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Wines with style: “style wines”
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There was a time when people were worried that wines would become uniform, taste the same, become streamlined. What instead happened was that wines that had been on the verge of being faulty disappeared thanks to better hygiene in the cellar, access to new technology, more skills and knowledge. And yes, inexpensive wines probably started to taste more the same than before. But on the whole, wines improved. They improved a lot.
But if we forget about the inexpensive wines and raise the price cap a little bit (we do not have to raise it a lot), then we can probably all agree that there have never been so many wine styles to choose from as there are today.
Admittedly, the wine world does not fully use the diversity of grape varieties that exist. Only 13 different grape varieties together account for a third of the world’s vineyard area, and only 33 varieties cover 50%. But it is not just the grape that determines the style. And without too much trouble, you can easily find wines made from other than these 33 varieties. For instance, come on a wine tour to Portugal, and I guarantee that you can add ten new grape varieties to your list of “grapes I have tasted”.
And anyway, the grape variety has to some extent – or under certain circumstances – been given a subordinate position. This is partly due to two new phenomena: natural wines and orange wines. Although orange wines have been made for several thousand years, as a marketing success in our part of the world, they are a novelty. These are good examples of wines where the focus is on the production process. The character of the wine comes primarily from the way the wine is made. The grape matters less and also the origin, where the wine comes from. It is the skin contact that dominates the character.
We can call these wines “style wines”, they follow a certain style.
Amarone is also a typical “style wine”. The production process gives more character than the corvina grape and the Valpolicella soil, which is also well illustrated by the success of the multitude of amarone imitations from other areas.
Many natural wines, especially without added sulphur, also fall into the category of “style wines”. When you taste it, it is not the grape variety or where it comes from that is most apparent, but rather the absence of sulphur that can give a dominant volatile acidity or an oxidised character or a slight “farmyard” aroma or dry tannins. So, it is primarily how you make the wine that gives the character, not the grape or the place.
But there are other “style wines”. Oak can give a wine style that makes it impossible to feel region or grape. Also, high alcohol content and (over)ripe grapes where dried fruit dominates the aromas. Or wines with low alcohol content from cool climates where the razor-sharp acid takes up all the space. White wines fermented at very low temperatures. And so on.
We sometimes also experience this wine style issue in French restaurants and bars. We ask for a glass of white wine, and then the waiter asks if it should be “fruité ou sec”, i.e. fruity or dry (!). The first time this happened to us, we really put the waiter on the spot when we said we would prefer a dry, fruity wine. Now we know better. A slightly fuller wine, say Languedoc or Rhône, is fruité and a chablis or sancerre is sec.
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Travel
You still have the opportunity to book a wonderful wine tour in the autumn. The Bordeaux and the Grand Tour are fully booked but there are still a few places for Champagne.
And more exotic, but also very traditional, are of course the winter tours to the southern hemisphere:
- Chile & Argentina
- South Africa
- New Zealand
Travel to the wine regions with an experienced and knowledgeable wine tour operator. You know who. ;-)
If you want to discover the best in the wine regions and get some unforgettable memories, travel with one of the most experienced and most knowledgeable wine tour operators.
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:
- Champagne, May 4-8, 2022
- Bordeaux and Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 6, 2022
- Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 2, 2022
- Bordeaux, October 2-6, 2022
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- Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023
- South Africa, February 8-18, 2023
- New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023
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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.
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:
- The Wonderful World of Wine
- Languedoc-Roussillon, the Wines of Southern France
- Champagne, the Wine and the Growers
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News from the World of Wine
Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
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Austrian wines’ record-breaking exports in 2021
Austrian wines had a brilliant year in 2021. Exports increased by 29.5 million euros to 216.8 million euros, an increase of 15.7%, the largest increase in value ever. The exported volume increased by 3.8% to 70.2 million litres. The average export price per bottle increased. Exports were particularly strong in countries outside the EU, such as the United States, Canada and China, and Germany, Austria’s largest export market. Switzerland and the United States are in second and third place. Belgium, Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries are also important countries for Austrian wines.
