Category Archives: HOT NEWS

A GREAT WINE EVENING TO PRESENT FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA

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The italian autonomous region FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA is a land of exceptional flavors at the crossroad of Italy, Slovenia (then the former Austro-Hungarian Empire), Austria, the Mediterranean see and the Adriatic). It has nice cities like Trieste and Udine and a huge historical heritage.

On 19 November, in Brussels the Friuli Venezia Giulia  showed its best assets to a selected audience. A great masterclass was led by two experts: Walter Filiputti, a famous italian journalist and the belgian wine journalist Marc Vanhellemont  (In Vino Veritas). They  presented  traditional grape sorts of the region as Ribolla gialla, Pignolo, Refosco, Malvasia istriana,  Schiopettino, Friulano, Ramandolo and others. 5 wines were tasted (1 spumante, 1 white, 1 red, 2 sweet wines), first alone and then in the middle of a beautiful wine-food pairing with prosciutto San Daniele hams DOC and delicious cheeses.

Then the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Udine and ICE have received a wider audience for a walking dinner which allowed everyone to discover the specialties of Friuli-Venezia Giulia prepared by four chefs::

– From VITELLO D`ORO restaurant, slice of swordfish, fresh tomatoes, basil and buffalo mozzarella from     Friuli.

– From COSTANTINI restaurant, traditional agnolotti from Carnia.

– From LA PRIMULA restaurant, typical  Frico cheese with mushrooms and polenta molle.

– From LA TAVERNA restaurant, risotto with late red chicory.

What a succesfull evening !

Miguel D DESNERCK

pictures: Henry BORZI

Wine production declining in the world

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France, wine country, lost its lustre in the last report of the OIV, which is overcome by Italy.

The conclusion of the Organisation mondiale du vignoble et du vin (OIV) confirm that the surfaces of vineyards continue to decline worldwide only with exception of South America.

This phenomenon combined with bad weather, led to the production of wine at “very low levels,” said the OIV.

Italy is ahead of France

Italy is ahead of France OIV estimated, this week, that the wine production this year will reach 248.2 million hectoliters, a “net decrease of 16 million hectoliters compared to 2011.” In this classification, the European Union remains far ahead, but surprisingly, Italy rose largest producer with 40.8 million hectoliters – despite a 3% decline compared to 2011 – ahead of France. France has a sharp decline to 40.7 million hectoliters (-9.3 Mhl compared to 2011). Spanish production amount at 31.5 million hectoliters. United States is the fourth largest wine producer in the world.

In Europe, where the EU has lost 270,000 hectares of wines due to the grubbing-up premiums granted for three consecutive years, only Portugal and Greece saw their surfaces grow.

Growth slowed almost everywhere

The situation is no better in the world: the growth rate of planted areas in the southern hemisphere and the United States has slowed since several campaigns against the movement of expansion observed around the year 2000. The North American production remains up in 2012 (20.5 million Mhl, 7%), but this is small compared to its level of 2011 emphasizes the OIV.
Only South America continues its development in particular Argentina (2000 ha), Brazil and Chile. This one even reaches a record of level production of 10.6 million hectoliters (up 15.5% compared to 2010).
Finally, OIV finds that the growth of Chinese vineyards tends to diminish and erosion observed since 2006 continued in South Africa and particularly Australia (12,000 hectares lost in 2012, 162 million).

Henry borzi

LEVOLUZIONE: a new star is born in the cantine Montalbera

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A new product signed by cantine Montalbera is born: Levoluzione, Barolo DOCG.

The constant development of Montalbera wine estate began over thirty years ago with the purchase of the property in Castagnole Monferrato and continues unabated today with the acquisition of the best land plots, which have always suited to the wine production.

Back in the 2007 the purchase of certain parcels of vineyard in Castiglione Falletto (Cannubi side) and La Morra, in the famous Langa known in the world for the production of Barolo. This acquisition made the birth possible of a new quality product, a Barolo DOCG.

A wine that is meant to represent a modern vision of this extraordinary and ancient piedmontese wine, as modern are all wine “realities” signed Montalbera.

Levoluzione, the name of the latest creation Montalbera, was in fact created by the desire to offer a wine of absolute and unique tradition. Careful viticultural practices, meticulous selection of grapes and a maniacal pursuit of quality in wine, helped maintain perfectly intact the heritage the vineyard had created. Ageing in French oak barrels and traditional barrels for a period of three years, they finally allowed us to get to a result of rare and precious quality.

Levoluzione Barolo is perhaps less flamboyant but more powerful than other products, such as vigorous as the millennial history of this wine estate. Matured and designed to amaze and fascinate, Levoluzione will appeal to all lovers, fans and followers of this authoritative wine, but will be appreciated by those who approach for the first time a real noble and great wine.

This is an elegant wine that is convincing to enhance the exceptional product line emblem of the company.

