Author: Vy Nguyen

In the world of wine, there are traditional places for making wine – like France’s Bordeaux or Burgundy – and then there are more offbeat locations. Some wine enthusiasts have chosen to take up the gauntlet and grow wine in amazing places. Here, we introduce you to seven unlikely wine regions.

La Geria in the Canaries

La Geria valley, in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, is renowned for its dry lava soils, and yet it is also home to vineyards.

This small miracle of nature is made possible by the use of a unique technique for planting vines. Each vine is planted individually in a wide, deep hole – three metres deep and up to five metres wide. To protect the vines from the wind, circular walls called Zocos are built.

Despite this, rainfall is a rare occurrence in this part of the Canaries and wine production remains limited. Most of the wines are exported to Spain and the neighbouring islands.

Tahiti wine

Experiments carried out in the atoll of Rangiroa in French Polynesia proved to be successful.

In 1997, three hectares of vines were planted in amongst the coconut trees. As incredible as it might seem, and despite the very unusual climate, vines can be grown.

The vineyards of Polynesia produce white wine and an excellent sweet wine.

There are two harvests now per vintage, producing 30,000 bottles a year.

Another unique feature is that the grapes are transported off the island by canoe to be fermented elsewhere.

Chateau de Loei in Thailand

The first vines were planted in Thailand by Dr Chaijudh Karnasuta, a Thai national passionate about winegrowing.

In 1991, he decided to plant a vineyard in the North of the country, on the uplands of Phu Rua.

It was a tall order because of the monsoon rains. Dampness is the source of many vine diseases so ways around them had to be found by preparing the vines as best as possible. Since then, Chateau de Loei has produced wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Malaga and Pokdum. It is still the largest vineyard in Thailand with an area under vine in excess of eighty hectares.

The Telemark vineyard in Norway

The most northerly vineyard in the world is located in Norway. Planted in 2007, the vines at Lerkekasa winery defy all the laws of nature.

Located two hours from Oslo, the commercial vineyard of Lerkekasa boasts an unrivalled location opposite Lake Norsjø where the temperatures are milder and the surrounding hills and mountains afford the vines protection.

A lot of tests were needed to ascertain the cultivars most likely to grow at this latitude (59 degrees latitude North).

Three vine varieties proved to be suitable – Rondo, Leon Millot and Solaris. The latter variety is a hybrid known to be resistant to frost and some diseases.

However, it should be added that climate change had a hand in making this possible.

Red Mountain winery

Frenchman François Raynal chose the valley of Inle Lake in Myanmar as the location for his vineyard at an elevation of over 1,000 metres.

The primary hurdle here is the tropical climate, which is why, for this exotic vineyard to be able to produce wine, a system had to be introduced.

Several cultivars were trialled. The most conclusive results were obtained with Syrah, Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Muscat.

The Himalayas, too, have become home to vineyards

A thirty-hectare vineyard has been planted in the Himalayas at between 2,200 and 2,600 metres above sea level. Tests are still ongoing and the first bottles have yet to be released

A vineyard in the heart of the Israeli desert

Negev vineyard, created from the ground up in the South of Israel, is located in the midst of a desert. Once again, ingenuity was required to adapt to weather constraints. The chosen solution is a system of computer-assisted drip-feed irrigation.

What is wine’s global status? How has the global wine market evolved in recent years? Below are key figures regarding wine’s status in terms of production and consumption, organic wine and 2020 trends around the world.

Noteworthy figures for world wine production

When it comes to global wine production, the following figures are significant:

● Europe accounts for 60% of global production, making it the world’s leading wine producer;

● The top three wine producing countries in the world are Italy (54.8 million hectolitres), Spain (44.4 million hectolitres) and France (49.1 million hectolitres);

● The United States only rank fourth in the global wine market, producing 23.9 million hectolitres in 2018;

● France accounts for 11% of the world’s vineyard acreage for wine (750,000 hectares).

France is often viewed as the home of wine, but in actual fact, it is not the world’s, or even Europe’s leading producer

Global wine consumption

When it comes to analysing key figures for the global wine market, consumption data also make very interesting reading. The following figures are among the most noteworthy:

● In 2019, global wine consumption remained unchanged at 33 billion equivalent bottles;

● 10 countries drink 70% of volumes produced worldwide;

● The top three export markets are the United States, the United Kingdom and China. They account for 50% of global revenue.

