50 shades of wine.

50 Shades of Wine
A series of informative articles
about wine in all its glory
Weblink https://www.facebook.com/wineand

Interesting Wine Facts No 1
Early history of wine
Archaeological evidence has established the earliest-known
production of wine from fermenting grapes during the late
Neolithic or early Chalcolithic in the Caucasus and the northern
edge of the Middle East. An extensive gene-mapping project in
2006 analyzed the heritage of more than 110 modern grape
cultivars, narrowing their origin to a region of Georgia This
matches the earliest discovered sites containing shards of wine-
stained pottery, dated to c. 6000 BC in Georgia and c.5000 BC in
Iran The jars at the northwestern Iranian site already showed
treatment with preservative turpentine pine resin, the flavoring
of modern retsina. By c. 4500 BC, wine production had spread to
Grecian Macedonia, the site of the first recovered crushed
grapes,and an entire winery was discovered in 2011 inside the
Areni-1 cave in Armenia, dated to c. 4100 BC.
Weblink https://www.facebook.com/wineand/posts/654490344678624

The oldest bottle of wine is estimated to be 1,680 years
old. Pfalz Historical Museum in Germany
This beauty is believed to be the oldest bottle of wine in
the world. It was unearthed in 1867 when individuals
were excavating a grave of a Roman nobleman and
noblewoman who were buried near (what is now) the
German city of Speyer. Amazingly, the drink dates back
to approximately 325 CE, making the bottle some 1,680
years old. That’s a staggering 613,000 days.
The bottle shown here was just one of several bottles
that were located in the sarcophagus (16 in all);
however, this was the only bottle that was still intact. It
is a 1.5-litre (51 US fl oz) vessel, which was meant to
accompany the couple on their journey into the
afterlife.
Weblink http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/meet-the-worlds-oldest-bottle-of-wine/

What is or was the most expensive wine in the world?
This depends upon how this is defined, but here are some clues
• D’Amalfi Limoncello Supreme liquor $44 million
• Isabella’s Islay $6.2 million
• Chambord by Donald Edge $3 million
• Master of Malt $1.4 million
• 1992 Screaming Eagle Wine $500,000
Weblink http://www.bornrich.com/most-expensive-wines.html

Top 10 Wine Producing Countries
France, Italy and Spain alternate as top producers
Weblink http://italianwinecentral.com/top-fifteen-wine-producing-countries-2014/

What are the world's most popular wines
- red, white or rosé?
According to recent surveys - red wine is the most
popular, at 55%, with white at 36% and rosé at 9%.
Between 2011 and 2016, world red wine consumption
is expected to grow by 9.1%, driven especially by the
Chinese, while white wine consumption should only
increase by 2.75% over the same period.
The consumption of rosé wines on the other hand is
expected to increase by 7.58% between 2011 and
2016, reaching a total share of 9.2% of all wines drunk.
Weblink http://www.thedrinksreport.com/news/2013/14743-vinexpo-global-market-forecasts-to-2016.html

Five red wines you could be drinking chilled
1. Lambrusco 2. Beaujolais
3. Pinot Noir 4. Zinfandel
5. Barbera d’Asti
Slightly cold red wine isn’t blasphemy; it’s the perfect thing to
drink on an early autumn evening.
Chill half of a bottle, and try a pour of that and a pour of the same
wine at room temp, side by side to experience at first hand how
temperature affects your experience of a wine. The most
important thing is what you like better!
Weblink http://www.buzzfeed.com/sandraeallen/5-red-wines-you-should-be-drinking-chilled#.gbJO4MllO

What grapes are Champagne wines made from?
Two red grape varieties and one white are allowed:
1. Pinot Noir - 38%
2. Meunier - 32%
3. Chardonnay - 30%
Not necessarily a blend
(Other approved varietals are the
white Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot
Blanc and Pinot Gris – together
less than 0.3% of plantings).
Weblink http://www.champagne.fr/en/from-vine-to-wine/grape-varieties-vineyards/grape-varieties

Wine production and consumption in China
• World's eighth largest producer of wine - predicted to be sixth
largest by 2016
• Chinese consumers drink more than 1.6bn bottles of wine
annually, forecast to grow by a further billion by 2015
• Chinese are now the second biggest buyers of top claret by
volume behind Germany
• China imported 266 million litres of bottled wine in 2012 - 10%
more than in 2011
• Nearly half came from France, with Spain and Italy accounting
for another 17%, according to International Wine and Spirit
Research
Chinese wine has long had a poor reputation, even in its own
country, but there signs that this may be slowly changing
Weblink http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23943693

