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(New?) rules for natural wines?

Natural wine is here to stay. And although the EU has said that there will be no official rules for...

“Few books have made me long for southern France like this one” – about our new Languedoc-Roussillon book

It makes you happy when you read such things. "Few books have made me long for southern France like this...

An excursion among the Riesling wines 2018 from the Mosel

Secateur or spraying plane? Early morning in July 2019. A pre-arranged schedule involves alarm clock and strong coffee to have...

South African wines are changing thanks to these five brilliant winemakers (and others) | Britt on Forbes

Now is really the time to take a look at the South African wine scene. If you are mostly familiar...

Fredholms Vineyard receives medals again

We congratulate Fredholms Vingård! It is not often we have the opportunity to write about a Swedish wine winning medals...

“Bad boys of Champagne”, and brilliant champagnes at Vouette et Sorbée

A vineyard visit in Champagne “Down here in Aube, we used to be called ‘the bad boys of Champagne’” says...

Does the shape of the fermentation tank really matter?

We’ve all seen them. (Or perhaps not.) The egg-shaped tanks in concrete or in terracotta. A few years ago, they...

Pictures from the new book about Languedoc-Roussillon

It is difficult to convey a sense of what it is like to travel in a wine district. It is...

Moldovan wine classics in modern versions: Chateau Purcari and Castel Mimi

Moldova, the small wine country squeezed in between Rumania and Ukraine, are making big efforts to make their wines more...

Wines from Château d’Arlay in the Jura become beautiful music in the glasses, with good reason

The lord of the chateau who plays music for his wines A chateau in the Jura? Can there really be...

This post is also available in: Swedish

(New?) rules for natural wines?

By Britt Karlsson on August 24, 2019 in News

Natural wine is here to stay. And although the EU has said that there will be no official rules for this category, it does not prevent private groups from setting up their own. As, for example, Vinnatur in Italy (www.vinnatur.org) has done. Now Sébastien David, winemaker in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in the Loire Valley, is trying to […]

“Few books have made me long for southern France like this one” – about our new Languedoc-Roussillon book

By Per Karlsson on August 23, 2019 in Languedoc-Roussillon, the book

It makes you happy when you read such things. “Few books have made me long for southern France like this one.” This is what Dag Sandahl writes in his review of “Languedoc-Roussillon, the wines of southern France”. Dag continues in his review “there are good reasons to read it and be fascinated by their knowledge […]

An excursion among the Riesling wines 2018 from the Mosel

By Sven-Olof Johansson on August 22, 2019 in Wine Regions

Secateur or spraying plane? Early morning in July 2019. A pre-arranged schedule involves alarm clock and strong coffee to have the time to go on a bike morning session. On a mountain-bike, Mosel’s makes it a playful educational ride to exhaust the body. Very hilly and with innumerable trails and passes to follow. That the […]

South African wines are changing thanks to these five brilliant winemakers (and others) | Britt on Forbes

By Britt Karlsson on August 21, 2019 in Wine Regions

Now is really the time to take a look at the South African wine scene. If you are mostly familiar with the easy going, inexpensive wines from this country, you will be surprised. Now much more attention is given to the terroir. To plant each grape in a suitable soil, to lower the yields and […]

Fredholms Vineyard receives medals again

By Britt Karlsson on August 20, 2019 in News

We congratulate Fredholms Vingård! It is not often we have the opportunity to write about a Swedish wine winning medals internationally… This small winery in the south of Sweden has once again obtained medals in an international wine competition. Elsa, a white wine made from the grape solaris, received a gold medal and the red […]

“Bad boys of Champagne”, and brilliant champagnes at Vouette et Sorbée

By Sven-Olof Johansson on August 19, 2019 in Wine Producer Profiles

A vineyard visit in Champagne “Down here in Aube, we used to be called ‘the bad boys of Champagne’” says Bertrand Gautherot, winemaker and owner of Vouette & Sorbée. “But not anymore,” he adds, smiling broadly. Actually, there is no time for either tasting or visits, work in the vineyards must be prioritized, said Bertrand […]

Does the shape of the fermentation tank really matter?

