Learn more about wine with our fact-filled articles under the heading ”wine school”. On how to make wine, on wine regions, on grape varieties, on tasting wine and much, much more. Facts about the wonderful world of wine. Everything from in-depth technical articles on viticulture and winemaking to tasting tips to learn more about flavours and characters.
“Volcanic origin is not a marketing concept,” says Jean-Baptiste Deroche, referring to the fact that wines can now be certified “volcanic origin” by the Vinora association of which he is chairman. Perhaps not the origin
A grapevine can live for many years. In Barossa Valley, some vines are 250 years old—but that’s extremely rare. (There are several claims around the world for “the world’s oldest vine”; Slovenia – 400 years!
“Choosing wine for a barbecue can be a challenge.” That’s what it said in a food magazine I read last week when we were in Sweden (in the middle of barbecue season, and indeed, we
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
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 world’s wine consumers are demanding more white wines. Red wine sales are declining. But what if your vineyard is planted mainly with red grape varieties? Removing and replanting a vineyard is costly, and it
The Médoc peninsula in Bordeaux is known for its many prestigious chateaux. And for its red wines. The eight Médoc appellations have always been red-only. (Small quantities of white has been made but had to
Green harvest (or cluster thinning, crop thinning) is when the grower removes some grape bunches in the middle of summer, before they are ripe (sometimes later), to lessen the harvest volume. Some years ago, this
The fact that wine is a lot about chemistry has probably not escaped anyone. (After all, everything is chemistry.) However, you don’t need to know anything about chemistry to enjoy a wine. But sometimes you
Integrating algae into cooking is popular with some star chefs. Algae are nutritious, albeit with a slightly peculiar taste. They can be used for many things, which is good because there is a lot of
The resistant grape varieties are becoming more and more numerous in France. Or, at least, more and more varieties are being permitted. Recently, four new grapes have been given the green light: Whites kersus pinot
The wine sector is vital for EU’s cultural heritage and also for EU’s economy, society and rural areas. The wine sector has its own high-level group (“think tank”) that discusses the challenges and opportunities for
Who has not at some point felt petroleum aroma in a wine, most likely in a riesling? This slightly odd aroma is often associated with older, mature riesling. There has been discussion about where the
The international Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) is possibly the world’s most important wine organisation. But it is very little known to most wine consumer. It has multiple roles, promoting and enabling scientific and
There is a lot of talk about fungus resistant grapes (sometimes called PIWI, from German pilzwiderstandsfähige). But the descriptor is maybe poorly chosen. The “fungus resistant” grapes used today are hybrids, in other words crosses
FranceAgriMer, under the French Ministry of Agriculture, publishes interesting figures on agriculture, including viticulture in France. Sometimes, they also publish figures for wine countries outside of France, such as how much of some wine countries’
Observations made in the departments of Gard and Vaucluse in southern France show a high level of symptoms of downy mildew, a severe fungal disease, on several supposedly fungus-resistant grape varieties, sometimes called piwi grapes.
Are wine competition medals a useful buying indicator for consumers? Or are wine competitions a scam where producers buy medals to make their bottles look impressive? This article explains (in quite a lot of detail)
Languedoc in southern France has become a dynamic and exciting wine region. The region has an incredible variety of wines, including red, rosé, white, and sparkling. The warm climate produces wines with generous fruit but
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.
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
Le Marche on the Italian Adriatic coast does not have Ponte Vecchio, the Verona Arena or the Forum. But it does have spectacular Italian landscapes, beautiful beaches and, above all, fantastic food and wine. It
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
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
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
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
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
You’ve probably heard it before. “How do you make a small fortune in wine? You start with a big fortune.” Looking at the list of France’s riches people, this seems to be only partially true.
Gamay is the grape in Beaujolais. It is a charming grape, easy to recognise with a fruitiness that few other grapes can beat. Gamay produces an easy-drinking, berry-like wine, sometimes a little spicy, often unpretentious,
A wine grower always keeps an eye on the weather report. As we now enter the month of May, you would think that the risk of spring frost is over for the winegrowers in France.
“Volcanic origin is not a marketing concept,” says Jean-Baptiste Deroche, referring to the fact that wines can now be certified “volcanic origin” by the Vinora
A grapevine can live for many years. In Barossa Valley, some vines are 250 years old—but that’s extremely rare. (There are several claims around the
“Choosing wine for a barbecue can be a challenge.” That’s what it said in a food magazine I read last week when we were in
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
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 world’s wine consumers are demanding more white wines. Red wine sales are declining. But what if your vineyard is planted mainly with red grape
The Médoc peninsula in Bordeaux is known for its many prestigious chateaux. And for its red wines. The eight Médoc appellations have always been red-only.
Green harvest (or cluster thinning, crop thinning) is when the grower removes some grape bunches in the middle of summer, before they are ripe (sometimes
The fact that wine is a lot about chemistry has probably not escaped anyone. (After all, everything is chemistry.) However, you don’t need to know
Integrating algae into cooking is popular with some star chefs. Algae are nutritious, albeit with a slightly peculiar taste. They can be used for many
The resistant grape varieties are becoming more and more numerous in France. Or, at least, more and more varieties are being permitted. Recently, four new
The wine sector is vital for EU’s cultural heritage and also for EU’s economy, society and rural areas. The wine sector has its own high-level
Who has not at some point felt petroleum aroma in a wine, most likely in a riesling? This slightly odd aroma is often associated with
The international Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) is possibly the world’s most important wine organisation. But it is very little known to most wine
There is a lot of talk about fungus resistant grapes (sometimes called PIWI, from German pilzwiderstandsfähige). But the descriptor is maybe poorly chosen. The “fungus
FranceAgriMer, under the French Ministry of Agriculture, publishes interesting figures on agriculture, including viticulture in France. Sometimes, they also publish figures for wine countries outside
Observations made in the departments of Gard and Vaucluse in southern France show a high level of symptoms of downy mildew, a severe fungal disease,
Are wine competition medals a useful buying indicator for consumers? Or are wine competitions a scam where producers buy medals to make their bottles look
Languedoc in southern France has become a dynamic and exciting wine region. The region has an incredible variety of wines, including red, rosé, white, and
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.
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
Le Marche on the Italian Adriatic coast does not have Ponte Vecchio, the Verona Arena or the Forum. But it does have spectacular Italian landscapes,
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
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
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
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
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
You’ve probably heard it before. “How do you make a small fortune in wine? You start with a big fortune.” Looking at the list of
Gamay is the grape in Beaujolais. It is a charming grape, easy to recognise with a fruitiness that few other grapes can beat. Gamay produces
A wine grower always keeps an eye on the weather report. As we now enter the month of May, you would think that the risk
25,000 subscribers get wine news every month. You too?
