Decoding Champagne Wine Bottle Sizes & Names.
January 27, 2012 
It was the French Benedictine monk Dom Perignon (1638-1715) who proclaimed, “Come quickly! I am drinking stars!”, (NB: probably because Champagne makes everyone yell silly things) so it makes perfect sense that the range of Champagne bottles take their names from figures inspired by the bible.
Before we get started, it’s worth pointing out that apart from magnum and jeroboam, very few of these names are ever been used seriously. However, I always seem to get asked about the names of the various sizes of wine bottle, and what they mean, so I thought it was post-worthy:
Magnum
Size: 1.5 liters or 16 glasses.
Story: Latin for “great,” a magnum is twice the volume of a regular bottle.
Jeroboam
Size: 3 liters or 32 glasses.
Story: Named after the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who ruled for 22 years during the 10th century BC. The name means “may the people grow numerous,” which makes sense, as if you manage to get your hands on a bottle, I’m sure you’ll unexpectedly develop new friends!
Happy Friday: Win a Soiree Wine Aerator!
January 27, 2012
I woke up this morning in a “giving” mood, I don’t know why, I just did. Therefore, I feel an urge to offload one of the Soiree Wine Aerator’s ($25 value) that have been cluttering up my office!
Since it’s Friday I don’t want to make you work any harder than you have to, therefore I’ve made it simple to win. All you have to do is the following task:
Go to the Soiree Facebook Page, and wish them a “Happy Friday!” on their wall.
That’s it! I told you it was easy!
The competition lasts until Sunday January 29th at 6pm, with all the participants names being thrown into a hat, and the winner notified via Facebook private message that night.
English Sparkling Come of Age, with a Little Help From the French.
January 27, 2012
The first English sparkling wine made by a French champagne maker is about to go on sale in England, signaling clearly that British “fizz” is starting to come of age.
According to a report published in The Guardian newspaper, labeled as Meonhill, the British bubbles will be available early this year. It has been made from grapes grown from French rootstocks planted in Hampshire.
The planned release of the first 5,000 bottles by Didier Pierson-Whitaker, owner of a grand cru vineyard in Champagne, comes as established English vintners of champagne-style sparkling wines report a dramatic growth in sales and demand.
Just for Sommeliers.
January 26, 2012
You might think this is exaggerated, but I promise you it isn’t! :)
Posted in Funny | Tagged Court of Master Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, Sommelier | Leave a comment //
Kendall Jackson Boss Goes Undercover.
January 26, 2012
Rick Tigner, President, Kendall Jackson Wine Estates, the largest family owned luxury/ultra-premium wine company in America, goes undercover this Sunday in the third episode of Season Three of Undercover Boss.
This is the first time the CBS show has focused on an alcoholic beverage company. It’s also rare for a major wine company to put its day-to-day dealings under such a public microscope.
“My thought was the positives will outweigh the negatives,” Tigner said at a screening of the show held for journalists in San Francisco. “When you’re that exposed you’re always a little nervous. There were naysayers.”
Continue reading →
Scientist Who Studied Wine Accused Of Faking Data.
January 26, 2012
The University of Connecticut has accused Dipak Das, a professor and researcher who published studies touting the health benefits of consuming red wine, of falsifying data and is seeking his dismissal, according to a report in Wine Spectator.
The university’s health center is citing extensive research misconduct in Das’ studies after a three-year investigation into research published in 11 scientific journals. “We have a responsibility to correct the scientific record and inform peer researchers across the country,” said Philip Austin, interim vice president for health affairs at the University of Connecticut.
Posted in News | Tagged Health | Leave a comment //Querceto di Castellina L’Aura Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2008.
January 25, 2012
Grapes
90% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo
- Sangiovese [san-joe-vay-zee] is the main grape in Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Carmignano and Brunello di Montalcino.
- Ciliegiolo [chee-lee-eh-joh-loh] is a much more obscure grape than Sangio, and it took a little research to find out some info! We’re all still learning, right?
The name is apparently derived from the Italian word for cherry in Italian: ciliegi. Through clonal research, Ciliegiolo has been discovered to be the parent of the Sangiovese grape.
How to Please a Women vs. How to Please a Man.
January 25, 2012
Make a Reservation for Romance this Valentine’s Day at III Forks Jacksonville.
January 24, 2012
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Chops Paired with La Griveliere Cotes du Rhone 2010.
January 23, 2012
Ever since receiving a set of insanely expensive Laguiole steak knives for Christmas, I’ve been dying to test them out. Truth-be-told, when I unwrapped the small rectangler box on Dec 25th, my heart dropped into my shoes when I saw the Laguiole logo on the wooden case. For one second I thought the Mrs. had dropped $100+ on a Laguiole wine opener.
I don’t by any means want to sound ungrateful, it’s not that I wouldn’t have appreciated it, but my track record with retaining wine keys isn’t exactly the best in the world. Truthfully, I’ve probably had at least 10 taken off me just by airport security over the past 3 years. Coupled with the others that I’ve let people “borrow”, I know for a fact that it would only be a matter of time before this one went “walkies”!
Thankfully, it wasn’t an insanely expensive wine opener, but instead an even more insanely expensive set of four steak knives! TSA aren’t going to be getting their hands on these bad-boys (unless I feel the need to start providing my own silverware on flights), but I’ll be keeping a careful eye on every house guest that we dare to bring them out for!
World’s First Meteorite-Aged Wine.
January 22, 2012
Norwich-born Ian Hutcheon (NB: I KNEW it would be a Brit behind this!) has released a Cabernet Sauvignon called Meteorito, aged with a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite from the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The “extra-terrestrial wine” was created at Hutcheon’s Tremonte Vineyard in the Cachapoal Valley in Chile, which he bought in 2009.
“I’ve been involved in wines and astronomy for many, many years and I wanted to find some way of combining the two,” Hutcheon said. “When you drink this wine, you are drinking elements from the birth of the solar system,” he added.
Posted in Funny, News | Tagged Cabernet, Chile, Meteorito | Leave a comment //New Drug Claims to Keep You Sober, No Matter How Much You’ve Had to Drink.
January 22, 2012
Chinese tree extract has long been used as a hangover cure. Now it is being turned into a ‘sobriety pill’ that could cure alcoholism.
Imagine a pill that could instantly sober you up no matter how much you’ve had to drink, or a hangover cure that worked minutes after swallowing it. Hardened drinkers rejoice: researchers are about to begin human trials on an "alcohol antidote" that may soon offer a cure to alcoholism, reports New Scientist.
The drug is a chemical called dihydromyricetin (NB: try saying that after a drink or two), and is derived from a Chinese variety of the oriental raisin tree, which has been used for at least 500 years in China as an effective hangover cure. So far the extract has only been tested on boozing rats, but with promising results.
Posted in News | Leave a comment //← Older posts
