Champagne J. Lassalle started to export to the United States already in the 1970s. It was one of the first independent Champagne growers to be sold in the US. Today, a big part of the
When you start up on the North Island in Auckland and finish at the South Island in Queenstown, it will be a long journey. But it doesn’t feel long. There is so much to look
Some grapes are easier to recognize than others. Sauvignon Blanc is easy but not the easiest. That distinction goes to Muscat and Gewürztraminer. But still, in a blind tasting you have a fair chance of
There are around 3000 small champagne producers, growers and similar, but only about 300 so-called “houses”. The “houses” are the big, well-known brands but it is mainly among the others, the small producers that you
South Africa is about the same size as Bordeaux but has much more variety in the styles offered. You have the classics, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, where you have very classic grapes, cabernet, syrah, chenin blanc,
2014 is one of the most difficult vintages in memory in Brunello di Montalcino. It was the year when northern Europe enjoyed sun while the Italian summer was more like in Scotland. Rain, rain and
One should perhaps not be a vegetarian when traveling to Chile and Argentina. But of course you can be. We have actually had travellers in Chile-Argentina who have been vegetarians. They have wonderful vegetables, too.
The wine producers in Chablis love the Swedes and the Swedes love Chablis. So it is. Eight percent of the production in Chablis is gobbled up in a Swedish home, in the sailboat, on the
In a way it is strange. Bordeaux is not really known for any gastronomic specialties. Well, yes, there are oysters from Arcachon, Pauillac lamb and grilled entrecote. But still, it is a fairly modest, and
Every year, when the two wine estates Montevertine and Monteraponi in Radda in Chianti present their new vintages, it is a celebration. A Sangiovese celebration. For if there’s something they’re good at, Martino Manetti and
Our trip to New Zealand is a lovely “road trip” that takes us by bus from Auckland on the North Island down to Queenstown in beautiful Central Otago on the South Island. For 16 days
One might primarily think of red wine when thinking of Portugal, but there are also great white wines here. Anselmo Mendes is one of the most successful ambassadors for Portuguese white wines, with great elegance.
Champagne is not just the famous “houses”. Champagne is above all the small producers who make wine with passion and enthusiasm. The two largest (world famous) producers make 30 and 12 million bottles annually. Large-scale.
Also Chianti Classico has a “primeur season”, just like Bordeaux. But in Chianti Classico it is perhaps even more interesting because most of the wines are actually finished and bottled, and not the barely-finished-fermenting wines
South Africa is wine-wise considered to be in the New World, but it is a New World country with a long wine history. In 1655, the first vines were planted, just outside of Cape Town,
We start in Buenos Aires, this vibrant metropolis where Europe and America blend in an original and exciting way, a city that feels like a mix between Paris and Milan. We finish in the Chilean
On the Bordeaux wine tour we will visit Medoc, Saint Emilion, Sauternes and other famous appellations. You will see some luxurious show-piece chateau but also “the real” Bordeaux where a family runs the vineyard and
People all over the world drink more and more sparkling wine. Everything is not champagne, far from it. Champagne accounts for 15% of the volume but 40% of the value. Champagne is prestige, champagne has
The long-distance wine tours for 2020 have now been published. We will do three exciting tours with wine, food, fantastic scenery, new cultures and meetings with passionate winemakers. Three very special wine tours. Each one
One of the most satisfying wines to taste blind is Sauvignon Blanc. Its aromatic character is easy to recognise. It is also a wine that is loved by many all over the world, often in
Touring Bordeaux is something a wine lover must do at least once. During the tour we will visit grand and well-known prestige chateaux, but also smaller family producers. We will have gastronomic lunches at chateaux
The long-distance wine tours for 2020 are also starting to take shape. We will have three magnificent wine tours where not only the wines will enthral you. The countries, the landscapes, the culture, the people,
You want to buy a bottle of champagne from a small grower? Look for the letters RM on the bottle, often in small print, very small. RM means récoltant-manipulant in French and this indicates that
A wine does not have to have strong colour to be good, just look at pinot noir and nebbiolo. But it helps, at least if one goes with many consumers’ preconceived ideas. If one were
The food in Bordeaux offers some surprises. Did you know, for example, that the most popular cheese in Bordeaux is brébis des pyrénées, a sheep cheese from the Pyrenees? And that this is the only
