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Summer wines and innovative wine producers
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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 aromas of nature. The scent of flowers and maybe a nice cooling wind. Especially if the wine is a bit discreet on the nose.
Also, you may want to relax from analysing the wine you drink in the summer and just enjoy the moment. That requires a wine with character without being exclusive. Summer is a good time for mid-priced wines.
These wines had problems during a certain period several years ago. People wanted to either have really cheap wines or really prestigious and expensive ones. The middle-priced wines ended up in a no man’s land. That is no longer the case. In some wine regions, most wines are mid-priced wines, such as Languedoc, Rhône, Savoie, Jura, and the Loire, to take a few French examples of gold mines for mid-priced wines.
But even prestigious chateaux in Bordeaux enter the middle-price segment. The wines differ from ordinary chateau wines. We have tasted reasonably priced 100% malbec from Médoc, 100% carmenère from Côtes de Bordeaux and merlot from Saint Emilion without oak ageing, just a delicious fruit. There is a clientele for this type of wine, perhaps those that have given up on Bordeaux as old-fashioned and boring. Give them a petit verdot, and they change their minds. (Although old-fashioned Bordeaux is delicious too.)
We talked to a producer in Fitou in Languedoc last week, who mentioned the importance of knowing your customer. His long-time loyal customers do not want any changes. They like their Fitou in the traditional style, the way it has always tasted. But to attract new customers, the younger ones, in particular, he makes “single grapes wines” outside the appellation laws, e.g. a 100% carignan (the star grape in Fitou but unfortunately not allowed as a single grape) with a trendy designed label.
Whatever you drink in the summer, outdoors or indoors, spare a thought for the temperature. Warm wine makes no one happy, regardless of colour. Use the refrigerator, and don’t forget that it will take longer than you think to cool the wine (three hours at least from room temperature to 6-8 degrees C). Do not be afraid to use the freezer, but set the egg timer, so you do not forget (maximum 45 minutes). Ice and water in a beautiful ice bucket is always a good idea. And an ice cube in the glass for a few minutes can definitely be accepted. At least for some wines.
And by the way, the “optimal” summer aperitif must surely be vermouth with its aroma and taste of herbs and other aromatic plants. Vermouth feels a bit retro for some, but it is on the rise in France. It is our favourite aperitif, so we have probably helped a little there. Straight with a slice of lemon or with a splash of tonic, the summer could not be more complete.
Vote for us
The English travel magazine Food and Travel has started a poll on the best destination, restaurant and – of course – best tour operator. We are so specialised (and small), so it is not easy to be seen in such contexts. But we would be happy if you cast a vote for us!
Vote here for BKWine Tours in the category “tour operators”:
https://foodandtravel.com/awards
(You first have to create a free account.)
Champagne tour in September
There are still a few places available for our wine tour in Champagne in late September.
Book now!
Go on a wine and adventure tour this winter
For those who want to go on long-distance tours and great adventures, we have good news: The restrictions for Chile and Argentina have eased, so now we can say with great certainty that the wine tour to South America can go ahead.
The same already applies to the other long tours we have, so now you have three to choose from:
- Chile-Argentina in January
- South Africa in February
- New Zealand in March
These are tours with unique and magnificent experiences.
More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours”.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
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What’s on at BKWine Tours
BKWine is also one of the world’s leading wine tour operators. Here’s what we currently have on our scheduled wine tour program:
- Bordeaux and Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 6, 2022
- Champagne, Sept 28 – Oct 2, 2022 – BOOK NOW
- Bordeaux, October 2-6, 2022
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- Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023 – BOOK NOW
- South Africa, February 8-18, 2023 – BOOK NOW
- New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023 – BOOK NOW
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We also make custom designed wine tours.
We’re different than most other wine tour operators. We are people who know wine inside out, who travel constantly in wine regions, who write award winning books about wine. Who do this out of passion.
Our wine tours are different from others.
A typical year we organise more than 30 wine tours to destinations across the world. In Europe: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and more. World-wide: South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand. Thanks to our Scandinavian background we have a separate offer for the Scandinavian market. These are sometimes offered in English and also available as custom made tours. For example, these destinations:
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Read our books
We have written eleven wine books. They have won awards from the Gourmand Awards, The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and others.
