BKWine Brief nr 240, August 2023
2023-08-31
— How do you choose wine at a restaurant? — Much has been written about the anxiety one feels when having to choose a wine at a restaurant. How do I avoid choosing the “wrong”
— How do you choose wine at a restaurant? — Much has been written about the anxiety one feels when having to choose a wine at a restaurant. How do I avoid choosing the “wrong”
Saint Emilion is small-scale and very different from the Médoc on the other side of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Saint Emilion has an pretty, rolling and green landscape. The chateaux are smaller and not
Bordeaux is about to become smaller again. The last time it happened was in 2008-2009, after the financial crisis. 10,000 hectares disappeared at the time. Now it is happening again. The plans are to pull
2023 was the smallest harvest in Australia in 23 years. The problem this season has mainly been various diseases in the vineyard. The Riverland in South Australia has been badly affected and a whopping 32%
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when the temperature rises in the summer. One solution is to
We are in the peak of summer, and many glasses are probably filled with rosé wine. Many people are happy that rosé wine exists. In a recent report, FranceAgriMer (a body under the French Ministry
The other day we drank a Côtes d’Auvergne that proudly proclaimed “Terroir Volcanique” on the label. Volcanic wines are all the rage right now. Perhaps it started with the Sicilian Etna wines but other regions
Whether we call these grape varieties hybrids or fungus resistant, we must talk about them. That is what an association called Vitis Batardus Liberata (freely translated: Release the fake Vitis) thinks. Behind the association is
It is vital for all wine producers today to think strategically and to adapt to the circumstances. It is important not least for a cooperative, but with many members who need to be persuaded, changes
The popularity of Mallorcan wines has surged in recent years. More and more wine estates are established on the island. The wines have improved in quality, appealing to discerning tourists and upscale restaurants. However, there
There is a lot of experimentation going on in the world’s wine regions, all with the aim of tackling the impending climate change. Vinopole in Bordeaux, a research centre, is currently preparing to plant this
It feels like Domaine Saladin is doing everything right. Because it is not enough to make good wine, you must also be able to sell it. As soon as you see Saladin’s minimalist labels, you
The glass bottle entails heavy costs in carbon dioxide emissions to produce and to transport. Changing to lightweight bottles or other packaging may seem obvious. But how people reason differs in different countries. Prowein, the
The Loire Valley has really gained a boost in the export market. The region is more popular than ever. On our tours there, we visit some phenomenal producers that we would like to recommend to
In Champagne, the yield for this year’s harvest, 2023, has now officially been set. It is negotiated every year. The Comité Champagne recently announced that the growers can pick 11,400 kg per hectare (73 hl/ha)
Has the summer so far been too much rosé and aromatic white? Maybe it is time to look for white wines with “structure”. But what is “structure”? Well, these are wines that do not live
History always repeats itself. Now it is time for crisis distillation again in Europe. It has been a while since the last time. We remember Languedoc’s overproduction during large parts of the 20th century with
— Are we drinking too little wine? — History always repeats itself. Now it is time for crisis distillation again in Europe. It has been a while since the last time. We remember Languedoc’s overproduction
This month we have selected two wines from Château de Moulin-à-Vent, a vineyard with a long history in the Beaujolais village of the same name. In addition, we have tasted new vintages of John Riddoch
Gamay is the grape in Beaujolais. It is a charming grape, easy to recognise with a fruitiness that few other grapes can beat. Gamay produces an easy-drinking, berry-like wine, sometimes a little spicy, often unpretentious,
World wine consumption has been falling regularly every year since 2018. Now (2022) it stands at an estimated 232 million hectolitres, a 1% decrease compared to 2021. The decrease is mainly due to the Chinese
Juanfa Suarez is a wine grower in Valle de Uco in southern Mendoza where he manages two wineries, Finca Suarez and Rocamadre. We have visited him many times on our wine tours to South America.