Henry Borzi

PROSECCO, A DECISIVE STEP TOWARDS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE RECOGNITION

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4 partners launch a committee to promote the application of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore to obtain the recognition as World Heritage Site.

The meeting with the different partners.
picture: Henry BORZI

The official inauguration of the Committee for the nomination hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore as site of world heritage at UNESCO took place on wednesday july 25th at Villa Brandolini in Solighetto (Treviso). The presentation was made by by the Consorzio for the Protection of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, the Province of Treviso, IPA and the Chamber of Commerce. The common objective of the project is to get the Unesco World Heritage recognition and, more generally, to give greater visibility to the hills of Prosecco Superiore and its vineyards, places that have inspired the poet of the countryside Andrea Zanzotto in his writings, and those in which walked and meditated Toniolo, an eminent sociologist recently beatified by Pope Benedict XVI.

A decisive step

During the press conference, the four organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the constitution of the committee which will now take a strategic role. A decisive step will now be made as the committee is established: the preparation of the technical file including the documentation that will give strong arguments for the application to obtain the listing of the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene as part of World Heritage Sites.

 The technical file will explain in detail the reasons for the nomination which reside primarily in the ancient history of the area and which shows a stunning landscape where the man with his own work has embroidered with vineyards, creating a real unique and hilly landscape.  We can’t forget the presence on the territory of renowned artists as GianBattista Cima, one of the great Venetian painters of Landscape. In these hills the ancient tradition of viticulture has been married to the culture of the sparkling wine, thanks to the foundation in 1876 of the first italian enologic school in Conegliano . A perfect combination that gave rise to one of the wines that represent the pride of Italy: the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, today certainly among the most famous sparkling wines in the world. The UNESCO project, not only represents an extraordinary opportunity to promote tourism in the area but also an opportunity to preserve the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene through a sustainable land use, protecting the environment from degradation and promoting its enhancement.

Video realized by Davide Borzi

Henry BORZI

 

 

 

A GREAT PARTY TO PRESENT CZECH WINES

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The Ambassador of the Czech republic made a great event yesterday in Brussels to present Czech republic as a great wine country.

Different wines were there to be tasted and doucmentation was given about czech winemaking.

Winemaking in Czech republic is very old, since the middle ages and, although wine production decreased due to the phylloxera crisis in the 19th century, winemaking in Czech republic is now expanding due to the help of the czech state to independant wine growers.

There are two principal wine regions: Bohemia and Moravia.

In Bohemia, there are two subregions: the Melnicka wine region  and the Litomericka wine region In Moravia, there are four subregions: the Znojemska subregion, the Mikuovska wine subregion, the Velkopavlovicka subregion and the Slovacka subregion.

The main producted wines are white. They are more adapted to this continental climate but red grape sorts are also present.

Rivers, hills and valleys compose most of the czech wine regions and the climate has an average temperature of about 10° over the whole year. Grapesorts are, from a long time, adapted to this climate and there are autochtonous grape sorts as more general grape sorts.

The white grape sorts are: müller thurgau, grüner veltliner, welschriesling, rielsing italico, pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc, traminer, pinot gris, traminer, neubruske, moravian muscat, palava, muscat ottonel, sylvaner. The red grape sorts are: saint-laurent, pinot noir, dornfelder, blauer portugieser, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet moravia, merlot, neronet, rubinet.

We were pleased by the fineness and high quality of these czech wines.

Miguel D. DESNERCK

THE FANTASTIC STORY OF BON BARON

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Nobody believed top wine could be made on the banks of the Meuse river in Belgium. Château Bon Baron did it !

Once upon a time, there was a dutch lady who fell in love of a beautiful picturesque region in Belgium, 15km south-east from Namur. This is the Meuse valley. A lovely river with little islands and curves which creates a microclimate.

There, Jeannette van der Steen decided to settle and make a happy life of enjoying the lovely landscapes and the sweetness of the region.

She also fell in love with the gastronomy of the region of the lovely city of Dinant. Snails from Warnant,, fishes, farm chickens, blanc-bleu-belge beef and lots of delicious products.

From the one comes the other. Pairing food and wine has always been like an obsession for Jeannette van der Steen. As she thought this region could produce so delicious food, she thought lovely wine could also be made over there and…She decided to make wine. She heard wine had been made in this region years and years ago

The start of a wine estate

First, in the surroundings of her manor, the Château Bon Baron in Lustin (near the beautiful city of Dinant). Jeannette decided to plant 3ha of traditional grape sorts in 2003 after a deep analysis of the soils and the suitable grape sorts in this region of Belgium. She planted white and red grape sorts : auxerrois, acolon, pinot gris, müller-thurgau, chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet.

The picturesque wine fields of Bon Baron on the banks of the Meuse river

 

The story took another direction when a friend of Ms. Van der Steen brought a bottle of her lovely wine to a restaurant which immediately decided to prepare dishes and pair with her Meuse-wines.