White “Qualitätswein” increased by 23%; these wines represent over half of the value of exports. But also red wines increased in value (+3.1%) as well as the sparkling wines (+34%). Read more: AustrianWine
Washington: Record-breaking summer heat-wave, but great quality harvest 2021
In 2021, extremely high June temperatures were measured in Washington State, above 48 degrees C. The rest of the summer continued to be very hot, and 2021 is considered one of the warmest on record. How did the vines manage this heat? Better than one might have guessed. During the cooler period of September and October, the vines could recover, and the producers could harvest very concentrated and flavourful grapes. But the volume was small. Because of the heat and drought, the grapes decreased in size. Some grape varieties, such as syrah and sauvignon blanc (!), withstood the heat better than others.
Washington harvested 179,600 tons of grapes in 2021. Six grapes accounted for 85% of the harvest: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, riesling, merlot, syrah and sauvignon blanc. In terms of price, the most profitable grape to sell was mourvèdre. For one kilo of this grape, the grower was paid 2.45 USD. The average price for all grapes was 1.46 USD/kg. Read more WashingtonWine
Mission, an old grape variety that is not just a historical monument but also a modern trend
The mission grape was brought to California in the 18th century. It had already been grown in Mexico and South America since the 16th and 17th centuries, where Spanish missionaries planted it. The Spanish name for the grape is listán prieto; in Chile, it is called país and in Argentina, criolla chica (“Criolla, Argentina’s unique grapes”). Listán prieto is still present in the Canary Islands (“Amazingly fresh wines from the warm and windy Canary Islands. Who would have thought that possible? | Britt on Forbes”) but is almost completely gone from the Spanish mainland.
Mission remained California’s most cultivated grape until the second half of the 19th century, when other European grape varieties were introduced, not least zinfandel. But mission has stuck with some growers, and today some of them discover with surprise that the character of the grape – light colour, easy-drinking, juicy, low tannin, low alcohol content – is in vogue. Small, creative winemakers are now queuing to buy mission grapes from grape growers in Lodi in the Central Valley, often from old vines. Also, in Chile, país has something of a renaissance. The grape’s light structure and low alcohol content attract consumers who are either tired of heavy, oaky red wines or want something different now and then. Read more about the mission grape in the California wine district Lodi: LodiGrowers
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Chile and Argentina to explore mission/listan prieto/pais with BKWine.
Sherry’s new rules modernise the image, production zone, winemaking practices, grape varieties
Sherry is back in fashion. Perhaps. In any case, many are trying hard to breathe new life into this old venerable wine. When the sherry region modernised its rules in 2021, it received some attention. Modernising production rules in an old classic wine region is always a good thing. A single geographical zone has now been introduced for both the production and the ageing of sherry wines. Before, it had been possible to grow the grapes and vinify the wine in nine different municipalities. The ageing, however, could only be made in one of three towns, El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda or Jerez de la Frontera. This was a very outdated rule, reminiscent of the one that existed in the port wine region until 1986.
Another new rule is that a sherry does not have to be fortified, which is a dramatic rule change for a “fortified” wine. For example, a fino can now be sold with its natural alcohol contents, which, however, must still amount to at least 15%. Maybe this rule will be developed further. A fino at 13% would be nice. Also, old, forgotten grape varieties will now be allowed in sherry production: mantúo castellano, mantúo de pilas, vejeriego, perruno, cañocazo and beba.
South Africa: vineyard acreage shrinking, chenin blanc still in the lead, irrigation popular
SAWIS, South Africa Wine Industry Information and Systems, has recently published statistics for 2021 for the South African vineyards. The area has decreased since 2020 by 1,493 hectares and is now 90,512 hectares. It is mainly colombard and chenin blanc vines that have been ripped up. But chenin blanc still dominates with 16,800 ha, 18.6% of the total vineyard surface. Then comes, as in previous years, colombard and sauvignon blanc, followed by cabernet sauvignon, syrah and pinotage. SAWIS registers 112 grape varieties; 20 have less than one hectare. Stellenbosch is the largest wine region with 14,933 ha, followed by Paarl with 14,631, Robertson with 12,690, Breedekloof with 12,752 and Swartland with 12,333 ha.
