Cépage

Cépage is the French term that denotes the percentage of each varietal in the composition of a blended wine. For instance, if a red wine is 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot, the cépage is 60-40.

The first winery in the Americas was established in which of the following countries?

A. United States

B. Mexico

C. Argentina

D. Peru

Casa Madero, the first known winery in the Americas, was established in 1597 in the Mexican town of Santa Maria de las Parras (“Holy Mary of the Grapevines”). The winery still exists and today, specializes in chardonnay, chenin blanc and shiraz. In the last decade, the Mexican wine industry has grown significantly even as it has moved closer toward high quality wine. Much of the excitement has been centered on the 1,000 + mile long Baja Peninsula south of California. There are now 100 wineries in Baja. The earliest wine made in what is now the United States was produced between 1562 and 1564 by French Huguenot settlers in northern Florida. The wine was made from local Scuppernong grapes, but it appears the settlers did not build a winery.

Gas in Your Glass?

In a tasting of rieslings, at least one person is almost sure to experience what he or she will call a strong “gasoline” or “petrol” smell. Petrol aromas are caused by TDN—trimethyldihydronaphthalene. Several studies have… Continue reading

Cépage

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