It should be pretty straightforward to check the alcohol level in your wine. You just look at the label. But it is not that simple. Maybe there is more than the label states. Or less.
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,
The new EU law concerning the list of ingredients for wine entered into force on 8 December this year. But do not look for it on the bottles just yet. The law applies to wines
The EU now allows de-alcoholised wines to use geographical designations of origin (IGP, AOP, etc.). But it is up to each country’s appellations to decide whether to allow it in their local rules. It is
Irrigation has always been strictly regulated in the European vineyards. But drought affects more and more wine vineyards, and the rules are loosened. It has been generally allowed in France for several years to irrigate
Rules are helpful, but some of them are unnecessary. – Sometimes, we are asked if there is a lot of cheating among winegrowers. Our answer is no. Besides the fact that most of them are
The other day we drank a Côtes d’Auvergne that proudly proclaimed “Terroir Volcanique” on the label. Volcanic wines are all the rage right now. Perhaps it started with the Sicilian Etna wines but other regions
History always repeats itself. Now it is time for crisis distillation again in Europe. It has been a while since the last time. We remember Languedoc’s overproduction during large parts of the 20th century with
We already wrote last year (2022) that it might soon be possible to make white appellation wine in the Médoc, which is currently not allowed. The white wine made on the Médoc peninsula today can
It will soon become a reality, what some have been waiting for a long time for and which some will not care about at all. List of ingredients on wine bottles. In December this year,
Do you remember when prosecco was still a grape? That was before 2009. Then, Italy decided that from now on, prosecco is a protected geographical origin, and the grape is instead called glera. An effective
Soon you will have to be careful when you order a glass of Entre-deux-Mers with your oysters. Entre-deux-Mers is an appellation in Bordeaux for white wines in a refreshing and light style, often with a
In 2016, the Pessac-Léognan appellation in northern Graves in Bordeaux changed its rules to allow irrigation during severe drought. Irrigation is a much-discussed topic in France today, and as the hot and dry summers continue,
Virtually all appellations in Europe have rules that limit the yield, such as “the maximum yield is 45 hectolitres per hectare”. The theory behind this is often said to be that “a high yield gives
Sustainability is important. But sustainability is a vague concept. And what is considered sustainable or not can quickly change. This became apparent to wine producers that are certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) when the rules
In September, after two years of work, the updated list of Saint Emilion’s classification was announced. After the turbulence of the previous update (2006, but approved only in 2012, click the link to read more),
Some appellations only come in one colour, like Gigondas in the southern Rhône valley, which is always red (or rosé, but these are rarely seen). From 2023 however, Gigondas will also be able to be
Two months of wine tours to different European countries have given us many opportunities to talk about the laws and regulations in various wine regions. I met a wine grower in the Loire Valley in
Prosecco is today the world’s most-sold and most-consumed sparkling wine, with some 700 million bottles. It is made in the north-eastern corner of Italy in a region called Prosecco. Most of it is a light,
The appellations Côtes-du-Rhône et Côtes-du-Rhône Villages have the ambition to reduce the spraying of their vineyards and make them more resistant to drought. As part of these efforts, they have now included four new grape
Alsace now has its first grand cru wines made with pinot noir. Until now, the Alsatian red grape has been banned from grand cru wines. But not anymore. At least not from two of them.
Once upon a time, quite a lot of white wine was made in Médoc. Then it was banned. Or, to be more precise, the eight appellations of the Médoc Peninsula can only be used for
The EU is a significant export market for New Zealand wine. Over 20 million litres of wine have been exported here to a value of over 150 million USD in the last 12 months. And
Sherry is back in fashion. Perhaps. In any case, many are trying hard to breathe new life into this old venerable wine. When the sherry region modernised its rules in 2021, it received some attention.
