2025 wrapped: The most exciting wine news
Before toasting 2026 with your favorite sparkling wine, let’s look back at the Westgarth Wines luxury wine stories that made 2025 unforgettable. From wine geologists to Champagne deep dives, read on for what you thought were the top wine stories of 2025.
#1 The 20th century abstract art labels of Mouton Rothschild
Mouton Rothschild is highly celebrated not only for its iconic First Growth but also for its innovative collaboration with renowned artists. In this article, we looked at Mouton Rothschild art labels produced by this legendary estate since 1945. For each vintage, the house has commissioned visionary painters to create a unique label that reflects the character of the year. Artists include Wassily Kandinsky, Hisao Domoto, Georg Baselitz, Karel Appel, and Antoni Tàpies, creating works that celebrate the intersection of art and wine.
#2 Antinori: Six centuries of innovation in Italian wine
Marchesi Antinori Super Tuscan producer, is one of the world’s oldest and most legendary family wine dynasties, with its roots stretching back to 1385. Here, we looked at how Antinori was one of the pioneers of the Super Tuscan movement and continues to influence Italy’s wine world through winemaking at its Chianti Classico, Bolgheri, and Umbria estates. Iconic wines include Tignanello, Solaia, Guado al Tasso, and Cervaro della Sala, all produced through sustainable methods with terroir expression always proving paramount.
#3 Stephanie Wangui: Swapping the corkscrew for vineyard life in Burgundy
A story of passion for learning and discovery, during Black History Month, we met Stephanie Wangui, a former London sommelier turned viticulturalist at Burgundy’s acclaimed Domaine Jean-Marc Roulot. You loved hearing about her journey, mastering the pruning of pre-WWII vines to exploring Premier Cru Chardonnay and village-level wines in Burgundy vineyards. Stephanie also spoke about her fascinating immersion into French culture through visits to fresh produce markets, wine bars, and learning the language.
#4 Five best wine museums to visit in Europe
From Bordeaux to Barolo, wine culture is brought to life through a selection of excellent wine museums in Europe that complement winery visits and wine tastings. We put five of the best in focus to inspire your next wine trip. Top wine regions featured, with Bordeaux’s stunning La Cité du Vin, Dijon’s unique Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, and WiMu — Barolo’s castle-turned-interactive museum in Piemonte, showcased in the article. Spain was covered with the extraordinary Vinseum Catalan gallery and museum, and we also explored the dazzling wine district, WOW, in Portugal’s Porto.
#5 Groundbreaking tech for perfect pairings
Westgarth Wines readers are big fans of food and wine pairing, so we were delighted to introduce try.vi, an innovative platform revolutionizing food and wine pairing. We spoke to founder John Kaminsky, CMS-certified sommelier and a man who’s passionate about curating expert recommendations from international sommeliers, blending human insight with wine technology. A years-long labor of love, Kaminsky shared how the platform shares thousands of delicious food and wine pairing options, plus insights into what makes them work.
#6 Malbec World Day 2025: Food pairing ideas from Catena Zapata, Viña Cobos, and Achaval Ferrer
Everyone loves a glass of Argentinian Malbec, so to honor Malbec World Day 2025, Westgarth Wines spoke with the South American nation’s leading voices – Laura Catena of Catena Zapata, Diana Fornasero of Viña Cobos, and Gustavo Rearte of Achaval Ferrer – for insights into its most iconic grape. From age-worthy expressions and vineyard innovation to terroir-driven elegance (and delicious food pairings tips), the article was a reminder about the enduring allure of Argentine Malbec.
#7 Château Rayas: The ghost in the vines
Another winery profile was a firm favorite with Château Rayas, a revered and enigmatic Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer, in the spotlight. This family house, handed down over the generations, is a leading anomaly in the Rhône with its ethereal, Burgundian-style Grenache and pure, almost esoteric wines. This feature explored the history and legacy of this near-mythical name with a look at its Rayas Rouge, Rayas Blanc, and elegant Pignan.
#8 Brenna Quigley: Wine geologist extraordinaire
March marked International Women’s Day, when we spotlighted the amazing Brenna Quigley – geologist, educator, podcaster, and self-proclaimed “terroir nerd” – whose work brings science and storytelling together in the world of wine. The ‘Decanter 2023 Rising Star’ maps vineyards according to their terroir and shares the journey through prestigious wine regions in her acclaimed podcast Roadside Terroir. It’s definitely an article worth revisiting for a deep dive into how rocks and soils define a red or white wine.
#9 Collector’s Corner: what the Bordeaux 2024 Futures campaign reveals about the market
You loved this in-depth analysis of the Bordeaux 2024 Futures campaign. While this year wasn’t a landmark vintage, it did illustrate the region’s changing market dynamics, exploring the challenges of growing conditions as prices fall. Overall, this thought-provoking report showed wine collectors how the 2024 campaign reflected a region in transition, taking stock as the market realigns.
#10 Non-alcoholic wines: celebrities, trends and age worthiness
It may not yet be cellar worthy, nor can it rival traditional wine for depth and complexity, but you were still fascinated by what’s driving the non-alcoholic (NA) wine movement. From shifting consumer demographics like health-conscious millennials to celebrities launching alcohol-free brands, this was a super-interesting dive into non-alcoholic wine trends. We loved researching and writing this, but along with the wine industry, we don’t think NA wine is going to take the place of your Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Napa any time soon.
Wine education
Our in-house wine specialist and MW candidate, Maurizio Broggi, deserves a mention of his own with his insightful and informative articles about a range of wine topics among Westgarth Wine’s most-read. With this in mind, we’re putting a separate spotlight on his work. His most popular pieces published in 2025 were:
#1 Vine longevity: the beauty of old vines
Another fascinating topic in 2025 was Old Vines and how they influence the profile of the red or white in your glass. In this article, Maurizio explored the definition of “vieilles vignes” and, from California’s heritage Zinfandel to Barossa Shiraz and Europe’s ancient vineyards, why they produce such extraordinary wine.
#2 Champagne styles at a glance
There was more for Champagne lovers in this expert perspective about the range of styles this sparkling wine spans. From non-vintage blends and vintage bubbly to Blanc de Blancs and Prestige Cuvées, it’s all in this deep dive into a legendary wine region.
#3 Inside Champagne: sub-regions and “ladders of growth”
Champagne is an all-time favorite with our readers, with its unique array of terroirs in the limelight in this close look at its five subregions – Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and Côte des Bar. The historic Échelle des Crus system, established in the early 20th century, ranks villages from Premier to Grand Cru, shaping this much-loved region’s identity today – and it's all covered in this pithy piece.
Well, that’s a wrap for Westgarth Wines 2025. We’ve already got some exciting articles lined up for 2026, so watch this space and look forward to us bringing you more outstanding stories in the New Year. Happy holidays!
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