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Not yet time to abandon the New World
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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 education programs. Honestly, this is borderline non-news and not really important at all, but it is somewhat interesting when you look at the supposed reasons for it and the wine media attention it has received.
In this year’s January Brief, we wrote about the New and Old World definition (Is the “New World” outdated?), and our conclusion then was that ” it’s time to scrap the concept of a New World style of red wines on steroids and white butterscotch bombs.”. The wines from the New World have changed since the first ones began to be exported on a larger scale. It is no longer easy (if it ever was) to distinguish between the Old World and the New World in a blind tasting.
The fact that the differences in taste and style between the Old and New World have been blurred is said to be one of the Court’s arguments for its abolition. Another is that the division “disadvantages the New World countries and encourages cultural bias”. Some wine writers who commented on the Court’s decision believe it indicates a modernisation of its education material.
Yes, the concept of the New and Old World may be old-fashioned. Young people brought up with wines from all over the world certainly look at the world of wine differently than we do, those of us who remember when New World wines first started appearing on store shelves in and outside Europe over 30 years ago. We remember when the French dismissed New World wines as bland and easy to drink (implied as opposed to complex French wines). And it was with those types of wines that the New World initially profiled itself. Wines that Old World consumers raved about when they appeared.
Today, the term is not used as much as it was in the beginning when the New World was a novelty. Back then, it was a group of countries with drier, warmer, and sunnier climates – and a different tradition in production and consumption – and thus a wine style that was different from what we were used to. Then, when New Zealand appeared, there was suddenly a New World country that, climatically, did not fit in among the others. Now, each individual New World country has its specific character, and we usually talk about the countries individually, not as a group.
If the New World has suffered and feels disadvantaged by being called precisely this, we don’t know. But considering the market shares they took from the French wines on the export market, I find it hard to believe. It is wrong to think that Old World wines have more prestige and can charge more for their wines. How many prestige wines (and expensive wines) are there in Old World countries other than in France (and a bit in Italy)? Not many. Being in the Old World is not automatically an advantage.
Better than scrapping the term would be to relegate it to the chapter on wine history, which presumably is part of a sommelier’s training. You can’t get away from historical facts. The Old Wine World, that is, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caucasus (Georgia and Armenia mainly), made wine long before the birth of Christ. It spread the vines and wine culture to other continents it colonised in the 16th century and up to the 19th century. That the term would somehow be an expression of imperialism or oppression (which some commentators have suggested) is even more absurd.
The Old and New World describes history. The Old World started making wine, and then, much later, the New World followed. It is straightforward. Even today, it can function as a simple and practical shorthand for “wine countries other than Europe”.
And guess what? We actually have wine tours to the New World. Surely that sounds enticing, doesn’t it? You can still join the wine tour to New Zealand in March, a fantastic adventure to one of the world’s newest wine countries! And it is maybe possible also to join us in South Africa in February. See more information later in the Brief. Soon, South America in January 2025 will be on the program. The fact is that in South Africa and South America, they have been growing grapes and making wine longer than they have in the Médoc, a fascinating thought. Join us on a discovery tour in the old-new world of wine.
The best Christmas present
With all our travels, it’s hard to believe that it’s soon Christmas, but it is. If you’re looking for a Christmas present that is absolutely fantastic and will be a memory for life, take a look at our two winter tours:
- South Africa in February
- New Zealand in March
You can still book a seat or two on these very special trips. Just imagine what effect a small envelope under the Christmas tree with a gift card for one of these would have!
So treat yourself to something truly special this winter, join us on the wine tour to South Africa in February or the wine tour to New Zealand in March!
Autumn tours
The autumn tours to Bordeaux and Champagne in 2024 are underway. And maybe some others. (Rhone and Burgundy? What would you like?) More info coming soon.
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.
WE WISH YOU ALL AN EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS AND A VERY GOOD NEW YEAR.
