BKWine Blog

BIG NEWS: Wine Tours in English and Finnish

>> Wednesday, November 02, 2005

I will launch two Wine Tours in English

Big news from us is that I will launch two Wine Tours in English the coming spring! I hope you will be many who are interested in this because it is two trips that promises to be very interesting indeed: one tour is “3 Classics” and goes to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy, and the other tour is also a classic – to Bordeaux.

You can take a look at the full program on my site. You can find the link to the page below.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

And why not give a Wine tour to someone as a Christmas present?

Wine Tours in Finnish

And in addition, I will also be offering Wine Tours in Finnish next season too! See more info on the site.

The Agenda

English Wine Tours

May 17-21, 2006: Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy - 3 Classic Wine Regions

Take a break for a long weekend and visit three of the most famous wine regions in France: Champagne, Chablis and Bourgogne! More info here!

June 8-11, 2006: Bordeaux

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. In this trip you will get to know both in detail. More info here!

For info, contact me on blog@bkwine.com or +33 (0)6 80 45 35 70 or check the site: http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm

Finnish Language Wine Tours - Viinimatkoja Ranskan viinialueille!

May 3-7, 2006: Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy - 3 Classic Wine Regions - "3 Klassikkoa"

Take a break for a long weekend and visit three of the most famous wine regions in France: Champagne, Chablis and Bourgogne! More info here!

March 29 - April 2, 2006: Bordeaux

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. In this trip you will get to know both in detail. More info here!

For info, contact me on blog@bkwine.com or +33 (0)6 80 45 35 70 or check the site: www.bkwine.com/suomi/viinimatkoja/viinimatkoja.htm

Wine and Food Tastings in Paris

With BKWine’s friend Melba Allen-Buillard. For more information and registration contact Melba directly on ph 06 61 60 35 70 or allen_melba%hotmail.com (swap the % with a @ to get the email). Melba is an American living in France since many years and has taught wine at various schools:

8/11, 15/11, and 22/11: Wine Appreciation for the timid and the Un-initiated!

A series of three tastings that give you an introduction to French wine and wine vocabulary: 1. tasting and wine appreciation; 2. French Wines; 3. Wine and Food Pairing. Price:105€ per person for the three classes or 40€ per class if taken separately.

22/11 and 31/1: The ABC’s to Wine and Food Pairing. Price: 40 € per class
29/11 & 7/3: Pairing Wine and Cheese. Price: 45 € per class
6/12 & 7/2: Pairing Wine and Chocolate, Price: 45 € per class
13/12: Pairing Wines during the Holiday Season! Price: 50€

All tastings: time: 19h00 (7PM). Place: Le Garde-Robe, 41, rue de l’Arbre Sec, 75001 Paris, M° Louvre-Rivoli. Info and booking: 06 61 60 35 70 (Melba). Don’t forget to mention that you’ve found it in the BKWine Brief.

Recommendations, wine producers - Château Haut-Marbuzet

Château Haut-Marbuzet
Saint Estèphe, Bordeaux
Château Haut-Marbuzet in Saint Estephe is, since quite a few years now, one of the top wines in Médoc. When the new Cru Bourgeois classification was done they were one of nine chateaux to be placed in the top category Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. They have a wine style that is round and full-bodied, and very seductive, and it has often given them top ratings. The Duboscq family does not hide their ambition to make a wine that is popular and easy to drink. They create their style by using a high percentage of Merlot (more that 50%), harvesting very ripe grapes, fermenting at relatively high temperatures, and substantial aging in new oak (18 months). The 2003 is already very drinkable, has a high alcohol (very warm year!) and well balanced tannins with quite low acidity. The 2001 is a classic Haut-Marbuzet, according to Hugues Duboscq: full-bodied and smooth with some chocolate and lots of fruit and berries.
Click here for address.

--> Discover more exciting wine producers. Go on a Wine Tour with BKWine. More info here! <--

Read about more recommended producers on the site: Favourite Producers

Recommendations, wine producers - Domaine Haut-Lirou

Domaine Haut-Lirou
Coteaux-du-Languedoc-Pic Saint Loup

Pic-Saint-Loup is a sometimes spectacularly beautiful region some 20 kilometres from Montpellier and is one of the top districts within the Coteaux du Languedoc. There are several very interesting wine producers here and the district has applied to get its own AOC Pic Saint Loup (it now has AOC Coteaux du Languedoc-Pic Saint Loup). “And we really want this recognition” says Jean-Pierre Rambier who owns the Domaine Haut-Lirou together with his son. They have 65 hectares planted 70% with Syrah and with Grenache and Mourvèdre. Their white Vin de Pays du Val de Mont Ferrand is made from half Grenache Blanc and half Sauvignon Blanc and has a nice, refreshing acidity and flowery aromas. Domaine Haut-Lirou 2003 (60% Syrah and 40% Grenache) is not aged in oak and has attractive aromas of ripe, almost dried fruit. Their prestige cuvée, Esprit 2003, is made from a selection of the best grapes from old vines and is spicy and complex and will benefit from a few years bottle age.
Click here for address.

