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
In South Africa, MCC, Méthode Cap Classic, is the fastest growing wine category, says Pieter Ferreira during a zoom conference. Pieter is South Africa’s guru of bubbly wine. He has been chief winemaker for 30
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
The wine industry is very aware that it needs to adapt to cope with climate change. Champagne has been experimenting with lower planting density for some time. Champagne has a high planting density, 8000 vines
We meet many fantastic and talented winemakers on our wine tours around the world. (You can watch video interviews with many of them on the BKWine YouTube channel.) One of them is Tiago Alves de
The Torres family’s most spectacular vineyard is called Tremp and is located at an altitude of 950 meters up in the mountains, north-west of Barcelona. In the 1950s and 1960s, people made a living here
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
There is an interest today in many wine countries for old, forgotten, grape varieties. Since 1990, the Technical Institute of Agriculture in the region of Castilla y León in Spain (ITACYL) has been conducting research
Biological control (biocontrol), or sustainable plant protection, is used more and more in the wine industry. It is, of course, a consequence of the fact that organic and sustainable viticulture is becoming more common. Biocontrol
If we buy table grapes to eat, we most certainly rinse the bunch under running water before we eat the grapes. But have you ever seen a winemaker rinse his grapes with water after harvest?
Does the wine taste less oaky if the ends of the barrel, the heads, are made of polyethylene instead of oak? Yes it does, apparently. The ingenuity has no boundaries when it comes to making
Some people see red when they hear someone say “added yeast”. But that does not prevent most wine producers from choosing cultivated (selected) yeast over wild yeast. There are over 200 varieties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Many wine regions are doing research to better understand the challenges posed by climate change. In the recently inaugurated Bragato Research Institute in Blenheim, Marlborough, in New Zealand, 84 small fermentation tanks and a lot
The idea seems brilliant. The company De Sangosse has developed a new product, a so-called adjuvant, named LE 846, whose viscous and liquid properties help to reduce the spraying by a quarter against downy and
It is often debated whether it makes economic sense to work organically and if it is possible to raise the prices of the wines if you switch to sustainable or organic agriculture. Now we have
The latest technology to obtain more aromas in the wine is to use ultrasound. The method will probably soon be approved for winemaking. Ultrasound can be used on both white and red grapes in order
People sometimes wonder how you can tell the difference between one grape variety and another in a vineyard. After all, they look pretty much the same. And the truth is that it’s not easy. Pierre
Pierce’s disease affects vines especially in California and the rest of the United States. But it exists also in South America. The disease is spread through insects called sharpshooters. It is difficult to cure and
What does it really cost to convert to organic farming? It is sometimes said that “certification is expensive so the producer X works organically but does not certify”. That’s not correct. The certification is a
Sometimes people at wine tastings try and impress with opinions like “this wine tastes as if it has been in an egg-shaped concrete tank”, “this must have been kept in a stainless steel tank”, “you
A wine’s sulphur content is increasingly scrutinized. Sulphur dioxide is added to the wine as an antioxidant and stabiliser. But its use has diminished, rather drastically I think, in recent decades, in part thanks to
We’ve all seen them. (Or perhaps not.) The egg-shaped tanks in concrete or in terracotta. A few years ago, they were a sensation, now it feels like every other winemaker is investing in at least
The spring frost has struck again in several places in France. Warm spring weather led to an early budding but then the weather changed again, as it usually does. In the Loire Valley, they are
A few years ago, we wrote in the Brief about the South African wine producer KWV who had made a wine called Earth’s Essence without added sulphur. Instead, they had used the rooibos plant, known
Portugal’s (and the world’s) largest producer of cork products, Amorim, is slowly changing the cork industry. Since 2013, a project has been in progress concerning the possibility to start harvesting the cork from the cork
When we visited Château Pichon-Baron, grand cru classé in Pauillac, recently we saw a small canister in the vineyard that we have never seen before. This canister is called CheckMate Puffer and is a new
During the winter pruning many tons of vine branches, more specifically about two tons per hectare, are cut off the vines every winter in France. Sarments as it is called in French. In some regions
Ten Bordeaux chateaux will in 2018 and 2019 try out a new way to reduce the spraying in the vineyard. They will protect their vines against rain by installing in their vineyard a Viti-tunnel. This
More and more herbicides are prohibited. What will happen to glyphosate and flumioxazin, two key ingredients in a variety of herbicides, is currently unclear. Many winemakers are preparing for a future without chemical weed removal.
