Finally. The growers from Champagne visit Stockholm again Meeting the winemakers adds an extra dimension to the wine and the experience. It makes you better understand what they want to achieve. It gives you even
During the late afternoon/early evening Happy Hour, the French cafés offer lower prices on beer and cocktails, and if you look around, mojito seems to be the most popular drink right now. But the fact
Savoie is better known for its cheeses than for its wines. Everyone knows the names of at least some of the cheeses: reblochon, beaufort, tomme de savoie, abondance… But does anybody know what grapes they
This year, the wine producers in many parts of the world have had severe weather problems: heat, fires, floodings, frost, diseases. Spring frosts affected almost all wine regions in France for several nights in April.
Château Raymond-Lafon, the chateau and wine estate of the Meslier family, is next door to the legendary Château d’Yquem. Only a few meters apart, the vineyards differ and both chateaux have the same strict selection
Classification of wine estates is notoriously tricky. (And of debatable or no value to consumers.) In 2022, Saint Emilion will update its classification, and the drama has already started. When the application for participation in
Saint Emilion is updating its classification. But Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Ausone no longer want to be part of it, which is fine. It is voluntary to take part in the new update (scheduled
The French South-West, Sud-Ouest To hold on to one’s identity If you look at wines from the so-called New World, you can easily get the impression that there are no other grape varieties than chardonnay,
The battle for sustainability labels in France is intensifying. France’s first such label, Terra Vitis, has increased significantly in the past year. They have doubled their membership and now have 1,800 members with 45,000 hectares,
A definite sign of spring was the start of the Bordeaux primeur campaign in April. Now, several chateaux have also “released” their primeur prices for the 2020 vintage. We have seen both increases and reductions
We have tried a few more wines from the Swedish online wine retailer “Franska Vinkompaniet” (the French Wine Company). Even if you are not in Sweden you might be able to lay your hands on
Château Palayson is in Provence, 45 kilometres west of Cannes, right next to the impressive, reddish-brown Rocher de Roquebrune. Nearby are famous wine villages such as Les Arcs and Le Muy and the city of
France’s vibrant café and restaurant life has begun to return to normal. The outdoor cafes opened on May 19, and on June 9, we are also allowed to sit inside. The French are happy. According
Wine producers in France and other parts of Europe were hit hard by several cold nights in April with temperatures far below zero. The warm temperatures earlier this spring had led to early budding in
The house M. Chapoutier was founded in the 19th century and has always been respected for its good quality. But the real leap from good quality to exceptional was taken when the dynamic Michel took
During the webinar “Vinosphere Burgundy” at the end of February, researchers discussed various possibilities to tackle climate change. The question was: Will Burgundy be forced to abandon pinot noir and chardonnay? The reassuring message was
In 2009 the EU implemented a wine reform that structured wine in a few different groups. The intention was, and is, to harmonise the different systems that exist in the member countries. How this has
Philippe Bernard at Clos Saint Louis in Fixin in the Côte de Nuits has sent a greeting and some information about how the vine is on the brink of a new growing season. “2021 has
We have recently had the opportunity to taste wines from two excellent producers in the southern Rhône Valley that we were not familiar with before: Domaine Mas des Volques in the appellation of Duché d’Uzès
Water is vital for the vine. It should come in reasonable quantities. Whether it then comes naturally from above in the form of rain or from an irrigation system does not matter for the wine’s
Grenache was the first grape variety I ever harvested. It was in Banyuls in southern France, a beautiful vineyard by the Mediterranean Sea. Big bunches with ripe grapes. Maybe that is why I like it
Provence is beautiful, sunny and colourful. The Mediterranean is blue, the mimosa is yellow, the lavender is purple. And the wines are pink. Yes, but not all of them. The success in recent years of
Can a small grower compete with big champagne houses? Yes, they can. First they must, of course, make good wine. And then they “only” have to find the right customers. Which, of course, is one
It is interesting to look at the statistics showing how big a portion of the different wine regions in France is organically certified. The differences between the regions are partly due to climate and weather
Vines are also affected by viruses. The most difficult one in France since several decades back is court-noué, which is also found in other countries. In English, it is called grapevine fanleaf virus. It is
A successful and adventurous journey across the United States in the midst of the phylloxera crises in the 19th century helped save the French vineyards. Pierre Viala, a French botanist, had been sent to find
