BKWine Blog
In February when we were on this year’s wine tour in South Africa, the harvest was in full swing. They were just over halfway through and everyone already agreed that 2025 would be a brilliant
Support for “farm sales” (cellar-door sales at wineries, currently forbidden), a current hot-potato issue in Sweden, has increased in Sweden, according to the recent “SOM survey” conducted at the University of Gothenburg. Despite the intensive
The Médoc peninsula in Bordeaux is known for its many prestigious chateaux. And for its red wines. The eight Médoc appellations have always been red-only. (Small quantities of white has been made but had to
The Austrian winemakers have now taken stock of the 2024 vintage. Austrian Wine describes it as a “roller-coaster ride”. Frosts, hail storms and violent rain made the growing season challenging. The harvest volume was small
When people talk about the wines of New Zealand, the 1980s is often mentioned as the starting point of the wine industry. However, the country has some famous pioneers who immigrated to New Zealand in
One of the advantages of having a monopoly (the only?) is that they publish some interesting statistics, e.g. sales statistics per price segment. On the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget’s website, you can see how much wine
Systembolaget’s wine sales (*) fell by 1% in 2024 to 206 million litres. (*) = wine excluding fortified wine. This continues the trend since the Covid rush in 2020, when wine sales increased by 9.2%.
Systembolaget, the Swedish alcohol monopoly, is a company (owned by the state) and not a government agency. Naturally, Systembolaget aims to generate a profit (which they used to claim was not the case), and since
High-altitude wines is one of the popular trends in the world of wine today. The idea is, above all, that growing at high altitudes provides a cooler climate, which is good in a world with
Not long ago returned from this year’s wine tour to Argentina and Chile, we are inspired to recommend some wines from these two exciting wine countries, wines of good quality, particularly interesting, perhaps original, and
It is no surprise that the best-sellers at Systembolaget are bag-in-box wines. More than half of all wine is sold in bib in Sweden. But it is surprising that the first bottled wine comes in
A little while back, we returned from this year’s wine tour to South Africa. It is a fantastic wine country and on-site you experience what a dynamic country it is with lots of exciting things
Green harvest (or cluster thinning, crop thinning) is when the grower removes some grape bunches in the middle of summer, before they are ripe (sometimes later), to lessen the harvest volume. Some years ago, this
The fact that wine is a lot about chemistry has probably not escaped anyone. (After all, everything is chemistry.) However, you don’t need to know anything about chemistry to enjoy a wine. But sometimes you
Integrating algae into cooking is popular with some star chefs. Algae are nutritious, albeit with a slightly peculiar taste. They can be used for many things, which is good because there is a lot of
Does the state of the world discourage people from opening a bottle of champagne? That is what Maxime Toubart, one of the two presidents of the Comité Champagne, thinks when he comments on the decline
The South African wine industry fared well compared to many others in 2024. According to the trade association Wines of South Africa (WoSA), wine exports grew by 4.3% in value in 2024, reaching USD 562
Chile is a very long country, 4000 km from north to south. It is also narrow and borders the cold Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountain range to the east. All this
OIV (The International Organization of Vine and Wine) organised a photo contest in connection with its centenary (see separate news item), called The OIV Centenary Photo Contest Pau Roca. The competition is named after the
The resistant grape varieties are becoming more and more numerous in France. Or, at least, more and more varieties are being permitted. Recently, four new grapes have been given the green light: Whites kersus pinot
Swedes have long been fond of Chablis, and Chablis belongs to Burgundy. Now, Sweden has overtaken Belgium in the statistics and is the fifth-largest importer (by volume) of Burgundy wine in the world. Quite incredible.
