—
Eating the cake and having it when making wine
—
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 early September who was fed up with the French appellation system. He didn’t say it was like a straitjacket, but it felt like he meant something like that. He said he was jealous of winegrower friends in the US who do as they please, grow whatever grapes they want and so on. He would be bored if he only had one grape to work with, he said. Within his appellation, he only has one permitted grape, but he also has vineyards outside the appellation where he can be creative with other grape varieties.
The strict appellation laws in France can be debated endlessly. Do we need them? The New World countries have adopted a small part of the French system, namely to geographically demarcate certain areas and give them a designation of origin. The US has over 250 AVAs (American viticultural areas). But they haven’t introduced rules for which grapes can be used or other restrictions.
In France, the appellation laws are there to protect the reputation of the wine regions. “Without laws,” said Joseph Capus, one of the initiators of the appellation system introduced in 1935, “a producer can use simple hybrids and make a bad wine in large quantities, thereby undermining the reputation of the region.”
Most winegrowers today would probably agree with that statement. We mustn’t forget that it is mainly the winegrowers themselves who define how the rules are designed, not a white-collar Parisian bureaucrat sitting in a comfortable office. It was also wine growers’ riots in protest against “adulterated wines” (e.g. made from grapes coming from other regions), which were one of the driving forces for the creation of the appellation system.
For the French, Italians, Spaniards (and others in Europe) who do not want to follow the rules, there is always the option of going outside the rules and making IGP or “vin de france” (with equivalents in the other countries). It is becoming more and more common. Often, though, they hesitate because while they don’t want to follow the rules, they still want to enjoy the benefits of its good reputation (there we have it again) of the traditional appellation. Eating the cake and still having it… Putting an appellation name on the label often guarantees a slightly higher price for the wine.
But it must be remembered that an appellation is no guarantee of quality. It’s not really about quality but above all, it guarantees a geographical origin and a certain tradition (however, read the article on “prosecco” for a perspective on tradition).
For a consumer, it’s important to remember that it is better to trust the name of a producer who is known to be good, even if it just says “vin de france” on the label, rather than to believe that a wine is good just because it comes from an appellation with a famous name. Wine is about people, not glossy brands.
And now even the despised hybrids – long banned in Europe – are starting to become accepted, at least if they are fungus resistant.
Travel in winter
First of all: If you want to come on our exceptional wine tour to New Zealand in March, now is the time to book. The last date for booking the wine tour to New Zealand is November 15.
Some of our most exceptional wine tours are during the winter. They are filled with very special experiences. In summer weather in the southern hemisphere!
Travel in harvest time
You have three fantastic long-distance tours to choose from:
- Chile-Argentina in January – very few places left
- South Africa in February – book now!
- New Zealand in March – book now, don’t wait!
These are tours with unique and magnificent experiences.
And you can already start planning for wine tours next harvest season:
- Champagne, September 27 – October 1
- Champagne and Bordeaux, September 27 – October 5
- Bordeaux, October 1-5
More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours”. Tours with the people who know wine and who have an unrivalled experience of wine and tours.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
—
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:
–
- Chile-Argentina, January 16-29 – BOOK NOW
- South Africa, February 8-18 – BOOK NOW
- New Zealand, March 15-30 – BOOK NOW
–
- Champagne, September 27 – October 1
- Bordeaux and Champagne, Sept 27 – Oct 5
- Bordeaux, October 1-5
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:
—
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
—
News from the World of Wine
—
Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
An unusual wine from a different Mendoza wine producer, Bodegas Weinert
Weinert Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 from Mendoza in Argentina was launched in Sweden on October 21. That’s a good excuse to say a few words about this unusual wine producer. “This 2012 Weinert Cabernet Sauvignon is one of our favourite launches of the year and will be almost exclusively available in Sweden as it was a small vintage due to frost”, greets Iduna Weinert. However, don’t be discouraged if you are not in Sweden. Other vintages and other wines from Weinert are available around the world. Iduna continues: “This is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines over 50 years old from the district of Lujan de Cuyo. The winemaker is our master Hubert Weber and the wine has been aged for 10 years in large French oak barrels of between 2500 and 6000 litres. A long maturation is Weinert’s signature in Argentina, which enables wines that combine the ripe and concentrated dark fruits – cherries, blackcurrants, plums – with notes of dried leaves, sandalwood and moka.” Look for any of the vintages of Weinert’s wines. They’re well worth tasting. You can read more about Weinert in our article on BKWine Magazine and Forbes.
