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Total number of miles in Scotland’s “Dramathon,” an annual boozy race along Speyside Way, home to over 80 world-renowned whisky distilleries. What makes this marathon so special? The finish line is at the Glenfiddich distillery where runners sip single malt scotches and receive medals made from whisky barrel staves. The Dramathon takes place in October. Registration is now open.

Hairy grenache is the name for a diseased grenache vine that develops swollen leaves covered in spindle-like filaments.

Answer: False.

Not exactly. Hairy grenache, or garnacha peluda in Spain and lledoner pelut in the Languedoc Roussillon region of France, is a (good) clone of grenache that has particularly hairy leaves. Like the furry fuzz found on rosemary and other Mediterranean plants, the “fur” evolved as a defense mechanism to protect the vine from heat and conserve moisture. The clone is native to the Spanish region of Catalonia. Wines made from hairy grenache often have a lower alcohol content, but the clone is customarily blended with regular (non-hairy) clones of grenache.

“Wine is earth’s answer to the sun.”

—Margaret Fuller,
American journalist
(1810 – 1850)

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