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Are we wine consumers ready to stand up for our environmental commitment? | New Brief out, #197 | The Wine & Wine Travel Newsletter

Are we wine consumers ready to stand up for our environmental commitment? Or are we merely paying lip service? A...

BKWine Brief nr 197, January 2020

Are we wine consumers ready to stand up for our environmental commitment? Or are we merely paying lip service? A...

8 of our favourites in the Douro Valley | Britt on Forbes

It is inevitable to be wow-ed when you come to the Douro Valley. It is one of the world's most...

Platter’s 2020 South African Wine Guide launched

The 2020 edition of the excellent wine guide “Platter’s South African Wine Guide” was launched in November. A total of...

Our book “Languedoc-Roussillon” named “Book of the Year, Drinks” by Gourmand Awards

Our latest book “Languedoc-Roussillon, Wines From The South of France” (Languedoc-Roussillon, södra Frankrikes viner) has been named Drinks Book of...

Does it cost more to be organic?

What does it really cost to convert to organic farming? It is sometimes said that “certification is expensive so the...

Eco-friendly cork wins award

Every year, over 2 billion Diam corks are sold, so chances are you will now and then pull one out...

Swedish Wine Producers’ Association Chairman misquoted in the New York Times

In the November Brief, we wrote about an article on Scandinavian wines in the New York Times. We recounted, among...

A grape name on the label sells better

How much does a grape name on the label really mean? A lot. At least some people think so. During...

Pinot Grigio: From Lady Gaga to a new consorzie delle Venezie

Not all grape varieties are so famous that Lady Gaga writes a song about them, but pinot grigio is. The...

This post is also available in: Swedish

8 of our favourites in the Douro Valley | Britt on Forbes

By Britt Karlsson on January 15, 2020 in Wine Regions

It is inevitable to be wow-ed when you come to the Douro Valley. It is one of the world’s most spectacular wine regions. These days they make both excellent “table” wines and the famous fortified port wines. We are frequent visitors to the Douro Valley. The Douro is one of our most popular travel destinations […]

Platter’s 2020 South African Wine Guide launched

By Britt Karlsson on January 15, 2020 in News

The 2020 edition of the excellent wine guide “Platter’s South African Wine Guide” was launched in November. A total of 125 wines and one brandy received the coveted 5 stars. “Editor’s Award Winery of the Year” went to the well-known Boekenhoutskloof in Franschhoek. “Best newcomer of the year” was Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique. Pieter Ferreira […]

Our book “Languedoc-Roussillon” named “Book of the Year, Drinks” by Gourmand Awards

By Per Karlsson on January 14, 2020 in Languedoc-Roussillon, the book

Our latest book “Languedoc-Roussillon, Wines From The South of France” (Languedoc-Roussillon, södra Frankrikes viner) has been named Drinks Book of the Year 2019 (it actually happened a couple of months ago). Not the best wine book as such, but the best book in Sweden about any kind of drink, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, water. So […]

Does it cost more to be organic?

By Britt Karlsson on January 14, 2020 in News

What does it really cost to convert to organic farming? It is sometimes said that “certification is expensive so the producer X works organically but does not certify”. That’s not correct. The certification is a marginal cost. But what about the rest? A French report from consulting firm CerFrance Gard tries to work it out. […]

Eco-friendly cork wins award

By Britt Karlsson on January 13, 2020 in News

Every year, over 2 billion Diam corks are sold, so chances are you will now and then pull one out of your wine bottle. Diam Bouchage is a French company that 12 years ago introduced a technical invention that eliminates the molecule responsible for the annoying cork taste (2,4,6-trichloroanisole, TCA) from cork granules. Diam could […]

Swedish Wine Producers’ Association Chairman misquoted in the New York Times

By Britt Karlsson on January 11, 2020 in News

In the November Brief, we wrote about an article on Scandinavian wines in the New York Times. We recounted, among other things, a quote by Sveneric Svensson, chairman of the Swedish Wine Association, uniting many of the Swedish wine producers. Sveneric sent us an email immediately after he read the newsletter to refute this quote. […]