When a wine estate becomes a « succes story ».

The efforts of Ms van der Steen to present her wines and her belief in belgian winemaking brought their first results. Presence on international wine fairs, cooperation with famous cooking schools in belgium and the Netherlands and the arrival of the first tourists convinced her she could do more.

Recently, 15ha have been planted on the banks of the Meuse, just at the exit of Dinant. The wine estate will have a total superficy of 18ha and the winetourism projects are ongoing.

Although it was difficult for ms van der Steen to have a cellar till now, she wants to build one. She also bought a lovely old church in the historical center of Dinant to receive her visitors from all over Europe and let them taste the beautiful, fruity, and spicy wines from the « Côtes the Meuse ».

The old church bought by Château Bon Baron for its wine touristic projects

We all know the story of Ms van der Steen will continue for a very long time.

The range of CHateau Bob Baron is very extended

Miguel D. DESNERCK

pictures and video: Henry BORZI

GREAT SUCCES OF THE MIGSWINEACADEMY

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BRUSSELS – The “MIGSWINEACADEMY” wine education branch of migswineconsulting held a meeting on 27.06.2012 in Brussels called “PEARLS OF LUXEMBOURG MOSELLE RIVER” with the collaboration of Domaines Vinsmoselle, the largest cooperative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which represents nearly half of the Luxembourg vineyard.

2 people took the floor:  Ben WIMMER of Domaines Vinsmoselle for an explanation of its wines and Miguel D. DESNERCK, publisher  JOURNALDES VIGNOBLES / VINEYARDS PAPER for an overview of the Moselle.

The many participants could then taste the following wines: 1. Poll-Fabaire sparkling white wine, 2. PollFabaire sparkling rosé wine, 3. Auxerrois Côtes Schengen Vinsmoselle, 4. Pinot Blanc Cotes de Schengen Vinsmoselle, 5.  Pinot Gris,  art&wine, grand 1e cru Ongkâf Machtum , 6. Riesling art&wine,  Grand 1e cru Köppchen Wormeldange, 7. Pinot Noir vinified as a white, Edmond de la Fontaine, 8. Pinot noir red Edmond de la Fontaine.

A really successful evening.

video: Henry BORZI

photos: Henry BORZI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.vinsmoselle.lu

A NEW EXECUTIVE AT CHATEAU ANGELUS

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Château Angelus, 1st Grand Cru Classé B of Saint-Emilion is famous for its excellence and wonderful wines in one of the best terroirs of Saint Emilion.

Château Angelus recently hired Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, Hubert de Boüard’s 30-year old daughter, as a new executive.

The development of Château Angélus as well as the new challenges the property is facing
suggested the creation of a new position, deputy managing director, which has been entrusted to
Stéphanie. She will therefore be involved in all the aspects of the executive management of
Château Angélus from today on.
She is a qualified family member of the new generation (the eighth), bringing all her talent, skills
and enthusiasm to Château Angélus.
Following her graduation from the economics university of Bordeaux and from ESCP-Europe, Stéphanie
expended her business experience in finance, working first for UBS and subsequently for Pictet bank
during 5 years in London.
Her deep interest in wine led her, in parallel of her private banking career, to obtain the advanced
certificate of WSET with honours. With Stephanie, Angelus has now an asset more to strenghen the international position of this fantastic 1st grand cru classé B.

www.angelus.com

The team of Château Angelus with Stéphanie de Boüard on the right.

SAUVIGNON BLANC PLANTED IN BEAUJOLAIS

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Château de Durette is a famous wine estate of Beaujolais. Jeann Joly leads his vineyard with respect for tradition and sense of modernity.

VINEYARDS PAPER has already met Jean Joly several times. He is  a native of Liege,  Belgium,  who found happiness in Beaujolais.

Jean Joly, wanting to extend the range of its wines has decided to plant sauvignon blanc grapes in the Côte de Durette.

The soil is suitable for sauvignon blanc and in 2014, we will taste the first  sauvignon blanc from this lovely wine estate

www.chateaudedurette.eu

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DOMAINES VINSMOSELLE LAUNCH “PINOT LUXEMBOURG”

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Domaines Vinsmoselle , the largest producer of wines and sparkling in the Grand-Duchy of  Luxemburg launched with fanfare “Pinot Luxembourg”.

This is an blend of three pinots that make the reputation of the Moselle vineyards: Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.

A big  action is launched for the summer at the Belgian coast to publicize this new product. It  will be particularly attractive with the mussels from the North Sea, a very popular dish  in Belgium. Eleven coast trams will carry the colors of “Pinot Luxembourg”. There will be competitions to win bottles of “Pinot Luxembourg”, recipes, shooting videos, and full of surprises concocted all this summer by Vinsmoselle.

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