During the big wine fair Prowein in Düsseldorf in March, many stands dealt with alternative packaging for wine. But alternative packaging does not just mean cans, plastic, Tetra Pak, or paper. Lightweight glass bottles also
In the large French wine region, which is somewhat vaguely called the Southwest (Sud-Ouest), a multitude of small wine appellations are included. Some fabulous wines are made here, many of them far too unknown. Cahors,
In wine production, adapting to local conditions is paramount. Many wine producers adhere to the principle of never leaving the land bare, advocating minimal ploughing, and always preserving the weeds/cover crops in the vineyard. However,
White asparagus is a seasonal delicacy that is difficult to resist. French asparagus comes mainly from Provence, Les Landes, Languedoc, and the Loire. It is not difficult to pair with wine. There’s an old adage
In 2023, world wine production decreased by 10% due to droughts, heat waves, fires, early frosts, and rains, which led to floods and diseases according to numbers recently released by International Organisation of Vine and
In the middle of March, warm temperatures hit France, meaning the growing season started early in the vineyards. In some places, the budding began as early as the third week of March (e.g. cabernet franc
We have tasted wines from the northern part of the southern Rhône, namely from the excellent producer Clos Bellane in Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas. Clos Bellane was launched in Sweden at the end of
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it used to be better in the old days when it
— High alcohol content? Don’t blame (just) climate change — The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it
The effervescent world of Cava produces 250 million bottles each year from 38,000 hectares of vineyards, not unlike Champagne, which makes around 300 million bottles from 34,000 hectares. But while champagne often basks in the
The screw cap (“screw cork” or “screw top”) is a success story. All wine countries use it for some of their wines and it largely dominates in Australia and New Zealand. It was in the
Today’s wine industry in Europe often feels opposed by politicians, temperance movements and environmental activists. According to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), it can at least be happy that it contributes substantially to the
Blue Nun is a German bestseller and legend (perhaps not for the best reasons), a riesling sold in a blue bottle with low alcohol content and high residual sweetness. 29 grams of sugar per litre
Lightweight bottles are starting to appear even among prestige wines. This is good. Consumers will realise that it is not just cheap wines that come in light bottles. On our recent New Zealand tour, we
A new study by INRAE, a French research institute, in collaboration with the universities of Bordeaux and Québec, shows the tolerance of different grapes to drought. Coping with dry weather is a grape characteristic that
The Southern Hemisphere is in full swing with the 2024 harvest—or they have already finished. We visited South Africa in mid-February, and some producers had already almost finished. Andrew Wightman at Wightman & Sons in
A delicious red wine from Weingut Birgit Braunstein in Burgenland in Austria was launched in Sweden at the beginning of April, and we take the opportunity to recommend this producer to all our readers. We
A new producer from South Africa has been launched in Sweden but even if you do not live there, there’s is a good chance that you will be able to get hold of the wines
Several wine countries have the same problem: Grape growers are not paid enough for their grapes. The wine industry in many countries currently has several challenging issues on top of (and related to) reduced wine
Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to try something new instead. And there is plenty of new
— Wine brands – a curse or a blessing? — Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to
This year, the German annual ProWein Business Report addresses the world’s declining wine consumption. There are many reasons why people drink less wine, such as health recommendations, the economy and, not least, the difficulty of
There are signs that the use of cork stoppers as a closure on wine bottles is increasing and that its new popularity is partly due to its strong sustainability credentials. In the UK, bulk wine
In 2022, France saw the creation of 1,444 new wine estates, an increase of 3% compared to 2021. The winegrowers represent 10% of the 14,132 new agricultural estates started in 2022. These winegrowers operate an
Fires in wine regions cause damage to vineyards in different ways. The ripe grapes in vineyards near the fire can be damaged by smoke, which can affect the taste of the wine and, in the
Pinot noir is not just Burgundy and Champagne. The grape is the ninth most cultivated variety in the world. It is planted on 115,000 hectares, of which roughly 30,000 hectares are in France. In other
The French company Sun’Agri, a pioneer in ”agrivoltaism”, has just come out with an exciting report. Agrivoltaism involves installing solar panels on top of agricultural crops. It has proven to be interesting also for vineyards.
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to express it in their work. All wine enthusiasts know roughly
— Terroir or Not Terroir? — One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to express it in their
After three peculiar years, sales of champagne are now returning to the level they had before the pandemic. Sales in 2023 amounted to 299 million bottles, a decrease of 8.2% compared to 2022. Champagne sales
During the big wine fair Prowein in Düsseldorf in March, many stands dealt with alternative packaging for wine. But alternative packaging does not just mean
In the large French wine region, which is somewhat vaguely called the Southwest (Sud-Ouest), a multitude of small wine appellations are included. Some fabulous wines
In wine production, adapting to local conditions is paramount. Many wine producers adhere to the principle of never leaving the land bare, advocating minimal ploughing,
White asparagus is a seasonal delicacy that is difficult to resist. French asparagus comes mainly from Provence, Les Landes, Languedoc, and the Loire. It is
In 2023, world wine production decreased by 10% due to droughts, heat waves, fires, early frosts, and rains, which led to floods and diseases according
In the middle of March, warm temperatures hit France, meaning the growing season started early in the vineyards. In some places, the budding began as
We have tasted wines from the northern part of the southern Rhône, namely from the excellent producer Clos Bellane in Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas.
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it
— High alcohol content? Don’t blame (just) climate change — The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people
The effervescent world of Cava produces 250 million bottles each year from 38,000 hectares of vineyards, not unlike Champagne, which makes around 300 million bottles
The screw cap (“screw cork” or “screw top”) is a success story. All wine countries use it for some of their wines and it largely
Today’s wine industry in Europe often feels opposed by politicians, temperance movements and environmental activists. According to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), it can
Blue Nun is a German bestseller and legend (perhaps not for the best reasons), a riesling sold in a blue bottle with low alcohol content
Lightweight bottles are starting to appear even among prestige wines. This is good. Consumers will realise that it is not just cheap wines that come
A new study by INRAE, a French research institute, in collaboration with the universities of Bordeaux and Québec, shows the tolerance of different grapes to
The Southern Hemisphere is in full swing with the 2024 harvest—or they have already finished. We visited South Africa in mid-February, and some producers had
A delicious red wine from Weingut Birgit Braunstein in Burgenland in Austria was launched in Sweden at the beginning of April, and we take the
A new producer from South Africa has been launched in Sweden but even if you do not live there, there’s is a good chance that
Several wine countries have the same problem: Grape growers are not paid enough for their grapes. The wine industry in many countries currently has several
Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to
— Wine brands – a curse or a blessing? — Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular
This year, the German annual ProWein Business Report addresses the world’s declining wine consumption. There are many reasons why people drink less wine, such as
There are signs that the use of cork stoppers as a closure on wine bottles is increasing and that its new popularity is partly due
In 2022, France saw the creation of 1,444 new wine estates, an increase of 3% compared to 2021. The winegrowers represent 10% of the 14,132
Fires in wine regions cause damage to vineyards in different ways. The ripe grapes in vineyards near the fire can be damaged by smoke, which
Pinot noir is not just Burgundy and Champagne. The grape is the ninth most cultivated variety in the world. It is planted on 115,000 hectares,
The French company Sun’Agri, a pioneer in ”agrivoltaism”, has just come out with an exciting report. Agrivoltaism involves installing solar panels on top of agricultural
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to
— Terroir or Not Terroir? — One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in
After three peculiar years, sales of champagne are now returning to the level they had before the pandemic. Sales in 2023 amounted to 299 million
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