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:
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- South Africa, 8-18 February 2024
- New Zealand, 12-27 March 2024
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- Champagne, 25-29 September 2024
- Bordeaux and Champagne, 25 Sept – 3 Oct 2024
- Bordeaux, 29 Sep – 3 Oct 2024
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- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025 (’25 program coming soon)
- South Africa, February 2025 (’25 program coming soon)
- New Zealand, March 2025 (’25 program coming soon)
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.
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The classified châteaux in Bordeaux make a push for the environment
The UGCB, Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, is an exclusive association for the classified châteaux of Bordeaux (the 1855 classification in Médoc and Sauternes and the classifications in Graves and Saint Emilion), as well as a few well-chosen non-classified châteaux. The association has 131 member châteaux. They are now looking forward to a future characterised by sustainability.
UGCB recently launched Ethiq’Union, a set of regulations to reduce spraying, eliminate the herbicides (most châteaux have apparently already stopped), increase cover crops and plant trees and hedges, and reduce the carbon footprint through various measures. A sustainability label will become mandatory for members. 40 of the chateaux members are already organically certified or under conversion. Others prefer the French sustainability label Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE), but Ronan Laborde, president of UGCB and owner of Château Clinet in Pomerol, thinks you must go further. He says it can be challenging to be organic in a humid climate like Bordeaux, but he coins a new concept, “bio raisonné”, which he believes they practice at Clinet. That is a good way of working, of course although “bio raisonné” is an unfortunate choice of words. Just as that you should not say “almost organic”, as some producers nevertheless do. Either you are organic or you are not. Read more: lesechos
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine.
Read: more on organics and sustainability in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
Can a de-alcoholised wine equal the original?
The EU now allows de-alcoholised wines to use geographical designations of origin (IGP, AOP, etc.). But it is up to each country’s appellations to decide whether to allow it in their local rules. It is not an easy question, says the French l’Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) as they pose the question: Does a wine that has been partially or fully de-alcoholised really retain the terroir character from a specific area? (Which is the basic fundament for the appellations.)
We don’t think so. Admittedly, “terroir” is a vague expression, but even ignoring terroir, a wine without alcohol is not a wine, period. At least not what we mean with the word. Of course, it gets more complicated if a wine has just removed a few percentage points of alcohol. INAO and other concerned organisations seem to be doubtful as well. It will probably be a few years of experimentation before any decisions are made. In addition, questions remain about which technologies will be allowed to be used. But the issue is also financial. If there is a large market for de-alcoholised wines, it can help an industry in crisis. Read more: vitisphere
The list of wine ingredients is almost here. — What is it? Will consumers care?
The new EU law concerning the list of ingredients for wine entered into force on 8 December this year. But do not look for it on the bottles just yet. The law applies to wines produced after December 8, 2023, and since most wines harvested during this autumn are fully fermented and finished, the law only applies in practice from vintage 2024. How important is this new law? It is essential because there is no reason why wine should be exempt from the law that applies to all other packaged foods. How important it will be for wine drinkers is hard to say.
The list of ingredients tells you what is used in making the wine and is in the wine when it is bottled, not how it was made. If a processing agent has been used that has since been removed from the wine, it does not need to be stated. Besides the obvious – grapes – some additives must be mentioned if used. The three most important groups of additives are preservatives (ascorbic acid, sulfur dioxide, potassium metabisulphite, etc.), agents that regulate the acidity (citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, etc.) and stabilisers (mannoproteins from yeast, gum arabicum, metatartaric acid, etc.). In addition, you must state sugar or concentrated grape must if the wine has been enriched (“chaptalised”). It remains to be seen whether wine consumers will be shocked to read that their favourite wine contains any of this. The ingredients can be stated directly on the label or using a QR code on the label. Two things to note though: 1) This list is not a question of a chemical analysis, listing alcohol percentage, acidity level, sulphur contents etc. 2) Contrary to what is sometimes said, it has never been forbidden to put a list of ingredients on the label.
Langlois-Chateau, why call yourself a chateau when you have none?