There are a few places open to come with us to South America in January and meet both Iduna and Hubert at the winery and taste many more of their wines.
Old grape varieties are rediscovered, and new ones are created
Old grape varieties, more or less forgotten, are now being honoured again. A variety called lignage was grown before the phylloxera around the city of Blois in the Loire Valley and produced wines with high acidity and low alcohol content. Unwanted characteristics at the time. Now, these are qualities that many producers are looking for. In Corsica, new life is being breathed into the old varieties muriscu and muscatellu, both of which bud and ripen late, good qualities in times of climate change. These three grapes will now be given a trial period of between 9 and 15 years before it is decided if they can enter the official French catalogue of permitted grape varieties.
Five so-called resistant grape varieties (the new hybrids, sometimes called PIWI) have passed their trial period and are now entered in the French grape catalogue (one can only plant approved varieties). These are coliris, lilac, opals, selenos and sirano. All have good resistance to mildew, oidium and black rot. Read more vitisphere
The new classification in Saint Emilion is launched, and without too much hassle (for the moment)
In September, after two years of work, the updated list of Saint Emilion’s classification was announced. After the turbulence of the previous update (2006, but approved only in 2012, click the link to read more), many are probably relieved that the new update has not attracted any noticeable complaints. At least not yet. However, there has been no shortage of drama these two years. In the new update, three of the former top-ranked “A” châteaux are missing: Angélus, Ausone and Cheval Blanc. All three chose to withdraw their candidacy. Château Figeac has now become an “A” château, a category that the château now shares with Château Pavie.
The result of the 2022 update is 14 “premier grands crus classés,” of which two with the A distinction, and 71 “grands crus classés”. The following 14 chateaux are now premier grands crus classes for the next ten years: Château Beau-Sejour-Becot, Château Beausejour Heritiers Duffau Lagarrosse, Château Belair Monange, Château Canon, Château Canon La Gaffelière, Château Figeac (A), Château Larcis Ducasse, Château Pavie (A), Château Pavie Macquin, Château Troplong-Mondot, Château Trottevieille, Château Valandraud, Clos Fourtet, La Mondotte. See here for a complete list also of the grand cru classé châteaux: INAO
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine.
Burgundy has a new appellation for white wines: AOP Vézelay
New appellations don’t often appear in France. But sometimes, it happens. (Modifying existing ones happens more often.) On October 14, Vézelay in northern Burgundy became an Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP). From the beginning, Vézelay was part of the overall Bourgogne appellation. In 1998, the status was raised as the growers were allowed to put Bourgogne Vézelay on the label. And now, they have their own AOP and thus somewhat stricter rules. The wine is white and is made exclusively from chardonnay. The focus is on the fruit, and the time in oak barrels is relatively short. Vézelay is located just less than 50 kilometres south of Chablis. The new appellation is small, with around 20 different producers. Vézelay is otherwise best known (very!) for its basilica dating back to the 12th century. France today has around 370 AOPs. No region has more AOPs than Burgundy. Read more: INAO
Chemical weed control, herbicides, how common is it today?
When we travel through wine regions these days, we often see grass/weeds growing in the vineyard. And if you look at the statistics, the use of herbicides, i.e. chemical weed control, has decreased. But wine producers still use herbicides for various reasons, most of them associated with the added cost of using mechanical removal of the weed (or technical difficulties). In some French wine regions with vineyards on steep slopes, the producers believe they cannot survive without herbicides. And thus, they are worried. The risk is high that the authorization of glyphosate, the active ingredient in most herbicides, will not be extended within the EU when the current authorization expires at the end of the year.