What is special about Chablis?
Chablis has a truly
unique, steely minerality
and strident sense of place.
For some, Chablis is the
best manifestation
of the Chardonnay grape.
The Terroir
Soil has a huge impact on the quality of Chablis wines. The best
sites are limestone and kimmeridgean clay, which is rich in marine
fossils. These soils underpin the palpable minerality for which
Chablis is revered
Weblink http://www.thekitchn.com/chablis-wine---one-of-the-fine-156353

What's different about
Beaujolais?
Beaujolais, made from the
Gamay grape, is unusual in being
fit to drink soon after harvest
and also is good chilled.
From south to north, Brouilly is
followed by Côte de Brouilly,
Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles,
Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas,
Juliénas and Saint-Amour.
Weblink http://www.discoverbeaujolais.com/region/

How many different types of wine grapes are there?
The surprising answer can be found in the link below
Weblink https://www.winestyr.com/wine-guide/how-
many-different-types-of-wine-grapes-are-there

What is 'Eiswein' and what is unusual about it?
Ice wine (or icewine;
German Eiswein) is a
type of dessert wine
produced from grapes
that have been frozen
while still on the vine.
Weblink http://www.germanwines.de/icc/Internet-EN/nav/b98/b9855ed2-cee2-
501e-76cd-461d7937aae2&sel_uCon=1aa10fc9-474b-ae11-258d-
57205f440fd3&uTem=0e3307d7-19ff-e401-e76c-d461d7937aae

What is fortified wine?
Fortified wine is a wine to which
a distilled spirit, usually brandy, is
added. Many different styles of
fortified wine have been
developed, including Port, Sherry,
Madeira, Marsala, Commandaria
wine and the aromatized wine
Vermouth.
Weblink http://www.waitrose.com/home/wine/learning_about_wine/how_is_wine_made/fortified_wine.html

Why is Chile such a special producer of
wine?
Chile is fortunate to have climate conditions that
are ideal for good wine grape growing harvests: hot
summers, coastal cooling breezes, and moderate
rainfall.
A special characteristics of Chilean viticulture is the
remarkable fact that Phylloxera has never reached
these lands. The rampant louse that stormed across
Europe in the 19th century, devastated California
over the past 10 years and has altered wine growing
practices throughout the world, simply never made
it across the Andes or survived in the sandy coastal
soils. Therefore Chile's vineyards are planted with
ungrafted rootstock: a rare phenomenon in modern
wine production.
Weblink http://www.chilean-wine.com/chileanwinecountry/

Wine for health!
Wine, especially certain
types of red wine, are
good for the heart, owing
to the presence of such
substances as polyphenols,
flavonoids and resveratrol.
Weblink http://www.sgs.us.com/GrapesandHealth-i-30-15.html

How is Champagne made? Methode Champenoise
• The wine is fermented in a stainless steel tank. It ferments for 2 to 3 weeks, and then sits for up
to five months. It is at this point that the process diverts from the normal winemaking process
and becomes special.
• When the winemaker decides to move forward, the wine is bottled with extra sugar and yeast,
and capped with a soda-cap. This process can go from one year to three years or more. When
this second fermentation and resting period are over, the yeast and sediment must be removed
from the bottle.
• The bottles are put into a riddling rack, which slowly
rotates the now-re-fermenting wine from a horizontal
position up to a vertical one. This allows the sediment
from the second fermentation to slowly slide down into
the neck of the bottle, for easy removal.
• The removal process is called disgorgement. The neck
of the bottle is stuck into this machine, which freezes it.
When the cap is removed, the frozen plug of sludge is
kicked out, a "dosage" of Champagne is added to fill in
the space in the bottle, and it is corked with the standard, large Champagne cork.
Weblink http://www.wineintro.com/champagne/methodechampenoise.html

What is (or was) Sack?
• Sack is an antiquated wine term referring to white
fortified wine imported from mainland Spain or the
Canary Islands. There was sack of different origins
such as:
• Canary sack from the Canary Islands,
Malaga sack from Málaga,
Palm sack from Palma de Mallorca, and
Sherris sack from Jerez de la Frontera
The term Sherris sack later gave way to Sherry as the
English term for fortified wine from Jerez.
• Since Sherry is practically the only one of these wines
still widely exported and consumed, "sack" (by itself,
without qualifier) is commonly but not quite correctly
quoted as an old synonym for Sherry.
• Most sack was probably sweet, and matured in wooden
barrels for a limited time. In modern terms, typical sack
may have resembled cheaper versions of medium
Oloroso Sherry.
• Today, sack is sometimes seen included in the name of
some sherries, perhaps most commonly on dry sherries
as "dry sack".
Falstaff: "If I had a thousand sons, the first
humane principle I would teach them should
be, to forswear thin potations and to addict
themselves to sack."