--> Discover more exciting wine producers. Go on a Wine Tour with BKWine. More info here! <--

Read about more recommended producers on the site: Favourite Producers

Recommendations - Paris Restaurant

Le Petit Bistro
Unpretentious and nice – if you happen to be close to Saint-Sulpice and Bon Marché. Try their crème brûlée au Roquefort for a starter... Lunch menu for 15-18 euro.

Click here for address.

Recommendations - Brussels Restaurant

L’Air de Rien
Restrained by attractive décor that well matches the food, that is delicious and beautifully presented. Lunch with two courses is 15 euro – very good value – and in the evening a main course will set you back 15-22 euro. Interesting wine list and good, attentive service. Simply very friendly.

Click here for address.

Bordeaux Oxygène – a new, youthful initiative in Bordeaux

“We don’t want to hear another word about the crisis in Bordeaux!” The phrase comes from Sylvie Courcelle from Château Thieuley, a Bordeaux Supérieur estate. She and 17 other young Bordeaux producers, all around 27-35 years old, recently unveiled their new initiative called Bordeaux Oxygène. The purpose is to show to the world that there is a lot of dynamism in Bordeaux, that Bordeaux is not just a place with stuffy old men, and that, yes, it can be young and trendy to drink Bordeaux wine. “But it’s not a revolution” underlines Florence Lagragette of Château Loudenne in Médoc, “We want to stay with traditions, but there is a need for new ideas, willingness to progress and above all, Bordeaux needs to become better at communications and marketing”. (Photo: Benoit Trocard, President, Bordeaux Oxygene)

Bordeaux Oxygène has the following members:

Juliette Bécot, Château Joanin Bécot, Côtes de Castillon
Jean-Jacques Bonnie and Séverine Bonnie, Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan
Jean-Baptiste Bourotte, Clos du Clocher, Château Bonalgue, Pomerol
Alice Cathiard-Tourbier, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Mathieu Chadronnier, Château Marsau, Côtes de Francs
Matthieu Cuvelier, Château Clos Fourtet, Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé
Marie and Sylvie Courselle, Château Thieuley, Bordeaux Supérieur
Coralie de Boüard, Château Angélus, Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé
Basaline Despagne – Thibault Despagne, Château Tour de Mirambeau, Bordeaux Supérieur
Erwan Flageul, Château Brillette, Moulis-en-Médoc
Caroline Frey, Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc Grand Cru Classé
Eloïse Heeter-Tari, Château Nairac, Sauternes Cru Classé
Edouard Labruyère, Château Rouget, Pomerol
Florence Lafragette, Château Loudenne, Médoc
Jean-Christophe Mau, Château Preuillac, Médoc
Jean-Antoine Nony, Château Grand Mayne, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé
Stéphanie Rolland-Lesage, Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol
Jérôme Tourbier, Les Sources de Caudalie – Hôtel, Restaurant, SPA
Benoit Trocard, Clos Dubreuil, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Clos de la Vieille Eglise, Pomerol

What do you think? Comment on this in the blog.

--> Discover more exciting Bordeaux producers. Go on a Wine Tour with BKWine. More info here! <--

The Harvest 2005 – a magnificent vintage

All reports from around France, and what we have seen ourselves, point to 2005 becoming an excellent vintage. In every district we have visited this autumn - Bourgogne, Bordeaux, Alsace, Champagne, Rhône-dalen and Languedoc – wine makers are happy and positive. The autumn has been unusually warm, sunny and dry in the whole country. If there has been any negative comments it has rather been the lack of rain during the whole growing season. The grapes have been nicely ripe and very healthy at harvest. The one issue was a short period of heavy rain in the Languedoc but most growers had already (at least almost) finished the harvest. It is never easy to taste a wine that has just finished fermenting, but the Grenache 2005 that we tasted at Domaine Haut-Lirou in Pic-St-Loup, with 15% alcohol and just barely finished the malolactic fermentation, was actually very nice to drink. It all bodes well for the future for this vintage.

What do you think? Comment on this in the blog.

2005 will be a great year in California too

2005 promises to be a great year in California too, both for quality and for quantity. It is estimated that the harvest will reach 3.15 million tons, which is 10-20% above normal. Growers also say that both the quality and the maturity of the grapes are outstanding. The big harvest, some think, will lead to a drop in prices in spite of the high quality. (California accounts for some 90% of the US wine production.) Wine drinkers say “hooray”. Read more on Rocklin & Roseville Today

Vinisud 2006 – The wine fair for ”Mediterranean wines” in Montpellier 20-22 February 2006

Vinisud is a wine fair about wines from around the Mediterranean. Admittedly, many of the exhibitors come from France, and not least Languedoc-Roussillon (which happens to be one of the most exciting regions in France today) but there are also wines from all around the Mediterranean ( Italy, Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, Algeria, Greece, etc). At the last Vinisud there were 1391 producers present. In 2006 they expect more than 1500 exhibitors. It is a unique opportunity to get an overview of “Mediterranean wines”. (Interested in going to Vinisud? Contact BKWine and maybe we can arrange something fun around it.). www.vinisud.org

