Sourcing our wines

Noble Wines imports from Europe – France, Italy and Spain, and the New World – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina. Here is a short guide to the most important countries and regions represented by our selection of fine wines. To see the full range of wines we offer from each region, please click here and we will be delighted to send you a copy of our current brochure.

FRANCE

Once synonomous with gastronomy, good taste, good food and good wine, the dominant reputation enjoyed by the French has, in recent years, been challenged by other countries and cuisines from around the world. Urban life has ousted the traditional rural ways of eating and drinking, whilst fusion, vegetarian, organic and health conscious foods have spiced up the old peasant and bourgeois recipes. This has opened up new trends, new flavours and new tastes, along with new eating and drinking patterns.

Basking in its former reputation, France was rather slow to react to this change. Many wine makers, anchored to centuries-old ways of growing grapes and making wine, found it difficult to adapt to changing techniques, a changing clientele and aggressive marketing strategies. But thanks to a new generation of chefs and vignerons, the country has regained its position as a world leader, with a renewed sense of its gastronomic identity created, paradoxically, by increased levels of international competition.

What still gives France its singularity and, arguably, a great advantage over the many competitors snapping at it heels, is its geographical diversity. This diversity is packed into a relatively small space where, within the old, well-defined borders, a very strong feeling of being culturally and linguistically united still prevails to this day.

The wines of France are, in fact, a good example of how diversity actually goes hand in hand with national identity. With the exception of Normandy, Picardy and the Flanders, where there is no wine production at all, vineyards are present in every other region. And across these regions the range of appellations is simply vast. To visit every vineyard, let alone taste every wine, is more than one could ever hope to achieve in just one lifetime. The appeal of the wines themselves lies in their sheer variety, and this comes from the wide range of terroirs - terroir being a uniquely French concept that encapsulates the climate, geology and geography affecting a particular place. Many of the wine grapes that are so familiar to us - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Pinot Noir have been bred in France and the country is home to some of the world’s most famous wine regions, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley. 

ITALY

Italy’s contribution to world gastronomy is immense. Home-grown wines accompany its fine foods, both of which benefit from sea breezes (few Italian regions are far from the sea) and warm sunshine. 

Italy has its own system of quality control, which, for premium wines, are known as 'Denominazione di Origine Controllata' (DOC) and 'Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita' (DOCG). To be designated as a wine from a particular area DOCG wines must pass a blind taste-test for quality, as well as meet the same strict legal requirements as DOC wines.

SPAIN

Spain is the world’s third-largest wine-producing nation, behind France and Italy. World-famous wine regions such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero are to be found here, and the country has produced many different types of grape, including Tempranillo, Viognier and Albariño. 

The dry soil means yield is low, but what wines are produced are deeply individual and very special. Many have 'Denominación de Origen Calificada' (DOC) status, similar to the French appellation system. 

CHILE

Chile is the longest country in the world – 2,700 miles from north to south – but it’s also one of the narrowest, with an average width of just 109 miles. Its extraordinary length means it has a range of climates and landscapes, and the 16th century Spanish conquistadors quickly spotted that some of its regions were ideal for growing wine. Today, there are five main wine regions, growing over 20 varieties of grapes. These regions produce many internationally recognised wines, with red wines being particularly noteworthy. 

AUSTRALIA

The first attempts at growing wine in Australia date from 1788. Today, a vast variety are grown, mainly in southern states such as New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, where temperatures are cooler. 

Common grape varieties include Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, but blends such as GSM (Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre) are common. 

ARGENTINA

Argentina, perhaps understandably, owes much of its viticulture to Spanish traditions. Many vineyards are to be found at high altitudes where humidity is low, so disease is uncommon. This allows for the production of numerous fine organic wines because few pesticides are needed. 

NEW ZEALAND

The first attempts at cultivating wine grapes in New Zealand began in colonial times, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that the country really became known in wine growing terms, with the successful development of Sauvignon Blanc-based wines. However, there are also popular red wine blends (usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). Today New Zealand has ten wine-growing regions. 

SOUTH AFRICA

A Dutch surgeon working for the Dutch East India Company was the first to cultivate vines in South Africa in 1659. Today, just as then, the country benefits from the influences of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The climate tends towards hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters, but there are a number of special micro-climates. 

South Africa has six main wine-growing regions, but most wines are made in the Cape Peninsula. There is a Wine of Origin (WO) scheme, but it is not as prescriptive as the French appellation system.