The fact that you make wine in Sweden often surprises foreigners. This is understandable. It is not an obvious wine country. David Morrison, in his blog The Wine Gourd, has taken a closer look at the wine “industry” in Sweden. David is originally from Australia but lives in Sweden. He’s made a good summary of […]
The Fête des Vignerons de Vevey, held in the beautiful wine region of Canton of Vaud four times a century, is a tribute to the vine, wine and winegrowers. The 2019 edition attracted more than 1 million visitors during three weeks and gave a fantastic show celebrating the terroir and its treasures but also life […]
How to best prepare for climate change is a major topic of discussion at vineyards around the world. Some people talk about changing grape varieties, to ones that can better withstand heat and drought. But some are very attached to their grapes. The University of California has therefore started an interesting research project. The idea […]
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. It is the “no sulphur” trend. Or to be more precise the “no added sulphur” trend. You might be thinking […]
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. It is the “no sulphur” trend. Or to be more precise the “no added sulphur” trend. You might be thinking […]
On October 5 and 6 this year, the wine is the big star in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. It’s time for the annual National Wine Day. This is actually the eighteenth time this event is being held in Chisinau. It has grown in size of course. It is now an eagerly awaited opportunity for […]
There is a new report on New Zealand’s vineyards and grapes. The area has increased by 2% and the country now has 38,680 hectares (~a third of Bordeaux) of which 30,921 hectares are white grapes and 7,758 hectares are red grapes. Sauvignon blanc is still the most important grape with 26,850 hectares, which is 69% […]
Rioja is experiencing something of a renaissance right now. To some extent, it is thanks to young, dynamic producers who think it is time to refresh Rioja’s image in the world. Therefore, we have recently seen several changes introduced. Many producers are now keener to put on the label the geographical location of the vineyard […]
It can be tricky to read statistics on viticulture in different countries. It is important to know whether the statistics apply to both grapes grown for wine production and for eating. The world today has 7.4 million hectares of grapes. Five countries account for 50% of the surface: Spain (13%), China (12%), France (11%), Italy […]
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Moldova gained independence. In 1991 the Republic of Moldova was founded. Since then, many new wineries have emerged. Two of the bigger ones of particular interest are Château Vartely and Asconi. Read our articles on Moldovan wines here. Château Vartely Château Vartely is one of the leaders in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Moldova, the small wine country squeezed in between Romania 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Aroma wines and structure wines Sometimes a wine has a very small nose, does not smell much. We sometimes say a discreet or shy nose. Is that always bad? There is so much talk about smelling the wine, swirling your glass so that the aromas open up, dipping your nose deep into in the glass. […]
Aroma wines and structure wines Sometimes a wine has a very small nose, does not smell much. We sometimes say a discreet or shy nose. Is that always bad? There is so much talk about smelling the wine, swirling your glass so that the aromas open up, dipping your nose deep into in the glass. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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