The weeks when nothing must go wrong
Our travel season is in full swing! We are so happy to see our travellers, the wine producers and the vineyards again. Many of the wine producers we visit are almost embracing us with joy, but that is not allowed, so instead it’s a heartfelt “fantastic to finally see you again and receive you in our cellar” at a safe distance.
Right now, the producers are harvesting almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere. A hectic and intense period. In France and elsewhere in Europe this year is a bit special because they are more uncertain about the result than they usually are. What we have seen so far shows small quantity and good quality.
During the harvest, the wine cellars are not clinically neat and tidy. At other times of the year, some of them can give the impression of being art museums and not active workplaces with their long rows of finely shaped concrete tanks or shiny stainless steel and designed lighting.
Instead, colourful hoses cover the floor. The juice is emptied from the tank, rests for a while in a container on the floor and is pumped back again. It’s wet on the floor. Everyone works quickly and efficiently. There is a lot to do in a very short period of time. If necessary, you work around the clock.
You only make wine once a year. The presses are working full time. In Champagne, we saw up close the enormous work that the traditional basket press requires. But it’s worth it, some think.
Out in the vineyards, the harvest workers are already having their first coffee break when we start the day’s program. Picking begins early, when it is still cool.
In mid-September, the white grapes were being harvested in Bordeaux. We tasted the freshly squeezed juice of sauvignon blanc. It was delicious. With around 220 grams of sugar per litre, it is really sweet; you get a real energy boost. In Champagne we got to taste chardonnay juice. Not as sweet, “only” 185 g; we are further north. But still very sweet and flavourful.
We, ourselves, have a hard time drawing any conclusions about the potential, but the winemakers we have met look happy when they taste the juice and talk about their harvest. A good sign.
Other times of the year it is not as busy and the winemakers have a little more time with visitors. Something is always happening though. It can be the blending of the different tanks. An exciting job (for a visitor). Racking in the barrel cellar. Pruning in the vineyard, perhaps the most important contribution the winemaker makes during the year. There is always something fascinating that happens when you visit a vineyard, regardless of what time of year it is.
Soon we are off to our next wine destination.
Wine Tours
The autumn wine tour season is in full swing. As mentioned, we have already been to several wine regions with groups of wine lovers, early adopters of the newly re-opened wine world, Provence, Champagne, Bordeaux, Sicily with Etna, Sardinia… Several more are on the schedule for the coming weeks: Burgundy, Piedmont, the Douro Valley…
It is now the right time for you to plan for your spring season wine tour. This spring we have two great tours on the programme:
- Bordeaux
- Champagne
Don’t miss out on “the world’s top wine tours”.
More info on our wine tours here.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
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What’s on at BKWine Tours
BKWine is also one of the world’s leading wine tour operators. Here’s what we currently have on our scheduled wine tour program:
- Chile-Argentina, January 17-30, 2022
- South Africa, (February 9-18, 2022 – postponed) plan for 2023
- New Zealand, (March 10-25, 2022 – postponed) plan for 2023
- Bordeaux, April 20-24, 2022 (program available soon)
- Champagne, May 4-8, 2022 (program available soon)
- Bordeaux and Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 6, 2022 (program available soon)
- Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 2, 2022 (program available soon)
- Bordeaux, October 2-6, 2022 (program available soon)
We also make custom designed wine tours.
We’re different than most other wine tour operators. We are people who know wine inside out, who travel constantly in wine regions, who write award winning books about wine. Who do this out of passion.
Our wine tours are different from others.
More in wine tours: BKWineTours.com.
A typical year we organise more than 30 wine tours to destinations across the world. In Europe: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and more. World-wide: South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand. Thanks to our Scandinavian background we have a separate offer for the Scandinavian market. These are sometimes offered in English and also available as custom made tours. For example, these destinations:
Read our books
We have written eleven wine books. They have won awards from the Gourmand Awards, The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and others.
Unfortunately, only one of them has been translated to English; the others are (so far) only available in Swedish. This is the one that is available in English:
Here’s the full list of our books:
News from the World of Wine
Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
Cautious optimism in Champagne despite heavy losses
We were in Champagne around September 25, and the harvest was either in full swing or just finished. The only one we met who had not yet started to pick was Guillaume Selosse at Champagne Jacques Selosse in Avize. He didn’t want to comment on the potential.
