BKWine Blog: June 2006

BKWine Pick: Barrique Wine Bar, Gothenburg, Sweden

>> Friday, June 23, 2006

Barrique Wine Bar is actually the name of the restaurant Hamngatan in the evenings... The two owners and wine enthusiasts, Rolf Olofsson and Thomas Norman, had the idea a few years ago to create a wine bar concept, something they now want to develop into a chain of wine bars (something unheard of in Sweden!). A new Barrique is supposedly on its way. In the evenings at Barrique it is wine that has centre stage. They continuously run special 5-week campaigns with selected wines and an accompanying menu. I tried a delicious tapas menu when they had a Spanish theme. Right now they run Tuscany. The whole restaurant is beautifully done and it all makes for a very attractive place. www.barrique.nu

Click here for address and more recommendations.

BKWine Pick: Midi Vins, Paris 6e

Newly opened wine bar and bistro in a renovated traditional café. Original tables made from old champagne “pupitres”. Very good value menu with starter, main course and dessert from 21 euro. I had an excellent salad with crayfish to start with followed by a perfectly grilled “bavette” (steak) with potato gratin. The fish was also very good. Very traditional desserts with crème brulée, tarte aux pommes (apple tart), strawberries etc. Nice wines, for example a Moulin-à-Vent from Domaine des Terres Dorées, an Anjou from Domaine Gilet, Crozes-Hermitage from Chapoutier, Chiroubles from Domaine Joubert…

Click here for address and more recommendations.

BKWine Pick: Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Chateau de Beaucastel, located in the north eastern corner of the appellation, is among the top of the top wine estates in Chateauneuf. The brothers Jacques and Jean-Pierre Perrin takes good care of the heritage created by their father Jacques and grand father Pierre. The vineyards are managed organically since the 1950s. Chemical treatment and fertilisers destabilise the soil and eliminates the terroir characteristics they think. They have increased the part of Mourvèdre and it now counts for 30% of the total which is high in this Grenache-dominated appellation. One peculiarity for Beaucastel is that they use all 13 permitted grape varieties – all vinified separately – admittedly some in very small quantities. But each variety contributes something in their opinion. In addition to magnificent red and white Châteauneuf-du-Pape they also have a range of less costly wines from other appellations: Côtes-du-Rhône, Côte du Luberon and Côte de Ventoux under the names Domaine Perrin or La Vieille Ferme.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

BKWine Pick: Domaine des Roches Neuves, Saumur-Champigny, Thierry Germain

Originally from Bordeaux, Thierry Germain arrived in the Loire Valley some 15 years ago (and his father, Bernard Germain, arrived a bit later and bought Chateau de Fesle in Bonnezeaux). Thierry makes a Saumur-Champigny that counts among the best and also most substantial Cabernet Franc wines you can find. There are few others who manage to get so much power and body from this grape. His property includes 20 hectares red and 2 ha white.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

Wine Travel

>> Monday, June 12, 2006

Now is the time to plan the next season's wine and food tours. Take a look at what we propose on the program. I hope that you will find something that will interest you and I look forward to hearing from you.

September 27 – October 1: The Northern Rhône Valley

If you love the Syrah grape, this is the trip for you! The northern part of the Rhône Valley is mostly about powerful red wines but we will also get to know the regions delicious, full bodied whites. We stay in Tain l'Hermitage, just at the foot of the Hermitage hill and discover some of today's most exciting winemakers in Hermitage, Cote Rôtie, St Joseph, Condrieu and Crozes-Hermitage. A must for he (or she) who loves the fruit and spice in Syrah! More info here!

October 11 - 15: Bordeaux at harvest time

This trip to Bordeaux is just at the end of the harvest season (though you can never predict in advance exactly when harvest will be). For a wine lover a trip to Bordeaux is a must! Here you find not only world famous châteaux and world famous wines but also a lot of new exciting initiatives. We will make excursion to all the main appellations in Bordeaux. The chateaux we visit will be both some of the "famous" and prestigious (and expensive) "demures" of the aristocracy as well as some of the most interesting of the new generation of wine grower in the lesser known (but better value-for-money) regions. A superb mix of tradition and innovation. More info here!

October 18 - 22: Portugal

In ten year Portugal has developed from being an old-fashioned, backwards wine producer to being one of the most interesting and innovative places in Europe for wine. No more candle-holder bottles, instead you get highly ambitious, forward-thinking wine producers but who still use traditional grape varieties full of character. Not for Portugal the standard, international Cabernet-Shiraz blend. And on this trip we will, as an added plus, stay two nights in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Evora! More info here!

For info and booking, contact me on winebrief@bkwine.com or +33 6 80 45 35 70 or check the site: http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm

Book now !

Finnish Language Wine Tours - Viinimatkoja Ranskan viinialueille!

Tours on the schedule (in Finnish):

20.9 - 24.9 2006: Viinimatkan kohteena Bordeaux

Bordeaux on viininystävälle ehdoton matkakohde! Siellä ovat tunnetut isot viinitilat, klassiset viinit mutta myös paljon uutta perinteisen rinnalla. Kolmena päivänä vierailemme sekä kuuluisilla arvotiloilla että pienemmillä erittäin laadukkailla tiloilla jotta pääsemme tutuiksi myös itse viininviljelijän kanssa. Paina tästä!

4.10 - 8.10 2006: Viiniä ja tryffeleitä Bourgognessa !

Nyt sinulla on mahdollisuus oppia tuntemaan Bourgognen maailmankuulut kylät, viinitilat ja tuottajat. Sekä heidän ainutlaatuinen erikoisuutensa : Bourgogne- tryffeli ! Paina tästä!

October 18 - 22: Portugal

In ten years Portugal has developed from being an old-fashioned, backwards wine producer to being one of the most interesting and innovative places in Europe for wine. No more candle-holder bottles, instead you get highly ambitious, forward-thinking wine producers but who still use traditional grape varieties full of character. Not for Portugal the standard, international Cabernet-Shiraz blend. And on this trip we will, as an added plus, stay two nights in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Evora! More info here!

For info, contact me on winebrief@bkwine.com or +33 6 80 45 35 70 or check the site: http://www.bkwine.com/suomi/viinimatkoja/viinimatkoja.htm

Book now !

Summer has taken a long time to arrive

Summer has taken a long time to arrive but now we finally have some sunshine and nice temperatures here. But with such a slow moving (and cold) spring it is perhaps a good idea to think of extending summer and autumn with a trip to some warmer climes. Why not set aside a few days for a wine tour to France or Portugal with BKWine this autumn? It is high time to book your places now! Call me on 0033 680 45 35 70 or email me for information and booking!

I have recently been in the jury for a couple of wine competitions. That is always an interesting exercise. You taste a lot of good (and some bad) wines. It was the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (in Portugal…) and the Coup de Coeur des Femmes Journalistes in Montpellier. Read about some of my recommendations below.

Global warming is not something we have seen too much of so far this year but it is something some vignerons are concerned about – for instance Torres. California beat France hands down in the rerun of the legendary (?) Paris tasting of 1976. Taittinger returns to French hands. Several new articles of BKWine’s guest writers. A magnificent (yes) wine gadget that actually works for those of you who do not finish the whole bottle at once. Wine grape statistics (do you know which is the most planted grape in France?).

And more – to read in this month’s Brief.

And don’t forget to remember that thing about wine tours. I would much appreciate a call!

