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Are we stuck in an old rut?
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The Prowein Business Report takes the pulse of the wine industry once a year. The new report states that the wine industry is at a crucial crossroads. That is pretty much what many others are saying too. Two things immediately strike you when you read the report: as a wine producer, you should focus on sparkling or still white wine. Not red and indeed not fortified wine. Fortunately, there are local differences; some markets still like red wines. You should cut back on your premium and super premium wines, they have become too expensive.
Is that true?
Baby boomers will continue to drink wine as they (we) have always done, but of those who come after, later generations, how many will adopt the same drinking frequency and way of drinking wine? Not very many if you are to believe the experts. Although so far, we know too little about it to say for sure. However, the fact that wine consumption is currently decreasing is certain. Maybe it is temporary, maybe not.
A shift is underway and it is not the first time in the history of the wine industry so it is not (yet) world-changing. The OIV’s recent review of wine consumption and production over 100 years clearly showed it. High peaks and dramatic troughs. But each time, something positive comes out of this.
Think about when wine was democratised and became a drink for everyone (wine-producing countries are not affected by this statement, everyone there drank wine since a long time back) or when the New World appeared out of nowhere. The USA became the world’s largest wine consumer. Will that perhaps change now with more expensive imports (tariffs)?
What will happen this time?
Young people have a new way of looking at wine. One example: According to reports, young people in the USA do not know what is so special about champagne and why it should cost so much more than other sparkling wines. Are they right or wrong? We do not want to single out champagne in particular because it probably applies to other wines as well. But it puts the finger on a sore point: they do not spend if they do not know why. That is why it is essential to keep the myths alive. At least some people think so (certainly those who depend on them, but not only).
Will the myths survive or fade away? And will the various existing wine education programs emphasise or ignore the myths? (One often gets the impression that they function more as marketing channels for famous regions and brands than education institutions teaching critical thinking.)
Perhaps the development can move towards less rule-bound wine drinking? Without musts, without lists of “100 wines to drink before you die”. Let curiosity guide you instead. Curiosity is the true wine lover’s greatest asset.
Physically, we should also spread ourselves out a little more. The fact that certain places on our globe receive too many tourists has not escaped anyone. It is as if tourists are drawn to tourists, or perhaps people are drawn to what they recognise and are familiar with. Curious people go to unusual places and may have a much better experience.
We see this clearly in our travel business. It is easy (or at least easier) to attract travellers to the world-famous wine regions. But if we put something more unusual on our travel program, it becomes a challenge. Roussillon anyone? Rias Baixas? Alentejo? Slovenia? Moldova? Georgia? Okanagan Valley?…
But even when it comes to what we drink, we should spread our graces far and wide. Don’t believe in myths; instead try all the interesting wines that come your way. Why not choose something unknown the next time you shop instead of aiming for that one from the famous region that got the highest points in the latest tasting review?
The news items in this month’s Brief have a special focus on Sweden. Systembolaget’s sales statistics (the Swedish alcohol retail monopoly) for 2024 have been published and we take a close look at it, revealing some surprising (some positive, some not) figures.
Inspired by the first wine tours of this year, to Chile-Argentina and to South Africa, we also take a look at some particularly interesting wines you that you may find from these countries on your market.
We have already completed the tour to Argentina and Chile in January and the South Africa wine tour in February. New Zealand remains to be done in March. We still have a lot to post in the tours’ Facebook group. Join us virtually and (almost) live on these tours if you are curious about these wine countries:
- Chile and Argentinas wine tour on Facebook
- South Africa wine tour on Facebook
- New Zealand wine tour on Facebook
Click Join and then choose how many notifications you want – everything, the most important, nothing.
They will all three be back on the programme in 2026.
New Bordeaux Tour
Our Burgundy and Rhone Valley tour has had such a success so it is currently fully booked. So, we have decided to add a new tour this coming autumn season: a new five-day extravagant Bordeaux tour. All the final details are not quite settled, but contact us now if you are interested!
