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Blending – a scam or a noble art?
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This past spring, we have been to Champagne and Bordeaux, among other places. Wine regions that are undeniably masters of their respective wine styles. They have a lot in common, not just the fact that they are both famous and sought after. They are also both specialists in blending.
The concept of blending is often positive in the wine world. But not always. Sometimes we hear people talking derogatorily about “blending a wine to suit a certain taste”. But that is precisely what blending is all about, whether we are talking about prestigious Bordeaux or Champagne, or inexpensive wine in bag-in-box. Blending is about making a wine that is better than the individual components, making a wine with a taste that matches the winemaker’s ambition and the consumer’s taste.
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Grape varieties are blended, grapes from different plots of land, from near and far. Wines that have been aged in old and new oak barrels or perhaps in amphorae or concrete barrels, and in the case of Champagne, different vintages are also blended.
Blending requires knowledge and experience. It is not easy to taste young wines with high acidity, high tannin content, wines that maybe will spend another year or more in oak barrels. In the case of Champagne, it is still wines that are blended before they become bubbly, which presents another difficulty. As a blender (i.e. wine producer), you need to understand how a young and undeveloped component will develop over time as part of a blend.
Often, several people taste together to determine the final blend, and not infrequently, especially in Bordeaux, a consultant from outside gives their opinion on the blend, sometimes being called on just for this occasion. The consultant has an independent point of view, plus usually much greater experience from many different estates.
The blending is one of the most critical moments in the entire production, comparable to harvesting at the right time.
But, as I said, now and then we hear negative voices about cheap wines at big retailers (for example, Systembolaget, the Swedish monopoly) that have been “blended”. Wines that have been “tailored to taste in a certain way” (in countries without alcohol monopolies, it is the large grocery chains that are the “culprits”, the Tescos, the Carrefours, the Costcos etc.). People feel cheated when they realise that this wine does not actually “exist”. At the risk of sounding philosophical, I ask myself, do wines exist in advance? Aren’t they created every vintage?
All wines are created based on a winemaker’s ideas about their own taste and what the customer/consumer likes.
Why is it worse to blend a cheap wine than an exclusive champagne or bordeaux? If Systembolaget or Tesco (etc.) needs large quantities of cheap wine with a specific taste profile, there is a significant risk that such a wine “does not exist”. Few producers can make such big volumes from their own land.
In that case, a cooperative can blend a wine, or a wine producer (who certainly does exist) can buy grapes/wines and blend. Why is this different from, for example, when a champagne house buys grapes from many hundreds of small growers from anywhere within Champagne’s 30,000 hectares? Blending champagne is artful, but blending bag-in-box wine is cheating?
We move at different levels in terms of price and quality, of course, but on the whole, the difference is not that great. Most wines, cheap and expensive, are to some extent customised, blended to suit someone’s taste. It is all about being liked. The wine must sell.
Also, many of the highly regarded and famous “fine wine” brands with international fame are often made from purchased grapes or wine.
I smiled a little when I read yesterday about François Lurton, who is something of a master blender, not least with the BiB Fumées Blanches, an international bestseller. He has just launched a red wine with the apt name “Là, Là & Là”. It can be translated as “There, There & There”. The grapes come from three wine regions, Gascony, Languedoc and Roussillon.
However, blending three wine regions in France is nothing compared to the “ultimate” blend, the wine called Pangaea. Fittingly, it is Michel Rolland who has done it; he is the blending guru par excellence. The first vintage of Pangaea, 2015, was released in 2022. The wine is made from cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley, merlot from Bordeaux, petit verdot from Spain, cabernet franc from Helderberg in South Africa and malbec from Uco Valley in Argentina. A wine could not be more blended than that.
Pangaea is the name of the “supercontinent”, a single landmass that existed before continental drift divided the world into today’s five (or six, or seven) continents. You can get a bottle for around 600 euros.
(On some of our wine tours, for example the Chile-Argentina tour, you get to try blending a wine from different components to suit your taste.)