Many South African vineyards need irrigation, and drip irrigation dominates in all regions, followed by flood irrigation. But it is interesting to note that 24% of the vineyards in Stellenbosch, Paarl, Swartland and the Cape South Coast do not irrigate at all (although down from 29% in 2011). It can be worth mentioning that irrigation is frequently used in other parts of the world too, including in Europe. More interesting South African statistics here (pdf): SAWIS
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine.
Spring frost strikes again – can later winter pruning help?
The frost has hit French vineyards again this year. So far, however, it has not been as bad as 2021. But in several places, measures have been required to heat the vineyards in some way to raise the temperature in the wee hours by a few degrees. This is very costly and sometimes not very environmentally friendly. Another way to protect the vineyards, which many are talking about right now, is to postpone winter pruning.
You can start pruning as soon as all the leaves have fallen off the vines in late autumn. And that has been the standard procedure. The winter pruning is done mostly manually, and it takes time. You need the winter months because you have to be finished before the sap rises in the spring. But the advantage of late pruning is that the budding is also delayed, which is good when summer temperature arrives in early spring, followed by a cold spell. But not all wine estates can handle the logistics when the entire surface is to be pruned in a much shorter time. Making a pre-pruning in January, perhaps with machine, and a final pruning at the end of March or beginning of April is also being considered.
Exciting places, grape varieties, styles – some wine recommendations from around the world
A few random suggestions of wines that are both delicious and original.
Creation Wines, Reserve Chardonnay, 2020, Walker Bay, South Africa, ~16 euro. From the cool region of Walker Bay in South Africa. Creation Wines is a chardonnay specialist.
Mukado, Traditional Kvevri Mtsvane, 2018, Georgien, Nr 94348, ~25 euro. Orange wine from Georgia. Very characteristic of the style, very flavourful. Delicious if you like orange wines.
Surcador, Moscatel de Alejandría, 2021, Valle del Itata, Chile, Nr 2758, ~12 euro. Exciting wine from Itata, the oldest wine region in Chile. The vines are over 100 years old and dry-farmed.
Carpinus, Tokaj Dry 2020, Ungern, Tokaj, 11,5 %, Nr 2679, ~10 euro. Dry wines from Tokaj, the sweet wine region of Hungary, are superb and true value for money. Try any Tokay Dry or Furmint Dry. Furmint is the grape used for both the sweet and the dry wines. It has an incredibly high acidity.
Keermont Terrasse 2019, Stellenbosch, Sydafrika, Nr 94269, ~20 euro. The base is chenin blanc from terraced vineyard slopes. Every year it is blended with a little bit of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and maybe a few drops of marsanne and roussanne.
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Features of the Month
Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and (occasionally) photography blog in the last month.
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How important are wine exports for a country’s wine sector?
The country exporting the biggest part of its production is New Zealand; 88% goes to another country. It is, of course, regrettable that the New Zealanders are not that keen on their own wine, but the country has a long history of anti-alcohol politics and restrictions. It just barely escaped a period of prohibition. (I can add that New Zealand is also the country with the biggest proportion of “French” grape varieties of all nations, far bigger than France.) But who is number two and number three in the export-most ranking?
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: The wine countries that focus most on exports.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to New Zealand with BKWine.
Wines from Collio in northern Italy go well with food from Tuscany
Drinking excellent white wines from Collio, in northern Italy, in Tuscany is not to be taken for granted, we are after all in the “big reds” area and Florence are not directly on the coast. We feel lucky because today it is the producer Robert Princic himself who gives us a fresh breath from the north, with wines from his property which he has given the name Gradis’ciutta. The name Princic is probably familiar to many. Dorio Princic has written the history of this territory on the border between Italy and Slovenia after being one of the first to bottle and one of the key figures in the Collio DOC Consorzio, the producer organization.