In regions such as Banyuls/Collioure in Roussillon, the alternatives to chemical removal work poorly. This is a very dry part of France, and if the grass is allowed to grow, there will be too much competition for water. Mechanical removal is difficult and dangerous on steep terraced slopes. The opinions are divided among experts about the risks of glyphosate. Not all agree that it is dangerous. Read more: Mon-Viti
Note, however: not using herbicides does not mean no spraying at all. Almost all producers spray with chemical products to protect the vine against diseases, e.g. powdery and downy mildew (pesticides).
Read: more on spraying in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
The importance of choosing the suitable rootstock increases with climate change
There is a lot of talk about which grape varieties will best adapt to climate change. However, less is said about the (“American”) rootstocks, although they do all the work in the soil.
Whenever a producer wants to plant a new vineyard, he has to choose the grape variety and which rootstock he wants it grafted on (the American roots can survive the vine louse, phylloxera, but the European ones cannot). And because of ever-drier conditions in many vineyards, it will become even more critical in the future to choose a suitable rootstock. The winegrower can choose freely between the 31 rootstocks allowed in France. At least three of them have good drought tolerance. But other factors are also considered when selecting rootstocks, such as resistance to chlorosis (a problem on calcareous soil) and plant vigour. Researchers will now experiment with 12 new rootstocks to see how they behave with different grape varieties in different regions. Read more: Mon-Viti
Seven recommended organic wines
On a recent wine tour, one of the travellers told me that she has difficulty finding good organic wines. I was a bit surprised. There are so many organic wines around these days that it shouldn’t be difficult to find something that you like. Here are some recommendations. Maybe you will not find exactly these wines, but they can be an inspiration.
Red wines
Meinklang Pinot Noir 2020, Austria, fresh, fruity and easy drinking from a biodynamic estate in Burgenland (~12 euro)
La Bastide Blanche 2020, Bandol, full bodied wine with character, 70 % mourvèdre (~16 euro)
Domaine des Pasquiers, Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Plan de Dieu 2020, 2298, 139 kr, southern France in a bottle with delicious aromas of Provencal herbs (~12 euro)
Château de la Liquière 2021, Faugères, spicy and flavourful from the Langeudoc (~16 euro)
Kékfrankos és Syrah 2020, Weingut Weninger, Sopron, a pleasant and easy drinking, fruit wine from the Hungarian region of Sopron which is on border to Burgenland in Austria (~12 euro)
White wines
Weingut Leth Fels Grüner Veltliner Klassik 2021, Austria, very fresh with a touch of white pepper and citrus which typical for grüner veltliner (~10 euro)
Jurtschitsch, Langenlois Riesling, 2021, Kamptal, Austria, dry, crispy and delicious riesling (~16 euro)
Read: more on organic wines in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
Bernard Duseigneur is the new owner of Château Maucoil in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Bernard Duseigneur of Domaine Duseigneur is the new and happy owner of Château Maucoil, a beautiful estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape of 70 hectares, of which 40 hectares are vineyards with different types of soil, one of the bigger in Châteauneuf. Maucoil is already organically certified and Bernard will immediately begin the conversion to biodynamic cultivation. His other vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac and Côtes-du-Rhône have all been biodynamic for many years.
Bernard has big plans for Maucoil. He will for instance focus on single variety wines, a departure from the Châteauneuf tradition of always blending grape varieties. In the different soil types found on the property, each grape has its natural place. This is an estate to follow closely.
In the meantime, look for existing Domaine Duseigneur wines, from easy-drinking La Goutte du Seigneur in red, white and rosé, Mihna Terra, a fresh and fruity 100 % syrah to the more full-bodied ones, such as Odyssée, a Côtes du Rhône Village, Antarès, his superb Lirac and, of course, Catarina, his Châteauneuf-du-Pape in white and red.
Ukraine now member of OIV, The International Organisation of Vine and Wine
On October 30, 2022, Ukraine again became a member of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, OIV. The country was previously a member between 1997 and 2008. With Ukraine’s re-entry, the number of members in the organization is 49. You may not think of Ukraine as a wine country, but it actually has a vineyard surface of 41,800 hectares, ranking the 31st country in the world. In 2021, Ukraine produced 660,000 hectolitres of wine. Wine consumption was on the rise when the war broke out in early 2022.
