Wine Buff's Stuff: 4
November 13th 2011 10:07
Understanding wine is a diplomatic passport to life. A demonstration of wine knowledge and discernment, as long as it is done with modesty, will always be appreciated.
Our lists of Wine Buff's Stuff offer a variety of facts and occasional figures about wine and the people who make it. They will never be dull. They will be at times dense but interesting, at others light but fun. They will enhance any conversation.
They will be like wine itself.
1.
Absolute rot
Next time a grape grower mentions the presence of botrytis cinerea in their crop, hold your breath. This could be bad news – a grey rot caused by too much moisture or humidity, most likely resulting in the loss of the affected grapes. Or it could be great news – a noble rot without which the world would not know the pleasures of such nectars as sauterne, tokay and noble riesling. It’s not easy stuff to work with - botrytis and fermentation do not have a harmonious relationship, and it can kill yeast. At its worst, botrytis can cause the fermentation process to stop before the wine has accumulated sufficient alcohol. Calamity indeed. But when it’s all done right, the universe is a better place.
2.
Shaping an industry
It was only after corks started being used to seal wine bottles, in the 17th century, that wine was laid down for aging. As a result bottle shapes changed from short and bulbous to tall and slender.
3.
Going up
Another invention which changed wine production was the thermometer. Galileo Galilei was one of several people to come up with early thermometer models, but it was another Italian, Santorio Santorio, who first had the idea of adding a numerical scale, and thus creating an instrument which took a lot of the guesswork out of winemaking. Before the thermometer, brewers dipped a thumb or finger into whatever they were making to try to determine if it was the right time to add yeast. The method was known as the "rule of thumb."
4.
Cheer leader
The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says the tradition of toasting people and occasions "is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations". Whatever that means.
5.
Info app
Smartphone users can now scan wine at the bottleshop to find out what meals they best match with. Cellar Key necktags are being rolled out to popular Australian brands being sold in bottle shops, catalogues and restaurants. Users download an app for their phone, scan the barcode and, presto, get information about the wine.
6.
Proverbial wisdom
Researchers have found 521 mentions of wine in The Bible, an effort which has definitely earned them a drink. The Book of Proverbs alone offers the following: wine is as good as a life to a man; neither do men put old wine into new bottles; drink no longer water. Which leads us to ask: what is water?
7.
Crop to it
1889 was a great year in the Napa Valley. Newspapers of the day described the crop as the finest of its kind grown in the United States. Unfortunately, they weren’t talking about grapes. The crop was hops.
8.
Pop to it
Heinrich Medicus holds an exalted place in winedom. In 1988 he sent a champagne cork flying 77 feet and 9 inches. It remains a world record. This flight of fanciful was achieved at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.
9.
Term of the day: vignoble
Vignoble is the French word for vineyard. Vigne is the French word for wine. Vigneron is the French word for winemaker. Hang on, is there a pattern here?
10.
Grape of the day - sultana
Few grapes have the multiple personalities of the sultana. This white, seedless grape with links to the ancient Ottomans has strong modern connections with the breakfast and health food industries, with wine production and with crime. It is sometimes called raisin, the dried fruit which derives from it, and sultanina, and in America is widely known as the Thompson Seedless. A note to Americans: if you wish to buy Raisin Bran in Australia, you will need to ask for Sultana Bran. The sultana grape is often referred to as the “three-way” grape: used for table grapes, raisins and wine. But it’s wine personality is shady. In the US it’s commonly used to make “chablis”, but it is no true chablis, as any Frenchman will tell you. In Australia sultana grapes were for years sold to winemakers as chardonnay grapes. The scam was exposed in 2003 by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, which labelled it the largest wine industry deception in Australian history. So in wine industry terms, this grape desperately needs to raisin its game.
Wikipedia, www.800wine.com, www.rackwine.com, www.thewinedoctor.com, wineinprovince.blogspotcom; image: www.sterlingwineonline.com
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