Record wine exports from the USA

2007 was a record year also for American wine exports. Wine worth $951M (€606M) were shipped, up 8.6% in value. Californian wines completely dominate US exports accounting for 95% of all exports. 50% of exports are to the EU (up 7%), about a quarter goes to Canada followed by Japan, Switzerland and Mexico.

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Record exports for Austrian wines

Austria continues to develops its wine exports. In 2007 it is estimated that exports will reach 56 million litres or €105 M. Contributing to the positive figures is the fact that the average price of a bottle sold on export has also increased. The biggest markets are Germany, Switzerland and the USA. www.winesfromaustria.com

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Old vines – and again

The vine on the Place de la Victoire in Bordeaux was planted sometimes towards the end of the 18th century and it is still standing. Like all other vines it needs pruning and this year it was trimmed on March 15 by three pruning experts. The grape variety is the rare Cruchen Nègre. It was planted by the family Duverger and one family member still lives in the building where it is. As far as we know, the grapes are not used to make wine but if they were it would certainly by TVV – très vieilles vignes. www.bordeaux.fr

Another very old vine can be found at the restaurant sous le Cep d'Antan (under the ancient vine) in Monsegur in the Bordeaux district. It is believed to be 380 years old! Perhaps the oldest vine in the world? Does any reader know of an older vine? www.souslecep-dantan.com

(Thanks to Chronique Souvent Bordelais for the info.)

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Vin & Sprit with Absolut sold to Pernod Ricard

Finally, the Swedish state has sold V&S Vin & Sprit, the producer of Absolut Vodka. After an outdrawn bidding process the French company Pernod Ricard has come out as the winner. They will be paying SEK 55 billion (€5.62bn). They outbid Bacardi, Fortune Brands (the Absolut distributor in the US) and EQT (a private equity group in Sweden). The importance of the deal is of course the brand Absolut, one of the best selling vodkas in the world. With the acquisition Pernod Ricard with become the second biggest spirits producer in the world. Read more in the Financial Times.

(A historical note: Vin & Sprit used to be the monopoly importer in Sweden. In the 90s, when the monopoly for importing wines and spirits was abolished, it became a still state owned importer on a competitive market. It was already the owner of the Absolut brand – an old Swedish vodka brand. It is still a wine and spirits importer but the Absolut accounts for the vast majority of revenues and profits. In parallel Sweden has retained its monopoly for wine and spirits retail. The retail monopoly is managed by the chain of stores called "Systembolaget".)

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BKWine Pick: Racine

Racine
Paris 2e

A small wine bar in one of the old 'passages' (indoor shopping gallery) close to the big boulevards. The peculiarity with this wine bar is that all wines are organic, many are even biodynamic and most are made entirely without sulphur (unusual). In other words, very interesting wines and sometimes also very good. But sometimes you can also understand why it is actually a good idea to use some sulphur in the wine making… You can also get some small things to eat: cheese, charcuteries and a few hot dishes.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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BKWine Pick: Mas Champart

Mas Champart
Saint-Chinian

Isabelle and Mathieu Champart is a charming wine maker couple who fell in love with the spectacular scenery in Saint Chinian, one of the appellations in the Languedoc region, a bit to the north of Béziers. They make both red and, more unusual for the region, whites. Their whites have an excellent acidity and freshness in spite of the very hot climate. Their Vin de Pays is made from 100% Viognier with nice fruit and quite aromatic – as it should be. The white Saint Chinian is made from Marsanne, Roussanne, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc, giving it a complexity and body mixed with a hint of oak aging. They also make excellent reds of course. My favourite is the cuvee Côte d'Arbo, lots of spices in this wine made primarily from Syrah grapes.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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BKWine Pick: Vignoble Tour de Verdots

Vignoble Tour de Verdots
AOC Bergerac

David Fourtout is the winemaker and owner of this excellent winery in Bergerac, a little bit east of Bordeaux. In the recently built winery building he has installed specially designed fermentation tanks to achieve the characters he wants. One floor down, underground, he has the barrel cellar that where you can get a close look at the soil thanks to the naked walls, as well as a curious underground river. He makes arrange of wines from modestly priced every day drinking wines to very ambitious super-cuvées. Don't miss his "Le Vin selon David Fourtout" (The Wine according to DF)!

Watch the interview with David on BKWine TV!!

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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Welcome to the BKWine Brief nr 57, April 2008

Welcome to the BKWine Brief nr 57, April 2008

Snow in Chablis.

It's not exactly what you expect in April but we had it a week ago when we were there. On the other hand, perhaps it doesn't make that much of a different since you spend most of the time in the wineries, tasting. Or in some nice and cosy restaurant sampling the local food with the wine.

But this time of the year is a particularly sensitive period in the vineyards. The buds are starting to break. If you get some cold frost nights it can cause serious damage in the vineyard. Various anti-frost measures have been invented by nervous and concerned winemakers: Oil burners to heat the air, spraying water to create an insulating ice shell (yes, it works), big propellers to move the cold air and other things.

The big news this month (from a Scandinavian as well as an international perspective) is the sale of V&S Vin & Sprit. It is the Swedish government who sells it to Pernod Ricard. It will put an end to a strange period in Swedish alcohol policy history. Vin & Sprit is one of the world's most successful vodka brands – Absolut Vodka. It has a tremendous market share, not least in the US, not least thanks to clever and not very subtle marketing. At the same time, the company is owned by the Swedish government who maintains that it is essential for the public health to maintain a monopoly market in the country for wine and spirits, on the one hand, and on the other hand V&S pours large quantities of vodka over the rest of the world. A logic that has been difficult to understand. But that will now come to an end with the sale of Vin & Sprit. The only thing to regret is that they did not abolish the monopoly too.

Wine Tours

We have now finished the planning of next season's wine tours and are very happy to present the full program to you in this BKWine Brief. We will have three exciting tours this autumn:
- Bordeaux in early October
- Douro in Portugal later in October (when it's still nice and warm, we hope), and
- Champagne with both wine and gastronomy in November

Read more details about the tours on my site.

Britt

PS: Recommend to your friends to read the Brief or forward it to them !

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Vinordic on April 23-26

Scandinavia’s biggest (semi-annual) wine and spirit show will this year take place on April 23-26. They have extended the fair to cover four days, two of which are reserved for trade only and two that are also open to the public. More info vinordic.com

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