There are different ways of talking about wine. In fact, these days there is a great deal of discussion about how we talk about wine. Some believe that the current discourse is elitist, exclusionary (that is, alienating), overly complicated, and unappealing to younger consumers. Some even argue the opposite of appealing: that it actively drives them away. Perhaps that is true. In any case, it is always a good idea to put yourself in the shoes of your reader or listener and adapt accordingly.
Marketers and advertising people (sometimes disguised as wine writers) talk about wine the way they are paid to talk about it. They often become like coin-operated machines, for those who remember such things: put in a coin and something comes out. The result is a particular kind of jargon that is hard not to spot, as with all advertising. Simple wines are praised to the skies. No one really believes it (I hope!), and people buy because the price is right. Often, the emphasis is not only that the price is right, but that it is the lowest possible price.
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(If you have Swedish friends, please know that we have a separate, more extensive travel program in Swedish: BKWine Vinresor.)
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Of course, wineries too promote their wines. It would be strange if they did not. One of the charms of visiting wine regions is meeting all sorts of people at the estates. You meet those who live and work in the wine world. Recently, in the Douro Valley, there were many with deep local roots, from the guide at a major Port house who told us that, as a boy, he used to tread grapes at his grandparents’ estate, to winemakers representing the fifth and sixth generations of their families. The same was true in Bierzo, where we listened to a brother and sister, each running their own winery. And so it goes in Burgundy, Languedoc, Piedmont, and elsewhere.
The stories behind the wines matter. How a British family in the Southern Rhône Valley, after overcoming various challenges, was eventually welcomed warmly into the village by both the mayor and the residents. How a family in Barbaresco actually has its winery in what is technically an “illegal” location, outside the official Barbaresco area, but is allowed to remain there because they were established long before the appellation boundaries were drawn up. How a Burgundy domaine possesses an extraordinary collection of vineyard parcels, including several grand cru sites, because both great-grandfather and great-grandmother brought vineyards into the marriage, and because the family never saw large numbers of siblings who would otherwise have divided the land through inheritance. And so on.
One advantage of meeting many different people is hearing different perspectives. You get a technical viewpoint from the winemaker, an economic one from the owner, and perhaps an explanation of the challenges posed by American tariffs from the export manager. They all talk about wine differently. These are their truths. Of course, we believe what they tell us. But their observations apply to that particular estate and that particular wine region. They are not necessarily universal truths.
The person standing in front of us today is presenting their views and their way of doing things. Tomorrow we may meet someone who says the exact opposite. And indeed, that happens quite often. “After three years, we either sell or burn our oak barrels.” Then from another producer: “We never use new barrels and are happy to keep using them for at least ten years.”
Those of you who have travelled with us on wine tours know that we sometimes point this out on the bus between visits: what is best for one producer is not necessarily best for everyone.
Occasionally, when one of our travellers asks a producer a question, the producer might reply: “Perhaps you should rather ask Britt and Per. They have experience from travelling throughout the wine world.”
Of course, that is said with a twinkle in the eye, but it is not entirely untrue. Wine producers work in very different ways. They often have quite different philosophies and employ different techniques, methods, and priorities in different parts of the wine world. That is one of the fascinating things you discover when travelling through wine regions.
But now, end of October, our busiest travel season is soon over and then we will have time to spend a few days at home.
NEW BOOK IN ENGLISH: MAKING WINE SUSTAINABLE
Yes, we are shouting. We are so happy to finally see our latest book published in English.
It is a book about all things around sustainability and wine. We aim to explain what all that is rather than tell anyone what to do. A book for those who are curious about how the wine business can works sustainably.
More on the book further down in the Brief.
Brief Brief
This montH, you get a BKWine Brief that is a little bit briefer than usual. It is shorter since this is peak travel season and we are almost constantly on the road.
Per is two days at home in between wine tours in Bierzo (Spain) and Piemonte (Italy) after having done Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont, Burgundy and probably some more.
Britt is currently in Porto having two Douro Valley wine tours one after the other, preceded by Languedoc, Rhone Valley, Champagne, Loire, and probably some more. Hard to remember the details.
We’ve been busy so this is a short Brief.
Next month we will be back to normal with even more wine reading.
Wine tours
Focus this month:
New Zealand
The extraordinary adventure in one of the youngest wine countries
A total road-trip, gastronomic, vinous adventure across breathtaking landscapes, blending meetings with the pioneers of the country’s wine industry, private wine tastings of international top-level sauvignon, pinot, cabernet and much more. And immersive cultural experiences, a private dinner with a Māori family to a stunning glacial lake excursion and tea with the Doonan family. All together with Britt and Per of BKWine.
More info and book here:
More tours in 2027:
The rest of the year, we are planning a number of other exciting tours. For example:
- Burgundy and Champagne, 19-27 September, 2027
- Bordeaux, 4-10 October, 2027
More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours“. Tours led by the people who know wine and who have an unrivalled experience of wine and wine tours.
Travel in wine regions with someone you trust.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
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.
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This is just the introduction to the latest issue of the Brief. Subscribe to the BKWine Brief and you will get the whole edition in your mailbox next month.
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:
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- Chile-Argentina, 11-24 January 2027
- South Africa, 14-24 February 2027
- New Zealand, 10-25 March 2027
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- Bordeaux, 19-27 September 2027
- Burgundy and Champagne, 4-10 October 2027
- Maybe more. What would you like?
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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 tours are different from others. More in wine tours: BKWineTours.com.
