Your guide to European wine at any budget

It may not be as apparent to consumers in Europe but the world of wine has undergone quite a bit of change in the past two decades, writes Leslie Williams. Here he guides you through his picks for the best wines Europe has to off at a range of price points.

Europe’s vineyards are steadily declining with more than half a million hectares of vines grubbed up since 2000. The slack is being taken up by the New World and Asia, specifically China which has huge plantings of cabernet sauvignon (currently the world’s most planted grape followed by merlot).

Spain still has the largest area under vine followed by France and Italy but number four is now China. Chile is looking to diversify. Watch for old vine carignan and cinsault and more syrah but you can still expect to see lots and lots of cabernet, merlot and sauvignon blanc on the shelves.