No one had dared to hope for such high sales figures. In 2021, Champagne sold 322 million bottles. An excellent result and an increase from 2020 by 32%, which was admittedly the worst year in
There is no stopping Prosecco’s popularity. In 2021, 627.5 million bottles of Prosecco DOC were bottled (and, presumably, sold). Of this amount, 71.5 million bottles are rosé, a category created in 2020. Prosecco is, without
A colleague in the industry that I spoke to the other day said when we discussed spraying the vineyards, “Can’t they just ban everything dangerous?” Yes, that sounds like a good idea, in theory. But
From being a fairly unremarkable additive in most wines, sulphur dioxide has recently turned into a burning topic of discussion for wine enthusiasts. SO2 is added to the wine to protect it from premature oxidation.
The DO Cava appellation in Spain has decided that from 2025, organic certification will be mandatory for cavas de guarda superior, the higher quality of cava. This category includes cavas reserva (with at least 18
Julien and Sarah Launois are champagne producers in the small village of Mesnil-sur-Oger. They started only six years ago but they already export most of their production. We visited Julien and Sarah during the very
We are still in the peak of summer, even though the calendar says September 4th. Bandol, a small appellation in Provence, shows itself from its most magnificent side. The grapes are ripe. The harvest has
The red wines from the Languedoc, southern Rhône Valley and Provence often combine a delicious, dark fruit with good acidity, relatively soft tannins and a pleasant spiciness. Here are some of our favourites that we
The Rhône Valley is one of France’s great wine regions. The red wines dominate, but the white ones should not be ignored. There are many small growers in the Rhone region. But the Rhône Valley
It’s still early days. But the first report on the South African harvest 2022 has arrived. The winter was as should be, with snow in the mountains and rain filling the dams. These were filled
Glass bottles play a significant role in the wine industry. The company Verallia is the largest producer of glass bottles in Europe. They have seven factories around the French wine regions and have close contact
We all hope that the pandemic calms down, not least those who organise large wine events. The big wine fair Wine Paris & Vinexpo, which took place for the first time in 2020, as a
China’s wine import is falling. The Chinese drink less, in part because of the limited social life that has continued into this year. January to September this year (2021) saw a decrease in wine imports
Buying Alsace wines has so far been something of a gamble if you do not already know the wine or the producer. Now, things will be easier. It is henceforth mandatory to indicate on the
The cradle of wine stood in the area around present-day Armenia and Georgia. This is well known and widely accepted. Grape seeds and remnants of drinking vessels found indicate that this is where people made
Not so long ago, we discovered timorasso, an Italian white grape variety in Piedmont. Since then, we have tasted a fair number of timorasso wines, most recently from Cantine Bottazzi. We believe that this grape
People drink a lot of sparkling wine during the end of year holidays. There is a lot to choose from. Admittedly, champagne is still the most prestigious bubble, but in volume, prosecco is the winner.
Every little detail matters, whether it is for the environment, the taste of the wine or the sales figures. We have heard it many times from many wine producers. The details will play an even
– Holiday issue with extra reading. Every little detail matters Every little detail matters, whether it is for the environment, the taste of the wine or the sales figures. We have heard it many times
Camilla Gjerde fell in love with natural wines in 2008 when she drank a Sicilian frappato made by Arianna Occhipinti. Eventually, the dream of making a book about natural wines was born. Several of her
If you go to Fitou and the southern part of Corbières in the French Languedoc, you will be greeted by a wild, barren and beautiful landscape. Here, the vines coexist with the local shrub vegetation
Here’s your introduction to Armenian wines. Armenia is a small wine country, but one with a long history. Wine production here almost disappeared during the Soviet era. But a new generation of winemakers is reviving
Pomerol in Bordeaux is banning the use of chemical weed control. This is the first appellation in France to take this decision. The new rules were adopted on October 21 this year (2021). The new
Chenin blanc is one of the world’s top white grape varieties. Yet, sometimes chenin wine producers in Vouvray are frustrated. Selling a chenin blanc is not as easy as selling a sauvignon blanc, they say.