Do the Swiss make wine?
Yes and they even have their own unique varieties of red and white
grapes, such as Chasselas , Müller-Thurgau and Blauburgunder
• According to data from the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture, the Swiss
wine production in 2009 was just over 1.1 million hectolitres, divided into
527 000 hl of white wine and 587 000 hl of red wine.
• Nearly all the national production is drunk within the national boundaries;
less than 2% of the wine is exported (mainly to Germany). Switzerland
ranks in the top 10 of per capita consumption of wine, and as of 1983
imported two thirds of it, including more Beaujolais than the U.S.A.
Weblink
http://www.
switzerland-
wine.com/

What countries produce the most sparkling wine
(including Champagne)?
74 percent of all sparkling wine is made by just five countries:
France, Italy, Germany and Spain make up the top four places,
while the surprise in fifth place is Russia.
Weblink http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2014/11/corks-popping-as-sparkling-wine-sales-surge

Does Japan make wine?
Yes, but they are a late developer and wine production, using European grapes,
is in its relative infancy.
Alcohol consumption has been part of Japanese culture since its early history.
Rice wines (sake), beer and spirits have evolved significantly since their humble
beginnings, and so has their place in culture. Some have proprietary meaning,
used to accompany specific foods over the course of a meal, either to match
flavours or to aid in digestion. Others are for pure sipping pleasure.
Weblink http://www.snooth.com/region/japan/
Chateau Mercian, a winery under the umbrella of
brewing behemoth Kirin, recently purchased 20 hectares
to add to its 21.5 hectares of planted vineyards. The
winery is a Japanese original, in an industry marked by
wines created from imported juice

Is rice wine really wine? The jury is out!
Rice wine, also known as mijiu, is the eastern alcoholic beverage made
from rice, originally from China. Unlike European wine, which is made
by fermentation of naturally occurring sugars in sweet grapes and other
fruit, rice wine is made from the fermentation of rice starch that has
been converted to sugars. The process is somewhat similar to
the mashing process used in beer and whiskey production but differs in
the source of the enzymes that convert starch to sugars. In rice and
other cereal wines, microbes are the source of the enzymes whereas
beer, ale and whiskey production utilizes the enzymes naturally occurring
in sprouted barley.
.
Weblink http://www.foodsubs.com/WinesRice.html
Strictly speaking, wine is the product of fermenting grape juice. Alcoholic beverages
produced by fermenting the starch found in cereal grains like rice are thus not technically
wine as such. As they utilize grains, so-called starch or cereal wines such as
Japanese sake or Chinese huangjiu could be considered more akin to beer than wine, yet
the finished alcoholic beverage is so disparate from beer that this description is very
misleading

California Wine
California wine is wine made in the
U.S. state of California. Nearly
three-quarters the size of France,
California accounts for nearly 90
percent of American wine
production.
The production in California alone is
one third larger than that of
Australia. If California were a
separate country, it would be the
world's fourth-largest wine
producer.
Weblink http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/

Does Russia make wine?
Wine has been produced in Russia since the time of the ancient Greeks, as it was with
most of its Baltic neighbours such as Georgia, Slovenia, and Romania. Most of the
northern sections of the country are just too cold and bleak to produce wine, but
farther south conditions are much more favourable, near the Azov, Black, and Caspian
Seas. It wasn’t until the 1800s that Russia began to produce wine commercially.
Since 2006, Russia has
seen the emergence of
good quality wineries,
which have adopted European
techniques and standards.
The Abrau-Durso winery
near the Black Sea port of
Novorossiysk is considered the
flagship of the new wine industry.
Weblinks http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/rbth/10023010/russian-wine-
producers.html and http://www.snooth.com/region/russia/#ixzz3Pdf6nVS2

