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Percentage of British who are expected to drink a glass of English sparkling wine this weekend, June 2 to 5, to celebrate the Queen of England’s Platinum Jubilee (in honor of Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne). The magazine Drinks Business reports that Londoners are expected to down 860 glasses of English sparkling every minute throughout the celebration. Less vinously chauvinistic, the Scots are predicted to celebrate with (considerably less expensive) Prosecco.

Red wine ferments at a higher temperature than white wine.

Answer: True.

During fermentation of red wine, the temperature of the must rises to between 60°F and 85°F. The winemaker usually does not want it to rise above 85°F, for at higher temperatures, the aromas and flavors of the wine may be volatilized or burned off. White wines, (except from some wines like full-bodies Chardonnays) are often fermented in temperature-controlled fermentation tanks, so they generally ferment at 50°F to 65°F. These tanks are usually double-skinned and wrapped on the outside with a jacket through which a coolant like glycol can run. Again, the goal is to preserve the wine’s aromas by fermenting at a cool temperature.

“In north Africa, Spain and Portugal, [cork] forests are the last firewall to complete desertification.”

—Patrick Spencer, Founder, Cork Forest Conservation Alliance

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