BKWine Blog
At the end of 2019, the EU introduced a comprehensive environmental program called “The European Green Deal” to make EU agriculture sustainable. Now, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has announced certain goals that have been set up as part of this work. One goal is for organic agriculture to reach at least 25% of the total area […]
Between 2012 and 2017, the organic wine surface increased dramatically in Europe. In Italy, it increased by 84% and in Spain by 32%. Italy now has 106,400 hectares of organic vineyards, of which 30% is under conversion. 16% of the Italian vineyards are thus organic. Spain has 113,400 hectares, which is 12% of the Spanish […]
Like the other major wine countries in Europe, France’s wine industry has undergone major changes in recent years. From the 1960s, the vineyard surface declined for many years. However, since a couple of years, it has increased again, albeit very little, and today stands at 790,000 hectares. France accounts for just over 16% of world […]
Some people see red when they hear someone say “added yeast”. But that does not prevent most wine producers from choosing cultivated (selected) yeast over wild yeast. There are over 200 varieties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the French market. Every year, new yeast strains are launched. And every year the Institut Français de la Vigne […]
It was expected. The strange thing is that it didn’t happen until now. Prosecco producers are now authorized to make prosecco rosé. Something many have long waited for. A prosecco rosé is made by adding 10 to 15% of red wine from the Pinot Nero grape. The process is otherwise the usual one with a […]
Château Fourcas-Hosten is one of our favourite châteaux in the Médoc. Lovely, classic Bordeaux wines at a price you wouldn’t have thought existed anymore in Médoc. One reason is that the chateau happens to be in Listrac, an appellation that doesn’t have the possibility to charge the same high prices as the more famous Pauillac, […]
The oldest way to make sparkling wines is called méthode ancestrale in France. The method is mainly used in Gaillac, Limoux and Die. A more modern, or at least trendier, style of this method is called pétnat, or pétillant naturel. It is an easy-drinking bubbly wine, often from the Loire Valley, popular at “natural wine […]
This is from the introduction to the BKWine Brief #200 and also from our wine travel site BKWineTours.com on how life is in the wine tourism sector currently. Where are we now? It is easier to know where we are than where we will be. Our activity is fundamentally affected by what is happening in […]
Argentina is known for its Malbec and its excellent meat. They both go amazingly well together. But if you want to make an Argentinean evening at home, which is quite easy if you have a grill/barbecue, you don’t have to limit yourself to Malbec see our separate text on asado). We explained recently how to […]
Many wine regions are doing research to better understand the challenges posed by climate change. In the recently inaugurated Bragato Research Institute in Blenheim, Marlborough, in New Zealand, 84 small fermentation tanks and a lot of other necessary equipment, some in miniature format, will enable various research projects for both viticulture and vinification. After two […]
It has been an extremely warm and dry spring in some parts of France, especially the northern and north-eastern parts. We asked Philippe Bernard at Clos Saint Louis in Fixin (Côte de Nuits) how the vines are doing. “This is another ‘année de folie’, a crazy year”, he says. “It has been hot and very […]
The idea seems brilliant. The company De Sangosse has developed a new product, a so-called adjuvant, named LE 846, whose viscous and liquid properties help to reduce the spraying by a quarter against downy and powdery mildew, two difficult fungal diseases. This adjuvant will reduce the amount of fungicide remaining in the air. There will […]
How is it possible for some wines to cost so little? Is it about mass production, about advanced industrialization? A new project run by Anivin de France, the association of producers of Vin de France, in collaboration with the research institute Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, shows how to mechanize more efficiently […]
Quoted from our introduction to the BKWine Brief number 200: “Newsletter number 200! It was not something we planned when we started. 200 monthly newsletters. The first, BKWine Brief Nr 1, was in May 2003. Seventeen years ago. SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO. The year when the Concorde made its last flight. The last VW Buggy in […]
Bordeaux was hit by violent hailstorms on April 17. In Saint Emilion, Château Bernateau – that we were supposed to visit the day after on our Bordeaux spring tour, if everything had been normal – was hit, but not as much as they first feared, says owner Karine Lavau. But they needed to react quickly […]