Read more in Elena Pontil’s article on BKWine Magazine: An unusual meeting in Florence: Robert Princic’s Collio wines from Gradis’ciutta with Tuscan food.
Elena Pontil is a new guest writer on BKWine Magazine. You can soon read more articles by Elena.
Which countries are most dependent on wine for the economy?
There is no easy answer to how “important” wine is to a country’s economy. It depends what you mean by “important”. You can, for example, look at how many people are employed in the production of wine, its distribution and auxiliary activities. I recently looked at how much wine is made per capita. You can also look at the value of the wine produced compared to the country’s GDP and total exports.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: How important is wine to the country economy?
Domaine Brusset, a talented wine producer in the southern Rhône Valley | Britt on Forbes
From the many villages in the southern Rhône Valley comes a steady stream of delicious wines in all price ranges. Southern Rhône is located in Provence, and the landscape and climate are different from the Northern Rhône. In the southern Rhône, you have olive trees and lavender. The wines are made with grenache and taste warm, ripe fruit and herbal spices. We have tasted wines from Domaine Brusset, a family estate with vineyards in some of the famous Southern Rhône villages, Gigondas, Rasteau and their home village of Cairanne.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Wines from Domaine Brusset in the southern Rhône Valley: Gigondas, Rasteau, Cairanne | Britt on Forbes.
The average per-litre price of exported wine in 2020, by country
The average price per litre of wine exported was – well, have a guess, what do you think? The number is in the article. This is back-of-the-envelope calculations based on the data in our article on export volumes and values. Actually, I think this is a surprisingly high value. I do not have a figure for the average price of wine including domestic sales, but I would guess that wines that go on export are on average more expensive than those sold in the country of production. On average.
The country that commands the highest average value per litre on export is – again, have a guess, what do you think? In the article you’ll get the top-ten ranking.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: The average per-litre price of exported wine in 2020.
New grape profile: The great grape of Italy, sangiovese | Britt on Forbes
Sangiovese is intimately associated with Tuscany. It is used in Chianti and Chianti Classico and for other world-famous wines such as Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. But it is also widely cultivated in other places in Italy. It is actually Italy’s most planted grape. But outside Italy it is harder to find even though the number of countries growing sangiovese has increased in the last ten years.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Sangiovese, unmistakably Italian | grape profile | Britt on Forbes.
World exports by type of packaging, bottle, bag-in-box, bulk, in 2020: price pressure is obvious
It is interesting to look at in what kind of “container” wine is exported: bottle, bag-in-box, or bulk. This gives quite a clear indication of the price and quality level of the wines. A country exporting a large portion in bulk is probably getting little money for its wines etc. Wine exports are tracked closely by customs authorities. International trade is declared by custom codes. This makes it easy to track this. On top of that, sparkling wine is declared separately (although it is, of course, mainly in bottle). So let’s look at how different countries exports’ are split on bottle, bag-in-box, bulk and sparkling. Get ready to make a deep dive into wine export statistics.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: Bottle, bag-in-box, bulk, sparkling, which country exported what in 2020? And trends.
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Wine Tours
Details 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).
Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience in the beautiful wine-lands together with some of the most knowledgeable wine people around. Book now!
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Finally time to get out into the French vineyards on a wine tour in the fall of 2022
It feels great to get out into the vineyards again. We have already been to quite a few wineries and every place we go they say “it is so great to see you again!” So we are happy to be able to offer three fabulous wine tours this coming autumn: Champagne, Bordeaux and the very special Grand Wine Tour to Champagne and Bordeaux. (On our program for Scandinavia we have a few more, also Burgundy, Rhône, Sicily, Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Rioja, Douro Valley, and Austria, which we can also all do bespoke for you.)
It is fantastic to see that so many want to come to the wine-lands and see what happens there during harvest time this coming season. It’s a great time to visit wineries, taste wines, meet the winemakers and enjoy very special gastronomy. But the drawback this season is, of course, that some of the autumn tours are already fully booked. Currently we only have some places left on the Champagne tour . More details on that separately. And we can of course create a custom made wine tour for you and a small group of friends, if you would like.
