There is a lot of talk about fungus resistant grapes (sometimes called PIWI, from German pilzwiderstandsfähige). But the descriptor is maybe poorly chosen. The “fungus resistant” grapes used today are hybrids, in other words crosses
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
Mealybugs are a feared enemy in the vineyards in California, Oregon, South Africa, and other places. These tiny bugs are dangerous because they spread the leaf roll virus (court noué in France) which causes the
There is something very special about hearing Romana Echensperger talk about wine. She is not only one of the few to hold the prestigious title of Master of Wine but also a master at captivating
More and more fungus-resistant hybrids are being allowed in France. Or perhaps a better wording: lesser prone to disease. Four new varieties, two whites and two reds, were recently introduced. These can be planted and
FranceAgriMer, under the French Ministry of Agriculture, publishes interesting figures on agriculture, including viticulture in France. Sometimes, they also publish figures for wine countries outside of France, such as how much of some wine countries’
In Champagne, the permitted harvest for 2024 has now been determined. It is estimated that the harvest will begin around September 12. The determined harvest output has been set at 10,000 kilos per hectare (ca
In France, it has so far been forbidden for a wine region to plant a grape variety that is considered emblematic in another wine region. Regions such as Alsace, Savoie and the South West had
Observations made in the departments of Gard and Vaucluse in southern France show a high level of symptoms of downy mildew, a severe fungal disease, on several supposedly fungus-resistant grape varieties, sometimes called piwi grapes.
“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
In wine production, adapting to local conditions is paramount. Many wine producers adhere to the principle of never leaving the land bare, advocating minimal ploughing, and always preserving the weeds/cover crops in the vineyard. However,
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
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to express it in their work. All wine enthusiasts know roughly
Champagne Bollinger’s flagship Vieilles Vignes Françaises (VVF) is made in ever smaller quantities. The grapes come from vines planted franc de pied, a French expression for planted on its own roots. Thus, these vines are
There is a lot of talk about fungal diseases, which are a real problem for winegrowers (powdery mildew/oidium, downy mildew/mildiou and others). But other diseases in the vineyard are also serious. One is flavescence dorée
Once, a while back, I was harvesting grapes in the middle of the night. It was in Cachapoal in Chile. We had headlamps to see what we were doing and to avoid as much as
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
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
The other day we drank a Côtes d’Auvergne that proudly proclaimed “Terroir Volcanique” on the label. Volcanic wines are all the rage right now. Perhaps it started with the Sicilian Etna wines but other regions
There is a lot of experimentation going on in the world’s wine regions, all with the aim of tackling the impending climate change. Vinopole in Bordeaux, a research centre, is currently preparing to plant this
A wine grower always keeps an eye on the weather report. As we now enter the month of May, you would think that the risk of spring frost is over for the winegrowers in France.
The organic wine producers spray with copper to combat the fungal disease downy mildew, mildiou. (Many conventional—not organic—also spray with copper, but they may also use synthetic pesticides.) But, of course, they want to use
Today, many wineries want to show that they work sustainably. Maybe they measure their carbon footprint and are amazed at how much of this comes from driving the tractor back and forth in the vineyard.
In 2016, the Pessac-Léognan appellation in northern Graves in Bordeaux changed its rules to allow irrigation during severe drought. Irrigation is a much-discussed topic in France today, and as the hot and dry summers continue,
Interest in local, half-forgotten grape varieties is increasing. Thierry Navarre, a skilled wine grower in Saint Chinian, Languedoc, has discovered that the ribeyrenc, morastell, terret and œillade grapes have a lot to offer, not least
To harvest with machine or by hand? Some really don’t have a choice, e.g., producers who have vineyards on very steep slopes where no harvesting machine dares to tread. But that is starting to change.
Virtually all appellations in Europe have rules that limit the yield, such as “the maximum yield is 45 hectolitres per hectare”. The theory behind this is often said to be that “a high yield gives
There is a lot of talk about which grape varieties will best adapt to climate change. However, less is said about the (“American”) rootstocks, although they do all the work in the soil. Whenever a
There is a lot of talk about fungus resistant grapes (sometimes called PIWI, from German pilzwiderstandsfähige). But the descriptor is maybe poorly chosen. The “fungus
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
Mealybugs are a feared enemy in the vineyards in California, Oregon, South Africa, and other places. These tiny bugs are dangerous because they spread the
There is something very special about hearing Romana Echensperger talk about wine. She is not only one of the few to hold the prestigious title
More and more fungus-resistant hybrids are being allowed in France. Or perhaps a better wording: lesser prone to disease. Four new varieties, two whites and
FranceAgriMer, under the French Ministry of Agriculture, publishes interesting figures on agriculture, including viticulture in France. Sometimes, they also publish figures for wine countries outside
In Champagne, the permitted harvest for 2024 has now been determined. It is estimated that the harvest will begin around September 12. The determined harvest
In France, it has so far been forbidden for a wine region to plant a grape variety that is considered emblematic in another wine region.
Observations made in the departments of Gard and Vaucluse in southern France show a high level of symptoms of downy mildew, a severe fungal disease,
“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
In wine production, adapting to local conditions is paramount. Many wine producers adhere to the principle of never leaving the land bare, advocating minimal ploughing,
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
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to
Champagne Bollinger’s flagship Vieilles Vignes Françaises (VVF) is made in ever smaller quantities. The grapes come from vines planted franc de pied, a French expression
There is a lot of talk about fungal diseases, which are a real problem for winegrowers (powdery mildew/oidium, downy mildew/mildiou and others). But other diseases
Once, a while back, I was harvesting grapes in the middle of the night. It was in Cachapoal in Chile. We had headlamps to see
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
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 other day we drank a Côtes d’Auvergne that proudly proclaimed “Terroir Volcanique” on the label. Volcanic wines are all the rage right now. Perhaps
There is a lot of experimentation going on in the world’s wine regions, all with the aim of tackling the impending climate change. Vinopole in
A wine grower always keeps an eye on the weather report. As we now enter the month of May, you would think that the risk
The organic wine producers spray with copper to combat the fungal disease downy mildew, mildiou. (Many conventional—not organic—also spray with copper, but they may also
Today, many wineries want to show that they work sustainably. Maybe they measure their carbon footprint and are amazed at how much of this comes
In 2016, the Pessac-Léognan appellation in northern Graves in Bordeaux changed its rules to allow irrigation during severe drought. Irrigation is a much-discussed topic in
Interest in local, half-forgotten grape varieties is increasing. Thierry Navarre, a skilled wine grower in Saint Chinian, Languedoc, has discovered that the ribeyrenc, morastell, terret
To harvest with machine or by hand? Some really don’t have a choice, e.g., producers who have vineyards on very steep slopes where no harvesting
Virtually all appellations in Europe have rules that limit the yield, such as “the maximum yield is 45 hectolitres per hectare”. The theory behind this
There is a lot of talk about which grape varieties will best adapt to climate change. However, less is said about the (“American”) rootstocks, although
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