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Are we drinking too little wine?
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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 subsidies to those who wanted to distil or tear up their vines. But that was a long time ago. For quite a few years, wine supply and demand have been in balance. But now the problems have returned. Three things contribute to today’s large stocks of wine: The pandemic, the large harvest volume in 2022 and inflation, which increases the price of wine and makes people drink less. And people drink quite a bit less.
The European Commission estimates that in 2023 wine consumption will decrease by 7% in Italy, 10% in Spain, 15% in France, 22% in Germany and 34% in Portugal. Significant numbers, in other words. To top it all off, EU wine exports from January to April this year have been 8.5% lower than last year, which has not helped to reduce stocks. China’s reduced consumption is not doing any good either.
Now the new vintage is on its way. 2023. The first bunches of grapes will be picked in just a few weeks. Maybe the volume will not be so big this year. Many regions have been affected by the forces of nature: hail, drought, extreme heat, and severe mildiou in Bordeaux and in some places in Italy. If there is a lower volume this year, it may be a relief for some.
But you cannot rely on the weather to reduce stocks. A crisis distillation, recently approved by the EU, will now attempt to restore the balance. Not only in France but also in other countries. But the EU commission stresses that this is an exceptional measure, nothing the wine industry should start getting used to. Until October 15 this year, it will be possible to distil the wine most affected by the market crisis within the existing wine support program framework. They will carefully select which wines/growers/regions most need to eliminate their surplus. IGP producers in France want to distil 4.4 million hectolitres, 10% of a typical French harvest.
Not everyone is affected. Not the very expensive and most famous wines. The low and mid-priced wines are hit the worst, and the red wines, as well as some rosé wines, much more than the whites, even though the rosé boom seems to be continuing.
What can the wine industry do to increase consumption and/or reduce production?
Limit the harvest: You can do as in Champagne, determine the harvest quantity based on how the market looks. But lowering the quantity for everyone, is that just stupid? Some producers sell their entire production. It is also a kind of indirect market manipulation collusion.
More white wine: Since it is, above all, red wine that people drink less of, it is a good idea to plant more white grapes and hope that the trend continues. Or make white wine from red grapes. Like the Berticot-Graman cooperative that we wrote about in last month’s Brief.
Increasing wine consumption: A sensitive issue in some countries. In France, there are strong voices and organisations that trumpet the dangers of drinking wine. In addition, there are restrictions on how alcohol can be advertised. One concern is that younger people wait a long time before they start drinking wine, and sometimes they don’t start at all because they prefer ”modern” alcoholic drinks such as alcopops or hard seltzers.
As a producer, be innovative: The wine must compete with an ever-increasing range of beers, cocktails and, not least, non-alcoholic beverages. Some (very few) regions can survive being traditional; others have to offer something new and exciting, something that makes them stand out on the shelves. So, wine producers may need to let their imaginations run wild.
Perhaps those who cannot cope should simply stop making wine instead of relying on tax-funded support measures.
One way to help the situation is, of course, to go to a wine region and drink some wine.
Thus…:
Wine travel in harvest time
Plan a wine tour in the harvest season:
- Champagne, September 27 – October 1
- Champagne and Bordeaux, September 27 – October 5
- Bordeaux, October 1-5
Travel in winter (but summer)
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!
You have three fantastic long-distance tours to choose from:
- Chile-Argentina in January 2024
- South Africa in February 2024
- New Zealand in March 2024
These are tours with unique and magnificent experiences.
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.
Travel in wine regions with someone you trust.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
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Tell your friends about the Brief or send it to them.
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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:
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- Champagne, September 27 – October 1
- Bordeaux and Champagne, Sept 27 – Oct 5
- Bordeaux, October 1-5
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- Chile-Argentina, 15-28 January 2024
- South Africa, 8-18 February 2024
- New Zealand, 12-27 March 2024
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.
Continued great success for rosé wines with France, Spain, and the USA as leaders
We are in the peak of summer, and many glasses are probably filled with rosé wine. Many people are happy that rosé wine exists. In a recent report, FranceAgriMer (a body under the French Ministry of Agriculture) called rosé wines “crisis dampeners”. We have seen a certain slowdown in growth for rosé wines in countries such as France, the USA and Italy, but new markets are developing, mainly in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Asia. Also, some traditional markets such as Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands are increasing their rosé consumption.
