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Wine Tours

Custom wine tours

We also make custom designed wine tours – on-demand tours for you and a group of friends, for your company (maybe to scout new winegrowers?), for a special event… We can combine winery visits and wine touring with other activities: gastronomic workshops, visit to an oyster farm, truffles hunting, cheese making, and more. We’ve done tours for wine clubs, for sommelier educations, for corporate events, for wine importers, for wine course study groups… just to mention a few.

You'll get a tour designed exactly according to your requirements and tastes, made by one of the most experienced wine people in the business. We personally visit some 200 wineries and taste thousands of wines every year; we write on wine for various wine magazines (we had more than 30 articles published last year); in 2007 we published a ground breaking book on the wine of the Languedoc and this year we have another one coming. And we have organised hundreds of wine tours over the years.

 More info on the BKWine wine tours here!

Wine tours in Finnish

 □  Producers

Weingut Franz Leth, Fals am Wagram, Austria

Wagram is an Austrian wine region a short distance west of Vienna totalling 2500 ha. The make primarily white wines and grüner veltliner accounts for 55% of the production. Winemaker Franz Leth also makes predominantly white wines but has expanded his production of reds recently. Try for instance his Grüner Veltliner Brunnthal 2008 (~12€), a wine with complexity with citrus flavours and ripe tropical fruit. It has a good and fresh acidity and in spite of the alcohol level reaching 13.5% it is well balanced. Another fantastic gruner veltliner that we tried is the Scheiben 2006. Franz suggests keeping if for 20 years or more… The Blauer Zweigelt Gigama 2006 (~22 euro) is proof that the red wines have a bright future. It is intense, spicy, with flavours of dark cherries and some oak. It has been aged for 24 months on barriques. Also a wine that definitely will improve with some aging.
Click here for address and more recommendations.

Braida, Rocchetta Tanaro, Asti

In Monferrato, in the hills east of Asti, we find Braida, a winery belonging to the Bologna family. Today it’s the third generation Bolognas who manages the winery, Raffaella and Guiseppe, both with an oenology education. They are assisted by Norbert Reinisch, an Austrian doctor, married to Raffaella. The Bologna family were perhaps the first to realise the potential of the barbera grape variety. In 1982 they launched their first vintage of Bricco dell’Uccellone, made from 100% barbera, aged in small French 225 litre barrels for 15 months. No one had made something like that before and people didn’t think it was a barbera. Bricco dell’Uccellone 2006 is a powerful, full-bodied wine with a dense structure and good fruit, not hidden behind the discrete oak aging (~35-40€). Some other delicious wines from Braida@ the white Il Fiore and the red Il Bacialè, a Monferrato Rosso made from barbera, pinot nero and a touch of cabernet sauvignon and merlot (~11-14€). Their top wine is Ai Suma, made from grapes harvested later, very concentrated and extracted, an almost overwhelming wine with close to 16% alcohol. Will survive a well chosen strong cheese…
Click here for address and more recommendations.

Read about more recommended producers on the site: Favourite Producers

 □  Wine Bars and Restaurants

Italy:

Osteria da Ugo, Verona

It’s hidden in a back street and you may have to fend off the dust bins on your way there even thought it’s in the beautiful city of Verona. It’s a traditional osteria (bistro for the Francophile), serving typical regional food from Veneto – the region where Verona is located in north east Italy. You can for example get a meat stew with amarone, or pasta with an abundance of porcini (and other) mushrooms, or a risotto made with local cheese and rosemary. A bit rustic, country-style, but very friendly service even when very busy. A pleasant restaurant, mid-priced food, and far from the local American province called Piazza delle Erbe. The wine list is also good, featuring many Valpolicellas and Amarone in various vintages.
Click here for address and more recommendations.

