What's new

Austria's advanced Map Challenge now covers complete statutory local-origin sets for Carnuntum, Eisenberg, Wiener Gemischter Satz, Wagram, Thermenregion, Kamptal, Wachau, Weststeiermark, and Vulkanland Steiermark. With Kremstal, that is 117 verified Level 3 origins—without presenting ordinary administrative municipalities as wine origins. Wagram rotates between two readable map sections, while shared boundaries in Thermenregion and nested origins in Wachau are scored correctly. Kamptal derives its legal origins from official Ried and Subried polygons. Weststeiermark maps four origins from the complete 94-cadastral-community definition; Vulkanland's official Gnasbach boundary divides Trössing correctly. The national outline, four Level 1 states, and administrative Level 2 and Level 3 contexts now share one pinned April 2026 BEV source. Dense maps use perimeter markers and subdued leader lines to remain readable on desktop and short-landscape screens.

Terroir can sound mysterious. In practice, it asks a concrete question: how do place, weather, grape growing, and human choices meet in one wine? Champagne gives us a vivid answer.

Map questions now keep the prompt, map, and submit action in a tighter learning flow. Selected regions stand out more clearly, and answer feedback opens above the map so you can review the result without losing your place.

Map Challenge now takes you through Austria, Germany, France, Georgia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. Locate individual regions or match several in one round, then use Profile Check to connect available regional grape data with the right place.

Choose a geography level separately from quiz difficulty to practise broad regions, subregions and origins, or the available specialist appellations and sites.

Every map includes its source credit, and the new Data sources page explains where the boundaries and vineyard figures come from.

Quiz training now offers three new ways to practise:

• Mixed Challenge combines different question formats into one varied round.
• Profile Check asks you to verify a wine region, its map location, and its grape profile together.
• Map Challenge lets you locate and match wine regions on an interactive map.

Austria leads the way: get to know Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, and Vienna. In selected regions, you can then go one level deeper and explore individual DAC areas.

Wine Companion now has a dedicated, bilingual changelog that makes new features and meaningful improvements easier to discover.

White grapes do not have to make pale, delicate wine. Leave their juice with the skins and a different set of possibilities appears: deeper colour, more texture, and sometimes a gentle tannic grip.

“Red with meat, white with fish” is easy to remember and easy to outgrow. A better approach is to notice a few forces in the glass and on the plate, then decide whether you want harmony or contrast.