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
Wine editors to the national encyclopaedia, Forbes.com contributors, award-winning wine book authors, wine tour advisors to the UN and national wine organisations, wine judges … and, above all, passionate wine travellers.
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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:
- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025
- South Africa, 14-24 February 2025
- New Zealand, 11-26 March 2025
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- Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, 17-25 September 2025
- Bordeaux, wine, gastronomy, chateaux, 28 September – 4 October 2025
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- Chile-Argentina, 12-25 January 2026
- South Africa, 15-25 February 2026
- New Zealand, 10-25 March 2026
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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Does “green harvest” improve the wine?
Green harvest (or “cluster thinning”) is when the grower removes some grape bunches in the middle of summer, before they are ripe (sometimes later), to lessen the harvest volume. Some years ago, this was very popular. More recently, it seems less prevalent. Green harvest is often thought to result in better quality wine, thanks to more flavours being concentrated in the remaining grapes – by reducing the amount of grapes, the remaining ones become more flavourful. A recent meta-study published on Oneo-one shows that this is sometimes the case, but not always. (This is closely linked to the idea that “lower yields make for better wine”, which is also sometimes the case but not always.) The authors conclude that many factors – most importantly climate — influence whether or not green harvest has a positive effect. Some wine growers we have talked to say that they avoid it because the vine will react to the cutting of its “offsprings” by producing even more grapes the following year, necessitating an even more severe green harvest. They point out that it may be more important to control the yield by correct winter pruning rather than green harvest. As so often in wine, the answer seems to be “it depends”. Read more: internationalwinechallenge
Wine recommendations from South Africa inspired by our wine tour
We have just returned from this year’s wine tour to South Africa. It is a fantastic wine country and on-site you experience what a dynamic country it is with lots of exciting things happening, e.g. a new unique white grape called chenel (chenin blanc x ugni blanc), or the wine-growing area that is expanding north to Swartland and Tulbagh, or pinotage that today delivers excellent wines, or MCC South Africa’s top-class sparkling wine, or… Here are some recommendations that can give you a little taste of today’s dynamic South Africa. Rather than giving you specific wines, we give you the names of producers that you can go looking for:
- Gabriëlskloof – in Walker Bay with Peter-Allan Finlayson (of Crystallum fame) as winemaker
- Creation Wine – in Hemel en Aarde, a specialist in pinot noir and chardonnay
- Stark-Condé – a top property in Stellenbosch, also makes the MAN range and since recently, Lievland
- Waterford – an elegant estate in Stellenbosch with, among other things, chenin blanc
- Saronsberg – far north in Tulbagh, also makes sparkling
- Holden Manz – deep in the Franschhoek Valley with a French winemaker
- Aslina – South Africa’s first female black winemaker, has created her own winery, named after her grandmother
There are many more, and several that we visit on our tour may be hard to find in some markets (Springfontein, De Kleine Wijn Koöp, Wildeberg, Dornier…). The “big names” — Mulderbosch, Boekenhoutskloof, Allesverloren, Boschendal, Kleine Zalze, Badenhorst, Kanonkop, Uitzicht, Mullineux and others — certainly make good wines too. Still, it is often more fun, exciting, personal, and at least as good (and often better priced) with these smaller producers.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine. 2025 tour soon to be launched.
See: See pictures and videos from South Africa 2024 in the wine tours Facebook group.
The ten best-selling wines in Sweden, at Systembolaget, 2024
It is no surprise that the best-sellers at Systembolaget are bag-in-box wines. More than half of all wine is sold in bib. But it is surprising that the first bottled wine comes in 31st place – and it is sparkling. You have to go all the way to 109th place to find a still bottled wine, and that is a one-litre bottle. Lower prices attracts… Here are the ten best-sellers, all in a three-litre bag-in-box:
- Il Barone Rosso, Vini Mundi, Italy, SEK 205, 2.3 million litres
- Castillo de Gredos White wine, Bodega Vinartis, Spain, SEK 197, 2.2 M l
- Les Fumées Blanches Sauvignon Blanc, François Lurton, France, SEK 289, 2.2 M l
- Lisa 1503 Bianco D’Artista, Oenoforos, Spain, SEK 199, 2.2 M l
- Lisa 1503, Nordic Sea Winery (Oenoforos), Italy, SEK 209, 2.2 M l
- In the MOOD for Chenin Blanc, Perdeberg Winery, South Africa, SEK 209, 1.9 M l
- Leva Chardonnay Dimiat & Muscat, Vinex Savyantsi, Bulgaria, SEK 229, 1.8 M l
- Chapel Hill Riesling Sauvignon Blanc, Balatonboglar Winery, Hungary, 219 SEK, 1.8 M l
- Puy Chéri Syrah Rosé, Foncalieu, France, 259 SEK, 1.7 M l
- Il Barone Ecologico Organic White, ViniMundi, Spain, 205 SEK, 1.6 M l
Probably all of these are made or explicitly designed with the Swedish market and Swedish consumers’ tastes in mind. This happens in all markets, not just Sweden, where you have a customer who buys two million litres. It is not a quaint farmer plodding on his soil that makes 2 million litres. These ten sell 20 million litres, i.e., almost ten percent of all sales. The price-per-bottle (75cl) equivalent is approx. 50 SEK (4.40 euro). Not much money is left over for the producer at that price. If we take all 100 best-selling wines, the volume is 94 million litres, i.e. 46% of all wine Systembolaget sells. (It is worth noting that Systembolaget only delivers ~70% of all consumption, the rest going through other channels.)
Some tips for good wines from Chile and Argentina, thinking of our wine tour
Recently returned from this year’s wine tour to Argentina and Chile, we are inspired to recommend some wines from these two exciting wine countries, wines of good quality, particularly interesting, perhaps original, and some that are on our travel program. It is not always easy to find those that are on the travel program because we often visit small producers with less international distribution. But these visits are usually much better; we will meet with the owners or winemakers, something that rarely happens with “the big and famous” names. And the wines are at least as good. International distribution is dominated by the internationally well-known brands, which certainly often do make excellent and reliable wines, e.g. Catena, Zuccardi, Montes, Chocalan, Cono Sur/Emiliana, Lapostolle, Norton, Salentein, etc. But here are some more personal wine recommendations:
- País Viejo, Bouchon, 2022, Chile. Made from the exciting criolla grape país.
- Rústico Cinsault, Viña Bouchon, 2023, Chile. Cinsault, previously a grape looked down upon, now having a renaissance.
- Humo Blanco, Edition Limitada Sauvignon Blanc, 2022, Chile. Humo Blanco is Spanish for Fumée Blanches, François Lurton’s super success in Sweden.
- Mendel, Semillon, 2022, Argentina. A very successful example of semillon that really deserves more attention.
- Weinert, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018, Argentina. From Mendoza’s master of older vintages.
- Ver Sacrum, Monastrell, 2022, Argentina. Made from mourvèdre, famous from Bandol in Provence.
- La Despensa, Field Blend, 2021, Chile. One of several good wines from this small, talented producer.
- Casa Marin Riesling, Miramar Vineyard, 2022, Chile. From one of Chile’s cold climate pioneers.
You might not find these particular wines but look for the name of the producer. They will give you a great wine experience.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Chile and Argentina with BKWine.
See: See pictures and videos from Chile and Argentina in the latest wine tour’s Facebook group.
