France imports more wine than you might think. Last year the country imported a record amount of wine and most of it was cheap bulk wine from Spain. In total France imported 7.2 million hectolitres
Grenache is one of the world’s most widely grown grape varieties. And one of our favourite grapes.It is found mainly in southern France and in Spain (Garnacha), but also in several other countries such as
In last brief we wrote about how to describe a wine in a way that makes people understand what you mean. We have received some comments from readers that we would like to share with
The copper doses are a constant headache for organic growers. The French authority ANSES (a food and health authority) and the European Commission want to reduce the permitted level from 6 kilogram per hectare and
Rioja is slowly but surely making a comeback on the world market. However, for the comeback to be a success certain producers think that things must change. But the mills grind slowly in Rioja. Producers
Wine consumers love Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Sauvignon Blanc. Or don’t they? There is a lot of talk nowadays about grapes that are forgotten, local, unusual, indigenous, you name it. Suddenly wine geeks are
Cairanne has finally been upgraded and has now its own appellation. This means that the producers can now put only Cairanne the label instead of the Cotes du Rhone Village Cairanne. Cairanne has long been
Do organic wines cost more than conventionally produced wines? This has never been an easy question to answer because it is difficult to compare the prices of wines. It is easier with tomatoes and eggs.
According to the UN agency UNWTO 88% of all travellers consider that the gastronomy plays a major role on the trip. It comes as no surprise. We know that many participants on our wine tours
France makes serious (?) attempts to cut down its large state and municipal administration. One step has been to merge a number of regions. This merger took effect on January 1st, 2016. France had previously
There is much you can do with a bottle of champagne if you don’t want to drink it. You can baptise a ship, you can pour it down the sink (apparently a habit of young
Folk is a vegetarian restaurant in Gothenburg situated inside the theatre with the same name at Olof Palme Square. The wine list is full of interesting natural wines. Not a bad combination, vegetarian food and
Danish company Chr. Hansen, with headquarters on the outskirts of Copenhagen, is one of the major suppliers to the wine industry. The vast majority of wines ferment with cultured yeast (or “selected”) and often this
Where do all the vines come from? In most cases they are purchased from nurseries. Some wine growers take cuttings from their own vineyard, but it is unusual. In France, nurseries have a total of
The saga of the 2012 (2006?) classification in Saint Emilion continues. Maybe. Three chateaux, Croque-Michotte, La Tour du Pin Figeac and Corbin Michotte, disputed the classification because they felt they had been treated unfairly and
Natural wines are still a hot subject of debate. Some like them some loath them. In fact, natural wines can be both good or bad, just like any other wine. But it is true that
Wine descriptions… How should a wine writer describe a wine so that everyone understands what he/she means? “Excellent” is of course a good word in this context which cannot easily be misunderstood. Possibly it is
The figure has to be approved by the Minister of Agriculture at the end of December but everything indicates that France’s vineyards will increase with 8,057 hectares next year. This represents 1 % of the
A new IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée, the category that has replaced vin de pays) will soon be launched in the south of France. It will be an IGP that brings together the departments of Aude,
All champagnes from Champagne Duval Leroy will shortly be vegan friendly. This means that the champagne house will not use fining agents such as milk protein, gelatine or egg whites. Instead their wines are clarified
We often hear comments from people that the alcohol content of today’s wines is much higher than it used to be. Today, there are techniques that can reduce the alcohol content of a wine or
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine, OIV, has published figures for this year’s wine production in the world. In total, the world produced 275.7 million hectolitres of wine in 2015. It is 2% more
I hope your appetite for champagne has not waned now that New Year has passed. Champagne is much more than just bubbly for celebrations. It is a very interesting wine. It is also a wine
Nomacorc, manufacturer of synthetic wine corks, has launched a synthetic cork for sparkling wines. The cork will start selling in Italy beginning of 2016. The visual aspect of the cork has been important for Nomacorc
We will soon have all details on www.bkwinetours.com. But we already have the dates. More information will soon be available on the travel site. Champagne, 14-18 September Bordeaux, 28 Sept – 2 Oct Douro, 12-16
What a great combination. A company that sells foie gras buys a Sauternes château. The château is famous Château Rayne Vigneau. The buyer is Trésor du Patrimoine, a company that sells foie gras as well
