It is nice and warm in South Africa in February. Not too warm, though. We will thrive just as the vines do in this country. The grapes can ripen properly but without being overripe. The
Malbec is a French grape variety, although people might be forgiven for thinking it is Argentinean. France has 6,000 hectares, Argentina 40,000 ha. Just like many of the other Bordeaux grapes, malbec has been adopted
In today’s tough competition, a little help from friends and colleagues doesn’t hurt. Therefore, wine producers sometimes form associations or clubs with like-minded people. Vignobles & Signatures was created in 1984 after an impromptu meeting
Everyone who tastes wine knows that you learn more if you compare two, or more, wines at the same time. You will often discover things you wouldn’t find if you taste the wines separately. It
A new competition that will award the world’s best wine travel and wine tour experiences has been launched. “The Wine Travel Awards”. It is a competition for anyone in the wine sector, wineries, tour operators,
Julien and Sarah Launois are champagne producers in the small village of Mesnil-sur-Oger. They started only six years ago but they already export most of their production. We visited Julien and Sarah during the very
“We are still in the peak of summer, even though the calendar says September 4th. Bandol, a small appellation in Provence, shows itself from its most magnificent side. The grapes are ripe. The harvest has
The Rhône Valley is one of France’s great wine regions. The red wines dominate, but the white ones should not be ignored. There are many small growers in the Rhone region. But the Rhône Valley
How much output you get from a certain input is what we usually call productivity. In the wine industry we usually talk about yields, often in hectolitres per hectare. This article explores the productivity/yields in
Don’t be fooled by “grand cru” on a champagne bottle. Grand cru and premier cru are famous words. You see them on many champagne bottles. Probably, most people take it as a sign that the
In 2020 the world’s wine production increased a little to reach 260 million hectolitres. This is slightly below the long term average. Italy is still the biggest wine producing country, followed by France and Spain.
The biggest vine-growing countries in the world. The world’s vineyard acreage (the planted surface area) has been slowly declining for several years. 2020 was no different; the vineyard plantings declined, but only slightly. There are
Champagne Palmer is a fairly small cooperative, counted in champagne dimensions. They have around 400 hectares of vineyards. They are known for the long ageing of the wines and their fondness for magnum bottles. Amazone
Chenin blanc is one of the world’s top white grape varieties. Yet, sometimes chenin wine producers in Vouvray are frustrated. Selling a chenin blanc is not as easy as selling a sauvignon blanc, they say.
Meeting the winemakers adds an extra dimension to the wine and the experience. It makes you better understand what they want to achieve. It gives you even more enjoyment from what you have in your
We have tasted a wide range of the top echelons of red Bordeaux from 2018, the latest vintage released from the big chateaux. 2018 is an acclaimed vintage, but challenging weather meant the producers had
South America is different and very easy to fall in love with. Our wine tour in January takes us to Argentina and Chile, the two most important wine countries in South America. They are close
Château Raymond-Lafon, the chateau and wine estate of the Meslier family, is next door to the legendary Château d’Yquem. Only a few meters apart, the vineyards differ and both chateaux have the same strict selection
Things are going in the right direction. The weather too. We are longing to go out into the vineyards. There hasn’t been much of that in the last year. Only two tours, Britt in the
Sauvignon blanc is a popular grape. It has increased enormously in the last 20 years. A dozen countries have significant plantings, and another ten have a smaller, but growing, surface. Sauvignon blanc grows best in
We talk to Michel Rolland who explains the curious idea behind the success of Clos de Los Siete from Mendoza. Michel Rolland from Bordeaux is the world’s most famous wine consultant. His clients can be
You can find some of Portugal’s best red and white wines in the Douro Valley. A renaissance has taken place in this region in the last few decades, previously only known for port wine. Wine
Chile has its fair share of French wine producers. And who can blame the French for trying their luck here? Chile is a magnificent country for viticulture. In 1994 Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle fell in love
Many things have been said and written about Champagne. We all know various immortal quotes about this praised wine. Is it complicated to make champagne? The best way to find out is to come to
Two exciting wine countries in one big package, Chile and Argentina. A journey filled with wine, food, adventure and South American culture. At the foot of the mighty Andes lies Mendoza, Argentina’s largest wine region,