Argentina, the country with real high-altitude wines, e.g. Estancia Uspallata
High-altitude wines is one of the popular trends in the world of wine today. The idea is, above all, that growing at high altitudes provides a cooler climate, which is good in a world with increasingly high temperatures, and that there are often significant temperature differences between night and day, “diurnal” (supposedly good). Tibet, Peru, China, the Canary Islands… there are several pretenders to “the highest”. Sometimes people talk somewhat unjustifiably about “high altitude”; Chianti/Tuscany, which barely extends up to 500 m above sea level; Savoie, which is easily thought to have high altitude because it is at the foot of the Alps, etc. The country that can probably claim to have the most high-altitude vineyards is Argentina. Salta in the north, with a spectacular landscape sometimes over 3000 m above sea level, and large parts of Mendoza, e.g. Valle de Uco, at over 1000 m. When you cross the Andes from Mendoza to Chile, you pass the small town of Uspallata, where you will find Mendoza’s highest winery, Estancia Uspallata, at 2,000 m. The Saud family from Buenos Aires has a ranch of 40,000 hectares, of which 4 ha are vineyards, with pinot noir and malbec. We drank Estancia Uspallata Malbec 2018 some time ago, and it was excellent with dark berries, full-bodied, good acidity, lots of mouthfeel, a little jammy but still fresh fruit. Worth trying if you can get your hands on it. We bought it in a shop in Mendoza. However, whether there is any truth to the idea that high-altitude wines are special is up to each individual to decide.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Chile and Argentina with BKWine.
See: See pictures and videos from Chile and Argentina in the latest wine tour’s Facebook group.
Systembolaget’s sales in 2024 increase to 40 billion SEK, but profit declines
Systembolaget, the Swedish alcohol monopoly, is a company (owned by the state) and not a government agency. Naturally, Systembolaget aims to generate a profit (which they used to claim was not the case), and since it holds a monopoly, this is easier for them than for other companies. Otherwise, competition is a good tool for price pressure and efficiency. The financial report for 2024 shows that Systembolaget’s profit for the year amounted to 331 million SEK (29 million EUR) (although, with a certain delicacy, the report refers to it as “result” rather than profit). This represents a 24% decrease compared to 2023, when the profit was 434 million SEK (38 M EUR). However, revenue increased by 3.2%, reaching 39.4 billion SEK (3.5 bn EUR).
The decline in profit is reportedly due to a “shift in the mix” and “higher development costs.” (Unclear what that stands for.) Despite increasing competition from, among others, online wine retailers, the state-owned alcohol stores appear to be doing well. Sales volume grew by 1.1%, and the number of customers increased by 0.9%—in other words, they had more customers in 2024, and on average, a customer bought a bigger basket than in 2023. So, despite Systembolaget’s mission to reduce alcohol consumption, sales continue to rise. It is reported that 70% of Swedes’ total alcohol consumption comes from Systembolaget, the rest from alternative sources.
Systembolaget’s wine sales fall also in 2024
Systembolaget’s wine sales (*) fell by 1% in 2024 to 206 million litres. (*) = wine excluding fortified wine. This continues the trend since the Covid rush in 2020, when wine sales increased by 9.2%. Since then, it has fallen: 2021 -0.6%, 2022 -3.4%, 2023 -1.4%, and thus 2024 -1%. However, wine sales in 2024 are still higher than before the pandemic, thus 206 million litres compared to 201 M litres in 2019.
Fortified wine is (unfortunately) not as popular today as it was a hundred years ago. In 2024, Systembolaget sold only 3.4 million litres (less than the two best-selling bag-in-box wines taken together!), a decline of 6.4%. The pandemic year 2020 was good for fortified wine (+7.6%), but since then, it has been mostly down, except for 2023, when it increased by 1.5% (what happened in 2023?). Now, fortified wine is down to a lower volume than before the pandemic.
Spirits sold 23.9 million litres in 2024 (-1.1%), and beer 296 million litres. Converted to pure alcohol, sales were 53.3 million litres in 2024, unchanged since 2023 but still significantly higher than before the pandemic, 49.5 M litres in 2019. Apparently, the monopoly does not always have the effect that is hoped for.
New Zealand gets the best price for its wines in 2024
One of the advantages of having a monopoly (the only?) is that they publish some interesting statistics, e.g. sales statistics per price segment. On the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget’s website, you can see how much wine (*) is sold in different price ranges. ( (*) Excluding fortified wine.) 54% of all wine sold at Systembolaget costs 100 kronor (~9 euro) or more. Below 100 kronor, the company divides it into 10-kronor (~1 euro) intervals. All 10-kronor segments below 100 have decreasing sales (except for a marginal volume at 40-49 kronor). The cheapest segments fall the most, with 90-99 kronor falling the least, minus 8%. Sales over 100 kronor, on the other hand, have increased by 15% in 2024. It doesn’t seem entirely unbelievable that this is simply an effect of inflation rather than consumers’ craving for more expensive wines. It may be starting to become difficult to find decent wines under 100 kronor (~9 euro). (Here in France, however, there is plenty of it in the 8–10-euro range, not least from smaller producers.) Unfortunately, Systembolaget does not make any segmentation above SEK 100, so a more in-depth analysis is not possible.
It is also interesting to see how different countries (wine producers) position themselves in the quality wine segment (>=100 SEK/~10 euro). 99.9% of all wine from New Zealand costs 100 SEK or more. Then the ranking in the proportion of wine sold >=100 SEK: USA 77%, France 70%, Italy 54%, Spain 48%, Germany 47%, South Africa 41%, Portugal 33%, Australia 24%, Chile 14%. Perhaps not quite as expected.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to New Zealand with BKWine.
See: See pictures and videos from New Zealand 2024 in the wine tour’s Facebook group.
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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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What power plug adapter do you need for travel in South Africa?
South Africa has a quite unusual standard power plug. It looks a bit like the British (UK) power plugs but the sockets are, in fact, different. A UK power plug does not work in South Africa. The South African version is called a “type M”, with three round prongs, one that is bigger than the other two. This socket is not compatible with any other type of plugs. Sometimes, a similar plug, called Type D, is mentioned but I have not seen it used.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine’s Travel Blog: What power plug adapter do you need for travel in South Africa?
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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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From Burgundy to the Rhone Valley: unique wines, world famous villages, Provençal atmosphere | wine tour
Our tour starts in Burgundy. The word recalls a very special wine region and a very special wine. It makes us think of gently rolling hills. Vineyards as far as the eye can see. Winding country roads, small rural villages, unique wines, and excellent French gastronomy. It is a small region, at least the heart of the region, the Côte d’Or, where we will be staying. Here, the small, archetypal French villages lie like a string of pearls along the country road in a gently rolling landscape with vineyards and forests: Gevrey-Chambertin, Fixin, Pommard, Meursault, Vosne-Romanée, Puligny-Montrachet and so on. Even the largest town, Beaune, where we stay, has a distinct small-town feel to it. It is only a ten-minute walk from the main square in the centre and you are out in the vineyards.
After Burgundy we continue south to the Rhône Valley. The Rhône is a region in constant motion today. New things are happening all the time. New producers are constantly coming into the spotlight. Now and then, growers leave a cooperative and start making wine independently. New appellations are created. This is an exciting development for a region that has long been associated with simple and inexpensive wines. This has changed fundamentally. Not everything is expensive, of course, but there are big stars here today whose wines command high prices as well as extraordinary value-for-money wines. The Rhône Valley is an exciting region to follow today. If you like grapes like grenache, syrah and cinsault, there is no better place. We get to know some of these exciting producers, enjoy Provençal meals, learn French history in the form of the Papal Palace, and experience a beautiful landscape.
This tour is currently fully booked. Why not join us on our new five-day Bordeaux tour that we have just added due to the high demand?
Come and discover French wine and food in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley on this luxurious wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- The Grand French Wine tour to Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, 17-25 September, 2025
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Bordeaux, “The Original” | wine tour
Many people have an opinion about Bordeaux. It can be positive or negative. It is rarely neutral. For many, Bordeaux is the most classic of all wines, the wine against which all other wines are measured. It is the region that provided large parts of the rest of the wine world with “Bordeaux varieties” (merlot, cabernets,…). But others find Bordeaux too expensive and too pretentious. And too tannic. Not really true today. Bordeaux is above all a very large region and it is impossible to generalise. But some do it anyway, and it all turns out wrong. That is why Bordeaux today has many prejudices to fight against. On this tour, we will show you The True Bordeaux, The Original Bordeaux. Bordeaux is not expensive (some wines are indeed costly, but far from all), you can undoubtedly encounter some pretentious people here (though not on our tours), and the wines are not too tannic. They have just the right amount of tannins, perfect to combine with food. We visit big châteaux, medium-sized châteaux, and small growers. You will see that Bordeaux is like any other wine region, only with slightly more beautiful châteaux and slightly more beautiful wine cellars… But they must fight against the forces of the weather and the markets just like any other wine farmer. However, our magnificent gastronomic châteaux lunches, you can only get them in Bordeaux, and only on this wine tour.