A grape name on the label sells better

By Britt Karlsson on January 10, 2020 in News

How much does a grape name on the label really mean? A lot. At least some people think so. During the international Chenin Blanc congress that took place in Angers in July, there was much talk about the importance of providing consumers with information on the label and what added value it provides. The still […]

Pinot Grigio: From Lady Gaga to a new consorzie delle Venezie

By Åsa Johansson on January 8, 2020 in Wine Regions

Not all grape varieties are so famous that Lady Gaga writes a song about them, but pinot grigio is. The north-eastern corner of Italy is the regions where most pinot grigio is produced in the whole world. Now the three regions Veneto, Friuli and Trentino are investing in common cause for pinot grigio to keep […]

The barrel cellar at Musella, Valpolicella, Italy

The Golden Glass Trophy to Musella in Valpolicella

By Britt Karlsson on January 8, 2020 in News

Every year, the Swedish food magazine “Allt Om Mat” (Everything About Food) selects a winery for the “Golden Glass” trophy, an award that goes to a winery that has distinguished itself for high quality and that is available to consumers in Sweden. In 2019 the award went to Musella in the Italian region of Valpolicella. […]

Miss Terre 2018, Vin de France, Domaine de la Sénéchalière, Marc Pesnot

One step closer to list of ingredients on wine bottles?

By Britt Karlsson on January 6, 2020 in News

Will there soon be a requirement for wines to list the ingredients on the label? The issue has been debated in recent years. (Just to be clear: it is not forbidden to have a declaration of contents, it’s just not compulsory.) Many consumers ask themselves why alcoholic beverages are exempt from the rule that all […]

Gigondas in the Rhone Valley – the constant underdog, that bites

By Sven-Olof Johansson on January 3, 2020 in Wine Regions

A little brother is always a little brother. Even as he grows up, catching up with his big brother, borrowing his moped and kissing his girlfriend. Anyone who is knowledgeable enough to put Gigondas on the map will then point to neighbouring Châteauneuf du Pape. If the Gigondas vineyards cover 1,230 ha, big brother’s is […]

Chateau Beaucastel 1999, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Twenty20 Vision: Anniversary vintage fine wines in 2020

By Stuart George on December 30, 2019 in More

Anniversary wines to drink in 2020 It is always a surprise to notice that you are coming to the end of a year – and of a decade – even if, as a fine wine merchant, you are expected to keep an eye on years (or vintages) that come and go. If, like me, you […]

Vineyard in Bordeaux with grass and grass removed

Less herbicides in the Loire and maybe in all of France, at a cost

By Britt Karlsson on December 30, 2019 in News

27 appellations in the Anjou and Saumur regions in the Loire Valley have recently published their new rules and regulations. The big news is that they all now prohibit chemical weed removal. These 27 AOPs together have 18,000 hectares. In the current climate of sustainability awareness more and more wineries reduce spraying with chemical herbicides. […]

Bottles in the cellars of a cava producer in Catalonia, Spain

More tips on exciting cava from Catalonia for the festivities

By Per Karlsson on December 28, 2019 in News

One should not make the mistake to believe that cava is a cheap alternative to champagne. No more than that sancerre is a cheap version of white burgundy (or vice versa). No, cava is its very own wine style, own grape varieties, own terroir. Why not make an inspired and slightly different choice for New […]

Mont d´Or, the cheese favourite of the French at Christmas

By Britt Karlsson on December 27, 2019 in News

No French dinner is complete without a good cheese. At Christmas, the cheese will probably be a vacherin de mont d’or, an AOP cheese from the Jura mountains. This is a true Christmas cheese and much loved by the French. It is only produced in the autumn and winter. In the spring and summer, the […]

Bottles "sur lattes" in a cellar in Champagne

Last-minute-recommendations for a sparkling New Year

By Britt Karlsson on December 23, 2019 in News

Do you need some inspiration to fins a different bubbly for the festivities (you don’t really need any help to find the big brands, do you?)? Here are a few sparkling wines that we recommend. Champagne Bonnet-Ponson Seconde Nature, ~45 euro. Cyril Bonnet is a very talented winemaker. No sulphur, no dosage. But a lot […]

