There is no such thing as perfection. At least not in wine. If anything, the perfect wine is the one you currently have in your glass. Yet one gets the impression that many are looking
Everyone who reads the Brief is probably more or less a wine enthusiast. We are, of course. We have been called geeks and it has probably happened to one or two of our readers as
What can others learn from Italy? The country has been incredibly dominant in the Swedish market for several years. Italy sells twice as much as Spain and almost twice as much as France. Are the
A wine can be typical or not typical. Typical of what? It can be typical of a grape, a region, a vintage, or a producer. However, most people who taste wine know that it is
Are wine competition medals a useful buying indicator for consumers? Or are wine competitions a scam where producers buy medals to make their bottles look impressive? This article explains (in quite a lot of detail)
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time someone asked, I realised a little later that I could
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the vineyard,” Stellios Boutaris of Greece’s Kir-Yanni Estate told us back
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it used to be better in the old days when it
Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to try something new instead. And there is plenty of new
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to express it in their work. All wine enthusiasts know roughly
It is quite difficult to describe flavours so that others can understand. Flavours, especially when it comes to wine, are mostly described with similes. The wine smells of strawberries or tastes of black currants. Of
In the US, the big news from the wine world this week has been that the American Court of Master Sommeliers is said to have scrapped the Old World and New World definitions in their
The other month, we wrote in the Brief about rules and regulations in the wine industry. The other day, I had reason to ponder this subject again when discussing how to interpret a wine label
Our heads are spinning right now from all the impressions from the autumn wine tours, the wine regions we visited and above all the many growers we met. The Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Champagne, Tuscany, Ribera
Rules are helpful, but some of them are unnecessary. – Sometimes, we are asked if there is a lot of cheating among winegrowers. Our answer is no. Besides the fact that most of them are
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” wine? How will it go with the food? What if
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
It will soon become a reality, what some have been waiting for a long time for and which some will not care about at all. List of ingredients on wine bottles. In December this year,
A long time ago, when I started doing wine tastings for groups, I noticed some strange perceptions among the participants about certain things. One was that white wines are not as serious as red, so
At what point can you be considered a wine expert? Is it when you have such good “theoretical” knowledge that you can place Bordeaux chateaux on a blind map and know which river flows through
The Old World and The New World. The wine industry has lived with these expressions for quite a few years. And it is convenient. It was natural to call the countries outside Europe The New
Waiting for the umami moment. — Will you taste umami in your Christmas food? For sure, if it’s savoury. And it often is. I recently learned that umami means savoury. And at the risk of
Sustainability is important. But sustainability is a vague concept. And what is considered sustainable or not can quickly change. This became apparent to wine producers that are certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) when the rules
Two months of wine tours to different European countries have given us many opportunities to talk about the laws and regulations in various wine regions. I met a wine grower in the Loire Valley in
Wine is basically a luxury product. It’s not vital. In the past it was probably more vital, when the water that was available was not always healthy to drink. But today the main (only?) purpose
It is easier to compare the price of a kilo of tomatoes than of different wines. Too many factors affect wine pricing. This is not the only thing that separates viticulture from other agriculture. In
Reducing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions is a gigantic task. Making wine bottles lighter is a drop in the ocean. But everything counts. Every industry needs to take action. Making bottles requires a lot of
This is about Swedish alcohol politics, about how the Swedish monopolist Systembolaget is attacking the emergent online wine retailers selling to the Swedish market. But since I know some of our readers are interested in
In the summer, we leave our most prestigious wines in the cellar. At least for dinners on the balcony. If you drink wine outdoors, it can be difficult for the wine to compete with the
Say Andalusia and I’ll start thinking about olive trees. There are an estimated 70 million olive trees in Andalusia on just less than two million hectares. On a recent trip between Malaga and Cordoba, it
There is no such thing as perfection. At least not in wine. If anything, the perfect wine is the one you currently have in your
Everyone who reads the Brief is probably more or less a wine enthusiast. We are, of course. We have been called geeks and it has
What can others learn from Italy? The country has been incredibly dominant in the Swedish market for several years. Italy sells twice as much as
A wine can be typical or not typical. Typical of what? It can be typical of a grape, a region, a vintage, or a producer.
Are wine competition medals a useful buying indicator for consumers? Or are wine competitions a scam where producers buy medals to make their bottles look
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it
Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to
It is quite difficult to describe flavours so that others can understand. Flavours, especially when it comes to wine, are mostly described with similes. The
In the US, the big news from the wine world this week has been that the American Court of Master Sommeliers is said to have
The other month, we wrote in the Brief about rules and regulations in the wine industry. The other day, I had reason to ponder this
Our heads are spinning right now from all the impressions from the autumn wine tours, the wine regions we visited and above all the many
Rules are helpful, but some of them are unnecessary. – Sometimes, we are asked if there is a lot of cheating among winegrowers. Our answer
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”
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
It will soon become a reality, what some have been waiting for a long time for and which some will not care about at all.
A long time ago, when I started doing wine tastings for groups, I noticed some strange perceptions among the participants about certain things. One was
At what point can you be considered a wine expert? Is it when you have such good “theoretical” knowledge that you can place Bordeaux chateaux
The Old World and The New World. The wine industry has lived with these expressions for quite a few years. And it is convenient. It
Waiting for the umami moment. — Will you taste umami in your Christmas food? For sure, if it’s savoury. And it often is. I recently
Sustainability is important. But sustainability is a vague concept. And what is considered sustainable or not can quickly change. This became apparent to wine producers
Two months of wine tours to different European countries have given us many opportunities to talk about the laws and regulations in various wine regions.
Wine is basically a luxury product. It’s not vital. In the past it was probably more vital, when the water that was available was not
It is easier to compare the price of a kilo of tomatoes than of different wines. Too many factors affect wine pricing. This is not
Reducing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions is a gigantic task. Making wine bottles lighter is a drop in the ocean. But everything counts. Every industry
This is about Swedish alcohol politics, about how the Swedish monopolist Systembolaget is attacking the emergent online wine retailers selling to the Swedish market. But
In the summer, we leave our most prestigious wines in the cellar. At least for dinners on the balcony. If you drink wine outdoors, it
Say Andalusia and I’ll start thinking about olive trees. There are an estimated 70 million olive trees in Andalusia on just less than two million
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