Rosé wine is made mainly in France, Spain, and the USA. However, production has increased in Chile, New Zealand and Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. France is number one in production, consumption, and value of exports. Spain is the number one exporter in terms of volume. Globally, rosé wines’ market share of still wines has increased since 2013 and now amounts to 1 in 10 bottles. Read more: franceagrimer
How can a wine producer avoid high alcohol content?
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when the temperature rises in the summer. One solution is to harvest grapes that are not quite ripe and thus not so rich in sugar. But at the same time, you don’t want the wine to lose complexity and ageing potential. Therefore, the grapes should be harvested when the grapes have a maximum of fresh fruit aromas but not a maximum of sugar. However, the producers need to pay attention otherwise, before they know it, the grapes will have reached full maturity or beyond. The consultants at l’Institut coopératif du vin (ICV) in Languedoc recommend that, as the harvest approaches, they regularly taste the grapes, measure the total acidity of the must and the malic acid, and check the weight of the grapes.
A long and gentle extraction at low temperature is recommended. By choosing the appropriate type of yeast, you can soften the green character and get more volume in the mouth. Carbonic maceration (fermentation with whole bunches in CO2 atmosphere) and flash pasteurisation (rapid heating of the must) can also be possible ways to soften the wine when harvested for low alcohol. Read more: vitisphere
Champagne chooses a slightly lower yield for 2023 – but will still harvest a lot
In Champagne, the yield for this year’s harvest, 2023, has now officially been set. It is negotiated every year. The Comité Champagne recently announced that the growers can pick 11,400 kg per hectare at harvest time, which this year will be the first half of September. It is a reduction compared to last year in an effort to keep prices higher on a weak market.
The quality currently looks very promising. Only small areas have been affected by frost and hail, and fungal diseases have been controlled.
The fact is, however, that the growers will be allowed to harvest much more. They can make champagne directly from the 11,400 kilos. But in addition, they can also top up their so-called “individual reserve” (still wine that is saved and used in future years with bad weather). This reserve has recently been increased from 8,000 kg per hectare to 10,000 kg per hectare. This year they can top up their reserve with a maximum of 4,100 kg per hectare.
Thus, the maximum harvest yield for Champagne is 15,500 kg per hectare in 2023. You can never go over this limit. It is estimated that Champagne will sell 314 million bottles in 2023, down from the record year of 2022 when it sold 326 million. Read more: champagne
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine.
Australian difficulties, abandoned vineyards spreading diseases follows on Chine plight
2023 was the smallest harvest in Australia in 23 years. The problem this season has mainly been various diseases in the vineyard. The Riverland in South Australia has been badly affected and a whopping 32% of Australia’s grapes come from this region. The Riverland is a huge agricultural region (almost half the size of New Jersey but with a population of 35,000) where grapes, citrus fruits, almonds, and other fruits are grown, all with the help of water from the Murray River. The growers have had several problems these last few years, including China’s punitive tariffs on Australian wine in 2021 and the severe floodings in 2022 that made the tourists stay away. And 2023 has been an unprecedented year of diseases.
A big problem is abandoned vineyards, which are thought to spread diseases because no one takes care of them and, if necessary, sprays against, e.g., fungal diseases or other parasites. They can function as reservoirs for various illnesses. Wine organisations are now calling for a change in the law to allow spraying of neglected vineyards without the owner’s permission. In many cases, you cannot even get hold of the owners. But doing so today could be considered chemical trespass under a 1993 Environmental Protection Act. (This is a serious problem in other countries as well, e.g. Moldova, but abandoned vineyards are a big headache in e.g. France as well.) Read more: abc
Bordeaux vineyards are getting smaller again: 9,000 hectares of vines to be pulled up
Bordeaux is about to become smaller again. The last time it happened was in 2008-2009, after the financial crisis. 10,000 hectares disappeared at the time. Now it is happening again. The plans are to pull up a further 9,000 hectares. The Bordeaux vineyard surface will then be 100,000 hectares. Many châteaux within the AOC Bordeaux have long had problems selling their wines. The grant of 6,000 euros per hectare that is pulled up will be financed by the state and the Conseil Interprofessionnel du vin de Bordeaux (CIVB). The uprooting will begin this autumn, after the harvest. One reason for subsidising the growers is that they don’t want the vineyards to be abandoned. There is a fear that flavescence dorée, a severe disease, will spread in abandoned vines and then spread further from there. (See other news item.)
These financial difficulties for AOP Bordeaux are both sad and ironic. It is in dramatic contrast to the huge sums of money that the 50 or so top châteaux bring in thanks to their exclusive luxury wines. Perhaps they could have contributed to helping those with difficulties?
Other crops may eventually be planted in some of the fields. Don’t be surprised if you see olive trees in Bordeaux. Some have already been planted, thanks to the wine crises and climate change. Read more: larvf
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine.
Tired of rosé? Go for white wines with “structure”! Some recommendations
Has the summer so far been too much rosé and aromatic white? Maybe it is time to look for white wines with “structure”. But what is “structure”? Well, these are wines that do not live on their aromatic character but more on their mouth feel and body. They can have a touch of astringency, are often full-bodied with some “fatness”, notes of yellow fruits, more tactile than perfumed, good acidity, often more flavour the palate than fragrance on the nose, and a long aftertaste. We often talk about “structure wines” as opposed to aromatic wines. Try these recommendations and you’ll see. If you don’t find these particular wines, look for the regions and the grape varieties.
La Colombera 2021, Derthona, Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont, ~22 euro. The grape is the magnificent timorasso. Unusual, but Italy’s best white grape.
Château Rahoul 2019, Graves, Bordeaux, ~18 euro. Sauvignon blanc is taking over more and more in Bordeaux, but here the fuller and more characterful sémillon dominates.
Côtes du Jura Chardonnay 2021, Maison Rijckaert, ~18 euro. Chardonnay in the Jura is full-bodied and quite different from Burgundy.
Domaine de Montcy Licorne 2020, Cour-Cheverny, Loire Valley, ~30 euro. The very rare romorantin is a stellar grape in the Loire. Planted only in the Cour-Cheverny appellation in Touraine.
Vouvray Domaine Des Lauriers 2022, Vouvray, Loire Valley, ~15 euro. Chenin blanc is a must if you like full-bodied and very fresh white wines.
Le Grill Mas Cristine Blanc 2018, Côtes du Roussillon, ~15 euro. Roussillon’s white grapes give wines with a lovely mouthfeel and some fatness. Here we have vermentino, grenache blanc and macabeu.
The Grapesmith Mediterraneo 2020, Simonsig, Stellenbosch, South Africa, ~20 euro. A Southern French blend with a little help from Portugal. Roussanne and marsanne dominate and are complemented by grenache blanc, verdelho and bourboulenc.
Read more on structure wines here on BKWine Magazine.
Brisat, a historic skin-macerated white wine in Catalonia is again appreciated at its true value
Skin-macerated white wine has been made here and there before today’s trend of orange wines started. One such wine district in Spain is Terra Alta in Catalonia, whose white wines with skin contact have now been integrated into the appellation. Historically, white wines with skin contact have always been made in Terra Alta (and other places in Catalonia). The name of these wines is brisat. But light and fresh white wines made with modern technology and made to be drunk young took over. When Terra Alta DO was formed, the tannin-rich and powerful brisat wines did not fit into the appellation rules and thus had to be left out. Until now.
Brisat wines must be made with at least 85% garnatxa blanca (the Catalan spelling for garnacha), macabeu or a blend of these two. They ferment totally or partly with the skins. Terra Alta is situated west of Priorat. Read more: sevenfifty
Alsace wants to plant new grape varieties: chenin blanc, vermentino, nebbiolo, malbec and more
Alsace wants to try out 16 new grape varieties to see if they can help wine producers in the region cope with climate change and reduce their use of plant protection. The 16 grapes are ten white grape varieties: chenin blanc, floréal, johannite, petit manseng, opalor, petit courbu, selenor, souvignier gris, vermentino and voltis; and six red varieties: nero d’avola, coliris, malbec, nebbiolo, sirano and syrah. The grapes have been selected according to various criteria, mainly resistance to disease, time of ripening and level of acidity.
If the INAO (Institut national de l’Origine et de la Qualité) will approve all these grapes is currently unclear. Certain grape varieties are considered “emblematic” for a certain wine-growing area, and there is a kind of agreement between the wine regions and INAO that these varieties should not be integrated into the rules of other areas. Alsace, e.g. do not want riesling or gewurztraminer to appear on labels other than Alsatian wine. Now they want to experiment with petit manseng, the emblematic grape of Jurançon, the chenin blanc of the Loire Valley and the malbec of Cahors. Not at all certain that it will be approved. 8 out of the 16 grape varieties – floréal, johannite, souvignier gris, voltis, opals, selenos, coliris and sirano – are fungus-resistant hybrids. Read more: vitisphere
But perhaps this can lead to less provincial chauvinism among the French wine regions and that e.g. Alsace no longer objects to others using riesling, etc. A chauvinism which, to be fair, is also wide-spread in other countries, e.g. Italy, that wants a monopoly on the grape name vermentino.
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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.
Stowell’s Guide to the Wines and Wineries of Cyprus, by Matthew Stowell | Book Review
Stowell’s Guide to the Wines and Wineries of Cyprus by Matthew Stowell is probably the only book about Cypriot wines; at least, it is the only one I’ve seen. The core of the book is the 56 winery profiles. It covers – according to the author – all wineries (or almost) in Cyprus. It is a must-have for anyone who is travelling to Cyprus and wants to explore the wines of this surprising country.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: Stowell’s Guide to the Wines and Wineries of Cyprus, by Matthew Stowell | Book Review.
Meet Italy’s answer to Viña Tondonia — Mattia Vezzola at Costaripa makes barrel-aged rosé wines by Lake Garda
After working as an oenologist at the well-known winery Bellavista in Franciacorta, Mattia Vezzola today dedicates his time to his own wines, especially barrel-aged rosé wines, on the family estate Costaripa. This year, he also celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of his first sparkling wine made using the classic method. Molmento Valtenesi 2018 is a very special rosé wine. It is made with groppello and smaller portions of sangiovese, marzemino and barbera. It is made from a single vineyard on a small scale. After a skin contact of four hours, it ferments and ages for two years in barrels and then three years in bottles.
Read more in Åsa Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: Meet Italy’s answer to Viña Tondonia — Mattia Vezzola at Costaripa makes barrel-aged rosé wines by Lake Garda.
Gamay, now with great ambitions | grape variety profile | Britt on Forbes
Gamay is a charming grape, easy to recognise. Gamay often produces an easy-drinking, berry-like wine, sometimes a little spicy, often unpretentious, but today just as often with great ambition. Gamay is best known as the grape of Beaujolais, which is natural. It is indeed found in other places but to a very limited extent. Which, in a way, is surprising. Because gamay is very easy to like. It is often recognised wherever it comes from. It produces charming wines with a fruitiness that few other grapes can beat. The acidity is palpable and fresh. Gamay produces highly personal and characterful wines.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Gamay, a charmer with unexpected talents | grape profile | Britt on Forbes.
BKWine Tastes: Complex gamay, Château Moulin-à-Vent, new vintage of white Cairanne from Domaine Brusset and Wynns’ John Riddoch | July 2023
This month we have selected two wines from Château de Moulin-à-Vent, a vineyard with a long history in the Beaujolais village of the same name. In addition, we have tasted new vintages of John Riddoch from Wynns in Coonawarra, Australia and the white Cairanne from Domaine Brusset.
“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: Complex gamay, Château Moulin-à-Vent, new vintage of white Cairanne from Domaine Brusset and Wynns’ John Riddoch | July 2023.
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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!
Champagne is not only for celebration | wine tour Champagne
All over the world, Champagne is synonymous with celebration. Champagne puts people in a good mood. It is the perfect start to a dinner. You only need to show the bottle, and people start to look happy. Of course, champagne is much more versatile than that. On our tour, our meals will show you have well champagne goes with food. The tastings will show you different kinds of champagne, the differences in taste and how the winemakers’ choices during the production process influence the character of the champagne. Want to know more?
Come on a wine tour to Champagne with us.
Book now!
- Champagne, September 27 – October 1, 2023
And also: We have written an internationally award-winning book on Champagne, so you can hardly get a better guide to the region.
Champagne and Bordeaux, a wine adventure | wine tour
Our Grand Wine Tour, a 9-day wine adventure, will take you to Champagne and Bordeaux, the two most famous French wine regions. We will spend four nights in Reims, the “capital” of champagne, with its many well-known champagne houses and the magnificent Notre Dame de Reims cathedral, a UNESCO heritage site. The fast train (TGV) will take us to Bordeaux to visit some of the famous chateaux in Médoc, Pessac-Léognan and Saint Emilion. In both regions, you will have not only exquisite wines but also delicious meals.
This is a unique opportunity to visit France’s two most famous wine regions in one enjoyable go.
Come and discover Champagne and Bordeaux with us.
Book now!
- Champagne and Bordeaux, September 27 – October 5, 2023
PS: We have written an internationally award-winning book about Champagne, and also one on Bordeaux. And nine other wine books. Can you think of any other wine tour operator with that in the baggage?
Bordeaux, where everyone lives in a chateau | wine tour
There are approximately 5,000 wine châteaux in Bordeaux. Of course, not all of them have towers and pinnacles, but quite a few are real fairytale castles. A château in Bordeaux can also look like an ordinary house because all wine estates have the right to call themselves château in Bordeaux. A privilege no other wine region in France enjoys. Want to know more about Bordeaux, its wines, and its history? Come with us for visits in Médoc, Pauillac, Saint Estèphe, Saint-Emilion and Pessac-Léognan. You will enjoy superb meals at the chateaux as well as exciting visits to vineyards and cellars and, of course, several wine tastings.
Discover the secrets and delights of Bordeaux with us.
Book now!
- Bordeaux, October 1-5, 2023
PS: We have written a book about Bordeaux, and have been travelling there since 1986. Can you find a better guide and tour operator?
Chile and Argentina, two great wine countries, different with equally exciting | wine tour in South America
Argentina and Chile are South America’s two largest wine countries, with a long and exciting history of viticulture. We begin our journey with a few days in the great city of Buenos Aires, which is the cultural and economic centre of Argentina. Here we will experience the city’s pulse, architecture, and gastronomy. We then continue by plane to Mendoza, Argentina’s largest wine region by far. Malbec, which is the country’s signature grape, is grown here, but also several other grape varieties. The Andes are close by, and some vineyards are located at high altitudes. It is a mighty landscape. Our bus takes us to Chile over the Andes, an unforgettable journey. We continue out to the Pacific coast and the town of Viña del Mar, a popular seaside resort. We visit Casablanca and San Antonio, with vineyards close to the Ocean with a cool climate that is perfect for sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Then we continue to the small town of Santa Cruz and the beautiful wine district of Colchagua, known above all for its red wines of cabernet sauvignon and carmenère. We end the trip in Chile’s capital, Santiago, a modern and lively city.
Come with us and discover the wine countries of Chile and Argentina.
Book now!
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to Chile and Argentina 2023.
South Africa, spectacularly beautiful wine country with great variety | wine tour
South Africa has many advantages as a wine country, not least a mild climate that favours viticulture. Many different grape varieties do well down in the country’s south-west, around Cape Town, where they get both sun and cool breezes from the Ocean. Bordeaux grapes have long been favourites among producers, but there is much more to discover. Near the coasts, sauvignon blanc is grown successfully and produces fresh and aromatic white wines. In the hot region of Swartland, superb wines are now made from grenache, carignan and cinsault, among others. The wines are spicy and flavourful.
Discover South Africa, the fantastic wine country, with us.
Book now!
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to South Africa 2023.
A wine adventure: a voyage of discovery to New Zealand 2024 | wine tour
Going to New Zealand is an adventure. Our tour is a wine tour but it is also a discovery trip of the country. Out journey starts in Auckland on the North Island, the country’s largest city, and then we go by bus (and boat) all the way down to Queenstown on the South Island. We stop in the wine regions of Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, and Central Otago. We will visit around 20 wine producers. We will taste many wines, but will also have time to enjoy the scenery and several of the small and larger towns that we pass with our bus. New Zealand offers some spectacular nature, such as Rotorua with its geysers and hot springs, Central Otago with its high mountains and Lake Tekapo with its amazing blue colour. We stop in Kaikoura, a village famous for its seafood. We will try their crayfish. Wellington, the capital, also gets a short visit before taking the ferry to the South Island.
Join us for a great wine, nature and culture experience on the New Zealand wine tour.
Book now!
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to New Zealand 2020.
