BKWine Blog: July 2008

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Finnish wine and gastronomy fair in August

For the second year in a row, Virpi Sorvisto organises a wine and gastronomy fair in Kokkola (Karleby) in Finland on August 15 and 16. Both days will be filled with interesting tastings and presentations. The Finnish chocolatier Jonas Hoffsten will present the exclusive Amedei chocolate and explain what to drink to it; the TV chef Aki Wahlman will have cooking presentations; and BKWine will do wine tastings on the Languedoc and on new trends in French winemaking (both in Swedish and English). And much more. There will be many wine importers there to present, and let you taste, their wines. A special section is dedicated to gastronomic specialities – that you also can buy at the fair. Not to forget the champagne tastings in the wine bar… For more information contact Virpi Sorvisto: www.vistovin.fi or phone +358 50 3380080.

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Does the cork breathe?

This question has been more hotly debated since the screw cap arrived on the scene. According to a study at the faculty of oenology at the Bordeaux University the answer is yes. The study, made in collaboration with the cork producer Amorim, concludes that the cork gives a small but measurable contribution of oxygen to the wine, primarily thanks to what is trapped in the cork cell structure itself. An older study by the professor Jean Ribéreau-Gayon found that a bottle closed with cork had an addition of oxygen of 0.1 to 0.38 ml over the first three weeks and between 0 and 0.07 ml over the four following months. The cork advocates say that this is beneficial for the aging of the wine and that it reduces the risk of a “reduced” (as opposed to oxidised) character in the wine. Enthusiasts for the screw cap do not quite agree of course.

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Bordeaux primeurs 2007 finds a tough market

The primeur season for the Bordeaux 2007s has ended and it seems to be, just like our summer weather, with a lot of clouds in the sky. The international market is notably less interested in the wines this year. Or at least, the reaction seems to be “it’s too expensive”. It is most of all the UK and the US markets that have lost interest (and that’s two big markets!). Even if the prices have gone down compared to last year (between 5% and 40%) the level is considered too high. But then one can keep in mind the fantastic prise hikes we have seen over the preceding years. The demand is a bit better from Japan, Switzerland and Belgium, and in particular from the French supermarket chains, but hardly enough to compensate for the UK and the US. Read more on Bloomberg and on AFP.

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Finnish wine threatens the EU CAP agricultural policy?

Apparently, Mr Fredrik Slotte on the Finnish island of Aland in the Baltic Sea grows vines on a small vineyard. He hopes to soon produce some 100 bottles of wine. The problem is that this Finnish vineyard came to the attention of someone in the EU agricultural administration and made him think: “If the climate up there is warm enough to grow wine in Finland, why should we then pay a lot of money for agricultural support to Finland for agriculture in an artic climate?”... Is this true? We read it in the New York Times!

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Red sparkling Beaujolais?

Perhaps it will be the saviour for the hard hit wine growers in Beaujolais who today have difficulties selling their wines? Sicarex in Beaujolais has has produced an experimental version of a red sparkling wine made from Gamay grapes. The vinification started with a high-temperature maceration before fermentation, to extract colour and soft tannins, followed by a pressing and fermentation of the by then coloured must. The base wine then underwent a second fermentation in bottle according to the méthode traditionelle. They made two versions: brut (dry, with 10 g/l residual sugar) and demi-sec (sweet, at 33 g/l). In a fit of inspiration they called the wine Red Bulle (bulle being French for bubble). We look forward to seeing (and tasting) this in real life… vitisphere.com

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Organic wine farming growing in France

Organically farmed vineyards have increased substantially in France: up with 20% compared with a fall in the total surface of vineyards with 2.3%. But the total of 22,000 ha organic vineyards still only represent 2.6% of the total of French vineyards. Organic farming is most popular in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, where it is also comparatively risk free thanks to the hot and dry weather. vitisphere.com

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Chateau Vignelaure changes hands

Chateau Vignelaure is one of the best known wine producers in Provence. It was recently sold to a Swedish-Danish couple, Bengt Sundström and Mette Rode Sundström. The seller was the Irish couple Catherine and David O’Brian. The property will now be run by the French oenologist Philippe Bru with winemaking experience not only from France but also from Australia, Spain and Chile. www.vignelaure.com