Burgundy and Rhone Valley wine tour
The Burgundy and Rhone Valley wine tour is fully booked this year. Why not come to Bordeaux instead?:
New Bordeaux Tour
Our Burgundy and Rhone Valley tour has had such a success so it is currently fully booked. So, we have decided to add a new tour this coming autumn season: a new five-day extravagant Bordeaux tour.
Summer in Winter Time
All three winter wine tours will be back in 2026. We don’t promise summer, sun, and beach in the middle of northern winter, but we can without hesitation promise summer, sun, wine and gastronomy (and a little beach if you want). See how it’s been this year in these three tour Facebook groups:
- Chile and Argentinas wine tour on Facebook
- South Africa wine tour on Facebook
- New Zealand wine tour on Facebook
Click Join and then choose how many notifications you want – everything, the most important, nothing.
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.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
Wine editors to the national encyclopaedia, 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.
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What’s on at BKWine Tours
BKWine is also one of the world’s leading wine tour operators. Here’s what we currently have on our scheduled wine tour program:
- Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, 17-25 September 2025
- Bordeaux, wine, gastronomy, chateaux, 28 September – 4 October 2025
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- Chile-Argentina, 12-25 January 2026
- South Africa, 15-25 February 2026
- New Zealand, 10-25 March 2026
We also make custom designed wine tours.
And we have an extensive travel program in Swedish: BKWine Vinresor.
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
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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South Africa is celebrating an excellent vintage 2025
South Africa made a brilliant vintage in 2025, as producers we met in February already suspected. The total volume is estimated to be 11.4% higher than in 2024. But 2024 was a tiny harvest, and the 2025 production remains relatively low compared to the average annual production over the past two decades. The reason is the decline and the ageing of the vineyards in the country. The surface area has decreased by 1,304 hectares in the past year and is currently at 86,544 hectares. Mild and dry conditions contributed to excellent quality grapes. There were problems during the winter, though. Rain in July led to flooding along riverbanks for the third consecutive year, but the damage to vineyards was limited. The winter rains replenished the dams and secured irrigation water for the growing season. Conditions close to harvest were moderate to cool and dry, apart from brief heat peaks in December and January that resulted in occasional sunburn, particularly in the Swartland and other dryland areas. In general, however, conditions were optimal for both early-ripening, mid-ripening, and late-ripening varieties this year. Read more: sawine.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine.
See: See pictures and videos from South Africa 2025 in the wine tours Facebook group.
Bourgueil AOP in Loire will also allow white wines, from chenin blanc
White wine was forgotten when Bourgueil in the central Loire Valley obtained its AOC in 1937. Now that mistake is being corrected. Many producers in Bourgueil already make white wines from 100% chenin blanc and sell them as vin de france or IGP. But soon they will be able to put Bourgueil on the label. The white wines made from 100% chenin blanc will be integrated into the appellation. Demand for white wines is increasing, and chenin blanc thrives just as well here as in Chinon on the other side of the Loire River, which has always been able to make both white and red Chinon wines. Chenin Blanc is also a grape variety that is increasingly gaining interest among consumers. Bourgueil is aiming for a regulatory framework that includes hand harvesting, which makes the sorting of the grapes easier, they say, a maximum of 6 grams of residual sugar, no chaptalisation, and commercialisation of the wines no earlier than March the year after the harvest. Read more: vitisphere.
Crémant d ‘Alsace, booming bubbles
Cremant d’Alsace is becoming more and more important for the Alsatian wine producers. During our spring wine tour in Alsace, we learned that the sparkling wine now accounts for 35% of total wine sales in Alsace. Is that a problem, I wondered. “No,” replies Mélanie Pfister, a wine producer in Dahlenheim in northern Alsace. “If you have something that sells well, you should take advantage of it.” For some producers, crémant represents more than 50% of their sales. It has been a steep upward curve for Crémant d’Alsace. In 1997, the bubbles accounted for only 14% of the sales of Alsatian wines. Many grape varieties are permitted in Alsace, which also means variation in the sparkling crémant. During our tour, we tasted Crémant d’Alsace made from pinot blanc (sometimes blended with auxerrois), chardonnay (only permitted for crémant, not still wines), pinot gris, riesling, and blanc de noir from 100% pinot noir, the only permitted red grape in Alsace. All have their specific character, and of course, the ageing time on the lees varies as well. Nine months is the minimum, but for ambitious producers, it is more like 20–24 months, and sometimes even longer.