Narbonne:

Le 26, Narbonne

This is one of our favourite restaurants in Narbonne, not that choice is lacking. In the miniscule space (30 m2 plus terrasse) le chef Frédéric Nalais serves delicious and well made food. Try the croustillant de noix de saint jacques en feuille de brick (scallops in crispy spring roll dough), ravioli with basilica or a grilled dorade (sea bream) with coriander and cream of fennel. Excellent goat cheese from the Cévennes mountains. At lunch time you can get la formule expresse for the steal of 14.50 € and in the evening you can try the menu terroir for 24.50€ or, more ambitious, le menu des gourmets at 37€. A good wine list with an emphasis on local wines: Corbières, Minervois…
Click here for address and more recommendations.

 □  Wine of the Month

Criteria: an interesting wine (not too cheap) and one that you can enjoy with dinner or friends (not too expensive). And very good!

Jack’s wine of the month
Langhe Nebbiolo, Pio Cesare
It’s a new decade and time for new wine experiences. I suggest that you take the time to make a nice and hearty meat stew one of the January weekends and serve it with a well-decanted (3-4 hours in advance) nebbiolo wine. Try the “mini-Barolo” from Pio Cesare, Langhe Nebbiolo 2006 (around 10€). You will get lots of compact grape character to go with the stew. The wine already shows some age with touches of porcini mushroom and cherries; a good tannin structure behind and a quite high acidity. You can keep it for a few years but excellent to drink now – with food.

Wine Trend 2: environmental issues #2, ‘nicer’ packaging
The trend to less environmentally ‘bad’ packaging will continue. Not least, we will see fewer of the ridiculous weight lifting bottles often used for prestige cuvees. We remember well (but not with joy) the bottle that weighed in at 1.4 kg. Empty! We will see lighter bottles, PET bottles (plastic bottles making a return!), aluminium bottles, bag-in-box without the box (so, wine-in-a-plastic-pouch), and why not more of the wines in a can (recyclable of course). All these alternative packaging will continue to suffer from the stigma of assumedly containing cheap wine. In conjunction with this we have other environmental aspects: greenhouse-gas-neutral wines, CO2 studies in more an more regions etc.

Wine Trend 3: Balance
We will want less beef and punch in the wines and more balance and elegance. It is less important to reach a high alcohol level and more important to find an equilibrium between fruit and the other components in the wine. Wineries will experiment with yeast that produces less alcohol (yes, there is), grape varieties that produces less sugar but still ripe grapes, techniques for removing alcohol from the finished wine etc. (At the same time, one should remember that a high alcohol level is not in itself contrary to a well balanced wine. There are many well balanced wines with high alcohol levels. It is mostly a question of competent wine making. An in truth, if you think about the health effects, or drinking and driving and such things, does it really matter if it is 12.5% or 13.5%?)

Wine Trend 4: Less oaky wines #1
We think this is a trend but we’re not quite sure. Many people talk about this: less oak in the wine, but …. when you make a show of hands after a wine tasting to see which wine was most appreciated it’s usually then one with oak character that comes out on top. So perhaps people like oak after all. Can it be like for champagne: many champagne producers tell the story of the visitor who says “I like the really dry champagne, preferably Brut Nature” (without any dosage), but when they taste the wines blind, one with no sugar at all and one with a slight dosage, it’s the wine with sugar that they prefer…

Wine Trend 5: Less oaky wines #2
When talking to producers it is much more clear: they frequently say that they want to emphasise the fruit and avoid masking it with oak. They cut down on the portion of new oak used. So, on the producer side this is a clear trend. Perhaps a contributing factor, a year like this year, is that an added benefit of this is a reduction in the outlays for new (and expensive) barrels?

Wine Trend 6: Good time for budget wines
2009 was the year of The Crisis but it didn’t make people stop drinking wines. Instead, consumers moved towards less expensive wines. This, we think, will continue in 2010. There will be a focus on value for money. Expect good times for wine producers who make budget (not to say cheap) wines with lots of taste. Garage wines have almost disappeared from the lime light; bubbles tend more and more to come from northern Italy or Spain; perhaps consumers will even discover that there are plenty of excellent Bordeaux wines that are not “classed growths” – and that sell at a fraction of the price.

Wine Trend 7: More demand for lesser known grape varieties
In Bordeaux they grow more and more petit verdot and sauvignon gris. Marselan has been approved for AOC Côtes du Rhône. We will see more and more wines with unusual grape varieties that previously were known only locally. If even. Are consumers tired of chardonnay and merlot? Why not try a tannat or a malbec? Or even more exotic a prieto picudo, an alfrocheiro, negrette, xinomavro…?

