Year: 2008

Chateau Vignelaure changes hands

Chateau Vignelaure is one of the best known wine producers in Provence. It was recently sold to a Swedish-Danish couple, Bengt Sundström and Mette Rode Sundström. The seller was the Irish couple Catherine and David

Norwegian wins Nordic sommelier trophy

Meret Bøe took first place in the Nordic Sommelier Championship recently held in Norway. She is working as sommelier at the Bagatelle restaurant in Oslo. Second and third place was won by Sören Polonius (Sweden,

Legendary Loire producer leaves his vineyard

Jo Pithon, one of the producers who have put Anjou on the map for excellent dry and sweet whites from the heavily underrated chenin blanc grape, has left the vineyard carrying his name. A few

South African exports grow

The exports of South African wine continue to grow. In 2007 the sales increased in all but two of the top ten export countries, the two exceptions being the Netherlands and France. 49% of exports

New Zealand grape varieties

New Zealand is best known for its very fragrant sauvignon blanc wines, with much ”SB” typicity, yet full-bodied. But all is not sauvignon in Kiwi land. This is the split between different grape varieties according

Wine from northern Greece

I’m probably not alone in having some pré-jugées about Greek wines. A bit like, OK, a bottle of retsina can go down once in a (not very frequent) while, but hardly more than that. But

Restaurant Sorza, Paris 4 | BKWine Pick

Strolling along the river on the Ile Saint-Louis is something that both tourists and Parisians love to do. A relatively new restaurant on the main street (almost the only street…) is Sorza. It is not

Marc Kreydenweiss and one of his sons, Alsace and Rhone

Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss, Alsace – BKWine Pick

Marc Kreydenweiss is one of our big favourites in Alsace. He’s an outstanding winemaker and with biodynamic agriculture and low yields (in a region where producers often harvest 80 hl/ha) he produces excellent, complex wines

Dearer to become wine grower in France

The average price for vineyard land rose by 11% in 2007 according to the latest statistics from SAFER. Biggest rises were seen in Cognac (17.8%), in Champagne (17.1%) and in Bordeaux (13%). Some regions saw

Côtes de Bordeaux approved

The new appellation Appellation Côtes de Bordeaux has been approved by the INAO. It will be used from the 2008 harvest. The AC exists in two variants: “simple” CdB and CdB with the additional mention

Robert Mondavi dies at 95

The Californian wine legend Robert Mondavi died on May 16 at almost 95 years of age. Mondavi was one of the central personalities during many years in the American wine world and was perhaps the

Appellation d’origine protégée, Crozes-Hermitage Domaine des Entrefaux, François Tardy

French reform (?) of the wine sector

The French government has presented a plan to reform, renew and revive the wine sector. Wines should be categorised in three new (rebranded?) categories: – VdF – Vignobles de France, that will replace Vin de

A jewel of a wine?

Perhaps, perhaps not. The cooperative Les Vignerons de Buzet has launched a new elegant bag-in-box called The Vinity Case that is designed to look like a, well, vanity case. The rosé box is in cute

Shiraz / Syrah

Ten best Syrah wines

The top-ten highest scoring wines in the competition Syrah du Monde was: – Australia Witchmount Estate Shiraz 2004 Witchmount Estate – Canada Pillitteri Estates Shiraz Icewine 2006 Pillitteri Estate Winery – South Africa Hartenberg the

Organic wines win prizes

Signature Bio is a competition for organic wines that is now in its 20th year. This years competition awarded a “Special Gold Medal” to Mas Costeplane Pioch de l’Oule Rouge 2006 Vin de Pays d’Oc

More about Sherry

Sherry is not quite the hippest drink around these days. Unfortunately. Many sherries, especially the dry versions, are excellent wines and outstanding value. Not least good to sip as an aperitif now when its summer

Tuscan wine exports show healthy growth

Tuscany increased its exports last year by 5.6%. The biggest growth was reported for exports of white wine to India that was up by 661% (from an infinitesimal base one assumes). Among the more significant

