188

Distance (in miles) between the sparkling wine vineyards of southern England and those in Champagne. The two places share nearly identical chalky soils laid down before the English Channel formed. As a result, England is now the newest hotspot for fine fizz. Within the next three years, the English sparkling industry is projected to be worth $36 million.

What is scuppernong?

A. The plastic material that barrel bungs are made from

B. A local South African name for chenin blanc

C. A vine disease that can affect grapevines that have been exposed to extreme heat

D. A grape native to the American south

Scuppernong grapes are extremely large, round, greenish-bronze grapes that belong to the North American species Vitis rotundifolia, also known as the muscadine species. The name comes from the Scuppernong River in North Carolina, along which the grapes once grew profusely. Scuppernong grapes are, in fact, the state’s official fruit. They were first cultivated in the 17th century. Today, home winemakers in the South often use scuppernongs, although many consider the grapes better-suited to jelly than wine.

Queen (for More Than a Day)

The first wine queen in California (a state which has also anointed garlic queens, artichoke queens and so on) was crowned in 1913 in Escondido, San Diego County, a time when the state’s wine industry… Continue reading

188

Get WineSpeed