Category: Opinion

Why the system of Planting Rights should be abolished

“Planting Rights” is an archaic system by which winegrowers are not allowed to plant new vines (extend their vineyards) unless they have “planting rights”. Without these “rights” nothing can be planted. It has been in

Vacuum distillation machine to increase must concentration

Low alcohol wines are good or bad?

Less is not always more when it comes to alcohol in wine Apparently there is a huge interest in the world for wines with low alcohol contents. On www.decanter.com we read about a report by

Champagne in Beaujolais? Are the Champenois crazy?

We all know that Champagne is protecting its name with an almost fanatical intensity. God help the non-champagne-producer who puts the name of Champagne on the label. We read in the French wine magazine La

Untouched by Girasol advertisment

Sexism and equality in wine packaging

What do you think is most suggestive? Stylised pouting lips and the name “Wacky Chicks”, or A young girl with a flimsy skirt (petticoat?), with a wistful man with a flower, and the name “Untouched”?

Prices on Bordeaux primeurs mostly going up

Prices for Bordeaux primeurs are mainly going up. Again. Is that a cause for concern? No, we argue. Most if not all chateau in Bordeaux will have announced their prices for the primeurs 2010 by

A donkey by the fence

Vine planting rights: a return to protectionism?

A few years back all EU countries agreed to a reform of the agricultural policies concerning the wine sector. One element was to abolish the existing system with planting rights, that decrees that a grower

A Perfect 10?

Mother Nature was unkind in 2010 – an earthquake in Haiti, floods in Pakistan and an unpronounceable volcano in Iceland. There was huge financial trauma; many are still recovering. But commodities and collectibles – especially

Tantrums of a Prima Donna

How to dig a deeper and deeper hole

Or: “A Prima Donna shouts too loud”? – A Portuguese challenge First of all I want to apologise to all my Portuguese friends, winemakers and others. And to all other who love Portugal and its

Languedoc to introduce Grand Cru…

Some areas in the Languedoc, that fulfil certain criteria, will be classified as Grand Cru according to a new proposal from the producers association, the CIVL. They want to have two levels: Grands Vins du

DRC wines on ice until fair monopoly trade is invented

Some of the world’s most expensive wines come from Domaine de la Romanée Conti in Burgundy. They can go for around 4000€. Per bottle. The Swedish monopoly Systembolaget received its allocation of the 2006 wines

Why is Bordeaux 2009 so expensive?

One can with good reason wonder why it is that Bordeaux 2009 is so expensive. It is the most expensive vintage ever, in spite of an international wine crisis, with prices reaching dizzying heights: Yquem

”Let the children taste wine”

In many places this is a controversial statement, not least in Sweden, our country of origin. But there’s recently been quite some discussion on that theme on the internet. It started with Dr Vino (Tyler

A Perfect 10?

Mother Nature was unkind in 2010 – an earthquake in Haiti, floods in Pakistan and an unpronounceable volcano in Iceland. There was huge financial trauma;

Tantrums of a Prima Donna

How to dig a deeper and deeper hole

Or: “A Prima Donna shouts too loud”? – A Portuguese challenge First of all I want to apologise to all my Portuguese friends, winemakers and

Languedoc to introduce Grand Cru…

Some areas in the Languedoc, that fulfil certain criteria, will be classified as Grand Cru according to a new proposal from the producers association, the

”Let the children taste wine”

In many places this is a controversial statement, not least in Sweden, our country of origin. But there’s recently been quite some discussion on that

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