Bordeaux 2024, shaky en primeur sales of a classic vintage
The 2024 vintage in Bordeaux, presented to buyers and journalists in April, has already garnered significant attention. 2024 was a challenging year, marked by incredible amounts of rain, hot and humid weather, and severe outbreaks of fungal diseases. The sorting machines were running at full speed during the harvest. The volume was lower than usual for everyone. Some lost 50% of their harvest. However, there is nothing wrong with the quality.
On our wine tour in Bordeaux earlier in May, we tasted three grape varieties straight from the barrel at Château Olivier in Pessac-Léognan. The cabernet sauvignon and merlot were both in the classic Bordeaux style with elegant, fine tannins and freshness. The petit verdot was powerful and a bit harsh, and will probably add some spice in the final blend.
The 2024 primeur sales are in full swing, and as many had predicted, prices have generally dropped by around 30-40% compared to 2023. Buyers’ appetite for purchasing is not at its peak, and wine merchants have large stockpiles. But Bordeaux 2024 will appeal to all lovers of classic Bordeaux.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Bordeaux with BKWine. (PS: We’ve written a prize-winning book on Bordeaux.)
Wine memories – and recommendations – from our winter and spring tours
The winter and spring wine tours are over, and we would like to take this opportunity to recommend some wines from producers we have visited on this year’s tours so far. If you don’t find these particular wines, look for the producers. All excellent, talented, making delicious wines. All good buys. There are, of course, many more. This is just a small selection.
White
- Trimbach Riesling 2023, Alsace (~18 euro)
- Melanie Pfister Macération Pinot Gris, 2020, Alsace (~20 euro)
- Mélanie Pfister Berg Riesling, 2023, Alsace (~20 euro)
- Domaine Saint-Rémy Pinot Gris Réserve, 2023, Alsace (18 euro)
- Gabrielskloof Amphora Sauvignon Blanc, 2023, South Africa (23 euro)
- Holden Manz Chenin Blanc 2021, Franschhoek, South Africa (~25 euro)
- Te Whare Ra Chardonnay, 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand (~25 euro)
Red
- Lievland Cellar Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021, South Africa (~12 euro)
- Avondale Qvevri Red 2022 (~15 euro)
- Ver Sacrum GSM, 2022, Argentina (~25 euro)
- Ver Sacrum Garnacha, 2021, Uco Valley, Argentina (~25 euro)
- La Despensa Cinsault, 2022, Chile, 70155 (~20 euro)
- La Despensa Field Blend, 2021, Chile (~20 euro)
Bubbles
- Domaine Saint-Rémy Crémant D´Alsace Cuvée Prestige Brut, 2020, Alsace (~15 euro)
This is just a small, small selection of the wines we have tasted on the wine tours. On the New Zealand trip alone we managed to taste 114 different wines (someone kept count!). Come on one of our tours and you will have the chance to taste many exceptional wines. (Made by producers selected for their talent and quality, not because they happen to be sold on some specific market or because of big international marketing budgets.) More about our wine tours: BKWine Wine Tours.
Try Tio Pepe En Rama 2025 (*), Gonzalez Byass, perfect match to – many different things!