Through its membership in the OIV, Ukraine will benefit from information from and cooperation with a network of more than 1,000 experts around the world. “The cooperation of member states within the OIV is a key factor for better communication, more effective legislation and therefore more transparent and fruitful trade in the vitivinicultural sector”, says OIV in its press relapse. More info: OIV
Welcome Ukraine!
—
Features of the Month
—
Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and (occasionally) photography blog in the last month.
Wines on a high level from Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Not only high quality but also high altitude. Etna wines have shot to fame in the last few decades. The wines from this still-active volcano are sought out by wine lovers all over the world. It is a small wine region, only 1200 hectares, so it is not always easy to lay your hands on a bottle. Wine has been grown on the slopes of the mountain since time immemorial, but Tenuta delle Terre Nere is young, established in 2002. Despite its short existence it has become one of the leading producers on the volcano.
Read more in Sven-Olof Johansson article on BKWine Magazine: Tenuta delle Terre Nere from Sicily leaves a lasting impression of beauty and power.
The magical transformation of the grape prosecco into the world’s best-selling sparkling wine
Prosecco is today the world’s most-sold and most-consumed sparkling wine, with some 700 million bottles. It is made in the north-eastern corner of Italy in a region called Prosecco. Most of it is a light, slightly sweet, slightly refreshing sparkling wine. But some say that prosecco is actually a grape name. In Europe, it used to be a grape name until 2009, when it became a region. In some parts of the world, it still is a grape name. So, what’s the truth? Well, it depends. The story is one of many examples of how a wine region tries to protect something that they think is theirs. But is it really theirs? Or is it just another version of protectionism?
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Did the Italians hijack the grape name prosecco to make it a (hugely successful) monopoly wine? | Per on Forbes.
—
Wine Tours
—
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!
Contrasts, experiences, wine and gastronomy, in Chile and Argentina | wine tour
Argentina and Chile in a fortnight. Our tour is a wine, food and cultural journey with many contrasts. Buenos Aires is a gigantic metropolis (15 million inhabitants) that feels very European, like a mix of Milan and Paris. Mendoza, the capital of the wine district, is a city of more than a million but gives the impression of a being rural small town. Santa Cruz, the central town in Chile’s Colchagua wine region, really is a small town reminiscent of what you see in old Western movies. But with more wine and gastronomy. But those are not the only things; The endless plains of the Pampas contrast with the peaks of the Andes. Etcetera. The only constant and uniform thing is that it is a trip filled with fantastic wine, food and cultural experiences in South America’s two greatest wine countries.
Only a few places left. Book now!
Wine tour to Chile-Argentina, January 16-29, 2023
South Africa, a country of amazing diversity and fine wines | wine tour
Every time we come to South Africa we are amazed. We’re, for example, overwhelmed by all the young and talented winemakers that we meet (but that we hear very little about outside the country). It is fantastic to see how this young but old wine country (it celebrated 350 years of winemaking a few years back) has established itself as one of the world’s leading producers of quality wine. If you know where to look for them. It is also a country of amazing diversity, in wine, of course, where the best producers are often small and found in unexpected places, and not with generations of history. It is also an amazing diversity in culture and nature, as we will see. It boasts one of the world’s richest flora. We will enjoy cool sea breezes on the south coast in Walker Bay but also hot evenings in the almost-desert land in Swartland. Coming here and see all this first-hand is an eye-opener.
South Africa – a great wine experience.
Book now!
Wine tour to South Africa, February 8-18, 2023
Our longest wine tour, is also the one furthest away, with the most experiences: the wine tour in New Zealand
New Zealand is not only the one furthest away, 18,377km from London (but only 6529 miles from San Francisco). It is also our longest trip, counted in kilometres on site, 764 km as the crow flies, or 1071 km by road. (The wine tour in Chile-Argentina
actually covers more kilometres, but there we fly 988 km over the Pampas.) The fact is that Auckland, where the NZ trip starts, is the exact opposite point to Seville on the globe. The trip in New Zealand is also the longest in days – 16 – and thanks to that also the one with the most wine and gastronomy experiences. It starts in the biggest city, Auckland. Passing hot, sulphurous geysers and Maori culture. Making a stop in Hawke’s Bay, known for its syrah. Passing the capital Wellington. With a crossing of the Cook Strait to the South Island and a feast on clams and lobsters. The world’s largest Sauvignon Blanc district. And ends in Central Otago, once a gold digger bonanza area, the origin of bungee jumping (you can jump if you want), now an El Dorado for pinot noir. And much more.
