BKWine Blog
As of June 5, Finland, which has an alcohol state monopoly, allows the sale of wine up to 8% alcohol in grocery stores (previously 5.5% was the limit). A certain loosening up of the monopoly,
French wine exports brought 11.9 billion euros to the country in 2023 (and over 18 billion if we add spirits), soaring above other agricultural products. Not surprisingly, France is the country in the world that
It doesn’t have to be red wine in the glass if you are having grilled meat on the barbecue for dinner. Especially not if you choose a white with a rich structure. Grape varieties such
A lot of rosé wine is being drunk right now. Maybe you are sitting with one in your hand. Although Provence has influenced many rosé wines worldwide with its sometimes absurdly light colour, the colour
We can hardly believe it, but sales of alcoholic beverages directly from the producer are several steps closer to being a reality in Sweden. This country has a die-hard alcohol monopoly, so this is big
The French sustainability label Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) was launched in 2012 for all types of agriculture. It gained momentum in 2017 when the interest grew like an avalanche among wine producers in particular to
We knew that Beaujolais has had some problems with sales, but were still slightly shocked when we saw that the surface in 20 years has decreased by 40%. At the time, some 20 years ago,
Verallia, the world’s third largest glass manufacturer, is well aware that the glass bottle today receives a lot of criticism for its environmental impact. Therefore, they work hard to make it more environmentally friendly. The
German rosé wine production reached a new peak in 2023. The share of rosé wines rose in 2023 from 13 to 16%. The increase came at the expense of red wines, which now make up
It should be pretty straightforward to check the alcohol level in your wine. You just look at the label. But it is not that simple. Maybe there is more than the label states. Or less.
Vineyard prices in France always show large regional differences. Most notable right now is the drop in value in Bordeaux. Vineyards with AOP Bordeaux (the appellation for the most inexpensive Bordeaux wines) and planted with
Summer is here (or so they say – here we have 13C) and you might look for a lighter and fresher style of wine and skip the heavy and full-bodied ones for later. But still,
Sweden’s love for champagne is evident, with the nation securing a notable tenth place in the global import ranking by volume. In 2023, Sweden imported just over 3 million litres of champagne. The three largest
Casella Family Brands is one of Australia’s major wine producers. It owns Yellow Tail and Peter Lehmann Wines. Recently, the company opened a giant solar panel park that will provide electricity for its largest facility,
In Sweden, online wine sales are on the rise. To be better prepared, the country’s two largest online wine retailers, Winefinder and Vinoteket, are joining forces to create a common platform. For customers, the range
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 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
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
The average tasting room tasting fee in Napa is $128 for a “reserve tasting” and $81 for a “standard tasting”. The average suggested retail price of a bottle of Napa wine is $108. These astonishing
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
As of June 5, Finland, which has an alcohol state monopoly, allows the sale of wine up to 8% alcohol in grocery stores (previously 5.5%
French wine exports brought 11.9 billion euros to the country in 2023 (and over 18 billion if we add spirits), soaring above other agricultural products.
It doesn’t have to be red wine in the glass if you are having grilled meat on the barbecue for dinner. Especially not if you
A lot of rosé wine is being drunk right now. Maybe you are sitting with one in your hand. Although Provence has influenced many rosé
We can hardly believe it, but sales of alcoholic beverages directly from the producer are several steps closer to being a reality in Sweden. This
The French sustainability label Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) was launched in 2012 for all types of agriculture. It gained momentum in 2017 when the interest
We knew that Beaujolais has had some problems with sales, but were still slightly shocked when we saw that the surface in 20 years has
Verallia, the world’s third largest glass manufacturer, is well aware that the glass bottle today receives a lot of criticism for its environmental impact. Therefore,
German rosé wine production reached a new peak in 2023. The share of rosé wines rose in 2023 from 13 to 16%. The increase came
It should be pretty straightforward to check the alcohol level in your wine. You just look at the label. But it is not that simple.
Vineyard prices in France always show large regional differences. Most notable right now is the drop in value in Bordeaux. Vineyards with AOP Bordeaux (the
Summer is here (or so they say – here we have 13C) and you might look for a lighter and fresher style of wine and
Sweden’s love for champagne is evident, with the nation securing a notable tenth place in the global import ranking by volume. In 2023, Sweden imported
Casella Family Brands is one of Australia’s major wine producers. It owns Yellow Tail and Peter Lehmann Wines. Recently, the company opened a giant solar
In Sweden, online wine sales are on the rise. To be better prepared, the country’s two largest online wine retailers, Winefinder and Vinoteket, are joining
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 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
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
The average tasting room tasting fee in Napa is $128 for a “reserve tasting” and $81 for a “standard tasting”. The average suggested retail price
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
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