● France is the second largest wine consuming country in the world with more than 3.5 billion bottles consumed in 2019, placing it just after the United States and ahead of Italy.

However, growth in the wine market continues to slow, particularly since the global oversupply in 2018.

Is organic the future of wine? Global figures for organic wine

Wine consumers’ habits have changed and the preference for organic wine is one of those changes. Figures for organic wine around the world speak for themselves:

• Global production of organic wine has grown by 20% annually for the last two years, compared to 4% in previous years;
• Countries leading the way for organic winegrowing are Spain (26%), Italy (25%) and France (19%);
• Countries that drink the most organic wines are Germany, followed by France and the United Kingdom. The United States only rank fourth;
• The organic wine market in France generates revenue of 1 billion euros;
• Vineyard acreage in the process of being converted to organic in France has increased by 63% since 2018.

However, the organic wine market currently represents only 3.7% of the overall wine market.

Global wine market: 2020 trends

Two major events marked the global wine market in 2020: the coronavirus pandemic and developments in the export market. Consequently:

● 1 billion litres of surplus wine produced in the European market are likely to end up in distilleries;

● Additional taxation of foreign wine in the Chinese and American markets could lead to a 14% drop in wine exports over the year.

The world wine market is undergoing a sea-change. Consumer tastes are changing in favour of lighter wines considered to be more palatable. Also, organic wine, which is part of a drive to “drink less but better”, seems to be performing well. Nevertheless, figures for the global wine market suggest that 2020 will mark a turning point for the wine industry.

Are you familiar with wines from the Loire Valley wine region? These fresh, fruity offerings are also incredibly diverse in style, running the gamut from reds, whites and rosés to sparkling wines. Their quality is endorsed by multiple appellations d’origine contrôlée or AOCs.

The Loire Valley, an extensive region producing myriad styles

The Loire Valley wine region is France’s third-largest producer of appellation wines, registered as Unesco World Heritage, from Chalonnes-sur-Loire to Sully-sur-Loire.

Boasting a varied range of vineyard sites, the region covers 57,200 hectares under vine spanning 14 Loire departments.

In fact, the Loire Valley wine route is France’s longest, with 800 kilometres of vineyards to visit.

In addition to its size, the Loire Valley wine region is home to an extensive range of climates, which some refer to as micro-climates. The region’s temperate weather provides a mild winter season and hot, humid summers.

The Loire Valley’s varietal range

The Loire Valley wine region produces 2 million hectolitres of wine annually. The dozen or so grape varieties produce the following styles of wine:

• 36% whites
• 29% rosés
• 20% reds
• 15% quality sparkling wines

What sets Loire Valley wines apart is that they are single varietals.

White Loire Valley wines

There are many white Loire varietals. The range is spearheaded by varieties such as Melon de Bourgogne from which Muscadet wines are made. These include AOC Muscadet, Muscadet-Coteaux-de-la-Loire, Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu.

Chenin, also referred to as Pineau de Loire, is a grape variety primarily used for producing sweet white wines. For example, appellations including Anjou-Blanc, Coteaux-du-Vendômois and Coteaux-du-Layon are made from Chenin.

Another iconic Loire white variety is Sauvignon. Undoubtedly the most aromatic varietal, it produces wines such as Haut-Poitou and Touraine.

White varietals in the Loire Valley can be fermented to make dry, medium-dry and sweet wines along with sparkling wines.

Red Loire Valley wines

There is also an extensive range of red wines from the Loire Valley. Although the leading Loire reds are made from Cabernet franc, Gamay and Pinot noir, other varieties are also grown across the region. These include Grolleau, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis and Négrette.

The red wines are also single varietals and can be fermented as reds, rosés and sparkling wines.

