Wine from around the world: 24 countries in one cellar

The term refers to wines produced outside France, as opposed to French appellations. It covers major European countries such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal, as well as New World vineyards and niche productions from the Caucasus or the Levant. On this page, France is also included: the classification is by country, not by border.

Twenty-four, spread across four continents. Italy leads with nearly three hundred references, ahead of the United States, South Africa, and Spain, all with over one hundred forty. At the other end, Uruguay and Cyprus are represented by a single bottle each. The world map provides the exact count, updated with the catalog.

It's a matter of labeling above all. In Europe, it indicates an appellation and implies the grape variety: a Barolo is Nebbiolo, but you have to know that. Outside Europe, it names the grape variety directly. The climate does the rest: warmer in the Southern Hemisphere, thus riper fruit and rounder wines, while Europe produces more acidic and tauter wines.

A Malbec from Mendoza or a Chilean Carmenere: the grape variety written on the label, generous fruit, smooth tannins, and a price that remains under twenty euros. These are wines that require no prior knowledge. South African Chenin Blanc plays the same role on the white side.

Cellar prices start at €8.30, and half of the bottles are under forty euros. Between fifteen and twenty-five euros, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Chile offer the best value per bottle. Above fifty euros, you enter the realm of age-worthy wines: Barolo, Napa Cabernets, Central Otago Pinots.

Yes, around a hundred references, the vast majority of which come from Burgundy: Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and Hautes Côtes de Nuits, in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We don't try to cover the entire French vineyard; we stick to the estates we follow.

From Greece, with Xinomavro and Assyrtiko, from Hungary and its Furmint, from Slovenia and its Ribolla Gialla, from Armenia and its Areni Noir. These vineyards produce varieties that have never been planted elsewhere, and these are often the bottles that are best remembered.

No. It's an alcohol made from fermented polished rice, with no grapes or distillation involved. It's in the cellar because it's served like wine, chilled and in a stemmed glass, and because it holds its own against dishes that wine can't handle. Our twenty-five sakes come from Japanese breweries, including Zaku.

This depends on the wine, and the product sheet indicates it for each cuvée. As a general rule, crisp white wines and easy-drinking reds should be consumed within two years, while structured cru wines can wait five to fifteen years. Store bottles horizontally, away from light, between 12 and 16°C.

Three possible entries: filter by food and wine pairing if the meal is already decided, start from a country via the world map, or let us choose and get a monthly box, which sends a different selection each month with its tasting notes.