Tuesday, October 14, 2008

BKWine in Alsace on French television

When we recently were in Alsace the big French television channel France 2 took the occasion to make a program for its News at One (Journal de 13h). It features our visit to the famous Alsatian wine producer Domaine Weinbach (Mme Faller & Filles) with Catherine Faller. It was featured in the “journal de 13h” on October 7. It is still available on the FR2 web site. Here’s what you need to do if you want to watch it:

a) Go to http://jt.france2.fr/13h/
b) Choose Tuesday 7 October: “Mardi 7”
c) Click on the table of contents (that starts with Générique début”) in the video player on ”FEUILLETON 2/5 Vendanges à l’alsacien 00h30min14s”.
d) Wait until the program reaches 31min 40sec, and there you go…
(and if you want to watch more wine videos you can visit BKWine TV on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/bkwine)


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Fifteen new Masters of Wine

Master of Wine, MW, is a very prestigious title in the wine world. It is only held by 227 people today. The latest “promotion” of MW students added 15 new titulars, the first ever Asian MW, the first Brazilian, and the second Swedish.

Here’s the full list: Sarah Abbott, 37, UK - Joanne Ahearne, 46, UK - Francisco (Pancho) Campo Carrasco, 46, Spain - James Cluer, 38, Canada. James passed his Dissertation and became a Master of Wine in May this year. - Martin Hudson, 53, UK - Jeannie Cho Lee, 40, Hong Kong, originally from Korea - Benjamin Lewin, 62, USA - Christophe Macra, 36, France - Debra Meiburg, 47, Hong Kong, originally from USA - Sara Muirhead, 37, UK - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 41, Singapore, originally from USA - Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, 35, USA - Madeleine Stenwreth, 40, Sweden - Dirceu Vianna Junior, 40, UK, originally from Brazil - Tim Wildman, 38, UK.

BKWine says a big hooray to all of them!


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Monday, October 13, 2008

BKWine Brief nr 63, October 2008 out - more on the harvest etc

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That done, it’s been an unusual autumn. But a very interesting one for wine and the harvest. Here are some summaries of what people have told us about the vintage in some of the places we’ve been:

In Alsace growers were over all very happy. Slow ripening (cool weather) and late harvest but excellent weather in September for the harvest. Most winegrowers were looking forward to a very successful vintage.

In Burgundy opinions were more divided. Here too they’ve had a quite cool summer, leading to a late harvest. They were just beginning when we were there, around September 24-25. But even if the summer has been cold it’s been quite dry so there has not been too much problems with rot during summer. But then came rain in the beginning/middle of September and people feared the worst (one grower said that at that time he was ready to start crying). This, if it continued, would inevitably lead to rot problems. But the rain quickly passed and was followed by sunshine, strong winds and more cool temperatures, so the fears for the worst were dispelled. But all the same, opinions seem to vary. Some, a bit more pessimistic, say that there is actually some rot problems and also that there is a problem with uneven ripeness, meaning uneven ripeness on bunches: parts of a bunch can be ripe and other parts unripe. Unusual and difficult to remedy with sorting. And also saying that the low temperatures are not doing much for ripening the grapes. Others are much more optimistic: they say that the cool weather will minimise rot problems and that the strong winds will contribute to keeping the vineyards dry and to concentrating the juice in the grapes. As a conclusion there seems to be a good chances for a quality harvest with mainly very healthy grapes. Even if we did see some threatening dark clouds on the horizon some days… We keep our fingers crossed.

In Portugal’s biggest wine district, the Alentejo, most growers had finished the harvest by the end of September (except some, like e.g. Quinta do Mouro, who waits until the very last moment to have super-ripe grapes and who don’t fear a few raindrops). Most people in Alentejo say it will be a good vintage. Quantity will be a bit less than usual but quality will be very good. There was some rain during flowering which for some has led to a 30-40% drop in volume. The whole year there’s been quite a lot of rain in Alentejo, so much so that they have almost not needed any irrigation at all this year.

In Champagne: Considering the circumstances, after a summer that left much to be desired, quite a good vintage seemed to be the general consensus for the harvest.

And soon we will go down to Bordeaux where harvest is in full swing (we’ll come back with a report later). We have a trip planned this week with a group of wine lovers and one part of the program is that we will hand out secateurs to everyone and drop them off in the vineyards at Chateau Paloumey in Margaux. “And don’t come back until the bucket is full…” Perhaps it will be a Cuvée BKWine?

Now is the time to plan for a wine tour the coming season. The winter/spring program is now available and registrations have started to arrive. Take a look and see if there something on our tour plan that may tickle your palate!

Britt

PS: Recommend to your friends to read the Brief or forward it to them !

Here's the full issue of the Brief!


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Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Barca Velha 2000 – a new release of a mythical Portuguese wine

Barca Velha was long thought of as the only Portuguese table wine in the top quality echelons. Today, there is much more company in that category in Portugal thanks to the fabulous renaissance that Portuguese winemaking has seen over the last few decades. But Barca Velha undoubtedly retain it’s status as an almost mythological wine. It is made in the upper Douro valley and belongs nowadays to the Sogrape Group, one of Portugal’s biggest wine producers. The vintage 2000 has just been released in 26,000 bottles and 1500 magnums. The release price is €75. wine-business-international.com


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Monday, October 06, 2008

Avignonesi in Tuscany sold to Belgian investor

One of the top producers in Montalcino In Tuscany has been sold to the Belgian business woman Virginie Saverys. The Falvi family will retain a 10% shareholding. Avignonesi has 109 ha of vineyards split on four estates, Le Capezzine, I Poggetti, La Selva and La Lombarda in Montalcino, just south of Chianti. www.wine-business-international.com


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Friday, October 03, 2008

Beaucastel buys Tourelles in Gigondas

Or to be more precise, the Perrin family, owners of the famous Domaine de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, has bought the Domaine des Tourelles in Gigondas. Tourelles is a highly regarded Gigondas vineyard with 9 ha of vines. www.vitisphere.com


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Champagne harvest started on September 15

On September 15 the harvest began in Champagne. They have had a cool but reasonably dry summer so the expectations are for a comparatively small quantity but with healthy grapes. The maximum yield has been agreed to 13,600 kg grapes per hectare (exactly what that translates to in hl/ha is difficult to say but it should be around 80-90 hl/ha). http://www.winealley.com


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Truffles and Pata Negra? - “It doesn’t get much better!”

For sure, it makes you happy. We launched the BKWine spring travel program last week and it’s always nice if someone notices it, especially if it’s a Google Page Rank 8 or Alexa Rank 86 site (for the non-nerds, this means one of the web’s most popular travel sites). James Martin, one of the travel editors on About.com GoEurope picked up our information on our truffles tour and our Portuguese tour (with pata negra ham) - ”It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This!”. But it will be difficult to fit both the pata negra and the truffles on the same trip so you’ll have to go on both wine tours. Here’s the GoEurope story: http://goeurope.about.com

Here’s a new BKWine TV video from our last truffle hunting tour. And it’s on the schedule again in February so if you’re tempted to go ‘hunting’ and tasting some wine you know where to find it: www.youtube.com/truffles


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Thursday, October 02, 2008

Draught in California

California is seeing the lowest water levels in 30 years in some of its water reservoirs. If the lack of rain continues 2009 is likely to be the driest year in Californian modern history. What consequences that will have for California’s vineyards remain to be seen. www.sfgate.com


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2008 – hot and dry in Roussillon

Many European wine regions have had a cool and dreary summer, even if it has not been too wet. Almost the opposite is the case in Roussillon in southern France. They have had a hot and dry summer leading to an unusually early harvest. Some wineries started picking as early as August 11 but the harvest will continue for another few weeks (as we are writing in the first half of Sep). There were a few rain showers on the last day of August and the beginning of September but nothing that had any substantially negative effect, thanks to the healthy grapes in the vineyards. Overall they expect to have a moderate volume but excellent quality.


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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

BKWine TV: [F] Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure

Interview with Christian Roche, third generation owner of the property Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure.

Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure is a family owned vineyard in the Bergerac and Monbazillac appellations, a top quality producer in this too little known region in south-west France, which is also a very gastronomic part of France with all the specialties of the Perigord.

L'Ancienne Cure makes a range of wines: dry white, sweet white and reds.

Le Classique, L'Abbaye and L'Extase, sometimes made from overripe grapes.
Sauvignon gris & blanc and muscadelle.

12 hectares of red wine, cabernet (franc & sauvignon), malbec and merlot.

The sweet wines are made both from grapes with noble rot (pourriture noble) and grapes starting to dry on the vine (passerillage).

Christian talks about the different wines he makes, his philosophy of winemaking and tells us about his vineyard.

Language is French.

Entretien avec le vigneron Christina Roche, le propriétaire du Domaine de lancienne Cure à Bergerac.

http://www.domaine-anciennecure.fr

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Burgundy information

Are you looking for information about Burgundy? Or perhaps thinking of making a trip? They it can be worth your while to visit the BurgundyEye.com site with lots of tourism and wine info: http://www.burgundyeye.com/


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Champagne Light?

Champagne is bottled in heavy, solid bottles so that they will not burst from the pressure inside the bottle. A typical champagne bottles weighs in at around 900 grams, almost double a regular bottle. CIVC, the champagne producers’ association, has asked Mumm Champagne to trial a lighter bottle, weighing only 835 g, a reduction by a massive 55 g… The light weight bottles should make transports easier and cheaper (you can fit more bottles on a lorry if they weigh less). The trial has now been successfully concluded and Champ Light might now be adopted by more producers, according to a report in the Financial Times. However, Pommery/ Vranken already uses the lighter 835 g bottle and the empty Heidsieck bottle that we unfortunately had at home (unfortunately, since it was empty) was at 845 g, so it does not seem that much of a revolution. But according to Pommery there would be 3000 fewer trucks on the roads if everyone used the lighter bottle. Just think of what savings there would be with an aluminium bottle. www.ft.com


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EcceVino.com – new French wine site with tasting notes

David Cobbold is a well known English wine writer based in Paris. Together with a French colleague, Sebastien Durand-Viel, he has launched a new French language site featuring tasting notes and commentaries as well as longer articles on wine and also a wine encyclopaedia. Read more here: http://www.eccevino.com


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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

BKWine TV: [E,F] Truffle hunting - the black diamond

Truffle hunting with a dog (or a pig) is a very special experience. The black Perigord truffle, Tuber Melanosporum, The Black Diamond, hides in the ground and only a trained dog (or more rarely, a pig) can find it - one of the rarest gastronomic delicacies, used in small quantities in luxury cuisine.

This is a clip from one of our truffle hunting tours where we go looking for truffles in Perigord, in Provence or in the Rhone Valley. The truffle master also explains the different qualities of the truffle and what makes a good one.

Come join us for a truffles experience! Visit our website: http://www.bkwine.com

Découvrez ce visite d'une truffière ou nous partons dans le foret de truffe avec le chien (aujourd'hui rarement avec un cochon) pour chercher ce diamant noir.

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Join us on the upcoming Truffles, Foie Gras and Wine Tour for a really unique truffle hunting and gourmet experience. More info here!

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The great tasting in Paris…

Le Grand Tasting they call it… It is a big wine fair and, yes, tasting that is open to both the public and professionals and will take place this year on November 21 and 22 at the Caroussel du Louvre in Paris. Numerous quality wine producers from all over France will participate and this year there will also be representatives from Italy and from Spain. More info www.grandtasting.com and www.bvizioz.com.


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Something ‘nouveau’ in the Muscat?

Since 2006 a Muscat de Noel (Christmas Muscat wine) is launched just in time to be enjoyed around the Christmas tables. From this year it will be a special designation available to wines within the AOC Muscat de Rivesaltes provided they comply with the requirements: being a primeur wine and bottled before December 1 following the harvest. It will certainly go better than a Beaujolais with the sweets on the Christmas table. More info: www.muscatdenoel.fr


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Monday, September 29, 2008

BKWine TV: [F] Chateau Tour des Gendres

Interview with Francis de Conti owner of the property together with his cousins Luc and Jean de Conti.

Tour des Gendres has 55 hectares of vineyards and is situated in the Appellation Bergerac.

Planted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Franc and Malbec red grape varieties. White grapes are Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle.

They make dry white and red as well as some sweet white wines. Cuvées: Classique to Anthologia, the top cuvee.

Cuvées : Gloire de mon Père, Moulin des Dames, Anthologia

They do a lot of experiments to develop the winemaking, for example: they were an early adopter of fermentation on the lees for the whites; microoxygenation (micro-oxidation), organic (biologique) farming, and now also experiments with biodynamic (to try and give more vigour to some weak parcels).

Language is French.

Entretien avec le vigneron Francis de Conti, l'un des propriétaires du Château Tour des Gendres.

http://www.chateautourdesgendres.com/

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Best French sommelier competition on November 9 & 10 in Perpignan

The finals for the Best French Sommelier competition will this year take place in Perpignan, hosted by the Wines of Roussillon. 12 candidates, double up from the last issue of the competition in 2006 will for the trophy this year. More info from the CIVR or ABCommunication.


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Mediterranean meeting for muscat with pudding promotion

Excuse us the heading – it is question of the third annual rencontres for Muscat VDN wines (vins doux naturels) together with the ‘Le Roussillon Dessert Trophy’ that will take place in Perpignan on January 31 to February 2, 2009 in Roussillon. It is an occasion for professionals, for wine buyers, and for the public to meet the VDN winemakers and taste many of their wines. The Dessert Trophy features the best VDN wine and sweets combinations and the finals will take place in the famous international patisserie school of Olivier Bajard. More info www.vinsduroussillon.com


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The harvest has started in Bordeaux

The harvest will be later than usual this year, due to the cool summer. But the ‘ceuillette’ for the white wines has already started. For example, at Chateau Carbonnieux, a winery in Pessac-Léognan / Graves that makes both red and white wine, the picking of the sauvignon blanc grapes commenced on September 5. But they don’t expect to start the red grape harvest until the beginning of September.


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Budget Travel features Britt/BKWine: travel tips and Bergerac

In the August issue of Budget Travel, an American travel magazine, they have an article featuring the ten best travel tips for a wine tour traveller – based on an interview with Britt (that hardly needs any further presentation here). You can read the article here: www.budgettravel.com

In the same issue they also have an article about one of Britt’s “hidden gems”, a destination that is not so well know but definitely worth discovering: Bergerac in the south-west of France, with plenty of good food and excellent wine. Read the article here www.budgettravel.com. And that’s also a region where you find the famous black Perigord truffles that you can discover on BKWines Truffle Hunting Tour in February! http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm


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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

BKWine TV: Chateau Petrus - A visual visit

This is how Chateau Petrus in Pomerol, Bordeaux, looks.

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The CEO of Systembolaget, the Swedish monopoly, to resign

Anitra Steen has announced her resignation, well in advance of May 2009, which is the date she has set for the end of her term as CEO of the Swedish monopoly wine and spirits retailer Systembolaget AB. At that date she will have been in charge of the company for 10 years and will celebrate her 60th birthday. 60 years is also the obligatory retirement age for a CEO at the company.


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Robert Parker likes Austrian wines

In the latest versions of eRobertParker David Schildknecht (one of Parker’s collaborators) rates and comments on Austrian wines. Of the 500 wines that are covered just over 200 are rated as “outstanding” (i.e. gets more than 90 points). All wines are from the 2006 vintage. Schildknecht especially likes the Blaufränkisch wines. www.weinausoesterreich.at and www.erobertparker.com


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New wine videos

We have published four new wine videos on BKWine TV, our channel on YouTube. Did you know that you can subscribe to the new videos we publish? Just click on ‘subscribe’ on YouTube and you will receive an email each time there’s a new video online. And we’re particularly glad if you take the time to write a comment on one of our videos or give it a rating. Here are the new clips:

- Chateau Petrus, a visual visit
- Chateau Tour des Gendres in Bergerac
- Truffle hunting with a truffle dog in the Bergerac (perhaps it will tickle your taste buds and make you join our truffles hunting tour in February…)
- Domaine de l’Ancienne Cure in Bergerac and Monbazillac
.




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Launch of spring wine tour program 2009

bf17-403-0396BKWine has launched the spring program 2009 with two new wine and food tours. The destinations include Périgord (with truffles, duck and wine), and the wins and food of the Alentejo in Portugal. The detailed programs are available on www.bkwine.com. “The trend towards active holidays seems to continue” says Britt Karlsson, founder of BKWine, “so I think that the two spring tours will fill up quickly”. Britt continues: “I am particularly happy that travellers have started to discover that springtime is also a good time for wine and food travel. There’s no harvest, of course, but there are plenty of things happening in the wine cellars. Plus summer is approaching with brighter evenings and warmer weather”.

The two tours on the spring program are both classics:

- Truffles, foie gras and wine in the Périgord (south-west France), including a real truffle hunt, a half day cooking workshop with duck and foie gras, and wine of course, February 11-15
- The Alentejo in Portugal, a wine region that is on the forefront of the modern winemaking in Portugal, with gourmet specialities like the pata negra ham, March 25-29


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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

BKWine Pick: Domaine Roc des Anges, Côtes de Roussillon

Marjorie Gallet was only 23 when she in 2001, without a penny in her pocket, decided to settle in Roussillon to become winegrower. She had an opportunity to buy an old property of 10 ha thirty kilometres north of Perpignan and has added some land since so she now has 20 ha. But she only makes 45,000 bottles each year since her yields are miniscule, not more than 16 hl/ha. This is, she says, because the vines are old and the soil is very poor, and the climate is hot and very windy. Perhaps we need to add to that her ambition to make very concentrated and well constructed wines? Try for instance the Roc des Anges 2006 Segna de Cor. A full-bodied, powerful wine but that retains a lot of fruit mixed with aromas of chocolate, tobacco, leather and ripe grapes.

Click here for address and more recommendations.


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BKWine Pick: Domaine Coume del Mas, Collioure

Coume del Mas is close to the village Cousprou, between Collioure and Banyuls. The soil is poor, dominated by slate that gives a strong backbone and fresh acidity to the wines. The main grape variety is Grenache. The property is built up of many small plots acquired over the last ten years by the owner Philippe Gard. Some are close to the sea; others are at 300 m altitude inland, facing east. Here the climate is a bit cooler than by the sea, especially at night. But even the plots close to the sea get a bit of freshness from the sea breezes. The yields are low, very low – only 10 to 15 hl/ha! The wines are, of course, concentrated.

Click here for address and more recommendations.


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Monday, September 22, 2008

Spring 2009 program

Spring 2009 program

February 11-15: Truffle, wine, duck and foie gras in the south west of France

an18-327-2722Have you always dreamed of going truffle hunting? Now you have the opportunity. Join us in February on this trip to the south west of France – le Sud-Ouest. We truffle hunt, learn how to make foie gras and, of course, taste a lot of good wines too.
More info on this wine tour with truffles and duck!

