Category: News

BKWine Blog

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

Vineyards in New Zealand

New wine travel destination: New Zealand

We have just launched a new and really exciting travel destination: New Zealand. The country is best known for its white wines made from sauvignon blanc (and perhaps also its rugby team?), but there are

Plastic bag for Bib

Shelf life for bag-in-box wines

Bag-in-box wines have shorter durability than wines in bottle. And the small sizes, 1.5 and 3 litres have the shortest. These sizes are now becoming more and more popular, also in France. At a recent

Chateau Latour barrel cellar, Bordeaux

What’s on at BKWine Tours as of May 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

Vineyard in Franschhoek with merlot at Rickety Bridge

The top-ten grape varieties in France

France has 806,000 hectares planted with vines. This area includes about 70,000 hectares used for Cognac. Three grape varieties take up one third of this area: Merlot (112,000 hectares), Ugni Blanc (82,000 hectares, which is

Bottles in pupitres for remuage in Champagne

Record year for Champagne 2017

Comité Champagne has published their sales figures for 2017. Champagne made a record turnover of 4.9 billion euros in 2017. 307 million bottles were sold, a slight increase compared with 2016. The sales record counted

Grenache, rusty sign

Grenache slowly moving forward in California

Grenache is one of the world’s most planted grapes. Most of these vines are in France and Spain. In 1982, Rhône Valley enthusiast Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyards in California made his first Grenache

Vineyard with tool shed in Burgundy

An introduction to Burgundy, the wine region

“Burgundy… Say it. Feel it. Taste it. The word evokes a very special wine country and a very special wine. It makes me think of gently rolling hills. Vineyards all the way to the horizon.

Child's feet in water

Rain and rain and rain in Bordeaux causes problems

It doesn’t stop raining in Bordeaux. As spring progresses, wine producers face problems. It is difficult to drive the tractor and to walk in a wet and muddy vineyard. This is inconvenient for those growers

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,

Plastic bag for Bib

Shelf life for bag-in-box wines

Bag-in-box wines have shorter durability than wines in bottle. And the small sizes, 1.5 and 3 litres have the shortest. These sizes are now becoming

Chateau Latour barrel cellar, Bordeaux

What’s on at BKWine Tours as of May 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

Vineyard in Franschhoek with merlot at Rickety Bridge

The top-ten grape varieties in France

France has 806,000 hectares planted with vines. This area includes about 70,000 hectares used for Cognac. Three grape varieties take up one third of this

Bottles in pupitres for remuage in Champagne

Record year for Champagne 2017

Comité Champagne has published their sales figures for 2017. Champagne made a record turnover of 4.9 billion euros in 2017. 307 million bottles were sold,

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