France is not like Italy, where vines grow in every region. But France is not far behind. In fact, there are more vineyards in France than in Italy. France has 794 000 hectares of vineyards,
In France, there are lots of small wine shops, but the majority of all wine is sold in supermarkets. This is especially true of Champagne as Christmas approaches. Which brands are the bestsellers? Here is
Wild yeast or cultivated yeast? That is the eternal question right now, or at least one can get that impression in certain discussions. It seems as if the wild yeast is gaining ground, but that
22 “climats”, a vineyard or a vineyard plot in Burgundian parlance, in Pouilly-Fuissé in southern Burgundy can from now on put “premier cru” on the label. It has taken ten years since the process started,
Finally. The growers from Champagne visit Stockholm again Meeting the winemakers adds an extra dimension to the wine and the experience. It makes you better
During the late afternoon/early evening Happy Hour, the French cafés offer lower prices on beer and cocktails, and if you look around, mojito seems to
Savoie is better known for its cheeses than for its wines. Everyone knows the names of at least some of the cheeses: reblochon, beaufort, tomme
This year, the wine producers in many parts of the world have had severe weather problems: heat, fires, floodings, frost, diseases. Spring frosts affected almost
Château Raymond-Lafon, the chateau and wine estate of the Meslier family, is next door to the legendary Château d’Yquem. Only a few meters apart, the
Classification of wine estates is notoriously tricky. (And of debatable or no value to consumers.) In 2022, Saint Emilion will update its classification, and the
Saint Emilion is updating its classification. But Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Ausone no longer want to be part of it, which is fine. It
The French South-West, Sud-Ouest To hold on to one’s identity If you look at wines from the so-called New World, you can easily get the
The battle for sustainability labels in France is intensifying. France’s first such label, Terra Vitis, has increased significantly in the past year. They have doubled
A definite sign of spring was the start of the Bordeaux primeur campaign in April. Now, several chateaux have also “released” their primeur prices for
We have tried a few more wines from the Swedish online wine retailer “Franska Vinkompaniet” (the French Wine Company). Even if you are not in
Château Palayson is in Provence, 45 kilometres west of Cannes, right next to the impressive, reddish-brown Rocher de Roquebrune. Nearby are famous wine villages such
France’s vibrant café and restaurant life has begun to return to normal. The outdoor cafes opened on May 19, and on June 9, we are
Wine producers in France and other parts of Europe were hit hard by several cold nights in April with temperatures far below zero. The warm
The house M. Chapoutier was founded in the 19th century and has always been respected for its good quality. But the real leap from good
During the webinar “Vinosphere Burgundy” at the end of February, researchers discussed various possibilities to tackle climate change. The question was: Will Burgundy be forced
In 2009 the EU implemented a wine reform that structured wine in a few different groups. The intention was, and is, to harmonise the different
Philippe Bernard at Clos Saint Louis in Fixin in the Côte de Nuits has sent a greeting and some information about how the vine is
We have recently had the opportunity to taste wines from two excellent producers in the southern Rhône Valley that we were not familiar with before:
Water is vital for the vine. It should come in reasonable quantities. Whether it then comes naturally from above in the form of rain or
Grenache was the first grape variety I ever harvested. It was in Banyuls in southern France, a beautiful vineyard by the Mediterranean Sea. Big bunches
Provence is beautiful, sunny and colourful. The Mediterranean is blue, the mimosa is yellow, the lavender is purple. And the wines are pink. Yes, but
Can a small grower compete with big champagne houses? Yes, they can. First they must, of course, make good wine. And then they “only” have
It is interesting to look at the statistics showing how big a portion of the different wine regions in France is organically certified. The differences
Vines are also affected by viruses. The most difficult one in France since several decades back is court-noué, which is also found in other countries.
A successful and adventurous journey across the United States in the midst of the phylloxera crises in the 19th century helped save the French vineyards.
France is not like Italy, where vines grow in every region. But France is not far behind. In fact, there are more vineyards in France
In France, there are lots of small wine shops, but the majority of all wine is sold in supermarkets. This is especially true of Champagne
Wild yeast or cultivated yeast? That is the eternal question right now, or at least one can get that impression in certain discussions. It seems
22 “climats”, a vineyard or a vineyard plot in Burgundian parlance, in Pouilly-Fuissé in southern Burgundy can from now on put “premier cru” on the
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