Don Sebastiani & Sons named Winery of the Year by the Wine Enthusiast Magazine

The Wine Enthusiast, one of the US’s leading wine magazines, has selected Don Sebastiani & Sons International Wine Negociants as Winery of the Year. Don Sebastiani was created by an established wine growing family, more know for their budget wines, in 2001 to make and market good quality, moderately priced wines. One of their wines is Screw Kappa Napa…

Scandinavian Wine Fair – 11 February 2006

And we don’t mean a wine fair IN Scandinavia but one with wine BY Scandinavians who make wine in wine districts all around the world. BKWine organised the Scandinavian Wine Fair in Paris 2004 (click here) and now we’re back with the 2006 edition – on Saturday 11 February. We will have more info (both for visitors and exhibitors) early autumn but mark the date in your calendar already! And – we are very grateful for any tips from you on Scandinavians that you might know of who are in any way involved in producing wine (or fine spirits, like Cognac). Send us an email if you know of any!

Salon des Vin de la Loire 6-8 February 2006

Le Salon des Vins de la Loire in Angers is a big professional wine show for Loire wines. Many of the most interesting producers in the Loire Valley are represented. It is an excellent opportunity to get an overview of recent developments in the Loire. (And you can combine it with a visit to the BKWine Scandinavian Wine Fair in Paris on February 11!)

South African wines grow in popularity in Sweden, reaches 16% market share

Imports to Sweden of South African wines grew by 35% over the first 8 months (compared to the same period last year). According to Wines of South Africa (Wosa) they now have a 16% market share, on par with the market leader Spain and ahead of Italy (15.5%) and Australia (11%). Madeleine Stenwreth, purchasing manager at the monopoly retailer Systembolaget in Sweden, said, according to the Sunday Times (SA) that Swedes buy more and more South African wines because of the value for money they offered. Read more in the Sunday Times (SA).

Michel Laroche (Chablis) buys wine estate in South Africa

Michel Laroche, one of the most successful producers of Chablis, has just bought a winery in South Africa: Avenir Wine Estate. The winery has 55 hectares (but some say 24 ha)of vineyards in Stellenbosch. The deal is done in collaboration with AXA Millesime that will get 49% of the capital. Laroche has already expanded outside his home turf in Chablis (representing 450 ha, own vineyards and négociant activity) with wineries in Languedoc (500 ha) and in Chile. At his new winery in South Africa Laroche will concentrate on the typical local grape varieties Pinotage and Chenin Blanc (Steen). L'Avenir's web-site

New appellation AOC Beaume de Venise

The Journal Officel of October 25 published the rules for the new appellation AOC Beaumes de Venise. This can be seen as an evolution of the rules for the previous appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages-Beaumes de Venise that is now supersede by AC Beaume de Venise. The rules specify (among other things):

the wine is produced in four communes in Vaucluse: Beaumes-de-Venise, Lafare, Suzette and La Roque-Alric;
the main grape varieties are Grenache and Syrah
the yield is limited to: ’rendement de base’ 38 hl/ha, ’rendement butoir’ 42 hl/ha, ’rendement maximum de production’ 50 hl/ha
wines from the 2004 harvest may carry the new appellation

Kosher Wines Gaining Ground?

European Jewish Press reports that kosher wines are gaining in popularity in France. The cite for example that La Revue des Vins de France has commissioned an article on it for a spring edition. In any case it is clear that it is no longer something that is made only by some specialist producers. We have seen kosher wine at, for example, Chateau Beauregard (Pomerol) and Chateau Liversan (Haut-Médoc). It is controlled in detail and well isolated from the rest of the production and only “authorised” (or whatever the appropriate term might be) staff can handle the wine.

450 new million euro in EU farm subsidies for the wine sector in 2006 and plans for “fundamental reforms”

The EU plans to allocate 450 million in wine farm subsidies, primarily to France, Italy, and Spain, in 2006 (approximately the same as in 2005). The main aim of the support is (in principle…) to help growers change over production to better grape varieties, better land etc. A spokesperson for the commission has said, though, that next year there will also be some “fundamental reforms” of the system, for example by no longer linking the subsidies to the production volume. All according to BeverageDaily.com

France increases the budget for wine promotion in the UK with 40%

Sopexa together with the French Ministry of Agriculture will jointly increase the marketing budget for the UK with 40% in 2006. With this increase they hope to change the trend of losing market share on one of the largest export markets. Read more on Foodanddrinkeurope.com

French wine maker in conflict with Absolut Vodka

A wine producer in Roussillon, in southern France, produces a wine called Tinto Absoluto. The producer of Absolut Vodka, the state owned Swedish company V&S Vin & Sprit protests that it is an infringement on their trade mark. Maybe you can draw some parallels with Champagne where the champagne producers have been very vigilant in protecting the “name” (but not trade mark) Champagne, preventing, for example, perfumes and shampoo to use it. Visit the Tinto Absoluto web site and read more on Decanter.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

© Blogger template Webnolia by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP