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Swedish version available here (click this link).
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Welcome to the
BKWine Brief nr 34, April 2006 |
This Brief is a bit different from the usual. Fewer news bites and some
longer sections. And a travel special.
Travel
It is high time to plan for the autumn wine travel. Take a look at the
tours that I have planned for the season. I hope one of the tours will
be to your taste.
Top Bordeaux – over the top?
This period of the year is traditionally full of news about the
“primeur” tastings of the latest vintage in Bordeaux. You will find
links to some of the most interesting commentaries in the Brief. I did
not have the opportunity to go the tastings in Bordeaux myself this year
unfortunately. A lot of the commentaries on the 2005 vintage indicate
that it is a very exceptional vintage. But many also fear that prices
will shoot up (from an already high level), and some complain about
“profiteering” winemakers: “they really shouldn’t raise the prices so
much” and so on. I say: let them raise the prices as much as they want!
If they price is too high for you (or me) – don’t buy! Apparently there
are people willing to pay the high prices that are demanded. If you
think the price goes up too much – buy some other wines. There are many,
many wines made in France (and other countries) today of excellent or
outstanding quality but that do not have the famous name and label of
the top Bordeaux wines and that you can buy at very reasonable prices.
Buy those wines instead of overpriced Bordeaux. (There are also many
“lesser” Bordeaux wines that are not expensive at all and very good.) No
reason to complain today when there are so much good wines around. By
the way, the same can be said for many other highly acclaimed wines from
other regions: Burgundy, California, Spain, Italy,… Don’t complain about
the prices. Buy something else instead, that is less costly and just as
good! Read the BKWine Brief and we will tell you what our
recommendations are.
What do you think? Comment in the BKWine Brief Blog (click this link).
And don't forget:
 | Recommend the Brief to
others. Forward it to wine loving friends! |
| Go on a wine tour! |
Britt
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All images are clickable!
All previous
issues of the Brief are here:
Archive |
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News from BKWine |
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Wine Tours
| September 27 – October 1:
The Northern Rhône Valley
If you love the Syrah grape, this is the trip for you! The northern part
of the Rhône Valley is mostly about powerful red wines but we will also
get to know the regions delicious, full bodied whites.
More info here!
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| October 11 - 15: Bordeaux
at harvest time
This trip to Bordeaux is just at the end of the harvest season (though you
can never predict in advance exactly when harvest will be). For a wine
lover a trip to Bordeaux is a must! Here you find not only world famous
châteaux and world famous wines but also a lot of new exciting
initiatives.
More info here! |
For info, contact me on
winebrief@bkwine.com
or +33 (0)6 80 45 35 70 or check the site:
http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm
 Finnish
Language Wine Tours - Viinimatkoja Ranskan viinialueille!
 Tours
on the schedule (in Finnish):
| 20.9 - 24.9 2006:
Viinimatkan kohteena Bordeaux
Bordeaux on viininystävälle ehdoton matkakohde! Siellä ovat tunnetut isot
viinitilat, klassiset viinit mutta myös paljon uutta perinteisen rinnalla.
Kolmena päivänä vierailemme sekä kuuluisilla arvotiloilla että pienemmillä
erittäin laadukkailla tiloilla jotta pääsemme tutuiksi myös itse
viininviljelijän kanssa.
Paina tästä!
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| 4.10 - 8.10 2006: Viiniä
ja tryffeleitä Bourgognessa !
Nyt sinulla on mahdollisuus oppia tuntemaan Bourgognen maailmankuulut
kylät, viinitilat ja tuottajat. Sekä heidän ainutlaatuinen erikoisuutensa
: Bourgogne- tryffeli !
Paina tästä! |
For info, contact me on
winebrief@bkwine.com
or +33 (0)6 80 45 35 70 or check the site:
http://www.bkwine.com/suomi/viinimatkoja/viinimatkoja.htm
You can find the pictures on
www.bkwine.com/wine_pictures/photo_galleries.htm |
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Recommendations |
| A selection of
what we have tried, tasted or visited recently.
□
Producers
Corsica!
 Corsica
is making great progress in wine. Quality is still sometimes unpredictable
(but where is that not the case?) but you can find plenty of good wines,
both white, red and sweet.
Patrimonio, in northern Corsica, is home to many of the best Corsican wines.
The chalky soil is good for wine growing, the winds are less strong compared
to some other places. There is no co-operative on this part of the island.
