What could be better that a trip to one of the world’s most exclusive red wine regions? Well, perhaps a tour of the world-famous Champagne region? So, what if we combine the two? How can you resist?
We start in Burgundy that has two completely different sides. You might think that the exclusive wines from Burgundy come from a wine region with large and fancy French chateaux. That’s not the case at all.
Burgundy is among the most rural of the French wine regions. Verdant hills that are not very high, a string of villages that are just barely big enough to have a boulangerie (bakery) and a café. But along the narrow “route national” famous names follow famous names. Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Pommard, Meursault…
There are two sides to Burgundy: the so-called “négoce”, i.e. large companies that own a few vineyards but that mainly buy grapes from small grape growers. These are the famous names, Bouchard, Chanson, Drouhin, Dufouleur and so on. The ones that usually find their way onto the shelves in other countries.
The other side is the one where you find the small independent family businesses with often no more than 10-15 hectares (20-30 acres) of vineyard. Our focus is the latter, the personal, soulful small producers who are difficult to find. But after making wine tours in Burgundy for more than 20 years we do have a few addresses we trust.
I can promise some extraordinary tastings with everything from the most prestigious “grand cru” to equally impressive (and less financially challenging) village appellation wines. Sometimes quite jaw-dropping. Even after 20 years.
And then we drive north, with a quick visit in Chablis and on to the luxurious Champagne.
So let me this time give a thought to the bubbles! The bubbles are important in champagne, but for the taste, not the appearance. Is it 40,000, 400,000 or 4 million in a bottle? What does it really matter? Are there a lot of bubbles in the glass or none at all? What does it matter? None, actually. Except perhaps aesthetically.
We recently tasted a different type of sparkling wine than champagne, MCC from South Africa, and found that there was a very big difference between the bubbles in one glass and another. One had lots of bubbles and another almost none? Were they served from two different bottles? No.
How many bubbles there are in a bottle of champagne, or how much bubbles there are in a glass, actually doesn’t matter at all.
How it looks in the glass depends on the shape of the glass, the type of glass melt used in the manufacture, how well the glass is washed, whether it is specially etched at the bottom to generate bubbles (common on modern “champagne” glasses) and much more.
What plays the important role for the taste is the quality of the grapes and the talent of the winemaker, not how many bubbles you can see. (An no, the size or the intensity of bubbles are not a signs of the quality. That’s just a myth.)
The large, well-known houses have industrial process control in winemaking that guarantees precise results. The smaller, family-run producers are more personal with more variety and, above all, more character. That’s our focus! Come and discover.
Come on this exceptional tour to two of the world’s most respected wine regions with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).
Book now!
(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.
Wine Travel at Its Finest
When you travel with BKWine, you travel with true wine authorities: Britt and Per Karlsson. For over 20 years, we have personally created and led hundreds of tours for thousands of wine lovers across Europe, South Africa, South America, and Oceania. We are the authors of 13 award-winning books, recognised by the Swedish Academy of Gastronomy, Gourmand International, and the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine). Our publications are frequently used as core material in both professional and enthusiast wine education.
Our expertise is globally recognised. We have been named “Best Wine Guide” and “Best Wine Tour Operator” by the Wine Travel Awards, and our journeys have been hailed as the “World’s Top Wine Tours” by the world’s leading travel media. Beyond our tours, we write in-depth on wine for BKWine Magazine and are regular contributors to Forbes.com and frequently serve as expert judges in prestigious international wine competitions. We have also acted as speakers and advisors on wine tourism for organisations, regions and nations including the UN (UNWTO), The World Bank, Vinitaly, Ukraine, the Languedoc and others.
Our mission is to provide you with an unparalleled wine and culinary experience. The gastronomy on our tours is legendary. Because we personally design every itinerary and have visited thousands of estates over the decades, we know exactly where to find the most authentic people and the most unique, hidden gems. We don’t always take you to “the big and famous”—that would be too easy. Instead, we focus on unique rencontres: meaningful encounters with people, wine, and food.
We aren’t here to sell you bottles; we are here to provide a profound wine experience and memories that last a lifetime—all while ensuring you have a truly wonderful time. When you choose BKWine, you are travelling with the experts, with Britt and Per, who created the journey, ensuring you receive the very best experience possible.