Scandinavian wines in the New York Times and on France 3

By Britt Karlsson on December 20, 2019 in News

Scandinavian wines have received a great deal of attention in the international press lately. Like most other journalists, Eric Asimov, in his long article in the New York Times, points out that climate change makes it possible to commercially make wine in Scandinavia. But he also admits that this doesn’t make it easy. Climate change […]

Italian Christmas: pandoro or panettone, that’s the question

By Åsa Johansson on December 19, 2019 in Food and Wine

When it is Christmas in Italy, the eternal question is whether it should be pandoro or panettone. The high, sponge-cake-like cake sold in colourful cardboard boxes in every shop from supermercato to small delicatessen shops is a must. But should it be pandoro or panettone? And what is the difference? “Mom, this year, can we […]

Organic wine fair Millésime Bio continues to grow, next edition on January 27-29

By Britt Karlsson on December 18, 2019 in News

The now well-known wine fair for organic wines, Millésime Bio, will take place on 27-29 January 2020 in Montpellier. All exhibitors must be organically certified. Being under conversion is no longer enough. There are now far too many producers who want to exhibit. The number of exhibitors – 1200 in 2020 – is increasing every […]

View over the summits of the Andes in Mendoza, Argentina, and the vineyards

Mendoza’s new denominations highlights the different terroirs

By Britt Karlsson on December 17, 2019 in News

Recently Uco Valley, in the southernmost part of Mendoza, received its fifth geographical designation of origin, identificación geográfica (IG) in Spanish. It is San Pablo, where the vines grow in rocky soil at high altitude, between 1100 and 1700 meters above sea level. The other IGs in Uco are Paraje Altamira, which has a unique […]

Legítimo, Conceito 2016, Douro Valley, Portugal

Uncorked: Good wines we have tasted recently, December 2019

By Britt Karlsson on December 15, 2019 in Tastings

Uncorked: Under this heading, we collect various wines that we have tasted, and liked, recently. It can be wines that we have had during dinner at home, at wine tastings, press lunches, visits to vineyards, or other occasions. We describe the wines just with a few short sentences, tasting notes that we hope will give […]

Cognac’s incredible success on export

By Britt Karlsson on December 13, 2019 in News

There is a wine region in France that is really doing well at the moment. And that is Cognac. Sales increased in 2018 for the fifth consecutive year. 205 million bottles of cognac were exported. This equates to 98% of the entire production. The United States buys 94 million bottles annually and is the largest […]

Millions of bottles of Moldovan wines resting in the cellars of Milestii Mici in Moldova

Historic bottles and traditional gastronomy in Moldova’s amazing underground wine world

By Britt Karlsson on December 12, 2019 in Wine Producer Profiles

Whatever reason you might have to go visit Moldova, you wouldn’t want to miss the cellars of Cricova and Milestii Mici. These cellars, often called caves actually, are amazing places, whole underground cities. They are an attraction in themselves that you don’t have to be a wine lover to appreciate. Cricova and Milestii Mici are […]

Miguel Torres celebrates 40 years in Chile

By Britt Karlsson on December 11, 2019 in News

Forty years ago, in 1979, the Spanish Torres family began making wine in Chile, in the small region of Curicó, 200 kilometres south of Santiago. At that time, Chile’s viticulture was still in its infancy and there is no doubt that Torres in various ways helped to accelerate development. Torres introduced new, modern production methods, […]

Christmas gift tip 2: An unforgettable wine tour

By Per Karlsson on December 10, 2019 in News

A wine tour is so much more than a “regular” tour or a normal holiday. A wine tour with BKWine is a unique experience where you get to meet the people behind the wine, enjoy the beautiful nature and of course also savour many good wines and top-quality food. It is a gift that will […]

Vineyards with sauvignon blanc in Marlborough, New Zealand

A global trademark now protects Marlborough in New Zealand

By Britt Karlsson on December 9, 2019 in News

Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) was founded in 2018 by a number of wine producers who wanted to protect their region’s reputation, which, they thought, was about to be eroded by cheap bulk wine exports. Now AMW is registered as a trademark also in North America, Asia and Europe. The association has 49 members. Although the […]

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