The OIV (The International Organisation of Vine and Wine) was founded 100 years ago. Congratulations! OIV fulfils an essential function in the world of wine. The organisation currently has 50 countries as members, in other
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), a kind of UN for wine, held this year’s congress in Dijon in October. The OIV sets the technical and quality standards for most of the wine
That France has the world’s largest production of oak barrels will come as no surprise. Most of the world’s wine regions buy French oak barrels of various sizes and shapes. But which country buys the
There is nothing that says a wine must be a vintage wine. “Vintage wine” isn’t necessarily a quality label. But we have gotten used to it and might feel a little lost if we suddenly
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time someone asked, I realised a little later that I could
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the vineyard,” Stellios Boutaris of Greece’s Kir-Yanni Estate told us back
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it used to be better in the old days when it
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
Mousiness, or a mousy wine, is a relatively “new” wine fault. Going back a decade or a bit more, it was rarely talked about. Maybe it didn’t even exist. Today, it is more common, partly
Oak ageing is closely associated with quality wines, and the French barrel makers are masters at producing the oak barrels wanted by the entire wine world. After several difficult years affected by fires in California
The sorting machines and sorting tables worked overtime during the 2023 harvest in France. Overall quality has been excellent and in some places this equipment is to thank for that. Dried grapes, rotten grapes, grapes
Skin-macerated white wine has been made here and there before today’s trend of orange wines started. One such wine district in Spain is Terra Alta in Catalonia, whose white wines with skin contact have now
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when the temperature rises in the summer. One solution is to
We missed an important anniversary by a few months. In 2022, it was 200 years ago that Louis Pasteur was born. Pasteur is a person that every wine lover must honour. His importance to the
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for cleaning during the entire production process. It is difficult to
The world market for oak barrels of various sizes increased in 2021 by 2% in value. The volume was stable. For French coopers, the spring frost meant a significant decrease in sales (-12%) as wine
There was a time when people were worried that wines would become uniform, taste the same, become streamlined. What instead happened was that wines that had been on the verge of being faulty disappeared thanks
This year, some winegrowers in various parts of Europe have had to resort to chaptalisation to reach the alcohol content they consider necessary. During our recent wine tours in, for example, Champagne and Burgundy, we
The EU has long had restrictive regulations regarding de-alcoholising wines. This is about to change. Non-alcoholic (de-alcoholised) “wines” will probably soon be allowed to call themselves wine. And they will be allowed to keep their
The discussion about sulphites in wine has been going on for a long time. Sulphites are added to most wines to stabilize them and protect them from premature oxidation and defects. How much you add
To blend a champagne to perfection demands a good nose and experience. When we drink the finished product, the bubbles play a significant part in the overall experience. They add freshness and a special sensation
Wine defects. No-one wants them. But what is it really? Numerous things can spoil a wine. No doubt many wines were spoilt back in the old days when wine producers had little knowledge of wine
Making wine is pretty straightforward. Or rather, it was, once upon a time. Today it is more complicated. The fermentation, not least, requires the winegrowers to think carefully. They know that yeast turns the sugar
Researchers continue to search for suitable yeasts that produce lower alcohol. Such yeast has already been identified, but a side effect is higher levels of glycerol in the wine, which is not always desirable. L’Institut
Making wine environmentally friendly is seen by many today as a matter of course. However, the extent to which producers are involved in the environment varies, not least depending on their financial situation. Sustainable viticulture
Oak barrel ageing is today important when it comes to a certain category of red and white wines in the upper echelons. If you talk about quality improvements in a wine district, oak ageing is
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
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
What is natural wine? Are there rules? Is it good or weird? The concept of natural wine has emerged in recent years. It has been covered in media and bated. Many people have never drunk
Being biodynamic is not the same as being organic, even though they have many things in common. Only a tiny proportion of organic growers are also biodynamic. But their number is growing. If you want
The OIV (The International Organisation of Vine and Wine) was founded 100 years ago. Congratulations! OIV fulfils an essential function in the world of wine.
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), a kind of UN for wine, held this year’s congress in Dijon in October. The OIV sets
That France has the world’s largest production of oak barrels will come as no surprise. Most of the world’s wine regions buy French oak barrels
There is nothing that says a wine must be a vintage wine. “Vintage wine” isn’t necessarily a quality label. But we have gotten used to
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it
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
Mousiness, or a mousy wine, is a relatively “new” wine fault. Going back a decade or a bit more, it was rarely talked about. Maybe
Oak ageing is closely associated with quality wines, and the French barrel makers are masters at producing the oak barrels wanted by the entire wine
The sorting machines and sorting tables worked overtime during the 2023 harvest in France. Overall quality has been excellent and in some places this equipment
Skin-macerated white wine has been made here and there before today’s trend of orange wines started. One such wine district in Spain is Terra Alta
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when
We missed an important anniversary by a few months. In 2022, it was 200 years ago that Louis Pasteur was born. Pasteur is a person
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for
The world market for oak barrels of various sizes increased in 2021 by 2% in value. The volume was stable. For French coopers, the spring
There was a time when people were worried that wines would become uniform, taste the same, become streamlined. What instead happened was that wines that
This year, some winegrowers in various parts of Europe have had to resort to chaptalisation to reach the alcohol content they consider necessary. During our
The EU has long had restrictive regulations regarding de-alcoholising wines. This is about to change. Non-alcoholic (de-alcoholised) “wines” will probably soon be allowed to call
The discussion about sulphites in wine has been going on for a long time. Sulphites are added to most wines to stabilize them and protect
To blend a champagne to perfection demands a good nose and experience. When we drink the finished product, the bubbles play a significant part in
Wine defects. No-one wants them. But what is it really? Numerous things can spoil a wine. No doubt many wines were spoilt back in the
Making wine is pretty straightforward. Or rather, it was, once upon a time. Today it is more complicated. The fermentation, not least, requires the winegrowers
Researchers continue to search for suitable yeasts that produce lower alcohol. Such yeast has already been identified, but a side effect is higher levels of
Making wine environmentally friendly is seen by many today as a matter of course. However, the extent to which producers are involved in the environment
Oak barrel ageing is today important when it comes to a certain category of red and white wines in the upper echelons. If you talk
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
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
What is natural wine? Are there rules? Is it good or weird? The concept of natural wine has emerged in recent years. It has been
Being biodynamic is not the same as being organic, even though they have many things in common. Only a tiny proportion of organic growers are
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