Wine Trend 8: Cheaper champagne
Champagne is probably the wine region that has prospered most during the past decade. They have rather had a shortage of wine (or grapes) and steadily growing prices. But there’s a risk that this is over. Sales in 2009 have probably dived by more than 25% (we don’t have any final numbers). In spite of what is almost effectively a production cartel in the Champagne region, to control prices, next year is likely to be hard. (The local control authority decided, for example, to cut the allowed grape yield in 2009, hoping that it would keep prices up.) In time for New Year you could buy champagne in Paris for less than 9 euro and in England it seems you could find some bottles at less than 15.

Wine Trend 9: More protectionism in the EU
This is the trend that we most hop that we will be mistaken on. Over the last few years the EU agricultural policy (the CAP) regarding wine has mad quite a lot of progress towards a more open and market oriented regulation. This is largely thanks to the outgoing agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel and her diligent (but not always successful) work. It has often led to protests from the wine producers, and above all from the wine producers lobbying groups. Now it is time for a new commissioner and Dacian Ciolos from Romania has been nominated. His nomination has been greeted with cheers from the protection-loving wine lobby. Ciolos comes from a wine producing country (albeit not a big one) and the wine lobby hopes that he will show more sympathy towards their demands for subsidies, protection measure than what Fischer Boel did. Before we see what happens in reality in Brussels there is no way of knowing, of course, but let us hope that there will NOT be a trend towards more subsidies, more protectionism and other things that are only bad for consumers, and also bad for the wine sector in the long run.

Wine Trend 10: China grows in importance
In a longer term this will have a big impact but even in the short term it will be noticeable. It is above all on the consumption side that it will have an effect – the Chinese demand for wine will grow. It will primarily be more expensive wines that will sell rather than budget wines for the mass market. On the production side, on the other hand, i.e. Chinese wine, it will take much longer time before it will have any impact internationally.

"Wine Tech" galleries for the enthusiasts
We have started a series of wine growing and wine making slide shows to show more details on how some things are done. The intention is to illustrate some aspects of wine making or growing more in detail to give the enthusiast a better insight into each theme. For each theme we’ve created what we in lack of a better name call a Wine Tech Gallery. It’s a slide show with a series of photographs that illustrates the subject. (You can view it in full screen mode if you want.) Originally it was intended as supplementary material for our book A Wine is Born but it can of course be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about wine. Here’s what we’ve covered so far (an do come with suggestions for new subjects if you have ideas of things you’d want to see us cover):
- Noble rot
- Pumping over (remontage)
- Machine harvesting grapes
- Grape sorting and selection

Vote for the new organic logo in the EU!
EU will launch a new logo to mark organic products (“biologique” in French). They created a large number of suggestions. Three suggested logotypes have been chosen for the final round – and you can be part of the jury. In fact, anyone can vote for what logo we should have in the future. Here’s the page to cast your vote for the best logo for organic products.  Vote until 31 January 2010!

English school teaches wine appreciation to youths to avoid binge drinking
Malvern St James School in Worcestershire is a girls’ school that has taken an original approach to the problem of binge drinking, according to Decanter.com. They have a course module in wine appreciation, open to girls over 16 years of age. In the course module they learn to taste wine, talk about it and how it fits into society and e.g. a meal. “if you introduce [the girls at the] age 16 to wine in a controlled environment, this helps move them away from drinking Bacardi Breezers or fruit juices loaded with neat alcohol”, says Rachel Huntley, wine professor (we assume could be her title), to Decanter. In the UK the legal drinking age is 18 but from 15 it is also legal to taste alcohol under adult supervision. Read more decanter.com

An apple a day keeps the doctor away – No, make that a wine photo a day!
You may not know of our wine picture blog. It is a blog where we publish a new wine photograph every day. Or every day we’re in front of the computer. Each morning we pick a photo from our wine photo stock collection (we have some 30,000 images available on Alamy and on Photoshelter). Some recent entries have been on:
- making a wine barrel (cooperage)
- Chateau Haut-Marbuzet in St Estephe
- Château d’Yquem
And so on. You can subscribe to updates to the wine picture blog either on RSS or on email. The biggest challenge is to find a clever headline each morning. Sometimes inspiration is decidedly lacking… Perhaps we should start a reader/viewer competition? The Wine Picture Blog. 