What is the strongest wine?
Alcohol is produced when yeast consume the
fructose in the must and convert it to ethanol - a
form of alcohol - and carbon dioxide. The process
ends when either all the sugar is consumed or the
alcohol concentration becomes so high that the
yeast can no longer survive and stop producing.
Hence, if you start out with must that's high in
sugar and you use a variety of yeast that's very
hardy and can survive in high alcohol
concentrations, you can produce a high-alcohol
wine. Zinfandel is a varietal capable of producing
very high-alcohol wines. Some Zins have alcohol
content as high as 15.5 percent.
Weblink http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/entertaining/food-
drink/alcohol-content-wine

What is the world's
northernmost vineyard?
The world's northernmost vineyard is in
Norway, the Eventyrvin's Lerkekasa vineyard.
As a result of its cold climate and
mountainous, rugged landscape, Norway is
the second least densely populated country in
Europe. As a land whose northern half is
covered with snow for a good proportion of
the year, and which sees little or no sunshine
between November and January, it is hardly
surprising that Norway does not rank among
the world's notable wine-producing countries.
Weblink http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-norway

Just for balance - what is the world's southernmost vineyard?
For some years there has been a dispute on this question, with
some saying vineyards in Patagonia, Chile and others the New
Zealand region of Central Otago, South Island. It has recently been
accepted that New Zealand has the southernmost vineyards.
Central Otago is the world’s
most southerly wine producing
region and is likely to remain
that way unless someone in
Chile figures out how to grow
grapevines in permafrost!
Weblink http://www.bobswinereviews.com/blog/dispute-over-worlds-most-
southerly-wine-region-resolved

Wines of Africa
South Africa, the 8th largest wine producing country in the world, is the continent’s leader in
terms of notoriety and volume. Over 100,000 hectares of land is used for wine production.
However, wine is produced in lots of other areas of the continent!
Central Africa
In Tanzania, organic wine is produced at 1100m above sea level, resulting in quality wines with
intense bouquets and personality. The wines are virtually free of acetic acidity, thanks to the
optimal conditions in which the grapes ripen.
Eastern Africa
Tej, also known as honey wine, is a deliciously unique drink only common to Ethiopia and
Eritrea and is normally hard to find in the states with the exception of select restaurants.
Northern Africa
The history of wine in countries like Morocco and Tunisia can be traced back thousands of years
to the Roman Empire's presence in the region. Given the countries' Mediterranean climate,
including abundant sun and dry air, it provides ideal conditions for wine production. Following
traditions in French winemaking, vintners have produced a unique and flavorful assortment of
wines. The countryside around Meknes, in the middle Atlas foothills of Morocco, produces popular
and impressive wines.
Western Africa
Palm wine is an incredibly important and popular beverage in West Africa that is consumed by more
than 10 million people. Most palm wine is made from raphia palms. It is normally consumed in a
variety of flavours (ranging from sweet to sour.) In Nigeria, these delicious wines are most popularly
known as Emu or Ogogora while in Ghana, palm wine is affectionately known as Nsafufuo.
Weblink http://www.heritagelinkbrands.com/winesofafrica

Does India make wine?
The modern wine market in India is small; annual per capita consumption of
wine in the country is a mere 9 millilitres, approximately 1/8000th that of
France. Viticulture in India has a long history dating back to the time of the
Indus Valley civilization when grapevines were believed to have been
introduced from Persia. Winemaking has existed throughout most of India's
history but was particularly encouraged during the time of the Portuguese
and British colonization of the subcontinent.
However, India is now a rapidly emerging wine
economy in terms of both production and
consumption, and has the potential to become a
significant player on the world wine scene. This stems
from the fact that the country has consistently
experienced the highest growth in consumption in the
world – around 20–30% a year between 2002 and
2010. To meet this demand, a significant quantity of
wine is imported annually but India also has a mix of
well-established and evolving domestic wineries.
Weblink http://www.wine-
searcher.com/regions-india

What is 'Noble Rot'?
Noble rot (French: pourriture noble; German: Edelfäule; Italian: Muffa nobile;
Hungarian: Aszúsodás) is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea,
affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions. If the
weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot," can destroy crops of grapes.
Grapes typically become infected with Botrytis when they are ripe. If they are then
exposed to drier conditions and become partially raisined this form of infection
brought about by the partial drying process is known as noble rot. Grapes when
Weblink http://winefolly.com/tutorial/they-call-it-noble-rot-botrytis/
picked at a certain point
during infestation can
produce particularly fine
and concentrated sweet
wine. Some of the finest
Botrytized wines are
literally picked berry by
berry in successive tries
(French for "selections").

