In many ways, New Zealand is a big surprise. Before you get there, you have of course formed an idea of what it is like, but it is different. It’s a bit English in style
South Africa is a handy wine country in a way. You can get to almost every wine district in not much more than an hour and a half or two from Cape Town. Much like
Fourteen days may seem like a lot, but how many times will one travel to South America? And in fact, fourteen days is not much, considering all the experiences that we will have time for.
Munskänkarna, (*) the large Swedish association for wine tasters and wine enthusiasts, recently conducted a survey among its members about which wine regions they prefer to travel to or have travelled to. The three wine
Quite recently there was the “primeur” season in Bordeaux. That’s when the worlds wine merchants and wine journalists (well a quite few of them, at least) descend on the region to taste the last vintage,
There are different philosophies. Some say that to use the “natural” yeast, i.e. the one found “naturally” on the grapes and in the wine cellar, is the only way to bring out the genuine character
Champagne and Bordeaux are almost diametrically opposed geographically in France. Champagne in the north-east, not far from Belgium, Bordeaux in the south-west an hour and a half’s drive from Spain. The are just as different
Champagne is the wine region that is closest to Paris. It starts just some 50 kilometres east of the city. That has no doubt helped in brining it to world fame. Going east from Paris
South Africa actually has eleven different official languages. And a further 26 that are “recognised”. The most spoken is Zulu. The South African wine world is not quite as complicated. Almost all of the wine
New Zealand is, of course, considered a “New World” country in wine. And compared to other countries in the New World, wine arrived here not long ago, at the beginning of the 19th century (1819),
Many wine producers struggle to make both ends meet these days. Not so Bernard Arnault, a French businessman, who controls an empire that dominates both champagne and cognac. He is now the world’s richest person
What do you think of when we say “Argentina“? Tango for sure, and it will certainly be a fantastic tango evening in Buenos Aires. Malbec of course, we’re talking about wine after all. And don’t
Bordeaux is one of France’s largest wine regions with around 110,000 hectares of vineyards. But it is not only large but also very varied. You probably think most often of the Médoc Peninsula, with the
Some would say that the perfect dinner would start with a bubbly glass of champagne, perhaps continuing with it on to the starter. And when the main course comes on the table, there’s a sophisticated
2022 was an exceptional year in Champagne (as well as in many other regions in France). It was exceptionally hot all summer and very dry. But in spite of that the vintage promises to be
It certainly looks festive with bubbles in the glass of a sparkling wine. It is also beautiful. And then it adds some atmosphere. Small, fine bubbles and lots of bubbles are a sign that it
The Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards is one of the big wine competitions in South Africa with a few thousand entries. I was part of the jury, the people tasting and judging the wines,
There is no wine that has so many imitators that Bordeaux. But imitator is really not a fair word to use. There is a reason why many wine producers around the world make “Bordeaux blends”.
What is “best” is very personal. Wine, as all things that have to do with taste, is a question of personal preferences. Not everyone likes foie gras or oysters. But what is certain is that
Yes, champagne is sparkling, it comes from a region two hours’ drive east of Paris, and it is (mostly) white. But within those boundaries, there’s an amazing diversity. There’s no red champagne (although there is
What a journey it has been for New Zealand. In the 80s, it was an unknown wine country. They didn’t make much wine and what was available wasn’t fun. Then they discovered the potential for
“If they can do it, perhaps I can too,” she thought at an African Women’s Entrepreneurship Conference in 2014. That was the spark that made Ntsiki Biyela decide to launch her own winery, called Aslina
It is not more than some 150 kilometres between Hermanus and Riebeck Kasteel, but it is almost like the difference between Sweden and Spain. Hermanus is on South Africa’s south coast, verdant, cool with Antarctica’s
The Left Bank (Rive Gauche) is the home of cabernet sauvignon, but it is very unusual to find wines here that are pure varietal. Almost all are a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet
The French high speed trains are fabulous. They make it easy to discover more of French vineyards in a short time. You will discover that on our combined wine tour to Champagne and Bordeaux. In