New grape varieties are regularly approved in France. First, they are preliminarily approved for a few years and then they are entered in the official French grape vine catalogue. Recently, these 8 grapes were enrolled,
Super-Tuscan is still a much-used denomination. The first producers of these rebel wines have recently founded an association, the Comitato Historical Super Tuscans. The members are 16 in total. They have all produced a famous
I recently read that wine investors are buying a lot of wine at the moment. They fear that the specific character of various wines will soon be a thing of the past, that new weather
A colleague in the industry that I spoke to the other day said when we discussed spraying the vineyards, “Can’t they just ban everything dangerous?” Yes, that sounds like a good idea, in theory. But
The DO Cava appellation in Spain has decided that from 2025, organic certification will be mandatory for cavas de guarda superior, the higher quality of cava. This category includes cavas reserva (with at least 18
The story of Champagne’s price-fixing “l’échelle des crus” system and how it was abolished Grand cru and premier cru are famous words. You see them on many champagne bottles. Probably, most people take it as
It should be pretty straightforward to check the alcohol level in your wine. You just look at the label. But it is not that simple.
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.
The new EU law concerning the list of ingredients for wine entered into force on 8 December this year. But do not look for it
The EU now allows de-alcoholised wines to use geographical designations of origin (IGP, AOP, etc.). But it is up to each country’s appellations to decide
Irrigation has always been strictly regulated in the European vineyards. But drought affects more and more wine vineyards, and the rules are loosened. It has
Rules are helpful, but some of them are unnecessary. – Sometimes, we are asked if there is a lot of cheating among winegrowers. Our answer
The other day we drank a Côtes d’Auvergne that proudly proclaimed “Terroir Volcanique” on the label. Volcanic wines are all the rage right now. Perhaps
History always repeats itself. Now it is time for crisis distillation again in Europe. It has been a while since the last time. We remember
We already wrote last year (2022) that it might soon be possible to make white appellation wine in the Médoc, which is currently not allowed.
It will soon become a reality, what some have been waiting for a long time for and which some will not care about at all.
Do you remember when prosecco was still a grape? That was before 2009. Then, Italy decided that from now on, prosecco is a protected geographical
Soon you will have to be careful when you order a glass of Entre-deux-Mers with your oysters. Entre-deux-Mers is an appellation in Bordeaux for white
In 2016, the Pessac-Léognan appellation in northern Graves in Bordeaux changed its rules to allow irrigation during severe drought. Irrigation is a much-discussed topic in
Virtually all appellations in Europe have rules that limit the yield, such as “the maximum yield is 45 hectolitres per hectare”. The theory behind this
Sustainability is important. But sustainability is a vague concept. And what is considered sustainable or not can quickly change. This became apparent to wine producers
In September, after two years of work, the updated list of Saint Emilion’s classification was announced. After the turbulence of the previous update (2006, but
Some appellations only come in one colour, like Gigondas in the southern Rhône valley, which is always red (or rosé, but these are rarely seen).
Two months of wine tours to different European countries have given us many opportunities to talk about the laws and regulations in various wine regions.
Prosecco is today the world’s most-sold and most-consumed sparkling wine, with some 700 million bottles. It is made in the north-eastern corner of Italy in
The appellations Côtes-du-Rhône et Côtes-du-Rhône Villages have the ambition to reduce the spraying of their vineyards and make them more resistant to drought. As part
Alsace now has its first grand cru wines made with pinot noir. Until now, the Alsatian red grape has been banned from grand cru wines.
Once upon a time, quite a lot of white wine was made in Médoc. Then it was banned. Or, to be more precise, the eight
The EU is a significant export market for New Zealand wine. Over 20 million litres of wine have been exported here to a value of
Sherry is back in fashion. Perhaps. In any case, many are trying hard to breathe new life into this old venerable wine. When the sherry
New grape varieties are regularly approved in France. First, they are preliminarily approved for a few years and then they are entered in the official
Super-Tuscan is still a much-used denomination. The first producers of these rebel wines have recently founded an association, the Comitato Historical Super Tuscans. The members
I recently read that wine investors are buying a lot of wine at the moment. They fear that the specific character of various wines will
A colleague in the industry that I spoke to the other day said when we discussed spraying the vineyards, “Can’t they just ban everything dangerous?”
The DO Cava appellation in Spain has decided that from 2025, organic certification will be mandatory for cavas de guarda superior, the higher quality of
The story of Champagne’s price-fixing “l’échelle des crus” system and how it was abolished Grand cru and premier cru are famous words. You see them
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