Tag: France

Vineyards with sandy soil and old vines in Castilla y Leon in Spain, prieto picudo variety

Europe’s big wine countries are getting smaller

Since 2008, France, Italy and Spain have pulled up vineyards and this has resulted in a European vineyard decrease of 4%, according to La Vigne. A total of 160 550 hectares of wine-growing land have

Understanding Beaujolais

The grape gamay needs to be promoted. That is the opinion of Inter Beaujolais, which, according to www.thedrinksbusiness.com, now encourages the producers to mention the name of the grape on the back label. Gamay is

Southern flavours from 21 producers

A selection of quality wine producers from the Vinisud wine fair Just a few weeks after Millésime Bio (which we wrote about in the last issue of the brief), it was time for Vinisud, also

Vintage champagne despite the heat

2003 launched as vintage year in Champagne by several houses The summer of 2003 in France was very hot and subsequently the grapes in most regions were picked with unusually low acidity. For most people,

Three Faugeres wines from Domaine Binet Jacquet

Domaine Binet Jacquet is a small organic and biodynamic wine producer in the Languedoc. It is in the sub-region called Faugeres that is inland, close to the Cevennes mountains. It is a remote an empty

In the vineyards

Mas Gabinele in the Faugeres, Languedoc | BKWine TV

An interview in French with the founder, Thierry Rodriguez, of the Mas Gabinele wine estate in Faugeres in the Languedoc. This is quite an old video, but that apparently we have not previously published it

Reader suggestions for growers’ champagnes

Following our article last month on  A selection of “grower’s champagne” producers we have had several suggestions for more names from readers. Some of them we know and some of them are new names. Here

Pinot grapes in a press in Champagne

Champagne! How it is made

Winemaking and styles for the world’s most famous sparkling wine There will be millions of bottles of champagne drunk during the Christmas and New Year festivities. Of course, all sparkling wine that will be drunk

A selection of “grower’s champagne” producers

The difference between independents and champagne “houses”, and a few recommendations The big houses (Moët, Pommery, Mercier, Veuve Clicquot, Laurent-Perrier, etc.) dominate the production of Champagne. But there are also some 2,000 private winemakers who

Le Wine Bar, Bordeaux | BKWine Pick

Bordeaux has not been very well equipped with ambitious wine bars but it seems to be changing. Le Wine Bar Bordeaux opened a couple of years ago and was probably one of the first in

Harvest report 2011: the vintage in the Rhone Valley

Here is another harvest report from one of the French wine regions: The Rhone Valley. Admittedly, this press release sometimes reads more like a promo sheet with too much hyperbole: “Rhône Valley wine professionals have

New French symbol for food “made in France”

France has just launched a symbol to brand agricultural products with French origin: fruit, vegetables etc, but also wine. The symbol is a stylised Eiffel Tower with a scarf in French colours around its neck.

Understanding Beaujolais

The grape gamay needs to be promoted. That is the opinion of Inter Beaujolais, which, according to www.thedrinksbusiness.com, now encourages the producers to mention the

Southern flavours from 21 producers

A selection of quality wine producers from the Vinisud wine fair Just a few weeks after Millésime Bio (which we wrote about in the last

Vintage champagne despite the heat

2003 launched as vintage year in Champagne by several houses The summer of 2003 in France was very hot and subsequently the grapes in most

Pinot grapes in a press in Champagne

Champagne! How it is made

Winemaking and styles for the world’s most famous sparkling wine There will be millions of bottles of champagne drunk during the Christmas and New Year

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