It can go both ways, he said. Christophe Mignon in the small village of Festigny in the Vallée de la Marne was cautiously optimistic. However, his yield is low, 5000 kg/ha. Pierre Dethune at Champagne Paul Dethune in Ambonnay was busy with the debourbage when we visited, and he seemed happy with the quality despite the small quantity. Alexandre Penet at Champagne Penet-Chardonnet in Verzy talked about a promising quality.
More or less everyone has had problems this year in Champagne. It started with the spring frost and continued with a very wet summer and an intense fight against downy mildew, the severe fungal disease. In general, yields are historically low, 30–40% below normal.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine.
What are the trends right now in the wine industry?
Wine Intelligence shows in a study that climate change and social justice are high on the agenda for many wine consumers. Of those surveyed, 55% answered that they “worry about climate change and try to minimize their personal impact”.
Canadians worry the most (62%) and Japanese the least (35%). However, fewer people agreed with the statement, “I am willing to give up convenience in return for a product that is sustainably produced”. Globally, 38% of respondents agreed (35% of Canadians, 30% of Japanese, 41% of Americans and 36% of Swedes). Interesting figures.
Read more about what is driving the global wine industry at the moment: WineIntelligence.
Continued success for Italian wine exports
Italian wine exports are still doing well. For several years now, Italy has now been by large the most popular wine country in Sweden. But many other countries value Italy just as much.
During the first half of 2021, exports increased by 16% in value and 6% in volume. Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) believes that 2021 will be a record year.
Prosecco contributes a lot to these figures. In the US, the Italian sparkling wines have increased by 75% compared to the average for 2015–2018. But things are also going very well for Piedmont and Tuscany. The Italians seem to be doing everything right when it comes to selling their wines.
Can you really not tell a prosecco from a prošek?
Many wine regions protect their names. The bigger and more famous they are, the more fervently are they on the lookout for “abuse” from other regions (i.e. what they consider to be abuse). Champagne is a good example.
But often, the bickering feels unnecessary, like this one between Italy and Croatia that has been going on for a long time. Croatia has again applied for an AOP for its wine Prošek, a sweet wine, but the Italians refuse to give in. They say the name is confusingly similar to prosecco. Yes, it’s a bit similar, though not as much when you see it written.
Prošek is a dessert wine with a long history, made mainly on the islands of Hvar and Brač. These belonged to the Republic of Venice, which is close to today’s prosecco vineyards, for more than 300 years. So, the two regions have historical connections. And thus, some linguistic similarities, the Croats say. A consumer cannot possibly confuse the two wines. As usual in such wine disputes, it is David against Goliath. Prosecco makes 550 million bottles a year. Prošek a tiny fraction of it. Read more TheDrinksBusiness.
Features of the Month
Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and photography blog in the last month.
Extra brut, extra taste, champagnes with a difference from Chassenay d’Arce in Côte des Bar | Britt on Frobes
Chassenay d’Arce is a small cooperative based in the heart of the Côte des Bar region. A group of growers founded it in 1956. We recently tasted their champagnes together with winemaker Brice Bécard and CEO Manuel Henon.
We liked the wines very much. They have character and personality and an excellent price level compared to more famous houses up in Reims and Epernay. In Champagne, it definitely pays to look outside the trodden paths.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Chassenay d’Arce, Côte des Bar: champagne from the south, exciting pinot blanc | Britt on Forbes.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine.
Wines from Sardinia with grapes from Spain | Britt on Forbes
Sardinia has once again impressed us. This time we have tasted wines from carignano and bovale sardo. Behind these local Sardinian names are Spanish grape varieties.
Carignano is a synonym for cariñena/mazuelo in Spain (carignan in France) and bovale sardo is the same as graciano, one of the Rioja grapes.
Historically, Sardinia has had strong links to Aragon in northern Spain. This explains why so many of the grape varieties in Sardinia come from Spain.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Exciting Sardinian wines from carignano and other grapes with Spanish roots | Britt on Forbes.
Exclusive viognier from Allegrini in Bolgheri
The Allegrini family is best known for their wines from Valpolicella. But for the past twenty years, they have also been making wine in Tuscany, in Montalcino and in Bolgheri at the Poggio al Tesoro winery.