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Monday, July 21, 2008

Scandinavian Grand Slam in chef-Olympics Bocuse d’Or

This year, for the first time ever, the Bocuse d’Or competition (the “World Cuisine Contest”) was held outside of Lyons in France. It took place in Stavanger in Norway. The Bocuse d’Or is a competition for professional chefs from all over the world. The winner in this year’s competition was Geir Skeie from the Sovold restaurant in Norway. Second place went to Denmark Jesper Kure) and third to Sweden (Jonas Lundgren)! 20 countries were competing for the trophy. bocusedor.com

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Meeting Wine – a meeting for those who look for Italian wines October 17-19

Meeting Wine is a wine show/meeting place specifically targeting international buyers looking for Italian wines from Piedmont, Tuscany and southern Italy. Some 60 wine producers will be represented with opportunities to organise face-to-face meetings. Meeting Wine takes place in Florence on October 17-19. More info www.meetinginternational.it

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Norwegian wins Nordic sommelier trophy

Meret Bøe took first place in the Nordic Sommelier Championship recently held in Norway. She is working as sommelier at the Bagatelle restaurant in Oslo. Second and third place was won by Sören Polonius (Sweden, Restaurant F12) and Susanne Berglund Krantz (Sweden, Gondolen). More info vinkelner.com

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Legendary Loire producer leaves his vineyard

Jo Pithon, one of the producers who have put Anjou on the map for excellent dry and sweet whites from the heavily underrated chenin blanc grape, has left the vineyard carrying his name. A few years ago he sold 90% of his Domaine to Philip Fournier, a local businessman, but continued to be in charge of it. (We don’t know why Pithon sold in the first place. Perhaps the property needed capitals to continue develop?) Together they then bought the Chateau de Chamboureau, a leading property in the neighbouring Savennières appellation. But the happy marriage did not last forever. Jo Pithon has now left the Domaine Jo Pithon and rumour has it that he may be looking for another domaine.

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Saint Emilion classification, suspension in suspension in suspension

The rules for the St Emilion classification (Grand Cru Classé) stipulate that every ten years the ranking should be re-done. At the latest re-ordering of the chateau some properties were pushed out and the owners of those chateaux were not very happy. The argued that the “jury” making the classification had been partial because, among other things, it had included some of the owners of the chateaux that were under scrutiny. So they took their case to court and won. The classification was annulled (or suspended). That ruling was of course appealed against and the higher court decided to annul the suspension. The case then went to an even higher court in Bordeaux which recently pronounced its decision: they ruled that the new St Emilion classification must not be used. So now, for the moment, there is no St Emilion GCC… Why not just simply scrap the classification and let the consumers decide what they think the wines are worth? decanter.com

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Europe’s first congress for wine educators held in Austria

The recently created European Academy of Wine Education (EAWE) has held its first congress in Austria. Representatives from 16 countries participated in the meeting. One of the outcomes of the meeting was that the EAWE will transform into a formal association with the aim work on wine education issues across Europe. More info here. http://www.winesfromaustria.com/news/info_080618.html

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South African exports grow

The exports of South African wine continue to grow. In 2007 the sales increased in all but two of the top ten export countries, the two exceptions being the Netherlands and France. 49% of exports is white wine, 45% is red, and 6% is rosé. The biggest growth markets were New Zealand (+236%, but from a small base) and Germany (+43%).

- UK 82 million litres
- Germany 59 Ml
- Netherlands 29 Ml
- Sweden 26 Ml
- Denmark 13 Ml
- Canada 13 Ml
- USA 11 Ml

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New Zealand grape varieties

New Zealand is best known for its very fragrant sauvignon blanc wines, with much ”SB” typicity, yet full-bodied. But all is not sauvignon in Kiwi land. This is the split between different grape varieties according to statistics from the New Zealand Winegrowers:

- Sauvignon blanc 76%
- Pinot noir 7%
- Chardonnay 5%
- Merlot 2%
- Cabernet (incl cabernet blends) 1%
- Pinot gris 1%
- Riesling 1%
- Other 3%
- Sparkling 3%

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Wine from northern Greece

I’m probably not alone in having some pré-jugées about Greek wines. A bit like, OK, a bottle of retsina can go down once in a (not very frequent) while, but hardly more than that.