March 25-29: Alentejo in Portugal, one of the most exciting and modern Portuguese wine regions

bf17-403-0396In Portugal you find tradition and innovation side by side. Many of the wineries are recent and with leading edge technology, but that does not prevent them from sometimes treading the grapes by foot. The traditional style of Portuguese wines has been generally replaced by a decidedly modern winemaking style. The best producers build on tradition, e.g. by using Portuguese grape varieties, and use modern technology to make fruity and very drinkable wines, and certainly some very high quality cuvees. More info on this wine tour to Alentejo in Portugal!


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Two new wine tours from BKWine - launch of spring travel program 2009

Press release

Two new wine tours from BKWine - launch of spring travel program 2009

The specialist tour organiser BKWine has launched the spring program 2009 with two new wine and food tours. The destinations include Périgord (with truffles, duck and wine), and the wins and food of the Alentejo in Portugal. The detailed programs are available on www.bkwine.com.

“The trend towards active holidays seems to continue” says Britt Karlsson, founder of BKWine, “so I think that the two spring tours will fill up quickly”. Britt continues: “I am particularly happy that travellers have started to discover that springtime is also a good time for wine and food travel. There’s no harvest, of course, but there are plenty of things happening in the wine cellars. Plus summer is approaching with brighter evenings and warmer weather”.

The two tours on the spring program are both classics:

- Truffles, foie gras and wine in the Périgord (south-west France), including a real truffle hunt, a half day cooking workshop with duck and foie gras, and wine of course, February 11-15

- The Alentejo in Portugal, a wine region that is on the forefront of the modern winemaking in Portugal, with gourmet specialities like the pata negra ham, March 25-29

The tours are organised by Britt Karlsson, founder of BKWine and one of Europe’s most active organisers of specialists wine and gastronomy tours. Each tours is scheduled around a long week-end, starting Wednesday evening and ending on Sunday morning, giving travellers the opportunity to combine it with other activities – golf, culture, shopping or other things. The three days with BKWine as filled with winery visits and food events. All tours are led by Britt herself.

Britt summarizes her philosophy with her tours: “I want the travellers to have a unique experience that will stay with them for a long time after coming home. At the same time I hope they come home knowing a bit more about the wines and food of the places we visit, so there’s definitely an educational part. But most importantly I want to share some of my enthusiasm for the wine, for the food and for the regions we visit”.

BKWine is a tour organiser that focuses solely on wine and gastronomic travel. Over the years the company has organised more than two hundred wine tours to France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Germany and Austria. BKWine also arranges custom designed tours.

For more information on the wine tours: http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm, contact: Britt Karlsson, info@bkwine.com, ph +33 6 80 45 35 70.

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More information:
- About the Wine Tours: http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm
- About BKWine: http://www.bkwine.com/international/about_bkwine.htm
- Press photos: http://www.bkwine.com/diverse/press.htm (Additional press photos from our 20.000 picture library are available on request)

Press contact:
- Britt Karlsson, ph 00 33 6 80 45 35 70, info@bkwine.com
- Per Karlsson, ph 00 33 6 83 51 12 53, info@bkwine.com

About BKWine AB:
51, rue du Chevalier de la Barre, F-92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux (Paris), France, 00 33 6 80 45 35 70, info@bkwine.com, http://www.bkwine.com

BKWine AB is managed by Britt Karlsson, a Swede living in Paris. She is one of the few Swedes working internationally with wine education and wine journalism and is also a very experienced organiser of wine tours. She started her business in the early 1990s. Since 1995 she publishes a private newsletter called "VinNytt" with articles on wine. The same year she launched one of the first wine web sites: www.bkwine.com, which is now bilingual (English-Swedish). She also publishes an email newsletter - the BKWine Brief - which in a short time has grown to become one of the most wide spread newsletters on wine. "The Brief" is available in English and Swedish - for free. Britt is completely independent of wine producers and of the wine trade. She is a member of the British Circle of Wine Writers, the International Wine and Food Societ