27 appellations in the Anjou and Saumur regions in the Loire Valley have recently published their new rules and regulations. The big news is that they all now prohibit chemical weed removal. These 27 AOPs
No French dinner is complete without a good cheese. At Christmas, the cheese will probably be a vacherin de mont d’or, an AOP cheese from the Jura mountains. This is a true Christmas cheese and
Do you need some inspiration to fins a different bubbly for the festivities (you don’t really need any help to find the big brands, do you?)? Here are a few sparkling wines that we recommend.
The wine world’s vague and hard-to-explain words There are difficult words in the world of wine. It may not be obvious to know exactly what is acetaldehyde, tangential filter or sexual confusion. But these words
Scandinavian wines have received a great deal of attention in the international press lately. Like most other journalists, Eric Asimov, in his long article in the New York Times, points out that climate change makes
The now well-known wine fair for organic wines, Millésime Bio, will take place on 27-29 January 2020 in Montpellier. All exhibitors must be organically certified. Being under conversion is no longer enough. There are now
Recently Uco Valley, in the southernmost part of Mendoza, received its fifth geographical designation of origin, identificación geográfica (IG) in Spanish. It is San Pablo, where the vines grow in rocky soil at high altitude,
Uncorked: Under this heading, we collect various wines that we have tasted, and liked, recently. It can be wines that we have had during dinner at home, at wine tastings, press lunches, visits to vineyards,
There is a wine region in France that is really doing well at the moment. And that is Cognac. Sales increased in 2018 for the fifth consecutive year. 205 million bottles of cognac were exported.
Whatever reason you might have to go visit Moldova, you wouldn’t want to miss the cellars of Cricova and Milestii Mici. These cellars, often called caves actually, are amazing places, whole underground cities. They are
Forty years ago, in 1979, the Spanish Torres family began making wine in Chile, in the small region of Curicó, 200 kilometres south of Santiago. At that time, Chile’s viticulture was still in its infancy
Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) was founded in 2018 by a number of wine producers who wanted to protect their region’s reputation, which, they thought, was about to be eroded by cheap bulk wine exports. Now
Each year, the Munskänkarna Wine Association in Sweden (probably the worlds’ biggest, with some 25,000 members) chooses a “Wine Village/Wine Region of the Year”. For 2020, Roussillon in southern France was recently elected. A good
Now, wine producers in the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero can make white wine and call it DO Ribera del Duero. So far, this designation has been for red wines only. The whites account
In October we have twice been in the Douro Valley. In this wonderfully beautiful region in northern Portugal, some of Portugal’s, even the world’s, most interesting wines are made. That they make both dry wines
Seek out diversity, ditch the same-same and fame Diversity is what makes the wine world unique. Wine is in essence nothing but an agricultural product. For most of those who make wine, life as a
Can the solution to the problem of the dreaded fungal disease downy mildew (mildiou) be something as simple as oregano? It is a little early to answer yes to that question. But the experiments that
Vinomed is the name of a new, export-oriented wine fair in Montpellier in southern France. It takes place for the first time this year for two days, April 27 and 28, 2020. The focus of
Local grape varieties can be a strong point for wine countries. The wine enthusiast is more and more looking for the unusual and the unknown. Moldova, in the easternmost part of Europe, is in many
Is the new trend low-alcohol wines? This is what many producers believe in New Zealand. And a great deal of effort is now made to produce sauvignon blanc wines with alcohol contents of around 10%.