Taste Languedoc wines in Paris on January 21
Miss Vicky’s real name is Anne-Victoire Monrozier and she writes the blog Miss Vicky Wine. She also sells wine (I think, her family has a vineyard in the Loire valley), and, above all, she organises wine tastings in Paris. Her next event is a Languedoc tasting at the art gallery l’Oeilduhuit in Paris on January 21. Several interesting Languedoc producers are on the list. More info and registration on Anne-Victoire’s blog Miss Vicky Wine http://missvickywine.blogspot.com/

Millésime Bio the big organic wine fair
Just a reminder on Millésime Bio, the big (only?) wine fair focussed on organic and biodynamic wines. A very interesting event for anyone hunting for wines with a sense of the environment. In Montpellier on 25-27 of January. More info www.millesime-bio.com  (And if you’re there why not give us a call to meet over a glass of wine? BKWine will be there!: +33 6 83 51 12 53)

Taste organic wines at Vinisud with BKWine on February 23
The other big wine fair to put in the agenda this winter is Vinisud (also in Montpellier), specialised in wines from the Mediterranean basin. Vinisud has asked BKWine to lead a wine tasting of organic (including biodynamic) wines. There will be range of wine producers represented from the different regions around the Mediterranean (Languedoc, Roussillon, Rhône, Italy, Spain…). Britt will make a short introduction on the latest developments in organic wine growing/making followed by an open tasting. There will be some 15-25 wines to taste. All details are not yet settled but the tasting will take place on Tuesday February 23 at Vinisud in Montpellier. The introduction will be in Swedish (the primary target audience being Scandinavians) but if you can take a bit of Swedish you’re welcome even if you’re not Scandinavian! (So, if you’re there why not give us a call to meet over a glass of wine? BKWine will be there!: +33 6 83 51 12 53)

Zagreb Wine Gourmet Festival, February 12 & 13
Croatian wine and gastronomic delicacies will be on show on the upcoming Zagreb Wine Gourmet Festival on February 12 and 13. Lectures, workshops, wine tastings, cooking shows and culinary presentations will be part of the two day programme. More information on Zagreb Wine Gourmet Festival here http://www.zagrebwinegourmet.com/

This month’s must-have wine gadget: the screw cap opener
Dr. Vino is a wine blogger with a talent to unearth unusual and intriguing stories. He has found this month’s wine accessory that one should definitely not be without: a “cork screw” for bottles closed with screw cap the Butterfly Wine Opener. How else will you be able to open with flair those challenging screw top bottles?! We dive for the credit card to place an order!

Worcester Sauce and wine. Revealed!
Last month we asked the question “what does Worcester Sauce has to do with wine?” It was sparked by the wine blog called Worcester Sauce (sometimes called Worcestershire Sauce – the sauce, not the blog) idiosyncratically written by Stuart George. One (anonymous) reader suggested this explanation: “Worcester Sauce is a very well-known and rather emblematic cooking and cocktail-making ingredient (pronounced "wooster"), and I suppose some of Stuart's remarks might be considered cheeky, or saucy - hence, Worcester Sauce”. She added, importantly, as did another reader, that Stuart actually comes from Worcestershire. So, going to the source of the sauce, so to speak, Stuart confirms “my blog is called that name because I was born near Worcester!” Once again, here it is: http://worcestersauce.wordpress.com/

Record wine sales expected in Sweden
According to the forecast at the end of last year 2009 will be a record year for wine sales in Sweden. If December sales were as expected (as hoped for, is probably not the right expression in this country) sales for the full year would reach 174 million litres of wine, well above the last record from 2008 of 161 million litres. Sweden has since many years a retail monopoly on wine and spirits, through Systembolaget, in order to limit sales and to improve public health. Perhaps it is a sign of the monopoly’s efficiency that Sweden is doing so well compared to other countries in reducing consumption? More info: www.thelocal.se