Britt

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

| Come on a wine tour | Stuff with wine photos | Where are you? |
| Wine news on your site | Subscribe to updates | Our newsletter |

Link Tips

Some wine sites that you might enjoy visiting:

What Randall Grahm thinks about terroir (Grahm is the cult wine maker in California that created Bonny Doon), on AppellationAmerica.com
More about terroir: ”Are People Part of Wine’s Terroir?” on californiawineweb.com

Portuguese wine with screw cap

Perhaps like swearing in church? Portugal is the world’s biggest producer of natural cork (made from bark from the cork oak tree). Miguel Champalimaud, owner of Quinta do Cotta in Duoro has announced his intention to be the first Portuguese wine producer to bottle wines with screw cap. But the reason that he gives for switching is not problems with corked wines. It is price. He estimates that he will save 20 cent per bottle with screw cap. Reuters.com

| Come on a wine tour | Stuff with wine photos | Where are you? |
| Wine news on your site | Subscribe to updates | Our newsletter |

American research in enology and viticulture

The American Society for Enology and Viticulture has just had its annual meeting. Two research papers were given prizes: “Best Viticulture Paper”: Bud Microclimate and Fruitfulness in Vitis vinifera L.. (pdf 740kB) by Luis A. Sanchez and Nick K. Dokoozlian, and “Best Enology Paper”: Validation of a Solid-Phase Micro Extraction Method for Headspace Analysis of Wine Aroma Compounds (pdf 200kB) by Karen L. Howard, James H. Mike, and Roland Riesen
http://www.asev.org/

Wine crisis in Australia

The price of wine exported from Australia has gone down with 30% according to a report by the consultant Deloitte. It is feared that a continued trend of lower export prices of cheap bulk wines will have catastrophic effects for the Australian wine industry. Read more on Decanter.com. Production substantially exceeds consumption for Australian wines. This year’s harvest is estimated to reach 1.4 million litres. Together with accumulated reserves it is expected that the surplus will reach 800 million litres of unsold wine… Which certainly will not help the price levels. Read more on News.co.au

Government owned V&S vin & Sprit increases profits to 417 million SEK for Q1-06

V&S Vin & Sprit AB, owned by the Swedish government, has announced improved results for the first quarter. The business area V&S Absolut Spirits (including one of the world’s best selling vodkas) increased sales with 20%. Total turnover increased by 16% to 2 320 million SEK and operating results grew by 31% to 417 million SEK. More info on www.vsgroup.se. Curiously, the Swedish government is simultaneously campaigning for that people should drink less domestically.

| Come on a wine tour | Stuff with wine photos | Where are you? |
| Wine news on your site | Subscribe to updates | Our newsletter |

Europe’s best sommelier to be crowned on June 18

The final of the Trophée Ruinart, popularly called the European championship for sommeliers, with be held at the Théatre des Champs Elysées in Paris on June 18.

Russia blocks wine imports from Georgia and Moldova

Wine prices are expected to go up with 30% in Russia after the government outlawed wine imports from Georgia and Moldova. The ban has been introduced for health reasons according to the government but some mean that it is actually for political reasons. Novosti and The State

Château Montrose sold for 140 million euro

Château Montrose, a 70 ha property, Grand Cru Classé in St Estèphe (Medoc, Bordeaux), has changed hands. Martin & Olivier Bouygues bought the chateau and vineyards from the Charmolue family for some 170 million euro. Bouygues controls one of France’s biggest companies, carrying the same name, that is active in telecoms, construction and other business. Mergerstat.com

| Come on a wine tour | Stuff with wine photos | Where are you? |
| Wine news on your site | Subscribe to updates | Our newsletter |

The UK Labour party buys wine for £1 million

According to The Independent, the British government under Tony Blair has bought wine for approximately £1 million since Blair took power in 1997.