Only 2% of the world’s wines are aged in oak barrels. (Ed.: Only?) But for these 2% quite a few barrels are needed. France produced 670,000 barrels in 2018, an increase of 2%. 68% of
The wine world is really not a stronghold of equality. The average export price of a grand cru (red & white) from Burgundy in 2018 was 87 euros per bottle. The red ones are more
If you want a champagne that is something special and with extra character it is a good idea to leave the big and famous brands and instead to looking for “grower’s champagnes”. Grower champagne is
The designation Cru Bourgeois for chateaux has existed in Médoc for many years. Various attempts to rank them, roughly in the style of the 1855 classification, have been made since the 1930s. More or less
Should we lament that the taste of wines have changed? That the wines we are accustomed to drinking will eventually change is probably inevitable in the wake of climate change. Some regions may need to
Organic wines are becoming more and more popular with French wine consumers. 48% of them would like to see a larger range of organic wines in the stores where they normally buy wine. The fact
There seem to be no limits to the creativity of winemakers. Diemersdal Estate in Durbanhill in South Africa has recently launched its third vintage of its Sauvignon Blanc Winter Ferment. For this wine, the grapes
Walla Walla, a well-known wine region in Washington State, was believed to be exempt from the vine louse (phylloxera vastatrix). Therefore, the recent discovery of the louse that is so dangerous to the vines dealt
South Africa’s vine surface has declined since 2009 when it was just over 102,000 hectares to today’s 93,000 hectares (table grapes not included). However, wine’s contribution to the country’s GDP has steadily increased during these
Wine producers are facing difficult choices today. Not least in what way they should manage the vineyard. Conventional, sustainable, organic or biodynamic? They have a variety of pesticides to choose from. More if they grow
27 appellations in the Anjou and Saumur regions in the Loire Valley have recently published their new rules and regulations. The big news is that
No French dinner is complete without a good cheese. At Christmas, the cheese will probably be a vacherin de mont d’or, an AOP cheese from
Do you need some inspiration to fins a different bubbly for the festivities (you don’t really need any help to find the big brands, do
The wine world’s vague and hard-to-explain words There are difficult words in the world of wine. It may not be obvious to know exactly what
Scandinavian wines have received a great deal of attention in the international press lately. Like most other journalists, Eric Asimov, in his long article in
The now well-known wine fair for organic wines, Millésime Bio, will take place on 27-29 January 2020 in Montpellier. All exhibitors must be organically certified.
Recently Uco Valley, in the southernmost part of Mendoza, received its fifth geographical designation of origin, identificación geográfica (IG) in Spanish. It is San Pablo,
Uncorked: Under this heading, we collect various wines that we have tasted, and liked, recently. It can be wines that we have had during dinner
There is a wine region in France that is really doing well at the moment. And that is Cognac. Sales increased in 2018 for the
Whatever reason you might have to go visit Moldova, you wouldn’t want to miss the cellars of Cricova and Milestii Mici. These cellars, often called
Forty years ago, in 1979, the Spanish Torres family began making wine in Chile, in the small region of Curicó, 200 kilometres south of Santiago.
Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) was founded in 2018 by a number of wine producers who wanted to protect their region’s reputation, which, they thought, was
Each year, the Munskänkarna Wine Association in Sweden (probably the worlds’ biggest, with some 25,000 members) chooses a “Wine Village/Wine Region of the Year”. For
Now, wine producers in the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero can make white wine and call it DO Ribera del Duero. So far, this
In October we have twice been in the Douro Valley. In this wonderfully beautiful region in northern Portugal, some of Portugal’s, even the world’s, most
Seek out diversity, ditch the same-same and fame Diversity is what makes the wine world unique. Wine is in essence nothing but an agricultural product.
Can the solution to the problem of the dreaded fungal disease downy mildew (mildiou) be something as simple as oregano? It is a little early
Vinomed is the name of a new, export-oriented wine fair in Montpellier in southern France. It takes place for the first time this year for
Local grape varieties can be a strong point for wine countries. The wine enthusiast is more and more looking for the unusual and the unknown.
Is the new trend low-alcohol wines? This is what many producers believe in New Zealand. And a great deal of effort is now made to
Only 2% of the world’s wines are aged in oak barrels. (Ed.: Only?) But for these 2% quite a few barrels are needed. France produced
The wine world is really not a stronghold of equality. The average export price of a grand cru (red & white) from Burgundy in 2018
If you want a champagne that is something special and with extra character it is a good idea to leave the big and famous brands
The designation Cru Bourgeois for chateaux has existed in Médoc for many years. Various attempts to rank them, roughly in the style of the 1855
Should we lament that the taste of wines have changed? That the wines we are accustomed to drinking will eventually change is probably inevitable in
Organic wines are becoming more and more popular with French wine consumers. 48% of them would like to see a larger range of organic wines
There seem to be no limits to the creativity of winemakers. Diemersdal Estate in Durbanhill in South Africa has recently launched its third vintage of
Walla Walla, a well-known wine region in Washington State, was believed to be exempt from the vine louse (phylloxera vastatrix). Therefore, the recent discovery of
South Africa’s vine surface has declined since 2009 when it was just over 102,000 hectares to today’s 93,000 hectares (table grapes not included). However, wine’s
Wine producers are facing difficult choices today. Not least in what way they should manage the vineyard. Conventional, sustainable, organic or biodynamic? They have a
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