What is Phylloxera?
Grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae family Phylloxeridae);
originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to
the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera
vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera (/fɪˈlɒksərə/; from Greek
φύλλον, leaf, and ξερόν, dry) is a pest of commercial grapevines
worldwide, originally native to eastern North America.
These almost microscopic, pale yellow sap-sucking insects, related
to aphids, feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines (depending
on the phylloxera genetic strain). On Vitis vinifera L., the resulting
deformations on roots ("nodosities" and "tuberosities") and
secondary fungal infections can girdle roots, gradually cutting off
the flow of nutrients and water to the vine.
In the late 19th century the phylloxera epidemic destroyed most of
the vineyards for wine grapes in Europe, most notably in France.
Phylloxera was introduced to Europe when avid botanists in
Victorian England collected specimens of American vines in the
1850s. Because phylloxera is native to North America, the native
grape species there are at least partially resistant. By contrast, the
European wine grape Vitis vinifera is very susceptible to the insect.
The epidemic devastated vineyards in Britain and then moved to
the European mainland, destroying most of the European grape
growing industry.
The answer was to graft resistant American vines to European vine
stock. Very little of today's European grapes survived the
infestation and so we don't really know what earlier wines tasted
like!
Weblink http://winefolly.com/review/no-cure-for-grape-phylloxera/

How much tax and duty is there on a bottle of wine in
the UK?
The actual cost of a £6.99 bottle of wine is £1.92. Duty
is £2, VAT is £1.16. Retail and wholesale markups add
up to £1.76, with 15p for transport
If you’re not after something to impress at a dinner
party then is there really much point in spending more
than £5 to help you unwind after a hard day? Well, if
you want your money to be going on the wine in the
bottle rather than on tax, there is.
In the UK wine drinkers fork out an average of £5.03 on
a bottle, according to the latest figures from Nielsen.
However, given that the UK has the highest tax on wine
in Europe, the majority of your money isn’t going on
grapes, wine production costs or even retailer profit,
it’s going straight into the taxman’s coffers.
Weblink https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/the-real-cost-of%E2%80%A6--a-bottle-
of-wine-120559010.html

What is the tax on a bottle of wine in France?
Answer - 3p a bottle!
Weblink http://blog.bauduc.com/2011/03/24/13-unpalatable-facts-about-uk-wine-duty/

Where is the highest vineyard in the world?
There has been much discussion about this and several
contenders - Italy, Canary Islands, Nepal, Bhutan, but it
appears that Argentina can claim this title, with a
vineyard at 10,200 feet!
In 1978, Donald Hess founded the Hess Collection Winery
on Mount Veeder, 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley. A
believer in sustainable and biodynamic farming practices,
his passion for growing great wine at high altitude
culminated in Bodega Colomé, the highest vineyard in the
world at 10,200 feet/3,111 meters above sea level in the
northern part of the Calchaqui Valley in Argentina.
Weblink http://www.hess-family.com/wine_founders.html

What is the world's smallest wine producing country?
Liechtenstein!
It is possibly the most absurd winery in the world. In icy cold conditions,
suitable for drinking mulled wine but certainly not growing it, are a few short
rows of vines. They look shrivelled up for the winter, as well they might, and a
few hardy goats amble amongst them. The backdrop is thoroughly
spectacular, however, with the snow-doused Alps making the tiny vineyard
look even smaller.
This little patch of viticulture is pretty much it for the world’s smallest wine
producing nation. According to United Nations figures, Liechtenstein
produces just 80 tonnes of wine per year. For a sense of perspective, compare
that to the five million churned out by France. Or, even better, the 77,000 and
45,000 produced by Algeria and Uzbekistan respectively.
Effectively, therefore, the entire country’s output is the result of one stubborn
individual deciding that it’s perfectly possible to make a great pinot noir here.
Even if it’s on pretty much the only flat piece of land in a microstate almost
entirely dominated by huge peaks.
Weblink http://www.grumpytraveller.com/2013/05/20/liechtenstein-wine-industry/

What everyone needs to know - the names of the different sizes of
Champagne bottles, invaluable for quizzes!
The standard bottle, or “Champenoise”: 75cl Magnum: 1.5L (2 bottles)
Jeroboam: 3L (4 bottles) Methuselah: 6L (8 bottles)
Salmanazar: 9L (12 bottles) Balthazar: 12L (16 bottles)
Nebuchadnezzar: 15L (20 bottles) Solomon: 18L (24 bottles)
Sovereign: 26.25L (35 bottles) Primat: 27L (36 bottles)
Melchizedek: 30L (40 bottles)
Weblink http://www.champagne-ardenne-tourism.co.uk/champagne/secret/size-of-the-bottles.aspx

Australian wine - my favourite quaffing red!
The Australian wine industry is the world's fourth largest
exporter of wine, with approximately 750 million litres a year to
the international export market, with only about 40% of
production consumed domestically. The wine industry is a
significant contributor to the Australian economy, through
production, employment, export and tourism.
There is a A$2.8 billion domestic market for Australian wines,
with Australians consuming over 530 million litres annually with
a per capita consumption of about 30 litres – 50% white table
wine, 35% red table wine. Norfolk Islanders are the second
biggest per capita wine consumers in the world with 54 litres.
Only 16.6% of wine sold domestically is imported.
Weblink https://www.wineaustralia.com/

What is the world's largest wine producing company?
Constellation Brands (USA)
The company was established in 1945 by Marvin Sands in
the Finger Lakes region of New York as Canandaigua
Industries Company. Since that time, the company has
grown through internal expansion and by acquisitions
across all segments of the beverage alcohol industry.
Constellation Brands is the largest wine producer in the
world. It had sales of over $3.77 billion in fiscal year 2008. It
operates about 40 production facilities, employs some
4,300, and markets its products worldwide.
Weblink http://www.cbrands.com/

Can you tell the contents of a bottle of wine from its appearance?
Well, yes and no!
Glass has been around since Roman
times. But until the 17th century, when
a timber shortage led to the creation of
coal-fuelled furnaces, glass was too
fragile to use for storing or transporting
wines. Hand-blown bottles were more
often used for serving wines while
barrels or large clay pots (amphorae)
were used for storage. When necessary,
some of the tear-drop-shaped glass
bottles were wrapped in straw both to
protect the glass from breakage and to
allow the bottle to stand upright on a
table (now associated with the
traditional marketing of straw-wrapped
Chianti bottles).
Weblink http://www.sha.org/bottle/wine.htm

Wine Drinking Habits of Men vs Women (US Research)
“Women prefer white wine. Men only drink red. Women like sweet wine. Men
purchase less wine.” These are just a few of the common beliefs about men and
women and wine, but are they really true? One statistic we can rely on is that US wine
consumers are approximately 55% female and 45% male, according to Nielson, but
there has been an increase of men adopting wine in the past decade.
So what is really happening around the topic of wine and gender in the US? In order to
answer this question, a research study was developed to explore differences in wine
drinking occasion and motivation between men and women. The study included in-
depth interviews with 30 men and women who drink wine as well as an online survey
with 305 wine consumers (155 men and 150 women) residing in California. The results
show strong similarities between men and women in many categories, but also some
surprising differences.
It turns out that both men and women like red wine best, with Cabernet Sauvignon
and Merlot topping the list; however, women also identify White Zinfandel as a strong
preference. Both sexes opt for Chardonnay as their favourite white wine. Actually,
women do like white wine better than men do. They rank Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot
Grigio and Riesling higher than men do.
When asked why they like to drink wine, both California men and women agreed that
their top three motivations were: 1) because wine enhances food, 2) they like the
taste, and 3) it helps with relaxation.
Weblink http://freshvino.com/archives/5545

Grapes are not the only fruit!
'Wine' is generally made
from grapes, but fruit,
flowers and vegetables can
make some interesting
beverages. For instance,
parsnip wine, which is a
good example, as it is
stronger than most, due to
the high sugar content -
the best way to consume
the loathsome parsnip, in
my opinion!
Weblink http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/how_to/349628/how_to_turn_your_excess_fruit_and_veg_into_wine.html

What are the most popular wine brands in the world?
The biggest selling wine brands are dominated by the
USA and Australia, but there is a Chilean producer in
the top 10
1. Barefoot (US) 2. Gallo (US)
3. Concha y Toro (Chile) 4. Hardys (Aus)
5. Yellow Tail (Aus) 6. Robert Mondavi (US)
7. Sutter Home (US) 8. Lindeman’s (Aus)
9. Beringer (US) 10. Jacob’s Creek (Aus)
The top producer is on 16.9m cases, down to 6.6m cases at No 10
Weblink http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/07/top-10-wine-brands-2014/2/

What is the size of the largest wine bottle ever made?
The current record holder is 4.17 m (13 ft
8.17 in) tall, 1.21 m (3 ft 11.63 in) in
diameter and was filled with 3,094 litres
(650.58 UK gal, 817.34 US gal) of wine,
achieved by André Vogel (Switzerland) as
measured in Lyssach, Switzerland, on 20
October 2014.
Previously, it was the taller 1,850 litre
bottle from Wang Chen Wines in Liaoning,
Northern China which is 15 feet high
However, the video below shows the
manufacture of a previous contender, also
pictured :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL1uXg
znT64

What is the world's largest wine festival?
The Wurstmarkt in Bad Dürkheim, located in the heart of Palatinate,
Germany, has been celebrated every September for over 590 years, and what
started as a fair for local farmers and wine growers, now attracts more than
600,000 visitors annually.
Although this fair is called
"Wurstmarkt" (literally sausage
market), the folk festival is famous
for its celebration of excellent local
wines. The Wurstmarkt takes place
every second and third weekend in
September in the town of Bad
Dürkheim along the German Wine
Road.
Weblink http://www.duerkheimer-wurstmarkt.de/duerkheimer-wurstmarkt.html?L=1

How much wine do we drink in the UK?
The UK is the sixth biggest wine consuming country in the world.
The United States is the number one wine consuming country followed by
France, Italy and Germany, with China now up in to fifth position ahead of the
UK.
UK consumption of still and sparkling wine was 1.6
billion or 134.56 million 9¬litre cases in 2012. This
compares to 138.5 million cases in 2011. But there
are signs that consumption levels are levelling out
and could actually start to “rebuild” from 2015.
predicting that by 2017 consumption could be back
up to 136 million cases of still and sparkling wines.
Red wine is now firmly established as the preferred
drink of the UK consumer. In 2013 consumption of
red wine reached 55.2m cases, compared to 53.3m
cases of white.
Weblink http://www.wsta.co.uk/publications-useful-documents/68-wsta-market-overview-2013/file

Italian Wine
Italy is home to some of the oldest wine-producing
regions in the world, and Italian wines are known
worldwide for their broad variety. Italy, closely
followed by France, is the world’s largest wine
producer by volume. Its contribution is about 45–50
million hl per year, and represents about ⅓ of global
production. Italian wine is exported around the
world and is also extremely popular in Italy: Italians
rank fifth on the world wine consumption list by
volume with 42 litres per capita consumption.
Grapes are grown in almost every region of the
country and there are more than one million
vineyards under cultivation.
Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in Italy
before the Romans started their own vineyards in
the 2nd century B.C. Roman grape-growing and
winemaking was prolific and well-organized,
pioneering large-scale production and storage
techniques like barrel-making and bottling.
Weblink http://winefolly.com/review/italian-wine-regions-map/

Spanish Wine
I recall some of the first wine I drank was called 'Don Cortez' in the early 60's and I
think it deserved the popular appellation - 'Rot Gut‘. Things have improved since then!
Spanish wines (Spanish: vinos españoles) are wines produced in the southwestern
European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9
million acres (over 1.17 million hectares) planted—making it the most widely planted
wine producing nation, but it is the third largest producer of wine in the world, the
largest being France followed by Italy. This is due, in part, to the very low yields and
wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry, infertile soil found in many Spanish
wine regions.
The country is ninth in worldwide consumptions with Spaniards drinking, on average,
21.6 litres (5.706 US gal) per person a year. The country has an abundance of native
grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout Spain though 80 percent of
the country's wine production is from only 20 grapes—including the reds Tempranillo,
Garnacha, and Monastrell; the whites Albariño from Galicia, Palomino, Airen, and
Macabeo; and the three cava grapes Parellada, Xarel·lo, and Macabeo.
Major Spanish wine regions include the Rioja and Ribera del Duero which are known
for their Tempranillo production; Valdepeñas, drunk by Unamuno and Hemingway,
known for high quality tempranillo at low prices; Jerez, the home of the fortified wine
Sherry; Rías Baixas in the northwest region of Galicia that is known for its white wines
made from Albariño and Catalonia which includes the Cava and still wine producing
regions of the Penedès as well the Priorat region.
Weblink http://www.winesfromspainusa.com/

