Bloody Hell, College Was Brutal

Alas, it wasn’t this way for me (or you either probably) but in England historically, wine—and especially Port—played a notable part in college life. According to the Rare Wine Company (an importer/retailer specializing in Port and Madeira) in the early part of the nineteenth century, important universities like Cambridge and Oxford had breathtakingly enormous wine cellars, and there was ten times as much Port in those cellars than any other wine. Far from being a mere hedonistic indulgence, Port was “currency”—often used by students to pay off wages, bets, and fines.

In the wine name Pouilly-Fumé, what does the “Fumé” refer to?

A. The smoky-colored gray bloom of yeasts on the grapes

B. The mists that rise up from the Loire River where the river makes a turn and begins to head south

C. The slightly smoky character of the wine

D. The morning fog that settles in the pockets of many of the best vineyards

According to the renowned French ampelographer Pierre Galet (known as the “father of modern ampelography”), sauvignon blanc grapes in the Pouilly area of the Loire Valley in France are known by the synonym Blanc Fumé after the smoky-colored gray bloom of yeasts that grow on the grapes there. The grape Blanc Fumé gave rise to the wine’s name Pouilly-Fumé.

Bush Vine

A bush-like vine that is free-standing with no trellis system. It is also known as a goblet-trained or head-trained vine. Many of the world’s oldest vines are trained in this manner.

Bloody Hell, College Was Brutal

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