But there is actually much, much more than that in Greek wines! Not least in northern Greece, in Macedonia. There you find high mountains (very high!) and sometimes rough climate, both promising well for quality wines. The “only” thing that remains is to convince people that that’s the case. Stellios Boutari at the Kir-Yianni winery (one of the best) says that their biggest problem today is an image problem - the stereotypes people have about Greece: “We don’t have any easy-to-remember catch phrase. And we have too many (difficult-to-remember) local grape varieties”. But these grape varieties are perhaps what might be Greece’s best weapon he thinks. But it’s not easy to introduce grapes with unpronounceable names to an international market. Yannis Voyatzis, chief oenologist at the much bigger Boutari company, is less hesitant: “The future is the Greek varieties. Who needs another Chardonnay? The Greek varieties have plenty of character”.

And that is certainly true. The white Assyrtiko and the red Xinomavro give us new and different flavours and treated well these varieties have definitely a potential to be a success on the export markets. Like for instance the white wine from Domaine Gerovassiliou made from Assyrtiko and Malagousia with lots of spices and herbs. Evangelo Gerovassiliou spend 23 years at Chaâteau Carras in Halkidiki, the winery that was perhaps the first pioneer for Greek wines. Here are a few northern Greek wineries to keep a lookout for: Kir-Yianni, Alpha Estate, Biblia Chora, Tsantali, Pavlidis, Boutari, Wine Art Estate, and Amyntaion Coop.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

BKWine Pick: Sorza, Paris 4

Strolling along the river on the Ile Saint-Louis is something that both tourists and Parisians love to do. A relatively new restaurant on the main street (almost the only street…) is Sorza. It is not big and it fills up quickly so booking is recommended. The walls are red and the tables are black and art hangs on the walls. And the food is beautifully presented on the plates. It is an ambitious cuisine with distinct Italian influences. We do recommend the parmesan soufflé. Excellent risotto with gambas, tender and succulent veal chops, to mention a few things. The wine list is short… but well chosen. Count on around 30€ for lunch and a bit more for dinner.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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BKWine Pick: Château Pey La Tour, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

A biggish and well-maintained property with 170 ha of vines in the heart of Entre-deux-Mers. Since 1990 it belongs to the négociant CVBG-Dourthe-Kressman and they have put a substantial 4€M of investments into it. They have increased the planting density, lowered the yields, are monitoring water stress with GPS etc and all has contributed to improving the quality. According to Dourthe, the size of the property means that there are several different soil types and micro climate variations that contribute to the complexity of the wines. The wine is primarily made from Merlot – 82% of the vineyards are planted with that variety. In spite of the large volume, more than 1 million bottles, they maintain a very good quality, starting with the Bordeaux “tout court” for some 4€ to their Bordeaux Supérieur for around 10€.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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BKWine Pick: Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss, Alsace

Marc Kreydenweiss is one of our big favourites in Alsace. He’s an outstanding winemaker and with biodynamic agriculture and low yields (in a region where producers often harvest 80 hl/ha) he produces excellent, complex wines with a depth that few others achieve. You find him in the small village Andlau a short distance north of Colmar, along the very beautiful route de vin. He has a modest 10 ha around the village in some of the best locations, e.g. Grand Cru Moenchberg and GC Kastelberg where he makes a supreme Riesling. Kreydenweiss, together with his wife Emmanuelle, also makes excellent red wine in the Domaine des Perrières property in Costières de Nîmes in southern Rhône.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Welcome to the BKWine Brief nr 60, July 2008

A new issue of the BKWine Brief is out!

Summer is in full swing even if our weather here doesn’t quite live up to it. A few nice wines will always help to cheer up the gloom. From near and from afar. The other day we drank a wine from Georgia – an interesting mix of Cabernet and Saperavi. Oh, and it's the country Georgia in Eastern Europe, not the US version. The very same day I happened to see that the Systembolaget, the Swedish monopoly retailer, will be launching not just one but two Georgian wines in September. For one of them they have bought 14,000 bottles. The Systembolaget (who is the monopoly retailer) must be counting on that there is a great demand for Georgian wines in Scandinavia. They should know, I guess. They have a market research department that makes a three year strategic plan for future launches and all… But why shouldn’t a wine made from Saperavi sell well? It’s a very expressive grape variety and many wine drinkers are curious to try new things. But perhaps the Georgians wouldn’t quite agree to that label (“new”). After all, in that part of the world the first wines were made some 7000 years ago. It is said.

