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How many fruits, flowers and adjectives do you want?
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It is quite difficult to describe flavours so that others can understand. Flavours, especially when it comes to wine, are mostly described with similes. The wine smells of strawberries or tastes of black currants. Of course, there is neither fruit nor berries in the wine (except grapes – no, wine is not made with added flavourings).
When you describe wine to yourself, for example to remember, the most important thing is to describe it with words that make sense to you. It can be very personal things; that others don’t understand doesn’t matter.
When you describe wine to others, especially if you write (or podcast) about wine, on the other hand, the most important thing is that it becomes comprehensible to another person, to the reader. Otherwise, the text becomes meaningless. Therefore, more general descriptions must be used. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. We read many strange descriptions of wine, sometimes completely contradictory. A tight fullness. A fruity minerality. And so on. Then we can’t help but wonder if the writer himself really knows what he/she means.
Some wine descriptions become almost like a tower (Tower of Babel?) of stacked adjectives and fruits. “The aroma is intense and complex, with hints of dark berries, plums, figs, liquorice, spices, dried and fresh herbs, leather and tobacco. The palate is full-bodied, with hints of liquorice cherries, black currants, burnt autumn leaves and ripe red apples, with a silky texture and a long aftertaste with notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla and minerals.” Admittedly a (only partially) fictitious example. Thanks AI. Do I understand what the wine tastes like? Doubtful.
We, BKWine, are mostly rather restrictive with long, fruity descriptions with lots of words. Maybe because we have a hard time finding all that stuff in the wine, but mostly because we think it’s not that helpful, either for us or for you as a reader.
Instead, we try to give some basic dimensions that can give an idea of what type of wine it is. Is it aromatic? Or a “structured wine”? (A word we made up for a wine that above all gets its quality from the mouthfeel.) How is the acidity, the body, the length? Along with a few dominant adjectives or fruits. And of course supplemented with whether it is good or not. We try to avoid hiding the forest with too many trees.
It is also important – we think – to avoid things that are easily misunderstood or are ambiguous. Sweaty horse or barnyard – how does it smell? Flintlock gun? How many have smelled one, or even seen one? Perhaps worst of all: minerality… To me, as done in the example above, combining minerality with vanilla and chocolate (or fruit or flowers or wet wool) is a contradiction, pointless. So instead of that kind of description, maybe it’s better to go one step further? Better to say what you really mean (in an understandable way); instead of “minerality” say that the wine has high acidity, is very dry, and a bit astringent/harsh. This avoids misunderstandings.
It’s also better to avoid being overly poetic or esoteric. It might mean something to you, but something completely different to another person.
Simpler is usually better, even when it comes to describing wine. But the similes will never leave us.
But not everyone thinks the same. What kind of wine descriptions do you prefer?
Read more
We have extra reading for you in this Brief, around ten longer articles.
- Two new grape profiles
- A couple of texts with exciting wines to try and on biodynamics
- About what “mousy” wine is
- Restaurant tips for the Paris-bound
- A wine importer who is an Italian specialist
- A report on how cava wants to dynamize itself
- And a lot of other things
Look further in the Brief and take the time to read some of the articles.
Wine tours
If you want to join us on this years great adventures to Bordeaux and Champagne, book your places now. You can hardly find a wine tour organiser with more inside knowledge. First time we were in Bordeaux was in 1986. We’ve written twelve wine books, including wine internationally award winning on Champagne. We travel in wine regions…… all the time.
For some very special experiences – once in a life-time wine tours – you can join us next winter on the extended Southern Hemisphere Tours: Chile-Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand.
More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours“. Tours with the people who know wine and who have an unrivalled experience of wine and tours.
Travel in wine regions with someone you trust.
Wine editors to the national encyclopedia, Forbes.com contributors, award-winning wine book authors, wine tour advisors to the UN and national wine organisations, wine judges … and, above all, passionate wine travellers.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
If you appreciate what we do, you can help us:
Tell your friends about the Brief or send it to them.
Like us and follow us on social media:
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What’s on at BKWine Tours
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BKWine is also one of the world’s leading wine tour operators. Here’s what we currently have on our scheduled wine tour program:
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- New Zealand, 12-27 March 2024
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- Champagne, 25-29 September 2024
- Bordeaux and Champagne, 25 Sept – 3 Oct 2024
- Bordeaux, 29 Sep – 3 Oct 2024
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- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025 (’25 program coming soon)
- South Africa, 14-24 February 2025 (’25 program coming soon)
- New Zealand, 11-26 March 2025 (’25 program coming soon)
We also make custom designed wine tours.
We’re different than most other wine tour operators. We are people who know wine inside out, who travel constantly in wine regions, who write award winning books about wine. Who do this out of passion.
Our wine tours are different from others.
A typical year we organise more than 30 wine tours to destinations across the world. In Europe: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and more. World-wide: South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand. Thanks to our Scandinavian background we have a separate offer for the Scandinavian market. These are sometimes offered in English and also available as custom made tours. For example, these destinations:
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Read our books
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We have written eleven wine books. They have won awards from the Gourmand Awards, The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and others.
Unfortunately, only one of them has been translated to English; the others are (so far) only available in Swedish. This is the one that is available in English:
Here’s the full list of our books:
- The Wonderful World of Wine
- Languedoc-Roussillon, the Wines of Southern France
- Champagne, the Wine and the Growers
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News from the World of Wine
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Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
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The French like more and more to see the grape variety on the label
When the New World began to compete with France in some export markets around 30 years ago, there was a lot of talk about the reluctance of the French to put the grape name on the label. The geographical indication was more important, quite naturally, as France has so many famous names to put on the bottle. It was different for Australia and the other newcomers, but they solved it by putting the grape variety on the label and making the grape the name of the wine. Thus, they changed the wine industry forever. Consumers quickly got used to it and learned grape names like never before, except the French, who only drank French wines. But France has changed (as has the New World, for that matter, that’s moving towards more and more specifications of origine).
Even in the French market, it is today an advantage in some wine regions to put the name of the grape variety on the label. Benjamin Loze, wine buyer for a large food chain in France, says that it helps sales of, e.g. a Bergerac Blanc if it says sauvignon blanc on the label. This is also due to some extent on that sauvignon blanc is a very popular grape variety in the low and middle price ranges. But he also believes that many (young) consumers choose beer instead of wine because they think it is complicated to know which wine to choose. A label with a highly visible grape variety helps.
Grapes are associated with a region, but perhaps above all, with a particular taste that one likes or dislikes. And if you enjoy a specific grape, it is easier to find it if it is clearly stated on the label. Benjamin Loze predicts a bright future in France for sauvignon blanc from South Africa and New Zealand. Read more: SauvignonSelection
New genetic technology (Crispr) imitates nature and should be allowed, says a professor at the University of Geisenheim
The grape varieties that wine producers use today have naturally mutated over time. Researchers have selected the best mutations (clones) based on several criteria, e.g. plant vigour or resistance to certain diseases.
In the future, Professor Kai Voss-Fels at the University of Geisenheim hopes that it will be possible to use NGT, new genetic engineering, instead. He says, ” We can continue as before and hope that the desired changes will occur by chance in the coming years or centuries. Or we can use NGT methods to specifically trigger such mutations.” He talks about the CRISPR/Cas9 technology called the gene scissors. This technique is more precise than classic genetic modification. A plant’s DNA can be changed with very high precision. Specific properties are enhanced or turned off by directly modifying the plants’ own genetic material.
The EU is about to relax the regulations for what is to be allowed in gene research. With a new directive allowing the CRISPR technology, it is assumed that some genetic modifications will be permitted for plants while others will continue to be prohibited. Professor Kai Voss-Fels hopes to start field research soon, which is currently strictly prohibited within the EU. All his research presently takes place solely in the laboratory. Read more: WeinPlus
South Africa’s wines are gaining appreciation, and wine exports are increasing in value
Vintage 2023 (harvested in Feb-Apr 2023) produced wines of excellent quality in South Africa. But the volume was less than in 2022, so it is perhaps not so surprising that South African wine exports in 2023 also fell by 17%. They exported 306 million litres out of a total produced volume of 755 million litres. 40% on export. The good news is that, despite the decrease in volume, profits increased, says Wines of South Africa CEO Siobhan Thompson.
South African wines are gaining momentum. The wines get attention in the international media. It seems that the world has finally realised the excellence of South African wines. The most popular right now on the export market among white wines is sauvignon blanc, followed by chenin blanc and chardonnay. All three grape varieties show a stable increase in value. Shiraz is in the lead for red wines, closely followed by pinotage and cabernet sauvignon. South Africa should be in a good position right now, given that the country’s wine production is dominated by white wines, the very colour that the world demands more and more. The production of white wines in South Africa accounts for 60%, reds for 32% and rosé for 8%. Read more wine-za
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine. 2025 tour soon to be launched.
Alcohol-free wines have scarily high sugar contents
It’s been a while since I drank non-alcoholic wine. Still, given that I’ve heard positive things about them recently, I was surprised when I looked through the range at Systembolaget, the Swedish monopoly wine stores, and noticed that the sugar content is staggeringly high. I thought that the whole point of making alcohol-free “wines” with the technology used today to de-alcoholise (membrane filtration, vacuum distillation) is that you get a dry “wine” suitable to drink with food. Apparently not. I got curious about the sugar content in de-alcoholised “wines” when I read an article in which the French laboratory Dujardin-Salleron comments on wine that has been de-alcoholised. Some producers add more than 50 grams of sugar per litre to “get the roundness back in the wine”.
Sugar contents of Systembolaget’s alcohol-free “wines”: Alcohol-free sparkling: Sugar content between 17 and 78 grams per litre. The Italian Mionetto has 17 grams, which is acceptable; most others are around 40 grams and some are above. Alcohol-free rosé: Sugar content between 29 and 40 grams per litre. Alcohol-free white: Sugar content between 16 and 39 grams per litre. Alcohol-free red: Sugar content between 3 and 62 grams per litre. Only one red, a Sangiovese from Cava Emma, manages an honourable 3 grams of sugar/litre. Rawson’s Retreat Cabernet Sauvignon at 16 grams is acceptable. Richard Juhlin Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah has 62 grams per litre. The Swedish champagne connoisseur should perhaps rather stick to champagne in the future. Who wouldn’t prefer a non-alcoholic beer? Or water, for that matter. Read more: vitisphere
Record heat in 2023 means record volume for English wine
The UK had a bumper year in 2023, producing between 20 and 22 million bottles of wine, 50% more than the previous record. The harvest yield was high (almost 10,000 kg/ha, approx. 65hl/ha), the bunches of grapes unusually heavy, and the quality top-notch. Hardly any spring frost, a hot June, a rainy August and a beautiful September contributed to the excellent result. However, high yields were not the only reason for the increase in volume. The vineyard area has also grown. It is now 3,230 hectares (about the same as Châteauneuf-du-Pape), which is to be compared with 2,100 hectares in 2018. Three-quarters of all English wine is sparkling, which for 2023 means 16.5 million bottles. Perhaps we will see more English bubbly on the export market in two years when the vintage goes on sale.
Whether these weather conditions were a one-off remains to be seen. The problem for English vineyards (and other cool climate regions) is, among others, the spring frost. In 2023, only 6% of the UK vineyards were affected, whereas in 2022, 29% was hit. The weather during flowering in June is another critical period. In 2023, June was the hottest on record, with temperatures above 30 degrees C. Read more winegb (pdf).
Champagne 2023: After the ups and downs of the pandemic, it’s back to normal
After three peculiar years, sales of champagne are now returning to the level they had before the pandemic. Sales in 2023 amounted to 299 million bottles, a decrease of 8.2% compared to 2022. Sales the last five years (in millions of bottles):
- 2019: 297 million bottles
- 2020: 244
- 2021: 322
- 2022: 325
- 2023: 299
The French market has declined; exports now account for 57% of total sales compared to 45% ten years ago. In 2022, turnover was above 6 billion euros for the first time. The turnover in 2023 reached the same level despite the decrease in volume thanks to increased sales of more expensive prestige cuvées and vintage champagnes. Champagne producers are pushing the consumers towards more expensive labels. Read more: champagne
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine.
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Features of the Month
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Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and (occasionally) photography blog in the last month.
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Iona pinot noir from South Africa excels
Iona Wines is located in Elgin, a little over an hour’s drive east of Cape Town near the south coast. The winery is located in a fairly new wine district called Elgin. In the past, fruit was mainly grown there, apples not least. They still do that, but with more and more vineyards on the hills. Elgin has in recent years received a lot of attention as one of the districts in South Africa with a comparatively cool climate. Although the vineyards are close to the sea, they are located at a fairly high altitude, just over 400 meters above sea level.
Read more in Anders Åhlén’s article on BKWine Magazine: Iona Elgin Highlands Pinot Noir, elegant pinot noir from Elgin in South Africa.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine. 2025 tour soon to be launched.
BKWine Tastes: Red and white from the Rhône Valley
The Rhône Valley has an enormous wealth of wines to offer. You will find wines here for most occasions. We have recently tasted wines from three prestigious appellations in the northern Rhône, Hermitage, Côte Rôtie and Condrieu. These are exclusive wines made in small quantities and priced accordingly. But sometimes classic elegans is just what you are looking for. “BKWine Tastes” is a collection of wines we have tasted recently. It is often samples that producers have sent us to show us what they do or other bottles that we have come across at tastings or on our tasting table in the office.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine: BKWine Tastes: Red and white from the Rhône Valley.
A good shot at finding the world’s best vranec / vranac wines | Per on Forbes
Was the Vranec Selection a wine competition that really did select the world’s best wine made from vranec (also spelled vranac)? There are many wine competitions focused on a single grape variety. The Syrah du Monde, the Chardonnay du Monde, the Sauvignon Selection by the CMB and others. They never really select the world’s best because there are simply too many wines out there, and many producers don’t participate. (And the competitions rarely pretend to have the aim to select “the world’s best”.) But if there is one wine competition that could have a good shot at selecting the “world’s best” from a single grape variety, then it is probably the Vranec Selection by the CMB. Here’s the story of this world’s first vranec/vranec competition.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: A good shot at finding the world’s best vranec / vranac wines | Per on Forbes.
Knowledge, knowing, science, lunacy; biodynamicist Nicolas Joly leaves no one unmoved
Biodynamic viticulture is a topic that often stirs up emotions. Sometimes positive, it’s a trendy segment today. Sometimes negative, especially for those trying to understand how it works. Whatever one thinks, there is no doubt that there are many skilled biodynamic producers. But if the quality comes from the biodynamics or from their own inherent talent can be harder to know. Nicolas Joly is a biodynamic pioneer and often quoted by the followers. But he is also a very polarizing personality. So when Joly comes to Stockholm to talk about the subject in connection with the BD club Renaissance des Appellations’ visit, it is perhaps an opportunity to become a little wiser. BKWine Magazine’s Sven-Olof Johansson went to listen to the “high priest”. Did he become wiser? Well, judge for yourself.
Read more in Sven-Olof Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: Knowledge, knowing, science, lunacy; biodynamicist Nicolas Joly leaves no one unmoved.
Read: more on biodynamic wines in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
New grape profile: nebbiolo | Britt on Forbes
Nebbiolo has changed over the years, not least in the last 40 years. Its world fame is rather recent. Its most famous wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, triumphed on the export market from the 1980’s. Before that they were mostly found deep in the cellars of Italian wine lovers. Wines from nebbiolo needed time. The tannins needed to soften and it could take decades. But times changed and nebbiolo also. Here is the story.
Read more about this highly regarded grape.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Nebbiolo and its way to world fame | grape profile | Britt on Forbes.
Mousiness in wine – what is it? | Per on Forbes
Mousiness, or a mousy wine, is a relatively “new” wine fault. Going back a decade or a bit more, it was rarely talked about. Maybe it didn’t even exist. Today, it is more common, partly because of new wine-making practices – using little or no sulphur – and, no doubt, also thanks to tasters paying more attention. But it is a wine fault that is sometimes hard to detect, and not everyone is sensitive to it. So, let’s take a look at what it is.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Mousiness in wine – what is it? | Per on Forbes.
Natural wine bars and restaurants in Paris | Per on Forbes
We have a project with some friends of ours. They are enthusiasts for “natural wine”. They are no wine experts and certainly no bearded hipsters grown up with takeaway moss dishes with pickled ants from Noma. They just like “natural wine”, whatever that may be. So, we regularly meet in one of the restaurants or “wine bars” (which are often more like restaurants) in Paris that have some natural wine. This is the list of the places we’ve been to. Plus a list of other restaurant suggestions. And our list of the ones we like the most. Please feel free to add your suggestions for new places for us (and others) to explore in a comment.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: The Paris “natural wine” bar and restaurant project – restaurant recommendations for you | Per on Forbes.
Read: more on biodynamic wines in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
New grape variety profile: vranec / vranac | Per on Forbes
Vranec, or vranac, is a grape that almost only exists in the Balkans. It has an intense colour, intense fruit with blackberries and other dark fruit and very present tannins. Wines made from vranec are usually full-bodied and intense. It is a wine that goes very well with hearty food, grilled meat, stews, roasts, and cheese, but also with many other types of food. In this article, you’ll discover the essence of this genuinely Balkan grape variety that deserves more international attention.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Vranec / vranac, a genuinely Balkan grape | grape variety profile | Per on Forbes.
Cava, the famous Spanish bubbly, working on a renaissance | Britt on Forbes
Many people are familiar with cava, and many have gotten used to the fact that it is affordable bubbles, good to have when money is tight or the number of guests is large. But the cava producers are not happy with this anymore. Far too many consumers associate cava with low prices. Cava’s image needs a boost, and it is on its way. Cava is a well-known brand. But even a strong brand needs to work to retain its customers. It is not only about keeping them but also about convincing new ones to drink cava. Champagne and Prosecco are strong competitors, and it is not obvious which strategy to use. BKWine Magazine’s Britt was the only Swedish journalist invited to “The Cava Meeting”. Here is the strategy that was discussed to put cava back on everyone’s table.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Make Cava Famous – The Spanish Sparkling Wine. But How? | Britt on Forbes.
Vinonista, a small wine importer specialised on Italy
Vinonista is a Swedish wine importer that has specialised in Italian wines from small producers. Vinonista primarily sells its wines through the so-called “on order range” (or assortment, as the Swedes like to say, “ordersortimentet” or “beställningssortimentet”). This is a special set of wines that can only be bought on-order from the monopoly shops. It is, in fact, a way to circumvent the regular monopoly range that is subject to tenders (for bigger volumes) or the sometimes stochastic choices of the purchasing staff for the “temporary” range. The “on order range” completely by-passes the monopoly (Systembolaget) purchasing organisation. The wines are selected purely by the importers without any involvement by Systembolaget. The importers then sell them through the monopoly shops, with, of course, a fee paid to Systembolaget. Vinonista, owned and managed by Martin Wall, makes extensive use of this method.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: A handful of delicious and very Italian wines from Vinonista.
Valma, Brasserie Provençale, a lovely restaurant in Paris along the Canal Saint Martin | Per on Forbes
The latest visit for our “Paris Natural Wine Bar and Restaurant Project” was to a relatively new restaurant in Paris, Valma Brasserie Provençale. It proved to be an excellent and friendly neighbourhood restaurant, with good food and good wines if you live around the Place de la Republique. If you don’t, it’s a place that’s certainly worth going to, even if you’re somewhere else in Paris. It is on the opposite side of the city from where we live, but it was worth the trip.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Valma, Brasserie Provençale, a lovely restaurant in Paris along the Canal Saint Martin | Per on Forbes.
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Wine Tours
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Details on our current and future wine tours. Book a wine tour with the “World’s Top Wine Tour Operator” today (or when you feel like travelling to wine country).
Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience in the beautiful wine-lands together with some of the most knowledgeable wine people around. Book now!
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New Zealand, the Ocean, the Mountains, the Sun — plus wine & gastronomy | wine tour
In New Zealand, people like to dress according to the layer-on-layer principle. The weather can change quickly and unexpectedly in this country, which is influenced almost everywhere by the sea and the mountains. Our wine tour to New Zealand is in March. This is early autumn; the harvest has started, and the weather is often beautiful and sunny with late summer temperatures. The wine is our focus on this tour, but we will have the chance to see many other things while our bus takes us through the country, from Auckland down to Queenstown. We will get to know the Māori culture, take a boat on a glacier lake, and watch geysers and other geothermal phenomena. We will taste green mussels – a speciality – and local crayfish. There will be a great many wines to try and taste; a lot of pinot noir and sauvignon blanc but not only. We will stay in Auckland, Taupo, Napier in Hawkes Bay, Martinborough, Blenheim in Marlborough, Christchurch, Mount Cook and Queenstown in Central Otago during this wine tour.
Join us for a great wine, nature and culture experience on the New Zealand wine tour.
Book now!
The tour will be back in 2025 on March 11-26.
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to New Zealand 2020.
Champagne, a strong brand that can handle the competition| wine tour
Champagne is a success story. Since the Second World War, production, sales, and vineyard area have increased exponentially. The world loves champagne. Of course, there is competition. But the Champagne brand is strong. During this wine tour, we will talk about everything that makes champagne unique. We will visit famous villages and stay four nights in Reims, with its many champagne houses and beautiful cathedral. In addition to many producer visits, the wine tour also includes fantastic lunches with champagne throughout the meal.
Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Champagne.
- Champagne, 25-29 September 2024
And also: We have written an internationally award-winning book on Champagne, so you can hardly get a better guide to the region.
