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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Experimenting with summer wines Do we drink differently in summer? To some extent yes. Especially if it’s a hot summer. Which is not always the case. But if it is hot and you eat outdoors, we think there are two important things to keep in mind: the first is the temperature of the wines and […]
Experimenting with summer wines Do we drink differently in summer? To some extent yes. Especially if it’s a hot summer. Which is not always the case. But if it is hot and you eat outdoors, we think there are two important things to keep in mind: the first is the temperature of the wines and […]
Robert Parker sold his Wine Advocate a few years ago but now he has officially retired. Even if you don’t see the advantages of scoring a wine on a 100-point scale you can’t deny the impact Robert Parker has had on the wine world. He was the lawyer who became a wine critic and who […]
It is generally known that the luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) dominates strongly in both Champagne and Cognac but it is still quite surprising when you see the figures. LVMH accounts for 22% of all champagne sales and an astonishing 46% of sales of cognac. In Champagne, LVMH owns Moët & Chandon, Dom […]
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 […]
Languedoc-Roussillon, the Wines of Southern France is our latest book. Our tenth book. It is about one of the “hottest” and most dynamic wine regions in France. It is the first book in Swedish that talks of both of these districts, the Languedoc, which is the northern part, and Roussillon, which borders Spain. Languedoc-Roussillon is […]
André Lurton died on May 16. He was 94 years old and a legend already during his lifetime. He was born at Château Bonnet where he lived throughout his life. André was one of those who in the 1970s began to change the white, dry Bordeaux wines. His fresh and aromatic Château Bonnet had great […]
Italian wines are since long loved by Scandinavians. But on Monday the 27th of May the roles were changed when Scandinavian wines were presented in Piedmont during a seminar held for the Master in Wine students at UNISG in Pollenzo. The presentation gave an overview of the long and sometimes complicated history of alcohol in […]
Club Trésor du Champagne is an association of independent growers in Champagne that has gained a reputation for high quality champagne. The Special Club champagnes, made by each member at vintage years and bottled in a specific bottle, are now very sought after by champagne lovers all over the world. If you are curious about […]
When the cork screw slowly works its way down, you probably have quite a good idea of what is in the bottle. Probably one of your favourite wines from a trusted producer, or at times, a recommendation from a wine friend. But how often do you totally leave your comfort zone? Sybille and her husband, […]
The department of Hérault accounts for a large part of Languedoc’s wine production. A wine production that may be in danger if they do not increase the irrigation area, they worry. At present, almost 35,000 hectares of the vineyards here are irrigated (of a total of just over 90,000 hectares). A project is now underway […]
Has organic lost momentum? What counts now is sustainable? The trend towards organic wine has lost momentum. More and more producers choose to be “almost organic” in order to be able to use non-organic pesticides in difficult years. Today, the producers rather focus on being sustainable than on being organic. Organic is a bit “outdated”. […]
Has organic lost momentum? What counts now is sustainable? The trend towards organic wine has lost momentum. More and more producers choose to be “almost organic” in order to be able to use non-organic pesticides in difficult years. Today, the producers rather focus on being sustainable than on being organic. Organic is a bit “outdated”. […]
Each wine region has its own character. The same thing goes for sparkling wines. Franciacorta is considered by many to be one of the best bubbly wines from Italy. The grape composition in Franciacorta means that it is often compared to champagne, not seldom to Franciacorta’s advantage. One of the many exciting producers there is […]
In recent years, Ruffino has invested heavily in extensive environmental work that includes both the production process and new organically grown vineyards. As part of this, they are now launching a number of organically certified wines. Ruffino Prosecco Treviso and Ruffino Pinot Grigio delle Venezie are currently available on the Swedish market. In mid-June, Ruffino […]
The first week in April, the primeur tastings take place in Bordeaux. This means that buyers, importers, wine merchants and journalists come to Bordeaux to taste the latest vintage. We also had the opportunity to try some 2018 when we visited Bordeaux on one of our wine tours recently. Everyone agrees: it is a brilliant […]
Many wine producers in France are happy with the vintage 2018, a record harvest, not least in Champagne, where many now have started the bottling. Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy at Champagne Geoffroy in Aÿ says that it is a fantastic year, both in volume and quality. Sébastien Mouzon at Champagne Mouzon Leroux in Verzy is also very […]
The demand for white wines is increasing. Not least in the Rhone Valley, a region most known for its red wine. But it is a region that also produces magnificent whites with grapes like roussanne, marsanne, viognier, clairette, bourboulenc and grenache blanc. Today, about 80% of the production is red and only 6% is white. […]
People go to conferences for two main reasons. To get inspiration or learn things about their business. And to meet other people in the same business, to network. But there are not many such events in the wine business. But since a few years there is “Must, Fermenting Ideas”. It is a three-day conference filled […]
Some grapes are easier to recognize than others. Sauvignon Blanc is easy but not the easiest. That distinction goes to Muscat and Gewürztraminer. But still, in a blind tasting you have a fair chance of identifying the Sauvignon Blanc. However, Sauvignon Blanc, like most other grapes, is influenced by their environment, be it the soil, […]
Every year in the spring, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano presents its latest vintages at the “anteprima”. This year they presented the 2016 and the riservas of 2015, the latter with some extra ageing. Vino Nobile, as it is sometimes called for simplicity’s sake, is one of the legendary wine regions in Tuscany and one of […]
The vine is in many ways a robust plant that can withstand difficult conditions and drought. But it has weaknesses. One is that it is prone to fungal diseases. No vineyard can survive without spraying. Have you heard the opposite? Don’t believe those who tell you that some wine is made without the use of […]
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