The 2016 RAW fair took place in London this weekend, and just like last year, it was an intense but terrific experience. An increasing number of winemakers seems to realize that it is a unique opportunity to showcase their wines to both old fans and people who are a lot more open-minded than the ones attending Prowein or Vinexpo. Of course, estates come and go but the showing does remain impressive. Those with long-established reputations stand side by side with those who are only just stepping into the world of wine, often presenting their first vintage to the public, nervous about the impression that they’ll make or the feedback they will receive. Continue reading
Tag: Travel
An impression of RAW 2015
The currently most divisive topic in the wineworld is without a doubt the natural wine movement. You are either for it or against it, and middle ground is seemingly non-existent. Continue reading
Biodynamic conversion in practice – Francis Boulard
Biodynamic or natural viticulture is a challenge in the Champagne. In my first post on the topic I mentioned that the focus with most growers lies on securing yield, ensuring that nothing happens endangers the amount of grapes you get at harvest. As most growers are dependent on either the grands marques or the cooperatives, you can imagine the impact of the loss of a crop on their finances. Continue reading
Terroir geekery at Laherte Frères
Success in the Champagne is dependent on different factors. The Grands Marques have the luxury of being able to source their still wines from the entire region and have as such a large supply source, enabling them to create consistent and balanced champagnes over the years. Vignerons who are lucky enough to own land in villages with Grand Cru status can have it easier than others as the labelling alone will often allow them to command a premium price. Continue reading
Champagne – A quest for Terroir
Ask a vigneron what the most important factor is in creating a good wine and the most likely response you’ll get is “terroir”. It is the combination of several environmental factors (soil, climate, location, sunlight, etc.) that shapes a wine. Continue reading
Elegance in the Côte des Blancs – De Sousa
The De Sousa name first popped up in Avize in the beginning of the twentieth century. Manuel De Sousa had fought in France during the First World War, and assuming that there would be plenty of work in rebuilding an economy in shambles, he took the bold decision to get out of Bragas, Portugal, and settled in Avize with his wife and son. Continue reading
Champagne – A state of affairs
One of the first wine regions that thoroughly fascinated me was Champagne. This is not a coincidence as it is the closest international wine region from Brussels (sadly, Limburg or the Westhoek are as of yet not recognized as global centers of quality wine) and Belgians are possibly the largest consumer group of champagne (all the wine that Belgians buy on a quick trip to the region is not included in most market research). Continue reading
Weingut Am Stein
The majority of Franken’s vineyards can be found surrounding Würzburg, the region’s most important city. The city was one of the principalities of the Holy Roman Empire and despite being destroyed during WWII, it is clear that the city prides itself on a long and rich history. This is evident in the wine domains based in the city as well, namely Juliusspital, Bürgerspital and the Hofkeller Würzburg. Continue reading
Rudolf Fürst
I have a love-hate relationship with German red wines. They are either too thin, containing mere superficial fruitiness, or they are too concentrated, displaying alcohol levels up to 15% and tasting more like watered-down port. To make matters even more complicated, whereas you can find a more than decent Riesling for as little as 9-10 euros, a decent Spätburgunder will often set you back at least 20 euros. Continue reading
Franken
If you quiz people on what, if anything, they could tell you about Franken, I’d gather that you would get a lot of blank stares. Even among winelovers, I am fairly certain that most people would stop at bocksbeutel (the signature Franken bottle) and Silvaner (the most important grape variety grown). Continue reading