Champagne producers apparently have a lot of concerns right now. The capriciousness of the weather (recent years have been too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry…), the reduction in the number of approved pesticides
“Sustainability”, the flavour-of-the-month? It seems everyone is talking about sustainability these days. We’ve recently been in at least three webinars on sustainability. Wine regions are announcing sustainability programmes. Wine producers and other wine industry companies
Europe dominates when it comes to organic viticulture in the world. But the rest of the world is catching up. According to OIV, The International Organisation of Vine and Wine, organic viticulture is increasing worldwide
The Douro Valley used to be all about port wine. No longer. The production of dry wines (called “Douro wines”), have increased incredibly in recent years. This is a trend created by the smaller growers
This year, some winegrowers in various parts of Europe have had to resort to chaptalisation to reach the alcohol content they consider necessary. During our recent wine tours in, for example, Champagne and Burgundy, we
Whatever old vines mean for the quality of the wine (a disputed topic), it’s hard not to be impressed if they’re 200 years old. The vines for Santa Cruz de Coya from the Chilean wine
No one had dared to hope for such high sales figures. In 2021, Champagne sold 322 million bottles. An excellent result and an increase from
There is no stopping Prosecco’s popularity. In 2021, 627.5 million bottles of Prosecco DOC were bottled (and, presumably, sold). Of this amount, 71.5 million bottles
A colleague in the industry that I spoke to the other day said when we discussed spraying the vineyards, “Can’t they just ban everything dangerous?”
From being a fairly unremarkable additive in most wines, sulphur dioxide has recently turned into a burning topic of discussion for wine enthusiasts. SO2 is
The DO Cava appellation in Spain has decided that from 2025, organic certification will be mandatory for cavas de guarda superior, the higher quality of
Julien and Sarah Launois are champagne producers in the small village of Mesnil-sur-Oger. They started only six years ago but they already export most of
We are still in the peak of summer, even though the calendar says September 4th. Bandol, a small appellation in Provence, shows itself from its
The red wines from the Languedoc, southern Rhône Valley and Provence often combine a delicious, dark fruit with good acidity, relatively soft tannins and a
The Rhône Valley is one of France’s great wine regions. The red wines dominate, but the white ones should not be ignored. There are many
It’s still early days. But the first report on the South African harvest 2022 has arrived. The winter was as should be, with snow in
Glass bottles play a significant role in the wine industry. The company Verallia is the largest producer of glass bottles in Europe. They have seven
We all hope that the pandemic calms down, not least those who organise large wine events. The big wine fair Wine Paris & Vinexpo, which
China’s wine import is falling. The Chinese drink less, in part because of the limited social life that has continued into this year. January to
Buying Alsace wines has so far been something of a gamble if you do not already know the wine or the producer. Now, things will
The cradle of wine stood in the area around present-day Armenia and Georgia. This is well known and widely accepted. Grape seeds and remnants of
Not so long ago, we discovered timorasso, an Italian white grape variety in Piedmont. Since then, we have tasted a fair number of timorasso wines,
People drink a lot of sparkling wine during the end of year holidays. There is a lot to choose from. Admittedly, champagne is still the
Every little detail matters, whether it is for the environment, the taste of the wine or the sales figures. We have heard it many times
– Holiday issue with extra reading. Every little detail matters Every little detail matters, whether it is for the environment, the taste of the wine
Camilla Gjerde fell in love with natural wines in 2008 when she drank a Sicilian frappato made by Arianna Occhipinti. Eventually, the dream of making
If you go to Fitou and the southern part of Corbières in the French Languedoc, you will be greeted by a wild, barren and beautiful
Here’s your introduction to Armenian wines. Armenia is a small wine country, but one with a long history. Wine production here almost disappeared during the
Pomerol in Bordeaux is banning the use of chemical weed control. This is the first appellation in France to take this decision. The new rules
Chenin blanc is one of the world’s top white grape varieties. Yet, sometimes chenin wine producers in Vouvray are frustrated. Selling a chenin blanc is
Champagne producers apparently have a lot of concerns right now. The capriciousness of the weather (recent years have been too hot, too cold, too wet,
“Sustainability”, the flavour-of-the-month? It seems everyone is talking about sustainability these days. We’ve recently been in at least three webinars on sustainability. Wine regions are
Europe dominates when it comes to organic viticulture in the world. But the rest of the world is catching up. According to OIV, The International
The Douro Valley used to be all about port wine. No longer. The production of dry wines (called “Douro wines”), have increased incredibly in recent
This year, some winegrowers in various parts of Europe have had to resort to chaptalisation to reach the alcohol content they consider necessary. During our
Whatever old vines mean for the quality of the wine (a disputed topic), it’s hard not to be impressed if they’re 200 years old. The
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