It’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas presents! But for this one, it is very early, one year ahead. It is about our latest book that came out in 2023 and that will
White Burgundies are, more than other white wines, known for their long ageing potential. But with a changing climate and weather patterns, do these wines risk losing that trait? The BIVB, Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins
For an industry that celebrates tradition and old myths, the wine industry is surprisingly obsessed with news, from the Swedish wine monopoly’s new releases several times a month, manically followed by wine enthusiasts, to visitors’
How times have changed. In the past, higher alcohol content was a mark of quality—an indicator of ripe premium grapes. But it is time to rethink that, at least according to a survey conducted by
As wine consumers and wine lovers we tend to focus on what good wine to drink next, read about exciting wine regions and talented producers. It is easy to forget that before the wine gets
No one can have missed that the buzzword in today’s wine industry is adaptation. But that’s nothing new. Wine producers have always had to adapt to changing market conditions. Maybe just a bit more right
An essay on the charms and joys of working as a winery intern (“cellar rat”) during harvest time Picture a huge steel French press, about seven feet long and three feet high, held sideways about
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
The OIV (The International Organisation of Vine and Wine) was founded 100 years ago. Congratulations! OIV fulfils an essential function in the world of wine. The organisation currently has 50 countries as members, in other
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), a kind of UN for wine, held this year’s congress in Dijon in October. The OIV sets the technical and quality standards for most of the wine
That France has the world’s largest production of oak barrels will come as no surprise. Most of the world’s wine regions buy French oak barrels of various sizes and shapes. But which country buys the
There is nothing that says a wine must be a vintage wine. “Vintage wine” isn’t necessarily a quality label. But we have gotten used to it and might feel a little lost if we suddenly
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time someone asked, I realised a little later that I could
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the vineyard,” Stellios Boutaris of Greece’s Kir-Yanni Estate told us back
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it used to be better in the old days when 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 whether to allow it in their local rules. It is
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
Oak ageing is closely associated with quality wines, and the French barrel makers are masters at producing the oak barrels wanted by the entire wine world. After several difficult years affected by fires in California
The sorting machines and sorting tables worked overtime during the 2023 harvest in France. Overall quality has been excellent and in some places this equipment is to thank for that. Dried grapes, rotten grapes, grapes
Skin-macerated white wine has been made here and there before today’s trend of orange wines started. One such wine district in Spain is Terra Alta in Catalonia, whose white wines with skin contact have now
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when the temperature rises in the summer. One solution is to
We missed an important anniversary by a few months. In 2022, it was 200 years ago that Louis Pasteur was born. Pasteur is a person that every wine lover must honour. His importance to the
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for cleaning during the entire production process. It is difficult to
The world market for oak barrels of various sizes increased in 2021 by 2% in value. The volume was stable. For French coopers, the spring frost meant a significant decrease in sales (-12%) as wine
There was a time when people were worried that wines would become uniform, taste the same, become streamlined. What instead happened was that wines that had been on the verge of being faulty disappeared thanks
This year, some winegrowers in various parts of Europe have had to resort to chaptalisation to reach the alcohol content they consider necessary. During our recent wine tours in, for example, Champagne and Burgundy, we
The EU has long had restrictive regulations regarding de-alcoholising wines. This is about to change. Non-alcoholic (de-alcoholised) “wines” will probably soon be allowed to call themselves wine. And they will be allowed to keep their
The discussion about sulphites in wine has been going on for a long time. Sulphites are added to most wines to stabilize them and protect them from premature oxidation and defects. How much you add
To blend a champagne to perfection demands a good nose and experience. When we drink the finished product, the bubbles play a significant part in the overall experience. They add freshness and a special sensation
Wine defects. No-one wants them. But what is it really? Numerous things can spoil a wine. No doubt many wines were spoilt back in the old days when wine producers had little knowledge of wine
It’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas presents! But for this one, it is very early, one year ahead. It is about our
White Burgundies are, more than other white wines, known for their long ageing potential. But with a changing climate and weather patterns, do these wines
For an industry that celebrates tradition and old myths, the wine industry is surprisingly obsessed with news, from the Swedish wine monopoly’s new releases several
How times have changed. In the past, higher alcohol content was a mark of quality—an indicator of ripe premium grapes. But it is time to
As wine consumers and wine lovers we tend to focus on what good wine to drink next, read about exciting wine regions and talented producers.
No one can have missed that the buzzword in today’s wine industry is adaptation. But that’s nothing new. Wine producers have always had to adapt
An essay on the charms and joys of working as a winery intern (“cellar rat”) during harvest time Picture a huge steel French press, about
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
The OIV (The International Organisation of Vine and Wine) was founded 100 years ago. Congratulations! OIV fulfils an essential function in the world of wine.
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), a kind of UN for wine, held this year’s congress in Dijon in October. The OIV sets
That France has the world’s largest production of oak barrels will come as no surprise. Most of the world’s wine regions buy French oak barrels
There is nothing that says a wine must be a vintage wine. “Vintage wine” isn’t necessarily a quality label. But we have gotten used to
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that 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
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
Oak ageing is closely associated with quality wines, and the French barrel makers are masters at producing the oak barrels wanted by the entire wine
The sorting machines and sorting tables worked overtime during the 2023 harvest in France. Overall quality has been excellent and in some places this equipment
Skin-macerated white wine has been made here and there before today’s trend of orange wines started. One such wine district in Spain is Terra Alta
A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when
We missed an important anniversary by a few months. In 2022, it was 200 years ago that Louis Pasteur was born. Pasteur is a person
It takes a lot of water to make a bottle of wine. Even if you do not irrigate your vineyard, you use water, mainly for
The world market for oak barrels of various sizes increased in 2021 by 2% in value. The volume was stable. For French coopers, the spring
There was a time when people were worried that wines would become uniform, taste the same, become streamlined. What instead happened was that wines that
This year, some winegrowers in various parts of Europe have had to resort to chaptalisation to reach the alcohol content they consider necessary. During our
The EU has long had restrictive regulations regarding de-alcoholising wines. This is about to change. Non-alcoholic (de-alcoholised) “wines” will probably soon be allowed to call
The discussion about sulphites in wine has been going on for a long time. Sulphites are added to most wines to stabilize them and protect
To blend a champagne to perfection demands a good nose and experience. When we drink the finished product, the bubbles play a significant part in
Wine defects. No-one wants them. But what is it really? Numerous things can spoil a wine. No doubt many wines were spoilt back in the
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