Wine producers in South Africa have been through some tough times but now things are at least getting a bit better. During five weeks of lockdown, they have not been allowed to sell their wines locally (all alcohol sales are prohibited) or to export. Today, on May 1, the government will remove some restrictions. The […]
It is often debated whether it makes economic sense to work organically and if it is possible to raise the prices of the wines if you switch to sustainable or organic agriculture. Now we have it in black and white, yes, it does pay off, according to a new report. At least for bulk wines […]
A recent Wine Intelligence study shows that consumers’ knowledge of wine decreased between 2015 and 2019. But that does not mean that these consumers do not buy wine. So how do they choose their wines? Maybe they are attracted by a medal sticker on the bottle. Recently, the big wine competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles […]
During our South Africa tour in February we visited Creation Wines in beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde on the south coast. We tasted the lovely wines of course. But owner Carolyn Martin also took the opportunity to tell us about something that is dear to her, namely The Pebbles Project. This project was founded in 2004 and helps […]
In New Zealand, wine producers were in the middle of the harvest when the message came on March 25 about a total lock-down of the country. The relief was great when they were told that the harvest, despite everything, could be continued and completed. “Farming and viticulture have been defined as essential industries, so we […]
There will be many dinners at home in the coming weeks. Here are some recommendations from producers we met on our tour in South Africa in February. Gabriëlskloof Amphora Sauvignon Blanc, Cape South Coast, Bot River, ~15 euro Gabriëlskloof No. 79893 The Blend, South Africa, ~15 euro Family winery in Bot River, next to more […]
Now when travel is restricted, some inspiration: In winter we have three lovely long-distance tours to wine countries in the southern hemisphere: Chile, Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand. It is so nice to get away from the cold and dark winter. But more importantly, these are four wine countries that are really charming. Different […]
VinNatur is an Italian association for, as the name implies, producers who make natural wines. The big difference compared to other natural wine associations is that VinNatur has strict regulations on viticulture and vinification and puts a big emphasis on the wines’ technical and sanitary qualities. The association has around 200 members. It is an […]
We have just returned from this year’s wine tour in South Africa and as usual we have tasted fantastic wines that show the ambition that exists in the country. But we should not forget the difficulties facing the South African wine industry. A large number of the country’s grape growers struggle financially and have a […]
Big headlines is a given when a giant like Moët-Hennessy announces that all of their vineyards in Champagne from 2020 will be managed without herbicides (weed-killers). The announcement was made at Vinexpo, which took place in Paris on February 10-12. In addition, their vineyards in Cognac, a region that has not yet distinguished itself for […]
In 2012, the EU introduced rules for organic vinification, 21 years after the rules for organic farming were established. Small changes have been made since then with regard to (mainly) additives. In 2021 further changes will be made to the regulations. Currently, the organic rules allow the heating of must or wine to a maximum […]
For those of you who love bubbles, we can announce that the fourth “International Sparkling Festival” will take place on June 14, 2020 in Frankfurt. Over 160 sparkling wines, made using the traditional method (with a second fermentation in the bottle), will be presented by around 60 different producers. There will be growers from Germany, […]
We are now on instagram: BKWine on Instagram. We share photos and videos from some of our trips on our Instagram page. It is still a bit of an experiment, so if you have any comments or remarks, it is, of course, welcome. Many people say that it is more important to be seen on […]
The last two years have seen a lot of commotion in the French wine fair world. World leading Vinexpo has long been firmly rooted in Bordeaux. So, the decision to move Vinexpo to Paris this year surprised many. Just as surprising was Vinisud’s decision in 2019 to move from Montpellier in Languedoc to Paris and […]
All producers we met on our wine tour in mid-February were, so far, happy with the quality and most of them also with the quantity. After the drought the quantities are now again back to more or less normal. The drought the past three years is over but water is still a scarce resource and […]
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