Wine events : exhibitions, competitions,…
We have updated our events calendar with several new events : competitions, shows and other. Thank you to FIJEV (Federation International des Journalistes en Vin) who had put the list together:

- 25-27/01 Montpellier (F) : Millésime Bio www.millesime-bio.com
- 28-30/01 Mumbai (IND) : India International Wine Fair, http://www.taste-expo.com/
- 30-31/01 Chassagne (F) : Saint Vincent Tournante, http://www.st-vincent-tournante.fr/
- 4-7/02 Berlin (D) : Berliner Weintrophy, http://www.berliner-wein-trophy.de
- 1-3/02 Angers (F) : Salon des vins de Loire, http://www.salondesvinsdeloire.com/
- 22-24/02 Montpellier (F) : Vinisud, http://www.vinisud.com/
- 24-24/02 Sonoma (USA) : Grand Harvest Awards, http://www.vwm-online.com/wine_competitions/grand_harvest/index.asp
- 26-02-2/03 Paris (F) : Vinalies Paris, http://www.vinalies-internationales.com/en/
- 3-5/03 Thessalonique (GR) : Concours Int . du Vin de Thessalonique, http://www.wineroads.gr/eng/index.php
- 5-7/03 Aiseau-Presles (B) : Salon Saint Vincent, http://www.salonduvinfloreffe.be/
- 10-13/03 Saint Lager (F) : Chardonnay du Monde, http://www.chardonnay-du-monde.com/
- 12-16/03 Madrid (E) : Bacchus
- 21-23/03 Düsseldorf (D) : Prowein, http://www.prowein.com/
- 22-26/03 Barcelona (E) : Alimentaria Barcelona, http://www.alimentaria-bcn.com/
- 22-27/03 Beaune (F) : Grands Jours de Bourgogne, http://www.grands-jours-bourgogne.com/
- 25-28/03 Montréal (CDN) : Salon des Vins & Spiritueux de Montréal, http://www.salondesvins.com/
- 8-12/04 Verona (I) : Vinitaly, http://www.vinitaly.com
- 16-18/04 Olne (B) : Salon des vins bio & naturels, http://www.salondesvignerons.be/
- 23-25/04 Palermo (I) : Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, http://www.concoursmondial.com/
- 29/04-06/05 Adelaide (AUS) : Tasting Australia, http://www.tasting-australia.com.au/
- 13-16/05 Aigues-Mortes (F) : Oenovideo, http://www.oenovideo.oeno.tm.fr/
- 18-20/05 London (GB) : London Wine Fair, http://2010.londonwinefair.com/
- 25-27/05 Hong Kong (CN) : Vinexpo Hong Kong, http://www.vinexpo.com/en/asia-pacific-2010/
- 27-28/05 Ampuis (F) : Syrah du Monde, http://www.syrah-du-monde.com/
- 28-31/05 Ljubljana (SLO) : Vino Ljubljana, http://www.ljubljanafair.com
- 1-6/06 Québec (CDN) : Sélections Mondiales des Vins Canada, http://www.smvcanada.ca/
- 17-20/06 Visegrád (H) : Vinagora, http://www.aborfesztival.hu/
- 1-2 /07 Frontignan (F) : Muscats du Monde, http://www.muscats-du-monde.com/
- 16-21/08 Stellenbosch (ZA) : Michelangelo Wine Awards, http://www.michelangeloawards.com/
- 20-22/08 Sierre (CH) : Mondial du Pinot Noir, http://www.mondial-du-pinot-noir.com/
- 26-08-05/09 Neustadt (D) : Mundus Vini, http://www.mundusvini.de
- 12-14/11 Lugano (CH) : Mondial du Merlot, http://www.mondialdumerlot.com

- - France:

- - Sweden:

- - UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark,...:

Wine auction agendas:

Copyright © Britt Karlsson, BKWine
www.bkwine.com
info@bkwine.com