Champagne and Bordeaux, the combination of what’s best in France | wine tour
There are many excellent wine regions in France, of course, but combining Champagne and Bordeaux will give you something extra. That’s what this wine tour is all about. Something extra. Wines with history, prestige, and quality from producers who at the same time are very much looking towards the future. The wine tour takes you to Reims with its famous Cathedrale, as beautiful as Notre Dame in Paris. After four nights here, with visits to some grand champagne houses and smaller quality growers, we continue with the fast train (the famous TGV) to Bordeaux and its world-renowned red wines. It is a unique wine region with all its fairy-tale chateaux. You cannot find something like it anywhere else in the world. Delicious lunches all through the tour, star-quality and great wines, often at the wine estates.
- Champagne and Bordeaux, 25 September – 3 October 2024
PS: We have written an internationally award-winning book about Champagne, and also one on Bordeaux. And ten other wine books. Can you think of any other wine tour operator with that in the baggage?
Give yourself a close encounter with the world’s most famous wine, Bordeaux | wine tour
We hear daily about Bordeaux blends from other regions and other countries. Bordeaux grapes have become incredibly popular almost worldwide, but of course, you must go to Bordeaux to see where it all started. And understand why these grapes have spread across the globe. To really understand the soul of Bordeaux – that’s what this wine tour is about. We will stay four nights in the beautiful city of Bordeaux, which is located on the Garonne River. With the city as our base, we make day trips to Saint Emilion, Médoc, Graves/Pessac-Léognan and Entre-deux-Mers. All these sub-regions have their specific characters. The price of the wines differs enormously between the regions. On the tours, we want to show you different sides of Bordeaux, the “pompous” as well as the lesser known. Not everything is prestigious and expensive in Bordeaux. In fact, this tour will also show you some of the outstanding value for money you can find in Bordeaux – if you know where to go. Almost everything is delicious and exciting.
Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Bordeaux.
- Bordeaux, 29 September – 3 October, 2024
PS: We have written an award-winning book on Bordeaux, and have been travelling there since 1986. Can you find a better guide and tour operator?
Chile and Argentina, two wine countries with rocket-speed evolution | South America wine tour
Argentina and Chile conquered the world when their wines appeared 30-35 years ago. Since then, a lot has happened. The wines are still popular but have become more interesting and exciting as producers have learned to use the climate differences and other conditions they have in their various regions. We will get an insight into these developments during our wine tour while getting to know the people behind it, enjoying the scenery, the magnificent nature and generous and memorable lunches at the vineyards. The wine tour starts in the big city of Buenos Aires (amazing!), and we have time for a tango evening and a sightseeing tour before we go on to Mendoza, Argentina’s largest wine region. Here, we are close to the Andes Mountains, which play a significant role in the viticulture here, apart from being a lovely backdrop to the vineyards. We cross the border into Chile (spectacular!) in the middle of the mountain range and then continue across the country to the coast, where we visit Casablanca’s cool climate, wine region, and the extraordinary city of Valparaiso. Beautiful Colchagua is our next stop. Here, we blend visits to prestigious growers and smaller wine estates. We finish in Chile’s capital, Santiago (a dramatic contrast to Buenos Aires).
Join us on this wine tour and discover the wine countries of Chile and Argentina.
- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to Chile and Argentina 2023.
South Africa, spectacular landscape, exciting wines, great personalities | wine tour
South Africa is an amazingly beautiful country. Almost all the wineries have spectacular locations. But the most important thing is, after all, that the wines are getting more and more exciting, both the whites and the reds. Today, and on this wine tour, we find everything from traditional bordeaux blends to refreshing natural wines. Most wine regions are so close to the sea that they are affected by fresh sea breezes that give freshness to the wines. Down south, in Walker Bay by the small town of Hermanus, chardonnay, pinot noir, and the local pinotage show excellent results. Stellenbosch has a perfect terroir for cabernet sauvignon and from Franschhoek comes superb sémillon and cabernet franc. We will also go to exciting Swartland where old vines of carignan, cinsault, chenin blanc, colombard and others have been preserved. The variety of wine styles is enormous today in South Africa. On this wine tour, you will discover a lot during our many tasting and delicious meals and our discussions with the winemakers (so enthusiastic!). We will also squeeze in some sightseeing, such as Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope.
Discover South Africa, the fantastic wine country, with us on this fabulous wine tour.
Book now!
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to South Africa 2023.
