What grape varietals make up Spanish Cava?
The 3 main grapes that are in Spain’s famous sparkling wine are Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parelleda. But in some instances, Chardonnay is now being included in some blends. A stark difference from true French Champagne which uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier exclusively. Cheers!...
Did You Know……. Fact #5
That German producer Schloss Johannisberg hosts the oldest Riesling vines in the world, first planted in 1720. The winery dates back to 768 AD when their first harvest yielded a mere 6 liters of wine. This property is so renowned, it was once purchased by Napoleon in 1806....
What is the difference between Pouilly-Fume and Pouilly-Fuisse?
Both French in origin and even though they are spelled similarly, the difference between them is night and day. Pouilly-Fume is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape grown in the Loire Valley while Pouilly-Fuisse is made from the Chardonnay grape from Burgundy’s Maconnais region....
What was the original name of California’s Renwood Winery?
According to Zinfandel master Scott Harvey, one time wine maker at the winery, the art work for the label featured a mirror image of two wren birds, hence the name Wrenwood. The W was dropped, renaming it Renwood for the fact that all the great zinfandel houses of the...
Did You Know…….. Fact #4
In ancient Babylon, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead, a honey fermented wine, he could drink for a month after the wedding ceremony. Because of the lunar or moon based calendar, this period of free mead was known as “honey month”, or more commonly...
Did You Know……. Fact #3
The world’s most popular red varietal Cabernet Sauvignon was the result of the accidental crossbreeding of the red Cabernet Franc vines with the white Sauvignon Blanc over 300 years ago. Time flies when you’re drinking so much fun....
Did You Know: Fact #2
That there are approximately 58 million bubbles in a bottle of champagne, give or take a few million. With the wine under so much pressure, when carefully opening a bottle of bubbly, keep in mind that the cork leaves the bottle at a velocity of between 40 and 50...
How did the tradition of christening a ship with champagne begin?
The history of breaking a bottle of wine over a ship’s bow dates back to the about the late 17th century (initially wine then champagne). The British Navy originally baptized their ships with a “standing cup” of precious metal, which was afterwards thrown overboard. Unfortunately with the increased production...
Did You Know: Fact #1
Among the planting of fruit crops worldwide (apples, oranges, strawberries, lemons), wine grapes lead the pack. With over 10,000 different known grape varietals, it is easy to see why wine, in it’s finished state, is the most consumed fruit in the world....