Langlois-Château, a wine estate close to Saumur in the Loire Valley, makes Crémant de Loire, a sparkling wine hugely popular. The house has now changed its name and is called only Langlois. The word Chateau is thus dropped. The estate never had a château. Chateau comes from the name of one of the founders, Jeanne Chateau (note the difference in spelling, no circumflex). But apparently, many people thought Chateau stood for château, which led to confusion. With a new name, label design and significant investments in their Crémant de Loire, a new chapter begins for Langlois, which Champagne Bollinger has owned for several years. At the same time, they are reducing their production of still wines. They will stop buying grapes and only make still wine from the 62 hectares they own with the appellation AOC Saumur. Read more: vitisphere
Flavescence dorée, a disease of concern in the vineyard
There is a lot of talk about fungal diseases, which are a real problem for winegrowers (powdery mildew/oidium, downy mildew/mildiou and others). But other diseases in the vineyard are also serious. One is flavescence dorée (grapevine yellow in English), a bacterial infection spread by a grasshopper. A November seminar organised by the French research institute INRAE gave us some interesting information. The grasshopper came to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. American vines were imported from the United States, and the grasshopper tagged along for the ride. The bacterium, however, was already present in Europe but not the insect. The combination did not turn out well. Flavescence dorée was first discovered in Armagnac in 1958, and since then, the grasshopper has spread the bacterium around Europe. An alarmingly large part of the French vineyard area is infected. It is not certain that the vines will die, and it may take time, but they will weaken. It is essential to carefully monitor the vineyards and uproot infected vines so they do not spread the disease further. Furthermore, spraying with insecticides against the grasshopper is vital; in several regions of France, spraying is mandatory.
All grape varieties can be affected by flavescence dorée; currently, none are resistant, but they are more or less sensitive. It is in that way a bigger threat than the fungal diseases. Malbec, merlot and syrah are only slightly susceptible, but other widely planted varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, grenache, sauvignon blanc and ugni blanc (in Cognac mainly) are very sensitive.
Sweet delights, wines for Christmas
Sweet Christmas delights can be chocolate, marrons glacés or a sweet wine. Here are some last-minute recommendations and inspiration. Christmas is not quite complete without a sweet wine, often fortified, to go with the blue cheese, the nuts, the chocolate…
Fonseca Terra Prima Organic Port 2018. This is the first organic port wine, and it is also sustainable thanks to its lightweight bottle.
Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 2012. It is a superb vintage port that you can enjoy today. A Guimaraens Vintage matures a little faster than Fonseca’s Classic Vintage.
Don PX, Bodegas Toro Albala, Montilla-Moriles Andalusia. With this extraordinary wine made from the pedro ximenes grape, there is no need for anything sweet to eat. With over 300 grams of residual sugar per litre, you sip it on the sofa with a good book. Read more about Toro Alba in this BKWine Magazine article.
Alambre, Moscatel de Setúbal 2018, José Maria da Fonseca. They make aromatic, sweet, fortified wines on the Setúbal peninsula south of Lisbon. They are not well-known, but they are delicious. Read more on JM da Fonseca in this BKWine Magazine article.
Are Champagne Bollinger’s ungrafted vines and Vieilles Vignes Françaises facing certain death?
Champagne Bollinger’s flagship Vieilles Vignes Françaises (VVF) is made in ever smaller quantities. The grapes come from vines planted franc de pied, a French expression for planted on its own roots. Thus, these vines are not grafted onto an American root resistant to the vine louse like all other vines in Champagne (and almost everywhere else). But more and more of the two protected, walled plots (0.21 and 0.15 hectares, respectively) that provide the grapes for VVF are being eaten by the vine louse. The youngest vines die first; the older ones with more extensive root systems are more resistant. Soon, there may not be any vines left to make the famous champagne. The yields are getting smaller and smaller. Bollinger says the number of bottles has gone from 3,000-4,000 (normal for a third of a hectare) to around 700 in just ten years.
How much, if any, of the character of the champagne that comes from the fact that the vines grow on their own roots is impossible to say. Bollinger can probably make as good a champagne on the same plots from grafted vines. Nevertheless, VVF has a unique selling point. And a unique price. (Shelf price around 1,500-2,500 euro.)
If you have a bottle of VVF in the cellar, saving it until the champagne is no longer made might be a good idea. Then, you can probably make a fortune at a wine auction. Read more: thedrinksbusiness
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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.
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Some top wine producers from Australia and New Zealand show what they can do
Impressions from a wine show with producers from Australia and New Zealand. Overall, the quality level was very high among the wines at the show, with both Australian and New Zealand wine producers. It is interesting that so many are adopting a more modern style in their winemaking. The jaminess, which is still there, has a stringency and, in some cases, a gracefulness and elegance. Also interesting was that 130 out of 180 producers lack a distributor in Sweden. Especially considering the quality they displayed. BKWine Magazine reporter Anders Åhlén reports.
Read more in Anders Åhlén’s article on BKWine Magazine: Some top wine producers from Australia and New Zealand show what they can do.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to New Zealand with BKWine.
Better champagnes at better prices with growers’ champagne – a selection
Champagne growers on a visit to Stockholm with the Franska Vinlistan serve Nobel Prize wine. It has almost become a tradition. At the end of the autumn, a small gathering of wine producers from Champagne will come up to Stockholm. The French ambassador opens the doors to his home, the French residence. There, in a very special setting on Narvavägen, these champagne growers offer Swedish wine enthusiasts an abundance of goodies from Champagne. It’s a demonstration that it can be more exciting to drink champagne from a grower who makes a few thousand rare bottles, and who is a real person you can talk to, than from one of the big houses that make millions of bottles that you find at every single airport around the world. Everything orchestrated by Jan Netterberg of the wine e-shop Franska Vinlistan. BKWine Magazine’s Sven-Olof Johansson was there and has selected some favourites among these luxurious wines.
Read more in S-O Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: The mini-champagne fair with the small producers and the big champagnes.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine. (We’ve written a prize-winning book on Champagne.)
A Champagne Project In Support Of Ukraine – Victory Of Dignity | Per on Forbes
Can you help Ukraine and democracy by drinking champagne? Maybe — with the project Victoire de la dignité. It’s been a week of ups and downs for world politics and the progress of democracy. Unusual words here on a wine magazine. The EU has opened accession talks with Ukraine. It has done the same thing with Moldova. Good news. Congratulations, Moldova and Ukraine. (We have previously written quite a bit on Moldovan wines; see here.) However, both Ukraine and Moldova are still under threat from Russia. And, as a consequence, so is Western democracy. This week’s bad news was that Viktor Orban, Hungary’s Prime Minister and Putin’s friend in the EU, blocked a new aid package for Ukraine. But there are still things we can do to support Ukraine. For example, we can buy a bottle of champagne specifically created to help one of Ukraine’s military hospitals in Kyiv, created by Mariia Didkovska in the project she calls Victory of Dignity, “Victoire de la dignité”. If all goes well, we can then, one day, toast the victory of Ukraine and the defeat of Russian aggression in a glass of champagne.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Drink champagne and support Ukraine | Per on Forbes.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine. (We’ve written a prize-winning book on Champagne.)
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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!
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South Africa, a wine tour packed with experiences
Urgent, if you want to book on this fantastic wine tour experience!
You experience lots of exciting things during our days in South Africa. We explore Cape Town and take the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain where we have a fantastic view. We make an excursion to the Cape Peninsula and visit the famous Cape of Good Hope. We soak up the atmosphere of Stellenbosch, a lively university town with beautiful, white houses in the characteristic Cape Dutch style. We go to the south coast and the picturesque town of Hermanus. Here in the Walker Bay wine region, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc thrive thanks to the cooling effect of the sea. We will also go to Franschhoek and even to Swartland and Tulbagh. These two wine regions are exciting but different and not many wine tourists take the time to go there. We admire the landscape along the way. It is impressive the way the mountains are constantly changing colour. We meet passionate winemakers and wine families who happily share their lives as wine producers with us. In addition, we enjoy delicious meals. South Africa is known for its good cuisine, which has influences from many cultures. Join us there in February.