Loire Valley appellations

The Loire Valley wine region embraces over 85 appellations which can be divided into three main groups:

• Wines from the Nantes region which is home to AOC Fiefs Vendéens, Coteaux d’Ancenis, Gros Plant du Pays Nantais, Muscadet, Côtes de Grandlieu, Coteaux de la Loire, Sèvre et Maine;
• Wines from Anjou-Saumur with AOC Anjou, Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire, Anjou-Villages, Anjou- Villages Brissac, Bonnezeaux, Cabernet d’Anjou, Coteaux de l’Aubance, Coteaux de Saumur, Coteaux du Layon, Coulée de Serrant, Haut-Poitou, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru, Rosé d’Anjou, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Savennières, Savennières Roche aux Moines, Crémant de Loire and Rosé de Loire;
• Wines from the Touraine region which is the birthplace of AOC Bourgueil, Cheverny, Chinon, Coteaux du Loir, Coteaux du Vendômois, Cour-Cheverny, Jasnières, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Orléans, Orléans-Cléry, Saint-Nicolas-de- Bourgueil, Touraine, Touraine-Noble-Joué, Valençay, Vouvray, Crémant de Loire and Rosé de Loire.

The Loire Valley wine region is undeniably extremely varied due to its unique terroir and weather patterns, which range from Atlantic to continental. Loire Valley wines display distinctive fruity aromas, irrespective of whether they are red or white.

The Burgundy countryside is as varied as its winegrowing heritage. The Burgundy wine region produces an extensive array of wines over an area that stretches from Auxerre to the Mâcon region. Find out what makes Burgundy unique.

An overview of the Burgundy wine region

The vineyards of Burgundy cover 29,500 hectares divided between four departments, each of which represents a major wine region:

• Yonne, which is home to Chablis and Auxerre for example,
• Côte d’Or, also known as the Côte de Nuits wine region,
• Saône-et-Loire where the vineyards of Mâcon and Côte de Beaune are located,
• Rhone, the location of the vineyards of Beaujolais and Coteaux du Lyonnais.

Burgundy is therefore a fragmented wine region and produces primarily white wines (60.5%).

The quality of the wine depends on the appellation but also on the region’s ‘climats’, a local term recognised as Unesco World Heritage since 2015.

The range of Burgundy appellations

The Burgundy wine region is extremely varied with 84 AOC (‘appellation d’origine controlee’) or appellations. The quality pyramid for Burgundy wines is sometimes regarded as complex but can be presented in the following way, in descending order.

• The Grands Crus appellations group together 33 renowned appellations such as Chablis;
• The Premiers Crus account for 10% of Burgundy wine production and systematically refer to their village of origin;
• The village-designated appellations represent 30% of production. The 44 Village appellations are easy to recognise because they are named after the location where the wine is made;
• The regional appellations represent the vast majority of Burgundy wines, accounting for 50% of production. AOC Bourgogne belongs to this category.

The number of appellations falling into each of these categories stems from the fragmented nature of the wine region.

Burgundy’s varietal range

Unlike Bordeaux, wines from Burgundy are single varietals.

Pinot noir and Chardonnay are without doubt Burgundy’s best known wines, but there are others.

In addition to Chardonnay, Burgundy white wines also include Pinot blanc, which boasts its own Village appellation, and Sacy, which can only be produced in the Yonne department.

In terms of red wines, there is obviously Pinot noir, but also Pinot gris, which can be referred to as Beurot. This wine is made on a boutique scale by producers scattered across the region.

Gamay’s popularity has waned due to its acidity. Some winegrowers still produce small amounts for their own personal consumption.

Lastly, César and Tressot are generic appellations only occurring in Yonne. Tressot is increasingly rare.

The Burgundy wine region provides a broad array of white wines but also reds. Due to its fragmented nature, it is home to a range of ‘climats’, enabling it to grow grape varieties that are very different, like Pinot noir and Chardonnay.

LVines are plants which renew themselves. Their growth follows an annual cycle. Each vine goes through a series of stages. Winegrowers are fully aware of all the challenges for each one of those stages and they have many different tasks to carry out to be able to harvest the finest fruit. Here is a detailed description of the lifecycle for vines.

The vine’s two cycles

Traditionally, a distinction is made between the two cycles followed by vines throughout the year :

• The vine’s growth cycle which runs from March to November
• The winter cycle, where the vine is dormant, from mid-November to March.

The cycles involve different stages. The duration of each stage depends on a number of criteria including the grape variety, soil types, vineyard management choices and weather conditions.

The grapevine’s 9 growth stages

The vine’s growth cycle can be divided into 9 stages

Renewal

At the start of spring, vines come out of their winter dormancy. The sap rises to the pruning cuts – this is referred to as vine ‘tears’.

Budburst

From the end of March to the beginning of April, the buds swell and split to provide room for the new growth shoots.

These are still very fragile and frost can deal them a fatal blow.

This is a challenging time for winegrowers, because frost is not a rare occurrence at this time of year.

Leaf growth

At the end of spring, the young shoots develop and start to form leaves.

The freshly-emerged vine leaves unfurl and gradually take on their distinctive, permanent shape.

Flowering

At the start of summer, usually in June, milder temperatures and more widespread sunshine allow small white flowers to emerge. They will form clusters which can be made up of hundreds of flowers.

This stage in the vine’s lifecycle only lasts around ten days. Subsequently, the berries will replace the small white flowers.

Fruit set

Fruit set occurs in June, after the flowers have been pollinated.

However, at this stage, weather conditions are decisive. The wind along with cold and damp weather can lead to what winegrowers call ‘coulure’ or shatter. This means that the sap has not reached the flowers which consequently fall without being pollinated.

When conditions are felicitous, small green balls replace the flowers. Each berry is formed of between one and four pips.

Fruit set is when the actual berry emerges.

Winegrowers can then estimate yields for the forthcoming harvest.

Veraison

During veraison, the hard, green berries are transformed and take on their final colour.

One by one, the berries evolve depending on the grape variety. They therefore turn:

• From translucent to golden for white varieties
• From red to dark blue for red varieties.

Ripening

Over the summer, the grapes ripen. This is the stage where aromas develop. Acidity mellows and sugar content increases.

Winegrowers are extremely attentive during this phase, so as to determine the best time to…

Harvest

Depending on varieties and weather conditions, the grape harvest takes place from September to October.

This is when the fruit is picked.

Dormancy

Once the grape harvest is over, vines enter a period of dormancy. The winter cycle can now begin.

The sap goes back down the vine.

The vine’s lifecycle follows the seasons. The duration of each stage can vary depending on the grape variety, but the process of the growth cycle remains the same. Vineyard management by winegrowers and weather conditions also play a pivotal role in the quality of the crop.

Every spring, Bordeaux wine merchants become the focus of attention for the wine industry over the course of a week. En Primeur draws attention from industry members eager to discover the potential of the latest vintage, harvested the previous September. The following is an overview of the En Primeur custom.

The principle of selling En Primeur

Exclusive to Bordeaux, selling wines En Primeur has been a custom since the 18^th century.

This unusual technique involves selling wine when it is still in the maturation phase in chateau cellars. In the spring, wines from the previous vintage are presented, even though they can only be bottled and delivered 18 or 24 months later.

Bordeaux En Primeur is therefore akin to pre-booking wines.

This is what differentiates En Primeur from Primeur, or early-release wines, which are bottled and sold before the next harvest. Beaujolais is a case in point.

En Primeur sales are limited to a few properties, most of which enjoy Grand Cru Classé or similar status. This equates to approximately two hundred labels.

The system, which is only used by Bordeaux wine merchants, is a way of allowing buyers to taste the vintage early so that they can assess its quality.

An event for the Bordeaux wine industry

Over a week, people from the world of wine travel from around the globe and meet in the vineyards of Bordeaux. Wine merchants, importers, specialist journalists, winemakers and restaurant owners all come to taste Bordeaux wines.

There is a lot at stake for the chateaux that will be rated by their peers.

En Primeurs offer a great showcase for Bordeaux and have a substantial influence on the image of Bordeaux wines.

How are prices set during the En Primeur campaign?

En Primeurs also have an influence on the reference prices for the new vintage presented over the course of the week.

Prices are generally set within two months of En Primeur week. Industry members from around the world have been able to form an opinion about the quality of the vintage to be released, based on scores and reviews during the various tastings.

What are the advantages of selling wines En Primeur?

The En Primeur system is based on speculation. Buyers take a chance by banking on the increased value of the wine when it is bottled two years later. They must therefore be able to detect the initial signs of a top wine very early on in the maturation phase.

However, taking this risk gives them access to highly prized Grands Crus Classés whose prices will undoubtedly soar when they are released into the market. It is estimated that savings of up to 30% can be made compared with the price tag on a bottled wine.

Wineries also benefit from taking part in En Primeur week, which provides them with a cash advance and unrivalled visibility.

En Primeur is renowned worldwide and is an opportunity for the wine industry to discover the latest Bordeaux vintage. There is a lot at stake for the properties, but also for Bordeaux wine merchants during this unique week.