PS: We’ve written eleven books on wine, so travelling with us is different.
The Champagne wine tour: learn everything about the world-famous bubbles
The best way to learn about Champagne is spending a few days in the region. And it is certainly the most enjoyable way. You will learn by tasting and listening to our hosts at the wineries, often winemakers or owners, talking about the production process, the ageing and all the mysteries surrounding champagne. We might kill a few of the Champagne myths though. No, grand cru is probably not what you think it is. We will show you the big Champagne houses and as well as small independent growers where you will get a very personal welcome. We will enjoy the French gastronomy, paired with different styles of champagne, our gorgeous champagne lunches.
- Wine Tour to Champagne, September 28-October 2, 2022 (This autumn tour will also be offered in combination with the Bordeaux tour)
Book now: your wine tour with BKWine!
PS: We have written a ground-breaking book about Champagne so we have a bit of a clue of what we’re talking about.
World-class wines, breath-taking scenery, and a long tradition, the wine tour in Argentina and Chile 2023
Our popular and spectacular South America tour takes you to Buenos Aires, Mendoza, several of Chile’s exciting wine regions and also to Valparaiso, the colourful harbour city, as well as Santiago, the capital of Chile. Our days are filled with wine tastings, meetings with producers and gastronomic lunches with local products. We will have time to enjoy the scenery, not least when travelling with our bus across the magnificent Andes mountains, an almost other-worldly experience. You will learn to love pisco sour (a Chilean speciality – don’t tell the Peruvians!), the famously delicious meat and the grilled vegetables. And of course, the empanadas. As well as many, many wines, do we need to say that?
The wines in Argentina and Chile are very different from each other. But both countries have world-class winemakers. They are still discovering and developing new regions within their countries, suitable for vineyards; at higher altitudes, closer to the sea, further north or further south. Two wine countries in rapid evolution with a spirit of discovery. Come and discover with us.
Join us on our wine tour to South America!
- Wine tour to Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023
Book now: your wine tour with BKWine!
South Africa wine tour 2023: A magnificent wine country that is now showing all its potential
Discover the top-notch wines in this charming wine country. Visit the classics of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, but also exciting Walker Bay down the coast and the avant-garde producers of Swartland.
Many of the South African vineyards are within an easy distance from Cape Town. After an hour’s drive to the east, you reach Stellenbosch, the biggest and most famous of the wine regions. Not far from there you have Franschhoek and Paarl. We will also go a little further, to the south coast and the regions of Elgin and Walker Bay, among the trendiest of the new wave of wine regions in South Africa. Here we will stay in the small pretty town of Hermanus.
South Africa used to have a reputation for easy drinking, inexpensive wines but since quite a few years back, things have changed and the producers are now showing us the potential of the South African vineyards. We will have some great tastings as well as superb meals at the wineries. Everything is ready and set for very special experiences and memories.
It’s hard not to fall in love with this beautiful wine country.
Discover South Africa on a wine tour with us.
- Wine tour to South Africa, February 8-18, 2023
Book now: your wine tour with BKWine!
An unforgettable adventure: The wine tour to New Zealand 2023
Kia Ora! Welcome to New Zealand
You encounter Maori words everywhere in New Zealand, for example in the Wairarapa and Waipara wine regions. And, of course, you will often hear Kia Ora, which means welcome in Maori. The wine producers in New Zealand are eager to welcome us again in their country. The country is far away from everything and the wine-lovers who venture all the way here are more than warmly welcomed.
This is a wine tour that will show you a big part of the country, almost all. We will start in Auckland on the North Island and go by bus and ferry all the way down to Queenstown on the South Island. A spectacular trip that gives us a good understanding of the country and the different wine styles. Mussels, delicious lobster, sulphur-spewing geysers, tall mountains, gold mines. And plenty of wonderful wines.
Join us for this unforgettable adventure with wine, food, geysers and other natural wonders. Kia ora, welcome to New Zealand.
Join us on our New Zealand tour, a great adventure.
- Wine tour to New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023