Prosecco continues to increase its production and sales. In 2024, 660 million bottles of Prosecco DOC were produced, an increase of 7% compared to the previous year. Prosecco is made in northeastern Italy, in Veneto
The wine sector is vital for EU’s cultural heritage and also for EU’s economy, society and rural areas. The wine sector has its own high-level group (“think tank”) that discusses the challenges and opportunities for
The first impression of a wine is important. So today, focus is as much on the packaging of wine as the contents. For the wine producer, it’s about choosing a packaging that attracts young, trend-conscious
Southern Burgundy is in the spotlight. Côte Chalonnaise and Mâcon make affordable wines in villages that are not as hyped as in the Côte d’Or. In Mâcon, two small white wine appellations, Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles,
Who has not at some point felt petroleum aroma in a wine, most likely in a riesling? This slightly odd aroma is often associated with older, mature riesling. There has been discussion about where the
There is a new trend in the US. Sweet, alcoholic cocktails are out and vermouth is in. Americans have become more bitter. However, we hope that this is not due to harsh times, but that
From January 27 to 29, 2025, Millésime Bio 2025 will open its doors in Montpellier in Languedoc. This fair for organic wines started on a small scale in 1993 but has now grown to 1,500
Chile, Argentina, and South Africa all make red wines of top quality in many different styles: elegant, powerful, and easy-going. Here are some recommendations for the firsts months of 2025 with no specific theme, except
Are you fascinated by volcanic wines, and especially those from Etna, Europe’s biggest active volcano? Do you want to know more and maybe even gain expert knowledge about these fascinating wines? If yes, then the
In February when we were on this year’s wine tour in South Africa, the harvest was in full swing. They were just over halfway through
Support for “farm sales” (cellar-door sales at wineries, currently forbidden), a current hot-potato issue in Sweden, has increased in Sweden, according to the recent “SOM
The Médoc peninsula in Bordeaux is known for its many prestigious chateaux. And for its red wines. The eight Médoc appellations have always been red-only.
The Austrian winemakers have now taken stock of the 2024 vintage. Austrian Wine describes it as a “roller-coaster ride”. Frosts, hail storms and violent rain
When people talk about the wines of New Zealand, the 1980s is often mentioned as the starting point of the wine industry. However, the country
One of the advantages of having a monopoly (the only?) is that they publish some interesting statistics, e.g. sales statistics per price segment. On the
Systembolaget’s wine sales (*) fell by 1% in 2024 to 206 million litres. (*) = wine excluding fortified wine. This continues the trend since the
Systembolaget, the Swedish alcohol monopoly, is a company (owned by the state) and not a government agency. Naturally, Systembolaget aims to generate a profit (which
High-altitude wines is one of the popular trends in the world of wine today. The idea is, above all, that growing at high altitudes provides
Not long ago returned from this year’s wine tour to Argentina and Chile, we are inspired to recommend some wines from these two exciting wine
It is no surprise that the best-sellers at Systembolaget are bag-in-box wines. More than half of all wine is sold in bib in Sweden. But
A little while back, we returned from this year’s wine tour to South Africa. It is a fantastic wine country and on-site you experience what
Green harvest (or cluster thinning, crop thinning) is when the grower removes some grape bunches in the middle of summer, before they are ripe (sometimes
The fact that wine is a lot about chemistry has probably not escaped anyone. (After all, everything is chemistry.) However, you don’t need to know
Integrating algae into cooking is popular with some star chefs. Algae are nutritious, albeit with a slightly peculiar taste. They can be used for many
Does the state of the world discourage people from opening a bottle of champagne? That is what Maxime Toubart, one of the two presidents of
The South African wine industry fared well compared to many others in 2024. According to the trade association Wines of South Africa (WoSA), wine exports
Chile is a very long country, 4000 km from north to south. It is also narrow and borders the cold Pacific Ocean to the west
OIV (The International Organization of Vine and Wine) organised a photo contest in connection with its centenary (see separate news item), called The OIV Centenary
The resistant grape varieties are becoming more and more numerous in France. Or, at least, more and more varieties are being permitted. Recently, four new
Swedes have long been fond of Chablis, and Chablis belongs to Burgundy. Now, Sweden has overtaken Belgium in the statistics and is the fifth-largest importer
Prosecco continues to increase its production and sales. In 2024, 660 million bottles of Prosecco DOC were produced, an increase of 7% compared to the
The wine sector is vital for EU’s cultural heritage and also for EU’s economy, society and rural areas. The wine sector has its own high-level
The first impression of a wine is important. So today, focus is as much on the packaging of wine as the contents. For the wine
Southern Burgundy is in the spotlight. Côte Chalonnaise and Mâcon make affordable wines in villages that are not as hyped as in the Côte d’Or.
Who has not at some point felt petroleum aroma in a wine, most likely in a riesling? This slightly odd aroma is often associated with
There is a new trend in the US. Sweet, alcoholic cocktails are out and vermouth is in. Americans have become more bitter. However, we hope
From January 27 to 29, 2025, Millésime Bio 2025 will open its doors in Montpellier in Languedoc. This fair for organic wines started on a
Chile, Argentina, and South Africa all make red wines of top quality in many different styles: elegant, powerful, and easy-going. Here are some recommendations for
Are you fascinated by volcanic wines, and especially those from Etna, Europe’s biggest active volcano? Do you want to know more and maybe even gain
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