Book now! Last booking date: November 15!
Wine tour to New Zealand, March 15-30, 2023
Go safe or go soul on a wine tour in Champagne?
Champagne is the world’s most powerful wine brand. It is immediately associated with festivities and luxury. But there is also another side to it, the people who grow vines and families that make them. More than half of all champagne is made by around a dozen big brands. The biggest make tens of millions of bottles. These are the brands that you can find in all the world’s airports, on the shelves on the up-market wine shops. When you visit them you will be received in salons with old tapestries and gilt. You will be incited by the marketing staff to revere the exclusive wines poured in crystal glasses. (And you can check on wine-searcher how many hundreds each bottle cost). The next visit will be at a different house but will be similar. Our champagne tour is different. Yes, you’ll visit a big house, but mostly you will meet the winemakers and families that actually make the wine. The wines are just as good (or better) than the big names, but you have probably never heard of them. Maybe you’ll taste some still fermenting juice. Take a walk in the vineyard to see the pruning. Taste the secret cuvée that has not yet been launched. Hear the real story of Champagne. You won’t get that at the big-and-famous. So, what do you prefer, the gilt or the wines with soul? Come with us and find out.
Come with us on the extraordinary wine tour to Champagne.
Book now!
Wine tour to Champagne, September 27 – October 1, 2023
PS: We have written a ground-breaking book about Champagne so we have a bit of a clue of what we’re talking about.
Immerse yourself in some of the world’s top red and sparkling wines on our combined Champagne-Bordeaux tour
The French high speed trains are fabulous. They make it easy to discover more of French vineyards in a short time. You will discover that on our combined wine tour to Champagne and Bordeaux. In less than an hour from Paris you arrive in the heart of Champagne, in north-eastern France. In this, the world’s premier sparkling wine region, you will immerse yourself in this special sparkling wine. You will even enjoy luxury meals with different champagnes – and champagne only – all through the three or four course. 100% champagne meals! A short hop back to Paris and then we board the train to Bordeaux, almost diametrically opposed in the south west. You’ll be there in less than two hours. In total 750 km (470 miles) in not even three hours. Bordeaux will greet you with some of the world’s best wines. You will see (and taste) some of the most famous wines, but you will also get to see the “real” Bordeaux, that of the many family-owned wineries. It is a week filled with some of the best red and sparkling wines in the world. Book it now (we’ll arrange for your train ticket).
Come with us on the extraordinary wine tour to Champagne and Bordeaux.
Book now!
Wine tour to Champagne and Bordeaux, September 27 – October 5, 2023
PS: We have written a ground-breaking book about Champagne, and also one on Bordeaux, so we have a bit of a clue of what we’re talking about.
Left Bank or Right Bank in Bordeaux, which do you prefer?
The Left Bank (Rive Gauche) is the home of cabernet sauvignon, but it is very unusual to find wines here that are pure varietal. Almost all are a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc in varying proportions. But it is still here you find the most classic of classic Bordeaux styles, as well as the most sumptuous chateaux. The Right Bank (Rive Droite), to the east, inland, is mainly dominated by merlot, quite different in style. Here you can discover that it is indeed a world class grape, although similarly it is rarely on its own. On our wine tour to Bordeaux you will get an in-depth view of both these styles. But you will also make a deep dive into top-class French gastronomy, served in the private dining rooms of some of the chateaux we visit. You will get quite unique possibilities to discover how the wines match different kinds of food and how different vintages bring forwards different characters.
Come with us on the fabulous wine tour to Bordeaux.
Book now!
Wine tour to Bordeaux, October 1–5, 2023
PS: We have written a book about Bordeaux, and have been travelling there since 1986, so we have a bit of a clue of what we’re talking about.
