Entrepreneur Eddy van Heel sold his company and became a wine farmer. What do you encounter when you suddenly take over a vineyard? I asked Eddy.
From bureaucratic red tape to award-winning wines Read More »
Need inspiration for the summer? These dishes are tasty and easy to make. I’m adding some surprising wine tips and a super simple – but oh so delicious – aperitif tip!
Summer dishes with surprising wines Read More »
Alsace wines don’t have it easy. Most wine drinkers will associate the region with the popular sweet wines of the seventies. And with the success of the German and other Rieslings, interest in Alsace wines seems to have only declined further. Has Alsace entered a dead end street? I don’t think so.
The return of Alsace Read More »
If you look closely, you see them more and more: lesser-known French wine regions that produce beautiful wines in all peace and quiet. On my trip to the south of France I made an extensive stop in the Côte Roannaise and the Côtes du Forez.
Roannaise, the southern Beaujolais? Read More »
In mid-April it was time for the annual SagalExpo in Lisbon. A visit to the fair is a great opportunity to also visit the area. On a lovely afternoon we drove to the Alentejo, to visit the Encosta das Perdizes vineyard.
Visit to the Encosta das Perdizes vineyard Read More »
In the summer of 2023 we spent a night on a vineyard in Beaujolais. There was a fascinating object on the terrace of the associated restaurant. An ‘anti-hail cannon’, the owner told us when we asked for an explanation. One of the weapons used in Beaujolais against the great common enemy: hail.
Hail in the Beaujolais Read More »
During the Barcelona Wine Week, I often come across this slogan: Catalunya on el vi ès cultura. Translated: Catalonia, where wine is culture. It is a campaign by the Catalan Ministry of Agriculture and the Catalan Institute of Viticulture and Wine to promote Catalan wine. The campaign was launched late last year. 8.500 wine makers
In Catalonia wine is culture Read More »
In the run-up to Barcelona Wine Week, I visited the Penedès wine region, south of Barcelona. This region is best known for the it’s cava. What particularly struck me now was the enormous dryness. Normally most rain falls at this time of year, now it was sunny, about 21 degrees and above all…. very dry.
Drought in the Penedès Read More »
At wine fairs, you often spend the whole day tasting. If there is something nice, I take a bottle (or more) back to the Netherlands. The last few months I collected 29 new finds from Portugal and Spain. Real discoveries in my opinion, but I like to get a second opinion.
From 5 to 7 February, I will visit Barcelona Wine Week, the annual event to discover (especially) Spanish wines. Check this site for an update during this special week.
Barcelona Wine Week 2024 Read More »