Although there has been a clear revival in the popularity of gin, and an explosion of new brands, we have seen that the impact has been limited to the premium-plus categories. New and existing customers
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 South Africa, MCC, Méthode Cap Classic, is the fastest growing wine category, says Pieter Ferreira during a zoom conference. Pieter is South Africa’s guru
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.
The wine industry is very aware that it needs to adapt to cope with climate change. Champagne has been experimenting with lower planting density for
We meet many fantastic and talented winemakers on our wine tours around the world. (You can watch video interviews with many of them on the
The Torres family’s most spectacular vineyard is called Tremp and is located at an altitude of 950 meters up in the mountains, north-west of Barcelona.
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
There is an interest today in many wine countries for old, forgotten, grape varieties. Since 1990, the Technical Institute of Agriculture in the region of
Biological control (biocontrol), or sustainable plant protection, is used more and more in the wine industry. It is, of course, a consequence of the fact
If we buy table grapes to eat, we most certainly rinse the bunch under running water before we eat the grapes. But have you ever
Does the wine taste less oaky if the ends of the barrel, the heads, are made of polyethylene instead of oak? Yes it does, apparently.
Some people see red when they hear someone say “added yeast”. But that does not prevent most wine producers from choosing cultivated (selected) yeast over
Many wine regions are doing research to better understand the challenges posed by climate change. In the recently inaugurated Bragato Research Institute in Blenheim, Marlborough,
The idea seems brilliant. The company De Sangosse has developed a new product, a so-called adjuvant, named LE 846, whose viscous and liquid properties help
It is often debated whether it makes economic sense to work organically and if it is possible to raise the prices of the wines if
The latest technology to obtain more aromas in the wine is to use ultrasound. The method will probably soon be approved for winemaking. Ultrasound can
People sometimes wonder how you can tell the difference between one grape variety and another in a vineyard. After all, they look pretty much the
Pierce’s disease affects vines especially in California and the rest of the United States. But it exists also in South America. The disease is spread
What does it really cost to convert to organic farming? It is sometimes said that “certification is expensive so the producer X works organically but
Sometimes people at wine tastings try and impress with opinions like “this wine tastes as if it has been in an egg-shaped concrete tank”, “this
A wine’s sulphur content is increasingly scrutinized. Sulphur dioxide is added to the wine as an antioxidant and stabiliser. But its use has diminished, rather
We’ve all seen them. (Or perhaps not.) The egg-shaped tanks in concrete or in terracotta. A few years ago, they were a sensation, now it
The spring frost has struck again in several places in France. Warm spring weather led to an early budding but then the weather changed again,
A few years ago, we wrote in the Brief about the South African wine producer KWV who had made a wine called Earth’s Essence without
Portugal’s (and the world’s) largest producer of cork products, Amorim, is slowly changing the cork industry. Since 2013, a project has been in progress concerning
When we visited Château Pichon-Baron, grand cru classé in Pauillac, recently we saw a small canister in the vineyard that we have never seen before.
During the winter pruning many tons of vine branches, more specifically about two tons per hectare, are cut off the vines every winter in France.
Ten Bordeaux chateaux will in 2018 and 2019 try out a new way to reduce the spraying in the vineyard. They will protect their vines
More and more herbicides are prohibited. What will happen to glyphosate and flumioxazin, two key ingredients in a variety of herbicides, is currently unclear. Many
Although there has been a clear revival in the popularity of gin, and an explosion of new brands, we have seen that the impact has
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