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Weighty arguments for lighter bottles
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Reducing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions is a gigantic task. Making wine bottles lighter is a drop in the ocean. But everything counts. Every industry needs to take action. Making bottles requires a lot of energy, and more the heavier the bottle is. Heavy bottles require more trucks. When they reduced the weight of the bottle in Champagne, they saved a surprising amount of trucks, 3,000 per year according to one estimate. So reducing bottle weight is an important environmental issue. But who is responsible?
Should producers in a kind of global communal action switch entirely to using 420-gram bottles and present consumers with a fait accompli? Or should the consumers take the first step by refusing to buy heavy bottles and thus get the producers to change?
One half of BKWine argues for the first option (with or without joint action), that the producers start. It seems most straightforward and most effective for producers to become the driving force. A heavy bottle still means prestige to many. But consumers will get used to lighter bottles quickly if they see more and more wines in lightweight bottles. And determining the weight of the bottle when it is full is not obvious. If you shop online, you do not lift the bottle before the purchase. And consumers are becoming more and more environmentally conscious.
A glass bottle for still wine weighs approximately 500-650 grams. However, some bottles weigh one kilo and more, even heavier than a champagne bottle. In Sweden, lightweight means a maximum of 420 grams. (420 g happens to be what the Swedish monopoly retailer Systembolaget has decided is “lightweight”, above which they apply a “fine”, a surcharge, to the wine.) In the regular range, 455 wines meet that limit. Only 34 cost more than SEK 150 (~15 euro). You might think this is good because less expensive wines are made in larger volumes. But consumers must also encounter expensive wines in lightweight bottles. Only then is the pattern broken. The argument that a prestigious wine is only made in a limited quantity and, therefore, it doesn’t matter if it’s sold in a monstrous 1-kilo bottle does not hold water.
The other half of BKWine argues that it is the consumers who have the ultimate responsibility. It is the consumers who pay for the wine, and it is therefore in the consumer’s power to opt-out of unreasonably (or unnecessarily) heavy bottles. All modern wine producers must consider what consumers want, both in terms of the taste of the wine and the packaging. So that argument says that power lies in your wallet, you the wine consumer.
What do you think?
Vote for us
The English travel magazine Food and Travel has started a poll on the best destination, restaurant and – of course – best tour operator. We are so specialised (and small), so it is not easy to be seen in such contexts. But we would be happy if you cast a vote for us!
Vote here for BKWine Tours in the category “tour operators”:
https://foodandtravel.com/awards
(You first have to create a free account.)
Champagne or Bordeaux tours in September-October
There are still a few places available for our wine tour in Champagne in late September.
Book now!
We also have some places on the Bordeaux tour in early October (due to a cancellation for medical reasons).
And you can to the ultimat thing and combine the two and join us on the whole of the great Champagne-Bordeaux exploration.
Go on a wine and adventure tour this winter
For those who want to go on long-distance tours and great adventures, we have good news: The restrictions for Chile and Argentina have eased, so now we can say with great certainty that the wine tour to South America can go ahead. The same is true of South Africa and New Zealand.
So now you have three to choose from:
- Chile-Argentina in January
- South Africa in February
- New Zealand in March
These are tours with unique and magnificent experiences.
More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours”.
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:
- Bordeaux and Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 6, 2022 – BOOK NOW
- Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 2, 2022 – BOOK NOW
- Bordeaux, October 2-6, 2022 – BOOK NOW
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- Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023 – BOOK NOW
- South Africa, February 8-18, 2023 – BOOK NOW
- New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023 – BOOK NOW
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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:
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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
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Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
Severe drought in several wine regions – how do you best manage your water use
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for cleaning during the entire production process. It is difficult to say exactly how much water a normal winery uses. It depends on the volume produced, type of tanks (large or small) etc. At best, it is two litres of water per litre of wine or less, but the figure can go up to 10-12 litres. Studies carried out by L’Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, a research institute, show that the average water use is between 0.5 and 1 litre for a vineyard that produces more than 100,000 hl of wine and between 2 and 4 litres for those who makes less than 4,000 hl. In addition to this water use you have irrigation, if used.