Here’s something to think about while your sipping your wine in the shade: Can you tell if a wine has been made by a male or female winemaker? I was talking to a wine person the other day (a man as it were) in Bordeaux and he was convinced that men and women make different wines and that the winemaker puts a very personal touch on the wine. On the latter part I think we can all agree. But he also said that women make lighter wines and men make more aggressive wines… A controversial thought perhaps.

If you read this during your vacation perhaps you have some time to spare to read a book. In this Brief we have two rather original books to review, one that is a poetry book on wine and the other that is on health. It is written by a doctor and researcher who has concluded that wine is good for your health. So I would urge you to take a look at our wine tour program. There are places still available on the wine and gastronomy tour to Champagne in November and I’ve just put up the dates for next seasons tours (Portugal, and Wine, Truffle, and Foie Gras). Sign up for one of our tours and perhaps you can put it down on your medical expenses account!

Enjoy summer if you’re on vacation – or if you’re not!

Britt

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Dearer to become wine grower in France

The average price for vineyard land rose by 11% in 2007 according to the latest statistics from SAFER. Biggest rises were seen in Cognac (17.8%), in Champagne (17.1%) and in Bordeaux (13%). Some regions saw falling prices though, e.g. Cahors, Monbazillac and Buzet in south-western France. Read more: wine-business-international.com

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Côtes de Bordeaux approved

The new appellation Appellation Côtes de Bordeaux has been approved by the INAO. It will be used from the 2008 harvest. The AC exists in two variants: "simple" CdB and CdB with the additional mention of Blaye, Castillon, Cadillac or Franc. (NB: C d Bourg originally part of the plan chose to withdraw from the cooperation.) vinimarket.com

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Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Robert Mondavi dies at 95

The Californian wine legend Robert Mondavi died on May 16 at almost 95 years of age. Mondavi was one of the central personalities during many years in the American wine world and was perhaps the person who contributed most to make California recognised around the world as a producer of quality wines. He build up the winery carrying his own name to become one of the leading quality wine producers in the US but sold the company a few years ago following a complicated family schism. decanter.com

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Monday, July 07, 2008

French reform (?) of the wine sector

The French government has presented a plan to reform, renew and revive the wine sector. Wines should be categorised in three new (rebranded?) categories:

- VdF – Vignobles de France, that will replace Vin de Table. The label may show information on e.g. the grape variety and the vintage, which is illegal with today's rules. Modern "international" production methods may be used such as adding oak chips, tannins, sorbic acid, or concentrated grape must (methods that are frequently used in various wine regions across the world).
- IGP – Indication Géographique Protégée, protected geographic indication. Replacing today's Vin de Pays
- AOP – Appellation d'Origine Protégée, corresponding to the current Appellation Contrôlée (AOC)
The proposed changes to VdF would certainly be a step forward compared to the current outdated rules, in particular regarding labelling, but to what extent the rest is just a question of rebranding remains to be seen. We await more details of the reform…

Read more on Decanter.com and TimesOnline.co.uk

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Friday, July 04, 2008

A jewel of a wine?

Perhaps, perhaps not. The cooperative Les Vignerons de Buzet has launched a new elegant bag-in-box called The Vinity Case that is designed to look like a, well, vanity case. The rosé box is in cute pink colour and the white wine is pastel green. There's also a red wine version that looks like a giant camembert cheese.

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Ten best Syrah wines

The top ten highest scoring wines in the competition Syrah du Monde was:

- Australia Witchmount Estate Shiraz 2004 Witchmount Estate
- Canada Pillitteri Estates Shiraz Icewine 2006 Pillitteri Estate Winery
- South Africa Hartenberg the Stork Shiraz 2005 Hartenberg Estate
- France Saint Joseph AOC - L'Arzelle 2006 Les vins de Vienne
- France Minervois AOC - Cuvée St Fructueux 2005 Sarl Pujol Izard
- USA Earthquake Syrah 2005 Michael - David Winery
- Australia St Andrews Shiraz Clare Valley 2002 Taylors/ Wakefield Wines
- Chile Vina la Rosa Don Reca - Shiraz Cachapoal Valley 2006 Vina la Rosa sa
- France Saint Joseph AOC "Esprit de Granit" 2006 Cave de Tain l'Hermitage
- Argentina Callia Magna Syrah 2007 Salentein Family Of Wines

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Wine production in the southern hemisphere – short profile

Numbers recently published by the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine)

Acreage:

- Argentina is since long the countries with most land under vine: 240,000 ha. Chile is approaching fast and has reache almost 200,000 ha. The most dramatic increase has been in Australia: 170,000 ha in 2007 from only 70,000 ha in 1995. Followed by South Africa 140,000 ha and Brazil 100,000 ha. New Zealand, that is much talked about has modest 30,000 ha.
- The region now accounts for 11% of world acreage, compared to 7% 20 years ago.

Wine production 2007:

- Argentina: 15 Mhl (stable over the last few years)
- Australia: 10 Mhl (dramatic drop from the almost 15 Mhl made in 2006, after having almost tripled from 5 Mhl in 1995!)
- South Africa: 10 Mhl (steady upwards trend)
- Chile: 8 Mhl (strong upwards trend)
- Brazil: 3 Mhl
- New Zealand: 1.5 Mhl
- The southern hemisphere now makes 18.2% of world wine production, up from 13.3% 20 years ago

In summary: Argentina is biggest but remains on a stable level. Australia shot up like a rocket but hit a wall in 2007 due to the draught and the economic difficulties of the sector. Where to next? South Africa and Chile is also growing strongly but is so far quite a bit behind in volume. The other countries are small producers.

Wine consumption:

- Most countries have falling consumption, Argentina most of all. Australia, though, is growing: almost +50% since 1995, but it far from compensates from the drop in the other countries. Over 20 years the region has contracted from 13.4% of world consumption to 11.6%.

Export

As a consequence, the missing part in the equation is the booming export. All big countries have rapidly growing exports, as does New Zealand!:

- Australia: 8 Mhl exported
- Chile: 6 Mhl
- Argentina: 3.7 Mhl
- South Africa: 3 Mhl
- New Zealand: 0.9 Mhl
- the other countries have very small exports

Today the region accounts for 23.7% (!) of world wine exports, up from a modest 11.7% 20 years ago. It is important to keep in mind though that total world exports have grown over the same period. The picture is therefore not so bleak for e.g. Italy and France: even if they have lost market share their exports have still grown in absolute numbers.

(Source: OIV press conference with Director General Federico Castellucci.)

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Thursday, July 03, 2008

Organic wines win prizes

Signature Bio is a competition for organic wines that is now in its 20th year. This years competition awarded a "Special Gold Medal" to Mas Costeplane Pioch de l'Oule Rouge 2006 Vin de Pays d'Oc from Domaine Costeplane. Regular gold medals were awarded to Domaine de Tavernel, Dom. Grand Corbière, Dom. Malavieille, Dom. de Gabelas, Dom. Bassac, and Dom. du Joncier. More information is available on Millesime Bio: Millesime Bio

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More about Sherry

Sherry is not quite the hippest drink around these days. Unfortunately. Many sherries, especially the dry versions, are excellent wines and outstanding value. Not least good to sip as an aperitif now when its summer (if ever it will arrive here in Paris). So we are glad to promote a site that is about nothing but sherry: "Vinos de Jerez etc...". And on top of it they talk about one excellent producer (owned by a Norwegian!) that we don't mind promoting a bit too: Bodega Fernando de Castilla. Drink more sherry! jerez-xerez-sherry.blogspot.com/

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Tuscan wine exports show healthy growth

Tuscany increased its exports last year by 5.6%. The biggest growth was reported for exports of white wine to India that was up by 661% (from an infinitesimal base one assumes). Among the more significant markets growth numbers were good for the United Kingdom (+20%), Japan (+17%) and Switzerland (+16%). Exports to the US shrunk by 1.4% though. According to numbers released by Regione Toscana.

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