Just in time for the first summer month González Byass is launching a new Tio Pepe En Rama. The most famous of sherry houses, González Byass, introduced En Rama to the international market some 15 years ago. Locals in the sherry region down in Andalusia have always drunk “En Rama”, sherry straight from the cask. But in 2010 González Byass began exporting Tio Pepe En Rama, and every year the house now makes a new edition. This year’s Tio Pepe En Rama is the sixteenth edition, a blend of 92 different barrels from various soleras where the wine has been aged under flor, a veil of yeast. The wine has been bottled without filtration and clarification, resulting in a fino with a bit more complexity. It is bone dry, with intensity and length, featuring saltiness and citrus notes. Unbeatable as an aperitif with or without a snack of salty almonds or olives, but also to accompany a dinner with, for example, grilled fish or shrimp. Tio Pepe En Rama 2025 (*), González Byass, approximately 17-18 euro. (*) The year indicates the year of bottling, not the vintage.
Read more about sherry and en rama on BKWine Magazine: It is time to rediscover Sherry, the unique Spanish wine
Fungal-resistant grape varieties are (slowly) gaining ground in France
One way to reduce spraying against fungal diseases in the vineyard is to plant fungal-resistant grape varieties. These grape varieties are so-called interspecific hybrids, i.e. crosses between Vitis vinifera and another Vitis species, often American, that has good fungal resistance. Sometimes they are called piwi (pilzwiderstandsfähige). The latest generation of such interspecific hybrids also has good flavour profiles, which makes them more attractive. The acreage is increasing slightly every year. In France, there are currently around 2,600 hectares, and the two varieties that dominate are souvignier gris (651 ha) and floreal (684 ha), both white varieties. These two occupy 60% of the total area planted with resistant varieties. The largest areas of fungal-resistant grape varieties are in Languedoc-Roussillon, Rhône, Provence, Loire, and the smallest areas are in the regions that primarily produce appellation wines, such as Champagne, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Alsace, Savoie and Jura. The previous generation of interspecific hybrids actually still exists in France on just over 3,000 hectares. The grapes are baco blanc, villard noir, plantet and chambourcin. Read more: Reussir Vigne
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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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Virginia wine making inroads on the world wine scene in Paris with six leading producers | Britt on Forbes
Think of wine from the USA, and your thoughts automatically go to the West Coast. However, the East Coast is starting to make its presence felt. We have tasted wines from Virginia, where good growing conditions, variation in both climate and soil, and producers who invest heavily and enthusiastically in quality wine, ensure that success is a given. The United States is the world’s 4th biggest wine producer. Outside of the country, people tend to know only California wines. If you are a non-American wine enthusiast, you would probably also know the wines from Oregon, Washington, and perhaps New York State. And possibly soon, the wines from Virginia.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Virginia wine making inroads on the world wine scene in Paris with six leading producers | Britt on Forbes.
Commandaria, a legendary wine of Cyprus, interpreted by Karseras Family Winery | Per on Forbes
Commandaria is a legendary wine. It has a longer history than most wines, if not all other wines. The name comes from the time of the crusaders and it was already then famous across the world (as much as we knew of the world at the time). But during most of the 20th century, only four big companies dominated the wine production. It is only recently that this has begun to change. In the late 1990s Panayiotis Karseras founded the Karseras Family Winery, one of the first independent family producers to make this wine of the crusaders, wine of noblemen, wine of kings. I met with the current owner and winemaker Filippos Karseras and his father Panayiotis.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Commandaria, a legendary wine of Cyprus, interpreted by Karseras Family Winery | Per on Forbes.
Trepat, a grape that is a star, in Catalonian Conca de Barberà | Britt on Forbes
Catalonia in northeastern Spain is known for Cava, the Torres Family, is beautiful beaches, magnificent monasteries, wine cathedrals… And, of course, Conca de Barberà with its delicious grape variety trepat. You may not have heard of Conca de Barberà. The region has had its own appellation in Spain, known as Denominación de Origen (DO), since 1985. However, a significant portion of the grapes has been used in the production of sparkling Cava, and a relatively small amount of still wine has been made under the DO Conca de Barberà label.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Trepat, a grape that is a star, in Catalonian Conca de Barberà | Britt on Forbes.