Unfortunately, only one of them has been translated to English; the others are (so far) only available in Swedish. This is the one that is available in English:
Here’s the full list of our books:
- The Wonderful World of Wine
- Languedoc-Roussillon, the Wines of Southern France
- Champagne, the Wine and the Growers
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News from the World of Wine
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Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
Where did the rosé boom start? In Portugal, of course!
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 was the top rosé wine country. Mateus Rosé was launched in 1943, and it was an incredible success. In its heydays, it was at least as successful and trendy as Miraval and Minuty is today. When Mateus conquered the British market in the 1960s, world-famous personalities and artists – even Jimi Hendrix – were seen promoting the wine. Mateus Rosé became a wine that everyone drank.
Read what Quinta do Tedo, one of our favourite producers in the Douro Valley, writes about the fantastic success of Mateus Rosé (and watch the vintage commercials). Read here: “Our Douro DOC Rosé 2021 and the fascinating history of rosé”. “Our Douro DOC Rosé 2021 and the fascinating history of rosé”.
Read: Get some facts (and avoid the myths) about how rosé wine is made: How do you make rosé wine? Facts and fails.
More and more producers want large oak barrels
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 producers had less wine to put in oak casks. On the other hand, exports increased by 9%.
The largest markets for French coopers are France and the United States, representing 29 and 27% of sales in value and 32 and 25%, respectively, in volume. They are followed by Italy (8%), Spain (7%) and Australia (7% in value and 6% in volume). Sales of large barrels (more than 600 litres) continued to grow and increased in 2021 by 22%. Read more: TonneliersDeFrance
Regenerative viticulture, the new trend?
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 ROC certification, Regenerative Organic Certified. Yes, yet another certification. Tablas Creek Vineyard in California was the initiator of the ROC, and the other two ROC-certified are Fetzer, also in California, and Troon Vineyard in Oregon.
There is a lot of talk about regenerative viticulture right now. What distinguishes it from organic viticulture is not apparent. Perhaps it is the extra emphasis on the health of the soil, the importance of biodiversity, that no ground should be left bare and that one should plough and move the soil as little as possible (no-tilling) and preferably not at all. But there is a lot of overlap with organic farming. (One big difference is that certification for “organic” is simple, it is the same all over the EU and in most of the rest of the world.) Read more: TheDrinksBusiness
Read: more on certifications in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Argentina (and Chile) with BKWine.
Spring frost no longer a problem at Château de France in Pessac-Léognan
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 years, has hopefully solved the problem in his vineyard.
Of his 40 hectares, ten are now protected thanks to three new wind machines with propellers ordered from New Zealand. The ten hectares are surrounded by forest that retains the cold, and the vines here are therefore the most exposed. The new wind machines with a propeller that sets the air in motion are Arnaud’s best solution to the frost problem. It is a significant investment – one machine costs around 50,000 euros – but now frost should no longer be a problem. One wind machine protects about 6 to 8 hectares. These machines from New Zealand are both less noisy and less energy-consuming than such devices usually are. Read more: LeRepublicain
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine.
New Zealand’s producers are happy with their large harvest in 2022
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 was small. Producers are starting to run out of wine, and sales of New Zealand wine around the world are declining. All wine regions in the country significantly increased their volume compared to 2021. In 2022, 532,000 tonnes of grapes were harvested compared to 370,000 tonnes in 2021, an increase with impressive 44%.
In 2021, 2.7 million hectolitres were produced. 2020 was a record year with 3.3 million hl, but the 2022 figure will probably break that record. Read more: NZWine
Travel: Come on a wine tour to New Zealand with BKWine.
Spraying with copper can affect the aromatic character of the wine
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 copper. In fact, only a tiny part of the French vineyard surface is not sprayed with copper at all, around 14%. These vineyards are located mainly in a department called Gers in the Southwest. Here we find, for instance, the large Plaimont cooperative with 800 members and 5,300 hectares. Many of the wines are the popular IGP Côtes de Gascogne made from the aromatic grape varieties sauvignon blanc and colombard.