Contact us if you are interested in coming to South Africa in February.
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.
New Zealand, exotic and far away | wine tour
Urgent, if you want to book on this fantastic wine tour experience!
New Zealand is far away, a fact that renders it a certain exotic fascination. It is a narrow country, surrounded by water, which of course affects the climate. The winters are mild and the summers are warm but rarely hot. Autumn is long and beautiful. The west coast is rainy. The vineyards, on the other hand, are on the east coast and sheltered from the rain. The landscape is special. You will get to see a lot of it during this tour. We will visit both the North Island and the South Island during our 16 days together. Auckland is the big city on the North Island. This is where we start our tour and it does not end until we have made it all the way down to the bustling town of Queenstown on the South Island by bus and by boat.
In between we visit the wine regions of Waiheke Island, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, which include Martinborough, on the North Island and Marlborough and Central Otago on the South Island. We get to know the Maori culture; we look at glaciers and geysers. We feast on local crayfish and green mussels. We visit the fine capital Wellington. And not least, by taste a variety of wines during our various wine visits.
There are still a few places left on this exceptional wine tour to New Zealand in March.
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.
Champagne + food = a perfect pairing | wine tour
For many years now, they have tried to launch champagne as a food wine and not just a drink for festive occasions. They have succeeded to some extent, but despite that, for many people champagne is a still a wine for special moments and that probably depends to some extent on the price. Champagne is never a cheap wine and that, in turn, depends on various things such as prestige, marketing, production methods, long ageing… All these things you will learn about on the tour as we talk and discuss with our hosts at the wineries. You will learn many secrets about Champagne on this tour. Magnificent tastings and lunches with champagne throughout, are of course included.
Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Champagne.
- Champagne, 25-29 September 2024
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, an enjoyable must for any wine lover| wine tour
Tasting wines from two of the most classic wine regions of the world is a must for any wine lover. If the two regions are Champagne and Bordeaux you can be sure to enjoy yourself also. From well-tended vineyards on the slopes of Champagne to the prestige chateaux in Médoc, Graves and Saint Emilion, throughout the tour we will taste prestigious wines during our tastings but also combined with the French gastronomy at its best during our lunches at chateaux and Champagne houses. This is a tour you will remember.
- Champagne and Bordeaux, 25 September – 3 October 2024
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?
The wine world’s grandest region? | wine tour to Bordeaux
This is the wine tour with grandiose châteaux and prestigious wines. Some of the châteaux could be from a fairytale, but not all of them. We will also visit smaller estates, not as famous but with equally superb wines. We mix to give you a good picture of Bordeaux today, this big wine region that has a bigger variety of wines and styles than you would think. Our hotel is in the city of Bordeaux, maybe the most beautiful city in the whole of France. We luxurious lunches at the chateau are worth the tour alone. A classic wine region to discover or rediscover.
Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Bordeaux.
- Bordeaux, 29 September – 3 October, 2024
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 remarkable but different wine countries | the South America wine tour
Argentina and Chile are different. They both make a lot of wine, actually they are two of the biggest wine producers of the world. Argentina is very focused on red wines; Chile is making more and more white wines as the country’s producers discover cool climate regions across the country. We will start our tour in Buenos Aires and continue to Mendoza, the biggest wine region of Argentina. Here most of the famous bodegas are based. The most important grape is malbec, sometimes planted to very high altitudes. We continue our tour across the Andes Mountains to Chile, a spectacular tour by bus that will take the best part of a day but it is worth it. The border crossing is at 3000 metres altitude. I Chile we will visit the coastal areas as well as Maipo, close to Santiago de Chile and the beautiful Colchagua Valley, some 200 kilometres south of the capital. The landscape is very different from Mendoza, as you will discover, and the wines also, are different. Both countries have their specific characters.
Come with us and discover the wine countries of Chile and Argentina.
- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025
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.