By Britt Karlsson on August 18, 2019 in News

We’ve all seen them. (Or perhaps not.) The egg-shaped tanks in concrete or in terracotta. A few years ago, they were a sensation, now it feels like every other winemaker is investing in at least one. But does the shape and material of the fermentation tank really play a role in the character of the […]

Pictures from the new book about Languedoc-Roussillon

By Per Karlsson on August 15, 2019 in Languedoc-Roussillon, the book, News

It is difficult to convey a sense of what it is like to travel in a wine district. It is just as difficult to convey a sense of what you may experience when reading a book. But at least we want to try. Earlier this year, our tenth book was published, a new book on […]

Moldovan wine classics in modern versions: Chateau Purcari and Castel Mimi

By Britt Karlsson on August 14, 2019 in Wine Producer Profiles

Moldova, the small wine country squeezed in between Rumania and Ukraine, are making big efforts to make their wines more well known. Having been hampered in its dealings with the outside world during the Soviet years, it is now making up for lost time. Two of the biggest estates in the country, Purcari and Castel […]

Wines from Château d’Arlay in the Jura become beautiful music in the glasses, with good reason

By Sven-Olof Johansson on August 12, 2019 in Wine Producer Profiles

The lord of the chateau who plays music for his wines A chateau in the Jura? Can there really be such a thing in this rural area with down-to-earth growers? Yes, there is at least one that fulfils all the desirable criteria for being called chateau. Dating back to the 16th century, a history of […]

Where is turruntés grown? In Rioja of course!

By Britt Karlsson on August 10, 2019 in News

Yes, turruntés, not torrontes. Rioja is best known for its red wines. But that is no reason to ignore the whites. You can find them in different styles. They can be seriously full-bodied wines with lots of mouthfeel or fresh and floral everyday wines. To put white wine in oak barrels is an old tradition […]

Redoma Niepoort 1996, Douro Valley, Portugal

Uncorked: Good wines we have tasted recently, July 2019

By Britt Karlsson on July 30, 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 […]

Our book on the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon wins prestigious award from the OIV

By Per Karlsson on July 29, 2019 in Languedoc-Roussillon, the book

The whole list of OIV book awards 2019 announced We worked for two years on the new book about Languedoc-Roussillon. Not full time, but when we could, and not least in the summers when we could go and visit vineyards. But on top of that, we had worked continuously for about ten years, since our […]

Bordeaux restaurants and wine bars: oysters, mussels, foie gras, duck and much more in the gastronomic city | Britt on Forbes

By Britt Karlsson on July 28, 2019 in Food and Wine

Here are some of our favourites The city of Bordeaux is a place where you can spend a lot of time. It is an elegant city with fabulous shopping, if that is what you are looking for. The food lover will not be disappointed either. If you like oysters, the ones from Arcachon close to […]

An orthodox church in a monastery in Moldova

Moldova, an exciting “new” wine country with a long history | Britt on Forbes

By Britt Karlsson on July 26, 2019 in Wine Regions

Moldova is not a new wine country. It has a very long history of wine making. But if feels new. More and more countries around the world are drinking Moldovan wines. But many wine consumers probably know very little about this small country, squeezed in between Romania and Ukraine. Since the breakup of the Soviet […]

Vineyard in Bordeaux with grass and grass removed

Corsican wine region bans glyphosate

By Britt Karlsson on July 23, 2019 in News

The discussion about the future of glyphosate continues. It is very contested if glyphosate is dangerous or not at all dangerous (when properly used). In 2022, it will again be on the EU agenda, until then it is allowed. But France (at least the government, but not all farmers) wants to ban glyphosate before that. […]

