Category: News

BKWine Blog

Roses are pretty at Christmas too

Provence, a pink success story

The world drinks more rosé wine than ever before. Rosé consumption in the world has risen by 31% since 2003. The very light coloured style of rosé, such as they are made in Provence, is

A rainy day (in Lisbon), with people with umbrellas

Finally, it rains in South Africa

It’s winter in South Africa and it’s raining, at last. A relief, but more rain is needed, says DP Burger, winemaker at Glenwood in Franschhoek, and others we have heard from. The draught in Western

Nets to protect vines from hail in Chablis, Burgundy

Hail nets are now permitted in France

Wine producers in France are now allowed to use vertical hail nets. After three years of experiments in Burgundy, the INAO has decided that the nets do not affect the maturity or quality of the

Gravelly soil, old vines, Chateau Belgrave, Medoc

Vineyard prices in France on the rise

Buying a vineyard in France is not getting any cheaper. On the contrary. All categories of vineyards are becoming more and more expensive. This is evident from numbers recently published by Safer, a governmental organization

Ackerman, Saumur in the Loire Valley

Popular bubbles from the Loire Valley

The various sparkling crémant wines produced around France are becoming more and more popular. Not least the Crémant de Loire, which has seen a huge boost for its exports. 2017 saw an increase in exports

An Ecocert organic license

Organic vineyards increase in France

Currently, there are 5,835 organically certified wine estates in France. This is an increase of 11% since 2016. The certified vineyard surface is 61,048 hectares, an increase of 4%. The trend shows a continued increase.

Pinotage grape bunches in Constantia, South Africa

The most popular grapes in South Africa

In South Africa, around 100 different grape varieties are grown on an area of approximately 117,000 hectares (table grapes not included). This is quite impressive, although of course many of the varieties are grown in

Bag-in-box wines on shelves in a Systembolaget shop in Sweden

Sweden is world champion in bag-in-box wines

Swedes are world champions when it comes to drinking bag-in-box wines. In 2017 box wines were separated from bulk wines in international import and export statistics. Up until then, everything over 2 litres was considered

Vineyards in Condrieu, Rhone

The truth about the size of the French wine regions

Sometimes it is said that statistics is an effective way to hide the truth. But often it is very interesting and sometimes surprising. New statistics – very detailed – were recently published on the wine

Mendoza vineyards and the Andes

2018, a very good year in Mendoza

The Argentinian wine farmers really needed this vintage. After small quantities due to severe weather conditions in 2016 and 2017, 2018 is a very good year both for quality and for quantity. The quantity is

Un chateau en ville by Lestrille, wine bar Bordeaux

Un Château en Ville, a new wine bar in Bordeaux

Château Lestrille is a family-run chateau in Entre-deux-Mers, the region between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. This is a region that most people only pass through going from Bordeaux to Saint Emilion. But if you

Oak barrel ageing and fermentation cellar, Chateau du Tertre

What’s on at BKWine Tours (June 2018)

Autumn 2018 Champagne, September 26-30 Bordeaux, October 10-14 Douro Valley in Portugal, October 17-21 South Africa, November 9-19 Winter 2019 Chile-Argentina, January 20 – February 4, 2019 South Africa, February 16-24, 2019 New Zealand, March

An old outhouse in Rashult at the farm where Linneaus was born, Smaland

Wine Fair with Swedish (!) Wines on July 27-28

Sometimes people as “Do you make wine in Sweden?” A fair question. The climate is obviously not ideal. The answer is “Yes.” I believe there is well less than 100 hectares in total, but quite

Spraying in Clos des Goisses, Champagne

Oil spray in the vineyard to fight weeds

During our spring wine tours we have visited the small and interesting Champagne house Philipponnat. On our visit in early May we saw people working in their prestigious vineyard Clos des Goisses with knapsack sprayers

Céline Gueguen with her sacy vines (or chardonnay)

Sacy, a rare grape in northern Burgundy

Unusual grapes can pop-up when you least expect it. On one of our tours in Chablis in the spring, a little-known grape called sacy made an appearance during the tasting of Domaine Frédéric and Céline

A glass of Italian bubbly wine being poured

Mini-Prosecco will be served on French TGV trains

Champagne producers would like to make us believe that Prosecco’s huge successes does not affect champagne. That champagne and prosecco play in different leagues. It is possible, but hard to believe 100%. At least Prosecco

Cleaning barrels with sulphur and a candle

“Organic” sulphur to be launched next year

Sulphur is something that is naturally present in our environment and it is a product that is allowed for all wine producers – organic as well as conventional – both to combat fungal diseases in

A rainy day (in Lisbon), with people with umbrellas

Hail storms again, and rain

A very violent hailstorm with huge hailstones hit Bordeaux on May 26th. It is as yet unclear how many hectares of vineyards have been affected, but probably at least a few thousand in southern Médoc,

"Shipping all over the world", sign on a wine shop in Bordeaux

Export wine, yes, but at what price?

Wine is found in all possible price ranges. One is as often amazed at how inexpensive wines can be as at how expensive wines can be. At what prices do different wine countries sell their

Roses are pretty at Christmas too

Provence, a pink success story

The world drinks more rosé wine than ever before. Rosé consumption in the world has risen by 31% since 2003. The very light coloured style

A rainy day (in Lisbon), with people with umbrellas

Finally, it rains in South Africa

It’s winter in South Africa and it’s raining, at last. A relief, but more rain is needed, says DP Burger, winemaker at Glenwood in Franschhoek,

Ackerman, Saumur in the Loire Valley

Popular bubbles from the Loire Valley

The various sparkling crémant wines produced around France are becoming more and more popular. Not least the Crémant de Loire, which has seen a huge

An Ecocert organic license

Organic vineyards increase in France

Currently, there are 5,835 organically certified wine estates in France. This is an increase of 11% since 2016. The certified vineyard surface is 61,048 hectares,

Pinotage grape bunches in Constantia, South Africa

The most popular grapes in South Africa

In South Africa, around 100 different grape varieties are grown on an area of approximately 117,000 hectares (table grapes not included). This is quite impressive,

Mendoza vineyards and the Andes

2018, a very good year in Mendoza

The Argentinian wine farmers really needed this vintage. After small quantities due to severe weather conditions in 2016 and 2017, 2018 is a very good

Oak barrel ageing and fermentation cellar, Chateau du Tertre

What’s on at BKWine Tours (June 2018)

Autumn 2018 Champagne, September 26-30 Bordeaux, October 10-14 Douro Valley in Portugal, October 17-21 South Africa, November 9-19 Winter 2019 Chile-Argentina, January 20 – February

A rainy day (in Lisbon), with people with umbrellas

Hail storms again, and rain

A very violent hailstorm with huge hailstones hit Bordeaux on May 26th. It is as yet unclear how many hectares of vineyards have been affected,

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