellaOnline's Wine Editor

A Malbec for Everyone
Some people drink only reds. Other people will only drink white. I can honestly say that I used to be that way. Since becoming a wine editor, I have tried to get out of the red rut and broaden my wine horizons and try other things. This is a wine I have found that everyone will like . . .

Chardonnay
Chardonnay makes the world's most popular white wines. Peter F May explains why it is also a favourite with grape growers and winemakers.

Chardonnay Revelation
An almost extinct grape is the parent of Chardonnay and some of the world’s most famous varieties. Peter F May tracked it down in Australia.

Chenin Blanc - a Versatile Wine Grape
Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety that makes reliable and sometimes stunning wines at reasonable prices, and yet it is unfashionable, says Peter F May.

Concord wine
Concord is a native American grape that is used for juices, jellies and wine. The wines are rarely seen outside their home but Peter F May was able to taste one in London.

Farewell to Pontac
Pontac is a rare ancient grape variety whose unusual red juice was used to deter baboons in South Africa. Peter F May opens his last bottle and regrets there is no more to buy.

Good Wines from Poor Soil
Vines planted in poor growing conditions produce good wines. Peter F May explains why.

Grapes and Vines
Eating seedless grapes gets Peter F May thinking about where wine grape come from

Italian White Wines
Explore Italy through these great whites.

Malbec World Day
April 17th is celebrated as Malbec World Day. Peter F May visited London’s Gaucho Argentinian Steak restaurant to learn about Argentinean Malbec from Phil Crozier, Gaucho’s Director of Wine.

Mourvedre and Mataro - two names for the same wine
Mourvedre is also known as Mataro and it is a grape few wine drinkers had ever heard of but now it is becoming fashionable. Peter F May considers the variety known by the French as the 'Dog-Strangler'.

Munson Memorial Vineyard, Denison, Texas
The Munson Memorial Vineyard in Denison, Texas, commemorates the Texan who saved the world's wines. Peter F May travels to Denison and gets a personal guided tour of the vineyard.

Norton, The American Wine
Norton is a true American grape variety because it originated in America rather than being brought from Europe. And, rarely for a native American grape variety, it makes an excellent wine, says Peter F May

Pinot Noir - The Heartbreak Grape
What is it about Pinot Noir that makes it special? This ancient variety tempts and allures. Peter F May thinks that clones are the key to understanding it.

Pinot Noir Clones
Even within the same grape variety there can be big differences in the wines produced that have nothing to do with how they were made or where the grapes were grown but how the vine has mutated over time. Peter F May experiences four different Pinot Noir clones in Oregon.

Searching Texas for Munson
T V Munson was the Texan who saved the worlds wines. Peter F May travels to Denison, Texas in search of the vineyard planted in his honour.

T V Munson - Wine's Saviour
Thomas Volney Munson (1843-1913) was a nurseryman, grape vine breeder, author, holder of the Legion d’Honneur (France’s highest honour), and saviour of the world’s wines. Peter F May tells how a French delegation visited Denison, Texas, to beg Munson's help in saving the world's wines.

The Myth of Steen and Chenin Blanc
They say Steen is the name used in South Africa for Chenin Blanc in almost every article, news item and blog post about wine that you read. But that is just not true, says Peter F May. However the myth seems to be coming fact.

Vine Wars
Grape vines can live for a hundred years - if they survive attacks from insects, viruses, and animals. And as grapes ripen the surrounding woods and hills are full of animal and birds who see them as dinner. Peter F May is just back from the front line.

Vines and Roses
There are good reasons why rose bushes are planted at the end of vine rows, Peter F May was told. But he wasn’t convinced and a vineyard stroll threw new light on the matter.

Viognier Wine
Viognier is a fashionable white wine now, but not so long ago the variety has almost vanished. Peter F May tells how a very rare and obscure grape suddenly gained world-wide popularity.

What are Shiraz and Syrah?
Syrah and Shiraz wines have become very popular. Peter F May looks at why this grape has two names and questions if it comes from the Persian city of Shiraz.

What is Carmenere Wine?
Carmenere was lost and forgotten but now it's back. If you like Merlot you'll love Carmenere, says Peter F May.

What Is Malbec Wine?
Malbec has found fame and fortune in Argentina, a long way from its home in France where the traditional growers are taking notice.

What is Merlot?
Merlot is an important grape variety in Bordeaux and California. Peter F May looks at Merlot and discovers that it is much closer to Cabernet than just a blending partner.

What is Muscadet wine?
The most sea-food friendly wine is Muscadet. It's not so fashionable now but this French wine is worth looking for. So Peter F May wonders why only the French grow it.

What is Petite Sirah Wine
A traditional California grape variety fell out of fashion and almost vanished, then its fans went in to bat for it and showed it was of noble birth. Today Petite Sirah is riding high. Peter F May tells its story.

What is Phylloxera?
Phylloxera destroyed the words vineyards just over a hundred years ago. They all had to be replanted. The pest is as active today. Peter F May looks at the 'devastator' and how America gifted the world both the disease and its cure.

What is Pinot Grigio?
Pinot Grigio is a wine that has become very popular in recent years. Peter F May looks deeper into this grape variety

Wine Grapes and Soil
Just as different flowers flourish under different growing conditions, so do grapes. There is an intregal relationship between soil and grape.