This year they are launching a new wine made from viognier: Sondraia Costa Toscana Bianco.
Read more in Åsa Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: New viognier wine from the Allegrini family in Bolgheri: Sondraia Costa Toscana Bianco IGT 2019.
Wines, cheese and rare grapes from the Savoie | Britt on Forbes
Savoie is better known for its cheeses than for its wines. Everyone knows the names of at least some of the cheeses: reblochon, beaufort, tomme de savoie, abondance…
But does anybody know what grapes they grow on the slopes of the Savoie Prealps? Most of the Savoie wines are sold in France. But producers are working hard to increase their exports. We have taken the pulse of Savoie. And it is not only the cheeses that are worth tasting. And it’s an opportunity to discover some new grape varieties.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Savoie, unusual grape varieties and incredible cheeses on the edge of the Alps | Britt on Forbes.
Moldovan wines from feteasca neagra makes you thirst for more
We recently had the opportunity to re-taste a wine from Moldova. A couple of years ago, we travelled around to almost all of the wineries in the country to help them develop their wine tourism activity.
But this time, the occasion was that the first (?) feteasca neagra was launched in the “regular range” at the Swedish monopoly. The wine comes from Castel Mimi, one of the bigger and well-known producers in the country. The grape is the local feteasca neagra. I tasted the wine blind and thought it was excellent value for around nine euro.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine: Unusual Moldovan grapes: feteasca neagra from Castel Mimi.
Château Palmer in Margaux re-launches their 2011 | Per on Forbes
The Bordeaux primeurs “circus” is famous. Hundreds of buyers and journalists gather in Bordeaux in April to taste the latest vintage. Almost two years before it will be released on the market.
It is a market place for some of the most famous – and most expensive – wines of Bordeaux. Château Palmer in Margaux is one of them. But they do it with a twist. On September 23, they launched their now 10-year-old vintage. It’s “primeurs ten years later”. Every year they put aside about half of their production and let it rest in the cellar. When it has reached the – for a wine – respectable age of 10 years, they release it to the market. They just started selling the Château Palmer 2011. I met with the managing director of the chateau to taste and to discuss.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Palmer, a Bordeaux château that does it differently; “primeurs” 10 years later | Per on Forbes.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine.
“Food and Travel Writing for Wine Media”
2020 was perhaps not the best time to run a conference on wine writing and travel writing. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what the Wine Media Conference (WMC) did: The WMC Virtual Summit 2020. They had a whole series of online conferences on wine and travel writing.
One of the subjects was “Food and Travel Writing for Wine Media”. I was one of the three participants in that session. As a follow up to that conference I wrote a text entitled “Should Wine Writing Involve More Travel Writing?” A sub-title and auxiliary subject for the presentation and text was “how to improve your wine writing”. This article has now been translated into Russian and has just been published in the Ukrainian wine magazine Drinks+. I feel thrilled and honoured to have been published in Russian in Ukraine!
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: BKWine’s opinion post on “wine and travel writing online” in Russian in Ukraine.
Wine Tours
Some information on our current and future wine tours. Book a wine tour with the “world’s top wine tour operator” today (or when you feel like travelling to wine country).
South America: Discover excellent wineries and winemakers in Argentina and Chile | wine tour in South America
On our tour to South America in January, you will discover some of the most exciting wineries in Chile and Argentina. The Andes separates the countries, and the wines are actually very different.
We meet in the big city of Buenos Aires. After spending a few days here, we continue to the most famous wine region in Argentina, Mendoza. The mountains are close, and the vineyards are planted at high altitudes. You will notice this in the freshness of the wines, both reds and whites. Our bus will take us on a spectacular ride across the Andes, a highlight of the tour. In Chile, we will visit wine regions on the coast and further inland. We will taste and learn more about both red and white wines from both cool and warmer climates.
Wine tasting, delicious lunches with winemakers, some sightseeing and magnificent scenery will fill our days. You couldn’t ask for more.
Join us on our wine tour to South America!
- Wine tour to Chile-Argentina, January 17-30, 2022.