It is time to rediscover Sherry, the unique Spanish wine | Britt on Forbes
Having an aperitif calms the soul before it is time to eat dinner. Maybe you drink it with others, mingling and chatting. Or you sit by yourself on an outdoor terrace and watch the people pass by. What are you drinking? Maybe a sherry, a crisp dry fino. Many have forgotten about sherry, but we and many with us think it is time to rediscover this unique wine from southern Spain. And not just as an aperitif. In fact, a dry sherry goes perfectly with many types of food. Do not miss the great sherry renaissance.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: It is time to rediscover Sherry, the unique Spanish wine | Britt 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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From Burgundy to the Rhone Valley: history, tradition, innovation, and magnificent wines | wine tour
Our tour starts in Burgundy, in the region of Côte d’Or. This is where you will find the most famous and magnificent Burgundy wines. Burgundy is a region where the winemakers’ sense of terroir reaches its absolute peak. Here, the slight differences between different vineyards are taken advantage of like nowhere else. We may not always feel the same difference as the winegrower himself between each plot, but it is still impressive. This gives winemakers a great understanding of the land they cultivate. During our tour, we will spend time in the Côte d’Or, where some of the world’s most famous and sought-after Burgundy wines are produced. We will mainly visit small growers but also some of the renowned wine houses with their magnificent old cellars. We will stay four nights in Beaune, a pretty, medieval town. It is small but lively, as many wine enthusiasts are drawn to Beaune and its surrounding vineyards.
Our days in Burgundy will take you behind the scenes of some small (and some slightly larger) producers. You will taste some fantastic wines, including grand cru. Our lunches will include both Burgundian specialities, not least delicious cheeses, and fine gastronomic cuisine.
After Burgundy, we continue south to the Rhône Valley. We will spend one night in the small village of Tain l’Hermitage, right in the middle of the Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage appellations. We will then continue to the southern part of the Rhône Valley, a region rich in history and with a stunning landscape. The most famous wine here is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and we will, of course, visit some producers here and admire what is left of the Papal summer chateau in the picturesque village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
This tour is currently fully booked. Why not join us on our new five-day Bordeaux tour that we have just added due to the high demand?
Come and discover French wine and food in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley on this luxurious wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- The Grand French Wine tour to Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, 17-25 September, 2025
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Bordeaux, classic style wines and adapted wines | wine tour
A lot is happening in Bordeaux right now. After lagging behind other French wine regions in terms of organic farming, they have now picked up speed, and more and more chateaux are proudly showing their organic certification. Another thing that is happening is that vines are being torn up. The total vineyard surface of Bordeaux decreases. Some Bordeaux wines are no longer profitable. Maybe 10,000 hectares will disappear. But that still makes Bordeaux one of France’s largest wine regions. Another change is that there is a lot of talk about adaptation. How should Bordeaux adapt to consumers who prefer not to have tannins in their wines? Difficult because a classic Bordeaux would not be classic without tannins. However, there are ways to make the tannins a little softer and the wines more approachable in their youth. Many wine consumers nowadays don’t have the space to age their wines for several years. This has resulted in a new style of Bordeaux wines, which are a little lighter and more easy-drinking. Quite good, actually. But the classic Bordeaux wines are still there, don’t worry.
We will talk about all this during the tour. We will enjoy amazing lunches at the châteaux (in fact, our Bordeaux lunches are experiences that tend to be etched in memory) and pair them with equally impressive wines.
Come and discover French wine and food in Bordeaux on this luxurious wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
- Bordeaux wine tour, 28 September – 4 October
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
World-class wines from exciting wine producers in a fantastic setting | wine tour in Chile and Argentina
It is incredible to travel around South America. Both Chile and Argentina are fascinating wine countries that have developed their wine industry in a positive direction in recent years. We get to know some real enthusiasts who have a lot to tell us about their lives as wine producers. The majestic Andes separates Argentina and Chile, and we cross the mountain range with our bus, an unforgettable journey with magnificent views. The border crossing between the two countries is at 3000 metres above sea level. The road winds through breathtaking landscapes, and the whole trip is a pleasure from start to finish.
We experience the atmosphere in the vineyards and enjoy lunches that often turn into festive barbecue dinners under the open sky. Empanadas, the famous Argentine meat, the high-altitude vineyards of Mendoza, Chile’s cool Pacific coast, Colchagua’s famous carmenère and cabernet sauvignon – all this contributes to a wonderful experience. And of course, Buenos Aires with its tango show, and Valparaíso, where colourful street art adorns almost every corner.
The wines in Chile and Argentina are of world-class quality today, boasting an impressive breadth and variety. Come along and enjoy outstanding nature, inspiring meetings and the occasional pisco sour by the pool as a perfect end to the day.
Come on this exciting wine tour to Argentina and Chile with Britt and Per of BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- Chile-Argentina, 12-25 January 2026
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
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 2025.
Consumers are finally realising that South Africa has top-notch wines | wine tour in South Africa
The Cape Winelands, South Africa’s vineyards, are almost all located in the Western Cape, at most a couple of hours’ drive from Cape Town. Travelling through the vineyards involves a fascinating mix of high mountains, winding mountain passes and vast plains. Just like the landscape, the wines offer an impressive variety. We visit growers in the warm Tulbagh area, next to Swartland. Here, delicious wines with character are made from, among other grapes, chenin blanc, grenache, and semillon. Down on the cool south coast in Walker Bay, we taste chardonnay and pinot noir, as well as outstanding pinotage. We also visit the classic regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, of course, and we have time for a short sightseeing tour of Cape Town and the impressive Table Mountain. Our lunches at the vineyards deserve a mention. South African gastronomy is a rich blend of influences from several continents, resulting in an exquisite cuisine. South Africa today boasts numerous exciting wines, and wine consumers are finally realising that top-class wines are available here. Of course, our hotels are all very comfortable, and they all have pools so that you can cool off after a hot day.
Come on this fabulous wine tour to South Africa with Britt and Per of BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
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 2024.
A wine country far away with a fascinating culture and magnificent nature | wine tour in New Zealand
Our tour to New Zealand is a wine tour. However, it is also easy to be fascinated by everything around us, including both nature and culture. In Marlborough, we visit a family who are wine growers but also raise sheep, which means we get to learn a great deal about this vital industry for New Zealand. We get to know the amazing dogs that keep track of all the sheep. In Rotorua, we experience nature’s own power – here sulphurous geysers shoot out of the ground, and bubbling mud pools create a fascinating landscape. We also have the opportunity to visit a Maori family, where we are invited to dinner and learn more about their rich culture and traditions. This experience provides insight into New Zealand’s history and present.
We start our tour in Auckland, a lovely city on the North Island. If you like boats, you will like Auckland. It feels as if every resident has at least two! Our bus then takes us south, and on our journey down to Queenstown, we visit the country’s most prominent wine regions, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Central Otago, the world’s southernmost wine region and one of the most renowned areas for pinot noir. We have time to take a short walk in the beautiful and dynamic capital of Wellington before boarding the ferry that takes us to the South Island. We spend the night in Christchurch on the way to Mount Cook and the stunning Southern Alps, where we take a boat trip on a glacial lake.
We savour the country’s delicious seafood, lamb, and much more. Our wine tour of New Zealand is a journey of discovery, where wine, food, nature, and culture are woven together into a whole.
Come on this stunning wine tour to New Zealand with Britt and Per of BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
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 2024.
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Bespoke Wine Tours
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Forget the myths, learn the truth and reality of Champagne | wine tour *
There are many myths and misconceptions about champagne. Let’s look at some? “Small, fine bubbles are a sign of quality.” Wrong. It could be a sign of a specially prepared (etched) or towel-dried glass (or some other effects) but it doesn’t tell you anything about the taste. “There are 49 million bubbles in a bottle.” No, it depends on many different factors, such as bubble formation points (nucleation sites) in the glass. And one of the big ones: “Grand cru is a sure sign of quality in champagne.” No, grand cru is an obsolete designation in a now abolished price control system. The quality depends primarily on the person who makes the wine. “There are seven, no, now with voltis, eight permitted grapes.” No, it’s actually nine. “The grape variety is no longer called pinot meunier but just meunier and it’s not a pinot at all.” Wrong. The grape variety is still called pinot meunier (sometimes meunier for short) and is actually technically (genetically) the same as pinot noir. You can dive into all this when you come to Champagne.
But the most important thing about champagne is that it is an outstanding wine. It is a fantastic wine in itself but also something that goes perfectly with food, as you will discover at our delicious gastronomic lunches. A champagne tour like no other with the people who wrote one of the most comprehensive book on champagne ever.
Come on this luxurious wine tour to Champagne with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Tuscany, gentle hills with beautiful vineyards and olive trees | wine tour *
Vineyards are part of the Tuscan landscape. Grapevines thrive on the hills where the soil is poor but the sun exposure is excellent. The landscape is quite mountainous in places. The vines are grown between 200 and 600 meters above sea level. How the wine tastes depends on many factors: the grapes, the altitude, the soil and not least the philosophy of the wine producer. There are great variations in Tuscany and the producers like to emphasise these differences that the various districts within Tuscany have. Everyone is proud of their special part of Tuscany. Chianti conquered the world in the 70s with its straw-covered bottle. At that time it was known as an easy-drinking and unpretentious wine. Today we get Chianti in all versions, from top quality prestige wine to uncomplicated fruity lunch wines. The occasion will decide. We will of course visit both Chianti and Chianti Classico (two different geographical areas) and also Montalcino a little further south, known for its fantastic Brunello di Montalcino. Discover the enchanting Tuscany with us; not only the wines but also the landscape, the people and the gastronomy.
Come on this wonderful wine tour to Tuscany with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Piedmont, the land of truffles and fog; and Barolo, Barbaresco | wine tour *
It is a beautiful landscape that meets us in Piedmont. The region certainly merits its name, “at the foot of the mountain”; the Alps tower at the horizon. The signature grape Nebbiolo also has good reason for its name; it is often foggy (nebbia) in the mornings in the hills. The Alps to the north are not far away. Around us lie medieval villages such as Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga, Gavi with their impressive defensive castles, often real fortresses. The autumn landscape is magnificent. Nebbiolo and the other grapes often grow on slopes, sometimes really steep. We taste our way through many fantastic wines, Barolo, Barbaresco and other nebbiolos, as well as slightly lesser-known but equally outstanding wines with arneis, barbera, dolcetto, etc. We enjoy the local cuisine. We visit the truffle market in Alba with its overwhelming scent experience (can you over-dose in truffles?) and we eat a delicious closing lunch with the famous white truffle.
Come and discover all the good things that Piedmont has to offer on this wonderful wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Douro Valley: The unique landscape that cannot be described but must be seen | wine tour *
The Douro Valley impresses like few other wine regions. There is probably no other wine region that has so many steep slopes in such a large area. The Douro Valley must be seen with your own eyes. No pictures can really do it justice. When it comes to the Douro Valley, the word unique can be used without hesitation. On these difficult-to-work slopes, port wine has been made for many centuries. The “regular” (not fortified) red and white wines, called simply “Douro wines”, have not been known for as long. This combination of Douro wines and port wines makes this tour particularly interesting. We taste all types of wines. The red and also the white Douro wines (non-fortified wines) are fantastic. For many, port wines are an exciting (re-)discovery. You don’t always realise that port wine comes in so many different types and, for instance, what the differences are between an old tawny and a vintage. Completely new dimensions open up. We stay two nights in Porto, an exciting city to explore. On the other side of the river lies Vila Nova de Gaia and this is where the big port wine houses age their wines. We stay two nights at the luxurious Vintage House in the valley, close to the vineyards.
Come and discover the spectacular landscapes and wines of the Douro on this wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
- This tour is currently available as a bespoke tour for small groups.
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