Copper spraying on aromatic vines and can cause a particular problem. If there is copper left in the must (in tiny quantities, not dangerous for humans) after pressing the grapes, it can prevent the development of thiols, compounds that are responsible for certain aromatic characteristics in the wine. Plaimont recommends that its members preferably not use copper at all or at least not in the last 5–6 weeks before harvest. This presupposes that you work conventionally and instead use chemical synthetic products. That is not possible if you work organically. Read more: Vitisphere
The best sounds in a restaurant do not come from music
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 and listened. Not to music; no music was played. But to the sounds. People chatting, laughing, wine bottles being opened, wine being poured, the clinking of cutlery. Restaurants have their own, particular sounds. It is a shame to drown them in music. That’s like hiding the wine’s fruit behind too much oak.
There is nothing wrong with music in restaurants, as long as it is discreet background music. But I have never understood why you would want to go to a restaurant that has loud music that forces you to strain your voice and makes it impossible to have a normal conversation if you are more than two people around the table. This entertaining article in The Times agrees with me entirely: TheTimes (If the article is behind a pay wall, try using the share button on the article.)
And we have found a Swedish site, matro.com (matro is Swedish for “peaceful dinner”), which lists restaurants that do not have loud music. A good initiative: Read more: Matro
If you know of any similar sites in other countries, please let us know! We promise to share it in a future Brief.
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Features of the Month
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Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and (occasionally) photography blog in the last month.
A specialist importer for Italian wines from small family producers, Vinonista
It is often the passion that pushes small-scale wine importers to start their business, the passion for a certain wine country or a certain wine district. This is true in Sweden but also in many other countries. Vinonista’s story has many parallels in other countries. Martin Wall’s parents were wine enthusiasts; his mother had a great fondness for Italian food and, one might assume, also Italian wines. After several years of travelling in the European wine districts, it became clear that he had a favourite region, Italian Piedmont. But, as he says, “he could not find the quality wines from the smaller wine producers in Sweden.” So it was with wines from Piedmont that Vinonista, Martin’s company, started as an import business.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine: Vinonista – an Italian wine specialist with a selection of small-scale producers.
BKWine Tastes: Pouilly-Fumé, Corbières, Seyssel
BKWine Tastes: The first wine is a concentrated and unusual Pouilly-Fumé from Château de Tracy. This is followed by a Corbières from large producer Château de Lastours and three wines from the small appellation of Seyssel in Savoie.
“BKWine Tastes” is a collection of wines we have tasted recently. It is often samples that producers have sent us to show us what they do or other bottles that we have come across at tastings or on our tasting table in the office.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine: BKWine Tastes: Pouilly-Fumé, Corbières, Seyssel | June 2022.
Beaujolais wines, from light and refreshing to serious for laying down
Although Beaujolais is a reasonably strong brand in itself, it is still, for many people, associated with Beaujolais Nouveau, the super fresh wine that we drink only two months after the harvest. As consumers increasingly discover the “real” Beaujolais, growers feel the timing is right to highlight the region’s multifaceted character. Three small cooperatives are pulling their weight through a joint venture that started this spring, called the “Grands Terroirs du Beaujolais”.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine: “Grands Terroirs du Beaujolais” highlights the great variety of its region.
Four fantastic awards to our latest book “The Wonderful World of Wine”
“The wonderful world of wine” is a book for those who want to learn more about wine. If you are simply curious about wine and want to know more, with an easy-to-read fact-filled book. Or if you’re on an organized wine course and need a modern wine course literature. “The wonderful world of wine” contains what you need, the only modern and updated wine course book in Swedish. It has now won four awards in the Gourmand Cookbook Awards: first prize (*2), second prize and third prize. Currently, the book is only available in Swedish, with the title “Vinets underbara värld”.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: Our book “The Wonderful World of Wine” has won four prizes.
Hungary, an introduction to an old wine country where tradition and new ideas mix | Britt on Forbes
Many wine lovers know at least a few Hungarian wines, such as Egri Bikavér and Tokaj. These wines are still around, and they are better than in a long time. Also, new generation winemakers are introducing other typical Hungarian wines and grape varieties to the world. Time to take notice. Here’s an introduction to “the new Hungary”.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Hungary, an introduction to an old wine country where tradition and new ideas mix | Britt on Forbes.
Book review of The Wonderful World of Wine: “A really wonderful book about wine”, “the best in several years!”
You can probably not be happier with a review than we are with this one. Per Björgell has reviewed “The wonderful world of wine” (“Vinets underbara värld” in the original language”) on BTJ (formerly Bibliotekstjänst, Library Service). It is our latest book that is an introduction (quite a lot more than an introduction actually) to everything about wine. Or if you like, a wine course book for those who really want to learn more about wine (WSET-style, sommelier course, or another similar wine course).
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: “A really wonderful book about wine”, “the best in several years!” – review of our book “The wonderful world of wine”.
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Wine Tours
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Details on our current and future wine tours. Book a wine tour with the “World’s Top Wine Tour Operator” today (or when you feel like travelling to wine country).
Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience in the beautiful wine-lands together with some of the most knowledgeable wine people around. Book now!
Don’t miss this last-minute chance to join the Champagne wine tour
It is always a pleasure to walk the vineyards in the fall. Sometimes the grapes are still there, depending on the time of harvest (which you actually don’t know until a few days before). The colour of the leaves is changing and turning red and golden. Inside the cellars, the must is fermenting or resting in the tanks. The producers can hopefully relax.
Currently, we still have a few places left on the Champagne tour.
The Champagne wine tour: Everything you ever wanted to know about champagne. What makes champagne so unique? You will get the answer to that during our many producer visits around Reims and Epernay. You will learn all the details about the production process and the long ageing in the cool cellars. You will get to know some of the many small villages that make up the Champagne appellation. Vineyard slopes surround them, some of them quite steep. In Champagne, France’s northernmost wine region, the vines need all the sunshine they can get. You will enjoy our magnificent champagne lunches.
Book now! Only a few places left.
Wine Tour to Champagne, September 28-October 2, 2022
PS: We have written a ground-breaking book about Champagne so we have a bit of a clue of what we’re talking about.
The unforgettable wine tour – Argentina and Chile in January 2023
Join us for an unforgettable wine tour in South America. We visit the continent’s two largest wine countries, Argentina and Chile. In Argentina, we will visit Mendoza, the largest wine region. The snow-capped Andes Mountains make a magnificent backdrop to the vineyards. The climate is pleasantly warm and dry in summer. It is easy to get ripe grapes and full-bodied wines. But making powerful wines is not enough for today’s ambitious producers. More and more, they are looking for nuance and complexity. And these are keywords for producers in Chile as well. We find more and more variety among the wines in both countries.
In Chile, we will visit both the coastal regions and the warmer hinterland. We stay in beautiful Viña del Mar on the Pacific Ocean and Santa Cruz, a typical Chilean rural town in the middle of the Colchagua wine region. There will also be big cities – Buenos Aires and Santiago -magnificent lunches, often around the outdoor barbecue and meetings with exciting wine producers.
Come to South America with us!
Book now!:
Wine tour to Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023
Superb natural conditions for good wines and pleasant wine tours – South Africa in February 2023
South Africa is a New World country with a long wine history, more than 350 years. Some wines have been famous outside the country’s borders for many years. But the country’s modern wine history began in the 1990s. South Africa has excellent natural conditions for making quality wine. The climate is pleasant. The summers are warm but seldom too hot. The winds from the sea cool many of the vineyards. The rain comes mainly in the winter. The scenery is hard to beat.
Most wine regions are located in the Western Cape, many quite close to Cape Town. We will stay a couple of nights here (and we will, of course, go up to the top of the Table Mountain), but we will also stay in the wine regions, in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Hermanus on the south coast and in Riebeek Kasteel in trendy Swartland.
Discover the South African vineyards with us!
Book now!:
Wine tour to South Africa, February 8-18, 2023
A young wine country with a pioneering spirit: the wine tour to New Zealand 2023
New Zealand is the youngest of the New World countries. The vineyard surface has grown at a record pace. In 2000, the country had 10,000 hectares; in 2010, it had grown to 32,000. Now the rate of increase has calmed down somewhat, and the surface is today just over 40,000 hectares. There is still a young, adventurous pioneer spirit here. Marlborough is the largest region. Then come Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago and the slightly smaller Wairarapa. We will visit all three of these regions and wineries around Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.
We travel by bus and boat from Auckland on the North Island down to Queenstown on the South Island. Of course, there will be many stops to visit vineyards and admire the landscape. We have time to look at the beautiful capital Wellington, and we learn about the Maori culture and the local gastronomy.
Join us on this tour to explore an unusual and fascinating wine country.
The New Zealand wine tour, a great adventure.
Book now!
Wine tour to New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023