The 32 wineries share the 450 hectares. You can also find sweet white wines
from this part of Corsica but then they are called Muscat du Cap Corse.
  Niellucciu
is the dominant grape in Patrimonio. It is a grape variety that is related
to the Sangiovese, found in Tuscany, which is sometimes quite evident. The
vintage 2002 from Domaine Gentile has exactly the characteristics that I
find typical in Corsican wines: full-bodied, with a fair amount of tannin
and a hint of “animal” (game, leather…). Domaine Gentile’s white wine is
made from Vermentino (called Rolle in Provence) and is dry and refreshing
with a contrasting earthy or minerally character. In general, Corsican wines
actually have more elegance than one might expect from a district so far
south. Perhaps it is the high altitude and the strong winds that moderate
the otherwise high temperatures.
  A
relative newcomer in Patrimonio is Clos Signadore. They made their first
vintage in 2001. Eresi 2005, made from 80% Niellucciu and 20% Grenache, is a
quaffable, easygoing wine while the cuvée prestige, called simply Clos, with
100% Niellucciu is more typically Corsican with flavours of spices and herbs
and even juniper. Quite elegant and very good.
  Another
(new) recommended producer in Patrimonio is Yves Leccia, making wine on 12
hectares. He makes a very attractive white Vermentino with quite a lot of
“fat” (‘gras’ in French, giving the wine a round, soft and full-bodied
character) but also a fresh acidity. He uses no oak and he does not let the
wine go through the malolactic fermentation. He makes several red wines,
e.g. “Patrimonio 2004” from 90% Niellucciu and 10% Grenache. Here the
relation to Sangiovese is very apparent: a certain dryness and aromas of
cherry stones, a high acidity and a good body.
Jean-Paul Gentile, Domaine Gentile, AC Patrimonio
Clos Signadore, AC Patrimonio
Yves Leccia, Domaine d'E Croce, AC Patrimonio
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Read more recommendations on
restaurants and winebars on
my Restaurant and Wine Bar page. |
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News from the Wine World |
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Wine Travel Special Now
is the time to start thinking about how to brighten up the autumn season so
I thought it would be a good idea to give you some inspiration. Here are
some details about the next season’s wine tours in English:
 The
Northern Rhône Valley, September 27 – October 1
If you love the Syrah grape this is the trip for you! In the northern
Rhône you have some of the most highly acclaimed and famous Rhône
appellations: Côte Rôtie and Hermitage. But there are also many very
interesting producers in the other districts, e.g. in Cornas, Saint Joseph
and Crozes-Hermitage; not to forget the whites with aromatic Condrieu made
from Viognier at the top of the hierarchy.
More info here.
 Bordeaux
at harvest time, October 11-15
Ripe grapes hanging in the vineyard. Or must bubbling in the winery.
(You can never quite predict.) Lots of activity and still warm, late-summer
temperatures. A trip to Bordeaux is a must (no pun intended) for a wine
lover. We will visit some famous châteaux and also some of the most
interesting and exciting new initiatives.
More info here.
Book now!
Book now! Call me on +33-6 80
45 35 70; or on skype: bkwine; or send me an email.
Wine Tours in Finnish
Four our Finnish speaking
readers we offer two wine tours in the autumn:
 20.9 - 24.9 2006:
Viinimatkan kohteena Bordeaux
Bordeaux on viininystävälle ehdoton matkakohde! Siellä ovat tunnetut isot
viinitilat, klassiset viinit mutta myös paljon uutta perinteisen rinnalla.
Kolmena päivänä vierailemme sekä kuuluisilla arvotiloilla että pienemmillä
erittäin laadukkailla tiloilla jotta pääsemme tutuiksi myös itse
viininviljelijän kanssa.
Paina tästä!
 4.10 - 8.10 2006: Viiniä
ja tryffeleitä Bourgognessa !
Nyt sinulla on mahdollisuus oppia tuntemaan Bourgognen maailmankuulut
kylät, viinitilat ja tuottajat. Sekä heidän ainutlaatuinen erikoisuutensa
: Bourgogne- tryffeli !
Paina tästä!
Book now!
Book now! Call me on +33-6 80
45 35 70; or on skype: bkwine; or send me an email.