Most French buy their wines in supermarkets, GMS as the category is called here. So which brands are the most popular at the moment? We have the list where we find, not surprisingly, big houses
If your cellar isn’t already filled up, here are some suggestions from a few of our favourite producers. White Château Lestrille Capmartin 2013, Bordeaux blanc, approx 8 euro Vouvray Sec, Domaine Vincent Carême, Loire Valley,
Sometimes you need to cool or warm your wine to obtain the right serving temperature. Which way is the best and how do you know how long it will take? An interesting little booklet was
Maybe you want to find a good wine to offer as a Christmas gift. Or you just want a good wine with your Christmas meal. Here are some suggestions that we recently tasted. Barolo Albe,
France imports more wine than you might think. Last year the country imported a record amount of wine and most of it was cheap bulk
Grenache is one of the world’s most widely grown grape varieties. And one of our favourite grapes.It is found mainly in southern France and in
In last brief we wrote about how to describe a wine in a way that makes people understand what you mean. We have received some
The copper doses are a constant headache for organic growers. The French authority ANSES (a food and health authority) and the European Commission want to
Rioja is slowly but surely making a comeback on the world market. However, for the comeback to be a success certain producers think that things
Wine consumers love Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Sauvignon Blanc. Or don’t they? There is a lot of talk nowadays about grapes that are forgotten,
Cairanne has finally been upgraded and has now its own appellation. This means that the producers can now put only Cairanne the label instead of
Do organic wines cost more than conventionally produced wines? This has never been an easy question to answer because it is difficult to compare the
According to the UN agency UNWTO 88% of all travellers consider that the gastronomy plays a major role on the trip. It comes as no
France makes serious (?) attempts to cut down its large state and municipal administration. One step has been to merge a number of regions. This
There is much you can do with a bottle of champagne if you don’t want to drink it. You can baptise a ship, you can
Folk is a vegetarian restaurant in Gothenburg situated inside the theatre with the same name at Olof Palme Square. The wine list is full of
Danish company Chr. Hansen, with headquarters on the outskirts of Copenhagen, is one of the major suppliers to the wine industry. The vast majority of
Where do all the vines come from? In most cases they are purchased from nurseries. Some wine growers take cuttings from their own vineyard, but
The saga of the 2012 (2006?) classification in Saint Emilion continues. Maybe. Three chateaux, Croque-Michotte, La Tour du Pin Figeac and Corbin Michotte, disputed the
Natural wines are still a hot subject of debate. Some like them some loath them. In fact, natural wines can be both good or bad,
Wine descriptions… How should a wine writer describe a wine so that everyone understands what he/she means? “Excellent” is of course a good word in
The figure has to be approved by the Minister of Agriculture at the end of December but everything indicates that France’s vineyards will increase with
A new IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée, the category that has replaced vin de pays) will soon be launched in the south of France. It will
All champagnes from Champagne Duval Leroy will shortly be vegan friendly. This means that the champagne house will not use fining agents such as milk
We often hear comments from people that the alcohol content of today’s wines is much higher than it used to be. Today, there are techniques
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine, OIV, has published figures for this year’s wine production in the world. In total, the world produced 275.7
I hope your appetite for champagne has not waned now that New Year has passed. Champagne is much more than just bubbly for celebrations. It
Nomacorc, manufacturer of synthetic wine corks, has launched a synthetic cork for sparkling wines. The cork will start selling in Italy beginning of 2016. The
We will soon have all details on www.bkwinetours.com. But we already have the dates. More information will soon be available on the travel site. Champagne,
What a great combination. A company that sells foie gras buys a Sauternes château. The château is famous Château Rayne Vigneau. The buyer is Trésor
Most French buy their wines in supermarkets, GMS as the category is called here. So which brands are the most popular at the moment? We
If your cellar isn’t already filled up, here are some suggestions from a few of our favourite producers. White Château Lestrille Capmartin 2013, Bordeaux blanc,
Sometimes you need to cool or warm your wine to obtain the right serving temperature. Which way is the best and how do you know
Maybe you want to find a good wine to offer as a Christmas gift. Or you just want a good wine with your Christmas meal.
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