A funeral for corks?

Randall Grahm, the owner of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, California, had been having a lot of problems with cork. He was getting tainted bottles and felt that it was unacceptable.

So, he first tried plastic corks. Then he turned to screw caps and thought that they were the best solution. But he said, "If we're going to come out with this thing, we can't just limp into the market." His whole staff was telling him "Let's just try it out in Iowa or something." He laughed and said, "Look, that won't tell me anything. In fact, we've got to go nation-wide with this. And we have to come out with a bang. We have to create a lot of buzz." Since he was the owner of the company, he backed the company on this thing. He decided to turn 90% of his production over to screw caps. And he said, "Well, if we're going to come out big, let's hold a funeral for cork."

He rented a place in Grand Central Station and they got a hearse to bring out this casket. Inside of the casket was a dummy made entirely out of cork and his name was M. Thierry Bouchon (a multi-lingual pun).

Thierry Bouchon is a slight variation of the word for cork screw. But it's also a very legitimate French name. Thierry is a normal French name and Bouchon just means cork. He thought that was a wonderful name. Randall got one of the world's leading wine writers, Jancis Robinson, to come to the funeral and they had a wonderful time. She delivered a "eulogy for cork." They got a lot of publicity. Randall is to this day a great advocate of the screw cap makers.

What are the five major factors in producing fine wine?

1. Geographic position

2. Soil type and condition

3. Weather (sun, rain, heat)

4. Quality of the grapes

5. Vinification... (the winemaking process)

History of Labels

Labels were first put on wine bottles in the early 1770's, but it wasn't until the 1860's that suitable glues were developed to hold them on the bottles.

What is the French wine region of Bordeaux known for making?

Until 1970, Bordeaux produced more white wine than red. Today red wine represents about 84% of the total crop. The major red grape varietals are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The white is Sauvignon Blanc.

What is the world's oldest bottle of wine?

Unearthed during excavation for building a house in a vineyard near the town of Speyer, Germany, the bottle pictured below was inside one of two Roman stone sarcophaguses that were dug up. The bottle dates from approximately 325 A.D. and was found in 1867.

The greenish-yellow glass amphora has handles formed in the shape of dolphins. One of several bottles discovered, it is the only one with the contents still preserved.

The ancient liquid has much silty sediment. About two-thirds of the contents are a thicker, hazy mixture. This is most probably olive oil, which the Romans commonly used to "float" atop wine to preserve it from oxidation. Cork closures, although known to exist at the time, were quite uncommon. Their oil method of preservation was apparently effective enough to keep the wine from evaporation up to modern day.

The bottle is on permanent display, along with other wine antiquities, at the History Museum of the Pfalz, which is worth a virtual visit or an actual one, if traveling near the area of Speyer, Germany.

When was the first known reference to a specific wine vintage? ...and... How old was the wine being “reviewed”?

~Roman Historian Pliny the Elder rated 121 B.C. as a vintage “of the highest excellence.”
~200 years old! Pliny the Elder wrote the history of the Roman Empire around 70 A.D.

What was the primary fruit crop in Napa Valley during the 1940's?

Prunes.

It's the Law!

1. Ohio state law prohibits getting a fish drunk.
2. In Fairbanks, Alaska, it's illegal to feed a moose any alcoholic beverage.
3. It's illegal to sit on any street curb in St. Louis, Missouri, and drink beer from a bucket.
4. The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a recipe for making beer that can be used at home.

"I detect the aroma of cat's pee in this wine."

"Come again?"
"You know, pipi du chat."

Um, ok. Whatever you call it - cat's pee or the more sophisticated-sounding French version, pipi du chat - there's no getting around the fact that this is one unsettling way to describe something that you're about to drink. Yet, it's a descriptor often used to describe Sauvingnon Blanc. Oddly enough, it's a positive characteristic for a SB to have.

How many gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake and resultant fires that lasted three days destroyed most of the large wineries in the city. In addition, 30 million gallons of wine were lost.

Corking Tips

1. Remove all of the foil first from the bottle top, and any wax sealing.
2. Make sure you screw it in absolutely straight, and that the screw is starting at the dead center of the cork.

How many grapes does it take to make your average bottle of wine?

This answer can vary greatly depending on the vineyard and their winemaking process. As a general rule, many estimate that it takes about 2 1/2 pounds of grapes to produce one bottle of wine. That's over 600 berries!

The average life span of a grapevine is 25 years,
but grapevines are capable of producing grapes
for 100 years or more.

Ever wondered why wine is different colors?

*ALL GRAPE JUICE IS CLEAR IN COLOR*
Red wine is only red because the clear juice is left in contact with the red or purple grape skin until it achieves the degree of color that pleases the winemaker. With rose wines, one winemaker may prefer a pale rose and another might like their rose to be almost as dark as a red wine. The longer the skins are in the tank, the darker the color of the juice gets.

