Wine Buff's Stuff: 1
October 11th 2010 11:19
Mural by Linda Paul
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.
So many varieties, so little time
There are about 10,000 wine grape varieties on Earth. We have it on the highest authority that there are many more in Heaven.
2.
Heady invention
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that the Chinese may have been fermenting alcoholic beverages and wine as early as 6000 BC. The conclusion is based on evidence of tartaric acid found on shards of Chinese pottery. There is therefore ample evidence that the Chinese invented the hangover.
3.
It all starts with oak
4.
The age of the cork
Cork was not used to seal bottles until the 17th century. Before that wine was stored in terracotta amphoras and, later, in wooden barrels, and drunk before it spoiled.
5.
Clusters and stuff
1 grape cluster = 1 glass
75 grapes = 1 cluster
4 clusters = 1 bottle
40 clusters = 1 vine
1 vine = 10 bottles
1200 clusters = 1 barrel
1 barrel = 25 cases
400 vines = 1 acre
1 acre = 332 cases
6.
First prise
The corkscrew has a misty history. Who invented it is not known, but it is known that the idea was inspired by a tool called the bulletscrew or gun worm, a device that extracted stuck bullets from rifles.
7.
White wine can stain teeth
A 2009 study at the College of Dentistry, New York University, showed white wine is capable of creating conditions that enable chemicals in other beverages, such as coffee and tea, to taint teeth. How they worked it out is interesting: they soaked cows’ teeth in white wine, red wine, or water for an hour and then immersed them in tea. The result was that teeth soaked in white wine stained significantly darker after the tea dunking than the teeth immersed in water. The white wine teeth were still much lighter than the red wine teeth, but this still came as a shock given that white wine is traditionally seen as clean.
8.
Info central
The State Library of South Australia has the largest collection of wine literature in the southern hemisphere and one of the biggest in the world. The collection ranges from an 11th century manuscript leaf to books and magazines in many languages, wine labels, wine lists and diaries of winemakers.
9.
Old Fart wine
Boutinot Wine Estates Inc, of France's Languedoc region, produces Old Fart wine. Boutinot claims it's a perfectly serious brand. We will believe it when they send us a sample case.
10.
Grape of the day - Syrah
Syrah (or shiraz, as it is usually called in Australia, South Africa and Canada), was estimated in 2004 to be the world's seventh-most grown grape. DNA profiling in 1999 found syrah to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from south-eastern France, dureza and mondeuse blanche. This was a surprise finding because, although syrah has long been identified with the great vineyards of the Rhône region of south-eastern France, it was generally believed to have originated either in Syria or the Iranian city of shiraz. Rhône region winemakers are still grinning at the DNA result, now knowing they truly own the grape they have made great. Syrah is one of the true grape blue bloods, producing huge wines with strong tannins and complex combinations of flavours.
Wikipedia, beekmanwine.com, rackwine.com, 800wine.com
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