Romanian Wine
Romania is one of the world's largest wine producers – in 2009 it produced
around 610,000 tons of wine. In recent years, Romania has attracted many
European business people and wine buyers, due to the affordable prices of
both vineyards and wines compared to other wine producing nations such
as France, Germany, and Italy
Romania has one of the oldest wine making traditions in the world, its viticulture
dating back more than 6000 years. Due to the hot dry summers, the location proved
to be successful and the grape vineyards thrived. Since the medieval times, wine has
been the traditional alcoholic beverage of the Romanians.
Later on, during the medieval ages, Saxons emigrated to Romania, bringing along with
them different variations of Germanic grape vines. However, by the 19th century, most
of these grape vines were replaced by grapes from Western Europe.
In the 1880s, phylloxera (a pale yellow sap-sucking insect that attacks the roots of
vines) arrived in Romania from North America. The phylloxera wiped out a majority of
Europe's vineyards, including those in Romania. Eventually, many of the Romanian
vines were replaced by those imported from France and other foreign nations, such as
Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot noir.
In 2008, Romania was the twelfth largest wine producing country in the world, and, in
2009, the eleventh largest.
Weblink http://www.winerist.com/blog/entry/romanian-wineries-not-to-be-missed

Wines of Portugal
Portuguese wine is the result of traditions
introduced to the region by ancient civilizations,
such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks,
and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to
export its wines to Rome during the Roman
Empire. Modern exports developed with trade
to England after the Methuen Treaty in 1703.
From this commerce a wide variety of wines
started to be grown in Portugal. And, in 1758,
one of the first wine-producing region of the
world, the Região Demarcada do Douro was
created under the orientation of Marquis of
Pombal, in the Douro Valley. Portugal has two
wine producing regions protected by UNESCO
as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine
Region (Douro Vinhateiro) and Pico Island Wine
Region (Ilha do Pico Vinhateira). Portugal has a
big variety of local kinds, producing a very wide
variety of different wines with distinctive
personality. Weblink http://www.winesofportugal.info/

Greek wine
Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The earliest evidence of
Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago, where wine was produced on a household
or communal basis. In ancient times, as trade in wine became extensive, it was transported
from end to end of the Mediterranean; Greek wine had especially high prestige in Italy
under the Roman Empire. In the medieval period, wines exported from Crete, Monemvasia
and other Greek ports fetched high prices in northern Europe.
What makes Greek wine so unique are the more than 300 indigenous grape varieties grown
there, some of which have been cultivated since ancient times. Many of the world’s best
wine critics agree that the distinct flavors that come from these native grape varieties are a
strong marketing advantage for the Greek wine industry. Many well-known international
grape varieties are also used in Greek wine making. This extensive variety of grapes
together with the moderate Greek climate, plentiful sunshine, low average rainfall and soils
of moderate fertility combine to provide an excellent environment for the production of
high quality wines.
Retsina (Greek: Ρετσίνα) is a Greek white (or rose) resinated wine, which has been made
for at least 2000 years. Its unique flavour is said to have originated from the practice of
sealing wine vessels, particularly amphorae, with Aleppo Pine resin in ancient times.
Weblink http://www.allaboutgreekwine.com/varieties.htm

The wine box - a history
A box wine is wine packaged in a bag-in-box. Wine is contained in a
plastic bladder typically with an air-tight valve emerging from a
protective corrugated fiberboard box. It serves as an alternative to
traditional wine bottling in glass with a cork or synthetic seal.
The process for packaging 'cask wine' (box wine) was invented by
Thomas Angove of Angove's, a winemaker from Renmark, South
Australia, and patented by the company on April 20, 1965.
Polyethelene bladders of 1 gallon (4.5 litres) were placed in
corrugated boxes for retail sale. The original design required that the
consumer cut the corner off the bladder, pour out the serving of
wine and then reseal it with a special peg.
In 1967 Australian inventor Charles Malpas and Penfolds Wines
patented a plastic, air-tight tap welded to a metallised bladder,
making storage more convenient. All modern wine casks now use
some sort of plastic tap, which is exposed by tearing away a
perforated panel on the box. For the next decades bag in a box
packaging was primarily preferred by producers of less expensive
wines as it is cheaper to fabricate and distribute than glass bottles.
In 2003 California Central Coast AVA-based Black Box Wines
introduced mass premium wines in a box, which served to overturn
the stereotype that box wines are an alternate packing on
inexpensive jug wine. Within the decade premium wineries and
bottlers began packaging their own high-quality boxed wine,
including French rabbit, Bandit Wines, Octavin, Target, and hundreds
of others. This coupled with an increased cultural interest in
environmentally sustainable packaging has cultivated growing
popularity with affluent wine consumers
Weblink http://wineeconomist.com/2012/05/07/the-rise-of-big-really-big-box-wine/

You’re a real wine nut if:
Supplied by Winerist http://www.winerist.com/blog/category/10
That’sh all for now, folksh – keep quaffing!
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