South Africa: a spectacular wine country with a long history | wine tour
South Africa is a New World country but with a long wine history. The first vines were planted in the 1600s. But only in the 1990s did wine consumers start drinking South African wines regularly.
To begin with, the country delivered well-made, inexpensive wines. They still do, but now the wine producers offer much more. South Africa has transformed itself into a fascinating wine country filled with passionate winemakers.
Our tour will take us to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Walker Bay, Elgin and Swartland. Apart from exciting discussions at the wineries, we will enjoy the spectacular nature, the local gastronomy, and we will also visit Cape Town.
Discover South Africa on a wine tour with us.
- Wine tour to South Africa, February 2023. (the program for 2023 is soon available)
Book your wine tour with BKWine now!
Please note: The situation in South Africa is not yet stable. We will not be able to do this wine tour in South Africa in February 2022 due to the covid-19 situation. But long-term planning is fun, so let yourself be inspired by the program linked above and start planning for February 2023 now. We will announce the dates soon.
The newest New World wine country | wine tour in New Zealand
We will see a large part of New Zealand during our 16-day tour, which takes us from Auckland all the way down to Queenstown. This is a spectacular New World wine country, far away from everything.
It is a young wine country, still in its developing phase, which makes a wine tour here even more interesting.
We will, of course, discover the sauvignon blanc wines in Marlborough, but we will also go to Hawke’s Bay with its superb syrah wines, to Wairarapa with its riesling and pinot noir, to Waiheke Island to taste the high-quality cabernet sauvignon and to Central Otago with its magnificent pinot noir. Everywhere we will admire the scenery, and we’ll do some sightseeing in-between winery visits. An unforgettable wine tour.
Join us on our New Zealand tour, a great adventure.
- Wine tour to New Zealand, March 2023 (the 2023 program will soon be available)
Book your wine tour with BKWine now!
Please note: There will be no tour to New Zealand in 2022. The borders are currently closed and will not open in time for the 2022 wine tour. But we have already started planning for 2023, and we hope you will do the same. More information coming soon!
Bordeaux, an inspiration to winemakers around the world | wine tour
Bordeaux inspires winemakers around the world. They admire the style even though they know it is impossible to copy it even if they use the same grape varieties. Every region is different.
But also, within Bordeaux, we have different styles. We will show you all this during our tour, at the big, famous chateaux and the smaller family-owned ones, on the left bank and the right bank. We will enjoy magnificent lunches, some of them at the chateaux.
Every wine lover should visit Bordeaux.
- Wine tour to Bordeaux, April 20-24, 2022
- Wine tour to Bordeaux, October 2-6, 2022 (This autumn tour will also be offered in combination with the Champagne tour)
The programmes for 2022 will be available soon.
Champagne, the best sparkling wine in the world? | wine tour
Is Champagne the best sparkling wine in the world? Many wine lovers think so, and maybe they are right. You will see for yourself during our days in Champagne. What makes champagne special?
We will learn about the soil, the climate, the weather during the year, the grapes and, of course, the production of champagne. All these factors will have an impact on the final quality and character of the champagne. The winemaker also plays a big part in the final result. There are many rules and regulations in Champagne, but still, the producer can put his personal touch on the wines.
- Wine tour to Champagne, May 4-8, 2022
- Wine tour to Champagne, September 28-October 2, 2022 (This autumn tour will also be offered in combination with the Bordeaux tour)
The programmes for 2022 will be available soon.
The tour that combines two famous French wine regions, Champagne and Bordeaux | wine tour
If you cannot choose whether to go to Bordeaux or Champagne, why not go to both of them? This tour combines these two great regions during an intense 9-day tour. We will stay in Reims in Champagne for four nights and in Bordeaux for four nights.
In Champagne we will show you how the big houses and the smaller growers work and make their champagnes. During our lunches, several different champagnes will be served. You will discover how well champagne pairs with food.
The high-speed train will take us to the beautiful city Bordeaux in the southwest of France. Here we will visit Médoc and Graves with its classic chateaux and smaller family estates in Saint Emilion. Some of our lunches will be at the chateaux. Join us on this tour to France’s two most famous wine regions.
- Wine tour to Champagne and Bordeaux, September 28 – October 6, 2022
The programmes for 2022 will be available soon.