The world’s weirdest wine labels

Someone in Switzerland called wineman (or winegirl) has collected a wealth of more or less odd wine labels: www.winegirl.ch/Languages/English.html. The collection is organised according to theme, some rather surprising. For example: uniforms, bulls (Bull’s Eye

The world’s worst wine labels

Dr. Vino has created an entertaining (?) competition: Which is the world’s worst (ugliest, most tasteless…) wine label? There are many, many poor wine labels but few are truly awful. Dr. Vino has found some

An immense storage room with oak barrels at Bodegas LAN in Rioja, Spain

How do you make a wine barrel? – BKWine TV

Perhaps not a question you have asked. But it is actually quite a complicated process that still today relies to a great extend on manual craft skills. We recently visited a cooper, Tonnellerie Gillet, in

New edition of Fine Wine e-zine

The downloadable e-zine Fine Wine has just come out with a new issue with various articles on e.g. the Rhône Valley, the new contamination-proof cork that for ever removes the corked wine-problem (it is said),

5000 wine producers in the United States

There are just under 5000 wine producers (“bonded wineries”) in the United States. Half of these are in California, all according to a report by MKF Research LLC. These are the most “vinous” states, measured

Chateau Vignelaure changes hands

Chateau Vignelaure is one of the best known wine producers in Provence. It was recently sold to a Swedish-Danish couple, Bengt Sundström and Mette Rode

Norwegian wins Nordic sommelier trophy

Meret Bøe took first place in the Nordic Sommelier Championship recently held in Norway. She is working as sommelier at the Bagatelle restaurant in Oslo.

South African exports grow

The exports of South African wine continue to grow. In 2007 the sales increased in all but two of the top ten export countries, the

New Zealand grape varieties

New Zealand is best known for its very fragrant sauvignon blanc wines, with much ”SB” typicity, yet full-bodied. But all is not sauvignon in Kiwi

Wine from northern Greece

I’m probably not alone in having some pré-jugées about Greek wines. A bit like, OK, a bottle of retsina can go down once in a

Côtes de Bordeaux approved

The new appellation Appellation Côtes de Bordeaux has been approved by the INAO. It will be used from the 2008 harvest. The AC exists in

Robert Mondavi dies at 95

The Californian wine legend Robert Mondavi died on May 16 at almost 95 years of age. Mondavi was one of the central personalities during many

Appellation d’origine protégée, Crozes-Hermitage Domaine des Entrefaux, François Tardy

French reform (?) of the wine sector

The French government has presented a plan to reform, renew and revive the wine sector. Wines should be categorised in three new (rebranded?) categories: –

A jewel of a wine?

Perhaps, perhaps not. The cooperative Les Vignerons de Buzet has launched a new elegant bag-in-box called The Vinity Case that is designed to look like

Shiraz / Syrah

Ten best Syrah wines

The top-ten highest scoring wines in the competition Syrah du Monde was: – Australia Witchmount Estate Shiraz 2004 Witchmount Estate – Canada Pillitteri Estates Shiraz

Organic wines win prizes

Signature Bio is a competition for organic wines that is now in its 20th year. This years competition awarded a “Special Gold Medal” to Mas

More about Sherry

Sherry is not quite the hippest drink around these days. Unfortunately. Many sherries, especially the dry versions, are excellent wines and outstanding value. Not least

The world’s weirdest wine labels

Someone in Switzerland called wineman (or winegirl) has collected a wealth of more or less odd wine labels: www.winegirl.ch/Languages/English.html. The collection is organised according to

The world’s worst wine labels

Dr. Vino has created an entertaining (?) competition: Which is the world’s worst (ugliest, most tasteless…) wine label? There are many, many poor wine labels

New edition of Fine Wine e-zine

The downloadable e-zine Fine Wine has just come out with a new issue with various articles on e.g. the Rhône Valley, the new contamination-proof cork

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