From being a fairly unremarkable additive in most wines, sulphur dioxide has recently turned into a burning topic of discussion for wine enthusiasts. SO2 is added to the wine to protect it from premature oxidation.
The Douro Valley used to be all about port wine. No longer. The production of dry wines (called “Douro wines”), have increased incredibly in recent years. This is a trend created by the smaller growers
Predicting the future of organic wines may seem easy. The number of certified hectares is steadily increasing in Europe. Small wine growers convert, as well as famous Bordeaux chateaux. Consumers increasingly buy organic wines. Bulk
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
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
There is something called heroic viticulture. It is, for instance, vineyards on steep slopes, at high altitudes, on narrow terraces, on dry, windy islands. Here the wine world’s superheroes toil. The more difficult the terrain,
Essential oil from orange peel has a drying effect on the vine, it is desiccating. Therefore, many organic wine producers use this product to complement sulphur and copper in the fight against mildiou and oidium
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
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
There has been a lot of writing about “vin méthode nature”, the natural wine method, a new phenomenon in the French natural wine world. This has sometimes been affected by misconceptions or ambiguities, so here
Biological control (biocontrol), or sustainable plant protection, is used more and more in the wine industry. It is, of course, a consequence of the fact that organic and sustainable viticulture is becoming more common. Biocontrol
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
We often hear organic wine growers saying that the organic way of thinking should continue in the cellar. But what does that mean? The rules for organic wine in the cellar has to do with
Advantages and difficulties of farming organically The environmental debate is not a black-and-white issue. Organic growers inspire conventional and sustainable winegrowers. Non-organic growers use many of the organic methods. At the same time, some of
More and more consumers are buying organic wines. Today, the organic vineyard surface in the EU is twice as large as it was 10 years ago. Demand for organic wine is likely to soon outstrip
Some people see red when they hear someone say “added yeast”. But that does not prevent most wine producers from choosing cultivated (selected) yeast over wild yeast. There are over 200 varieties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
The idea seems brilliant. The company De Sangosse has developed a new product, a so-called adjuvant, named LE 846, whose viscous and liquid properties help to reduce the spraying by a quarter against downy and
A wine’s sulphur content is increasingly scrutinized. Sulphur dioxide is added to the wine as an antioxidant and stabiliser. But its use has diminished, rather drastically I think, in recent decades, in part thanks to
The new “no sulphur” trend There is a new trend, still in its infancy. But it will – most likely – increase. You see it in France and probably in other wine countries as well.
9 myths and 9 truths about organic, biodynamic, “natural” Organic wine continues to increase, it seems. Commercial success is well established in several countries already. We recently wrote about sales in France that have increased
A few years ago, we wrote in the Brief about the South African wine producer KWV who had made a wine called Earth’s Essence without added sulphur. Instead, they had used the rooibos plant, known
Trend spotting at New Year’s Eve dinner party With Christmas and New Year dinners coming up you might be in need of a conversation topic. Why not try trends in the wine world 2019? What
Sulphur is something that is naturally present in our environment and it is a product that is allowed for all wine producers – organic as well as conventional – both to combat fungal diseases in
Bag-in-box wines have shorter durability than wines in bottle. And the small sizes, 1.5 and 3 litres have the shortest. These sizes are now becoming more and more popular, also in France. At a recent
“sans” – does it make sense? There is a new trend, still a bit discreet. But it will perhaps – probably – increase. We see it in France and it probably exists in other wine
Natural wines are fashionable at the moment and there is a lot of talk about the difficulty of making wine without adding sulphur. But what if it’s not that hard? Since a few years’ back
Ackerman is a major producer of sparkling wine in the Loire Valley. Now the company launches its first bubbly chenin blanc without added sulphur (Saumur Brut l’Esprit nature, 11.50 euros on site). But that does
“Be careful, you can burn yourself,” says Gerardo Vernazzaro. I stand on a crater overlooking the sea. From the ground, sulfur smoke rises into the air. The name Campi Flegrei means just burning fields. But
Whether you are organic or not, you have to spray against fungal diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew. The organic growers use copper and sulphur and the conventional growers use synthetic chemical pesticides. To
“When making organic wine you use no additives and you don’t spray toxins in the vineyard”. Just a little bit exaggerated (but only slightly) this is what one can both hear said and read sometimes.
From being a fairly unremarkable additive in most wines, sulphur dioxide has recently turned into a burning topic of discussion for wine enthusiasts. SO2 is
The Douro Valley used to be all about port wine. No longer. The production of dry wines (called “Douro wines”), have increased incredibly in recent
Predicting the future of organic wines may seem easy. The number of certified hectares is steadily increasing in Europe. Small wine growers convert, as well
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
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
There is something called heroic viticulture. It is, for instance, vineyards on steep slopes, at high altitudes, on narrow terraces, on dry, windy islands. Here
Essential oil from orange peel has a drying effect on the vine, it is desiccating. Therefore, many organic wine producers use this product to complement
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
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
There has been a lot of writing about “vin méthode nature”, the natural wine method, a new phenomenon in the French natural wine world. This
Biological control (biocontrol), or sustainable plant protection, is used more and more in the wine industry. It is, of course, a consequence of the fact
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
We often hear organic wine growers saying that the organic way of thinking should continue in the cellar. But what does that mean? The rules
Advantages and difficulties of farming organically The environmental debate is not a black-and-white issue. Organic growers inspire conventional and sustainable winegrowers. Non-organic growers use many
More and more consumers are buying organic wines. Today, the organic vineyard surface in the EU is twice as large as it was 10 years
Some people see red when they hear someone say “added yeast”. But that does not prevent most wine producers from choosing cultivated (selected) yeast over
The idea seems brilliant. The company De Sangosse has developed a new product, a so-called adjuvant, named LE 846, whose viscous and liquid properties help
A wine’s sulphur content is increasingly scrutinized. Sulphur dioxide is added to the wine as an antioxidant and stabiliser. But its use has diminished, rather
The new “no sulphur” trend There is a new trend, still in its infancy. But it will – most likely – increase. You see it
9 myths and 9 truths about organic, biodynamic, “natural” Organic wine continues to increase, it seems. Commercial success is well established in several countries already.
A few years ago, we wrote in the Brief about the South African wine producer KWV who had made a wine called Earth’s Essence without
Trend spotting at New Year’s Eve dinner party With Christmas and New Year dinners coming up you might be in need of a conversation topic.
Sulphur is something that is naturally present in our environment and it is a product that is allowed for all wine producers – organic as
Bag-in-box wines have shorter durability than wines in bottle. And the small sizes, 1.5 and 3 litres have the shortest. These sizes are now becoming
“sans” – does it make sense? There is a new trend, still a bit discreet. But it will perhaps – probably – increase. We see
Natural wines are fashionable at the moment and there is a lot of talk about the difficulty of making wine without adding sulphur. But what
Ackerman is a major producer of sparkling wine in the Loire Valley. Now the company launches its first bubbly chenin blanc without added sulphur (Saumur
“Be careful, you can burn yourself,” says Gerardo Vernazzaro. I stand on a crater overlooking the sea. From the ground, sulfur smoke rises into the
Whether you are organic or not, you have to spray against fungal diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew. The organic growers use copper and
“When making organic wine you use no additives and you don’t spray toxins in the vineyard”. Just a little bit exaggerated (but only slightly) this
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