What country is the largest consumer of Port in the world?

The United Kingdom is the largest consumer of Port. Most of the major Port lodges are owned by British companies. (Hilary's favorite port is Graham's Tawny Port- aged 20 years)






These pictures are from Hilary and her husband's trip to Porto, Portugal last year. You can see some of the different port lodges in the top picture- you walk from tasting room to tasting room along the hillside. The bottom picture is of the Douro river with Eiffel's bridge (yup, same guy who designed the Tower in Paris).

What is a magnum? What is a double magnum? What is an impériale?

A magnum is a bottle of wine holding 1.5 liters, the equivalent of two standard-size bottles.

A double magnum holds 3 liters of wine, the equivalent of four standard bottles.

An impériale is a bottle of wine containing 6 liters, a quantity equal to eight standard-size wine bottles.

What do the words Côtes du Rhône indicate on a wine label?

The words Côtes du Rhône (literally translated to 'Rhone Hills') identify any wine produced in France's Rhone Valley that is not entitled to more specific village designation. These wines- almost always red- are often great bargains, particularly in exceptional Rhone vintages. They are made to be consumed young.

Is Zinfandel ever blended with other varietals?

Many bottles are 100% Zin, but it can be blended with other warm-weather grapes,
most successfully Petite Sirah.
(and no, I did not misspell Sirah...Sirah and Syrah are two different types of grapes =)

Which country produces the most wine in the world?

Italy is the world's largest producer of wine. France is a close second.
Between them France and Italy are responsible for about 50% of the world's wine production.
*If California were a separate country, it would be the world's fourth-largest wine producer.

If you don't have a decanter, what can you use?

I have used tupperware (without the lid), a flower vase, a sauce pan, etc. It is, of course, ideal to use an actual decanter, but when you can't find one, just look for something around your house that is clean, will give the wine exposure to air, and most importantly, something that can pour easily into a glass without spilling all over the place (for example, a bowl would not work very well).

Which wines should be decanted?

Big, young wines; vintage port; and old wines with sediment should be decanted. Very old wines will often turn bad if left open more than one hour, so drink them right after decanting.

What is the origin of the custom of clinking glasses before tasting wine?

It dates back to medieval times, when wine was one of the only drinks considered safe; milk spoiled and water was often polluted, but wine was reliable. To prove that the wine was good, the host would drink a glass first and then clink gasses with the guests as a show of confidence in the safely of the wine.

What is the best size for a glass of wine?

Ten ounces is the best size. It allows for swirling and the development of the wine's bouquet. Always fill a wineglass halfway.

What is tannin? Does red wine have a higher level of tannin than white wine?

Tannin is a natural compound found in wine. It comes from the skins, stems, and pips of the grapes, as well as from the wooden barrels used to age wine.
Red wine does have a higher level of tannin than white wine. This in part accounts for its ability to improve with age.
(what the heck is a grape pip?? "A grape seed extract that is a potent source of proanthocyanidins/pycnogenols and is a very powerful antioxidant")

On average, does red wine have more calories per glass than white wine?

Not really. A standard five-ounce glass of red has about 110 calories, while a five-ounce glass of white contains about 105 calories-- although sweeter whites, such as Riesling, have more calories than dry table wine.

Who was Dom Pérignon?

Pérignon was a Benedictine monk and cellar master in the abbey of Hautvillers near Épernay in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He is credited with discovering how to capture the bubbles during the champagne-making process, thereby allowing production of sparkling wine on a commercial scale.

What does the term "Mis en Bouteille au Château" on a French wine label tell the consumer about the wine?

The term mis en bouteille au château indicates that the wine was made and bottled at the chateau with the chateau's own grapes. This term is found on bottles of the best wines from Bordeaux.

Can white wine be made from red grapes?

Yes! The color of wine comes entirely from the grape skin. When the skins of red grapes are removed early in the winemaking process, their color does not affect the wine's appearance. For example, this New Year's Eve you might have been drinking champagne made from Pinot Noir grapes...however, the winemaker did not let the skins of the red Pinot Noir grapes have contact with the clear grape juice, hence your champage was not turned pink or red by the color pigments found in the skins.

What are the best temperatures for serving red wine and white wine?

Drink red wine at cellar temperature
(58 degrees F), always a bit cool.

Drink white wine chilled, at about 52 degrees F.
An hour in the refrigerator is sufficient to chill the wine.

What is the quickest way to chill a bottle of wine?

Place it in a large, deep bucket filled half with ice and half with cold water. Adding some salt also helps!

Did you know...

that Fumé Blanc is not a distinct grape varietal?
Fumé Blanc is a made-up name, legally accepted as a synonym for wines made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Robert Mondavi deserves credit for this renaming in an effort to increase the acceptance and popularity of Sauvignon Blanc in California in the 1970's.