News
Higher Gastronomic Education
Institut des Hautes Etudes du Goût de la Gastronomie et les Arts de la
Table
 Behind
this long name hides an interesting education that was created two years ago
in the capital of the Champagne district, Reims. The institute is formally
part of the Reims University and has backing from solid partners such as
Remy Cointreau, Alain Ducasse, Château Margaux, Grand Marnier, Michelin,
Cordon Blue and others. The program is primarily aimed at professionals in
the food and drinks sector who want a high level perspective and
understanding of gastronomy and taste. It consists of two modules of two
intense weeks each with technical and economic lectures by leaders in their
field. There are also some “pedagogical meals” where the theories are
applied. The program is bilingual English and French. Students come with
very different backgrounds. This year’s students were e.g. a sommelier and
consultant from Sweden, a Japanese journalist, a French cook and restaurant
owner, a communications specialist in the wine trade, an American patisserie
chef and guest house owner, a Norwegian cooking school headmaster,… BKWine
sat in on a few lectures and can testify that:
| the professors are of a very
high standard (many are “the famous names” in their speciality) |
| it is not about learning how
to cook but rather about understanding why things taste as it does and
why things should be prepared in certain ways, and understanding the
contexts |
| you need some kind of solid
background in gastronomy to really benefit from the program |
 For
more information
www.iheggat.com
or contact Ragnar Fridriksson
Ambassador for Hautes Etudes du Goût
Ph: +33-(0)3 26 05 66 28
Mob:+33-(0)6 64 22 33 21
email: ragnar-at-neuf-dot-fr
    
The Lurton Brothers looking
for a vineyard in Portugal
François and Jacques Lurton are already successful winemakers in several
wine regions: Languedoc, Chile, Argentina, Spain,… Their next project is,
apparently, Portugal. They have already made one wine in the Duoro Valley in
partnership with a local producer, but now they are looking for their own
place. Vitisphere.com
Bordeaux 2005
 The primeur tastings – the one week wine jamboree for the trade in
Bordeaux to present the latest vintage – are now over. Everyone seems to
agree that 2005 is an outstanding vintage, and that it will be an expensive
vintage. Expectations are turned up for substantial price increases. It will
be interesting to see what happens when asking prices are announced later
this year. Here are some interesting comments about the wines:
| The tastings day-by-day,
BBR.com |
| Tastings Predict 2005 as
Best Bordeaux Vintage in Half Century,
Bloomberg.com
(``It's a huge vintage,'' [said Gad Petterson, a buyer for Systembolaget],
sniffing a glass of Chateau Talbot appreciatively. ``It has good balance.
It's unusually even across Bordeaux. I've tasted all the wines.'') |
| New 2005 Bordeaux Wine
Prices May Challenge Records, Buyers Say,
Bloomberg.com |
| Bordeaux 2005: stats are all
that’s left,
Decanter.com
(“At Chateau Teyssier in St Emilion, Jonathan Maltus was picking Merlot at
15.5% alcohol – two degrees higher than normal”) |
| Bordeaux 2005 Vintage Report
by Jasper Morris,
BBR.com |
| Bordeaux en Primeur 2005 by
Roger Voss,
The Wine Enthusiast |
| Bordeaux 2005 –
Purity With Power, and also
A Question of Extraction, by Jancis Robinson in FT.com |
Get a Master in wine – wine
program in Angers
 The Ecole Supérieure d' Agriculture in Angers in the Loire Valley offers a
study program that leads to a Master of Science (MSc) in Wine. It is a
mixture of general wine knowledge, technology, finance and marketing
designed for people who want to work in the wine trade (such as importers).
They already have many international students from e.g. Peru, Argentina,
Chile, Brazil, South Africa, New Zeeland, Thailand, China, Spain,
Slovenia,…. but are actively encouraging applicants from other European
countries. More info:
www.vintagemaster.com
The UK Labour party buys
wine for £1 million
According to
The Independent, the British government under Tony Blair
has bought wine for approximately £1 million since Blair took power in 1997.
Château Montrose sold for
140 million euro
Château Montrose, a 70 ha property, Grand Cru Classé in St Estèphe
(Medoc, Bordeaux), has changed hands. Martin & Olivier Bouygues bought the
chateau and vineyards from the Charmolue family for some 170 million euro.
Bouygues controls one of France’s biggest companies, carrying the same name,
that is active in telecoms, construction and other business.
Mergerstat.com
-->
Discover Bordeaux. Travel with BKWine. More info here! <--
Russia blocks wine imports
from Georgia and Moldova
Wine prices are expected to go up with 30% in Russia after the
government outlawed wine imports from Georgia and Moldova. The ban has been
introduced for health reasons according to the government but some mean that
it is actually for political reasons.
