Napa has myriad terroirs, dozens of soil profiles and hundreds of producers. So why is it dominated by one-note Cabernet Sauvignons? Simon Woods joins a puzzled group of sommeliers to find out

Concha y Toro has spread its wings beyond South America with the acquisition of Fetzer Vineyards

The Sommelier Wine Awards doesn’t give out trophies per category because we’re worried that tasters will feel under pressure to dispense extra awards in categories where they may not believe the wines are up to it. Instead, in keeping with the whole ethos of the competition, we leave the judgement up to the sommeliers…

Some weird and wonderful blends and, despite the lack of Golds, a generally positive reaction from the tasters

In the past, a By The Glass award has gone to wines that match specific dishes – the theory being that they could be served by the glass as ready matches with a meal.

Sparkling Wine & Champagne: Under £14

A small category, and not exactly a must-stock, but the Zins showed good typicity and matching potential for gutsy food

Plenty of medals again for Chile, although the judges were most impressed stylistically with Australia and South Africa

Riesling is making itself at home in more and more countries, but where is it performing best? Clinton Cawood joins an eager sommelier panel for a top-notch tasting that pits Old World against New World and some acknowledged masters against hungry, young upstarts

Over 1,500 wines can be boiled down to this: the hallowed Sommelier Wine Awards Gold List for 2011...

More ambitious pricing but some decent wines too, with Australia, Argentina and South Africa leading the way

A good selection of medals from across the New World shows this is a category with real strength in depth

Want to know more about making fizz? Then apply for one of Camp Schramsberg’s scholarships for its ‘spring blending’ session in mid-March 2012.

Climate change could make the Napa Valley cooler over time, according to a new in-depth study of the subject.

The small Napa Valley town of Yountville is claiming the highest per capita concentration of Michelin stars on the planet.