Have you seen the cow?
Austrian producer Meinklang is easily recognisable with their cow logo and well known for high quality wines. 
Meinklang is a multi cultural family operation run and owned by the Michlits family. The Angus cow on the bottle is a symbol of the diversity of their farm. Meat, fruits, vegetables and wine are all biodynamically farmed by the family. Impressive!

"Prosa", our wine pick of the week, is a semi sparkling rosé wine, made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Semi sparkling means that there is less bubbles than in a normal sparkling wine, and the bubbles appear more gentle in your mouth. 

This is one of my absolute favourites. One of my "go to" bottles when I shop. It's clear, refreshing and with the grace of only 10,5% alcohol. Perfect sunset wine in the summer.

The poor summer has postponed one of my favourite hobbies, drinking great rosé wines from Austria. Finally we had some warm weather so I ran to the Vinmonopolet and bought my favourite, Langmanns Schilcher Klassik and it didn’t disappoint.

​​The Langmann winery has traditions going back to 1746. Today it is run by Stefan Langmann and we in Norway are lucky because it is to us the export most of their wines! They use the local grape Blauer Wildbacher, a greap not grown in many places outside of Westeiermark where Langmann is situated. Their rosé has been a favourite of mine for years. It always has the same good quality, great acidity that makes it so fresh and fruity. 

​Langmann Schilcher Klassik 2018 - 132,90 krA classic Schilcher rosé.
The first ting you notice is the acidity. It is so present, but never to much. It makes me think of red currants right away. The ones we would pick in late summer and eat to many of. It also has hints of wild strawberries. And it is so, so fresh. 
This is great alone on a lazy, hot summers day. It will work well with some light barbecue as well and a fresh salad. Enjoy :-)

This summer has been a strange one. From torrential rainy to autumn like days, it’s itching like the warm days of last year. But to compensate we thought we could recommend a particularly sunny wine from Germany.

Dr. Loosens wines has a reputation for being easy to drink and low in alcohol. A typical beginners wine. But they have a great range of good, high quality wines as well. And the Kabinett from Wehlen is one of my favourites. It takes its name from the sun dial on the side high above the river facing the tiny village and it is so good and refreshing.

"This reminds me much more of a wine, than a beer". My girlfriend replied after tasting this remarkable bottle, from Belgium master producer Rodenbach.

Our wine of the week is in fact a beer. A red ale, that has matured in gigant oak barrels for two years and then macerated with cranberries, cherries and raspberries for six months. This is one of the most remarkable beers I've ever come across. 
It's lovely and refreshing to drink on its own, but even better with food. It has special talents that makes it the most versatile food pairing beer I've ever tasted. It will handle anything from barbecued pork and poultry, to desserts like ice creams and chocolate cake. Try it with sushi and curry dishes. It will amaze you.

A couple of years ago we had the pleasure of travelling to Belgium, accompanied by chéfs and sommeliers. Food vs beer was the task at hand, and we even had a visit at the famous Rodenbach Brewery. You can watch the full episode here:

This is one of my "go to wines" when tax free opportunities show themselves. 
I've been a sworn fan of white Rhône wines since I discovered them some years back. Only 10% of the wines produced in the Rhône valley are white ones, but most of them hold good to very good quality.
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Guigal is a huge producer of wines in the Rhône area, but despite producing on a large scale, Guigal manages to deliver all over excellent quality.

At the tax free in Norway you can get this bottle for only 114 NOK, which is a scoop. Perfect for a moody summer, as this versatile bottle suits many food pairings, as well as drinking excellent by it self.

It's no secret - we at KulTour love Chardonnays from Burgundy. The reasons are plentiful, but mostly it's because the wines are at their best some of the most superb wines you can find. And we have made it our mission to find the best wines at the best prices and this week’s wine is a steal!

Vincent Girardin started out with 2 hectare of vineyards in 1980 and has slowly expanded since then. Today he produces almost 50 different white wines and nearly 30 reds. Focus is on a modern, aromatic, fruity and terroir driven wine that can be enjoyed now but also will develop in the cellar. 

There are several ways to make a sparkling wine. Prosecco is made in huge steel tanks, Champagne relay on years of maturing in the bottle and then you have the old way of doing this. "Methode ancestrale" - the old way. 

The winemaker pours unfinished wine in the bottle and seals it. Inside you now have both live yeast and sugar. The yeast slowly consumes the sugar, producing tiny bubbles and flavour in the process. This way of making sparkling wine was near extinct, but has re-emerged and is now trending. These wines are called Pétillant Naturel - or just Pet Nat.

Pet Nat wines have softer bubbles and slightly lower alcohol levels. Perfect for welcoming guests, enjoying in the park or just for chill on a Tuesday. 
Our wine of the week is a beautiful rosé Pet Nat from Burgundy and the solid Domaine Saint-Cyr.

I have to admit, I haven't been a big fan of the California Chardonnay wines. Too often they have been so oaky and "big" that I just can't drink more than a few sips and then it’s just too much. But lately I have been proven wrong again and again by great quality wines from the west coast of the USA. And this week’s wine is one of the finest.

​A problem with California is that it is so far away and it costs a lot to get the wine over to Norway. This adds to the price of the wine. So often the price of a good California wine cost’s the same as a Burgundy wine. To often this is an unfair comparison. But the wines from Sandhi Wines have proven to be an equal match to the famed French ones. 

This weeks wine comes from Santa Barbara County and the sites in Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Maria and Santa Ynez appellations. Old vines, most over 30 years, gives the wines good intensity and at only 239,90 kroner this is a great and affordable introduction to the wines from Sandhi. 

Sandhi Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2016​ - 239,90 kr
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Very fresh. A great minerality strikes me at first, something I often find lacking in California wines. Pretty aromas of citrus fruits and white flowers with a hint of toasty oak, but only a hint. Very good structure in the mouth that comes from the nice acid. Some very pleasing nutty flavours as well which only enhances the drinking experience. Very drinkable by it self but this will also work fine with food. Maybe an option to the great Macon Chardonnays with flat fish?

​Moody weather calls for a stable wine. France and Burgundy always delivers, and this time we've picked a gem from Beaujolais. Château Cambon is a fantastic producer, and this 2018 rosé lives up to its legacy.

Australia can be tricky to navigate, wine vice. They produce huge quantities of bulk wine that, to be quite frank, isn't all that interesting. I've tasted some of the more natural/purist producers, but the quality rarely matches the expensive pricing. 
So I was thrilled when I discovered this gem from southern Australia and Wynn Coonnawarra Estate. 

The estate was established and planted in 1896, but the current owners has been running it since the 1950s. This Cabernet Sauvignon is the 58th vintage, and showcasing what a truly brilliant grape this can be.