Get a Master in wine – wine program in Angers

The Ecole Supérieure d' Agriculture in Angers in the Loire Valley offers a study program that leads to a Master of Science (MSc) in Wine. It is a mixture of general wine knowledge, technology, finance and marketing designed for people who want to work in the wine trade (such as importers). They already have many international students from e.g. Peru, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, New Zeeland, Thailand, China, Spain, Slovenia,…. but are actively encouraging applicants from other European countries. More info: www.vintagemaster.com

Bordeaux 2005

The primeur tastings – the one week wine jamboree for the trade in Bordeaux to present the latest vintage – are now over. Everyone seems to agree that 2005 is an outstanding vintage, and that it will be an expensive vintage. Expectations are turned up for substantial price increases. It will be interesting to see what happens when asking prices are announced later this year. Here are some interesting comments about the wines:

The tastings day-by-day, BBR.com
Tastings Predict 2005 as Best Bordeaux Vintage in Half Century, Bloomberg.com

(``It's a huge vintage,'' [said Gad Petterson, a buyer for Systembolaget], sniffing a glass of Chateau Talbot appreciatively. ``It has good balance. It's unusually even across Bordeaux. I've tasted all the wines.'')

New 2005 Bordeaux Wine Prices May Challenge Records, Buyers Say, Bloomberg.com
Bordeaux 2005: stats are all that’s left, Decanter.com

(“At Chateau Teyssier in St Emilion, Jonathan Maltus was picking Merlot at 15.5% alcohol – two degrees higher than normal”)

Bordeaux 2005 Vintage Report by Jasper Morris, BBR.com
Bordeaux en Primeur 2005 by Roger Voss, The Wine Enthusiast
Bordeaux 2005 – Purity With Power, and also A Question of Extraction, by Jancis Robinson in FT.com

| Come on a wine tour | Stuff with wine photos | Where are you? |
| Wine news on your site | Subscribe to updates | Our newsletter |

The Lurton Brothers looking for a vineyard in Portugal

François and Jacques Lurton are already successful winemakers in several wine regions: Languedoc, Chile, Argentina, Spain,… Their next project is, apparently, Portugal. They have already made one wine in the Duoro Valley in partnership with a local producer, but now they are looking for their own place. Vitisphere.com

Higher Gastronomic Education

Institut des Hautes Etudes du Goût de la Gastronomie et les Arts de la Table

Behind this long name hides an interesting education that was created two years ago in the capital of the Champagne district, Reims. The institute is formally part of the Reims University and has backing from solid partners such as Remy Cointreau, Alain Ducasse, Château Margaux, Grand Marnier, Michelin, Cordon Blue and others. The program is primarily aimed at professionals in the food and drinks sector who want a high level perspective and understanding of gastronomy and taste. It consists of two modules of two intense weeks each with technical and economic lectures by leaders in their field. There are also some “pedagogical meals” where the theories are applied. The program is bilingual English and French. Students come with very different backgrounds. This year’s students were e.g. a sommelier and consultant from Sweden, a Japanese journalist, a French cook and restaurant owner, a communications specialist in the wine trade, an American patisserie chef and guest house owner, a Norwegian cooking school headmaster,… BKWine sat in on a few lectures and can testify that:

the professors are of a very high standard (many are “the famous names” in their speciality)
it is not about learning how to cook but rather about understanding why things taste as it does and why things should be prepared in certain ways, and understanding the contexts
you need some kind of solid background in gastronomy to really benefit from the program

For more information
www.iheggat.com
or contact Ragnar Fridriksson
Ambassador for Hautes Etudes du Goût
Ph: +33-(0)3 26 05 66 28
Mob:+33-(0)6 64 22 33 21
email: ragnar-at-neuf-dot-fr

Wine Travel Special

Now is the time to start thinking about how to brighten up the autumn season so I thought it would be a good idea to give you some inspiration. Here are some details about the next season’s wine tours in English:

The Northern Rhône Valley, September 27 – October 1
If you love the Syrah grape this is the trip for you! In the northern Rhône you have some of the most highly acclaimed and famous Rhône appellations: Côte Rôtie and Hermitage. But there are also many very interesting producers in the other districts, e.g. in Cornas, Saint Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage; not to forget the whites with aromatic Condrieu made from Viognier at the top of the hierarchy. More info here.

Bordeaux at harvest time, October 11-15
Ripe grapes hanging in the vineyard. Or must bubbling in the winery. (You can never quite predict.) Lots of activity and still warm, late-summer temperatures. A trip to Bordeaux is a must (no pun intended) for a wine lover. We will visit some famous châteaux and also some of the most interesting and exciting new initiatives. More info here.

Book now!

Book now! Call me on +33-6 80 45 35 70; or on skype: bkwine; or send me an email.

Wine Tours in Finnish

For our Finnish speaking readers we offer two wine tours in the autumn:

20.9 - 24.9 2006: Viinimatkan kohteena Bordeaux
Bordeaux on viininystävälle ehdoton matkakohde! Siellä ovat tunnetut isot viinitilat, klassiset viinit mutta myös paljon uutta perinteisen rinnalla. Kolmena päivänä vierailemme sekä kuuluisilla arvotiloilla että pienemmillä erittäin laadukkailla tiloilla jotta pääsemme tutuiksi myös itse viininviljelijän kanssa. Paina tästä!

4.10 - 8.10 2006: Viiniä ja tryffeleitä Bourgognessa !
Nyt sinulla on mahdollisuus oppia tuntemaan Bourgognen maailmankuulut kylät, viinitilat ja tuottajat. Sekä heidän ainutlaatuinen erikoisuutensa : Bourgogne- tryffeli ! Paina tästä!

Book now!

Book now! Call me on +33-6 80 45 35 70; or on skype: bkwine; or send me an email.

BKWine Pick: Corsica

Corsica!

Corsica is making great progress in wine. Quality is still sometimes unpredictable (but where is that not the case?) but you can find plenty of good wines, both white, red and sweet.

Patrimonio, in northern Corsica, is home to many of the best Corsican wines. The chalky soil is good for wine growing, the winds are less strong compared to some other places. There is no co-operative on this part of the island. The 32 wineries share the 450 hectares. You can also find sweet white wines from this part of Corsica but then they are called Muscat du Cap Corse.

Niellucciu is the dominant grape in Patrimonio. It is a grape variety that is related to the Sangiovese, found in Tuscany, which is sometimes quite evident. The vintage 2002 from Domaine Gentile has exactly the characteristics that I find typical in Corsican wines: full-bodied, with a fair amount of tannin and a hint of “animal” (game, leather…). Domaine Gentile’s white wine is made from Vermentino (called Rolle in Provence) and is dry and refreshing with a contrasting earthy or minerally character. In general, Corsican wines actually have more elegance than one might expect from a district so far south. Perhaps it is the high altitude and the strong winds that moderate the otherwise high temperatures.

A relative newcomer in Patrimonio is Clos Signadore. They made their first vintage in 2001. Eresi 2005, made from 80% Niellucciu and 20% Grenache, is a quaffable, easygoing wine while the cuvée prestige, called simply Clos, with 100% Niellucciu is more typically Corsican with flavours of spices and herbs and even juniper. Quite elegant and very good.

Another (new) recommended producer in Patrimonio is Yves Leccia, making wine on 12 hectares. He makes a very attractive white Vermentino with quite a lot of “fat” (‘gras’ in French, giving the wine a round, soft and full-bodied character) but also a fresh acidity. He uses no oak and he does not let the wine go through the malolactic fermentation. He makes several red wines, e.g. “Patrimonio 2004” from 90% Niellucciu and 10% Grenache. Here the relation to Sangiovese is very apparent: a certain dryness and aromas of cherry stones, a high acidity and a good body.

Jean-Paul Gentile, Domaine Gentile, AC Patrimonio
Clos Signadore, AC Patrimonio
Yves Leccia, Domaine d'E Croce, AC Patrimonio

Click here for address and more recommendations.

Read more recommendations on restaurants and winebars on my Restaurant and Wine Bar page.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

© Blogger template Webnolia by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP