Learning about wine
More and more people are choosing South Africa as a holiday destination, especially during the winter months when the sun beckons on the other side of the equator. For years, it was all about cheap, high-volume bargains on the bottom...
In September 2022, I moved all my belongings to Bordeaux, the wine capital of France. No better city to visit for a wine lover, you might say. Over the past few months, I've taken on the daunting task of finding...
A day in the life of a vineyard girl
The final stages of harvest - 6:45 a.m., the sun has barely risen. We're ready with our equipment to tackle La Landonne. La Landonne is one of the famous "la-las" vineyards in the Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhône. This season I worked...
The sommelier's favorite natural wine
Natural wine is a controversial topic. One of extremes, I've noticed. Some people think it's fantastic, others can't stand it. The fact that there's no official definition or quality mark for natural wine doesn't help matters, of course. In The...
From Mildew to Flavescence Dorée: The Battle in the Vineyard
Mother Nature, we love her, but oh, how she makes our lives difficult sometimes. Harvest has already begun in most European countries. It's the time of year for winemakers, but for vineyard managers, it's precisely the time to evaluate. The...
Inside Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Jumping with joy, I'm standing in the kitchen on the day of my first field visit of 2023. We're going to the Lafite Rothschild. What a dream, gates I thought would always remain closed, but this was the day. I...
A look inside Smith Haut Lafitte
As we speak, I, Rianne Ogink, am interning at the Smith Haut Lafitte winery. And this isn't just any winery; it's one of the famous 14 Grands Crus Classés in Graves, the region south of Bordeaux. This harvest season is...
“Tannins are a diverse and complex group of chemical compounds that occur in the bark of many trees and in fruits like grapes. Strictly speaking, a tannin is a compound that is capable of interacting with proteins and precipitating them;...
It's coronavirus time and restaurants are still closed. Job, my employer, suggested: why don't you do an internship at Domaine Les Bottes Rouges in the Jura Mountains, France? "Okay, why not, sounds great!" I said. No sooner said than done....