Come and discover French wine and food in Bordeaux on this luxurious wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
- Bordeaux wine tour, preliminary dates: 29 September – 5 October (to be confirmed soon)
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
An adventure in Chile and Argentina | wine tour
Our wine tour to South America is always an adventure. We visit the continent’s two largest wine countries, Argentina and Chile. They are close to each other and separated by the mighty Andes Mountain range. After a week in Argentina, we travel over the mountains to Chile, a spectacular, unforgettable tour by bus. The entire wine tour is spectacular too. The wines we taste, the passionate wine people we meet, the landscape, the lunches that are often gastronomic outdoor barbecues with delicious empanadas and the famous meat. We will experience Mendoza with its high-altitude vineyards, Chile’s Pacific coast with its cool climate, Colchagua in the interior with its famous carmenère and cabernet sauvignon, Buenos Aires with its tango show. Valparaíso with its street art. Today, the wine producers in both Chile and Argentina are very ambitious. The wine industry is in constant motion and various research projects are underway to understand the terroir better. The wines are now world-class, intensely interesting, very exciting. And the variety of wines from these two countries today is enormous. We enjoy magnificent scenery, and now and then we relax with a pisco sourby the pool.
Come on this exciting wine tour to Argentina and Chile with Britt and Per of BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- Chile-Argentina, 12-25 January 2026
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
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.
Old vines, quality wines, delicious food and gin and tonic on the stoep | wine tour South Africa
We just came back from South Africa. A country where almost every vineyard location makes you exclaim, “so beautiful!” So constantly jaw-dropping that you get chafing on your chest… Maybe South Africa is the most beautiful wine country in the world. But South Africa is not just beautiful. The wines are fantastic, and right now, the producers are happy with a very successful 2025 vintage. What struck us on our tour this year was in particular the quality of the white wines. The white South African wines are fantastic. Once South Africa’s most planted grape, but often looked-down on, Semillon has had a fabulous renaissance. Chenin blanc, another classic in the country, has never been as good as it is now. Very old vineyards from both these grapes are now well taken care of. The gastronomy in the country has reached new heights. And there are wines that go with most things, not least the local, spicy Cape Malay cuisine. We start our tour with a few days in Cape Town and then continue to Walker Bay on the south coast and Franschhoek, Swartland, Tulbagh and Stellenbosch—relatively short distances but still very different places. Sitting with a gin and tonic on the stoep (veranda) of the Royal Hotel in Riebeek Kasteel in Swartland is very different from sitting in a fashionable café in Franschhoek. You want to do both.
Come on this fabulous wine tour to South Africa with Britt and Per of BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
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 2024.
Great experiences far away – wine tour to New Zealand
New Zealand is as far away as you can get, for most people. Just the journey there is an adventure. We sometimes call this tour a road trip. We think the best way to see as much of the country as possible is to take our comfortable bus from Auckland, the country’s largest city, to Queenstown in Central Otago on the South Island. We pass several famous wine regions on the way, including the capital Wellington, geysers, and other geothermal wonders, as well as the country’s highest mountain, Mount Cook, which is part of the Southern Alps. We visit around 18 wineries, small and large, famous and not so well-known. Sauvignon blanc and pinot noir are the main grape varieties in the country, but there will be many other things on the program, especially when we are on the warmer North Island. We will learn more about Maori culture during one evening, including their dances and the well-known Haka (made famous by The All Blacks, New Zealand’s rugby team). We will eat delicious seafood and the local salmon. And of course, lamb too, there are plenty of them.
Come on this stunning wine tour to New Zealand with Britt and Per of BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
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 2024.
Champagne, diversity and awareness | wine tour
To give you a complete picture of the Champagne region, we visit both large champagne houses and small, independent growers. We taste both pinot meunier, blanc de blanc, blanc de noir, zéro dosage (the driest version of champagne) and more. And, perhaps most importantly of all, we give you the background on why different production methods, different grapes, different ageing times, etc. are chosen. We also talk about sustainability, something that is close to the hearts of many producers here. We discuss what can be done to adapt to a changing climate and weather patterns. Will the acidity – so important for champagne – decrease if it gets warmer? How can they reduce spraying? We gain insight into how people think today in Champagne and how they strive to preserve the unique champagne character. A deep dive into champagne!
Come on this luxurious wine tour to Champagne with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Tuscany, gentle hills with beautiful vineyards and olive trees | wine tour
Vineyards are part of the Tuscan landscape. Grapevines thrive on the hills where the soil is poor but the sun exposure is excellent. The landscape is quite mountainous in places. The vines are grown between 200 and 600 meters above sea level. How the wine tastes depends on many factors: the grapes, the altitude, the soil and not least the philosophy of the wine producer. There are great variations in Tuscany and the producers like to emphasise these differences that the various districts within Tuscany have. Everyone is proud of their special part of Tuscany. Chianti conquered the world in the 70s with its straw-covered bottle. At that time it was known as an easy-drinking and unpretentious wine. Today we get Chianti in all versions, from top quality prestige wine to uncomplicated fruity lunch wines. The occasion will decide. We will of course visit both Chianti and Chianti Classico (two different geographical areas) and also Montalcino a little further south, known for its fantastic Brunello di Montalcino. Discover the enchanting Tuscany with us; not only the wines but also the landscape, the people and the gastronomy.
Come on this wonderful wine tour to Tuscany with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Piedmont, the land of truffles and fog; and Barolo, Barbaresco | wine tour
It is a beautiful landscape that meets us in Piedmont. The region certainly merits its name, “at the foot of the mountain”; the Alps tower at the horizon. The signature grape Nebbiolo also has good reason for its name; it is often foggy (nebbia) in the mornings in the hills. The Alps to the north are not far away. Around us lie medieval villages such as Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga, Gavi with their impressive defensive castles, often real fortresses. The autumn landscape is magnificent. Nebbiolo and the other grapes often grow on slopes, sometimes really steep. We taste our way through many fantastic wines, Barolo, Barbaresco and other nebbiolos, as well as slightly lesser-known but equally outstanding wines with arneis, barbera, dolcetto, etc. We enjoy the local cuisine. We visit the truffle market in Alba with its overwhelming scent experience (can you over-dose in truffles?) and we eat a delicious closing lunch with the famous white truffle.
Come and discover all the good things that Piedmont has to offer on this wonderful wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Douro Valley: The unique landscape that cannot be described but must be seen | wine tour
The Douro Valley impresses like few other wine regions. There is probably no other wine region that has so many steep slopes in such a large area. The Douro Valley must be seen with your own eyes. No pictures can really do it justice. When it comes to the Douro Valley, the word unique can be used without hesitation. On these difficult-to-work slopes, port wine has been made for many centuries. The “regular” (not fortified) red and white wines, called simply “Douro wines”, have not been known for as long. This combination of Douro wines and port wines makes this tour particularly interesting. We taste all types of wines. The red and also the white Douro wines (non-fortified wines) are fantastic. For many, port wines are an exciting (re-)discovery. You don’t always realise that port wine comes in so many different types and, for instance, what the differences are between an old tawny and a vintage. Completely new dimensions open up. We stay two nights in Porto, an exciting city to explore. On the other side of the river lies Vila Nova de Gaia and this is where the big port wine houses age their wines. We stay two nights at the luxurious Vintage House in the valley, close to the vineyards.
Come and discover the spectacular landscapes and wines of the Douro on this wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