Before setting out to find the perfect closure, it is important to know the type of wine it will be used for. To help you choose from the range of closures available, here is a reminder of the different categories of wine.

The different types of wine

PlusiSeveral criteria can be taken into consideration when classifying wines. The two main ones are colour and category.

The colours of wine

Traditionally, the wine industry classifies wine in three colours: red, white and rosé.

Red wines are made from black-skinned grapes. Skin contact maceration gives this type of wine its dark colour. The colour can take on different shades depending on the grape variety and soak time.

White wines are made from white grapes. Once picked, the fruit is pressed and separated from the berry. White wines can also be made from red grapes with white flesh where there is no skin contact maceration with the juice.

Rosé wines, which are increasingly popular with consumers, are made from black-skinned grapes. Their lighter hue is due to shorter maceration time than for red wine, hence their ‘rosé’ or pink colour.

The different categories of wine

There are five major categories:

• still wines, which refers to all wines that are not sparkling;
• sparkling wines whose defining feature is their bubbles (sparkling, crémant or Champagne);
• dessert wines follow the same winemaking process as red wine, but fermentation is arrested at an earlier stage to preserve the sugars;
• sweet wines include medium-dry, sweet and noble rot wines;
• cooked wines which, unlike dessert wines, are heated.

So, for example, a red wine can be still yet also a dessert or cooked wine.

Choosing a closure depending on the type of wine

There are different types of closures to seal a bottle of wine. The choice of closure has a direct impact on the ageing of the wine depending on its quality.

To ascertain the most appropriate closure for a specific bottle of wine, the category, the colour, the potential ageability, sales rotation and distribution network should be taken into account.

For still wines, a wide range of corks – natural, colmated and technical – is available today.

Corks for sparkling wines are easily recognisable by their mushroom shape, once uncorked. Their composition is also unusual as they are produced by combining a body made of top-end cork granulates and glued cork discs, which are in contact with the wine.

For spirits, bar-top cork closures prove to be the most appropriate. This type of closure allows the bottle to be handled easily but also offers the advantages of a cork closure.

Ultimately, it is therefore essential to know the wine well so as to apply the most suitable closure.

Corks and wine bottles go hand in hand. The choice of the cork that will seal the bottle is part of the bottling process and marketing strategy. Each wine has its own cork. Please feel free to contact us so that we can advise you on the best solution.

Not able to follow our webinar ‘Which closure should I choose for my wine’ last Wednesday?

Not to worry, you can view the session below.

• 30 minutes: Presentation by Nathalie Vedrenne, technical director, and Vy Nguyen, head of marketing and wine development.

• 15 minutes: Questions/Answers session

Enjoy!

The market for closure solutions is highly competitive. New solutions, such as screwcaps, have been entering the market for several years. However, cork closures have not lost their leading position in the global market.

Facts and figures for the global cork closure market

To get a precise vision of the significance of the cork closure market at global level, we have selected some meaningful figures:

• 550 cork closures are manufactured every second around the world;

• 18.5 billion stoppers are produced every year worldwide, including two thirds in cork, mainly from Portugal ;

• 12 billion bottles are sealed with a natural or agglomerated cork closure every year;

• 33% of cork oak forests are located in Portugal, the leading cork-producing country;

• 2.5 billion cork closures are produced by France each year.

These figures demonstrate the extent to which cork closures continue to be in the vanguard of closure solutions for sealing bottles of wine.

Cork closures as viewed by the USA and China

China and the USA are the world’s largest wine consumers. They import huge amounts of wine and have a particular soft spot for French wines, particularly those from Bordeaux.

Interestingly, in the United States a bottle of wine with a cork closure not only sells better, but also has a higher price tag.

This is one of the findings highlighted by the Cork Quality Council in its latest report.

Why cork closures are successful

This clear preference for cork closures worldwide is mainly due to the fact that they are recognised as a guarantee of quality, and therefore are part of a wine’s image.

Also, cork closure manufacturers have made huge strides in limiting the risks of ‘cork taint’ in wine. Now significantly reduced, the fault blamed on cork closures in the past is no longer an issue.

Lastly, the environmental benefits of cork align with sustainable objectives, from the forestry aspect to cork manufacturing and recycling.

The global cork closure market is therefore of great significance and cork closures remain the most popular solution, particularly among American and Chinese consumers.