But water is in short supply in many wine regions. Parts of France, northern Italy and California, to name just a few, suffer from severe drought. Managing the use of water is high on the sustainability agenda. Things that are discussed are e.g. more accurate measurements of the moisture in the vineyard to know exactly the vines’ need for water, reuse of wastewater, sewage treatment plants in the vineyards, the new technology with UV rays to wash and disinfect the tanks without water, a more efficient way of collecting the rainwater when it arrives. Read more (pdf): vignevin
Big gets bigger: Moet Hennessy buys Joseph Phelps in California
LVMH, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, a large French luxury conglomerate, recently bought the well-known Joseph Phelps winery in Napa Valley. Joseph Phelps founded his estate in 1973 and the following year he launched the first vintage of his prestigious cuvée Insignia with cabernet sauvignon as the dominant grape variety.
This is not LVMH’s first purchase outside of Europe. In 2003, they bought New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay in Marlborough. But LVMH apparently lacked a strong red brand. With Cloudy Bay they got white wines and a few years ago they bought Château d’Esclan, a Provence estate which specializes in rosé wines. And LVMH is of course very well equipped when it comes to aperitif wines with champagne houses such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Ruinart and Dom Pérignon. Hennessy Cognac completes the meal. Read more: cnbc
Exceptional quality for 2022 harvest in South Africa
This year’s harvest in South Africa is of exceptionally good quality. The volume of 1.3 million tonnes of grapes is slightly smaller than in 2021 but still larger than the five-year average. “An overall cool growing season with good weather conditions in most wine regions gave a slow ripening of the grapes that developed fine aromas,” says the report from Wines of South Africa (WOSA). The harvest began between 10 and 14 days later than normal. Wine production for 2022 is expected to amount to approximately 10.7 million hectolitres. This includes wine for brandy (about 4% of the total) and grape juice.
Most wine regions had more rain than normal during the winter which was welcome. The water reservoirs could be filled up. Read more: wosa
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine.
Are Swedish consumers conservative or adventurous? Both
Wine Intelligence, an English market research company, recently published its annual report on the Swedish wine market. (BKWine was among those interviewed for input.) Swedish wine consumers have, the report writes, a good brand awareness and a willingness to jump on new trends, largely due to Systembolaget’s ability to implement thorough and consistent marketing strategies, they say. (Sweden has an alcohol monopoly and Systembolaget, owned by the state, is the only retail chain that can sell alcohol. But they do not do product-oriented marketing so the logic is hard to understand.)
Nevertheless, there are also reasons for concern, the report says. There are signs that the wine market is close to its peak and that consumers who drink wine regularly become more conservative in their choices. Those over the age of 55 account for just over half of all wine drunk in Sweden. These are the ones who most likely drink wine daily or weekly. But they are also more price sensitive than other age groups. And, the report says, because half of them “know what they like and tend to stick to what they know”, this can make it harder for new brands, regions, styles or formats to break through. The age group 25–39 consistently spends 5–10% more per bottle than others, regardless of the occasion.
The proportion of red wine is declining in Sweden, but sparkling wine continues to be in high demand, especially the cheaper varieties such as prosecco and cava. Half of all Swedish wine drinkers have drunk a bottle of prosecco in the past year. Read more: Wineintelligence
The end of New Zealand Port, a cheap price to pay for easier export to the EU
The EU is a significant export market for New Zealand wine. Over 20 million litres of wine have been exported here to a value of over 150 million USD in the last 12 months. And now maybe even more New Zealand wine will reach the Club of 27. A new trade agreement between the EU and New Zealand both removes certain technical barriers to trade and gives an easing of restrictions. Customs duties on wine from New Zealand will be lifted as soon as the agreement enters into force.
The parties have also agreed to protect each other’s geographical indications (GI). New Zealand’s GIs for wine (such as Marlborough, Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay) will be protected in the EU for the first time. Historical EU names such as port and sherry will be phased out in New Zealand, as they have already done in many other countries that have free trade agreements with the EU. Read more nzwine
Travel: Come on a wine tour to New Zealand with BKWine.
Store, buy or sell your wine cellar at Urban Winebox
If you are fond of buying wines and eager to keep them for some time, it is often difficult to have sufficient space in your home. Fortunately, there are solutions. In many countries there are companies offering wine-cellar-for-hire services. At the Danish company Urban Winebox in Copenhagen, you can store your wines safely and at the right temperature. The customers are of course mainly in Denmark but also in Sweden and other neighbouring countries. Right now, Urban Winebox stores 75,000 bottles of wine and hopes to be able to expand its operations to Sweden, Norway and Germany in the next few years. But it’s not just about storage. You can also buy wines (both at fixed prices and at auction) and sell your own wines through Urban Winebox. Read more: urbanwinebox
White AOP Médoc soon to be (maybe)
Once upon a time, quite a lot of white wine was made in Médoc. Then it was banned. Or, to be more precise, the eight appellations of the Médoc Peninsula can only be used for red wines. A small production of white continued but not with the prestigious appellation. You can make white wine in Médoc, and several châteaux do (Mouton-Rothschild, Margaux, Talbot, Fourcas-Hosten, Cos d’Estournel, etc.) but the white wines can only be sold with the appellation Bordeaux. Demand for white wines is increasing in the world and next year, 2023, an AOP Médoc Blanc will in all probability be introduced. It is expected that this AOP can be used by the châteaux in all eight appellations (Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint Estèphe).
There are currently 169 hectares of white grapes planted on the Médoc peninsula. From this, 800,000 bottles are made. If we go back 90 years, around 2 million bottles of white wine were made in Médoc. Soon we may be there again. The white wines made by the Médoc châteaux today are ambitious wines that are quite close in price to their red wines. Read more: vitisphere
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine.
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Features of the Month
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Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and (occasionally) photography blog in the last month.
A gleaming review of our book “The Wonderful World Of Wine”
“Of Swedish wine book authors today, they must be the best bet”… We decided to make a book that could serve as a textbook for Munskänkarna’s advanced level courses, but also for other wine courses, sommelier educations and so on. But it should also be easy to read and enjoyable even for those who do not take a wine course but just want to learn a little more about wine.
Today, it has been given prizes both by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and by International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).
Read more on the review and on the story about how it came to be in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: “Of Swedish wine book authors today, they must be the best bet” – review of our book “The Wonderful World Of Wine” by Munskänkarna.
The amazing Wine Travel Awards that couldn’t happen but actually DID happen!
On February 24, I thought it was the end of the WTA. The abbreviation stands for the Wine Travel Awards, an international wine travel competition organised by Drinks+. Drinks+ is Ukraine’s leading wine and drinks magazine. Or was? I am not sure if it is still publishing in print. A bit over a year ago, in the spring of 2021, Olga Pinevich-Todoriuk, the editor of Drinks+, launched this project as a way to help the wine business and the wine travel business recover from the difficulties of almost two years of the pandemic, as a tool to promote wine and wine travel. And then the Russian war of aggression happened…
But against all odds, the competition run as planned.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: The amazing Wine Travel Awards that couldn’t happen but actually DID happen!
The monopolist Systembolaget continues its attacks on online wine retailers and appeals the acquittal of Winefinder to the Supreme Court
Systembolaget, the monopoly retailer for alcohol in Sweden, should by this time have spent quite a lot of money on attacking (harassing?) online wine retailers. Most likely many millions of the money you paid them for the wines you bought there. The last two in the monopolist’s firing line are the online wine retailers Vivino and Winefinder. Systembolaget has involved both in legal proceedings. Both online wine retailers were acquitted by the courts and Systembolaget’s claims were not considered valid. But Systembolaget thinks it knows better. The company has now appealed the acquittal to the Supreme Court (Högsta Domstolen, HD).
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: The monopolist Systembolaget continues its attacks on online wine retailers and appeals the acquittal of Winefinder to the Supreme Court.
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Wine Tours
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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!
You can still join us on our Champagne wine tour end of September
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit one of the most famous wine regions in the world.
Champagne today has many competitors – a variety of other sparkling wines. Many of them are less expensive than champagne. Visiting the region, you will understand why champagne is the most prestigious of them all. Is it also the best? That is for you to decide. But we have a hunch of the verdict. On-site among vineyards and producers, you will learn the history behind champagne, the production and everything that is special about champagne. You will get answers to all your questions (and many others); there are no (almost no) secrets. There will be many tastings, sometimes with food, during our luxurious champagne lunches. Combining champagne with a whole meal is a special experience.
You can also combine this with the Bordeaux tour and make it a fabulous one-week voyage.
Book now! Only a few places left.
Wine Tour to Champagne, September 28-October 2, 2022
PS: We have written a ground-breaking book about Champagne so we have a bit of a clue of what we’re talking about.
Bordeaux, the role model for many a quality wine across the world, explained on this wine tour
Bordeaux is the role-model for many great wine regions; many have copied the classic “blend” of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. This is not surprising. Among the world’s wine regions, Bordeaux is the one that has most top-quality wine and that carries most prestige. Is it well-deserved? Ask any bordelaise and you know what answer you will get. That is exactly what you can do on our wine tour in Bordeaux. We will take you to some of the very prestigious chateau to show you what the make. But we will also show you some of the not so famous, but perhaps just as quality minded producers. Even within Bordeaux there is competition. And you will understand why so many want to make wine like Bordeaux.
But not only that, during the tour, you will also get to enjoy some fabulous meals paired with these delicious wines.
You can also combine this with the Champagne tour and make it an extraordinary one-week voyage.
Book now! Only a few places left.
Wine Tour to Bordeaux, October 2-6, 2022
PS: We have also written a book about Bordeaux so you can feel certain you will get to see the most fascinating insider’s view of Bordeaux.
Exciting wines, outstanding gastronomy and spectacular scenery – Wine tour in Argentina and Chile
This is a wine tour that you will never forget. We start with the big city pulse in Buenos Aires and end in Santiago de Chile. In between, there will be tango shows, winery visits in Mendoza, crossing the magnificent Andes by bus, a stunning experience, and visits to several wine regions in Chile as well as Valparaiso and Vina del Mar on the Pacific coast, Casablanca Valley, San Antonio and Colchagua. And some more. A full program!
We travel together for 14 days and we wouldn’t have minded doing it for a bit longer.
Our lunches are often asados, a South American barbecue. The famous meat is grilled, of course, but also chicken and sometimes fish and seafood – and plenty of fresh vegetables of course. In Santa Cruz, a pisco sour by the pool is almost mandatory when we return to the hotel after visits and tastings.
Book now!:
Wine tour to Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023
South Africa, a wine country to discover
The South African wine producers have had some tough years with severe drought and pandemic. Now things are back to almost normal. The water reservoirs have been replenished, and the 2022 harvest is a success. They are happy to see wine lovers from overseas back again. Come with us and discover this wonderful wine country with a unique nature and wines that are increasingly and amazingly ambitious and exciting.
We will visit Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Hermanus on the south coast and wild and exciting Swartland. And, of course, the program also includes sightseeing in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula with the Cape of Good Hope.
South Africa not only has a unique nature. It is also a fascinating country to get to know. And if you have time, you can extend the trip with an exciting safari. We are travelling in February, and the harvest has probably started. The weather is still lovely and warm, a perfect time to visit South Africa.
Discover the South African vineyards with us!
Book now!:
Wine tour to South Africa, February 8-18, 2023
A wine tour across and along New Zealand 2023
Our wine tour to New Zealand in March is an unforgettable “road trip” that takes us from Auckland on the North Island down to Queenstown in beautiful Central Otago on the South Island by bus. For 16 days, we will get to know several New Zealand wine regions. We also have time to enjoy the landscape and scenery in this magnificent country, far away from everything.
Of course, there will be many stops on the way to visit wineries. Our lunches are often at the wineries; many of them have superb restaurants. As always on our tours, the local gastronomy is highlighted. We will spend some time in the beautiful capital of Wellington, and we will also learn more about the Maori culture. Join us in New Zealand and discover a fascinating landscape and equally fascinating wines.
Join us in New Zealand and discover something new.
The New Zealand wine tour, a great adventure.
Book now!
Wine tour to New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023
