BKWine Blog
Some appellations only come in one colour, like Gigondas in the southern Rhône valley, which is always red (or rosé, but these are rarely seen). From 2023 however, Gigondas will also be able to be
The appellations Côtes-du-Rhône et Côtes-du-Rhône Villages have the ambition to reduce the spraying of their vineyards and make them more resistant to drought. As part of these efforts, they have now included four new grape
Recent years have seen a record-breaking increase in organic wine acreage in France. Now you are up to 20% of the total vineyard area, which means 159,868 hectares that are organically certified or under conversion.
During our wine tour in Austria in mid-September, the harvest was in full swing. The producers were full of confidence after this year which has had some challenges, the hot weather in July and August
This year’s harvest was already finished when we arrived for our wine tour in Burgundy earlier this season. In many places, also the fermentation. The harvest started already on August 16 for the earliest plots
Berri Estates, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wine estate, may not sound familiar. But you may very well have had a wine from there. Berri Estates is located in Australia’s largest wine region, the Riverland in
In 2016 that Rosa Kruger and André Morgenthal started The Old Vine Project (OVP) in South Africa to find and care for old, sometimes abandoned, vineyards and to draw attention to the value of old
By using the new genetic technology CRISPR-CAS, Chilean scientists have produced a grape that is resistant to oidium, a fungal disease. The grape in question is Thompson seedless, a table grape, so not relevant in
The traditional National Wine Day is celebrated in Moldova every year, the first weekend of October. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the festival is on again this year, and it will be the twenty-first edition.
Among the most critical things a winegrower has to think about is using suitable grapes in his vineyard, grapes that thrive. And this is true, not least if you grow wine in a dry climate
This year the harvest is very early in many places in France. At the beginning of August, some producers had already started in Languedoc-Roussillon. In Champagne, the first village to harvest was on August 20
Alsace now has its first grand cru wines made with pinot noir. Until now, the Alsatian red grape has been banned from grand cru wines. But not anymore. At least not from two of them.
Once upon a time, quite a lot of white wine was made in Médoc. Then it was banned. Or, to be more precise, the eight appellations of the Médoc Peninsula can only be used for
If you are fond of buying wines and eager to keep them for some time, it is often difficult to have sufficient space in your home. Fortunately, there are solutions. In many countries there are
The EU is a significant export market for New Zealand wine. Over 20 million litres of wine have been exported here to a value of over 150 million USD in the last 12 months. And
Wine Intelligence, an English market research company, recently published its annual report on the Swedish wine market. (BKWine was among those interviewed for input.) Swedish wine consumers have, the report writes, a good brand awareness
This year’s harvest in South Africa is of exceptionally good quality. The volume of 1.3 million tonnes of grapes is slightly smaller than in 2021 but still larger than the five-year average. “An overall cool
LVMH, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, a large French luxury conglomerate, recently bought the well-known Joseph Phelps winery in Napa Valley. Joseph Phelps founded his estate in 1973 and the following year he launched the first
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for cleaning during the entire production process. It is difficult to
In October, I had dinner alone at a tapas bar in the Spanish Basque Country. It was lively but not crowded. I ordered some tapas and a glass of the local txakoli. Then I sat
Winegrowers all over France, yes, all over the world, organic as well as conventional, spray the vines with copper against the severe fungal disease downy mildew (mildiou). There are, regretfully, very few realistic alternatives to
Domaine Bousquet is an Argentine organic producer in the Uco Valley in southern Mendoza. The estate is already a well-known organic producer exporting worldwide. Bousquet recently became the fourth wine producer to receive the new
Frost nights in the spring when the tiny buds have begun to appear are a recurring scourge for many winegrowers. Arnaud Thomassin at Château de France in Pessac-Léognan, a producer we have followed for many
Good weather during the growing season 2021–2022 has resulted in a sizeable harvest in 2022 for New Zealand’s wine producers. (They have, of course, already harvested the 2022 grapes.) Many are relieved. The 2021 harvest
The world market for oak barrels of various sizes increased in 2021 by 2% in value. The volume was stable. For French coopers, the spring frost meant a significant decrease in sales (-12%) as wine
For many rosé wine drinkers, it goes without saying that the wine should come from Provence. This has not always been the case. Rosé wine has a long history, and for a certain time, Portugal
For certain people, the dream is to be able to buy a vineyard in France. In some regions, it takes many millions to do it, but not everywhere. Not surprisingly, prices vary vastly with prestige,
Today, 45 different “resistant” grape varieties are permitted to be planted in France. And so far, they have been planted on 1,200 hectares. There is an interest among winegrowers to plant these grape varieties that
Sherry is back in fashion. Perhaps. In any case, many are trying hard to breathe new life into this old venerable wine. When the sherry region modernised its rules in 2021, it received some attention.
Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power 2022 lists the wine world’s strongest brands right now. Many familiar names are on the list, which once again shows that it is the New World that dominates when
Some appellations only come in one colour, like Gigondas in the southern Rhône valley, which is always red (or rosé, but these are rarely seen).
The appellations Côtes-du-Rhône et Côtes-du-Rhône Villages have the ambition to reduce the spraying of their vineyards and make them more resistant to drought. As part
Recent years have seen a record-breaking increase in organic wine acreage in France. Now you are up to 20% of the total vineyard area, which
During our wine tour in Austria in mid-September, the harvest was in full swing. The producers were full of confidence after this year which has
This year’s harvest was already finished when we arrived for our wine tour in Burgundy earlier this season. In many places, also the fermentation. The
Berri Estates, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wine estate, may not sound familiar. But you may very well have had a wine from there. Berri Estates
In 2016 that Rosa Kruger and André Morgenthal started The Old Vine Project (OVP) in South Africa to find and care for old, sometimes abandoned,
By using the new genetic technology CRISPR-CAS, Chilean scientists have produced a grape that is resistant to oidium, a fungal disease. The grape in question
The traditional National Wine Day is celebrated in Moldova every year, the first weekend of October. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the festival is on
Among the most critical things a winegrower has to think about is using suitable grapes in his vineyard, grapes that thrive. And this is true,
This year the harvest is very early in many places in France. At the beginning of August, some producers had already started in Languedoc-Roussillon. In
Alsace now has its first grand cru wines made with pinot noir. Until now, the Alsatian red grape has been banned from grand cru wines.
Once upon a time, quite a lot of white wine was made in Médoc. Then it was banned. Or, to be more precise, the eight
If you are fond of buying wines and eager to keep them for some time, it is often difficult to have sufficient space in your
The EU is a significant export market for New Zealand wine. Over 20 million litres of wine have been exported here to a value of
Wine Intelligence, an English market research company, recently published its annual report on the Swedish wine market. (BKWine was among those interviewed for input.) Swedish
This year’s harvest in South Africa is of exceptionally good quality. The volume of 1.3 million tonnes of grapes is slightly smaller than in 2021
LVMH, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, a large French luxury conglomerate, recently bought the well-known Joseph Phelps winery in Napa Valley. Joseph Phelps founded his estate
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for
In October, I had dinner alone at a tapas bar in the Spanish Basque Country. It was lively but not crowded. I ordered some tapas
Winegrowers all over France, yes, all over the world, organic as well as conventional, spray the vines with copper against the severe fungal disease downy
Domaine Bousquet is an Argentine organic producer in the Uco Valley in southern Mendoza. The estate is already a well-known organic producer exporting worldwide. Bousquet
Frost nights in the spring when the tiny buds have begun to appear are a recurring scourge for many winegrowers. Arnaud Thomassin at Château de
Good weather during the growing season 2021–2022 has resulted in a sizeable harvest in 2022 for New Zealand’s wine producers. (They have, of course, already
The world market for oak barrels of various sizes increased in 2021 by 2% in value. The volume was stable. For French coopers, the spring
For many rosé wine drinkers, it goes without saying that the wine should come from Provence. This has not always been the case. Rosé wine
For certain people, the dream is to be able to buy a vineyard in France. In some regions, it takes many millions to do it,
Today, 45 different “resistant” grape varieties are permitted to be planted in France. And so far, they have been planted on 1,200 hectares. There is
Sherry is back in fashion. Perhaps. In any case, many are trying hard to breathe new life into this old venerable wine. When the sherry
Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power 2022 lists the wine world’s strongest brands right now. Many familiar names are on the list, which once again
Newsletter:
Get our free monthly newsletter, the BKWine Brief and join 25,000 other wine and travel enthusiasts.
Text and images may not be used without our permission. More info on copyright.
25,000 subscribers get wine news every month. You too?