Novosti and
The State
Europe’s best sommelier to
be crowned on June 18
The final of the Trophée Ruinart, popularly called the European
championship for sommeliers, with be held at the Théatre des Champs Elysées
in Paris on June 18.
Government owned V&S vin &
Sprit increases profits to 417 million SEK for Q1-06
V&S Vin & Sprit AB, owned by the Swedish government, has announced
improved results for the first quarter. The business area V&S Absolut
Spirits (including one of the world’s best selling vodkas) increased sales
with 20%. Total turnover increased by 16% to 2 320 million SEK and operating
results grew by 31% to 417 million SEK. More info on www.vsgroup.se.
Curiously, the Swedish government is simultaneously campaigning for that
people should drink less domestically.
Wine crisis in Australia
The price of wine exported from Australia has gone down with 30%
according to a report by the consultant Deloitte. It is feared that a
continued trend of lower export prices of cheap bulk wines will have
catastrophic effects for the Australian wine industry. Read more on
Decanter.com. Production substantially exceeds consumption for
Australian wines. This year’s harvest is estimated to reach 1.4 million
litres. Together with accumulated reserves it is expected that the surplus
will reach 800 million litres of unsold wine… Which certainly will not help
the price levels. Read more on
News.co.au
American research in enology
and viticulture
 The American Society for Enology and Viticulture has just had its annual
meeting. Two research papers were given prizes: “Best Viticulture Paper”:
Bud Microclimate and Fruitfulness in Vitis vinifera L.. (pdf 740kB) by Luis A. Sanchez and Nick K. Dokoozlian, and “Best Enology
Paper”:
Validation of a Solid-Phase Micro Extraction Method for Headspace Analysis
of Wine Aroma Compounds (pdf 200kB) by Karen L. Howard,
James H. Mike, and Roland Riesen
http://www.asev.org/
Portuguese wine with screw
cap
Perhaps like swearing in church? Portugal is the world’s biggest
producer of natural cork (made from bark from the cork oak tree). Miguel
Champalimaud, owner of Quinta do Cotto in Duoro has announced his intention
to be the first Portuguese wine producer to bottle wines with screw cap. But
the reason that he gives for switching is not problems with corked wines. It
is price. He estimates that he will save 20 cent per bottle with screw cap.
Reuters.com
Have a news
item you'd like to see here or have a news tip? Send me an email:
winebrief@bkwine.com |
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Link Tips |
Some wine sites
that you might enjoy visiting:
| What Randall Grahm thinks
about terroir (Grahm is the cult wine maker in California that created
Bonny Doon), on
AppellationAmerica.com |
| More about terroir: ”Are
People Part of Wine’s Terroir?” on
californiawineweb.com |
Send us suggestions on sites to
be included here:
winebrief@bkwine.com |
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Agenda |
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- -
France:
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22-24/6, Loire: Rendez-vous de
Fontevraud, wine competition with Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Info
rdv-fontevraud2006-at-vinsvaldeloire.fr
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3-5/7, Bordeaux, 6-7/7,
Montpellier: VI International Congress on Viticultural terroirs. Info :
www.enitab.fr (NEW)
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- -
Sweden:
- - UK,
Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark,...:
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20/5, New York: Wine
auction “The Magificent Cellar of Russell H. Frye”,
Sotheby's (NEW)
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23-25/5 2006, Hong Kong: Vinexpo
Asia-Pacific,
www.vinexpo.fr
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28-31/5-06, Jerez de la Frontera:
Vinoble 2006, wine exhibition for fortified and sweet wines:
www.vinoble.com
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10/6, New York: Wine auction
“Finest and Rarest Wines”,
Sotheby's (NEW)
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21/6, London: wine auction
“Finest and Rarest Wines, Spirits and Vintage Port”,
Sotheby's (NEW)
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25-30/6, Logrono, Spain: XXIX
World Congress on Grapevine and Wine. Info :www.oiv2006esp.org
(NEW)
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29/6, London: wine auction “A
Magnificent Bordeaux Cellar in aid of The Charles-Albert Frère
Foundation”,
Sotheby's (NEW)
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16/9 2006, Copenhagen: Rhône
Wine festival,
www.thewinecompany.dk
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Wine auction
agendas:
Something we've missed? Send us suggestions for events to be added here:
winebrief@bkwine.com |
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Post Scriptum |
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 Copyright
©
Britt Karlsson, BKWine
www.bkwine.com
info@bkwine.com
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