Pinot noir almost ripe in Central Otago, New Zealand

Exceptional vintage 2019 in New Zealand

By Britt Karlsson on July 21, 2019 in News

We came to New Zealand in March earlier this year, just when the 2019 harvest was about to begin. We saw lots of fine grape bunches and we had the feeling that it would be a good harvest, a great vintage. And it was. In fact, 2019 is an exceptional vintage, in all regions, from […]

A glass of rosé in the garden a summer evening

The incredible success of rosé wines

By Britt Karlsson on July 19, 2019 in News

No summer without rosé wines? Well. Anyway, people will drink a lot of rosé wine this summer, worldwide. World rosé consumption increased by 32% between 2002 and 2018. France drinks the most. One-third of all rosé wines made in the world is drunk in France (don’t forget there’s a lot of tourists in France). France […]

Violent hail storm destroys vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage

By Britt Karlsson on July 18, 2019 in News

Hail storms can be violent and the 20-minute storm that affected Crozes-Hermitage and part of Saint Joseph on June 15 was exceptionally violent. Some winegrowers saw their future harvest reduced by at least 50%. The hail storm then continued to Savoie and into Switzerland where the damaged continued. The hailstones were of a size that […]

Bottles "sur lattes" in a cellar in Champagne

Nicolas Feuillatte buys Champagne Henri Abelé

By Britt Karlsson on July 17, 2019 in News

Champagne’s largest cooperative Nicolas Feuillatte is getting even bigger. Feuillatte recently bought the champagne brand Henri Abelé, which, since 1985, has been owned by the huge Spanish cava producer Freixenet. Henri Abelé sells around 300,000 bottles annually. The house has beautiful cellars in Reims. It does not own any vineyards. Instead, it has long-term contracts […]

Early flowering in Bordeaux. And early harvest as well?

By Britt Karlsson on July 15, 2019 in News

During flowering, the winegrower looks anxiously at the weather forecast. The flowering takes place, depending on the region, from the end of May until the end of June. This year it was early in some places in France, for instance in Bordeaux. When we were there on the first days of June it was in […]

Demi-johns with rivesaltes wine maturing outside in the sunshine

How to avoid drinking warm red wines this summer

By Britt Karlsson on July 14, 2019 in News

No, we’re not going to tell you “stick to white” and certainly not “go for rosé”. But we all hope for a warm and nice summer. And the warmer it is, the more important it is to ensure that the wines are served well chilled. Wines are sometimes mistreated in the summer. Having a red […]

What is cheaper than oak barrels and sometimes better?

By Britt Karlsson on July 8, 2019 in News

To use oak chips and oak staves as an alternative to oak barrels has been allowed in France for around 10 years now. And producers do use them. Not so much in the regions that have traditionally always used oak barrels, such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and the rest of the Southwest. But in south-eastern France, […]

Bottles in pupitres in the cellars of Champagne Paul Dethune

Export of Champagne: Great Britain in the lead and Sweden in an honourable tenth place

By Britt Karlsson on July 4, 2019 in News

The number 1 export country for champagne is the United Kingdom which last year imported 26.7 million bottles, followed by the United States with 23.7 million bottles, Japan 13.5M, Germany 12.1M, Belgium 9M, Australia 8.3M, Italy 7.3M, Switzerland 5.7M, and Spain with 4.1 million bottles. Sweden is still number ten in Champagne’s export league. In […]

Imagine if you would buy a vineyard in France!

By Britt Karlsson on July 2, 2019 in News

It is important to choose carefully if you want to become a vineyard owner in France. If you are not staggeringly rich of course. One hectare of vineyard that is not in an appellation costs a reasonable (?) 14,200 euros. On average, the appellation vineyards cost 147,300 euros per hectare. But here too you can […]

Harvesting oak bark for cork, Alentejo, Portugal

China wants natural cork, Australia complies

By Britt Karlsson on July 1, 2019 in News

China has become Australia’s largest export market. And the things you do to satisfy your customers! You even put natural cork in the bottles, despite the fact that you are Australian. Amorim, Portugal’s (and the world’s) largest cork manufacturer, tells us that the fastest growing natural cork market in the last 18 months has been […]

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