Enjoy summer dinners with fruity red wines from the southern Rhône Valley. Just chill them a little and serve them with good food. Not complicated at all! Here are some recommendations from some producers that
Riesling and grüner veltliner are perfect grapes for the summery dinner table. Here we recommend wines from some of our favourite Austrian producers, masters of these two grapes. These producers are very good, you will
Pests can be troublesome in the vineyard and now another one has been found in mainland Europe. Already in 2016, vines infected by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa were discovered in Mallorca. Now it has shown
Whatever wine we drink this summer, we want it to be cool (and sometimes cold). Even the red wines taste better if they are a little cool in the summer, around 18C for solid reds
The price of vineyard land in France has either increased or is stable with one major exception: the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations, that is the simplest Bordeaux wines. Many chateaux in these two AOPs
Since 2010, a champagne bottle weighs 835 grams. It is down from 900 grams which was previously the standard weight. In other words, it is almost twice as much as a lightweight bottle for still
We already wrote last year (2022) that it might soon be possible to make white appellation wine in the Médoc, which is currently not allowed. The white wine made on the Médoc peninsula today can
Is the region of Roussillon in the south of France starting to look like a desert? Not far from it. In the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Les Aspres, not far from Perpignan, they have had not
— How do you choose wine at a restaurant? — Much has been written about the anxiety one feels when having to choose a wine
Saint Emilion is small-scale and very different from the Médoc on the other side of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Saint Emilion has an pretty,
Bordeaux is about to become smaller again. The last time it happened was in 2008-2009, after the financial crisis. 10,000 hectares disappeared at the time.
2023 was the smallest harvest in Australia in 23 years. The problem this season has mainly been various diseases in the vineyard. The Riverland in
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when
We are in the peak of summer, and many glasses are probably filled with rosé wine. Many people are happy that rosé wine exists. In
The other day we drank a Côtes d’Auvergne that proudly proclaimed “Terroir Volcanique” on the label. Volcanic wines are all the rage right now. Perhaps
Whether we call these grape varieties hybrids or fungus resistant, we must talk about them. That is what an association called Vitis Batardus Liberata (freely
It is vital for all wine producers today to think strategically and to adapt to the circumstances. It is important not least for a cooperative,
The popularity of Mallorcan wines has surged in recent years. More and more wine estates are established on the island. The wines have improved in
There is a lot of experimentation going on in the world’s wine regions, all with the aim of tackling the impending climate change. Vinopole in
It feels like Domaine Saladin is doing everything right. Because it is not enough to make good wine, you must also be able to sell
The glass bottle entails heavy costs in carbon dioxide emissions to produce and to transport. Changing to lightweight bottles or other packaging may seem obvious.
The Loire Valley has really gained a boost in the export market. The region is more popular than ever. On our tours there, we visit
In Champagne, the yield for this year’s harvest, 2023, has now officially been set. It is negotiated every year. The Comité Champagne recently announced that
Has the summer so far been too much rosé and aromatic white? Maybe it is time to look for white wines with “structure”. But what
History always repeats itself. Now it is time for crisis distillation again in Europe. It has been a while since the last time. We remember
— Are we drinking too little wine? — History always repeats itself. Now it is time for crisis distillation again in Europe. It has been
This month we have selected two wines from Château de Moulin-à-Vent, a vineyard with a long history in the Beaujolais village of the same name.
Gamay is the grape in Beaujolais. It is a charming grape, easy to recognise with a fruitiness that few other grapes can beat. Gamay produces
World wine consumption has been falling regularly every year since 2018. Now (2022) it stands at an estimated 232 million hectolitres, a 1% decrease compared
Juanfa Suarez is a wine grower in Valle de Uco in southern Mendoza where he manages two wineries, Finca Suarez and Rocamadre. We have visited
Enjoy summer dinners with fruity red wines from the southern Rhône Valley. Just chill them a little and serve them with good food. Not complicated
Riesling and grüner veltliner are perfect grapes for the summery dinner table. Here we recommend wines from some of our favourite Austrian producers, masters of
Pests can be troublesome in the vineyard and now another one has been found in mainland Europe. Already in 2016, vines infected by the bacterium
Whatever wine we drink this summer, we want it to be cool (and sometimes cold). Even the red wines taste better if they are a
The price of vineyard land in France has either increased or is stable with one major exception: the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations, that is
Since 2010, a champagne bottle weighs 835 grams. It is down from 900 grams which was previously the standard weight. In other words, it is
We already wrote last year (2022) that it might soon be possible to make white appellation wine in the Médoc, which is currently not allowed.
Is the region of Roussillon in the south of France starting to look like a desert? Not far from it. In the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages
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